Reflection - Intuition may be a whisper from your guardian angel, do not ignore the message.
*All scripture is taken from the Holy Bible New International Version and the Holy Bible New Catholic Edition.
Introduction .........................................
Angels Have Appeared As Men .................
Duties Assigned To Angels ......................
Cherubim And Seraphim .........................
Inside The Holy Of Holies .......................
Fallen Angels .......................................
God The Protector ...................................
Can We Summon Angels .........................
Who Can See Angels ...............................
Angels In Revelation ..............................
Guardian Angel Prayer ...........................
Worshiping Angels Forbidden .................
INTRODUCTION
God made His angels spirits, He made them mighty in strength PSALM 103:20. He adorned them with the supernatural gift of his Divine grace and heavenly beauty. They were created to be in God's presence MATTHEW 18:10 assisting at His throne for "thousands of thousands ministered to Him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him," DANIEL 7:10 and executing His orders throughout the rest of the creation PSALM 103:20.
Jesus says He can ask God and have at His disposal twelve legions of angels in an instant in MATTHEW 26:53. Twelve legions of angels are over fifty thousand angels. We are told in JOHN 14:12-14 that Jesus said we can do all the things He was doing and more when He goes to the Father, which He did. Could it be we are restricted by our minds and our teachings and this is why the power that was given us is more of a wonder than an actuality or a reality? We can ask of the Father in Jesus name to receive and by faith it is done.
We need to ask of God when we want a response to a prayer or a request. It says in MATTHEW 6:8, God knows before we even ask. In DANIEL 10:12-15, Daniel sought God for understanding and God sent his angel Gabriel to response to his requests.
In 1993 I heard a sermon in church about angels. That night I saw a vision. I saw that in the heavens are levels of angels. I saw some angels in continual praise and song. I saw rows and rows of angels in waiting. I would watch from these rows some leaving and returning. Since then I ask the Lord to send out His angels to them, who are in need. A week may pass or a month but always I hear good news on the recovery of those that I asked angels to be sent to. The asking has always been an inward prompting to do so. And the Lord has allowed me to see that my asking has always been successful for years now. The majority of my asking for angel assistance has been for strangers. I may have heard of someone in need on the news or hear two people talking about someone... and there has been on occasion a request made for someone or people that I do know. It is very important to make your request directly to God and not directly to an angel.
I have understood in my reading of the Bible that the world is on a course, a plan by God since the beginning. This plan was prophesied. And God's Will, will be done. When Jesus was waiting for the betrayal of Judas, Jesus said He would be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took Him aside and told Jesus "never Lord," "this will never happen to you." Jesus said to him "get behind me Satan!" "You are a stumbling block for me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." MATTHEW 16:21-23 Jesus was telling Peter when it is the Father's Will, it will be done according to what is written, and Jesus was crucified.
No one can ever be ready for the loss of someone who is significant to them. If it is God's plan to bring His children to Him... they will go. If the devil is raising havoc and misfortune, we can intervene and ask the Father for His help. One of the tools we have is asking God to send His angels for assistance. In the Bible there are numerous accounts of angels assisting when being asked in a time of need. We can believe that when we ask God for assistance, angels will assist us in a time of need for ourselves or others today.
ANGELS HAVE APPEARED AS MEN
Appearances of angels today have been documented in books and through television. But we do not need them to prove that angels exist. God's Word tells us that angels exist.
Angels are usually represented as heavenly beings of superior nature in strength compared to man. Not all angels have wings, they can appear as men and they can eat, they can sleep, and they can carry a conversation with us. Angels are messengers of God. In this chapter are Bible Scriptures that tell us that angels have appeared as men and not necessarily with wings:
HEBREWS 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
GENESIS 18:1-2 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heart of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men (angels) standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
Two angels visited Lot at Sodom and Gomorrah the night before the cities were destroyed.
GENESIS 19:1-3 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square." But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate.
The two angels told Lot he needed to gather his family and leave at dawn that they were going to destroy this place.
GENESIS 19:15-16 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished." When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.
Jacob wrestles with an angel. He calls the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared. " (GENESIS 32:30)
GENESIS 32:22-29 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.
Joshua met an angel appearing as a man with a sword drawn and he asked him if he was one of them or an adversary.
