Contents

Foreword by Dick Mills

Introduction
1 The Angel and Israel
2 Angels and Samson
3 Angels in Abraham's Life
4 The Angel and Gideon
5 Angels as Messengers
6 Guardian Angels
7 Angels and Submission
8 Angels Thwarted
9 Angels: Deliverers or Destroyers?
10 Heaven's Observers
11 Angels and Healing

Conclusion

References
 Foreword
It has been my privilege to read the manuscript for Dr.
Roy Hicks' book on angels.
One of the first things I noticed was how many verses
in the Bible use the word "angel." It is surprising to find
that the Bible is literally full of Scriptures regarding their
existence, their names, their function, their presence with
us, their ministry and their relationship in the heavens.
While reading the interesting and informative
teaching Dr. Hicks has shared with us, I began to ask
myself some questions: "Had I ever heard many sermons
on the subject of angels? Had I read many books on the
subject? Had I ever read poems about them?" I had to
answer "no." The pictures painted about them always
concern children and their protection. Unconsciously, I
found myself remembering the pictures I saw when I was
a child but could remember very little information
available as an adult.
The subject of angels is not for children only. Dr. Hicks
very capably shows that all Christians, regardless of age,
can be and should be informed about this most important
part of their Christian walk.
It is my firm conviction that before the second coming
of our Lord there will be as much angel activity as there
was during His first coming.
 We owe a debt of appreciation to Dr. Hicks for taking
the time out of his busy speaking schedule to gather
together this vital information on the subject of angels.
Dick Mills
Introduction
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places.
Ephesians 6:12
These are those invisible evil spirits that are mighty in
their warfare against us. But we are not alone in this battle
for our spiritual heritage. We have help.
We have the whole armor of God. We have the Captain
of the Host, our Lord Jesus, and we have angels,
archangels, cherubims, and seraphims.
Satan fell and he, with his deceived angels, were cast
out of heaven down to earth. Now we have what we know
as evil spirits, demons, principalities, and rulers of this
world who fight against us. Most of us who believe all of
the teachings of the Bible are for today also believe that we
have supernatural help. God has not forsaken us or given
us over to accidents or disease. We do not believe the
teaching "what is to be will be," or "when it is your time to
go, you will go."
So many people have heard for so long that it is God
who sends death, destruction and disease that there could
be a tendency to think that He also sends sin!
On quite the contrary though, God does not send the
above mentioned evils. Rather, He has prepared a mighty
host of heaven to assist us. Our problem is that we cannot
see with our physical eyes either the good angels or the
evil ones. All we see are the results!
That is why Elisha asked God to open his servant's
eyes that he might see. When his eyes were opened, he
saw the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire
round about Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17.)
May God help us to have open eyes of faith to know that
they that are for us are more than those against us. (2
Kings 6:16.) The Lord, many times, has allowed us to see
and know that we have angels assisting us.
A report was smuggled out of Russia that the
cosmonauts photographed seven giant figures while
orbiting in their space ship, Salyut 7. The Russians will
only admit that the photos were enormously revealing but
did not believe that Christians could use them to prove
their Bible to be true.
We have hundreds of accounts of the activities of
angels, some in this book and some in others. Though we
enjoy these accounts, we do not propose to need them to
prove the reality of angels. God is infinitely more pleased
when we accept His Word, believe it, and act upon it.
This book is not full of angel stories, but there are a
few. The principle intent of this book is to stir up your faith
in God's Word and your belief in a personal angel sent to
minister to you and for you. (Heb. 1:14.)
Some new thoughts may surface as you read this book.
As you read, you can decide for yourself. One new insight
will surface that will support the scriptural truth of
submission. This teaching may have been abused in times
past and caused many of God's people to "throw out the
baby with the wash water."
Throughout the book, I trust that I have made it clear
that our angels are not completely subservient to us.
Though they are sent to minister to us and for us, they
cannot ignore our transgressions and sins, and they will
not cover them.
Many commentaries teach that it was our Lord Jesus
who appeared in the Old Testament instead of angels. The
Bible, as I have said before, is so written that the one
reading it will have the freedom to choose what he
concludes. So it is with the account of angels. Sometimes
they seem to speak and act for themselves. Other times it
seems they speak for God.
 The Angel and Israel
The main purpose of this book is to try and discover
what we can about angels and how, and in what way,
God uses them to assist us. Above all, we want to be open
to any further understanding that can help us to be in a
position to receive all God can do through the ministry of
angels.
We must be careful to observe, as we read the Bible,
that often God used angels, yet man gave honor to God.
This is as it should be. People in the Bible, when they had
an experience with angelic beings, often said, "The Lord
did this." We want to explore, and try to discover if God
used angels to bring to pass His will more often than we
have previously thought he did.
A good place to start is in the book of Exodus, which
deals with God delivering Israel from slavery and
bondage in the land of Egypt where they had served for
430 years.
God began the great exodus and deliverance by
causing Moses to be raised by Pharaoh's daughter. After
Moses was grown, he defended one of his Jewish brothers
and in so doing, killed an Egyptian then had to flee for his
life.
The whole episode of Moses' call and the beginning of
the great deliverance started when an angel appeared to
Moses (Ex. 3:2 and Acts 7:30) in a flame of fire in the midst
of a bush. The bush burned but was not consumed, so
Moses drew near to see what he called, this great sight
(Ex. 3:3).
Now begins a long conversation between God and
Moses. When Moses doubted that his brethren would
believe him, we read of the miracle of the rod turning into
a serpent as Moses threw it to the ground and the miracle
of his hand becoming leprous as he thrust it into his
bosom.
Whether it was God's voice or God using the angel's
voice and speaking in the first person, the Word is very
clear throughout its entirety that angels are His
messengers. If we come to the conclusion that it was the
angel who was speaking for God, it does not take
anything away from the Scriptures or the omnipotence of
God.
The message is from Heaven. It is Heaven sent, and
God is the sender. If it is the voice of God through the
angel, that would be all right too, for it would help us to
understand more than ever how much God has used His
angels to minister His affairs on earth.
God is getting His message across very firmly to
Pharaoh. He is going to use His angels to bring it to pass.
One difficult portion of Scripture to understand is Exodus
4:24 where the Lord meets Moses and seeks to kill him.
Does God do this? Or does this relate to the experience
that happened to Balaam when he was out of God's will
and an angel met him flashing the sword (2 Peter
2:15,16)? Moses was out of God's will about circumcision.
I do not believe it will do injustice to God or the
Scriptures to again believe that God often uses angels to
carry out His will here on earth. It is still God's will being
done.
Another difficult portion deals with the destruction
and death of the firstborn of the Egyptians. Some writers
infer that God did it, but Exodus 12:23 (NKJV) reads that
God would not allow the destroyer to kill any of the
firstborn of Israel.
You might wonder, "Why is the Bible written the way
it is?" I believe it is written so men can study it and end up
believing what they want to believe (regarding certain
issues: some issues are not open for interpretation such as
Jesus' dying for our sins and being the only avenue to a
restored relationship with God). Some lean toward the
teaching of John Calvin and say God kills and destroys.
Yet Jesus, in John 10:10, makes it clear that it is the thief,
not God, that kills and destroys. Again we read in
Hebrews 2:14, through death he might destroy him that
had the power of death, that is, the devil.
After careful study of the entire Bible, I believe the total
teaching of the Word depicts God as the delivering One,
not as a destroyer.
Many Bible students believe, as I do, that there was a
permissive tense in ancient Hebrew that is not used today.
We believe that the Hebrew spoken in Abraham's day was
not the same as the Hebrew spoken today. God does
permit sickness and destruction throughout the Bible.
And the angel of God, which went before the camp of
Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of
cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and
the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to
them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one
came not near the other all the night.
Exodus 14:19,20
What a brilliant maneuver by the angel. When he saw
the horses of the enemy coming too close to Moses and the
people, the angel moved his position from leading them to
following behind them in order to protect them from their
pursuers.
We must admit that angels are superior to man in
every way. They know our needs. They know what to do
and where and when to do it. Isaiah 63:9 calls the angel
the angel of His presence that delivered them.
I have to declare again that I believe that God divided
the Red Sea so the children of Israel could go across on
dry land. After the people were safely across, He allowed
that same sea to drown the Egyptians only after the angels
had removed their chariot wheels to slow them down.
Exodus 14:31 explains, And Israel saw that great work
which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people
feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant
Moses.
This mighty deliverance by the God of Abraham
stands unparalleled in history. The way it was done, and
the strategy used was brilliant beyond description. Just
think, He did it through His mighty angels, and they
stand ready today to help us in our battle against our
enemy.
If we can fully accept that God is a delegator and does
His work through angels, using them here on earth to
work with His saints in mighty deliverance, then we
should be open as to what we might be able to do that will
open doors so we can receive their assistance!
The battle with Amalek in Exodus 17:3-16 can give us
some insight as to what we can do to make ourselves
available for the help of angels. When Moses had his
hands raised, a type of worship, the enemy was put to
flight. When Moses became weary, the enemy prevailed.
Then Aaron and Hur, representing the priesthood, gave
assistance and joined in helping to hold up Moses' hands.
As they did, Israel prevailed and defeated the enemy.
This demonstrates that God uses angels and that true
worship brings angelic assistance in our battles. When
leadership grows weary in leading the unity of worship,
all of the priesthood, the saints, must join in. We are all
members of the royal priesthood, a holy nation. (1 Peter
2:5.) Heaven, including angels, comes to our assistance as
we worship.
 In the midst of God's warnings and commandments,
He reminds them that He has given them an angel.
Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the
way, and to bring thee into the place which I have
prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him
not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my
name is in him.
But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that
I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and
an adversary unto thine adversaries. For mine Angel shall
go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and
the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the
Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve
them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly
overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall
bless thy bread and thy water; and I will take sickness
away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their
young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I
will fulfil.
Exodus 23:20-26
Why did God remind Israel and Moses about giving
heed to the angel and obeying him? It is possible that God
is saying, in effect, "I am a delegator. I assign others to do
my bidding. When I do this, it is the same as if I am
speaking to you directly." If this is so, and I believe it is,
then God is letting us know that we do not have an option
when He delegates through an angel.
Even though submission, which is a strong, biblical
precept, has been abused in some circles, it must be
considered. We are to submit to one another (Eph. 5:21):
wives are to submit to their own husbands (Eph. 5:22); the
younger are to submit to the elder (1 Peter 5:5); we are to
submit to those who have the rule over us. (Heb. 13:17.)
Can you alienate your angel by refusing to be
submitted to God's delegated authority? Many pastors
can relate lamentable and sad tales of incidents that have
happened to people who have caused trouble in the
church by their lack of submission.
If God indeed gave us apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastors, and teachers to lead us, then we should submit to
that gifted leadership. By not doing so, one can seriously
harm one's relationship with the angel that has been
assigned to him as an heir of salvation.
If you have ever been involved in any experience, even
unwittingly, that has led to the grievous downfall of a
man of God or the destroying of a church, please repent
and ask forgiveness. The moment you do, the glorious
knowledge that you again have the safety of Heaven's
protection extended to you in the presence of angels, will
flood your heart.
 Angel Chronicles
This angel story comes from Church on the Way in
Van Nuys, California.
Pastor Jack Hayford related that in the early days of
his ministry in Van Nuys he and two of his assistants
would go to the church on Saturday nights to pray.
On this particular night, one of the men felt that the
Lord wanted each one of them to stand in a corner of the
sanctuary and reach out their hands over the seats and
worship the Lord.
Since there were only three of them, they had need of
one more individual in order to have one in each of the
four corners. One of the men recalled that one of the young
ladies of the congregation had asked permission to come
and pray in the prayer room on Saturday nights. They
found her there and asked if she would come and fill the
empty corner.
As they worshipped the Lord, the eyes of one of the
men were opened in the spirit, and he saw four large
angels appear in each corner and stretch forward their
wings over the empty seats. When the people wearied and
paused, the angels withdrew. When they again
worshipped, the angels extended their wings.
This outstanding church has experienced great
growth. No doubt they are a worshiping congregation
and have the assistance of angels.
Angels and Samson
 The biblical account of the angel that appeared to the
mother of Samson in Judges 13 gives great insight into our
study of angels and the important things we need to know
about them.
Hebrews 1:14 refers to angels as ministering spirits
that are given by God to serve those who believe in Jesus
Christ. The Bible states it as a question because, according
to Adam Clarke's Commentary, "The Hebrews often
express the strongest affirmative by an interrogation. " He
further states, "They are, no doubt, constantly employed in
averting evil and procuring good. If God helps man by
man, we need not wonder that He helps man by angels."1
Israel once again had failed the Lord, and God's
people were under bondage to the enemy. God's plan for
the Jews and the coming promised Messiah was being
hindered.
God has a plan for His people, but again, He limits
Himself to whom He has to work with and not, as some
teach, that God can do anything, anytime He wants to.
We would like to discover what seems to affect the
angel or his message and his characteristics. Can we
discover what pleases or irritates him? In Judges 13, the
angel chose to appear to the wife of Manoah, instead of
him. Though it would not be true in every case, it does
seem to indicate that angels know which one is the most
sensitive to spiritual things. In this case, it was Manoah's
wife.
