All about angels - Part 2

Jacob's Ladder (pictured here as steps)

Part 1 of this topic contained questions and answers about angels. Here are the questions and answers I didn't have room for in my last post.

What are angels' duties? Angels guard us, as outlined in Psalm 91:11-12. An angel delivered Daniel from the lions when he was in the lions' den (see Daniel 6:22). The Angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Jesus) rescued Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego from the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:28). And an angel opened the prison doors so the apostles could escape (Acts 5:19-20). An angel also rescued Peter from prison (Acts 12:7-10).

Angels also explain things to humans, as can be seen in the book of Zechariah. In the book of Revelation, an angel explained to John what was going to occur.  

An angel rolled the stone away from Jesus' tomb and sat inside it. He told the women that Jesus had risen from the dead, and they were to tell Jesus' disciples that He would go before them to Galilee. 

And God has commanded angels to destroy. In 2 Samuel 34:15-16, God sent an angel to destroy the Israelites with a plague due to David's census of the people. In 2 Kings 19:35, the angel of the Lord killed 185,000 of the camp of the Assyrians. 

Do angels eat food? I thought that since angels are heavenly beings, they do not eat, but in Psalm 78:23-25, Asaph states that God rained down manna, which is the bread of heaven, and that men ate angels' food to the fullest. This was in response to the Israelites' complaints to Moses that they were hungry. 

Do we have personal angels? The believers in Acts 12 thought so. Rhoda answered Peter's knock at the gate but didn't let him in because she was so excited. The believers concluded that it had to be Peter's angel. Evidently, our personal angels look like us. In Matthew 18:10, Jesus tells the disciples that they should not despise children, for their angels always see the face of His Father in heaven. 

How many angels are there? The Bible doesn't give us a total number of angels. There are some groups of angels in the Bible that are numbered - for example, the seven angels in the book of Revelation who are in charge of the seven plagues, the seven bowls, etc. Each of the seven churches in the book of Revelation was assigned an angel. In Revelation 5:11, John states that there were ten thousand times ten thousand (100 million), plus thousands of thousands, plus the elders and the living creatures. John was unable to count all the angels, so he gave us a general number. 

Do angels have halos? The New Living Translation of Ezekiel 1:28 refers to a halo-like a rainbow that shone in the sky on a sunny day, but Ezekiel is referring to God, and not to an angel. The Bible contains no references to angels having halos. Halos are of pagan origin.

There are creatures in the Bible who have wings but are not angels, and you can find them in Ezekiel 1, Daniel 7:6 and 7:4, and Rev. 4:8.

Should angels be worshiped? No. In Revelation 19:10 (also in Revelation 22:8-9), John falls at the angel's feet to worship him, but the angel told John not to do that since he was a fellow servant. He told John to worship God. 

I hope you have enjoyed this study about angels. If there is a topic you would like me to cover, let me know in the comments. Thanks as always for reading! See you next time! 

Diane

All about angels - Part 1

Cherubim on the Mercy Seat

There are many fascinating people in the Bible, some of whom are angels. You can read about angels in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is a lot of information about angels, so I thought I'd do a question-and-answer type of post to make it easier to understand.

How many types of angels are there? There are cherubim, seraphim, archangels, and the Angel of the Lord. There were two golden cherubim covering the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. They also stood at the gate of the Garden of Eden to keep mankind out. Solomon put golden cherubim in the Temple. There is also a very interesting description of cherubim in Ezekiel 10. 

Seraphim are described in  Isaiah 6:2 as having 6 wings, 2 of which covered their faces, 2 of which covered their feet, and 2 wings that helped them fly. Seraphim are found only in Isaiah 6:2 and Isaiah 6:6. 

Gabriel is a messenger angel - he delivered messages to Elizabeth, Mary, and Zechariah. Gabriel also helped Daniel interpret the vision God gave Daniel in Daniel 8 and 9. 

Michael the archangel is the second-highest angel in the angel hierarchy. Michael is described as the prince of Daniel's people (i.e., Israel) in Daniel 10 and Daniel 12. In Revelation 12, Michael and his angels battle with the dragon. 

