ANGELS

SERVANTS OF GOD
By Hugh Mauck

When I was a teenager back in the late thirties and early forties, I wondered what it
would be like to be invisible. I remember so well the movie The Invisible
Man starring Claude Raines. It was the story of a chemist who had discovered a
formula that made him invisible.

Although invisible, he could still be felt and sometimes heard when he did not wish to
be. His footprints could be seen; an opening door would betray him; or he would fall
over an unseen object. Unable to discover the antidote that would make him visible
again, he soon became very unhappy; the novelty of being invisible became a tragedy.

The Invisible World

Science fiction and Hollywood aside, there is a very real, but invisible world – another
dimension, as some choose to call it – existing along with our own – but absolutely
undiscernible to our five senses. It is the spirit world of God and angels.

God tells us that He is a spirit (John 4:24); that spirit is invisible (John 3:8, Col. 1:15);
and that He is the Father of all spirit beings (Heb.12:9).

God speaks of His son Jesus Christ, saying: "Who is' the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that
are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be [or have]
thrones, or dominions, or [whether they be] principalities [holders of high offices in
heaven or on earth], or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. And he
isbefore all things, and by him all things consist" (Col. 1: 15-17).

Angels are called God's sons (Job 1:6; 38:7) because God created them. But they
aren't begotten sons as is Christ. They exist in a hierarchy below the God-plane level
of God the Father and Christ (Heb. 1:5-14).

Paul speaks plainly of the angels of God in the first two chapters of Hebrews. He tells
us that we are created a little lower than the angels; but we have the awesome
potential of becoming far greater. We are called the sons of God – not sons by
creation as they are, but begotten sons with a far greater future than they. We can be
born into God's very own family as fellow-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8: 17; Gal. 3:26-
29).

God's Angels Created Before Adam

God created angels and archangels before He created and placed Adam on this earth.
They were here even before the foundation of the earth was laid. They shouted for
joy when they first saw the earth in all its perfection (Job 38: 1-7).

That was prior to creation week, which took place sometime after the destruction on
the earth caused by Lucifer's rebellion (Isa. 14: 12-17). The earth
was not created waste and in confusion, as we find it in Genesis I:2. God created the
earth to be inhabited; He did not create it in the ruined state in which it later became
(Isa. 45:18).

Angels are invisible, immortal spirit beings with superior power and knowledge (II
Pet. 2: 11). They have seen all the activities of man on earth, and therefore know far
more about the human mind, psychology, sociology, science and all the arts than any
man living. And God has put them here with us as ministering spirits, to serve us!
"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs
of salvation?" (Heb. 1:14).

They are put here to help us along the road to eternal life, to save us from premature
death, accident, etc., and to help us fight our battles and protect us from the devil and
his demons. No wonder Elisha had no fear of his physical enemies when He saw one
of God's spirit armies standing upon the mountain (II Kings 6: 15-17).

God has had angels specifically assigned to supervise and protect His Church
throughout all of its history (Rev. 1:4, 16, 20; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14). He has angels
who continually walk through the earth to observe and report back to Him the overall
conditions on earth (Rev. 5:6; Zech. 4: 10; II Chron. 16:9).

And God has angels specifically assigned to look after His begotten human children
(Acts 12:15; Matt. 18: 10). God promises: "For he shall give his angels charge over
thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Ps.91:11).

Twelve of God's angels will be the gatekeepers in the new city of Jerusalem (Rev.
21:12), one for each tribe of Israel. These same twelve are probably assisting the
Archangel Michael now.

Angels were messengers to the patriarchs of old. They appeared to Abraham, Lot,
Hagar, Moses, Manoah, Gideon, Elijah and many of the prophets and apostles.
When these angels manifest themselves to human beings, they generally do so in the
form of men. They are not described in the Bible as having wings or halos. Paul
points out in Hebrews 13:2 that they can travel incognito, not immediately revealing
who they are.

Angelic Responsibility

The Bible mentions three angels of high rank: Lucifer (Isa. 14:12), now Satan the
devil; Gabriel, who appeared to Daniel on two occasions (Dan. 8:16; 9:21), to
Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist
(Luke 1:19), and later to Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26); and Michael, called
one of the chief
princes (Dan. 10: 13), and whom Jude identifies as an archangel (Jude 9). Michael is
the archangel specifically
assigned to protect and minister to the twelve tribes of Israel. We read of this in
Daniel 12: 1; 10: 13, 21.

Lucifer, of course, is a fallen angel – he rebelled against the government of God.

When Lucifer rebelled against God, he led one third of God's angels into mutiny with
him (Rev. 12:4). Lucifer's name was changed to Satan ("the adversary"). God
renamed the fallen angels "devils" (Matt. 12:26, 27; Rev. 12:9) or "demons" (RSV).
They are also called "evil spirits," "familiar spirits," "dumb spirits."