JOSHUA 5:13-15 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" The commander of the Lord's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
Tobias on his journey was frightened by a large fish and ask a man, (Raphael an angel of God), standing near for assistance:
TOBIAS 6:1-9 And Tobias went forward, and the dog followed him, and he lodged the first night by the river of Tigris. And he went out to wash his feet, and behold a monstrous fish came up to devour him.
And Tobias being afraid of him, cried out with a loud voice, saying: Sir, he cometh upon me. And the angel said to him: Take him by the gill, and draw him to thee. And when he had done so, he drew him out upon the land, and he began to pant before his feet. Then the angel said to him: Take out the entrails of this fish, and lay up his heart, and his gall, and his liver for thee, for these are necessary for useful medicines. And he had done so, he roasted the flesh thereof, and they took it with them in the way. The rest they salted as much as might serve them, till they came to Rages the city of the Medes. Then Tobias asked the angel, and said to him: I beseech thee, brother Azarias, tell me what remedies are these things good for, which thou hast bid me keep of the fish? And the angel, answering, said to him: If thou put a little piece of its heart upon coals, the smoke thereof driveth away all kind of devils, either from man or from woman, so that they come no more to them. And the gall is good for anointing the eyes, in which there is a white speck, and they shall be cured.
Raphael gives account that he is one of the seven angels before the throne of God. He says he appears to eat and drink with men but he actually eats invisible food and drink not seen by men:
TOBIAS 12:15-22 For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord. And when they had heard these things, they were troubled, and being seized with fear they fell upon the ground on their face. And the angel said to them: Peace be to you, fear not. For when I was with you, I was there by the will of God. Bless ye him, and sing praises to him. I seemed indeed to eat and to drink with you, but I use an invisible meat and drink, which cannot be seen by men. It is time therefore that I return to him that sent me; but bless ye God, and publish all his wonderful works. And when he had said these things, he was taken from their sight, and they could see him no more. Then they lying prostrate for three hours upon their face, blessed God, and rising up, they told all his wonderful works.
Angels were seen as horsemen running in the air in a time frame of forty days:
II MACHABEES 5:1-4 At the same time Antiochus prepared for a second journey into Egypt. And it came to pass that through the whole city of Jerusalem for the space of forty days there were seen horsemen running in the air, in gilded raiment, and armed with spears, like bands of soldiers; and horses set in order by ranks, running one against another, with the shaking of shields, and a multitude of men in helmets, with drawn swords, and casting of darts, and glittering of golden armor, and of harnesses of all sorts. Wherefore all men prayed that these prodigies might turn to good.
Daniel with other men were standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris and he saw a man (an angel of God) standing before him. The men he was with did not see this man but were overwhelmed with terror and fled:
DANIEL 10:5-7 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his
arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves.
When this angel was speaking to Daniel about the end times 2 others appeared. He wrote that one was on the bank where he stood the other was on the opposite bank and one (an angel) was above the waters:
DANIEL 12:5-7 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?" The man clothed in linen, who was above the
waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.
An angel appeared to Manoah's wife who was sterile and told her she would have a son whom they called Samson. She went to her husband and said this to him in (JUDGES 13:6,7) "A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name. But he said to me, 'You will conceive and give birth to a son.' Manoah prayed that he may see this man and to teach him how to raise the boy who will be born. The man (angel of God) returned to her while she was out in the field and she ran and got her husband. While they were talking to one another Manoah wanted to prepare a young goat for him. The angel replied;
JUDGES 13:16 "Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord."
While preparing the goat and the grain offering an amazing thing happened while Manoah and his wife watched:
JUDGES 13:20 As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground.
An angel appears as a man sitting in the sepulchre where Jesus was buried. He announced to those who came that Jesus has risen:
MARK 16:5-8 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'" Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
When Jesus was taken up into heaven two men (angels) suddenly appeared amongst the crowd. They said to the people Jesus shall return the same manner you see him go.
ACTS 1:6-11 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.
King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold ninety feet high and nine feet wide. Any time the people would hear a sound of a flute or horn they were to bow and worship the image. This was commanded of them. Whoever did not fall down and worship the image was thrown into a fiery furnace. It was told to the King that three Jews would not obey this rule, he was furious and after talking with them ordered them to be thrown into the fiery furnace. The King to his amazement saw four men in the fire not three. He commented that the fourth one in the flames was an angel sent to save the three Jews.
