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What do angels, and you, have to do with each other? In our last sermon, I
spoke concerning angels ── What Are Angels? I had mentioned that you probably
have never seen an angel ── at least not what they actually look like. And
I’ll get to that within this series. So, what are they? And, why are
they?
So, we’ve been going through God’s living word,
because this subject of angels came up the other night for me in conversation
with a friend. And I had asked him if he really wanted to know about
angels. So, I took him to the Book of Ezekiel chapter 1 and began reading
about the great beings that the prophet Ezekiel saw in the sky. That from
within “a whirlwind was coming out … the likeness of four living creatures.”
It was not, as I had mentioned to him, an Unidentifiable Flying Object (UFO)!
And. It’s truly something that, either we believe the revelation of God’s
living word, we believe that the Holy Bible is the divine revelation of
knowledge from the Creator of the universe, the Eternal God ── and not just,
as many more people are believing, Yahweh (as the Leftist-Wikipedia has
in their article, “the ancient Levantine deity”) ── the very One who knows the
end from the beginning, the very One who reveals some things to mankind that
otherwise we could never know or properly understand. The knowledge that is
completely otherwise inaccessible.
Truly, we either believe that God’s living word is
inspired writing, or we are nothing more than being deceived by some THREE
THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD HOAX! Because there is no other way to know the
truth concerning angels.
Within this series, I want to go through this
subject to some extent. It’s an important subject. Because you’ve certainly
heard about angels, but not too many people go into depth explaining about
them ── from the perspective of God’s living word. Now, I have no doubt that
if you’ve listened to Sunday morning televangelists you’ve heard some message
about angels. But have you ever heard messages expounding and explaining
What Are Angels? Why Are Angels? Where They Came From?
How They Came To Be?
Toward the end of our last sermon, I spoke of the
fact that the LORD God’s angels are happy and joyous. And they are pictured as
truly glorifying the LORD God ── the LORD God being the family of God; which
at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Full of
faith, and shouting praises to the LORD God ── as I do often in my prayers to
the LORD God, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is and is to
come! Glory be Your Name!” I, like them, am a servant of our LORD God.
So, once again, both the Hebrew and the Greek words
for “angel” translate as meaning “messenger,” or “agent.” And the LORD God’s
angels are a part of the glorious government of God – meaning, the kingdom of
God. Truly, God Most High, the Ancient of Days, rules His kingdom from the
highest of heavens. In God’s living word it’s known as the Third Heaven. See:
2 Corinthians 12:1-2. The Lord our God (now known as our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Savior of all mankind) created all energy, force, and every power. The
LORD God (the family of God) sustains this known universe with power.
And the Third Heaven is the actual headquarters of
the LORD God’s angels, and they can be dispatched from there. Angels are
spirits ── they are not bound by any physical objects. And, each and every
angel is a separate created being. And, I want to go into this here ── there
are different classifications of angels. In God’s living word, cherubim are
referenced some 69 separate times ── they are uniquely different from angels
and seraphim. The Bible mentions three distinctly different types of cherubim.
The four Living Creatures mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel are a very
different kind of cherubim. They are usually in pairs except when they are
physically with Almighty God. Cherubim (plural for cherub), as the prophet
Ezekiel wrote, “appear to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings” –
Ezekiel 10:8. Cherubim sometimes has two, four, or six wings. Seraphim has six
wings. Angels (messengers) do not have wings, yet they can fly. They can
appear and disappear very suddenly. They are all part of God’s heavenly hosts
and all stand before the LORD God – the Creator of the universe! Be sure to go
and read or listen to our article,
“Revelation ── A Book of the Past and the Future Part III”
where we go into even more detail concerning the four living Creatures.
But, each is a separate being. Angels DO NOT have
sexual intercourse. They are neither male nor female. They DO NOT reproduce.
They are completely invisible to human eyes unless manifested for a specific
reason. And ── and I will continue to teach this until it is divinely revealed
to me differently ── cherubims, seraphims, and angels are IMMORTAL. And
they have knowledge, understanding, and power far beyond that of mere mortal
man.
In the last sermon we were reading a part of the
Book of Hebrews, let’s turn back there again. I want to review with you a few
other verses of the first chapter of Hebrews. The very first is talking about
God, and how He has revealed knowledge to us through the prophets, and then ──
“In these last days [certainly meaning the last
days when the apostle Paul was writing some 1,955 years ago!] spoken to us by
His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things …”
So, our Lord Jesus Christ is only an heir at this
time. He hasn’t actually officially received ownership yet – See: Daniel
7:13-14. We believe this is still a future event that will take place
just before His Millennium Reign.