 The angel appeared to Manoah's wife and delivered
God's message. He did not say, "Thus saith the Lord." He
spoke directly and authoritatively. He had complete
knowledge about their marriage, her inability to conceive
and even what sex the child would be. He knew about the
future because he said the child was to be a Nazarite to
God from the womb, and he was to be a mighty deliverer
for Israel against the enemy. The angel knew what this
would involve for Samson.
Samson was not to drink strong drink of any kind,
especially wine. He was not to eat anything unclean, and
no razor was ever to be used on his head.
This is excellent information for us to consider as we
delve into what the Scriptures teach us concerning angels.
It will help us to understand and, if possible, to assist us
in securing all of the help and assistance God has made
available to us through them.
The angel reveals many of his own characteristics as
he delivers his message to Manaoh's wife. He seems to
always be aware of the level of our spiritual lives. He did
not go to the husband with this important message.
Perhaps he did not have the spiritual sensitivity that his
wife had. If an angel had a message for you, could he
deliver it to you or would he have to give it to someone
else?
The angel certainly knew all about humanity
concerning physical relationship and the conception of
children. This knowledge is important to us in the
physical healing ministry and should assist our faith.
Whatever was hindering the woman from conceiving is,
of necessity, going to have to be healed, or she will not be
able to conceive.
We must now try to understand if the angels know the
future as God does. If they do, they are more intelligent
than the fallen angels, including Satan. Satan, the fallen
angel named Lucifer, did not know the future concerning
Job's words, Though he slay me, yet will I trust him (Job
13:15). If Satan knew Job would say that and not waver,
he would never have challenged God about Job.
It seems the angel knew the contents of the sixth
chapter of the book of Numbers when he gave the rules for
the vow of the
Nazarite. Perhaps the reason why he did not go into all of the details,
mentioning only wine and unclean food and long hair, is that angels fully
expect us to be acquainted with God's Word also. Could this be one of the
reasons we do not have more manifestations of the beautiful, awesome
creatures? May God forgive us if this is true.
Manoah's wife now comes to him and describes the visit of the angel.
She leaves out no details and even adds something to the impression that
the angel left on her.
We can expect from her description of him, such as his
countenance being different than that of a man, that she
knew him to be an angel. Manoah now proves he has
great confidence in his wife. He must have believed that
his wife was trustworthy. Let all wives take note: you can
and may be more sensitive to the spiritual realm than your
husband, but do not make the mistake of lording it over
him if you want your husband to esteem your spirituality.
Manoah prayed and asked God to let the angel come back and repeat
the message. This is a good lesson to all of us. God does not seem to be
irritated when we ask His assistance in spiritual understanding unless it is
rooted in unbelief, as with Zacharias. (Luke 1:18.)
Manoah did not ask that the angel come to him, but to us, thus
demonstrating that he wanted his wife to be included. Husbands, this is a
good thing for all of us to note. Do not exclude your wife, but include her
in all of your spiritual exercises. You are to be one in Him (Gal. 3:28).
God answered Manoah's prayer and the angel came
again to the woman, her husband not being present. She
proves again her submission to Manoah by calling for
him to both see and hear the angel. This time the angel
seems to appear more like a man than before, when he
appeared more as an angel. He seems to appear to
Manoah to be more like a man because he asked if he was
the same one who came before, not knowing yet that he
was an angel. Manoah seems to want more ordinary
details about Samson and especially his lifestyle and his
work.
Then Manoah asks the angel's name. Apparently,
angels do not think it is important that we know their
names. If there is a time when we need to know, it will be
told to us. The only thing he revealed was that his name
was secret which may also be translated wonderful. (Judg.
13:18 NKJV.)
 After this exchange about the name comes one of the
greatest lessons we can learn about angels in this story.
As Manoah obeyed the angel and offered the sacrifice, a
type of worship for us today, a supernatural thing
happened. The angel, though he appeared as a man,
stepped into the flame of fire and, as they looked on,
ascended up toward heaven in the flame.
Here we have a great teaching on the value of
sacrificial worship. The angel directed that the sacrifice be
offered to God, instead of to him. As they offered the
prepared young goat on the flaming altar, the angel used
that sacrifice of worship to make his exit back through the
earth's atmosphere to heaven.
Do you remember, in the book of Daniel, that the angel,
who was bringing back the answer to Daniel's prayer,
had great difficulty in getting through the satanic belt that
seemed to surround earth? He had to enlist the aid of the
mighty angel, Michael, to get the answer through. When
Daniel inquired as to why the delay, he was made to
understand that the Prince of Persia, who could be an
angelic being that rules over Persia for Satan, hindered
both the prayer as it went and the answer when it
returned. (Dan. 10:13,20.)
What a great truth we learn here about sacrificial
worship. It provides a legal right for the angels to ascend
and descend to and from God's throne bringing help for
the saints.
 According to John 4:23, true worship is in spirit and in truth. This goes
far beyond, in most cases, what has come to be accepted as worship, the
times when we come together as a church body and sing hymns and
choruses.
The true worship, the sacrificial worship, is explained
to us in Hebrews.
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to
God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks
to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget
not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Hebrews 13:15,16
Here we have the highest form of worship explained.
Notice that the Scripture says to continually offer the
sacrifice of praise. Thus the sacrifice of praise is not
occasional, but continual.
Very few congregations enter into lengthy and
sustained periods of worship that call for sacrifice of time
and energy. Singing of hymns is good and profitable, but
not necessarily sacrificial.
Many churches excel in the enjoyable exercise of
singing, clapping, and the joyful dance but fall short in
the sacrificial, sustained, pure praise and worship that is
devoid of any fleshly manifestation. We need all of the
help we can get from heaven. When we worship, we give
God a legal right to send help through this Satan-
dominated, earthly atmosphere. We need every message
God has for us.
Sacrificial, repeated, continuous and sustained
worship will furnish the avenue, and God will always do
His part.
This kind of worship even goes beyond our corning
together in church services. It is meant to be a lifestyle.
Notice Manoah's great fear that his wife did not seem
to share. He was afraid that they would die because they
had seen God. (Judg. 13:22.) Again, we see why God put
man and woman together. We need each other. His wife
gives such a simple answer. To paraphrase it, "If God
were unhappy, we would be dead already, but God did
receive the sacrifice. Thus all is well."
It came to pass as the angel said. Samson was born.
During his lifetime, he was mightily used of God to defeat
the enemy, and if he had been obedient, he would have
perhaps gone down in history as being one of the greatest
men in the Old Testament record.
The following are some of the conclusions we may
arrive at concerning angels in our study of Judges 13.
1. They seem to have a choice as to whether they will
appear to a wife or a husband.
2. They seem to know about barrenness and the
birthing of children.
3. They know all about the importance of what the
woman eats and drinks while carrying the child in the
womb.
4. They seem to be well versed in understanding the
Scriptures.
 5. They seem to be able, with God, to read future events
and understand what is coming to pass.
6. Their countenances at times can be awesome, other
times ordinary.
7. They do not like personal questions about
themselves or inquiries about their names.
8. God does entertain our requests. In this case, it was
a prayer for an angel to return.
9. They seem to be patient and will repeat messages.
10. They do not eat our food.
11. They do not receive worship.
12. Our worship seems to be one of their principal
ways of access to (and from) earth.
 Angel Chronicles
Chaplain Alex B. Cowie, who has since gone on to be
with the Lord, told me this story.
During World War II, he was stationed in the Pacific
arena and was riding in a U.S. transport plane when it
was attacked by Japanese fighter planes. They were so
badly shot up that the pilot said, "We can't make it. We're
going down."
As Chaplain Cowie prayed, he looked out the
window. The Lord opened his eyes, and he saw a mighty
angel holding up the wing of the plane. He looked out the
other side and saw another
After they landed, everyone who saw the plane
marveled that they had gotten safely back because it was
damaged so badly.
 Angels in Abraham’s Life
Genesis gives us the first recorded appearance of
angels as they are sent to do God's work on earth. This
first view of these beautiful creatures sets the stage for
what and how God uses them throughout the entire Bible.
In Genesis 16, we read:
But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid [Hagar]
is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when
Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of
water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to
Shur. And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest
thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from
the face of my mistress Sarai.
And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy
mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the
angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed
exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
And the angel of the Lord said to her, Behold, thou art
with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name
Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And
he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man,
and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in
the presence of all his brethren.
And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto
her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here
looked after him that seeth Me? Wherefore the well was
called Beer-la-hai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and
Bered.
Genesis 16:6-14
We will note, from the beginning, that when God
needs someone to speak directly for Him to a mortal being,
He uses angels. We need to also call your attention to the
fact that many times the person, hearing and talking with
the angels, uses the name Lord in addressing the angelic
beings.
Throughout the Bible, the identity of angels has been
constantly confused by attributing the words of the angels
to God, identifying the speaker by saying, "God said," or
"The Lord appeared to me." Do not let this trouble you.
Whether it is God or His angel, it is still God directly
intervening in the affairs of man to help him know God's
perfect will for his life.
The idea of Hagar being given to Abraham to become
his wife was Sarah's. She thought she had in Hagar
someone who could become a surrogate mother and
literally bear a child for her then give it over to her so it
could be as her very own child.
But it was then as it is today. Many surrogate mothers
have a tendency to change their minds about that child
once it is conceived. Sarah, seeing Hagar's attitude change
toward her, approaches Abraham. She relates to him that
a virtually impossible situation now exists and that he is
to get rid of Hagar. Abraham gives his consent for Sarah
to discipline her. Sarah's discipline is so harsh that the
young Hagar runs away.
God now intervenes and sends one of His angels to
bring her a message. You might ask, "Why didn't God just
allow her to go her way and disappear?" The angel, sent
by God to speak to Hagar, tells her to return and submit
herself to Sarah. This action gives us great insight into the
compassion of God.
At this point in time, Hagar is the innocent one. It was
not her idea to bear a child by Abraham. It was Sarah's.
So, literally speaking, God shows Himself quick to act on
behalf of the innocent one. If the innocent one will obey
God's commands and trust in Him, then God will be
quick to vindicate and work in his behalf. We must also
remember that this is not an ordinary child inasmuch as
Abraham is its father.
It seems that God has obligated Himself to always take care of all heirs
connected to the family of faith and promise saying, They which be of faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham (Gal. 3:9). Even though Sarah seemed
to be out of God's perfect will, God is going to cover for that mistake and
cause it to work out for the best for Hagar and her unborn son.
May this be a great blessing to you whatever your
circumstance may be. Perhaps you have made a mistake,
even though your motives were good even as Sarah's
were. Believe that God has great love and compassion for
you and, if necessary, will send an angel to get you out of
the situation you find yourself in at the present time.
 The angel gives the order to Hagar to return to her
mistress and submit herself. One could ask, "What could
have happened to Hagar if she had not obeyed the angel?"
No doubt, she would have proceeded on her way without
an angelic covering and protection, and evil would have
befallen her.
Notice how knowledgeable the angels are concerning
humanity! He knew she was pregnant and that the child
was a boy, so he gave her the name, Ishmael, for the baby.
He knew what kind of a man Ishmael would be—a wild
man who would fight with everyone he contacted. But
even more than this, the angel knew he would die in the
presence of his brothers and be at peace with them in the
end. (Gen. 25:17,18.) How great is God's foreknowledge!
God's angels seem to share in this ability to see into the
future also.
Hagar obeys the angel and gives the baby the name,
Ishmael. The obedience of Hagar does not end with this
story, for in Genesis 21:9, after Sarah bears Isaac, there is
trouble again. This time it does not seem to be Hagar's
fault but Ishmael's. He is about fourteen years of age and
is the cause of the trouble.
The apostle Paul records in Galatians 4:22-31 a
complete record of what happened. Paraphrasing it,
Ishmael laughs and scoffs at Isaac in such a provocative
way that it is called persecution by Paul. What the boy did
must have caused great pain to all concerned. No doubt,
Ishmael was old enough to know that he was not now to
be the heir to Abraham's wealth and position. He was not
the be number one or even number two. He would be
outside looking in from here on.
The problem was so bad that as Isaac grew up, it
became an unbearable situation for all concerned.
Abraham did not like the idea of sending away his
firstborn son. He did seem to love the lad and must have
spent much time with him as he grew up, especially
before Isaac was born.
Paul the apostle refers to this problem as a type of our
new born-again nature and the old nature with its
unsaved brain and body. Our old, fallen, fleshly nature is
not to inherit the promise. It was born and shaped in
iniquity, and it is constantly in warfare with our new
nature that seeks to walk in the promises and be spiritual.
Just as God told Abraham to send the one born of the flesh
away, so are we to expel the old fleshly nature and its
desires.
The two boys could never live together in peace and
neither will our two natures. We must constantly crucify
the flesh and keep that unspiritual part of us under so
that we are not destroyed.
We see a very heavy scene as Abraham gives Hagar
bread and water and very remorsefully sends her away
with Ishmael. He could have made it easier for her by
giving her wealth and servants and beasts of burden, but
he didn't because he knew in his heart that the separation
was to be final. She was not to return with the lad, hence
there must be a harsh finality to his act. So must our
separation from the flesh be, though sometimes it is
painful.
