As we approach the return of Jesus, there is going to be a greater involvement of angels in the church and in our personal lives. The angels will partnership with the body of Christ to bring about God’s end time purposes on the earth and to bring in the last great end time harvest of souls. In Matthew 13:39 we read, “… the harvest is at the end of the age and the reapers are the angels.” We as the church will not be able to fulfill God’s end time purposes without the co-operation and partnership with his angels.
Angels can appear in various forms:
Firstly an angel can appear as a glorious, mighty and majestic being. Sometimes they are so awesome, that people often fell down and wanted to worship them. In Revelations 22:28 John wanted to fall down and worship an angel. The angel stopped him and said that he was just a fellow servant. There are many examples in the Bible, as well as modern day testimonies of angels appearing to people.
Secondly, angels can appear as humans or even as animal. That is why we are warned in Hebrews 13:2: “And show hospitality to strangers, for they may be angels from God showing up as your guests.” (TPT) In Judges 13:16, when an angel appeared to Manoah, the father of Samson we read, “For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord.” There are many examples in the Bible and modern day testimonies where this has happened.
Thirdly, angels can also appear in dreams and visions. For example in Matthew chapter 1, an angel appeared to Joseph in four different occasions in a dream. In Genesis 31:11, an angel appeared to Jacob in a dream. In Acts 16, an angel appeared to Paul in a vision.
Fourthly, angels can appear as an invisible touch: Some people have felt the touch of an angel, like an invisible hand touching their bodies. This often happens when God uses His angels to heal us or comfort us.
Fifthly, we can sense the presence of angels even if we cannot see them. When there is an unusual presence of the Holy Spirit, it often means that there is also the presence of angels. This often happens during worship and praise. Sometimes we can feel the presence of angels when there is a strong anointing of the Holy Spirit for healings and miracles.
The number of angels:
There are millions or even billions of angels in heaven. Hebrews 12:22 it speaks about “an innumerable company of angels.” They are probably more numerous than humans. In 2 Kings 6:16, Elisha said to his servant, “Those that are with us are more than those that are with them.” He was referring to the angels armies that surrounded them. If only a third of the angels followed the devil when he was cast out of heaven, then it means that we have twice as many angels that are for us than the demonic angels that are against us. God has skewed the victory in our favour!
The powers and abilities of angels:
Angels – they are very powerful and have supernatural abilities. In Hebrews 2:7 we read that man was made “a little lower than the angels.” They are of greater rank and authority than humans, therefore; they should be treated with great respect. There are many examples of their miraculous powers. In Acts 12 and angel released Peter from prison, caused his chains to fall off and opened the prison doors and the gates of the city. In Genesis 19, the two angels caused blindness to come on those who attacked the house of Lot and caused the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In 2 Kings 19:35 we read how an angel slew 185 000 Assyrian soldiers in the time of King Hezekiah. Today, we have these same angels working with us and helping us. That is why Elisha said to his servant, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them!” Therefore, when we work together with the angels, then there is no limit to what God can do.
Types of angels:
1: The Angel of the Lord:
In the Old Testament, we have many instances where the Angel of the Lord appeared. Many believe that that in many of these cases, the Angel of the Lord was Jesus. For example, three angels appeared to Abraham in Genesis 18:2. Abraham addressed one of them as “Lord”. In verse 13 we read, “The Lord said to Abraham…” We read in Genesis 22:15-16, “Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son.” It is clear from this passage that the Angel of the Lord and the Lord are the same person. In Joshua, chapter 5, Joshua meets the Angel of the Lord, the commander of God’s angel army, and worships Him. There are also other examples in the Bible.
2: Archangels
The highest ranking angels are the archangels. There were originally three archangels, Gabriel, Michael and Lucifer. Lucifer rebelled and became Satan. Gabriel is the archangel, who was often used to bring an important message from God. In Luke 1:19: Gabriel appears to Zacharias and said, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God … to bring you these glad tidings.” Gabriel also appeared to Daniel to give him God’s word concerning the nation of Israel and the end times.
Michael is the archangel that watches over Israel and that is in charge of the army of angels. Gabriel spoke of Michael to Daniel and called him “Michael, your prince.” He was implying that Michael was the prince of the children of Israel. In Daniel 10, Michael is described as a magnificent, mighty and glorious angel and the most powerful of all the angels. In Revelations 13:7-9, we read how Michael and his angels conquered the dragon (the devil) and his angels and cast them out of heaven.
3: Cherubim
Cherubim are the most common and numerous of all angels. They have four wings and can fly. They can sometimes take human form. These are angels who usually appear on earth and interact with people and will bring God’s messages to people. They often appear when God’s glory is manifested. We read in Ezekiel 10:4, “And then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub …” Cherubim are often present when there is a strong presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit. We are more likely to encounter cherubim angels than encounter seraphim angels.