“ … through whom also He made the worlds; 3) who
being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and
upholding all things by the word of His power, …”
Speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ, because “’ all
authority has been given to [Him] in heaven and on earth’” – Matthew 28:18.
“ … 4) having become so much better than the
angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” –
Hebrews 1:1-4.
So, our Lord Jesus is higher than angels in
authority. And then, verse 6, “ …’ Let all the angels of God worship Him.’”
So, truly, He is God. And every cherubim,
seraphim, and angel worships Him.
A Little Lower Than the Angels
Hebrews chapter 2, verse 7 was originally speaking concerning mankind (Psalm
8:4-6), but here the apostle Paul is referencing it to our Lord Jesus Christ,
there are other Scriptures which do reference this as well ──
“’ You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him
with glory and honor.’” – Hebrews 2:7.
So, born of the virgin Mary, and now by the
glorious resurrection from the dead ──
“ … we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than
the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He,
by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” – Hebrews 2:9.
Exalted into the highest of positions in the known
universe, has been given ‘all authority’ in heaven and on earth ── who
is God, as well as the Father is God. And here we see the God family –
the Father and the Son.
Now, notice this here ──
“For to which of the angels did He [God the Father]
ever say: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You’?” – Hebrews 1:5.
So, God the Father has NEVER said that about any
cherubim, seraphim, or angel. They were created as servants to the LORD God.
They are spirit beings. And, again, they are immortal.
And, I am going to say something here that is
considered heretical by many so-called Christian organizations ── and as I’ve
said before, “As presumptuous or blasphemous as this may sound, your Bible
reveals to us that we were born to ultimately help rule the LORD God’s vast
known universe.” We are the co-heirs of Christ – cf. Romans 8:7.
Verse 8 – “But to the Son He says: ‘Your
throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter
of Your kingdom.”
Also notice, still speaking about our Lord Jesus
Christ ──
Verse 10 – “And; ‘You, LORD, in the beginning laid
the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your
hands.’”
Verse 13 – “But to which of the angels has He [God
the Father] ever said:
‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’?”
God the Father has never given cherubims,
seraphims, or angels that preeminence that has come to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Continuing ──
Verse 14 – “Are they not all ministering spirits
sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?”
Do Not Neglect So Great A Salvation
Again, what do angels and you have to do with each other? Well, a great deal
if you are predestined. Let’s get to that.
Angels are higher than we, they know a great deal
more than we, yet they have been sent to minister to us as servants. Why?
Notice ──
Continuing into Chapter 2 of the Book of Hebrews.
“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to
the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2) For if the word spoken
through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience
received a just reward, 3) how shall we escape if we neglect so great a
salvation, …” – Hebrews 2:1-3.
Now, we are told within God’s living word that a
third of the LORD God’s angels followed Lucifer (who is now known as Satan the
Adversary), they are now known as demons. The apostle Paul asks us here, “How
shall we escape?”
And sadly, my dear friends who are watching or
listening, this truly is a question you need to take seriously! “How shall you
escape?” Those demons chose not to escape. And it’s not that you are
deliberately rejecting the Lord God’s gospel message, or rejecting the offer
of salvation, or that you are purposefully rebelling against the LORD God ──
you’re just neglecting it. You allow other things to come first in your lives.
And, I highly suggested, dear friends, that you begin to sit a little
straighter in your chair, perk up your ears, and listen to what the Spirit has
to say.
Notice verse 5 – “For He has not put the world to
come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.”
The LORD God never had any intention of putting the
kingdom of God under the subjection of angels. The LORD God truly had – and
has –
a Master Plan from the very beginning!
Verse 6 – “But one testified in a certain place,
saying: ‘What is man …?”
So, WHAT IS MAN?
I truly believe every one of us ── at one time or
another in our life ── has asked that question. What is man? And I’m
not speaking of what a man is made of. But rather, why is mankind here on this
planet Earth? What good is man being on this planet earth?
King David originally asked the LORD God, “What is
man that You are mindful of him, …?”
Besides the utterly ridiculous and fanciful series
of books by Zechariah Sitchin entitled, “Earth Chronicles” involving
the Nephilim, in which beings of fiery rockets came down and had sexual
relations with women. And, I’ll get more into this within the following
sermon, WHY SHOULD THE CREATOR OF THE KNOWN UNIVERSE BE MINDFUL OF MAN?
Because ── truly ── and I know a great many of us have now seen this famous
photo, called The Pale Blue Dot. A photograph of the planet Earth taken
by the Voyager 1 space probe from an unprecedented distance of approximately
3.7 billion miles away! Again, in the vastness of the cosmos, we are
minuscule.
When a camera looking back at Earth is taking a
series of photographs, human beings cannot be seen with the naked eye! NOTHING
ON THIS PLANET CAN BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE! Earth appears as a tiny dot
within deep space! How can we be significant to the Creator of the universe?