Now we are to learn one of the greatest blessings in
our Christian walk. If we will do what God says to do and
separate ourselves from the flesh, send it away to die as it
were, constantly putting it under, then God will take care
of all things and even send an angel, if needed, to assist
us as He did for Hagar after she and her son had been
cast into the wilderness by Sarah.
And God heard the voice of the lad [Ishmael]; and the
angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to
her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard
the voice of the lad where he is.
Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I
will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes,
and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the
bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And God was
with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness,
and became an archer.
Genesis 21:17-20
Even though Abraham had to do a very painful thing,
God rewarded him by personally looking after his first
son and providing for him in as much as Abraham could
not so and still be in God's perfect will. When we obey, as
Abraham did, God will see to it that our sacrifices made in
the flesh will not go unrewarded. When we refuse to enjoy
the hedonistic pleasures of this world, God will provide
far greater pleasures. When we give sacrificially of our
substance, God will send angels to make it up to us.
When we submit ourselves to each other, even though
painful it may be, you can expect an angel, if necessary, to
see you through and give you an expected end. (Jer. 29:11)
Oh, if saints only knew the gracious rewards of
obedience! The call for presenting our bodies a living
sacrifice (Rom. 12:1) brings great rewards even to the
availability of angels when needed. From the very
beginning of the Bible, God makes it very clear that we
will have angels at our side when needed, as long as we
obey.
As I travel around the country, I hear many questions
about angels. While there is some truth that we may
command our angels to do our bidding, we do not have
clear scriptural reference to state that we can do this
anytime and for anything we please. If there were clear
instances supported by Scripture, there probably are some
people who would take it too far! Can't you just hear
someone say, "Now angel, if I decide to take a nap, you
keep the car on the road while I sleep!"
One young man could not understand why his angel
did not watch over his vehicle when it was broken into
and his radio was stolen. I explained that if he was a
special missionary, on assignment like Abraham's servant
who was sent to bring back a wife for Isaac then he, no
doubt, could make the same claim onthe ministry of
angels.
It is not taught in Scripture that a Christian can
command his angel to do anything he desires, whenever
he wants. But the Scriptures clearly teach that God will
meet our needs and many of our desires that are in His
will as we exercise our faith and are obedient to His word.
Angel Chronicles
A Church of Christ pastor had received the Baptism of
the Holy Ghost and spoken in tongues. After this, he had
to give up his pastorate. He and his wife decided to get
away from the phone and other interferences and take a
long drive in the country to talk and pray.
They were not paying attention to where they were
going and found themselves miles away from the city on a
dirt road. There were no houses, not even fences, when
suddenly their car stopped running. When he looked for
the problem, he discovered the battery cable had burned
in two. He had no tools or wire and was contemplating
the long walk back to find help.
While the pastor tinkered around with the car, his wife
opened her Bible and was reading where the angels of the
Lord encamp around those who fear Him. She said, "Lord,
I believe this. Now, please send an angel to get us out of
this fix."
 Minutes after she said this, a pick-up truck came along
and the driver said, "Can I help you?" The pastor related
how the battery cable had burned in two. The truck driver
said, "No problem. I am a garage mechanic, and I am
moving from one location to another and have the part
you need right here. I can fix it for you." He repaired the
damage and then drove away without accepting payment
for his work.
To this day, they believe it was an angel, for no one
would be moving from one location to another on that
little dirt road to nowhere!
 The Angel and Gideon
Because the earth is under the dominion and rule of
Satan (2 Cor. 4:4) and evil angels, God's people are
constantly pulled toward evil. If God, in the book of
Judges, could have intervened and turned the people's
hearts away from evil, then Israel, His people, could have
had rest from the enemy for a season. God has chosen to
give man a free will; thus He could not intervene. God had
to, as He always does, judge and punish evil. If there is
sin in your life, repent of it. God loves you, but He hates
all sin and all evil and must judge it.
This account in the book of Judges deals with the time
when God delivered Israel into the hands and dominion
of evil men. It was a time of servitude, almost as cruel as
when they were captive in Egypt. Their determination to
do evil was in spite of ample warning given by God
through His angel in Judges 2.
And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to
Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and
have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your
fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with
you.
And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of
this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have
not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from
before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and
their gods shall be a snare unto you.
And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake
these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people
lifted up their voice, and wept. And they called the name
of that place Bochim [weeping]: and they sacrificed there
unto the Lord.
Judges 2:1-5
I must speak out here against the doctrine of fatalistic
predestination. One reason I do is that this doctrine,
practiced and believed in by over ninety percent of
Protestant people, points to God as the one responsible for
the earthquakes, floods, sicknesses, accidents, deaths,
plagues and all other traumatic events that could happen
to mankind. The teaching is so pervasive that it has
reached outside of the church, and people who are not
believers and who suffer tragedies lay the reason for their
heartache at God's door.
This doctrine teaches that God is the One who
predestinates you to either heaven or hell. If God does not
select you, then you cannot go to heaven. It seems to me
that to believe that doctrine implies that God is the
problem. When I read the Bible and look around me, I see
man as the problem, not God.
God is very patient and longsuffering in His dealings
with us. Please do not let your faith be shaken when
trouble comes your way. We cannot live totally free of
trouble as long as we are in a devil's world. Just know that
God is a covenant maker and a covenant keeper. Don't
dwell on your trouble. Let your mind and thoughts dwell
on His deliverance. Many are the afflictions of the
righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all (Ps.
34:19).
In Joshua 23, Joshua is nearing the end of his life. He
reminds the nation of Israel that the God they serve is a
covenant keeper and will continue to drive out the nations
from before them as long as they give heed to the covenant
and do not bow down to other Gods.
In Judges 6:25, the angel insists that Gideon must
destroy the altar to Baal in his community before he, the
angel can use him. God, here, is on record that He does
not drive out, rebuke or take authority over the enemy
without our obedience. We must do our part! Do not
waste your prayer time asking God to do anything about
the devil. We are told to take that action ourselves in
James 4:7, Resist the devil, and he will flee from you!
God instructed Israel in Deuteronomy 28 to obey the
Lord (v. 1). If they would, then the enemy would flee
before them seven ways (v. 7).
At this time in their history, Israel had fallen into the
power of the Midianites, a very harsh and evil enemy, for
seven years. It was constant vexation. Not only did the
Midianites lord it over them ruthlessly, but they stole their
cattle and sheep and used the scorched earth policy to
destroy their crops. Then Israel cried out to the Lord. I am
sure they must have repented.
The Lord then sends an angel to help them. This
pattern in the Bible occurs time after time. When God
needs a special assignment accomplished on earth, He
sends one of His choice angels. This time the angel comes
to a man named Gideon in Judges 6.
Gideon reminds the angel, as if he didn't already
know, that he was from the weakest tribe of Israel and, in
his own opinion, the least in his father's house. The angel
of the Lord must have had great reason for choosing such
a humble man. Perhaps here is a great key as to how to
activate your angel—be truly humble! True humility is in
knowing you can do nothing in yourself. Someone has
said that one is truly humble when he feels he is
unworthy—but others say of him that he is worthy.
Only as you acknowledge God's grace and forgiveness
are you able to serve God well. The apostle Paul, not
perceived by many to be humble, always confessed that of
all sinners he considered himself to be chief, but he could
do all things through Christ who strengthened him.
Gideon was not afraid to test the spirits to find
whether or not they were of God. He did this by offering a
sacrifice to God before the angel. The angel responded by
causing fire to come out of the rock and consume it as a
burnt sacrifice to the Lord.
As before, in this book, we are brought to a time of
decision. Did God continue to use the angel, or did God
take over and converse with Gideon? I believe that as it
was in the case with Moses so was it here. Though God
continues to use the word angel, it is God doing it and that
is why the Bible used the two terms interchangeably as
though they were one.
Gideon was given directions to tear down the altar
that his father had built to Baal. He was instructed to
destroy the idol by it and offer some of his father's animals
as a sacrifice to the Lord.
God's Word for us today may not be to tear down
heathen temples, but it is even more direct. Love not the
world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1 John
2:15). We, as Christians, are just as guilty of building
altars to our gods. Anything of or in the world that takes
us away from our commitment to God has become an altar
to a god other than our Lord. It could be a form of time
consuming entertainment: television, movies, boating,
fishing, golf, or tennis. It challenges us to be ever on the
alert against these diversions that so subtly carry us away
from our close relationship with our loving God.
It is impossible for us today to understand how great
and awesome was this task. His mission was to destroy
the chief sanctuary and tear down the stronghold of
Satan. Gideon now risks his father's fury and the threat of
Baal's henchmen who sought to kill him. He fully realized
the price he might have to pay.
 Angels are looking for just such Christians today,
people of valor who will have the same courage to stand
up, risk their lives, or at least expose themselves to the
ridicule of an ungodly world. We can, with the same spirit
of Gideon, have a firm testimony against sin and take our
stand for God.
Gideon's task was such a fearful thing that he chose
nighttime to perform it. We glean from this that God
wants us to use wisdom in how we serve Him in our
environment, as long as we do not compromise. Gideon
obeyed God and destroyed the altar to Baal. One act of
great courage in the life of a believer will often trigger
courage in another. Gideon's father now stands up to the
men of Baal and refuses to give in to their demand that he
give his son to them. He even chides them about their god
being so weak that they had to defend him. He goes one
step further and declares that the person who defends
Baal be put to death.
Today, on every hand, good men are on the defensive,
building a case for the doctrines they cling to. "Miracles
are not for today," some say. Others say, "Tongues are not
for today." Some even go so far as to say, "Tongues are of
the devil." We hear them say that divine healing is not for
today, that it passed away with the original twelve
apostles. If these doctrines of denial are so secure in their
minds, why do they constantly defend them?
Why is it that some who believe in miracles, divine
healing and speaking in tongues, sometimes sound
defensive also? We do not have to defend the Bible and
our pentecostal doctrines. All we have to do is proclaim
them practice them. God will be the defender of His Word
put to silence those who deny them.
This great act of courage by Gideon caused Joash, his
father, to change his son's name to Jerubbaal. May we all
be so used of God that people will not think of us as we
were once known, but as we are now—one having a new
identity, a new name!
This story of Gideon and his obedience to God's
commands brought about deliverance to God's people. It
is written about in this book so we can better understand
how, and why, an angel might select a man from among
us to do a great work for God. What does the angel look
for? What did he look for in Gideon? As we follow Gideon
to his successful battle, we can see time and time again
why the angel chose him.
1. He, Gideon, was a truly humble man. He confessed
his lack of ability without God and truly knew he was the
least in his tribe and in his father's house.
2. He was not afraid to test the angel to be sure he was
from God. Our heavenly Father and the angels seem to
approve of our caution as long as it is not in unbelief.
3. Gideon was chosen because he was not afraid to
follow the angel's orders even though it meant risking his
life.
 4. He was not afraid to have his volunteer army
trimmed down to a very few men in order for God to
receive the glory.
5. He was not afraid to use a new method in defeating
the enemy, using trumpets and candles within pitchers,
believing God for victory with simple, childlike faith.
6. He did not stop until he had completely destroyed
the enemy, according to instructions, following them
explicitly to do so.
7. He believed in supernatural signs, putting the fleece
before God twice for a miracle of confirmation before he
faced the enemy.
8. Gideon was a worshiper. (Judg. 7:15.)
9. He put God first and himself last. His priorities were
evident in the battle cry he chose, The sword of the Lord,
and of Gideon (Judg. 7:18).
10. Above all, he sought not any reward for his
obedience, refusing to let them proclaim him king in
Israel. (Judg. 8:22,23.)
Although God was extraordinarily glorified through
Gideon's obedience in this illustration, the end of the story
is not a good one. Gideon was, after all, a mere human
being with weaknesses. He failed to establish true
worship and instead erected an image made by hands for
Israel to worship.
In Gideon's day, the angel needed a person to do
God's work. If he is searching today for such a person,
may we strive to live that humble life before God so it
could be possible that we might be another "Gideon" sent
to bring deliverance from the bondage of the enemy to
God's people.
 Angel Chronicles
Having had the privilege of sitting under the ministry
of Aimee Semple McPherson, I have heard her relate many
accounts of the ministry of angels. The following is one of
them.
She first began her ministry as a young woman on the
east coast, using a gospel tent. As she related it, she
arrived at a certain city, and the people who assisted her
had unknowingly pitched the tent on some property that
was used as a place for the local young men to play
baseball. She was told this, but it was too late to change
plans. They had to go ahead as planned, at least for the
first night.
As the service began, she saw the angry young men
coming from the bushes around the tent. They were
carrying gasoline cans, and she knew they intended to
burn the tent.
She relates, "I said to the Lord, 'What shall I do?' " The
Lord told her to lift her hands and begin to worship Him.
As she obeyed, her eyes were opened in the Spirit, and she
saw the tent completely surrounded by a host of angels
with their wings extended and touching, wing tip to wing
tip. As she opened her eyes, she saw the men, all with
looks of astonishment on their faces. They had dropped
the cans and stood there with mouths agape. Later on,
many of them began to attend the services, and many were
saved.
 When Angelus Temple, the beautiful church seating
5,300 people which Mrs. McPherson built in Los Angeles,
California, was erected, she had the painters stencil
angels, wing tip to wing tip, around the perimeter of the
auditorium just under the huge dome to commemorate the
event.