4: Seraphim
These are very powerful angels that have six wings and minister before the throne of God. We read about them in Isaiah 6:1-2. “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne … Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: …” The four living creatures that we read about in Revelations 4:8 are probably also seraphim angels because it says, “And the four living creatures, each having six wings …” These angels are very powerful and are sent out on very important assignments and will be more prevalent on the earth as we approach the return of Jesus.
5: Our personal angels
We each have angels assigned to us: Jesus said of children in Matthew 18:10: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” We notice the words, “their angels” which implies that everyone who is born has an angel or angels assigned to them. Many times we are not even aware of how many time they have helped us, protected us and ministered to us. In Psalm 91:12, the Passion Translation says: “God sends angels with special orders to protect you wherever you go, defending you from all harm.”
6: The Lord of hosts and the angelic host in heaven:
The phrase ‘The Lord of Hosts’ appears nearly 400 times in Scripture. In the original Hebrew it means the ‘Lord of the angel armies.’ Those who have had a lot of interaction which angels believe that this refers to the Holy Spirit, He is the Lord of hosts! Whenever there is a strong manifestation of the anointing and the presence of the Holy Spirit, there is usually the presence of many angels. Furthermore, the ministry of angels is similar to the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, there was a sound of a mighty rushing wind that was heard over the city. This could have been the arrival of angels, and the sound that they heard could have been the sound of their wings. They also saw “tongues of fire” on the heads of the disciples. In Hebrews 1:7 we read, “Who makes His angels spirit and His ministers, a flame of fire.”
The Ministry of angels:
1: They protect us and fight for us: There are many examples in the Bible of how God fought with the children of Israel. It is obvious that God’s angels must have been involved in the many of the wars that the Children of Israel fought in the Old Testament. God said to Joshua Exodus 33:2: “And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite…” We read in Joshua 10:42: “…the Lord fought for Israel.” As they did the fighting, God did the defeating! In the same way, as we do spiritual warfare, God, through His angel armies gives us the victory. We see this in the life of David. He fought many battles and had victory after victory because God’s angel armies assisted him. We already read in Psalm 91:12, the Passion Translation says: “God sends angels with special orders to protect you wherever you go, defending you from all harm.”
2: They are used in healing and deliverance: Many have seen the manifestation of healing angels in meetings where they prayed for the sick. God can use angels to heal the sick. We read in Psalm 107:20, “He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from destruction.” In Psalm 103:20 we read that “angels obey the word of God.” Therefore, the Lord often uses angels to heal the sick through the words He sends. It is also written in this verse that “(God) saved them from destruction.” Therefore, God can also use angels to free us from the influence of the devil. Smith Wiggelsworth, who was mightily used in healing, often saw an angelic hand appearing on the sick person when he prayed for them.
3: They encourage and comfort us: In Acts 27:23-24 we read how an angel of God appeared to Paul during a storm at sea, and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Paul.” We read about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:43, “Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven and strengthened Him.” Many of those who suffered and were imprisoned for their faith saw angels who encouraged and strengthened them. That is why we read in Hebrews 1:14 that angels “are ministering spirits sent to minister to the heirs of salvation.”
4: God Uses angels to answer our prayers: This is especially true when we pray for the salvation of the lost. In fact, many of those who live in Muslim countries have turned to Christ because of the appearance and ministry of angels in answer to the prayers of the saints. God often uses angels to answer our prayers. They can cause the right people to come across our paths, they can arrange the right circumstances and they can even prevent bad things happening.
5: Angels instruct us and inform us what God wants us to do: There are many examples of this in the Bible. In Judges Chapter 6 an angel instructed Gideon and told him what God wanted him to do. An angel instructed the parents of Samson on how to raise him. Many of writers in the Bible received their revelations via angels. In Acts 27 we read how an angel of God appeared to Paul in the storm at sea and told him what to do. The early believers had regular interaction with angels. Today, in our present time there are thousands of testimonies of those who have interacted with angels. In fact, many Muslims that have turned to Christ had done so because of the ministry of angels.
6: The angels of God help us to lead people to Christ: In Matthew 13:39 we have already read, “… the harvest is at the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.” Angels work together with the Holy Spirit to help us gather sinners to Christ. So when we preach the gospel and tell others about Jesus, angels are released to help us to do so. We have an example of Cornelius in Acts chapter 10. God sent an angel to arrange a meeting between Peter and Cornelius so that Peter could preach the gospel to Cornelius. Similarly, when we go and preach the gospel, God will use His angels to bring the right people to us so that we can testify to them about Jesus.
