What Angels Look Like (and What They Do)

The following is a modified transcript of episode #86 of the Worldview Legacy Podcast. Listen or watch it here.

Introduction

Who are angels and what do they do? That's what we're going to be talking about in today's episode. I really think you're going to enjoy this one. We're going to go a lot more in-depth into the world of the spiritual realities that surround us. So join us, come along for the journey, and I'm glad you're here.

Understanding the Spiritual Realm

If we're going to be understanding and applying the biblical worldview, then we need to understand the world that surrounds us—the world that we can't see, the world of the spirit. This is obviously a topic that is fraught with all kinds of difficulties. I thought what it would be best for us to do is this: we're going to break down four key truths about the spiritual realm that you need to know in order to understand your place in the spiritual world and your family's role and how you fit into that world.

Deep Dive into the Spiritual World

So that's what we're going to do. This is really episode one in the series. Yes, we've done other videos on it in the past, but we've never gone this deep. This is episode one of our deep dive into the spiritual world series, and we're going to be talking about angels. So let's go ahead and jump right into it.

AMA Session

Also, we are going to be doing an AMA or a Q&A, if you prefer, at the end of this. So if you want to ask questions, feel free to drop your questions. If you're watching live, you can get your answers. If you're listening later on the podcast, thank you so much for listening. I hope you enjoy listening to people's questions getting answered in real-time.

The Hosts of Heaven

All right, now let's go ahead and dive into it. We're talking about the hosts of heaven. Hosts of heaven is another word for angels essentially, but what we're going to see is that the word angels is not always the most accurate term.

Word Picture: The Ant and the Grand Canyon

Before we explain why angels is not the most accurate term, and before we explain the different kinds of angels, I want to paint a word picture for you. This will help sort of get you in the right frame of mind to talk about the spiritual world. Imagine that you took an ant and placed it on the edge of the Grand Canyon. You told that ant, “Ant, look at all the grandeur here. Look at the amazing peaks and valleys below you. Look at how the sun is glinting off the stone in the canyon. The canyon is a mile deep. Aren't you in awe of what you're experiencing?” What is that ant going to do? Absolutely nothing, right? The ant is concerned about the blade of grass that it's trying to climb over. It's concerned about the crumb that you dropped on the ground that it wants to take back to the ant hill. The ant has no idea the grandeur that surrounds it.

Our Cluelessness About the Spiritual Realm

In the same way, we are oftentimes totally clueless about the amazing grandeur of the spiritual realm around us because we're not in tune with it. We're not really able to see it with our eyes, and we're so conditioned to think that only what we can see with our eyes is real. So we're focused on the things that are around us and we're not focused on the larger grandeur of God's story and of the spiritual realm. What I'm hoping that this episode is going to do is pull us out of the here and now, the things that we can see with our eyes, and open up the expansive world of spirituality, of angels, and of demons even. It's going to show us the battle that's raging around us and the greater world that we're a part of.

Popular Culture and Angelology

So try to think about that as we're going. This is going to be stuff that sounds unfamiliar and fantastical, but it's really important for us to learn about. When we're talking about angels, the first thing we have to realize is that popular culture doesn't do us any favors here. Popular culture—movies, songs, music, things like that—is filled with angelology, but it's not a very good angelology. Angelology means the study of angels.

Examples from Popular Culture

For example, we can talk about “It's a Wonderful Life,” with Clarence the angel who was trying to get his wings. If you remember that story, we can talk about the old movie from the nineties with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan called “City of Angels.” That's an interesting one because it's about an angel who chooses to fall in order to be with a human woman. That's an interesting premise, very biblical, although not in a good way. We won't get into that now.

Then, of course, there's that classic baseball movie “Angels in the Outfield,” starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Christopher Lloyd. That was an absolute classic. If you grew up in the nineties like me, you remember that one.