 Angels as Messengers
This chapter on the subject of angels is being
undertaken in order to examine in what godly manner we
need to conduct ourselves to receive their assistance when
it is needed while on our earthly pilgrimage.
In the first chapter of Luke, the angel Gabriel appears
to the Priest Zacharias with the announcement of the
coming birth of their baby, who is to be named John and
will later come to be known as John the Baptist. He will be
used mightily of God to prepare the way for the ministry
of our Lord Jesus, as was prophesied. This account reads
as follows:
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
Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God,
walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the
Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that
Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well
stricken in years.
And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s
office before God in the order of his course, according to
the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn
incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the
whole multitude of the people were praying without at the
time of incense.
And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord,
standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And
when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell
upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not,
Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth
shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall
rejoice at his birth.
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 Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the
Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit
and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the
children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to
make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I
know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken
in years.
And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel,
that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak
unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And
behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until
the day that these things shall be performed, because thou
believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their
season.
And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled
that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came
out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived
that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned
unto them, and remained speechless.
And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his
ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own
house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived.
Luke 1:5-24
This heavenly appearance was the breaking of a great
spiritual silence that had hovered over Israel for over 400
years. Something of great significance was about to break
forth. God was going to use His heavenly created beings
to help with His work on earth.
A God Who is sovereign in His own kingdom, can do what He wills
only when He has the cooperation of His people. This He must have. In
this situation, He sends one of His mighty angels to begin the final act of
the great story and plan of salvation. Subsequently, Jesus will be born and
will die for the human race. Man will now have a choice. God's will and
purpose on earth is dependent upon finding people of obedience who will
believe.
The Jews were raised up and gathered back to
Palestine for the unfolding of God's great plan that is now
to be finalized. Zacharias, a high priest from one of the
sacerdotal families, is in the right place at the right time.
He is in Jerusalem, in the temple, in the right time in
history. Both he and his wife, though elderly, are to be
used. God will leave no doubt that the plan of salvation is
to be supernatural all the way from beginning to end. Just
as God waited until Sarah and Abraham were well past
the time of conception, again He has waited so that there
will be no doubt as to who is in charge and who planned
the glorious outcome.
It must be noted that Elisabeth and Zacharias were
both righteous and blameless before the Lord. To be found
blameless before the Lord implies that they had not
allowed what many had construed as an unanswered
prayer to cause them to become bitter. If they had, they
would not be called blameless before the Lord.
There are many of God's finest people who allow
themselves to become discouraged and defeated over their
disappointments, especially if they feel God has failed
them.
If you have been guilty, please repent quickly and once
again become available before God for His mighty acts
and answers to your prayers. Angels are not sent to minister
to bitter saints.
Zacharias continues to go about his great calling and
ministry. He did not, even in his old age, sit around and
complain about being childless. He was ministering
praise, through the burning incense before the Lord, when
the beginning of that answer to his lifelong request began.
We can learn a great lesson here. Continue to worship
and praise God, regardless of all the seemingly negative
situations and circumstances. Do not give in to your
feelings. Always do and say what you believe God can do
about your situation, and you will experience heaven's
assistance.
You might think, "Zacharias had a great advantage
being in the temple of God, but I am unable to do that."
According to 1 Corinthians 3:16, you are the temple of
God! You can offer beautiful worship and praise, which is
as incense before the Lord, anytime you desire.
You might say, "If only I could get to Jerusalem, as was
Zacharias, I might find help." Jerusalem, according to
Isaiah 2:3, is where the Word of God flows forth. Our
Jerusalem can be our tongue, as it were, where the Word of
God issues forth day and night.
If you are tempted to counter, "But Zacharias was one
of the chosen priests of God," then I would ask you to read
1 Peter 2:5 which says, Ye also, as lively stones, are built
up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. In
other words, you are just as much a priest unto God as
was Zacharias.
The angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias and delivers a
message saying that he and his wife are to be blessed with
the answer to their lifelong prayer. Do not ever give up.
Your answer will come. Continue to offer praise and
worship to God. Even when it seems God has waited too
long and all physical circumstances are against you,
believe and keep on believing.
After Zacharias hears the great news that was
delivered supernaturally by Gabriel in great detail, he, like
so many of us, allowed unbelief to take over, and he
doubted God.
He now begins to allow unbelief to flow from his brain
to his lips, as he reminds the angel how old he and
Elisabeth are. He must have implied that surely Gabriel,
being an angel, must know that people in their eighties do
not have children.
It would be appropriate here to remind ourselves of the
story of Abraham and Sarah, one that certainly Zacharias
should have remembered. If God had done it once, He
certainly could do it again.
But before we judge him too harshly, are we not all guilty of allowing
our tongue to speak of the impossible first, instead of the possible? So very
quickly we speak of earthly barriers before we speak of heavenly power
and possibilities. Say first what you believe God can do and not how
impossible the situation looks!
Now we arrive at a very important place in this great
story. The angel Gabriel, in this case, seems to be able to
act on his own, as also do other angels when doubt and
unbelief are spoken aloud. Let us consider what his
options are.
He can leave and go back to God and report this as a
failure because of the unbelief he encountered. He can
punish the unbeliever on the spot. Even better, he can shut
off the very source of unbelief so God's will can be done
on earth as it is in heaven. He chooses the last of his
options and takes away the ability of the priest to speak.
Because the angel chose to make Zacharias dumb, we
can conclude that unbelief in the brain will not get into
the heart if it does not pass through the mouth! This
principle is so important I wish you would read it again.
The angel Gabriel summarizes to Zacharias, saying
that he, Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, had
brought good news, and it is received with a confession of
doubt and unbelief.
Oh, that we would learn from this great account. There
can be no supernatural help from heaven, from the
presence of God, when we insist on speaking of things as
they are. We must remember, as Abraham did, that we
serve a God Who calls things that are not as though they
were (Rom. 4:17 NIV) and not a God that calls things that
are, as though they were not. Abraham never did say,
"Sarah and I are too old," but instead he praised God and
gave Him glory for what He could do.
Do not discuss your ailment or its symptoms as they
are. Instead, talk about the faithfulness of God to watch
over His Word and perform it and what a great Healer He
is now, today. You do not talk about what great sinners
your loved ones are. When you speak of them, you speak
of what you believe they will become—people saved by
the grace of God, loving Him with all of their hearts.
Do not talk negatively about your children's spiritual
condition, especially in front of them. Talk about them by
faith, how you believe they will be, serving God and part
of His great family. We too, even as Zacharias, can turn
our angel off by saying the wrong thing in his presence.
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither
say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore
should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of
thine hands?
Ecclesiastes 5:6
Zacharias almost blew it, and if the angel had not
acted quickly to stop his negative tongue, we would not
have this story in the Bible. Someone else would have
been chosen.
I wonder how many people who God called reacted
like Zacharias did? Are there many that we have never
heard of in church history because their negative tongues
spoke out in unbelief from their brain, instead of from
their believing hearts?
Zacharias was unable to talk for many months and
could only speak, and apparently hear again, when the
child, John, was born. He wrote out on a tablet, His name
is John (Luke 1:62,63). Then he could speak and praise
God and give the great prophecy about things to come.
What a great comparison we have when we consider
this same great angel's announcement to Mary, a saint
who served God as well. She did not speak unbelief. She
did not say, "This cannot be because I have not a
husband." Her response was one of curiosity, rather than
a lack of faith.
It seems that neither God, nor angels, resent us asking
questions. Not only do they not resist our questioning, but
they are rather quick to respond with an explanation.
The angel Gabriel ends this glorious announcement to
Mary by making one of the greatest statements in our Bible
using the Greek word rhema. In Luke 1:37, he says, For
with God nothing shall be impossible. The American
Standard Version states, For no word [rhema] of God shall
be void of power.
The Amplified Bible says, For with God nothing is ever impossible, and
no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. He
simply said, "No rhema from God is devoid of power." In other words,
what God says is possible, but we must say it exactly as He says it.
We must believe in our hearts, but we must be careful
to avoid the interfering thoughts that come from the brain,
which are usually thoughts of doubt and fear. Remember
that our bodies, of which the brain is a part, are not saved
yet. They will be redeemed further down the
eschatological road. At this point, all parts of our bodies
have no life, except what comes by, and because of,
impulses from the brain.
Recently, it has been determined in the courts of law
that to be legally dead one must be declared to be brain
dead. The physical body has no power to move unless it
receives direction from the brain. This is illustrated by
occasions when an individual has a limb amputated.
When that limb is severed from the body and laid aside, it
does not have the ability to hop across the room. It has
been severed from the brain which controlled it. This
illustrates to us that it is the brain, not merely the flesh
alone, that is the real culprit. One of our most difficult,
never ending aspects of spiritual warfare is in constantly
resisting the negative words and constantly affirming what
God says about our condition!
Mary said, Behold the handmaid [slave] of the Lord; be
it unto me according to thy word [rhema] (Luke 1:38). She
did not go away saying negative things, but her faith was
active. Not only did she speak positively, but she went to
visit Elizabeth and share with her the fulfillment of the
rhemas of God.
Please do not allow Satan to come and steal this
precious seed. Believe, and continue to believe, that angels
are God's messengers. Continue to believe that no word,
rhema, of God is void of power. Know that, though you
believe the Word of God, if your tongue contradicts it, you
will miss God's promise. Do not speak from your unsaved
brain but say only what you believe with your heart.
Angels seem to be very sensitive to our words. Words
do not seem to be only related to the temporal realm, but
also to the eternal realm. Jesus taught that we are to be
redeemed and justified, or condemned, by them.
Spiritually sensitive people can discern an atmosphere
created by words of doubt and unbelief. Cultivating a
discipline of our conversation is a spiritual essential if we are
going to have the victories that come from saying what God
says about every situation.
After studying the angel's interaction with both
Zacharias and Mary, we can conclude the following:
1. Angels do not seem to assist saints who have
become bitter.
2. The temple was the place for the Word and worship.
We are the temple. (1 Cor. 6:19). Angels seem to honor
worship, both private and corporate.
3. Zacharias was a priest, and so are you. (1 Peter 2:5.)
4. Zacharias and Elisabeth had prayed many years for
a child, and God answered their prayer. Never give up.
Keep believing.
5. Do not allow unbelieving thoughts in your brain to
become words in your mouth.
6. Say first what you believe God can do and not how
impossible the situation looks.
7. Do not say the wrong thing before your angel.
Angels listen.
8. Angels do not seem to reject sound questioning.
9. Angels seem to be more sensitive to our words than
our actions.
Angel Chronicles
A pastor shared with me a story about an elderly saint who had been
to the mid-week prayer service in her church and had returned home
rather late in the evening. Just as she turned on the lights, she heard a
knock at the door. Unsuspectingly, she opened the door, and there stood a
man with an iron pipe in his hand. He moved menacingly toward her
with the pipe raised as though to strike her.
 Suddenly, he stopped, his eyes widened and his
mouth dropped open. A look of great fear came on his face
as he seemed to be looking at something behind her. He
dropped the pipe and ran down off the porch into the
blackness of the night.
She called the police and related what had happened.
They believed her story because, not only was her
description correct of a man they had already been
looking for, but the piece of iron pipe lay there on the
porch where he had dropped it.
She believes, and so do I, that the man saw her angel
standing behind her.
 Guardian Angels
At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying,
Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus
called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of
them, and said, Verily, I say unto you, Except ye be
converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter
into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall
humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in
the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such
little child in my name receiveth me.
Matthew 18:1-5
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones;
for I say to you, That in heaven their angels always behold
the face of My Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 18:10
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of
his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he
redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all
the days of old.
Isaiah 63:9
Guardian angels have always been accepted by not
only the church, but by most people of all faiths. That our
Lord Jesus not only took the time to bless children, even
holding some of them in His arms, is ample proof of God's
attitude towards the small, helpless ones.
Inasmuch as this is a book whose main purpose is to
call our attention to what activates and deactivates the
ministry of our guardian angels to us, we must give space
to the words of our Lord Jesus as they relate to the
guardian angels.
The question often arises, "If babies have been
assigned angels to guard them, why have there been so
many maimed, scarred and suffering babies and children?
Many have even died. Do some have inept angels? Were
some angels, by circumstances, driven to a point where
they had to turn their back on families by the disobedience
of the parents?"
In Ephesians 6:1-4 and Colossians 3:20,21, we have
good, clear teaching and also some commands about
parents and children. First of all, if children do obey their
parents, they have been promised long life on this earth. If
they disobey and fall away from these promises and their
covering then they are in great jeopardy. Many do die
prematurely, but not all, for the Father sees, looking
ahead, that they will repent and return to the way in
which they were brought up. Romans 8:29 says, For
whom He did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son.
Now parents, hear this warning, And, ye fathers,
provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). How
do we provoke our children? How do provoked children
react? We provoke them by our outbursts of uncontrolled
anger. We punish them when they do not deserve it and
fail to punish them when they do. We often take our own
frustrations out on them.
We live lives with double standards. We sometimes
impose on them the rules and limitations that our parents
placed on us without examining them to see if they still
apply today! We fail to take into account the peer
pressures they are under because some of us never had to
face the same kinds of stressful situations that they are
facing.
Our children then react as the immature,
inexperienced children they are! We should only correct
in love, never out of frustration and anger or out of our
own insecurities.
