Did You Get the Message?
Do You Believe in Angels? – Part 1
5. There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commands and ordinances of the Lord blameless,
7. And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well advanced in years.
8. And it happened that as he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,
9. According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord.
10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11. An Angel of the Lord appeared to him and stood on the right side of the altar of incense.
12. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13. But the Angel said to him, “Fear not Zacharias: for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”
14. “And you shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.”
15. “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.”
16. “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.”
Luke 1:5-16
Angels are Among Us
I’m sure that many of us remember the TV Series, Touched by an Angel that ran nearly a decade, from 1994 until 2003. The characters Roma Downey (Monica), Della Reese (Tess), and John Dye (Andrew), traveled to different assignments to assist people and to participate in on-the-job Angel training. While the drama was certainly inspirational and left some good moral lessons, the episodes left some very mistaken conclusions about Angelic beings. First, Angels don’t need Cadillacs for transportation. Second, Angels are not people who were departed and then came back to fulfill some role of helping others in the afterlife. Eternal life does not work that way. Once individuals die, according to Hebrews 9:27, they do not become Angels in training. For it is appointed unto man, once to die, and after this the judgment. In some of the episodes, the angelic trio seemed to have problems sorting through problems and sometimes even got into trouble. This would leave the impression that Angels make mistakes. That is so Hollywood and not the way that Angels of God operate. By contrast, all of the Angels of God are perfect (with the exception of Satan and demons). You don’t have to worry about calling customer service to complain about your case being mismanaged by God’s Angels.
Here are some of the things we learn from Scripture about the Angels of God. They either appear suddenly or travel at lightning speed. They possess tremendous power as they are God’s representatives sent to accomplish God’s purpose. They do not miss a target date, nor do they fail in their mission. God Angels, even though they are creatures of God, they are not subject to time or space as humans. They are spirit beings made perfectly and have been given the command to carry out God’s will. While they do have the ability to appear in human form, they are by no means human. Angels have ranks as well as differing responsibilities. There are some Bible references that indicate there are more Angels than humans (this includes humans that are now departed). Most importantly to those who believe in God, Angels are sent to minister to the heirs of God’s Salvation. They protect, they inform, they correct, and they punish based on their assignment from God. They are perfect and powerful, but they are by no means, God. By the way, God does not need Angels or anyone else, but has created them as beings in His Awesome Kingdom. The final point I need to make is that while Satan led a failed rebellion against God and influenced one third of these angelic beings to follow Him, there are still two-thirds of the Angels on God’s side. Do the math; that means for every evil spirit there are two Angels of God. Even if all the Angels had rebelled, they would be no match for Almighty God. This leaves the question of why we need Angels, and what are their roles in our world today? Do Angels still exist? More importantly, how should we respond if we are visited by an Angel? Well, let’s find out as we consider the Angel Gabriel and his appearance to a man named Zacharias.
The Angel was sent to perform four assignments. First, to inform Zacharias that his prayer had been heard by God. Second, the Angel was to inform the couple that the name of the special child would be John. Third, the Angel gave Zacharias instructions and to share the joy of John’s mission. Lastly, the Angel had the power to protect God’s message from any interference or opposition.
According to the Bible, Angels have four areas of service in the Kingdom of God. Angels worship God. Numerous verses tell us that the Angels offer God praise and worship around His Throne. Each passage thrills our hearts as these powerful beings shout praises to the Eternal God. Isaiah 6:3, speaks of two mighty Seraphim who worship by shielding their faces and crying “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His Glory.” Angels also engage in warfare for God. Angels fight battles both in the spirit realm and in the natural realm. One Angel defended Jerusalem from the Assyrians’ attack during the reign of Hezekiah. That one Angel destroyed 185,000 soldiers in one night of combat. That is powerful. Angels also work for God. They are sent on assignments by God to conduct the business of God’s Kingdom. In today’s passage, the Angel Gabriel was on an assignment to deliver a message to Zacharias and Elizabeth about their future child and what they needed to do to prepare for the child’s arrival. Lastly, Angels witness about the Glory of God. We have all heard the Christmas reading of the Shepherds abiding in the field and keeping watch over their flock when they suddenly heard the Good News of the Savior’s birth. Then a multitude of Angels appeared praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, Peace, Goodwill toward all men.” Luke 2:14. Those Angels witnessed to the shepherds so that they would go and see God’s Son in the manger. By the way, the believer has the same four assignments. We worship God. We engage in warfare for God through prayer and using God’s Word. We work for God to build His Kingdom in the earth. We also witness about God’s Son and His Glory.