We would be remiss if we didn't mention Tolkien. Tolkien doesn't talk about angels by that name, but the Valar are essentially angels—the powers that rule over the world of men, elves, orcs, and everything else. Those are essentially angels.

Accurate Information about Angels

Some of the messaging is not that bad. Some of it is somewhat accurate, but for us, if we're going to get really accurate information about angels, we need to go to our source. And our source is God's word. God's word is absolutely true in all that it talks about, and it talks about everything. God's word is totally inerrant and totally infallible.

Maybe you agree with that. I hope you do. Maybe you don't, but understand that that is the platform I'm standing on as I'm talking about the spiritual realm. I'm taking it for granted that the Bible is absolutely true. We're not going to get into establishing why that is—I do that in other videos—but for now, we're going to be talking about the world of angels and spirituality, and I'm going to be speaking as if the Bible is absolutely true because it is.

Key Question

So here's the key question facing us today: Who are angels and what do they do? We're talking about the spiritual world, and we're talking about angels. Some of you are ready to get into this and you're thinking, "Man, I can't wait. I've been waiting for another video on the subject of angels or spiritual warfare, demons, that sort of thing." Those episodes always do best on our YouTube channel. When we talk about angels and demons, the only other videos that do almost as well are our apologetics videos, refuting atheism.

Popularity of Spiritual and Apologetics Videos

The reason why those do so well is because atheists find them and they come and hate-watch our channel. But the hidden realm videos are very, very popular. Maybe you're here and you're like, "Man, this sounds fascinating, but it seems really bizarre. It seems fantastical." You might be asking yourself, even if it's real, why do I need to know about this? Why is this even important?

Importance of Learning About the Spiritual Realm

Let me give you four reasons why I believe it's important to learn about the spiritual realm.

Knowing God Better

Number one, it helps us to know God better. As we study God's creation, we come to know more about the Creator, and make no mistake, angels are creations.

Awareness of Spiritual Dangers

Number two, it helps us to become more aware of the dangers that we face. Because the spiritual world is unseen, it means that it's outside of our ability to know in certain ways, because we take in so much information based on sight and our five senses. And because the spiritual realm is not all benevolent—there are malevolent forces—understanding the spiritual world and the spiritual realm can help you become better prepared to face the threats and the dangers that are facing you in the spiritual world.

Understanding God's Plan

Number three, it helps us understand God's plan. God has a plan for your life, for the world, and for angels and demons in the spiritual realm. God's plan is all-encompassing and holistic. If you're only studying the physical world, if you're only getting into the world of science and history, for example, then you're going to be missing out on a large part of God's plan. We want to know more about God's plan because we are children of God.

Fulfilling Our God-Given Role

Number four, it helps us to fulfill our God-given role. If you're a Christian man, you're trying to lead your family, you're trying to live a Christian life, and you're narrowly focused only on what is in front of you, then you are like that ant standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon. I've been there so many times in my own life. By expanding our view and looking at the spiritual realm, it's going to help you realize where you are situated in that spiritual realm and how to interact with it. God's calling on your life involves fulfilling your responsibilities in the physical realm, but you also have responsibilities in the spiritual realm as well. Learning about angels and the unseen realm can help you fulfill your God-given role.

Big Idea

So, you're with me. Let's go. Here's the big idea in today's episode: Angels are divine beings who serve God and help His people. Angels are divine beings who serve God and help His people. I say divine, and maybe you think of God, because you associate the word divine with God. So we're going to talk about what divine means. If you want a really simple breakdown of the definition of what an angel is, you can actually get this in my catechism. I wrote a catechism called Catakids, and question number 79 of the catechism says this: What are angels? Angels are good spirits who serve God and His people. Angels are good spirits who serve God and His people.

Definition of Angels

So that's what we really mean when we say that they are divine beings. They are beings who are in the service of God and who are associated with God. They are associated with the worship of God. They are more than human but less than the Creator, and they are excellent in a superhuman degree. So when we're talking about angels, that's really what we mean.