Angels cannot overcome and do a good job for us and
our children if we, as parents, fail to adhere to God's
Word. Angels are not going to close doors we so carelessly
leave open. Angels are not going to clean germs from our
unkept houses. Angels are not going to sit by your
swimming pool to guard your little one from falling in. If
we insist on driving carelessly, angels cannot do their
work of protection. Angels cannot protect a child from
wandering away if parents become too involved in their
own interests. On and on, these tragic circumstances that
come to our attention record our carelessness and the
result of it.
When Jesus gave His warning concerning children
and their angels, He said that their angels, being in
heaven, always behold the face of the Father. (Matt. 18:10.)
Even if the guardian angel is assigned to your child to
protect it, he cannot act on his own, but only as he
receives orders from the Father. So, no matter what the
danger might be, the angel can only act as he receives
orders from the Father, Who is also responding to the
lifestyle and commitment of the parents.
First Kings 14 gives the account of how God reacted to
a very wicked king named Jeroboam. He caused the
people of God to turn to evil. He made golden calves for
them to worship and appointed priests of the lowest
nature who were not of the priestly tribe of Levi.
God did all He could do by sending a prophet with
power to show signs and wonders to warn them, but it
was to no avail. When a son was born to this wicked king
and became sick unto death, God did not spare him but
allowed him to die; thus, he escaped the evil of his father's
house. The child was the only one spared and not judged
with the wicked parents. This story is helpful in
understanding God's compassion for innocent children.
A difficult question arises as to whether or not the
children of the heathen will be in heaven, or will it just be
the children of the saved parents who were under one of
the covenants, either Old Testament or New Testament?
While there is not enough evidence to arrive at a dogmatic
conclusion, one can form an opinion. Here are some facts
to consider.
 When the Jews in Jesus' day cried, His blood be on us
and on our children (Matt. 27:25), God allowed that to.
stand, even to this present day, upon the descendants of
those who made the statement.
I do not believe that innocent children will suffer in
hell, as adults will. What will happen, we do not know.
Paul made it clear that the children of the unbelievers
were unclean; thus, they were not under a salvation
covenant. (1 Cor. 7:14.) There is enough biblical evidence
to cause unsaved parents to be very concerned for their
children who may be considered unclean or unsanctified
because of their own unsaved state.
When Jesus said, Take heed that ye despise not one of
these little ones (Matt. 18:10), He is referring to all children
of the kingdom inasmuch as all of us in the kingdom are
to become as little children. If we fail to become as little
children in trust and simplicity then we forfeit the
protection of our angels. Angels are not merely assigned
to children, but to all who shall be heirs of salvation. (Heb.
1:14.)
Is everyone in the kingdom protected? Are all who are
saved and continue in simplicity and trust, protected? The
latter is certainly taught by Jesus.
Many people who begin their walk with Jesus as little
children, who are innocent, sweet, loving and kind,
slowly begin to get their eyes on people and gradually
begin to emulate their weaknesses and faults instead of
the life of Jesus. As they begin to criticize, find fault,
gossip, miss church services, stop tithing, become
involved in church troubles, then they are no longer
acting as children of the kingdom and are no longer under
the promises made to the children of the kingdom. This
would include the promise of angelic protection.
If only saints would become as little children in trust
and simplicity, then the Ninety-first Psalm would cover
them. God could protect them. The angels could minister,
and terrible, regrettable things would not happen so often.
Not only is the one who no longer conducts himself as
a trusting child in jeopardy, but if in his rebellion, he
influences a little one to sin or fall, it would be better for
him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and
to be drowned in the depths of the sea (Matt. 18:6 NIV).
Oh, saints, pity you who are no longer sweet, kind,
generous, and teachable. Please return to your first, child-
like faith and love. It is better to leave a church than to
become involved in a split that causes little newborn
babes to backslide or become discouraged.
We do not lose our will when we receive Jesus. The
will to do either right or wrong remains. We must, by our
will, determine to persevere in our desire to cling to the
Lord.
Pastors, your people need to hear the balance of grace
and holiness that this chapter covers. They need to hear
what happens in heaven and what happens on earth
because of disobedience.
Your angel can be thwarted from lifting his hand to
help you. Obey, obey, obey! Keep a smile on your Father's
face as well as on the face of your angel. Work to keep
your first love and stay as trusting as a child.
 Angel Chronicles
This angel story comes from one of our missionaries
who labored for the Lord in the country of Panama.
He and another missionary had gone far back into the
interior where the gospel had not been taken before and
where there would be fierce persecution. They had a
measure of success and started a church from the meeting.
When they returned the following year to minister, one
of the new converts pointed to a house in the distance and
said, "Do you remember when you came last year and
slept in that house over there?" They answered in the
affirmative. He went on to say that he and some other men
were going to kill them while they slept, but they could
not because there were two very large men guarding the
house while they slept!
The missionary gives praise to God for the protection
of angels!
 Angels and Submission
The apostle Paul, in writing to the churches, was very
careful to set in order church government and authority in
the home.
He gives headship to the man but requires in that
leadership role that the man love his wife as Christ loved
the Church and gave Himself for it. (Eph. 5:25.)
Inasmuch as entire books have been written on this
subject, I will here treat a phase of this important subject
that, heretofore, has had little attention. We want to talk
about the ministry of angels as it has to do with the
submission of the wife to her husband and also as it has
to do with her activity in the church.
But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the
head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband,
and the Head of Christ is God. Any man who prays or
prophesies—that is, teaches, refutes, reproves,
admonishes and comforts—with his head covered
dishonors his Head (Christ).
And any woman who [publicly] prays or prophesies
(teaches, refutes, reproves, admonishes or comforts) when
she is bareheaded dishonors her head (her husband); it is
the same as [if her head were] shaved.
1 Corinthians 11:3-5 amp
First Corinthians 11:3-5 makes it very clear that the
New Testament teaches that a woman is allowed ministry
in the church on the same level as man. She has the same
right to pray or prophesy as he does. It further states that
man is not to prophesy, teach or pray with his head
covered and that a woman is not to do any of these things
without her head covered. It further teaches that if a man
disobeys in this, he dishonors God. If a woman disobeys
in this, she dishonors her head which is her husband.
In the early church, for a woman to refuse to be
covered with a veil, a symbol of submission, it was
considered that she may as well go ahead and have her
head shaved. At that time, it was understood by all that
she was not only in rebellion to her husband but now put
herself in the position of being thought of as a prostitute.
She was now revolting even against God's laws.
On the other side of the marital coin, if a man wore
long hair, as the woman did, he likewise showed he was
no longer submitted to authority.
Does not (experience, common sense, reason and) the
native sense of propriety itself teach you that for a man to
wear long hair is a dishonor (humiliating and degrading)
to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her ornament
and glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
1 Corinthians 11:14,15 amp
We saw great evidence of this during the Vietnam war
era. The many young people who dropped out and
became known as the hippies of that generation, chose a
lifestyle that expressed rebellion against anything that
was conventional. One of the first obvious signs of this
were the young men who allowed their hair to grow long
and unkempt. It was a sign of their rebellion against the
establishment, government and sometimes parents.
It is interesting to note here, and gives much cause for
praise, that one of the greatest revivals to ever touch our
nation came through this generation of young people who
were, in reality, searching for the knowledge of God.
Literally, tens of thousands of these young people filled
our churches and have, since then, matured and become
great assets to God's kingdom and our nation.
The apostle Paul is very fair, not just teaching
submission of the woman to the man, but equally teaching
man's responsibility to the woman. He lays down very
strong rules for both, especially as they relate to
functioning in public worship.
Submission is not a new doctrine. It is taught clearly in
Scripture. Paul not only taught it, but also Peter.
Likewise ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.
Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be
clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and
giveth grace to the humble.

1 Peter 5:5
What happens if God's rules for submission are
broken? What are the consequences? First Timothy 5:1-15
teaches that when younger widows were no longer
submitted to church leadership, they would be in danger
of turning to follow Satan.
Is that what Paul is referring to in the text of this
chapter that mentions angels in relation to the lack of
obedience to the rules of submission that were written for
the good of the church?
The writings of twenty-five Bible commentators all
seem to agree on the points which follow:
1. All are unanimous that the covering, or veil, was a
sign of a woman's submission to her husband.
2. All seem to agree that this submission was not to
place them under domination, but it was a security, giving
her rights and liberty.
3. All seemed to agree that the lack of submission
would affect the ministry of both good and evil angels (the
angels that fell with Satan—Rev. 12:9) on her behalf.
4. Some agreed that, if there is rebellion against this
submission, good angels draw back and evil spirits move
in.
5. Most all agree that there is a hidden intent that takes
one back to the rebellion in the Garden of Eden when Eve
followed Satan's suggestion, rather than obeying God's
Word.
6. Angels are present in the church, especially during
the worship time.
7. Some suggest that good angels leave, rather than be
exposed to evil of any kind in the church.
8. One commentator, in a book now out of print,
interpreted 1 Corinthians 11:10, "... for this cause ought
the woman to have power (a veil) upon her head because
of the (evil) angels, (she being tempted by the prince of them to
do that which is perpetual cause of shame to her, and which
increased her subjection to the man ... j"2
9. Other commentators also add, "because of the evil
angels."3
Here are some facts that we must face. Paul did refer to
angels in relationship to the ministry of woman. The fact
is clear that women can minister publicly as long as they
are submitted to their husband or the covering of a
church. If the rebellion of the woman in her ministry in the
church took place, it would somehow affect angels as it
relates to her behavior.
If such acts of rebellion would lead to the exposure to
the devil that is written of in 1 Timothy 5:15, For some are
already turned aside after Satan then the fact of this text
must be recognized and dealt with.
Another fact that cannot be ignored is that when
women rebelled from their covering, the church or their
husbands, many false cults sprang up as a result of this
breaking of God's law.
If we can scripturally apply this act of the
consequences of rebellion to the woman leaving her
covering then we must apply, equally, the same rules to
the husband. In Christ, the New Testament and the new
covenant, there is neither male nor female. (Gal. 3:28.)
History records many cults following the breaking of
submission one to another. The question ought to be
asked by every person now caught in what we recognize
as false religions or cults: Did this leader break away from
his covering? Did he get led away into a new doctrine that
differs from the pure doctrine of Scripture? Did he say, "I
have a new revelation, follow me?"
Let us scrutinize the break-up of a marriage and a
home. If it has deteriorated to where adultery has entered
the picture, there are questions to be asked: "When did the
immoral thoughts first come? Could it have happened
when a wife was in complete submission to a loving
husband?" I think not! Just as Eve might not have fallen to
Satan's suggestion if she had first consulted with Adam,
so would a married couple be able to recognize what was
happening, humble themselves and repair the breach.
Marriages and homes that are without God stand little
chance of survival.
This book is about angels and their faithful ministry to
the heirs of salvation. This particular subject is about the
withdrawing of their presence and aid when God's laws
are broken by the ones they are assigned to help.
In Psalm 78:37-39,41-64 and Exodus 23:23, Israel's
angel was faithful to lead and protect Israel until they
provoked the Lord God in the wilderness. He then forsook
the tabernacle and delivered them into the hands of their
enemy. It is very possible for us to turn our angel off just
as easily.
Ecclesiastes warns us,
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither
say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore
should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of
thine hands?
Ecclesiastes 5:6
If our angel is provoked into leaving us, we are no
longer under their protection. We are now exposed to
every evil spirit and have no angelic protection from
accidents, diseases, and plagues.
Do everything you can to stay submitted to your
husbands. Husbands, do all you can to love your wife as
yourself. Do not risk living in a sin-blighted world
without angelic protection.
God would say the same thing to us that He said to
His people Israel.
Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the
way, and to bring thee into the place which I have
prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him
not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my
name is in him.
But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that
I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and
an adversary unto thine adversaries.
Exodus 23:20-23
If you provoke your angel, then God can no longer be
an enemy to your enemies or an adversary to your
adversaries. In other words, you will have to fight your
enemies by yourself, without any heavenly assistance.
Great churches and ministries have been known to
literally disintegrate and fall apart. In some cases, it was
the wife who strayed from the truth, sometimes the pastor.
At a point when either one, or both, were not
submitted to God's order of submission, evil spirits
literally moved in and destroyed the church and ministry.
Thank God, by His grace, some have turned to Him and
sought His help and restoration has come.
May we ever be willing to humble ourselves and go
with God's divine order. The price one pays for revolt is
never worth the temporary pleasure!
I would like to encourage women that, in Christ, there
is neither male or female. They, along with men, can be
anointed to minister. The apostle Paul did not mean in 1
Timothy 2:12 that women could not do any public
teaching. If he meant that, then he would have
contradicted himself in 1 Corinthians 11:5 which states
that a woman can be prophesying but must have her head
covered to indicate she was in submission. This head
covering could also be interpreted as a spiritual covering.
A true reading of 1 Timothy 2:12 is, "I will not suffer a
woman, teaching, to usurp authority over the man."4
In Greek, didaske or "to teach" is an infinitive in the
present tense which refers to a continuous or repeated
action. In other words, it means "to teach continuously."
G. Campbell Morgan, in a book out of print, confirms the
right of the woman to be teaching.
A woman, in Christ, has the same privilege to minister
in both prophesying and teaching as long as she does not
usurp authority over the man.
