Wherever you go today, even
when it´s nowhere near Christmas, you´ll find angels. Beautiful angels.
Magnificent angels. Cute little angels. Women angels. Precious little
cherubs. Angels everywhere. TV programs a full of angel stories. Book store
shelves are lined with books about angels. What is this sudden fascination with
angels? Where did it come from? Is it a good thing? To a certain extent,
yes. On the other hand, no. Let´s look at the whole picture. Just what are
angels, anyway?
Well, first of all, angels
are not what is commonly depicted in the figurines and dolls and decorations we
see in most gift shops. There is not one instance of a female angel mentioned
in the Bible, and yet almost every angel you see in gift shops, on cards, etc.,
is a woman! Then, there are the precious little cherubs. Most likely, the name
"cherub" instilled a picture in someone´s head many years ago, the "baby angel"
was created, and they were called cherubs. However, there´s not one "baby"
cherub mentioned in the Bible. In fact, when cherubim are mentioned, the
impression is of great power, beauty and might. For instance, the angels who
were placed at the entrance to the Garden on Eden were cherubim! Yeah, those
guys - the ones with the flaming swords!
In the instructions for the
building of Solomon´s temple, the Ark of the Testimony that contained the
tablets whereon God had written the Ten Commandments was guarded by two gold
cherubim, one on either end, with wings outstretched and pointing upward,
totally protecting the Ark.
The veil of the temple was
a massive, 14-inch-thick woven tapestry. Cherubim were woven into the design.
And cherubim surround the throne of God, some of them having four faces and as
many wings! In fact, Lucifer was a cherubim - the most beautiful one that God
created - until he got too full of himself and aspired to be equal with God.
Then he was cast out of heaven, along with is slimy little friends, and his name
was changed to Satan.
Now that we know what
angels are not, let´s look at what they are. First of all, angels are created
beings. They were created by God with one primary purpose -- to serve and to
worship Him. Hebrews 1 describes their place in God´s plan. They are not
Gods. They have no power outside of God. They are not equal with Jesus. They
serve as agents of God, (Genesis 32:1, 24; Exodus 12:23; Job 1:6; Psalm 78:25; 1
Corinthians 11:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Hebrews 1:4) as messengers to humanity
(Luke 1:11-38; 2:8-15), as mediators (Revelation 1:1; 8:4), and as guardians for
you and me (Matthew 18:10; Acts 12:15; Hebrews 1:14). It is assumed that some
have higher ranks than others. For instance, the only archangel mentioned is
Michael (Jude :9). Gabriel is an important angel, one whose job it seems is to
bring important messages to people. He stands in the presence of God. He was
given the job of interpreting Daniel´s dream (Daniel 8:15-17; 9:2). And he was
given the job of announcing both the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of
Jesus Christ (Luke 1:11-38).
Apparently, a fascination
with angels was a part of the "Colossian Heresy" which Paul addressed in his
letter to that church (v. 1:16; 2:18). So a fascination with angels is nothing
new.
Remember, it´s good to be
aware of angels and to acknowledge their position in the overall plan of God.
But don´t worship them. Keep your eyes on the Creator, not on His
creation.
Submitted 9/25/2014 8:01:09 PM | Author: J. R. & Bonnie Ricks
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