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FIFTY
FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT ANGELS
by: Joe R. Garman
Angels are mentioned about three hundred
times in the Bible. The first description of an angel appears in
Genesis 16:7, the last in Revelation 22:16. The angel is
portrayed at the beginning as carrying a message from God, and in
the closing chapter of scripture as carrying a message from
Christ.
- ANGELS CARE ABOUT MILITARY PERSONNEL. The very first
Gentile convert was a military officer. "About
the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in to him, and said to
him, ‘Cornelius!’ and fixing his gaze upon him
and being much alarmed, he said, ‘What is it,
Lord?’ And he said to him, ‘Your prayers and
alms have ascended as a memorial before God’ "
(Acts 10:3-4)
- PRISON BARS CANNOT KEEP ANGELS FROM US. What glorious
things angels have wrought in prison. "But an
angel of the Lord during the night opened the gates of
the prison, and taking them out he said, ‘Go your
way, stand and speak to the people in the temple the
whole message of this Life’." (Acts 5:19-20)
- LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE GUARDIAN ANGELS. Jesus lovingly
spoke of children seven times in this, the children’s
chapter of the Bible. "See that you do not despise
one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their
angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father
who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save
that which was lost." (Matt 18:10, 11)
- ANGELS HAVE NOT ALWAYS EXISTED, BUT WERE CREATED PRIOR TO
ADAM. Only four angelic beings are mentioned by name in
scripture: Michael and Gabriel (Holy): Lucifer and
Abbadon (Fallen). "And He is the image of the
invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him
all things were created, both in the heavens and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been
created by Him and for Him." (Colossians 1:15,
16)
- ANGELS ARE SUBJECT TO JESUS, THEIR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.
Angels cannot work the works of the Holy Spirit, nor
grant forgiveness for sin. "And corresponding to
that, baptism now saves you - not the removal of dirt
from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good
conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven,
after angels and authorities and powers had been
subjected to Him." (I Peter 3:21,22)
- BECAUSE NAKEDNESS IS A MARK OF APOSTASY BEFORE GOD,
ANGELS IN THEIR NATURAL STATE ARE CLOTHED IN PURE, FINE,
WHITE LINEN. So was the High Priest when making access to God. Jesus was wrapped for burial in fine linen prior to
His resurrection. "And his appearance was like
lightning, and his garment as white as snow; and the
guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead
men." (Matthew 28: 3,4)
- A NUMBERLESS HOST OF ANGELS DESCENDED UPON MT. SINAI.
There Moses received the law from God, which the angels
themselves had ordained. "Why do you look with
envy, O mountains with many peaks, at the mountain which
God has desired for His abode? Surely, the Lord will
dwell there forever. The chariots of God are myriads,
thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them as at
Sinai, in holiness." (Psalm 68:16,17)
- GOD’S ANGELS ARE HOLY (SINLESS) BY CHOICE. Angels
are spoken of more in the New Testament than in the Old
Testament. "For what shall a man give in exchange
for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words
in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man
will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of
His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:37,38)
- ANGELS LIVE IN CLOSE AND CONSTANT COMMUNION WITH GOD,
CONTINUALLY PRAISING HIM. If man were the only creature
giving praise to God, how little glory He would receive
from His creation. "And Zacharias said to the
angel, ‘How shall I know this for certain? For I am
an old man, and my wife is advanced in years,’ And
the angel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel,
who stands in the presence of God: and I have been sent
to speak to you, and to bring to you this good
news." (Luke 1:18,19)
- THE ANGELS’ CAPITOL IS IN A HEAVEN FREE FROM SIN,
THE BUSIEST PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE. To deny the existence
of angels and of heaven is to deny the Deity of Christ,
for He spoke of them both quite often. "Jesus
answered and said to him, ‘Because I said to you
that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You
shall see greater things than these.’ And He said to
him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you shall see the
heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and
descending on the Son of Man." (John 1:50,51)
- ANGELS ARE VASTLY NUMEROUS. The Hebrew language had no
word for "million", so when speaking of angels,
they expressed a million as "a thousand thousands
(which is a million) and ten thousand times ten thousand
(a hundred million)". "But you have come to
Mount Zion and to the city of the living god, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the
general assembly and church of the first-born who are
enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to
the spirits of righteous men made perfect." (Hebrews
12:22,23)
- ANGELS DO NOT MARRY OR REPRODUCE. There is no mention in
scripture of "baby" angels. "But Jesus
answered and said to them, ‘You are mistaken, not
understanding the Scriptures, or the power of God. For in
the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in
marriage, but are like the angels in heaven."