Angel Chronicles
A lady missionary was traveling in a Communistic
country, one that suppressed religious freedom. She,
following God's word to her, found herself in a small
town.
She did not know where to go and ended up in a
small, dark, dimly lit building. A nicely dressed man
walked up to her and said, "You are in the wrong place,
aren't you?" She answered and said, "Yes, I believe I am."
He told her to follow him, and he led her to a larger
building off the beaten path. As they entered and their
eyes became accustomed to the dark, she saw over three
hundred Christian believers gathered there. They said to
her, "God told us to come here today and that He would
send someone from America to speak to us."
The lady missionary could not speak their language,
but the man could, and he interpreted for her. There is not
the slightest doubt that the man was an angel and knew
where God had told them to come because, in that nation,
you cannot advertise your meeting place.
 Angels Thwarted
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to
minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Hebrews 1:14
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them
that fear him, and delivereth them.
Psalm 34:7
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst
of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto
me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained
this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good
cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among
you, but of the ship.
For there stood by me this night the angel of God,
whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul;
thou must be brought before Caesar: and lo, God hath
given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be
of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it
was told me.
Acts 27:21-25
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague
come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels
charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall
bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against
a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the
young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
 Psalm 91:10-13
One of the chapters in this book deals with guardian
angels that are assigned to us at birth. For some reason or
other, most of us have believed and accepted as fact that
angels do watch over babies and children but, in our
traditional theology, we have not brought over the
doctrine of the ministry of angels into adulthood, at least
in discussion or writings. This we must do in order to be
100 percent scripturally minded and correct in theological
thinking.
The Scriptures at the beginning of this chapter
certainly bear witness to this great truth. Angels are not
temporarily assigned to us as children and then abruptly
taken away as we become adults! There are too many
accounts in the Bible of saints being protected, ministered
to, taught and corrected by these beautiful beings. Not
only do the angels encamp around about those that fear
Him, but they are assigned to keep us and bear us up. (Ps.
91.) With this added assistance we can have the ability to
walk all over the enemy!
Does this account of God's promises describe the
experience of the average saint in our churches today?
The answer is an emphatic, no!
Saints are sickly, die prematurely, are involved in
tragic accidents and suffer the devilish destruction of
families and homes. Our hearts are made heavy many
times because of the things that befall wonderful
Christian people. There seems to be no end to the
examples of sorrow and confusion found in the lives of
men and women who serve the Lord. Surely, God can give
us the answer as to why this happens so frequently! The
Bible is always forthright and faithful to tell both sides of
the story.
Certainly, the covenant families of Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob and even Lot were wonderfully ministered to by the
angels of the Lord. But some were not able to receive the
ministry of angels. Even though we do not have a specific
account of angelic intervention in Abraham's life, we do
know he had some experience with them and knew of
their help. Thus, in relating messages from God he had
confidence, or he would have never said to his servant in
Genesis 24:7, he shall send his angel before thee, and thou
shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
Abraham was old and feared that his son, Isaac,
would take a wife from among the heathen. He knew that
in order for the blood line of the Messiah to be pure, the
right wife for his son must be chosen. He also knew he
could depend on the angel for this to come to pass
according to God's will, and eventually, Isaac was
married to a woman of faith and trust.
Jacob's encounter was of a different nature. Jacob was,
in the opinion of many, a cheat and conniver. He faced the
wrath of his brother, Esau, for stealing his birthright. As
he wrestled in prayer with God for the answer, God
allowed Jacob's angel to manifest himself, and there Jacob
had an experience with this angel that not only assuaged
his fears but changed his name and his nature and
caused him to become a great man of Israel. His
encounter, seeing the ladder with the angels ascending
and descending and meeting him at God's camp, sets
forth clear teaching that God's people, from the very
beginning, have access to this wonderful angelic ministry.
On the other hand, failure is apparent as we study the
account of Lot's wife in Genesis 19. Lot, the husband and
priest of his home, must take his share of this failure. He
chose to live with his family among evil men in the very
depraved city of Sodom. There he vexed his righteous soul
as described in the Bible. God must judge sin. Certainly,
He must judge vile sin that leads men and women to
change the use of the body against nature, as God created
it. Men leave women and lust for other men, and women
leave men to lust after other women. This sin comes under
judgment.
God sends two of His faithful angels to rescue Lot's
family and warns Lot to get the word to his children and
leave Sodom quickly. This story is so well known by Bible
readers that I will only dwell on the portion that deals
with Lot's wife.
The angels, as they left Sodom, warned Lot's family,
"Do not look back!" For some unexplained reason, Lot's
wife turned to look back and immediately was
transformed into a pillar of salt. It is very interesting that
not only did the angel fail to rescue her from this fate, but
Jesus, in speaking of His coming again said, Remember
Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32).
How infamous do you want to become? Would you
have wanted the Lord Jesus to mention you publicly then
have it recorded so that millions upon millions of readers
down through the centuries would know of your failure?
Why did Jesus mention her? Certainly, it was not to
bring shame to the memory of her. He had a greater motive
than that. He mentioned her in the context of warning His
people to avoid getting so carried away with eating,
drinking, buying, selling, planting, reaping, building, and
all of the consuming activities of a busy life, that the more
important issues of eternity are neglected!
If we are looking in the Word of God for what turns
our angel off and deactivates him in his ministry to and
for us, we certainly have great insight here. In the context
of His judgment coming on the world, Jesus warns of that
which will cause us to miss deliverance. Noah and his
family were saved. Lot and his daughters were saved even
though his wife was lost. Notice the things Jesus
mentioned in Luke 17:28 that can stop the deliverance of
His saints, both now and in the end times.
1. They were filled with the lust of food and sex.
2. They bought and were carried away with buying
and selling.
 3. They sold and were given over to the amassing of
profit.
4. They built for the sake of pride and fortune. The
warnings are all directly concerned with greed for wealth
and abundance which is birthed out of pride and self-
interest.
Jesus then said, Whosoever shall seek to save his life
shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall
preserve it
(Luke 17:33). To seek to save [our] life simply means
that we refuse to be embarrassed by a lack of worldly
possessions, to the extent that we set out to get them by
any and every means. The Word of God makes it clear that
if we would seek first His kingdom, then all we have need
of would be supplied. (Matt. 6:33.) Jesus is not referring to
our needs, but our greed.
Was it greed, pride, or selfishness that made Lot's wife
turn back toward the city and sacrifice her eternity with
God? Lot and his two young daughters needed her
desperately. The sordidness of sin in the lives of Lot and
his two daughters from that time on is chronicled and
well known.
Angels cannot successfully carry out their ministry of
deliverance if we are given to the five things
aforementioned in this chapter.
Another illustration of what greed can do to us and
how it stops the ministering angel sent from God on our
behalf can be found in Numbers 22-24.
In the beginning, Balaam was a great prophet in the
land. Even the heathen kings knew of his great reputation.
What he cursed would be cursed and what he blessed
would be blessed. King Balak saw God's blessing on
Israel and sought to have the prophet Balaam curse them.
There is not sufficient space in this book to give a detailed
account of Balaam's sin, but we will give a brief sketch.
God sent an angel to try and save Balaam from the
error of his greed. The account is very humorous in that
Balaam's mount was more spiritual than Balaam! He saw
the angel with the flashing sword, and Balaam didn't!
Balaam must have been riding along preoccupied with
one thing, the money that the wicked king had promised
him. The donkey, being able to see the flashing sword in
the hand of the angel, probably saved the prophet's life
when he jumped around to avoid the sword. His life was
saved in this experience, but apparently his soul was not.
Revelation 2:14 reveals his sin.
If he had not been so greedy, loved God and
appreciated the angel being sent to save him, perhaps he
would have turned to join Israel, God's people, and would
be in heaven today. Again, the attempt of God, through an
angel, failed because this man was too caught up with
worldly-mindedness. He could not receive the ministry of
an angel sent from heaven to deliver him.
In the account of the rich man and Lazarus, the love of
money stopped the ministry of angels. Lazarus, the poor
beggar, literally died at the gate of the wealthy man. No
doubt you could say that he died of starvation because the
rich man ignored him and did not share his great wealth
with one who needed it.
When Lazarus died, Luke 16:22 records that the angels carried him
into the bliss of Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, but there were
no angels to carry him to the same place. If there is not a good angel
assigned to attend your death and you have been too busy with the affairs
of this life, then you have left yourself open to the same experience that
the rich man had. He opened his eyes in hell and suffered torment
forever. Hold on to the material things of this life lightly. Be ever ready at
any time to freely, without any pain of surrender, give them up if God
asks you!
One more Bible illustration of a man's failure can be
found in Acts 12:7-11. Israel's King Herod seized Peter
and put him in prison. He had perfect knowledge of God's
blessing upon the disciples. He knew that Peter was
miraculously delivered from a prison that was guarded
with such security that it was impossible for a man to be
able to escape without supernatural help. Peter was
handcuffed to two guards, and there were sixteen other
guards posted to watch him. In spite of Herod's
knowledge that Peter's deliverance from prison was
supernatural and because of his concern about his own
reputation, he had the guards killed. (vv. 18,19.) Now the
course is set, and it leads downward.
Herod, in his speech that reeked with pride, took all of
the glory and gave none to God. He was brought up in
Jewish tradition and was not ignorant of the results of
pride and vain glory. The angel of the Lord, who could
have come to aid him, now smites him. There is no longer
any supernatural protection. Satan moves in, as he is
prone to do when we are out of God's will and His
protection. There is a void now where trust and humility
should have been, and Satan moves in to fill it. Herod's
body is destroyed by worms, and he dies. (vv. 21-23.)
There is no angel to usher him in to God's presence.
It seems, in the aforementioned illustrations of failure,
where the ministry of heavenly, God-sent angels was cut
off, that there is a common denominator.
What was it that caused Lot's wife to turn back? What
caused the downfall of Balaam? What brought about the
death of the Jewish king, Herod?
In seeking to save, they lost. In these three cases, it was
pride, love of money, and love of the applause of men. It
can happen for a myriad of reasons, and as a result, one
can be deprived of the aid of God's ministering angels and
ultimately lose his soul!
Watch the little foxes, the little temptations, that lead to
evil. God's Word promises:
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is
common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able
to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
There is no reward for godless living that is worth
losing the ministry of God's heaven-sent, ministering
angels and perhaps ultimately your own soul.
Angel Chronicles
This story comes out of Africa. The wife of the pastor of
a church had gone shopping and unknowingly entered
into an area where rioting had just broken out. Men
surrounded her car, broke the windows, seized the car
keys and threw them into the bushes. They dragged her
out into the street and were ready to rape and kill her.
Suddenly, a large, terrifying man approached and
said, "Let her alone." As the frightened men backed off, he
picked the woman up, took her to her car, placed her in
the driver's seat, handed her the keys and said, "Leave
quickly." As she drove off, she looked back to thank him
for rescuing her, but he was gone!
This is just another example of God's great army ready to serve us.
Angels: Deliverers or Destroyers?
In Acts 12:1-23, we find two stories: one of Simon Peter
and the delivering angel and one of King Herod and the
destroying angel.
King Herod began his persecution of the church by
killing James, John's brother. These executions were
usually accomplished by severing the head from the body.
This act of treachery and murder seemed to please the
Jews, so the king proceeded to arrest the leading disciple,
Simon Peter.
Acts 12:3 makes it very clear that Herod was going to
do to Peter what he did to James, thinking it would be
even more pleasing to the Jewish leaders to kill the leader
of the new Christian sect.
No doubt the common people were beginning to
believe Jesus was alive, and His disciples were indeed
working miracles among the people. If Herod put an end
to this vexing Jewish problem, it would, in his estimation,
elevate him to even a stronger position of leadership, both
with Caesar in Rome and with the Sanhedrin and
leadership in Israel.
But Herod had to wait until the Passover was over
before Peter could be killed, so he was put in irons and
chained between two soldiers in a dark, dismal cell. A
double guard stood by the doors and extreme care was
taken so Peter would not escape. While this diabolical
plan is proceeding, there is another plan being brought
into play to foil Satan's plan.
And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him
[Peter], and a light shined in the prison: and he smote
Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up
quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind
on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him,
Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that
it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he
saw a vision.
When they were past the first and second ward, they
came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which
opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and
passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel
departed from him.
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I
know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and
hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all
the expectation of the people of the Jews.
Acts 12:7-11
The saints in Jerusalem were in constant, earnest
prayer for Peter. Inasmuch as the Bible does not tell us
how they were praying for Peter, we can only surmise
what was happening. It has historically been said that
they were praying for his release. But, if they were praying
that God would deliver him, then why were they
surprised when they found him standing at the door? If
they were praying for his release and were not expecting a
supernatural deliverance, which it would most certainly
take, then they were not praying in faith.
Faith, in order for it to be faith, must believe and expect
the answer then should rejoice over that answer before it
is received.
 To rejoice over an expected answer before you receive it, as
you would rejoice after you get it, is indeed true faith!
There is something else to be considered. They could
have been fervently praying for Peter that his faith would
not fail as it did before when he denied his Lord. Was it
possible that the disciples were concerned that Peter had
not yet really proven himself worthy to be the leader?