And then when you consider that the known universe
has been guesstimated at some 93 billion light-years in diameter, and our
closest neighboring galaxy ── the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, about 42,000 light
years from our galactic center, and even up some 220 miles above the surface
of the Earth, human beings CANNOT BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE! Again,
minuscule.
And, to know that the LORD God created all the
galaxies, planets, suns ── the whole of the known universe. God created all
things through Jesus Christ! But why should the LORD God be mindful of man?
“ … Or the son of man that You take care of him?”
Referencing our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus
took care of us. He was the pioneer of our salvation. But, what is that
salvation? WHY SHOULD THE LORD GOD BE MINDFUL OF US?
Well, continuing, we come to an amazing and
glorious revealed truth ── that sadly so many Sunday-going churches have
completely overlooked!
Mankind’s Ultimate Potential
Verse 7 – “’ You have made him [speaking of mankind] a little lower than the
angels; You have crowned him [again, speaking of mankind; and our Lord Jesus
was a man, also at that time lower than the angels] with glory and honor, And
set him [speaking of mankind] over the works of Your hands.’”
So, the LORD God set mankind over the works of
Their hands!
“’ You have put all things in subjection under his
[speaking of mankind] feet.’”
So, understand. This is not just talking about
mankind ── this is also talking about our Lord Jesus Christ! This is talking
about you, and this is talking about me ── talking concerning our ultimate
potential. This is talking about what we can become. Talking about those who
do receive the gift of salvation, who do not neglect so great a salvation.
The LORD God ── the family of God ── has put all
things in subjection under our feet. Yet, continuing ──
Verse 8 – “ … For in that He put all in subjection
under him [speaking of mankind], He left NOTHING that is not put under him. …”
This is a fairly broad statement. But, actually
right now, our Lord Jesus Christ has said, “’ all authority has been given to
Me in heaven and on earth.’” All things are under His authority. He has all
power ── yet, some things have not been completely conquered as yet, as far as
our Lord Jesus Christ. But, in general, this is speaking primarily of mankind.
Firstborn Among Many Brethren
But, what is it that we see now?
Notice verse 9 of Hebrews chapter 2 once again ── “
… we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels [So, our Lord
Jesus was made a little lower than the angels], for the suffering of death …”
So, our Lord Jesus was mortal, so He could die ──
and He did indeed die, as He says Himself, reference Revelation 1:18 ── now,
cherubims, seraphims, and angels cannot die. So, He had to be made lower than
angels to die].
And now, “we see Jesus, … crowned with glory and
honor, …”
He was given ‘all authority’ and all power. And
this is what He looks like in His glory and honor – He is clothed with a
garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His
head and hair are white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes are like a
flame of fire; His feet are like fine brass as if refined in a furnace. This
is how He appears today in His glory, in His honor!
“ … crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the
grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”
Verse 10 – “For it was fitting for Him [our Lord
Jesus Christ], for whom are all things and by whom are all things [because God
the Father created all things THROUGH AND BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!], in
bringing many [children] to glory, …”
No cherub, seraphim, or angel is His son. They are
but created beings. Our Lord Jesus Christ was not created. Notice, staying
here in the Book of Hebrews, chapter 7, beginning in verse 3 ── speaking here
of the ‘king of peace,’ the ‘priest of the Most High God,’ Melchizedek ──
Who was “without father, without mother, without
genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made
like the Son of God.” In other words, He was our Lord Jesus before He
became Jesus.
So, our Lord Jesus was the firstborn among many
brethren. And, you and I can be a part of those brethren, if we wake up and
take seriously just what the Spirit is saying to you this day!
Continuing here ── “ … in bringing many children to
glory, to make THE CAPTAIN OF THEIR SALVATION perfect through sufferings.”
And, Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers in Christ ──
we and everyone have their own order in this (reference 1 Corinthians
15:23), are to be brought into that great and awesome estate as Sons and
Daughters of God, in the glorious family of God, the very kingdom of God! Can
your mind fathom what a most glorious and wonderous thing that is!? As our
beloved apostle Paul writes, “’ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have
entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who
love Him.’”! What a GRANDEST THING SALVATION IS! We will be God! We will have
a face that will shine like the brightness of the sun in its full strength, we
will have eyes that shine like the flames of a fire. And all things will be
put under our feet!
Now, of course, this hasn’t happened yet! But what
a marvelous destiny we have, brethren! That’s how great salvation is! So, it’s
no wonder that the apostle Paul wrote ── under divine inspiration ── and
again, the apostle Paul believed our Lord Jesus Christ when he was taught by
Him personally for about three years in the Arabian desert! “How shall we
escape if we neglect so great a salvation.”