Research and Expert Insights

Now, I will tell you that I am not an expert when it comes to the spiritual realm. It's something that I've done pretty extensive research into. I will say that this is a burgeoning field. In a lot of ways, those of us who are exploring this field of the spiritual realm are seeking to do so in light of the ancient Near East and in light of what the Bible actually taught and its historical context. This is a pioneering field with a lot of uncharted territory.

Sources and Acknowledgments

For the most part, the information that I'm going to be presenting to you today is coming from the late Dr. Michael Heiser. I had Dr. Heiser on my show a couple of years ago. We talked about demons. You've probably watched some of his videos or read some of his books. Just to let you know, I don't agree with everything that Dr. Heiser says. You always have to say that when it comes to any theologian, there's always going to be something that you disagree with. However, when it comes to exploring and unpacking the spiritual realm, or as he calls it, the unseen realm, there are few who were better than Dr. Heiser.

Invitation for Feedback

So I'm on a journey as well. If I get something wrong, bear with me, and feel free to let me know. You can go to the Think Institute Contact Page and let me know about anything that I may have gotten wrong or some additional questions that you might have.

Introduction to Angelic Beings

When we're talking about these divine beings, the term that we often use is angel. But there are other terms used in Scripture. For example, the term Elohim. Elohim can be translated as "God," but it can also be translated as "gods." Another term you'll encounter is bene Elohim, which means "sons of God."

Scriptural Terms for Divine Beings

For an example of the term Elohim or gods being used in Scripture, go to Psalm 82:6. Another word, one that we're familiar with and really is the title of this episode, is angel. Angel is a New Testament Greek word. The Old Testament word is malak, and both angel and malak mean "messenger." You can read about this in Genesis 19:1 and Revelation 12:7.

Types of Angelic Beings

  • Cherubim: Sometimes called living creatures, you can read about cherubim in Ezekiel 10:1-22 and Revelation 4:6.

  • Seraphim: They appear primarily in Isaiah 6:2.

  • Heavenly Host: Luke 2:13 talks about the heavenly host, a term that appears frequently in Scripture.

  • Stars or Morning Stars: Sometimes used to describe angels, though not every instance of the word "stars" refers to angels.

Purpose of Studying Angelology

We’re going to explore the types of angels and their roles. The angelology of the Bible is meant to direct our attention towards a very important truth. With all its depictions of angels, Scripture conveys a message that is central to our understanding of the spiritual realm.

Classification of Angels

When classifying angels, we should understand that they are often categorized based on their roles rather than their appearance. Angels are spiritual beings and can take on different forms, so classification based on physical attributes is less meaningful. Instead, we focus on what they do.

Throne Guardians: Seraphim and Cherubim

Let's start by looking at Seraphim. Seraphim appear in Isaiah 6:1-7. Here, the prophet Isaiah has a vision of the Lord sitting upon a throne in a heavenly place that resembles the temple on earth. Above the throne are the seraphim, standing above or even over the throne of God.

Understanding Seraphim

The word "seraph" comes from a Hebrew word that can mean "serpent" or "burn." When we say "burn," it's often assumed that these seraphs were burning serpents, essentially fiery serpents. The word seraph usually refers to snakes in Scripture, such as the serpents that bit the Israelites in the wilderness.

Seraphim were likely winged serpents with six wings and feet, resembling dragons. They would have looked like cobras with wings, taking on a priestly role in God's heavenly temple throne room. This imagery parallels ancient Egyptian motifs, where winged cobras, or Uraeus serpents, were common.

Seraphim in Isaiah’s Vision

Isaiah’s vision shows seraphim with six wings—two to cover their face, two to fly, and two to cover their feet. This depiction indicates their reverence and humility in the presence of the Lord. Despite their brilliance and glory, they are ashamed and cover themselves because they stand before the glory of Almighty God.