When you see the angel/Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament, it refers to a pre-incarnate (pre-bodily) appearance of Jesus Christ. The Angel of the Lord first appears to Hagar as she is running away from Sarah in Genesis 16.  The Angel of the Lord also spoke to Abraham, Moses (in the burning bush), and Gideon. How do we know that the Angel of the Lord is Jesus? In Judges 13, Manoah asks the Angel of the Lord for His name so that they can name the baby after Him. He asked Manoah why he is asking for His name, seeing that it is wonderful. Jesus, of course, is a wonderful name. Go to BlueLetterBible.org or BibleGateway.com and do a search for Angel of the Lord to find many references to the Angel of the Lord. 

Some angels don't have any of these titles. There are holy angels and there are also fallen angels. Per GetQuestions.org:

Holy angels are seen delivering messages and protecting God’s people. They were present at creation and involved in the giving of the law. Angels announced the birth of Christ, ministered to Jesus during His sojourn on earth, and were present at His resurrection and ascension. They will be seen again at the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ.

Fallen angels are Satan's minions. They fell from Heaven when Satan was kicked out.  There are free fallen angels, who assist Satan in his dastardly deeds, and bound fallen angels, who are chained and awaiting judgment. Revelation 9:14 tells of the four bound angels who are released to kill one-third of mankind.

Do all angels have wings?  No, not all angels have wings - only cherubim and seraphim. In Genesis 28:12, angels ascend and descend on the ladder that Jacob saw in his dream. Michael and Gabriel are not listed as having wings, so how did they get around? My thought is that they have glorified bodies like Jesus did after His resurrection.

Do angels have names? The only angels with personal names in the Bible are Gabriel and Michael. 

I have more questions to be answered, but this post is long enough.  I will answer the rest of the questions in the next blog post. Thanks as always for reading! See you next time! 

Diane

Bibliography: GotQuestions.org: https://www.gotquestions.org/angels-Bible.html

Mary in her own words

This blog post is a reading from my book The People Who Knew Jesus: Monologues for Advent and Lent. If you click on the link, you'll be taken to the book's page on Amazon if you want to purchase the book. 

Mary

I was a young virgin who was engaged to Joseph, an older man who was a carpenter. He would be able to take good care of me.

But one day, while I was praying, the angel Gabriel visited me.  I was frightened.  Why would an angel want to talk to me?  “Hail, O favored one,” he said. Favored by who? By God?

Gabriel said that I would conceive and bear a son.  His name would be Jesus and He would be the Son of the Most High, and that He would be given the throne of his father David.  I realized that Gabriel was speaking of the Messiah. 

But I was confused.  How would be the baby be conceived if I was not yet married to Joseph?  I asked Gabriel how this would happen.  Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit would overshadow me and I would conceive, so that my son would also be the Son of God. 

Gabriel also had other news – my aunt Elizabeth was six months pregnant.  I remembered that Elizabeth and Zechariah had been praying for a baby for a long time.  I told Gabriel that I would be the Lord’s servant and bear the Son of God.

I told Joseph I was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, but he was upset. I went to visit Elizabeth.  Elizabeth’s baby leapt in her womb when he heard my voice. I stayed at Elizabeth’s house for three months and then I went home to my family.

Caesar Augustus, the Roman ruler, ordered a census and Joseph and I had to travel to Bethlehem to be counted, since that was where his family was from.  It was a long journey, especially riding on the back of a donkey, and it was close to time for baby Jesus to be born.  As soon as we got to Bethlehem, my labor pains began. 

We went to the inn, but we were too late – there were no rooms left. Joseph was angry and I was worried and in pain.  Where would baby Jesus be born?  Finally, the innkeeper offered his stable to us and Joseph accepted.  Where else could we go? At least in the stable, we would be out of the cold.

Baby Jesus was finally born, and I wrapped Him in a cloth and laid Him in the manger.  The animals looked at baby Jesus, as if they realized that their Creator had come down to visit them.  The shepherds came to the stable and told us about their angelic visitors.  They knelt down at the manger and worshiped baby Jesus.

I will never forget the night Jesus was born.  The world’s long wait was over; the Savior had finally come down to the earth He created, in the form of a child.  And I was blessed to be the Savior’s mother.

Thanks as always for reading! And Merry Christmas! 