Their whole self-willed purpose in life now is to destroy all mankind and to thwart the
plan of God. Satan – who is the prince of demons (Matt. 12:24-26) – has not given up
his futile struggle to overthrow God.

Satan's Form and Image

The devil is called "the dragon" – a winged serpent (Rev. 20:2). Satan is not made in
the form and image of God, but is a "great red dragon" (or flying serpent). (Rev.
12:3.)

He is the serpent who induced Adam and Eve to sin with disastrous results for them
and all mankind since (Gen. 3:l , 5, l3-l9; I Cor. 15:22).

God sternly warns us not to seek after demons, and not to associate with those who
do. "There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter
to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an
enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or
a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord... "
(Deut. 18:10-12).

In spite of this warning, these and other occult practices are quite popular these days.

Fighting Our "Real" Enemies

Evil spirits, far more powerful than we, are actively seeking to destroy us. They are
not playing games, though those people who begin to get involved with them see no
danger until it is too late!

God says to avoid any demonic influence and to resist the devil (James 4:7).

Spirit beings are very "real" – in fact, more real than we are. As spirit beings they are
immortal, while we in the physical human flesh live a transitory existence.

And evil spirit beings can completely destroy us spiritually unless we resist them and
all they represent with all our might and the help of God and His angels. That
protection comes to those who love God and keep His commandments.

We must "Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities [high-ranking spirit beings who influence humans to fight and destroy
one another], against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness [wicked spirits] in high places" (Eph. 6: 11-12).

We should heed Paul's admonition not to be ignorant of Satan's existence, or of his

devices, nor let him get an advantage of us (II Cor. 2: 11). Then we can confidently
look forward to the New Heaven and New Earth, where only righteousness will
survive – to a time when Satan and his angels will be cast away from us into outer
darkness forever (Rev. 21:27; Jude l3).

There Are More With Us Than Against

When Christ said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18),
He was speaking of complete
control over all evil powers, all spirit beings, good and bad. They all must do His
bidding.

He is "the head of all principality and power …. having spoiled principalities and
powers [when He conquered Satan], he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over
them in it" (Col. 2:10, 15).
If we continue to serve Him, we need have no undue fear of any of these spirit beings
– no matter how powerful they are or how much they want to separate us from life.
Even though Satan brings our sins before God day and night (Rev. 12:10; Job 1:6), we
have Jesus Christ as our advocate and atonement for all (I John 2:1; Heb. 7:25-26;
8:24-26).

Therefore, we can say with the Apostle Paul: “. . . I am persuaded that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to
come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38-39).

Truly, those who trust God need not fear, "for they that be with us are more than they
that be with them" (II Kings 6:16).

Originally published as Angels: Servants of God, Good News, November 1974, pp.
27-29.

CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM

The word "angel" literally means "messenger," and this is often the role they fulfil in
the Bible. The word conjures up in the minds of many people an image of an
androgynous person clad in white robes, held aloft on wings and forever clutching a
harp or a trumpet. However, the Bible presents quite a different description.

There appears to be at least two kinds of angels, each with distinctive features and
responsibilities. They are known as cherubim and seraphim.

Some ancient authorities believe cherubim were just below seraphim in rank; but
whether that is true or not is an unresolved academic question.

The best description of cherubim in the Bible comes from Ezekiel. They certainly
don't look like babies with bird wings as the artists in the Middle Ages painted them.
They are large, powerful, ox- and dragon-like creatures. In chapters, one, nine and
ten, we read of these living creatures as they are used to transport one of God's
thrones.

Our first introduction to them is recorded in the book of Genesis, when God placed
cherubim in the Garden of Eden to keep Adam from entering and taking of the tree of
life after he and Eve had sinned (Gen. 3:24).

The cherubim are associated with God's throne, either transporting it about (II Sam.
22: 11; Ps. 18:10; 80:1; Ezek. 9:3; 10:4; 11:22), or carrying out important
responsibilities, such as guarding the tree of life. Lucifer was given rule over the earth
and thousands - perhaps millions - of angels before Adam. And he still is "the god of
this world" (II Cor. 4:4).

The seraphim described by Isaiah (Isa. 6:2-6) are similar living creatures. These
creatures have six wings, whereas cherubim have only four. These creatures are said
to be before and above the throne, whereas the cherubim are beneath it, supporting
and transporting it (see also Revelation 4).

Originally published as Cherubim and Seraphim, Good News, November 1974, p. 28

Note: The old Worldwide Church of God no longer exists and the group that took it
over would not make Herbert Armstrong's old church writings available, even when I
offered to pay. So the above article is freely shown in the public interest. The most
faithful remnant of his old church is the Continuing Church of God.