Guidelines concerning the ministry of angels:
First of all, we don’t have the power or the right to order angels to do anything. This right belongs only to the Lord of Hosts. We can ask God to give us angelic help, but we cannot directly command and instruct angels. In Hebrews 2:7 we read that “God made man lower than the angels.” Not only do we not have the right to instruct God’s angels, but we also do not have the right to directly confront the angels of darkness. We can rebuke and cast out demons, but when it comes to fallen angels, it is better to pray and ask God to defeat them.
Secondly, the word of God has more authority than the words of angels. The information and truths we receive from angels must be scriptural and according to God’s values and principles. The word of God has preference over the word of angels. That is why Paul writes in Galatians 1:8 and says, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel than what you have received, let him be accursed.” We are warned in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan can transform himself into an angel of light! There are many who have been deceived and led into error because they followed angels instead of believing the word of God. An example of this was Joseph Smith who started the Mormon Church. He was deceived by an angel of Satan called Moroni.
How to partnership with the angels of God:
1: Through authoritative declarations, decrees and proclamations: In Psalm 103:20 we read: “Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.” The Passion Translation says: “Who listen intently to the voice of His word to do it.” The Amplified Bible says: “Hearkening to the voice of His word.” God gives His word and when we give a voice to His word, angel activity is released to bring His word to pass. That is why it is so important to always speak positive, faith inspired words based on the Word of God. That is why, “the power of life and death are in the tongue!”
I recently heard the testimony of a pastor who had a vision of many thousands of warrior angels sent to the earth to assist the church to bring in the last end time harvest and to manifest God’s glory on the earth. He noticed that these angels had bows but no arrows in their bows. The Lord told him that as we the church, declare God’s word with authority we place arrows into their bows which will enable them to carry out their God given assignments. Angel activity is activated by the words we declare!
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness Jesus declared the word of God, saying: “It is written!” In Matthew 4:11 we read, “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came to minister to Him.” Our faith filled words activate angel activity.
2: Through our prayers: In Isaiah 37 we read how the army of the Assyrians surrounded Jerusalem. We read in verse 15: “Then Hezekiah prayed.” In verse 36 we read: “Then the angel of the Lord went out and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty five thousand…” We have the example of Peter in the book of Acts. In Acts 12:35 we read: “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” God then sent an angel to free Peter from his prison. Praying to the Father in the Name of Jesus releases angelic activity. There are many testimonies of how angels appeared to those during times of prayer and fasting. In Acts 10 we have the example of Cornelius. An angel appeared to him and told him what to do while he was in a time of prayer and fasting.
3: Through praise and worship: In 2 Chronicles 20 we read how enemy armies surrounded Jerusalem in the time of Jehoshaphat. We read in verse 22, “When they began to sing and praise, the Lord set up an ambush against (the enemies)… and they were defeated.” Praise and worship attract angelic activity, because when we do this, we harmonize with heaven. Psalm 22:4 says that “God is enthroned in the praises of His people.” God’s power and might are often released through our praises.
4: When there is unity and committed relationships among believers: In Genesis 28 we read about Jacob’s dream about a ladder touching heaven and earth where he saw angels ascending and descending on this ladder. In verse 17 Jacob exclaims, “This is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven.” In other words, the house of God, which is the church, is also referred to as the gate of heaven. When believers come together to worship and praise the Lord, it can open the ’gate of heaven’ for angels to appear. Therefore, where believers gather for fellowship, praise and worship, spiritual portals can be opened for the appearance of angels. This usually happens during times of intimate praise and worship. God honours the local church and that is where angels are most likely to appear.
5. When we are involved in our calling and ministry: We have already read in Matthew 13:39: “… the harvest is at the end of the age and the reapers are the angels.” Therefore, when we preach the gospel and we have a high priority to lead sinners to Christ, we can expect the involvement of angels to assist us to do so. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-19: “Go and make disciples …. (Verse 19) I will be with you until the ends of the age.” Jesus partners with us through the angels when we live with the intent to reach the lost. In Acts 11 we read how various believers were preaching the gospel. In Acts 11:21 we read: “And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number turned to the Lord.”
Finally: As we approach the return of Jesus, there is going to be an increasing awareness of the ministry of angels, working together with the church in fulfilling God’s purposes in the earth. Abraham said to his servant in Genesis 24:40, “(The Lord).. He will send His Angel before you and grant you success to your journey…“. Therefore, the more we learn how to partner with the angels that God has sent to assist us, the greater will be the success in our calling and ministry. We are living in an exciting time of history, when we will witness more and more, God’s Kingdom coming and His will being done on earth as it is in heaven, and see God’s angels working with us to accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God. Amen
Glory 2 Glory 