(Matthew 22:29,30)
- ANGELS NEVER DIE, NEITHER IS IT MENTIONED THAT THEY CAN
WEEP. There will be no hospitals, graveyards or jails in
heaven. "But those who are considered worthy to
attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead,
neither marry, nor are given in marriage; for neither can
they die any more, for they are like angels, and are sons
of God, being sons of the resurrection." (Luke
20:35,36)
- ANGELS ARE NOT "ALL KNOWING". "heaven
and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass
away. But the day and hour no one knows, not even the
angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father
alone." (Matthew 24:35,36)
- ANGELS CAMP AROUND THOSE WHO FEAR GOD. "The angel
of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and
rescues them. O taste and see that the Lord is good; how
blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" (Psalm
34:7,8)
- ANGELS ARE WISE AND HAVE DISCERNMENT. "In order
to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has
done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of
the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth. Then
the king said to Joab, ‘Behold now, I will surely do
this thing; go therefore, bring back the young man
Absalom." (II Samuel 14:20,21)
- ANGELS ARE MULTI-LINGUAL. "If I speak with the
tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I
have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I
have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all
knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove
mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." (I
Corinthians 13:1,2)
- ANGELS CAN VIEW US FROM THEIR ROYAL COURT AND HAVE THE
ENTIRE UNIVERSE AS THEIR COLISEUM. "For, I think,
God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men
condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to
the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for
Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are
weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we
are without honor." (I Corinthians 4:9,10)
- ANGELS EAT HEAVENLY MANNA. It is possible that Jesus ate
angel food (manna from heaven) when angels ministered to
Him after His 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. "And
He rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them food
from heaven. Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent
them food in abundance." (Psalm 78:24,25)
- AROUND THE THRONE OF GOD SERAPHIM STAND ABOVE AND CRY,
"HOLY", CHERUBIM STAND BELOW TO GUARD, BUT NO
ANGEL IS ALLOWED TO SIT AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, AS THAT
IS RESERVED FOR HIS SON AND OUR SAVIOR. "For to
which of the angels did He ever say, ‘Thou art My
Son, today I have begotten thee’? And again, ‘I
will be a Father to Him, and He shall be a Son to
me’? And again He brings the first-born into the
world, He says, ‘And let all the angels of God
worship Him’." (Hebrews 1:5,6)
- ANGELS PATROL THE EARTH. The "real" God-squad. "And
the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered
and said, ‘These are those whom the Lord has sent to
patrol the earth’. So they answered the angel of the
Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said,
‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the
earth is peaceful and quiet." (Zechariah
1:10,11)
- ALTHOUGH HIS DISCIPLES SLEPT, JESUS WAS NOT ALONE IN THE
GARDEN OF PRAYER, FOR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN WAS PRESENT
AND STRENGTHENED HIM. "Now an angel from heaven
appeared to Him, strengthening Him. and being in agony he
was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like
drops of blood, falling down upon the ground." (Luke
22:43,44)
- ANGELS ARE CURIOUS. "It was revealed to them that
they were not serving themselves, but you, in these
things which now have been announced to you through those
who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent
from heaven - things into which angels long to look.
Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in
spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be
brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (I
Peter 1:12,13)
- ANGELS WILL BE JUDGED BY US. "Or do you not know
that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is
judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the
smallest law courts? Do you not know that we shall judge
angels? How much more, matters of this life?" (I
Corinthians 6:2,3)
- ANGELS PROPHESY AND INTERPRET DREAMS. "But when
he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of
David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for
that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy
Spirit. And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His
name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from
their sins." (Matthew 1:20,21)
- OUR LORD HIMSELF APPEARED AS AN ANGEL TO JACOB, GIDEON
AND MENOAH...ONLY TO MENTION A FEW. If this had not been
the Lord, He would have constrained them when they began
to worship and pay tribute to Him, just as the angel did
in the revelation when John fell down to worship him. "Yes,
he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and
sought his favor. He found Him at Bethel, and there He
spoke with us, even the Lord, the God of hosts; the Lord
is His name." (Hosea 12:4,5)
- THE TOMB OF JESUS WAS NEVER EMPTY, FOR THE ANGELS WERE
THERE AND PROCLAIMED THE FIRST RESURRECTION STORY. "But
Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as
she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she
beheld two angels in whit sitting, one at the head, and
one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been
lying." (John 20:11,12)
- SATAN WAS AN ANOINTED CHERUB, BUT HE HAS THE ABILITY TO
DISGUISE HIMSELF AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT (THEREFORE AS A
MESSENGER). "And no wonder, for even Satan
disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is
not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves
as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be
according to their deeds." (II Corinthians
11:14,15)
- HELL WAS NOT PREPARED FOR MAN, BUT WAS PREPARED FOR THE
DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS. If you force yourself into Hell by
purposely rejecting Christ, you will be going to a place
not at all prepared for you...God prepared Heaven for
you. "And the King will answer and say to them,
‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it
to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them,
you did it to Me.’ Then He will also say to those on
His left, ‘Depart from Me accursed ones, into the
eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and
his angels." (Matthew 25:40,41)
- ANGELS CAN APPEAR AS WINDS AND FLAMES OF FIRE. "And
of the angels He says, ‘Who makes His angels winds,
and His ministers a flame of fire.’ But of the Son
He says, ‘Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever,
and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His
kingdom." (Hebrews 1:7,8)
- ANGELS CANNOT SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD. "For
I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor thing present, nor things to
come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other
created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love
of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans
8:38,39)
- ANGELS REJOICE OVER REPENTANT SINNERS. "And when
she has found it, she calls together her friends and
neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have
found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, I
tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of
God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15;9,10)
- ANGELS ARE NOT ALWAYS RECOGNIZABLE. Only seraphim and
cherubim are mentioned in scripture as having wings, and
never does it mention that angels have halos. Do not
neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this
some have entertained angels without knowing it. remember
the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those
who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the
body." (Hebrews 13:2,3)
- ANGELS ARE SO STRONG THAT IT TOOK ONLY ONE TO KILL
185,000 ASSYRIANS...AND NOW THEY ARE FIGHTING ON YOUR
TEAM. Then it happened that night that the angel of
the Lord went out, and struck 185,000 in the camp of the
Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning,
behold, all of them were dead. So Sennacherib, king of
Assyria, departed and returned home and lived at
Nineveh." (II Kings 19:35,36)
- ANGELS WERE CHARGED TO GUARD JESUS IN ALL HIS WAYS. This
is why they are mentioned more in the Gospels and
Revelation...because where Jesus was, the angels were en
masse. "For He will give His angels charge
concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will
bear you up in their hands, lest you strike your foot
against a stone." (Psalm 91:11,12)
- AN ANGEL ALMOST DESTROYED JERUSALEM. "So the Lord
sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the
appointed time; and seventy thousand men of the people
from Dan to Beersheba died. When the angel stretched out
his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord
relented from the calamity, and said to the angel who
destroyed the people, ‘It is enough! Now relax your
hand!’ And the angel of the Lord was by the
threshing floor of Arunah the Jebusite." (II
Samuel 24:15,16)
- ANGELS ARE IN CONSTANT WARFARE AGAINST SATAN AND HIS
AGENTS. Many times they are mentioned as driving chariots
of fire pulled by the only earthly animal mentioned that
will be in heaven, the horse. "Then he said to
me, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first
day that you set your heart on understanding this and on
humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard,
