The book of Hebrews was written to Hebrew Christians, that is, to Jews who had moved on from Judaism to Christ, had been born again, but who because of persecution and trials which accompany persecution were tempted to leave their new-found relationship with Jesus Christ. In response, Hebrews has two purposes: to encourage Christians to endure, and to warn not to abandon the faith (2:1-4; 3:7-4:13; 5:11-6:12; 10:19-39; 12:1-29). Why? The point is made that:
Hebrews 1:2b: “…he (God) has spoken to us by his Son (Jesus)….”
- Grammatical Usage: “has spoken” or in the Greek, “elalēsen” meaning, “declare; disclose”.
- Literal Interpretation: “God declared and disclosed to us truth by His Son Jesus”
- Contextual/Comparison: God keeps His Word: God continually uses His Word.
- The position of angels in Scripture
- Hebrews 1:1-4 links together seven descriptions of Jesus given in these first few
verses, culminating in Hebrews 1:4 identifying Jesus as superior to angels:
Christ the Heir; Creator; Revealer; Sustainer; Redeemer; Ruler; Supreme
- Jesus is superior to the angels because He is the Son of God (Psalm 2:7)
- Jesus is superior to the angels because He sat down, having completed His work, while the angels work on continually, as shown in Psalm 110:1.
- Jesus is superior to the angels because the Father Himself calls Him (and not any angel) God and LORD (Yahweh), as shown in Psalm 45:6-7; 102:25-27.
- Angel Classifications
- Archangels rank as “first angels” or “leader angels” in Greek, only two of which are identified:
- Michael (Dan. 10:10-21, 12:1; Jude 1:9, Rev. 12:7) — A “great prince and protector” who does battle against Satan and other demon princes.
- Gabriel (Dan. 8:15-16, 9:20-22; Luke 1:19, 1:26-27) — Interprets Daniel’s visions and announces to Zechariah and Mary the advent of their children.
- Cherubim in the Bible are radically different from the chubby little guys with arrows. In fact, they are quite terrifying, fearsome protectors — though more often against humankind than for us. They first appear in Genesis 3:24 alongside a flaming, turning sword to prevent reentry into the garden of Eden. They also adorn the ark in Exodus 25, the curtains of the tabernacle in Exodus 36, and much later, Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 6) — always guarding. When Moses speaks to God in the “tent of meeting,” God’s voice comes from between the two cherubim (Numbers 7:89).
- Seraphim are described as fiery, six-winged beings that stand in the presence of God. Constantly singing “holy, holy, holy” in Isaiah 6.
- By far the majority of angels in the Bible are not named or even described beyond the simple phrase “the angel of the Lord,” both communicating and ministering.
- Biblically accurate work of angels
- Angels speak to dozens of people in the Bible, from Hagar, Abraham, and Jacob, to the prophets of the divided kingdom, to Mary, Joseph, Peter, and Paul.
- But angels do far more than speak; they rescue Lot and his family (Gen. 19), oppose Balaam and his donkey (Num. 22), nearly destroy Jerusalem for David’s sin (2 Sam. 24), and perhaps most dramatically, slaughter 185,000 Assyrian soldiers overnight (2 Kg. 19:35). Frequently, they appear holding a sword (Num. 22:31; 2 Sam. 24:16).
- Here’s what we know about angels as Jesus and his followers describe them:
- They often appear in dreams (Matt. 1:20; 2:13); can be frightening (Luke 1:29-30; 2:9-10) or disorienting (Acts 12:9).
- They will come with the Son of Man when he returns (Matt. 16:27, 25:31; Mark 8:38) separating the saved from the wicked (Matt. 13:49).
- They are immortal (Luke 20:36), incorporeal (Heb. 1:14), and do not marry (Matt. 22:30; Mark 12:25).
- Some of them are evil (Matt. 25:41; Romans 8:38-39; 2 Peter 2:4).
- The angels described in Revelation are unlike most other angels in the Bible as fearsome, massive, fiery, shining, wielding swords and scythes, controlling the elements. They bring pestilence and destruction, killing a third of humankind.
- The good angels are led by Michael and evil angels by Satan.
- The Bible does not explicitly mention “guardian angels” as they are popularly understood as individual protectors, each assigned to watch over a single person.
- Most angels in the Bible act in a mediatory or revelatory capacity, bringing messages to God’s people or appearing in prophetic visions. Those angels which do explicitly guard something are usually not guarding individuals: cherubim guard the gates of Eden, Michael guards the nation of Israel in exile, and so on.
- Psalm 91:11 comes closest to describing a guardian angel, saying that God will command his angels to guard you “in all your ways.” Based upon our text, Hebrews 1:14, angles are engaged for the sake and ministry regarding believers. Jacob’s dream of a ladder, by which angels ascended and descended between heaven and earth, is a beautiful picture of their incessant activity on a believer’s behalf (Genesis 28:12).
- Matt. 18:10 indicates that special angels may be designated to watch over little children, though it’s not entirely clear what Jesus means by “their” angels.
- Luke 16:22 indicates that an angle ministers to us at our time of death.
- The Host of Heaven (1 Kings 22:19) are angels which are varied, complex, and awe-inspiring beings that play integral roles in the divine narrative — whether that’s popping up to deliver a message of hope and solace, displaying God’s might and glory in wild prophetic visions, or even wreaking vengeance on the wicked.
Conclusion: Angels are under the authority of Jesus. Are you?