After all, he was impetuous, headstrong and given to
making hasty decisions. This was a time when great care
must be exercised if they were to continue. This scene we
see of the disciples seeking God earnestly in prayer is an
example for us. It teaches us the great value of prayer,
even when we do not know how to pray for every
situation.
There is yet another angle to be considered. Each of us
has an angel that was appointed by the Father and given
to watch over us as a guardian and protector. (Heb. 1:14,
Matt. 18:10.) This angel is given to us at birth, delegated
by God the Father to watch over us and to see that at all
times God's perfect will is being fulfilled in our lives.
While not, in any way, minimizing the value of
intercession and the fact that Peter needed all the prayer
he could get, it seems to be that his ministering angel was
the reason that Peter had this supernatural deliverance.
This incident leads me to believe that we have not
always thoroughly understood the ministry of angels. No
one, to my knowledge, has ever stated or written anything
other than that it was the instrument of prayer that
brought the angels down to get Peter out of prison.
Do we believe that angels, beholding the face of God
and being in constant touch with Him at all times (Matt.
18:10) can, because of delegated authority, act on their
own? If we can, then we can simplify the whole question
and clear the air of all mystery surrounding these
awesome, beautiful creatures.
We can move one step higher in our appreciation of
the angels' wonderful ministry. With more
understanding, we can exercise more faith and
expectancy concerning their ministry to us and for us.
The authority, power, knowledge, ability, and wisdom
of angels cannot be seriously questioned. This account of
the delivering angel sent to literally spring Peter from the
escape-proof security system seems to settle all questions
about their flexible and diverse abilities.
When the young girl, Rhoda, heard Peter knocking on
the door, she recognized Peter's voice. She hurriedly went
and told the others, but they did not believe her. After all,
Peter was in prison! Apparently, they were not expecting
God to deliver Peter supernaturally out of captivity in the
middle of the night! They argued with her, suggesting that
perhaps she had seen Peter's angel.
In ancient times, it was believed that angels took on
the likeness of the ones they were assigned to watch over.
Apparently, she could not make them understand that she
had not seen him, only heard him. For whatever it is
worth, Peter kept on knocking. Finally, someone opened
the door, and to their utter astonishment, there stood
Peter!
This account of Peter's experience with his delivering
angel leads us to some very solid principles concerning
God's special gift to us of ministering angels.
1. Angels know what is transpiring here on earth at all
times.
2. They are available to assist us in carrying out God's
will for His Church.
3. They can cause a deep spell or sleep on the enemy
and overcome strategies.
4. Barriers, even bars of iron, are easy for them to
overcome.
5. They have complete control over all the hindrances
the enemy puts before us to hamper our progress.
6. They will only do for us what we cannot do for
ourselves.
7. When they assist us, they expect us to obey their
instructions.
8. According to Peter's experience, seeing an angel is
like having a vision.
How many times in Scripture do we read how the
enemy tries to not only destroy the work of the Lord, but
also His servants! If God had allowed Peter to be killed, as
was James, the infant church could easily have been
completely destroyed. A very difficult question comes
before us. Why was Peter delivered and James, as well as
countless other martyrs throughout the church age, not?
Let us consider some thoughts.
1. Martyrdom has always been a part of the life of the
church.
2. Sometimes saints, such as Peter, have been
supernaturally spared. The reason seems to be that, if the
death of a certain saint would completely extinguish all
hope of the saints, then God would send His angel as He
did here for Peter. Read, also, the experience of the Apostle
Paul when he was about to lose his life in a shipwreck.
(Acts 27.)
3. We recognize that these deliverances were more for
the benefit of the young church inasmuch as both Peter
and Paul were to become martyrs when they were old.
4. While martyrdom whets the appetite of the enemy to
continue his diabolical persecution, it also encourages the
faith of the saints that know earth is only temporary.
Heaven is home, and it is forever.
Inasmuch as we, as human beings, are created lower
than the angels (Heb. 2:7), we must consider their
relationship to us.
They have never experienced the frailty of flesh as we
know it. Neither have they known the death unto life
transition of the joy of salvation. Because of this, is it
possible that they are many, many times disappointed in
our failure to walk more in obedience and holiness?
Peter was, at this time in his life, walking in careful
obedience to the Lord, and he was zealous for the work.
This marvelous supernatural deliverance has been placed
in the Book for us to learn from and consider.
May we ever be open to teaching that will cause us to
walk in holiness and obedience to God. Our unbelief
could very easily interfere in his assignment to us.
Take courage, for you do have an angel to watch over
you, whatever prison you are in. No matter how
hopelessly bound you may be, God and His mighty
angels stand ready to set you free in heaven-wrought
deliverance!
King Herod, on the other hand, was a very evil king.
To take space to write about his corrupt behavior is not
necessary. The effect of his sin and wickedness was far
reaching, but he went too far when he touched the glory of
God. He did this when he accepted the praise of the
people, and they proclaimed his voice as the voice of a
god, and not of a man (Acts 12:22). Immediately thereafter,
he was struck by an angel of the Lord, was eaten of worms
and died.
Adam Clarke's Commentary helps to shed some light
on the subject when he writes concerning 1 Corinthians
10:10 which says, Neither murmur ye, as some of them
also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. His
comments are as follows: "The Jews suppose that God
employed destroying angels to punish those rebellious
Israelites; they were five in number, and one of them they
call Meshachith, the destroyer; which appears to be
another name for Samael the angel of death to whose
influence they attribute all deaths which are not
uncommon or violent.
Those who die violent deaths, or deaths that are not in the common
manner of men, are considered as perishing by immediate judgments
from God."5
Concerning 1 Corinthians 10:10, Moffat's translation states, only to be
destroyed by the destroying angel. Beck's translation says, "the angel of
death killed them."
Always remember that the Bible is so written that one
can read it and come away with their own interpretation
and understanding of the nature of God regarding certain
issues.
Is death from heaven, or is it a result of the fall of man
when Satan and his angels became the rulers of this age?
Is disease, sickness, and suffering the will of God, as some
teach? Or is it in earth's realm as the result of
disobedience and sin?
It seems that, on this earth, death is everywhere.
Accidents, disease, and catastrophes take multitudes
everyday. What about singular deaths such as Herod's
and the children of Israel when they rebelled in the
wilderness?
Hebrews 2:14 attributes the power of death to Satan,
but it also states that through death he [Jesus] might
destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage. In other words, Satan has the
power of death, and God has the power of life. Death
comes from Satan, but life comes from God.
The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10.)
Satan is that thief and has fallen angels that were cast out
with him onto the earth. (Rev. 12:9.)
In this chapter, we have seen examples of angels that
deliver and angels that destroy. Are these all the same
angels, with different missions and assignments? Or are
there different ones? Are they the angels of God sent to kill
and destroy? Or is it Satan and his angels that God
allows, because of the faithlessness or rebellion of man, to
be the killers and destroyers?
You have read here several different views of this
subject. Each one of us must form our own opinion from
all of the information that can be gathered.
It is my belief that God allows the fallen angels to be
used for special punishment, or death, today even as He
did in the Old Testament. Psalm 78:49 records when He
cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and
indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among
them. Death abides here on earth, not in heaven, and is
allowed by God, in specific cases, to be overcome, along
with sickness and disease, when a believer takes
authoritative action. By using the powerful Name of our
Lord Jesus in faith against Satan, Satan can only fail!
This same authority and power can also employ the
assistance of angels to deliver us as they did Peter and
multitudes unheralded down through the ages past.
I trust that you, as you read this book, will come to
comprehend that it is up to you. Your will and your
relationship with God will determine the outcome in
every encounter and spiritual conflict that comes to you as
a result of living in a sin cursed world.
Satan has come to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus
came to give us abundant, overflowing, plentiful, rich,
replete life. (John 10:10.)
Angel Chronicles
A pastor once related to me a story about his daughter
who had moved to a very large city to find employment.
One day her car broke down in the middle of a busy
intersection, in one of the most crime ridden sections of
that city. There was nothing to do but to leave her car in
the intersection and go to a phone booth to call for help.
As she was phoning, she felt a tap on her shoulder
and turned and saw a tall, nicely dressed man who said,
"You are in trouble, aren't you?" When she said yes, he
told her to follow him. She felt peace and walked out with
him to her car.
His car was parked behind hers, his front bumper
touching her rear bumper. He told her to get in and get
ready to start it. He raised the hood of her car and
adjusted something and told her to turn on the ignition.
She did, and it started immediately. When she looked
around to thank him, both he and his car were gone.
She believes, and I do too, that it was an angel.
 Heaven’s Observers
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 4:9, said that apostles were
made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to
men. Jesus referred to angels as ascending and
descending upon Him. (John 1:51.) Paraphrasing this you
could say He was surrounded by them. Jesus also said
that whosoever would confess Him before men would be
confessed by the Son of Man before the angels of God.
Conversely, those who deny Him would be denied before
the angels of God. (Luke 12:8,9.)
Isn't it amazing that the Bible has been in print for 500
years, yet the church has virtually ignored the ministry of
angels? They have relegated it to a children's realm where
angels are perceived as heavenly beings who are sent to
watch over us as children but who leave the scene after
we grow up!
Very seldom does a minister or pastor teach about or
refer to them. The Scriptures, however, not only teach us of
their presence but also give us a warning about how we
are to acknowledge their valuable ministry.
1. Angels are always present around us. (Ps. 34:7.)
2. Angels hear the Lord Jesus confess the names of
those who are saved. (Luke 12:8.)
3. Angels rejoice over those who repent of their sins
and come to the Lord. (Luke 15:10.)
4. Angels surrounded the Lord in such numbers that
He could have had legions of them at His disposal. (Matt.
26:53.)
5. Angels came and ministered to Him at crucial times
in His life. (Matt. 4:11, Luke 22:43.)
6. Angels are reapers. They, in the future, will cast out
those that practice lawlessness. (Matt. 13:39-42.)
7. If we offend or despise a little one that believes in the
Lord, the angels will take note of it. (Matt. 18:10.)
8. Angels that come back with Jesus at His return will
take notice of those who were ashamed of Him. (Mark
8:38.)
9. Angels are present at the death of saints and escort
them into Heaven. (Luke 16:22.)
10. Angels guarded the body of Jesus in the tomb.
(John 20:12.)
11. Angels are ministering spirits. (Heb. 1:14.)
12. Angels are worshippers of God. (Heb. 1:6.)
13. We have sometimes entertained angels without
being aware of it. (Heb. 13:2.)
14. Angels desire to look into or understand our
redemption and salvation. (1 Peter 1:12.)
This is a mere skimming of the surface of the myriad of
Scriptures that allude to the ministry of these majestic,
beautiful, created beings.
It is clearly taught throughout Scriptures that not only
are angels present on this earth carrying out the directives
of God, but that we are also to be aware of them. The
warning of the Lord Jesus to us is that we acknowledge
their existence and respect their functions.
Constantly and consistently throughout all of
Scripture, the presence of angels is taught as being
involved in the affairs of man. They are here. They
encamp around about us. They have been given charge
over us. They bear us up. They confess us before our
heavenly Father, and they listen to the words that we
speak.
In Ecclesiastes, we find an admonition to:
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither
say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore
should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of
thine hands?
Ecclesiastes 5:6
What a warning to us to watch the words of our
mouth! When we speak, we speak before our angel.
Inasmuch as the Bible does not teach us in this text what
the wrong thing to say is, we must go to other Scripture to
learn the correct use of the tongue.
Various translations of Matthew 12:36,37 express the
importance of what we say before our angel. These verses
teach us that we shall be judged for every idle,
thoughtless, careless word, and by our words we will
either be justified or condemned. What a severe warning
our Lord Jesus gives concerning idle, non-working words!
This is supported by other verses, especially the book of
James.
If only our eyes could be opened to see our guardian
angels as they stand by us! If we could watch them
intently, we would see their expression change as idle,
careless, faithless words fall from our lips. Surely we
would be more careful if we could see them, but God has
ordained that we walk by faith and not by sight. We are to
simply be obedient to His Word.
Proverbs speaks of the power of pleasant or suitable
words. This same book also speaks of the power of the
tongue. The word power comes from the Hebrew word yad
which signifies an "open hand" as opposed to a "closed
hand." In light of this, the Scripture from Proverbs 18:21
that says, Death and life are in the power of the tongue
could determine whether or not one will have eternal,
physical death or everlasting life in heaven.
In James 1:6, we are warned against wavering after we
have asked for something from the Lord. This is a
principle of faith. If we ask and then waver, we are not to
expect anything from the Lord. Thus the tongue, not
rightly used, can wipe out our prayer and faith. The truth
expressed in James 1:26 teaches me that if we do not bridle
or control our tongue but allow it to contradict our
believing heart, then our efforts before the Lord are
useless.
It is difficult to understand why so many men in the
ministry find fault with the preaching that calls attention
to the power of our words or, as it is so often called, the
confession of the Word. It is the very crux of the text of this
book. We are warned very pointedly to watch our words,
what we confess before our angel, lest God destroy our
efforts.
There are definite warnings about the words that can
deactivate your angel and render his ministry ineffective:
a lifestyle of negative conversation that includes gossip,
condemnation, and judgment, words that discourage or
maybe even destroy another saint, words that would
wound instead of heal, words of dissension in the church,
words of doubt, wavering and fear that cultivate unbelief.