Diane

Joseph in his own words

This blog post is a reading from my book The People Who Knew Jesus: Monologues for Advent and Lent. If you click on the link, you'll be taken to the book's page on Amazon if you want to purchase the book.

Joseph

Mary and I were engaged to be married.  But before we could be married, it was discovered that she was going to have a baby.

I was hesitant to stay engaged to Mary after she told me she was with child. Her story that the baby’s father was the Holy Spirit was even more suspicious.  I thought to divorce her privately, so as not to cause her any shame. 

Mary left after her confession to spend some time with her aunt Elizabeth, who was with child.  Mary thought that by the time she returned that everything would be settled.  

I was still uncertain as to whether or not to divorce Mary.  But the angel of the Lord came to me one night in a dream.  He told me not to be afraid to take Mary as my wife.  He also told me that Mary had been overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and that the baby in her womb would be a boy.  The angel said I should name the baby Jesus, because He would save people from their sins.  After that visit from the angel, I decided not to divorce Mary.

Caesar Augustus had decreed that every male had to travel to his hometown to be counted in a census.  Since my family was from Bethlehem, Mary and I had to travel there to be registered.  But when we got to Bethlehem, Mary said that it was time for the baby to come. 

I was worried.  We finally arrived at Bethlehem’s only inn, but the innkeeper said that all of his rooms were full and there was no place for Mary to have the baby.  He offered us the stable, so I accepted it.  What else could I do?  I hoped and prayed that everything would be all right.

It didn’t take long for baby Jesus to arrive.  He was a beautiful Child.  Great love stirred in my heart as I looked into His face, and I knew that I would protect Him and be the earthly father He deserved.  

The next blog post will be from Mary in her own words. Thanks for reading! Merry Christmas!

Diane

The Shepherd in his own words

This blog post is a reading from my book The People Who Knew Jesus: Monologues for Advent and Lent. If you click on the link, you'll be taken to the book's page on Amazon if you want to purchase the book.

The Shepherd

It was just another cold, dark night out in the fields.  Some of the other shepherds and I were taking turns watching over the sheep to protect them.  The only things we saw in the sky that night were a few stars.  I was on watch, so the rest of the shepherds were asleep.

Suddenly, an angel appeared in the sky.  I thought I was dreaming. I was very scared. Why would an angel appear to shepherds? Prophets were the only ones who saw angels. Then the angel said, “Do not be afraid. I come to bring you tidings of great joy.  You will find a baby lying in a manger, which is Christ the Lord.”  I woke up the other shepherds to see the angel. 

Then a large group of angels appeared with the angel.  They sang, “Glory to God in the highest! And goodwill to men, with who He is pleased.”  It was so beautiful.  It was a sight I will never forget.

After the angels had left, I told the other shepherds, “We must go find the baby. We must go see the Messiah, who was promised of old.”  Someone had to watch the sheep while we went to Bethlehem, so one of the other shepherds stayed behind with the sheep.

We found the stable next to the inn.  And Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus were in the stable.  The baby was all wrapped up and lying in a manger, asleep.  The animals watched over the little family.  We bowed our knees and got up close to the manager to get a closer look at the baby Jesus.  We told Mary and Joseph about the angels who had appeared to us in the fields.  Mary smiled and it looked like she was thinking about what we had told her. On our way back to the fields, we met the innkeeper.  We told him about our angelic visitors and the baby Messiah in his stable. 

We went back out to the fields and I thought about what we had seen and heard.  Shepherds were the lowest of the low, but we were the first ones to hear about the newborn Messiah!  It was a night I will never forget.

In the next blog post, we'll hear from Joseph, Jesus' earthly father. Thanks for reading! See you next time!

Diane

 

The Innkeeper in his own words

This blog post is a reading from my book The People Who Knew Jesus: Monologues for Advent and Lent. If you click on the link, you'll be taken to the book's page on Amazon if you want to purchase the book.

The Innkeeper

There were so many people in Bethlehem that day.  They had come to town because of the census that Caesar Augustus had decreed.  I own the only inn in town, and every room was full because of the census.  There were no more rooms left for me to rent out when Joseph and Mary came to the door.  They didn’t get here in time.

Joseph was very angry when I told him that there were no more rooms available.  “Can’t you see that Mary is in pain?” he asked.  “It is time for her to be delivered.  Are you sure there are no rooms available?”