DANIEL 3:24-28 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king." He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisors crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God."
King Belshazzar who was the son of King Nebuchadnezzar, gave a great banquet. He ordered that the gold and silver goblets his father took from the temple in Jerusalem be brought to him. He wanted his wives and concubines and himself to drink from them. As they were drinking wine from the goblets, fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote something on the wall. Could the hand have been an angels hand?
DANIEL 5:5-7 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way. The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers and diviners to be brought and said to these wise men of Babylon, "Whosoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom."
Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites, when the angel of the Lord appeared. The angel of the Lord came down and sat under an oak. Gideon was not sure the man present was an angel of God so in his conversation with him he had asked for proof.
JUDGES 6:17-21 ... "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you." Gideon prepares the offering of a young goat and bread without yeast. The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And Gideon did so. With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.
Reflection - Our eyes are not always opened to see other realms but be assured they are there.
DUTIES ASSIGNED TO ANGELS
After the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, God banished them from the Garden. God send Cherubim to guard the way to the tree of life:
GENESIS 3:22-24 And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Gabriel an angel of God is mentioned as assisting Daniel in the interpretation of visions and the making of predictions. He is better known for announcing the birth of Jesus to Mary and the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias:
DANIEL 8:16-18 While I, Daniel was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision." As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. "Son of man," he said to me, "understand that the vision concerns the time of the end." While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
Gabriel appears again to Daniel when he was in prayer and confessing his sin as well as the sin of his people in Israel:
DANIEL 9:21,22 - while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.
The angel, Gabriel appears to Zechariah and announces that his wife will have a son and he is to call him John:
LUKE 1:19 The angel answered,"I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
The angel, Gabriel is sent by God to tell Mary she will give birth to a son and to give him the name of Jesus:
LUKE 1:26-31 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you to give him the name Jesus.
Michael is an angel who is consistently pictured as possessing a warlike character. In the book of Daniel, he appears as a protector of people. The angel Gabriel speaks of Michael to Daniel saying:
DANIEL 12:1 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.
In the book of Jude he is told of having apposed the devil in a contest over the body of Moses.
JUDE 1:9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
In the book of Revelations Michael leads the angelic host against Satan and his forces, casting them out of the heavens:
REVELATIONS 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down -- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Zechariah had many visions. An angel of God appeared and gave him messages from God and interpretation of visions when he did not understand. There is one account he mentions two women with wings carrying a basket of iniquity:
ZECHARIAH 5:9 Then I looked up -- and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.
God says he sends angels to guard and lead his people and we are to listen to what the angel says:
EXODUS 23:20,21 "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him."
King Darius by the request of administrators and the satraps issued a decree for 30 days that no man could pray to any god or man except to the king. The administrators saw that Daniel still prayed to his God three times a day and brought this news to the king. Because the king had to keep the decree Daniel was brought in and thrown into a lions den. The king was very sad, he did not eat, he could not sleep. The next morning he goes to the den and calls out to Daniel and Daniel replies.
DANIEL 6:16-22 So the king gave the order and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to the palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done anything wrong before you, O king."
Angels are present for the announcement of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the field.
LUKE 2:9-15 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
Jesus was giving a lesson on who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He was using a child for an example. Jesus says: MATTHEW 18:10 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. This would imply that we each have a guardian angel.
Jesus was led by his Spirit to the desert fasting 40 days and 40 nights and tempted by Satan and ministered to by angels:
MATTHEW 4:8-11 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
King Herod put John's brother James to death and had arrested others for persecution. During the feast of the unleaven bread King Herod had Peter arrested. Peter was put in prison guarded by four squads of four soldiers. The night before Peter's trial an angel appeared to Peter. This angel provides protection and safety to Peter:
ACTS 12:7-11 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. Then the angel said to him "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating."
Elijah fled for his life and went into the desert. He came to a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He lay down under the tree and fell asleep. While he was asleep, an angel awaken him, bringing him food.
1 KINGS 19:1-9 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.
Reflection - God has come to us with truths and examples to lead us to him. Let us learn those truths and follow those examples.
CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM
In the Bible there have been visions whereas Cherubim and Seraphim were seen with multiple wings and heads. According to Webster's Dictionary, the Cherubim and the Seraphim are the two highest order of angels of nine orders.... angels being the lowest order. In Ezekiel's visions were seen Cherubim. In Isaiah's visions were seen Seraphim:
EZEKIEL 10:5 The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
EZEKIEL 10:20-22 These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River, and I realized that
they cherubim. Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings was what looked like the hands of a man. Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River. Each one went straight ahead.
Ezekiel was brought to the inner and outer sanctuary where he saw carvings of Cherubim:
EZEKIEL 41:17-20 In the space above the outside of the entrance to the inner sanctuary and on the walls at regular intervals all around the inner and outer sanctuary were carved cherubim and palm trees. Palm trees alternated with cherubim. Each cherub had two faces: the face of a man toward the palm tree on one side and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the other. They were carved all around the whole temple. From the floor to the area above the entrance, cherubim and palm trees were carved on the wall of the outer sanctuary.
ISAIAH 6:1-4 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
Reflection - Your soul longs to converse and be with the Father from which it came, don't limit it's delight to do so by the restriction of the mind.
INSIDE THE HOLY OF HOLIES
In Exodus God talks with Moses and gives him instructions in building the Ark of the Covenant and carving Cherubim on the cover of the chest:
EXODUS 25:10 "Have them make a chest of acacia wood -- two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it. The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not be removed. Then put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. "Make an atonement cover of pure gold -- two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.
God continues to instruct Moses the design of the table the lampstand, and the tabernacle. God tells him to find a skilled craftsman to work cherubim into the curtains that will hang in the tabernacle:
EXODUS 26:1 "Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman."
The Lord spoke to Solomon in (1 Kings 6:12) saying: "As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father."
Solomon began building the house of the Lord in Jerusalem which was shown to his father David. One hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred (153,600) people participated in the building and completion of the Holy of Holies. In the book of 2 Paralipomenon describes that Solomon had Cherubim graved on the walls:
2 PARALIPOMENON 3:7, 3:10-14 And the gold of the plates with which he overlaid the house, and the beams thereof, and the posts, and the walls, and the doors was of the finest; and he graved cherubim on the walls. He made also in the house of the Holy of Holies two cherubim of image work: and he overlaid them with gold. The wings of the cherubim were extended twenty cubits, so that one wing was five cubits long; and reached to the wall of the house and the other was also five cubits long, and reached to the wing of the other cherub. In like manner the wing of the other cherub was five cubits long, and reached to the wall; and his other wing was five cubits long and touched the wing of the other cherub. (17 to 21 inches long equals one cubit) So the wings of the two cherubim were spread forth, and were extended twenty cubits; and they stood upright on their feet, and their faces were turned towards the house without. He made also a veil of violet purple, scarlet, and silk: and wrought in it cherubim.
3 KINGS 6:29-31 And all the walls of the temple round about he carved with divers figures and carvings: and he made in them cherubim and palm trees, and divers representations, as it were standing out, and coming forth from the wall. And the floor of the house he also overlaid with gold within and without. And in the entrance of the oracle he made little doors of olive tree, and posts of five corners, and two doors of olive tree; and he carved upon them figures of cherubim, and figures of palm trees, and carvings very much projecting; and he overlaid them with gold; and he covered both the cherubim and the palm trees and the other things with gold.
When the house had been completed by Solomon he then brought in all the things that David his father had vowed. One of the things brought into the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant:
2 PARALIPOMENON 5:7,8 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord into its place, that is, to the oracle of the temple, into the Holy of Holies under the wings of the cherubim, so that the cherubim spread their wings over the place in which the ark was set and covered the ark itself and its staves.
God dwelled in the Holy of Holies in a cloud which was promised.
Reflection - God rewards those who do things pleasing in his sight by giving them opportunity.
FALLEN ANGELS
An angel appeared to Job and told him because angels are not steadfast, God found wickedness in his angels.
JOB 4:12-18 Now there was a word spoken to me in private, and my ears by stealth as it were received the veins of its whisper. In the horror of a vision by night, when deep sleep is wont to hold men, fear seized upon me, and trembling, and all my bones were affrighted. And when a spirit passed before me, the hair of my flesh stood up. There stood one whose countenance I knew not, an image before my eyes, and I heard the voice as it were of a gentle wind: Shall man be justified in comparison of God, or shall a man be more pure than his maker? Behold they that serve him are not steadfast, and in his angels he found wickedness.