Conclusion

So this is what seraphim look like in the Bible—glorious creatures who serve as throne guardians. Understanding their role and depiction helps us grasp the biblical perspective on these divine beings and their place in God’s creation.

Introduction to Cherubim

Cherubim are another type of divine being mentioned in Scripture. They appear prominently in the book of Ezekiel, specifically in Ezekiel 1:5-7 and throughout the chapter.

Cherubim in Ezekiel’s Vision

In Ezekiel's vision, he looks towards the north and sees a storm approaching. This storm is accompanied by a great cloud with brightness, fire, and gleaming metal. Despite some modern interpretations suggesting otherwise, this is not a description of a UFO but rather a heavenly, divine vision.

Ezekiel initially describes seeing four living creatures, which he later identifies as cherubim in Ezekiel 10. Here’s what these cherubim look like:

  • They have a human-like form, possibly meaning they stand upright.

  • They possess four faces: human, lion, ox, and eagle.

  • They have four wings.

  • Their legs are straight, and the soles of their feet resemble calves’ feet, sparkling like burnished bronze.

  • They have human hands under their wings.

  • They move straight forward without turning.

These cherubim are accompanied by wheels within wheels, which move in concert with them. Their appearance and movement are awe-inspiring and would have been terrifying to witness.

The Origin and Symbolism of Cherubim

The word cherub (plural cherubim) comes from the Mesopotamian word karibu, which refers to divine beings, though not necessarily gods. These beings are often depicted as hybrids combining human, lion, ox, and eagle features.

In ancient Mesopotamian and Assyrian culture, the karibu or Lamassu (as they were called in Assyria) were guardians of royal thrones, symbolizing intelligence (human head), freedom (wings), and strength (body of a lion or ox).

Cherubim in the Bible

Cherubim are depicted in various passages throughout the Bible:

  1. Genesis 3: A cherub with a flaming sword guards the way back to the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve are expelled.

  2. Ezekiel 1: The cherubim are seen pulling the throne chariot of God.

  3. 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18: King David describes the Lord as mounting a cherub and flying, portraying cherubim as God's steed.

  4. Exodus 25 and 37, 1 Kings 6: Cherubim are intricately portrayed in the temple and tabernacle, particularly in the Holy of Holies. Two cherubs with outstretched wings adorn the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing the presence of God dwelling between them.

The Cherubim in the Holy of Holies

In the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum of the temple, cherubim are prominently featured:

  • Ark of the Covenant: Two cherubs with outstretched wings guard the Ark, symbolizing divine protection and the presence of God.

  • Temple Decoration: The walls, doors, and curtains of the temple were adorned with images of cherubim, reinforcing their role as guardians of the divine presence.

Conclusion

Cherubim are depicted as powerful, awe-inspiring divine beings with specific roles and symbolism. They serve as throne guardians and play a significant part in the biblical depiction of God's presence and majesty. Understanding cherubim in their ancient Near Eastern context helps us appreciate their profound significance in Scripture.

Role of Cherubim and Seraphim

So the role of cherubim and seraphim, they guard the garden of Eden. They guard sacred space. They guard the tabernacle. They purify for service. You can read about that in Isaiah 6. They. One of the seraphs brings a burning coal down and touches Isaiah's lips to purify him for service. They convey the Lord.

Carrying and Worship

They carry the Lord. The cherubs do that. And then they worship God. They cry out to God. They cry, holy, holy, holy. You can read about this in Revelation chapter 4:8. Here’s one of the messages I believe is being conveyed by these cherubim and seraphim.

Symbolism in Ancient Context

In the ancient world, the ancient Near East, kings had something like cherubs and seraphs guarding their thrones. It's as if the Lord is saying, Hey. You think that these human kings are powerful and mighty, “divine?” Wait till you see my throne. Wait till you see my glory. God is speaking the language that these people could understand.