The only other room available was the room my wife and I slept in, and if I gave that up, where would we sleep?  I thought for a moment.  “I do have a place,” I told Joseph, “if you don’t mind staying in the stable with the animals.”  Joseph nodded. 

I took Mary and Joseph to the stable and made them a bed in the hay.  I made sure that there was plenty of hay for them to stay warm.  Then I went back to the inn.

I had trouble sleeping that night, so I put on my robe and went outside.  Some shepherds ran up to greet me.  They told me that the baby Messiah was lying in the manger of my stable, and that angels had told them about the baby. The Messiah? Here in my stable? I had to go and see. And there was Mary and Joseph, with the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger.

I went back to bed and told my wife. She was very angry with me. “A woman was having a baby and you put her in the stable? Tomorrow we will find a place for them to stay. A stable is no place for a baby,” she said.

Especially when that baby was the Messiah, the Redeemer that the Jews had been praying to see for many centuries. And I was one of the first to see the Messiah, lying in that manger bed. I will never forget that night as long as I live.

Stay tuned - the next post will feature the shepherd in his own words. Thanks for reading! See you next time! 

Diane

Sometimes, a kiss just means more

When we see the word "kiss," we often think of a romantic kiss between lovers, a platonic kiss between friends, or the kisses between a parent and a child.  The Bible, however, lists six different types of kisses. 

The first type of kiss we see in the Bible is the kiss of blessing. In the Old Testament, the father kisses the firstborn son, or the son kisses the father, to receive the blessing before the father dies. Genesis 48:10 tells how Jacob (disguised as Esau) kissed Isaac to receive his father's blessing before he died.  In 2 Samuel 19:39, King David kissed Barzillai and blessed him because Barzillai had provided David with supplies when he stayed at Mahanaim after David had escaped from his son Absalom, who had taken over David's throne.

The second type of kiss we see in the Bible is the kiss of anointing. In 1 Samuel 10:1, the prophet Samuel poured oil over Saul to anoint him as the first king of Israel and kissed him. 

The third type of kiss we see in the Bible is the kiss of greeting. This kind of kiss is found in ten locations in the Bible. In Genesis 29:13, after Rebecca told Laban that his nephew Jacob was at the well,  Laban ran to meet him and greeted him with a kiss. In the New Testament, in one of the most beloved parables, which is found in Luke 15, the father of the Prodigal Son ran to meet his son upon his return and kissed him. In Romans 16:16, Paul instructs the believers to greet each other with a holy kiss. In 1 Peter 5:14, Peter also instructs the believers to greet each other with a holy kiss. 

The fourth type of kiss is the kiss of betrayal. In 2 Samuel 20, Joab grabs Amasa by the beard to kiss him, but while doing so, Joab plunged his sword through Amasa's stomach and killed him. This was in revenge for Absalom appointing Amasa as commander of the army instead of Joab, who was loyal to David. The most well-known kiss of betrayal is when Judas kisses Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. You can read about this in Matthew 26:48 and in Mark 14:45. That kiss was the signal for the Pharisees to seize Jesus, and you know the rest of the story.

The fifth and final type of kiss is the kiss of farewell. The kiss of farewell can be found in six different locations in the Bible. In 1 Samuel 20:41, David and Jonathan kissed each other farewell before David ran away from Saul. In Ruth 1:14, Orpah kissed her mother-in-law Naomi goodbye before returning to her people.   In Acts 20:37, the believers in Ephesus fell on Paul's neck and kissed him goodbye because Paul told them in verse 20 that they would never see him again. 

Neither the kiss of greeting, the kiss of anointing, nor the kiss of farewell is practiced in today's church, at least not that I've seen. We live in a different world today, where we are worried about propriety and/or lawsuits.  The COVID pandemic also put the kibosh on non-romantic or friendly kisses. When we all get to heaven (what a day that will be!), we will be able to greet each other with kisses for all eternity without fear. Won't that be nice? 

In case you didn't know, I have an author page on Amazon.com, where you can purchase books of my blog posts, and you can purchase a book of my Advent/Lenten monologues. The link to my author page is in the right-hand column. Thanks in advance for your consideration!

And thanks as always for reading! See you next time!

Diane