Learning to Listen to the Angels
While some depictions of Angels during the Christmas season center around them singing, there is no reference of this in Scripture. I’m quite sure they could sing, but that was never one of their assignments from God. Why? They are messengers and not entertainers. The word ‘angel’ or ‘angellos’ in the Greek means messenger. In Hebrew, the word angel also means dispatch or messenger. This was the role that Gabriel fulfilled when he visited Zacharias. Gabriel did not appear to serenade Zacharias and Elizabeth, but to prepare them for John’s arrival. The child was destined to fulfill a very special role in the Kingdom transition from the Old Testament Law to New Testament Grace. John would be the forerunner of Jesus Christ, but neither Zacharias nor Elizabeth knew that this was God’s plan. They needed to know.
Both Zacharias and Elizabeth had prayed for a child. Both were members of the tribe of Levi and were God fearing and righteous according to the Law. They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commands and ordinances of the Lord blameless … And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well advanced in years. The passage describes a hopeless situation and one that only God could address. While Elizabeth could not have a child, there was a secondary problem of old age that made childbearing seem ‘impossible.’ Only God could address this issue and give them faith to believe. That’s exactly what God did, He sent His Angel, Gabriel to deliver the good news.
While Zacharias was performing his priestly duties, the Angel appeared in the Holy Place of the Temple. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him and stood on the right side of the altar of incense … and said to him, “Fear not Zacharias: for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” Please note, this had been the prayer of Elizabeth and Zacharias. They prayed for months, and probably years. It was now about to be fulfilled. From this passage, as well as others in the Bible, we can conclude that Angels give prayer support. God can send them and does send them in response to our prayers or to remind us that our prayer has been heard by Almighty God.
Dr. Billy Graham told the story of a poor Chinese mother who was on her way to harvest grain from a field in the nearby mountains. With one infant child tied to her back and another small child holding her hand, she made her way into the field. She heard a roar and was instantly attacked by a lioness who tore her shoulder with her sharp claws. The mother was terrified and had never prayed before. She had no Bible training and was not a member of a local Church, but she had heard an evangelist say that “if you pray to Jesus, He will help you if you are in trouble.” The mother “prayed to Jesus” and for no clear reason, the lioness ran away. What made the beast run away? Was it the mother’s scream or was it God’s Angel that rescued her from danger? This passage, along with other Scriptures, demonstrate how God sends Angels as answers to prayer. Thank God for Angels.
Not only did the Angel visit Zacharias, but the Angel informed him of the child’s name as John. That is very specific. Later, when the child was given the name, many family members questioned the couple why they chose the name John since none of Zacharias’ ancestors had that name. But this was the name given by Gabriel the Angel and the Hebrew equivalent for John meant ‘favored by Jehovah.’ John was favored by God and would serve a unique role as the first earthly witness of Jesus the Savior. That is exactly what John did, he bore witness of Jesus saying, “… the Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ … no one has seen God at any time; the Only Begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:17-18. That’s why John was given that name because He was chosen by God and given favor to be a witness of Jesus Christ. Now, we are witnesses of Jesus Christ, not because an Angel told us, but because we have the Power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. That’s Good News.
The Angel proceeded to give Zacharias instructions on how to raise John and gave the couple encouragement about the impact of John’s life. This was incredible news and it should have been celebrated by Zacharias but he ran into the roadblock of doubt and questioned whether this would truly happen. Luke 1:18, Zacharias asked, “How can I know this, for I am an old man, and my wife also is well stricken in years.” The passage brings out the difference between doing and doubting. That’s when the Angel exercised God’s authority over the situation. Luke 1:19-20, And the Angel answered and said, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak to you, and to show you this good news” … “and behold you shall be dumb and unable to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled at the proper time.” In other words, Gabriel had to shut Zacharias’ mouth so that his doubt would not interfere with God’s plan. Zacharias remained speechless until God’s plan was fulfilled. There is an important lesson here on the mission of Angels that we can use as a take-a-way. Angels serve the purpose of revealing God’s plan and helping us to carry it out. They are not to be worshipped, but they are to be taken seriously in their mission. It is our duty and delight to listen and obey. If an Angel should appear, don’t shed a tear. They are sent to do God’s will – you just listen and be still. So, pay attention and obey then you will be okay. More on Angels next time.