In the book of Isaias is recorded the downfall of (Satan) the Angel Lucifer:
ISAIAS 14:12-15 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? How art thou fallen to the earth, that didst wound the nations? And thou saidst in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the star of God, I will sit in the mountain of the covenant, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. But yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, into the depth of the pit. In the book of Revelations another description is given on the actual fall of Satan:
REVELATIONS 12:7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (the devil) , and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down -- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
The Lord tells Ezekiel to speak to the king of Tyre. Here you will see the Lord stating that the king of Tyre is Satan. In (Ezekiel 28:11-19) the Lord tells of Satan's creation and downfall.
EZEKIEL 28:11-19 The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him:
'This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
" 'You were the model of
perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect
in beauty.
You were in Eden,
the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
sapphire, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and
mountings were made
of gold;
on the day you were
created they were
prepared.
You were anointed as a
guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount
of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
You were blameless in your
ways
from the day you were
created
till wickedness was found
in you.
Through your widespread
trade
you were filled with
violence,
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace
from the mount of
God,
and I expelled you,
O guardian cherub,
from among the fiery
stones.
Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your
wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you
before kings.
By your many sins and
dishonest trade
you have desecrated your
sanctuaries.
So I made a fire come out
from you,
and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes
on the ground
in the sight of all who were
watching.
All the nations who knew
you
are appalled at you;
you have come to a horrible
end
and will be no more.'"
The devil appears as a serpent in the Garden of Eden. After God created man and woman the serpent went to Eve and questioned her what God said about not eating the fruit from one of the trees. Eve tells him that God said they could not eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden or they would die. The serpent tells her she would not die but would be like God if she ate the fruit. She ate of the fruit to obtain wisdom, Adam ate of the fruit also. God after seeing what had happened banished them from the garden.
GENESIS 3:1-21 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
The Lord was walking through the garden in the cool of the day looking for Adam and Eve. They hid from God because they were naked. God asked them if they ate from the tree. Adam said his wife gave him the fruit... Eve says the serpent deceived her and she ate of the fruit. God cursed the serpent.
GENESIS 3:21-24 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drive the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
In (GENESIS 6:4) it says: The Nephilim were on the earth in those days -- and also afterward -- when the sons of God (angels) went to the daughters of men and had children by them.
God was so displeased with this evil overtaking his children, to the extent that he brought upon a flood and destroyed all he created on the face of the earth except for Noah, his wife and children and their spouses.
GENESIS 6:5-7 The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, " I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth -- men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and the birds of the air -- for I am grieved that I have made them."
God turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes destroying the evil
ones except for Lot. (GENESIS 19:23-25) By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah -- from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living the cities -and also the vegetation in the land.
Satan can appear as an angel of the light:
2 CORINTHIANS 11:13-15 ... for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
Fallen angels are of darkness and their wicked strategies are always of the darkness. They snarl and entrap bringing people into bondage. This bondage, was broken by the death and resurrection of Jesus, who died for our sins. (HEBREWS 2:14,15) ....so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death -- that is , the devil-- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
This scripture particularly describes that the everyday battles of evil are coming not from man himself in the blood and flesh... but from spiritual forces of evil those of darkness and those of the heavenly realms.
In (EPHESIANS 6:11,12) It says: Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the ruler, against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Jude wrote to his people that fallen angels have secretly slipped in among them. He warns that these are the ones whom God ordained to this condemnation. He brings them back into remembrance that these fallen angels did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home -- these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains. Jude further states and brings to remembrance Sodom and Gomorrah how the town peoples gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion and says they serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. (JUDE _:3-7) Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men (fallen angels) whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home -- these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
Jude continues in his writings descriptions of the fallen angels that are among men, saying they are wondering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
JUDE 8:12-14 These men (fallen angels) are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm -- shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds with rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted --twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men:
Messengers (angels) were sent to Daniel for interpretation of visions and dreams. One angel tells Daniel he was delayed 21 days by Satan and needed the help of Michael the archangel:
DANIEL 10:12-15 .. "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come."
Reflection - Be forever watchful, to not be netted in the snares of the devil, be forever watchful for the Day of Our Lord.
