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AngelAid to Bible Understanding
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is the great body of angelic messengers who serve as a means of communication between God and man. However, they do more than simply relay messages. As agents and deputies of the Most High God, they serve as responsible executioners of the divine purpose, be it protection and deliverance of God’s people or destruction of the wicked.—Gen. 19:1-26.
PERSONALITY
Some may deny distinct personality of individual angels, claiming they are impersonal forces of energy dispatched to accomplish the will of God, but the Bible teaches otherwise. Individual names imply individuality. The fact that two of their names, Michael and Gabriel, are given sufficiently establishes the point. (Dan. 12:1; Luke 1:26) The lack of more names was a safeguard against giving undue honor and worship to these creatures. They were dispatched by God as agents to act in his name, not in their own name. Hence, when Jacob asked the angel’s name, he refused to give it. (Gen. 32:29) The angel that approached Joshua, when asked to identify himself, replied only that he was “prince of the army of Jehovah.” (Josh. 5:14) When Samson’s parents asked for the angel’s name, he withheld it, saying: “Just why should you ask about my name, when it is a wonderful one?” (Judg. 13:17, 18) The apostle John attempted to worship angels and was twice rebuked: “Be careful! Do not do that! . . . Worship God.”—Rev. 19:10; 22:8, 9.
As personalities, angels have the power to communicate with one another (1 Cor. 13:1), the ability to talk various languages of men (Num. 22:32-35; Dan. 4:23; Acts 10:3-7), the thinking ability with which to glorify and praise Jehovah. (Ps. 148:2; Luke 2:13) It is true that angels are sexless, because Jehovah made them so, not because they are simple impersonal forces. Angels are generally represented as males, and when materializing it was always in the male form, because God and his Son are spoken of as males. However, when certain materialized angels indulged in the pleasure of sex in the days of Noah, they were expelled from Jehovah’s heavenly courts. Here was a display of angelic individuality, for, like humankind, they too are free moral agents, with the power of personal choice between right and wrong. (Gen. 6:2, 4; 2 Pet. 2:4) By personal choice hordes of angels joined Satan in his rebellion.—Rev. 12:7-9; Matt. 25:41.
POWERS AND PRIVILEGES
Since God created man “a little lower than angels” (Heb. 2:7), it follows that angels have a greater mental capacity than man. They are superhuman in power too. “Bless Jehovah, O you angels of his, mighty in power, carrying out his word.” Angelic knowledge and power were displayed when two angels brought flaming destruction upon Sodom and Gomorrah. A single angel killed 185,000 of the Assyrian army.—Ps. 103:20; Gen. 19:13, 24; 2 Ki. 19:35.
Angels too can travel at tremendous speeds, far exceeding the limits of the physical world. Thus when Daniel was praying, God dispatched an angel to answer his prayer; and the angel arrived within moments, even before the prayer was concluded.—Dan. 9:20-23.
But for all their higher mental and spiritual powers, angels are limited in many respects. They did not know the “day and hour” when this system of things would be swept away, Jesus said. (Matt. 24:36) They take a keen interest in the outworking of Jehovah’s purposes, yet there are some things they do not understand. (1 Pet. 1:12) They rejoice at the repentance of a sinner, and they watch the “theatrical spectacle” furnished by Christians here on the world stage of public activity. They also observe the proper example of Christian women who wear a sign of authority upon their heads.—Luke 15:10; 1 Cor. 4:9; 11:10.
As Jehovah’s ministers the angels have enjoyed many privileges during the aeons of passing time. Angels ministered on behalf of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Isaiah, Daniel, Zechariah, Peter, Paul and John, to mention but a few. (Gen. 22:11; 31:11; Josh 5:14, 15; Isa. 6:6, 7; Dan. 6:22; Zech. 1:9; Acts 5:19, 20; 7:35; 12:7, 8; 27:23, 24; Rev. 1:1) Their messages contributed toward the writing of the Bible. In Revelation angels are mentioned far more times than in any other Bible book. Innumerable angels were seen around the great throne of Jehovah; seven blew the seven trumpets, while another seven poured out the seven bowls of God’s anger; an angel flying in midheaven had “everlasting good news”; but another proclaimed, “Babylon the great has fallen.”—Rev. 5:11; 7:11; 8:6; 14:6, 8; 16:1.
Ministration to and support of Christ and followers
From beginning to end, the holy angels of God followed the earthly sojourn of Jesus with extreme interest. They announced his conception and birth and ministered to him after the forty-day fast. An angel strengthened him when he prayed in Gethsemane on his final night as a human. When the mob came to arrest him, no less than twelve legions of angels were at his command had he chosen to use them. Angles also announced his resurrection and were present at his ascension into heaven.—Matt. 4:11; 26:53; 28:5-7; Luke 1:30, 31; 2:10, 11; 22:43; Acts 1:10, 11.
Thereafter God’s spirit messengers continued ministering to his servants on earth, even as Jesus promised: “Do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven always behold the face of my Father.” (Matt. 18:10) “Are they not all spirits for public service, sent forth to minister for those who are going to inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14) No longer do these mighty angelic ones appear visibly in behalf of Jehovah’s servants on earth, as when they delivered the apostles from prison; nevertheless, God’s servants are assured of the ever-present invisible protecting armies, as real as those that surrounded the prophet Elisha and his servant. “He will give his own angels a command concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” Yes, “the angel of Jehovah is camping all around those fearing him, and he rescues them.”—Ps. 91:11; 34:7; Acts 5:19; 2 Ki. 6:15-17.
Angels are further shown accompanying Jesus Christ when he comes for judgment, separating the wheat from the weeds and the sheep from the goats. Angels joined with Michael in his war on the dragon and the demons at the birth of God’s kingdom in heaven. They will also support the King of kings in fighting the war of the great day of God the Almighty.—Matt. 13:41; 25:31; Rev. 12:7-10; 19:14-16.
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AngerAid to Bible Understanding
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ANGER
In the Bible the Hebrew and Greek words basically meaning “nostrils” (because of the violent breathing [or snorting] of a passionate person), “heat,” “excitement,” “anger,” “rage,” “overflowing [of temper],” “a natural impulse or desire,” are translated into English by the words “anger,” “indignation,” “wrath,” “heated opposition,” “rage” and “fury,” according to their shades of meaning and the context.
GOD’S ANGER
Anger may be justified or unjustified. On God’s part, his anger is always justified, being based on principle dictated by his right to exclusive devotion and his constancy in upholding truth, and governed by his love for righteousness and for those practicing righteousness. Divine anger does not stem from a momentary whim, to be later regretted. Jehovah sees all the issues involved in a matter and has complete, entire knowledge of a situation. (Heb. 4:13) He reads the heart, he notes the degree of ignorance, negligence or willful sin, and he acts with impartiality.—Deut. 10:17, 18; 1 Sam. 16:7; Acts 10:34, 35.
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