Ministering Spirits
Why are cherubims, seraphims, and angels our servants? And they are. They are
higher than we, more knowledgeable than we, greater in power than we. Yet,
they do not have even the greatest of power, knowledge, or importance, that
shall be ours. Because we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.
Well, think of it this way ── it’s like a
multi-billionaire who has a great many servants. He hires servants to watch
over his only young son who is three years old. Now, his young son is going to
inherit everything that his multi-billionaire father owns someday, his child
is going to come into a great estate. Of course, this young child isn’t that
old, and his servants have been on earth forty and sixty years ── they have
greater knowledge than this young boy. Yet, this young boy stands to inherit
all that his father owns. And, these servants were given charge to watch over
his young son, so that an untimely death doesn’t come to him. Now, this young
son, as he grows older may have some tribulations, some troubles, and maybe
some very terrible things happen. But, just like with the story of the prophet
Job ── the LORD God tells Satan, “ … ‘Only do not lay a hand on his
person.’” So, these servants are to protect, to guide, and to serve his
young son. Because this young man will be lord over them someday.
Brethren, the LORD God’s cherubims, seraphims, and
angels know this. They know this will come to be very shortly. God the Father
is this great multi-billionaire. God the Father is the Creator of all things
through Jesus Christ, and we are His potential sons and daughters. We can be
begotten and then eventually born as very children of God. But, this is not
the future for cherubims, seraphims, and angels ── their reason, their
purpose, their function, is to serve the LORD God and those that were (and
are) predestined.
Guardians and Messengers
This brings us to something I am going to say right here. And, the LORD God’s
divine protection over me surely came even while I was being developed in my
mother’s womb. And if you know my background and my medical conditions ── then
you know what I speak. But, there was one time I was driving to Jacksonville,
Florida early in the morning, and I had stopped at a gas station for some
coffee. After exiting the building with the coffee cup in my hand, I opened
the car door and quickly sat in the driver's seat ── and without thinking, I
still had my left leg outside the door. Instantly this feeling came over me,
and I heard a voice in my mind, “Look up ── now!” And, when I did, this
evil-looking man was standing directly in front of the car staring at me! I
quickly pulled my left leg in and locked the car doors. He continued to
stare at me for a few more moments, then turned around and walked away. Again,
a voice spoke in my mind, “See, all these many years, I have kept you safe.”
Now, would you say that was a guardian
angel, or not? There was nothing I could see that had spoken to me. However, I
heard something in my mind. What would you say that was?
Let me tell you another experience. I was traveling
through the mountains of Nevada when I heard a voice in my mind that said,
“Pull over immediately and rest!” I was unable to do so at that moment. This
voice in my mind got louder, “PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY!” I looked around at the
mountainous region, there was nowhere to pull over. Then, within a few miles,
I came to a rest area. I pulled in and parked. I immediately began speaking
with God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Not long I was taken in the
Spirit and saw in vision a green tanker truck driving along in front of me,
driving recklessly, swerving aggressively. Then, the green tanker truck
swerved too much, flipped over, and exploded ── bursting into a ball of fire!
And then the vision was gone.
After another thirty minutes of prayer, I got back
behind the wheel. And the very next on-ramp that I came to ── there was that
same green tanker truck that I had only seen in vision! I began crying and
speaking with the LORD God! In hindsight, the LORD God divinely intervened,
possibly saving my life ── He altered the seconds of my life by slowing me
down and causing me to stop.
And you know, God’s living word says ──
“ … ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have
not cast you away: 10) Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am
your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you with My righteous right
hand.’” – Isaiah 41:9, 10.
Brethren, “Whatsoever we ask we receive from Him,
because we keep His commandments and we do the things that are pleasing in His
sight.” – 1 John 3:22; paraphrased.
Another time while my wife and I were in
Fayetteville, North Carolina, we had driven to the Cross Creek Mall. As we
were just beginning to walk through the mall, I was lightly pushed to the left
by an unseen force ── by something that wasn’t there. I began to feel within
myself an overwhelming evil presence within the mall. And, the feeling became
so strong, that I turned around and told my wife that I was leaving the mall.
She turned around with me and we left immediately. It wasn’t until we got
back to my sister’s house that we were told that back in November there was a
shooting in that same mall that injured three. Apparently, and I looked this
up on the Internet, there is a large amount of violence that has occurred even
since then at that very same mall. So, evil is saturated there!
Well, I could go on and on ── I have many such
stories. But, let’s end this message today here. Cherubim’s, seraphim’s, and
especially angels are to watch over the LORD God’s begotten people, they are
sent as servants to watch over us. □
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