GOD THE PROTECTOR
PSALM 90:1-13 You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, say to the Lord: "My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust." For he will deliver you from the snares of the hunters, from the deadly plague. He will protect you with his wings, and you shall take refuge beneath his wings: his faithfulness is a shield and a buckler. You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the flying arrow in the day; the plague that wanders about in the night, nor the calamity that destroys at noon. Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, it shall not come near you. But with your eyes you shall observe and see the reward of sinners. For the Lord is your refuge, you have appointed the Most High as your defense. No evil shall approach you, and no plague shall come near your dwelling, for he has given his Angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands shall they bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the asp and the viper, you shall trample under foot the lion and the dragon.
Reflection - As a ship steers clear from the underlying rocks by the light beam of the watch tower, so does a man steer clear from sin following the Light of the Lord.
CAN WE SUMMON ANGELS
The Bible tells us that angels are ministering Spirits to serve us. Ministering means to give aid or service:
HEBREWS 1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Jesus tell us the heavens are open for the angels to descend and ascend at will:
JOHN 1:51 "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Angels are always with us:
PSALMS 34:7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
Jacob called a place Mahanaim where he was met by angels. Mahanaim means two camps, one camp of angels and one camp of Jacob's men and family. (GENESIS 32:1,2) Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is the camp of God!" So he named that place Mahanaim.
Jesus also tells us that if we acknowledge him he would also acknowledge us before the angels of God. The angels are kept in constant awareness about us:
LUKE 12:8,9 "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God."
Jesus says when he returns with his angels, they will know who did not believe:
MARK 8:38 "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
*Jesus says God has legions of angels for his disposal by asking the Father:
MATTHEW 26:53 "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels."
We know we can ask God for angels to assist us, because Jesus tells us we can. Jesus gave us this message before his death and resurrection:
JOHN 14:12-14 "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
God says it is important that we listen to and acknowledge the angels that He sends.
EXODUS 23:21 "Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him."
Angels play a key role in our future:
MATTHEW 13:41-43 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Moses gave a message before his death telling his people that angels are at God's hand. They bow at his feet and from Him they receive instruction:
DEUTERONOMY 33:1-3 "The Lord came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with a myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes. Surely it is you who love the people; all the holy ones are in your hand. At your feet they all bow down, and from you receive instruction,..."
When we make our request known to God and we ask God in Jesus's name, God will give His angels instructions.
Reflection - If we look at the mystery of the resurrection of Jesus Christ then we can look at the mystery of our future happiness.
WHO CAN SEE ANGELS
Just because you do not see angels, does not mean angels do not exist. Some of us have seen angels and our lives have been changed drastically. Some of us have seen angels and our lives have not changed at all so it seems. Angels are mostly mentioned as being seen in near death experiences. The big question everyone asks is "why don't I see them?"
The story of Elisha and the story of Balaam from the Bible tells us when someone saw an angel or angels and others present did not. You will see in these stories God does allow us to see angels when it is absolutely necessary for our well being.
Elisha the prophet warned the king of Israel of the places the king of Aram had placed his camps when they were at war with one another. The king of Aram sent out his officers to capture Elisha, who was surrounded by angels.
2 KINGS 6:15-17 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Balaam saddled his donkey and left one morning with the princes of Moab. God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. The donkey saw the angel and Balaam did not. God opened Balaam's eyes so that he could also see the angel.
NUMBERS 22:27-31 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" "No," he said. Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell face-down.
This is a story about a pool called Bethesda. In a certain season an angel stirred the pool. It is written that the first person entering the pool after this stirring would be healed.
JOHN 5:2-9 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people use to lie -- the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
Reflection - Intuition may be a whisper from your guardian angel, do not ignore the message.
ANGELS IN REVELATION
John was one of the apostles called to follow Christ during the first days of Christ's ministry. He was present at the Transfiguration and Agony in the garden. After the Ascension John lived first at Jerusalem, and then at Ephesus. When he miraculously survived from being thrown into a caldron of boiling oil, John was banished to the isle of Patmos. While at Patmos, he received the heavenly visions of Revelation. Revelation is the unveiling of end times.
The revelation of Jesus Christ was made known to John by God sending to him an angel. John's testimony says he was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day and was told to write on a scroll what he saw. This chapter is not Revelation in its entirety. This chapter only tells of the angel activity found in Revelation.