Your angel already knows about the finished work of
the cross and how Jesus our Lord took our sins and our
diseases there to pay a terrible price. When we speak any
words that detract from or minimize that finished work,
there is no doubt that we dismay our angel and
discourage the angel's ministry in our behalf.
I recall being with a pastor who poured out all of his
difficulties to me and ended by saying, "I just don't know
what I am going to do." I did empathize with him in his
situation, but I asked him if he believed that God could
help him with his problem? He quickly responded, "Yes."
"But," I said, "You didn't say that. You said you didn't
know what you were going to do!" Immediately he saw
what he was doing and corrected his speech. I wanted
him to realize that his words had the power to help or to
hinder.
What a big difference our words make! They can
change the very atmosphere around us. If it is possible for
us to deactivate our angels by our doubting words, then it
is also possible that evil angels can move in, fill the void,
and make our situation worse than it was before.
Jesus taught in Luke 12:8,9 that if we deny Him before
men, He will deny us before the angels. What happens
when, by our idle and careless words, we deny His power
and ability to work in our behalf? Is that not the same as
denying the Lord before His angels? Is that not saying the
wrong thing before our angel?
Any kind of denial by our words of God's power is not
only unbelief, but sin, and is heard loudly in the heavens.
We are denying His ability, power, compassion, and
willingness before all.
Sometimes an emotional response from us concerning
a Christian friend who is experiencing the trying of his
faith can be idle words.
They are words born of sympathy on our part, but they
do not encourage the hurting saint. May God give us the
wisdom to empathize but, at the same time, speak words
of life and encouragement. We believe that angels are sent
to minister to those who are heirs of salvation. Let us
strive to speak words that will invoke their help in behalf
of the troubled saint instead of ignoring their powerful
presence!
 It is possible to express love and compassion and still
lift up a hurting brother or sister with words of hope and
encouragement from the Scriptures. Please be very careful
to watch what you say in every situation.
There are so many good words that we can speak.
Words of health, faith-building words, and pleasant, kind
words will lift people up instead of discouraging them.
While we cannot carry another saint by our faith, it is
possible to either help or hinder by our conversation.
 Angel Chronicles
Dr. Glenn Burris Sr., Southeast District Supervisor for
the Foursquare Church International, shared this story
with me.
He and his wife had retired for the night. He was
awakened about 3:00 a.m. by a voice that said, "Your
house is on fire." He thought it was only a dream. Since he
did not smell smoke, he went back to sleep.
The voice again awakened him, repeating the
warning. Again he did not smell smoke or sense anything
was wrong, so he went back to sleep.
The third time the voice said, "Your house is on fire,
and this is the last time I am warning you!" This time he
opened the door to the living room, and a sheet of flames
rushed toward him. It was his habit to leave the garden
hose on the opposite side of the house, but this time he
had left it near the door. So he seized the garden hose and
was able to put out the flames.
Through this experience, he learned to recognize the
voice of his angel and act at his command!
 Angels and Healing
Do angels have anything to do with the healing of the
sick? If evil angels can make man sick unto death as was
the case with King Herod, then to believe that good angels
can bring healing to the physical body is not amiss either.
Let us consider the account of the sick man at the pool of
Bethesda:
Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool,
which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having
five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent
folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the
water.
For an angel went down at a certain season into the
pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after
the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of
whatsoever disease he had.
And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity
thirty and eight years.
When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been
now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou
be made whole?
The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man,
when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but
while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
And immediately the man was made whole, and took
up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the
sabbath.
John 5:2-9
This account of the sick man at the pool of Bethesda
can be used to support that the King James Bible is from the
manuscripts that many believe were not tampered with,
even though there were manuscripts earlier that were later
used for modern translations. So many other translations
omit verses three and four in their works, saying that
these are not adequately supported by the original
manuscripts.
Some even contend that if this is a true account, then
why did not the other writers of the New Testament
mention it? This is not difficult to understand inasmuch
as it is generally accepted that not all healings and events
were recorded by all of the writers of the gospels.
Let us examine this account so accurately reported by
the writer, John. First of all, there must have been such a
place as the pool of Bethesda or John would not have had
anything to record. It must have been a place where so
many sick were gathered together that John describes
them as a great multitude of those who are impotent,
blind, halt, and withered.
Even today visitors in Jerusalem are shown the ruins
of such a pool. It is inconceivable that a great multitude of
sick people would gather at such a place if nothing had
ever happened there before. There must have been an
incentive for them, in their suffering, to come in all kinds
of weather.
Now, let us turn our attention to the Lord Jesus. He
certainly did visit these poor, sick, impotent people. He,
our compassionate Lord Jesus, not only visited this place
but worked one of His healing miracles there. It is
interesting to note that He worked this miracle on the
suffering man who had been there the longest.
Our focus in this chapter has been to endeavor to
ascertain whether or not angels are used by God to
minister divine healing. We cannot ignore certain truths
that support this theory. Along with considering what
Jesus chose to say, we must also consider what He chose
not to say, being careful of course not to read into what
has already been recorded. Note for example that Jesus
did not grow angry at the man for thinking that he could
receive healing by being there in that particular place. Nor
is it recorded that Jesus preached a sermon to the sick who
were there. He did not call them deluded or imply that
they were wasting their time being there.
Would our Lord Jesus, knowing that history would
record all, want the world to think that he supported such
a place if it were not true that an angel did, at a certain
time, trouble the water so that the first individual to enter
the pool would receive healing? I do not believe so, and I
think most people would agree.
The Bible does not say that the angel healed anyone,
but it does say that he would trouble the water. Seeing
that the angel did not bring healing, he did something to
the water to cause the first one in to be healed. Many
could say, "Maybe it was the faith of the person, not the
water or the angel that brought healing." While faith in
God is necessary, the account does not support any
reasoning that ignores the appearance of the angel at a
certain time to trouble the water.
Let us assume that angels can be used of God to
minister, in some way, physical healing to God's people. If
we can accept and believe that angels are messengers sent
to minister to and for the heirs of salvation as stated in
Hebrews 1:14, then can we include healing as part of that
ministry?
I, for one, would rather miss it on the positive side and
believe that God does use angels to help us in every way,
including healing, than to have a closed mind and miss it
completely.
If we can pray and say, "Lord, please allow your
angels to protect us on this trip" then would we be so
wrong to say, "Send your angel to minister to us in this
time of physical need?"
You are free to make up your own mind on the subject.
God's Word does record this great incident. It does
mention that the angel was involved. We would not be out
of line to believe that God can do the same today.
What is one conclusion we can be very safe in
assuming? God is a very merciful, kind, and
compassionate Heavenly Father. His attitude towards us
is, "I want my children to be happy. I want my children to
be free from Satan's attack of diabolical diseases. I want
my children to enjoy the abundant life. I want my children
to receive all of the finished work of the cross. I want my
children to be free from all of the curses brought on the
human race by Adam's fall. I want my children to enjoy
all of the benefits paid for at the cross by the second
Adam. I do not want the horrible death of my Son to have
been suffered in vain. I do not want my people to only
receive half of the benefit of the cross in salvation, but I
also want them to be in health." As His Word declares,
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper
and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth (3 John 2).
W. E. Vine brings out that the Greek word for "prosper"
is euodoo. In the passive voice and present tense this word
"suggests the successive circumstances of varying
prosperity as week follows week"6 in the prosperity of
physical and spiritual health.
This is God's attitude toward His children. All heaven
has been made available to us, including His mighty
angels. Let us so believe, that we will be open to receive!
Stay in steadfast obedience and holiness and keep a smile
on your angel's face!
 Angel Chronicles
The following account was told to me concerning a
family that was called to the hospital following a terrible
automobile wreck involving a loved one.
The family was led into the hospital room and told
that there was no hope. The doctor left, and as they stood
around the bed praying, the eyes of one of the family
members were opened, and he saw a large angel enter the
room and lay both of his hands on the patient's face. The
doctor returned. He immediately noticed a change and
said that perhaps, after all, there was some hope.
He left the room and again they prayed. Again, the
angel appeared and repeated his action. When the doctor
came in this time, he marvelled at what he saw. The
severely injured man fully recovered, and the family is
still thankful and gives praise to God for sending an angel
in their time of need.
 Angel Chronicles
In 2 Samuel 12:14-23, King David's baby was sick unto
death. Verses 22 and 23 contain David's great statement
that has, through the years, encouraged so many parents
who have lost a child, I shall go to him, but he shall not
return to me.
May this angel chronicle be a blessing to those who
have lost little ones in death. Dr. Kenneth E. Hagin relates
this beautiful story.
A couple he knew had lost their beautiful little child in
death. As everyone would, they had a most difficult time.
One evening, as they were sitting in their home lost in
grief, a knock came at the door. Opening it, they found a
stranger who walked past them, entered the room and
began to talk to them in a very beautiful way about their
child. He said the child was with Jesus and that they
should not continue to weep. Then the stranger got up
and walked into the bedroom that belonged to the child.
He began to take clothing from the closet and pile it on the
floor saying, "You must take these things and give them to
a child who needs them," and then he turned the little
child's picture face down and said, as he walked to the
door, "You must get on with your lives, serve Jesus, and
mourn no more." At this, the mother and father felt great
peace and walked out to express how thankful they were
for these words of hope, but the stranger had disappeared.
If you have lost a son or daughter, believe that this
same beautiful message belongs to you.
 Angel Chronicles
Pastor Don Duncan of New Braunfels, Texas, shares
this story. As an officer in Vietnam during battle, the Lord
had spared his life many times, but this chronicle is
outstanding.
He was sitting at his desk working at the many details
for which an officer is responsible when his pencil rolled
off of his desk. As he bent down and reached for his
pencil, a soldier who had gone berserk under the stress of
battle burst through the door with his gun firing right at
the spot where, a moment before, Don had been sitting.
Had he not, at that precise moment, bent down to pick up
the pencil, his body would have been riddled with bullets.
Someone nudged that pencil so that it rolled off the desk!
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and then thousand at
thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. For He
shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all
thy ways.
Psalm 91:7,11
 Conclusion
For there stood by me this night the angel of God
whose I am and whom I serve, saying, fear not, Paul; thou
must be brought before Caesar, and lo, God hath given
thee all them that sail with thee.
Acts 27:23,24
This story of deliverance of both Paul and the entire
ship of 276 souls furnishes a fitting conclusion to the
activity of angels.
1. Only those who know the Lord Jesus, or will come to
know Him, receive their ministry.
2. Those who serve their God will receive very specific
details of impending danger.
3. Angels deal in specific details such as, if the soldiers
had fled the ship as they tried to do, then the others would
not be spared.
4. In the presence of angels, you will not only receive
ministry but great peace and joy in the midst of severe
trials.
5. Deliverance by angels should lead to the conversion
of others, as it did with the people on board the ship.
If you have never received Jesus Christ, God's Son, as
your personal Savior, do so today. Without a relationship
with God and His holy angels through Jesus Christ, you
are not covered, and you're left to, as the world expresses
it, trust in luck only.
Good angels as well as evil angels encamp around us.
You are receiving the benefit of either the good or the evil.
You will be the one to make the choice. Make the right one
and have peace, protection, and great joy the rest of your
life!
Remember these words: Angels are greater in power
and might. (2 Peter 2:11.)
 References
Scripture quotations marked ASV are taken from the
American Standard Version. Copyright © 1901 by Thomas
Nelson & Sons and copyright © 1929 by International
Council of Religious Education.
Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from The
Amplified Bible, New Testament. Copyright © 1958, 1987 by
the Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. Used by
permission.
Some Scripture quotations are taken from The Bible. A
New Translation. Copyright © 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954 by
James A. R. Moffat, Harper & Row Publishers, Inc. New
York, New York.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The
Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by
permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Some Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken
from The New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright ©
1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
Used by permission.
Some Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy
Bible in the Language of Today: an American Translation by
William F. Beck. Copyright © 1976 William F. Beck and A.
J. Holman Co. (division of J. B. Lippincott Co.),
Philadelphia and New York.
Roy H. Hicks is a successful minister of the Gospel
who together with his wife Margaret has given his life to
pastoring and pioneering churches throughout the United
States. He has served the Lord in various foreign fields,
having made missionary journeys to South America, the
Orient, Australia, and New Zealand.
As a dedicated man of God, Dr. Hicks formerly served
as General Supervisor of the Foursquare Gospel Church
and has become a popular speaker at charismatic
conferences and churches.
Perhaps the thing that most endears Dr. Hicks to
readers is his warmth and his ability to reach out as the
true believer he is —a man of strong, positive faith,
sharing a refreshing ministry through the power and
anointing of the Holy Spirit.
1 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Baker Book House, 1967), p. 1250.
2 Patrick, Lowth, Arnald, Whitby, and Lowman, A Critical Commentary and
Paraphrase on the Old and New Testament and the Apocrypha (London, 1822).
3 Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible. Vol. 6
(Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell, 1935), p. 562.
4 Spiros Zodhiates, Hebrew and Greek Key Study Bible (Iowa Falls, Iowa:
World Bible Publishers, 1984), p. 1474.
5
Adam Clarke, The New Testament... With a Commentary and Critical
Notes, 3 vol. reprint ed. (Nashville: Abington, n.d.) 3:245.
6 W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Old
Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell, 1966), p. 225.