Portrayal of God's Glory

They knew about these powerful pharaohs, these powerful Assyrian kings and emperors. But now God is showing up to them and God is being portrayed as not just another God king, but the God of gods, the king of kings, the Lord of lords. So these cherubs and seraphs are designed, they're depicted in order to direct our attention towards the greater glory of God.

Divine Council in Scripture

Now let's talk about the second role that angels play in Scripture, that of The divine council in Scripture, angels stand in the assembly before God can read about this in first Kings 22. In that passage, the Lord is speaking to his divine council and he is, essentially treating them like an advisory board.

Angelic Roles and Responsibilities

There's a king, an evil king. I believe it's Ahab. It might not be Ahab, but the Lord is saying, look, we're going to destroy this king because he's been so evil. So I need someone to go down and what should we do? How are we going to get this king? And an angel steps forward from the divine council and says, I will be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of the prophets of this king.

God's Sovereignty and Angelic Agency

And God says, that's a good plan. That'll work. And he sends this angel down. Michael Heiser talks extensively about this. Here's why I love this scene in first Kings chapter 22. The Lord is God. He's almighty. He's totally sovereign. He's predestined everything that's going to happen. Nothing happens outside of his predestinating will, or decree.

Angelic Advisory and Authority

But here he is speaking to his divine counsel, essentially asking their advice. I, maybe you don't like that term asking their advice, but he's, he's asking for a volunteer. And I love this because. This shows that God, although he's totally sovereign, he has work for his creatures to do.

Scriptural References and Angelic Presence

You also see God's divine counsel in Job chapter 38:7. It talks about how the angels who are there called stars observe God's works and praise him. It says the morning stars sang out when God created. You can also read about this in Daniel chapter 4:13, 17. And this is where the watchers, which is kind of a really mysterious designation for angels, but the watchers issue decrees.

Authority and Roles of Angels

They make decrees about King Nebuchadnezzar and they say it's the decree of the watchers. So these are divine council members whom God has delegated authority to where they can actually make decrees. It's pretty cool. So this is, this is God's divine counsel.

Biblical Insights and Angelic Hierarchy

Members of God's divine counsel are sometimes called sons of God or bene Elohim. And you can read about this in Job:1:6, where it says the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. You also get the same term in Genesis 6:4, where it says the sons of God, the bene Elohim, Came into the daughters of men.

Angelic Authority and Human Interaction

And so we're talking about angelic beings who are actually procreating with human beings. And of course, ancient cultures are rife with legends and myths of divine beings, gods, even coming down and procreating with human women.

Divine Council's Role in Nations

Now, these angels in the divine council are given authority. We read about this in Colossians 1:16. They are referred to as thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities. The apostle Paul there in Colossians is referring to the spiritual realm.

Scriptural Insights on Angelic Authority

You can also read about this in Daniel 10”20, where the angel comes to Daniel after Daniel had been praying for two weeks. The angel tells him that he had been sent to Daniel, but the Prince of Persia had risen up and fought against him.

Delegation of Nations

And after this, the Prince of Greece, Also known as Javan, Javan is Greece, Greece is Javan, the Prince of Javan is going to rise up and, and then he talks about the Prince of Daniel's people, whose name is Michael. So we know that Michael is an angel. That means that the Prince of Persia and the Prince of Javan or the Prince of Greece, these are angelic beings, but they're called Prince. Why? Because a Prince is a ruler. So these are angelic beings that have rule and authority. They've, they've been given this rule and authority by God.

Angelic Authority over Nations

We know this from Deuteronomy 32. In Deuteronomy 32, it talks about how the Most High divided the nations according to the number of the sons of God. Most likely this happened at the Tower of Babel.

Fallen Angels and Human Interaction

Members of the divine council were supposed to direct them, guide them towards God. But just as people were sinning and rejecting God, it seems like those members of the divine council also sinned and Wanted to be called gods themselves. And this is where you get a lot of these regional national deities of the ancient world.