and I have come in response to your words. But the prince
of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for
twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief
princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with
the kings of Persia." (Daniel 10:12,13)
- ANGELS CAN CAUSE THE EARTH TO QUAKE AND MOUNTAINS TO
TREMBLE. "Now after the Sabbath, as it began to
dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a
severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord
descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone
and sat upon it." Matthew 28:1,2)
- ANGELS DESIRE TO COMFORT US. "And the angel
answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid;
for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been
crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He
said. Come, see the place where He was lying." (Matthew
28:5,6)
- MAN IS CREATED LOWER THAN THE ANGELS. "But one
has testified somewhere, saying, ‘What is man, that
Thou rememberest him? Or the son of man, that Thou art
concerned about him? Thou hast made him for a little
while lower than the angels; Thou has crowned him with
glory and honor, and has appointed him over the works of
Thy hands." (Hebrews 2:6,7)
- ANGELS DIFFER IN CLASS, CALLING and RANK. The list is not
exhaustive and not necessarily in this order: Seraphim,
cherubim, archangel, princes. "But Michael the
archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued
about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against
him a railing judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke
you.’ But these men revile the things which they do
not understand; and the things which they know by
instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they
are destroyed." (Jude 9,10)
- ANGELS ARE NOT TO BE WORSHIPPED. "Let no one keep
defrauding you of your prize by delighting in
self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his
stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by
his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to be head, from
whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by
the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is
from God." (Colossians 2:18,19)
- ANGELS ARE NOT TO PREACH "ANOTHER GOSPEL". Only
fools rush in where angels fear to tread. "But
even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to
you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to
you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I
say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel
contrary to that which you received, let him be
accursed." (Galatians 1:8,9)
- ANGELS CAN CAUSE AFFLICTIONS. "And the people
kept crying out, ‘The voice of a god and not of a
man!’ And immediately an angel of the Lord struck
him because he did not give God the glory, and he was
eaten by worms and died." (Acts 12:22,23)
- ANGELS ARE ALWAYS OF MASCULINE GENDER WHEN MENTIONED IN
SCRIPTURE AND WHEN REVEALED IN HUMAN FORM. "And I
saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal
gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to
every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said
with a loud voice, ‘Fear God, and give Him glory,
because the hour of His judgment had come; and worship
Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs
of waters." (Revelation 14:6,7)
- ANGELS WILL CAST THE UNSAVED INTO A FURNACE OF FIRE. "The
Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will
gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those
who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the
furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:41,42)
- ANGELS WILL GATHER TOGETHER THOSE WHO ARE SAVED. "And
then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky,
and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they
will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky
with power and great glory. And He will send forth His
angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together
His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to
the other." (Matthew 24:30,31)
- IN GREAT GLORY ANGELS WILL RETURN WITH JESUS, LED BY A
SHOUT FROM THE ARCHANGEL, MICHAEL. "For the Lord
Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and
the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall
always be with the Lord." (I Thessalonians
4:16,17)
- ALL ANGELS WILL BE PRESENT AT THE JUDGMENT WHEN JESUS IS
UNVEILED IN HIS FATHER’S GLORY. Man has never before
seen Jesus in full glory...neither did the friends of the
bridegroom (the prophets and disciples). "But
when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the
angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He
will separate them from one another, as the shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats." (Matthew
25:31,32)
- 72,000 ANGELS (TWELVE LEGIONS - 6,000 TO A LEGION) WERE
WAITING FOR CHRIST’S COMMAND AT HIS HOUR OF
BETRAYAL, AND ANY ONE OF THEM COULD HAVE, AND GLADLY
WOULD HAVE, RESCUED HIM...BUT JESUS WILLINGLY LAID DOWN
HIS LIFE FOR YOU. "Then Jesus said to him,
‘Put your sword back into its place; for all those
who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do
you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will
at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of
angels?" (Matthew 26:52,53)
If you need help in making a
decision for Christ, or if you want someone to assist you
in Christian baptism, please contact:
Joe R. Garman, President
American Rehabilitation Ministries
P.O. Box 1490, Joplin, MO 64802
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American Rehabilitation
Ministries
P.O. Box 1490
Joplin, Missouri 64802-1490
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(417) 781-9100
FAX: (417) 781-9532
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