REVELATION 5:1,2 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?"
Jesus, the Lamb of God is worthy to open the seven seals.
REVELATION 5:5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
REVELATION 5:11,12 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
REVELATION 7:1-4 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
When the seventh seal was opened there was silence in heaven.
REVELATION 8:2-5 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. The first trumpet sounds and one-third of the earth burnt up. The second trumpet sounds and one-third of the sea life is destroyed. The third trumpet sounds and one-third of the water becomes polluted. The fourth trumpet sounds, one-third of the sun, moon and stars darkened. The fifth trumpet sounded and the beginning of the first woe. The devil falls to earth and is given the key to the bottomless pit. The sixth trumpet sounded and the beginning of the second woe. Angels were released as the Reapers, destroying the sinners. Writing them out of the Book of Life.
REVELATION 9:13-16 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.
The seventh trumpet is sounded and the beginning of the third woe. Time for the dead to be judged.
REVELATION 11:19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
Then comes the seven signs, a woman brings forth a male child who is to rule the nations. The devil is casted down to earth with his angels by Michael the archangel. The devil goes after the women and her child. The devil shows great power and given complete authority over the inhabitants for 42 months. The anti-christ appears showing great signs and wonders.
Then comes the appearance of three angels:
REVELATION 14:6,7 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth - to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."
REVELATION 14:8 A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."
REVELATION 14:9,10 A third angel followed them and said in loud voice: " If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
The hour has come and the angels were sent out for the harvest. Then John saw seven angels with seven plagues. The angels were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chest.
REVELATION 16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."
The first plague is a sore and grievous wound to mankind who follow the devils ways. The second plague is the pollution of waters, and every living creature in the sea die. The third plague is the pollution of rivers and fountains. The fourth plague the sun rays burnt men and they were scorched with great heat. The fifth plague violence escalated. The sixth plague the great river Euphrates waters dried up.
The seventh plague was poured into the air.
REVELATION 16:17,18 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.
There is a gathering at Armageddon - Battlefield of Divine struggle. The heavens opened and he who is called "The Word" was followed by armies of heaven. And the beast and his armies gathered together to wage war. The beast was seized and the false prophet and both were cast alive into the pool of fire. And the rest were killed by the Word. An angel with the key of the Abyss bound satan for one thousand years. And all the souls who did not worship the beast reigned with Christ one thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come alive until the one thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Satan will be loosed after a thousand years and with his army will encompassed the camp of the Saints. And fire from God will devour them. The devil, beast, and false prophet will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Judgement Day scrolls will be opened and the dead will be judged out of those things written in the scrolls, according to their works.
John writes that he sees a new heaven and a new earth. God said he will give the thirsty of the water of life. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is called the second death.
REVELATION 21:9-11 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
REVELATION 21:15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls.
REVELATION 22:1-6 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."
Jesus says in John's closing of Revelation:
REVELATION 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
Reflection - A soul without discipline is like a ship set out without a course.
GUARDIAN ANGEL PRAYER
ANGEL OF GOD,
MY GUARDIAN DEAR.
TO WHOM GOD'S LOVE
COMMITS ME HERE_
EVER THIS DAY
BE AT MY SIDE_
TO LIGHT AND GUARD
TO RULE AND GUIDE.
AMEN
Reflection - Grow in habits of prayer and God will draw near to you with his holy angels.
WORSHIPING ANGELS FORBIDDEN
Paul born of Jewish parents, became known as the Apostle of the Gentiles. Paul writes a letter from a prison in Rome to the Colossians. The letter was written to oppose false teachers who infiltrated among the Christian people, teaching the Christian faith was incomplete. These false teachers were teaching the people to worship angels and to follow special rules and ceremonies. Paul writes in COLOSSIANS 2:17,18 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize.
The prize in this scripture is eternal life. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." JOHN 14:6
Paul continues to write that these false teachers who encourage angel worship rely on visions and become puffed up. COLOSSIANS 14:18 Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.
John was told in Revelation by an angel to not worship angels. REVELATION 22:8,9 I John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"
Jesus when tempted by Satan said to him: MATTHEW 4:10 "_'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'_"
Reflection - Let each day begin with thanking God.