Angels and Their Imperfections

Mesopotamia, Canaan, Babylon, Acadia, Egypt, all of these different nations had their own regional and national gods. And, next episode, when we talk about the chief enemy of God, we're going to see that he actually pops up in most of these mythologies. We won't get into that right now.

Understanding Angelic Roles

So, angels were given authority, and make no mistake, angels are higher than humanity. Psalm 8:5 says that, speaking of man, it says you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings, a little lower than the gods, or a little lower than the angels.

Imperfection of Angels

And yet, as glorious as they are, angels are imperfect. They can actually make mistakes. And we know this from Job 4:18, in that passage, it says, even in his servants, he puts no trust and his angels, he charges with error. So angels can make mistakes. Angels can sin. They have sinned in the past.

Angels and Their Designation as "Gods"

There are such things as fallen angels, and angels are not perfect in the sense that God is perfect. Only God is perfect. That's really important, by the way. That's part of the important truth that God wants us to know when it comes to angels. Only God is perfect. Even angels aren't perfect. Really important to know.

Clarifying Angelic Role

Angels, this is going to be a hard truth for many of us. It's hard for me even to this day, even though I've been studying this, angels are called gods in Scripture. In Deuteronomy 32:8, it says, the sons of God were given jurisdictional authority over nations.

Theological Insight on Angelic Authority

In Exodus 15:11; Psalm 82 and Psalm 97:9, the word Elohim is probably best translated as gods. The word Elohim can mean God. It can mean it can mean God like the Lord, it can refer to God, or it can also be a plural word that means God. God's. And you have to look at the verb form that follows the word Elohim to find out, are we talking about plural deities or the one true creator God?

Understanding God's Singular Authority

Now the fact that these angels are called gods does not mean that, that we should therefore think of the heavenly realm as gods. Possessing a pantheon of gods, you know, like the Greeks and the Romans believed in where there's a bunch of warring gods. They're all on the same level. There is one true God and there is no true God besides the Lord.

He is the creator and he has made everything else that exists. Genesis 1 and John 1:1–3 clearly communicate this. But the word Elohim, which is the word Sometimes rightly translated as gods in English, we would say lowercase g gods, although there was no distinction in the original language, you know, capital and lowercase, they are called gods and they have authority over the nations.

Divine Judgment and Angelic Rebellion

At least they used to, we read about this in Psalm 82:2. Now the really interesting thing, if you go to Psalm 82, it's God's Transcribed Divine invective against the gods. And if that's talking about divine beings and angels, which not everyone agrees with (the Reformers didn't believe that; they thought it was talking about human judges), but if it's talking about gods, like divine beings, then that passage is really powerful because here's what it's saying: It says that the “gods” or angels can rebel against the Lord and as a result, because these lowercase-g gods ruled unjustly, God himself is going to inherit the nations. Read about that in Psalm 82:8. 

That is hugely important: because the angels failed, God himself is going to inherit the nations. You understand how amazing that is because the rest of the Bible is the story of God's Putting into place his plan and executing that plan to win back the nations for himself.

We are actually right now at our point in history, at our moment in history, we are living in a time when the Lord is winning back the nations and inheriting the nations back from these evil lowercase-g gods who rebelled against.  It's just amazing. 

Angels as Messengers

Now let's talk about messengers. Again, this is the term that's going to be most familiar to you. This is the word angelos in Greek in the New Testament or malak in the Old Testament. It just means messenger. Angels bring God's messages. For example in Luke 2:10, it was angels who announced the birth of Jesus Christ to shepherds. They brought the message.

Angels as Servants

Angels are servants. So Psalm 103:20 says, “Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word.” They are divine administrators carrying out the will and purpose of almighty God. Again, God doesn't need help to carry out his plan. He uses angels.

