ANGELOLOGY

ANGELOLOGY

Friday, July 10, 2015

  I’ve been asked if we have guardian angels? I will get around to answering the question, but not just yet. Why not now? Because our culture, both redeemed (Jn.1:12; 3:3; Rom.3:23-24) and not (Jn.3:18), has many unfounded beliefs about angels that are based in supposition and as result of imaginative wishful thinking. Just the other day a Christian friend showed me 2 hardback books about angels they are going to read. Scanning the Table of Contents I noted many ideas. There are many other books on the topic, too many of them like those two, with many of the authors’ words non-angelic.

  Searching Scripture I’ll be doing a DT series on angels. As always, if you disagree with or have comment, please do contribute.

  Beginning with a few basic Bible reference facts:

·         “angel” is mentioned 203 times in 194 verses throughout OT and NT.

·         First mention is Genesis 16:7 “…the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.”

·         Last mention is Revelation 22:16 “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”

·         “angels” is mentioned 94 times in OT and NT.

·         First mention is Genesis 19:1 “And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;”

·         Last mention is Revelation 21:12 “And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:”

·         “messenger/messengers” is used referring to angel/angels.

·         “heavenly host” in Luke 2:13 refers to a army of angels.

  And so we have begun another serious topical study. 

EBB4