Angelic Appearances

Angels can look like men. They can appear as men. You read about this in Genesis 18, Genesis 19. Literally they are called men. It says that the men turned from there and went towards Sodom. The two angels came to Sodom in the evening. So this is Genesis 18:22 and 19:1. First these angels are called men. Then they're called angels.

Humanoid Appearances

A few verses later, so these are maybe a word we might want to use as humanoid, but that sounds so alien. These are angels that are appearing in the form of man in Mark 16:5. We read about a young man sitting on the right side of Jesus' tomb. It says young man But clearly it's an angel. And then you go to Hebrews 13:2, and it says, Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware.

Angels and the Law

In some way, angels helped deliver the law to Israel. You can read about this in Acts 7:53. It says that the law was delivered by angels. Galatians 3:19 says that the law was put in place by angels as an intermediary. And Hebrews 2:2 says that the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution.

Biblical History and Angelic Roles

Angels have played an incredibly important role in biblical history. It was an angel who rolled the stone away from Christ's tomb and sat on it in Matthew 28:2. It was angels who helped Peter escape from prison in Acts chapter 5. We know of one angel named Gabriel. His name means God is my strength. He stands before God, according to Luke 1:19.

Gabriel's Role as a Messenger

He interpreted a vision for Daniel in Daniel 8:17. And Gabriel is a great example of what angels are supposed to do. Angels are sent out to serve. They're sent out to accomplish God's will there. They are like the apostles of the spirit realm, they're sent out by God. Gabriel flew swiftly to Daniel and prophesied to him in Daniel chapter 9:20–27.

Gabriel's Significant Announcements

Gabriel announced the coming birth of John the Baptist in Luke chapter 1:11. Gabriel struck Zechariah dumb in Luke chapter 20. Gabriel announced the coming birth of Jesus Christ in Luke chapter 1:26. So Gabriel is sent out by God and he accomplishes his will.

The Supremacy of Jesus Christ

So what is the lesson that we must learn from all of this angelology in the Bible? Scripture gives us the answer in several passages. Here is the message that all these passages are conveying:

Angels are Great, But Jesus is Supreme

Angels serve in God's heavenly temple throne room, but Jesus is the great high priest (Hebrews 4:14, 16). Angels are awe-inspiring, but they must worship Jesus (Deuteronomy 32; Hebrews 1:6; Psalm 97:7). Angels guard the presence of God, but Jesus is God in the flesh. Whenever angels are compared to Jesus, Jesus is supreme—that is the message.

Jesus Surpasses Angels in Glory

Angels may be sons of God, but God declared Jesus to be His Son at His resurrection (Psalm 2; Acts 13:33). Angels are higher than humanity for now, but Jesus became superior to angels (Hebrews 1:4). Angels are imperfect, but Jesus was perfected through His suffering and is perfect in His nature (Hebrews 1:4).

Jesus, Greater than All

Angels were called gods, but Jesus is God (John 10:33–34). Angels bring God's messages, but Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1). Angels are servants, but Jesus reigns supreme (Hebrews 1:8–9). Angels helped to deliver the law, but Jesus brought salvation and is our greater lawgiver (Hebrews 2:2–4).

The Greatness of Jesus Christ

Angels can appear as men, but Jesus became a man to achieve salvation and return to glory (Hebrews 2:7–9; Psalm 8:4–6). Angels are sent out to serve, but Jesus sits down to rule (Hebrews 1:13–14). Angels fight for God against evil forces, but Jesus destroys the devil for our sake (Hebrews 2:14–16).

Conclusion: Jesus Christ is Greatest

The relative greatness of angels points to the absolute greatness of Jesus Christ. Angels are great, but Jesus Christ is greatest. Jesus Christ is superior to angels in every way. He is King of kings, Lord of lords, and the ultimate authority. If angels inspire our awe, how much more should we be awed by the Lord Jesus Christ? This is the message that angelology teaches us—to recognize the supreme glory and sovereignty of Jesus Christ above all else.

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