Myriads of Angels

“Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,” (Revelation 5:11 ESV)

Some time ago ceramic angels became part of collection mania in America. Angel figurines rose to the top of the list of objects for collection and affection, along with ducks, chickens, cows, clowns and a plethora of other things for which we sometimes inexplicably develop an attraction. We soon tire of their everywhere presence and either sell them or give them away. But for some, it is much easier to rid ourselves of smiling pigs or frowning frogs than to let go of the glass angels, which seem to have taken over our homes and demand constant dusting and places of prominence.

Perhaps our inclination to attach meaning and adulation to religious art, along with our natural inclination toward the tangible and visible, were the reasons for the second of the Ten Commandments. God knew our faithfulness in worshiping Him as the one true, all-knowing, everywhere-present Lord would be continually tested by our longing for a physical presence and proof of His existence. But the very essence of faith is ‘the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen’ (Heb. 11:1).

“God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24). The wonders of His creation and His written testimony to man (The Holy Bible) are sufficient proofs of His power and presence (Rom. 1:20-25 & Psa. 104). We must be careful that our harmless symbols of God's eternal presence and power don't become snares to us, as Gideon's golden memorial became to him and to all Israel (Judges 8:23-28).

God is not honored by idealistic images of Himself or of His angelic creation. Neither is He honored by statues nor giant crosses of gold. All the riches of the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica bring no true honor or worship to Him. Rather, steadfast faith and trust in Him through any and all circumstances, along with our obedience to Him, are of much value and are acceptable worship to Him. Through faith in Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, the poorest of humanity can bring honor and praise to God as well as the richest of mankind.

But what of the real angels of God which have been depicted as the most beautiful and glowing of all God's creatures? They are just that – gloriously created beings whose very purpose is to carry out the will of God continually.  They are not former human beings (John 1:3, Matt. 18:10 & Heb. 1:14). We are instructed to not worship angels (Rev. 22:9 & Col. 2:18). Apparently, they can take on various forms as needed for God's purpose (Heb. 1:7 & II Kings 6:15-17). They cannot die (Luke 20:35-36). There are fallen angels who are bound and reserved for the final judgment (II Pet. 2:4, Jude 6 & Matt. 25:41). Angels are sometimes seen and/or heard by mortal man (Acts 5:19-20 & 8:26). They are sent by God to punish the wicked as well as to do good (Acts 12:23). It is possible to see angels without recognizing them as such (Heb. 13:2). The number of unfallen angels is countless to man (Rev. 5:11). Man is (“for a little while”) lower than angels in the glory of God's creation (Heb. 2:7). The Scriptures nowhere indicate that angels indwell inanimate objects or icons, small or large. An image is no more than ink on a page; a figurine or statue is no more than the mold from which it came. Angels do not intercede for us before God. The work of mediation belongs to Christ alone, as the Holy Spirit helps us to pray as we ought.   Fellow believers do pray for one another while they are here in this world, interceding and supplicating on each other’s behalf (I Tim. 2:5, 2:1 & Rom. 8:26). The angels worship God; they are fellow servants of God with us (Rev. 22:9 & Heb. 1:6).

It is of the utmost importance to remember that Satan himself would love to appear as an angel of light to mislead us, just as false teachers seek to “if possible deceive the very elect” (II Cor. 11: 14 &Matt. 24:24). We are to test all teachings and ‘so called’ messages from God by the written word of God. God never contradicts Himself or His Word.

What the Scriptures tell us about angels is delightful food for thought – all truth from God should be cherished. “Men did eat angels' food...” (Psa. 78:25) and we still may do so by giving our hearts and minds to the study of God's word (Deut. 8:3 & Matt. 4:4). The Word of God is better than the manna in the wilderness.  It should be great nourishment for us, to think on the myriads of angels whose joy is to serve their Creator (which includes the care of His people).

But the greater comfort and sweetness should be found in the sure hope that we will one day join them before God's Holy Throne. There we will bring gladness to the angels in glory as we sing ‘the song of the redeemed’ (e.g. Revelation 5:9-10). They will bow to Him with us when, in glorified bodies, we sing the Lamb’s praise before the watching universe (I Pet. 1:12). Myriads of angels anxiously awaiting the song which only redeemed sinners can sing—WOW!

~ DLA

Courting Disaster

The Scriptures tell us “do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (Deut. 22:10 & II Cor. 6:14).  More plainly in our words of today: don’t be joined at the neck with an unsuitable partner.  In the latter reference Paul is speaking of Christians being joined to non-Christians. The figurative picture seems rather clear when considering the culture of Paul’s time and place – two oxen were yoked for the purpose of working together, thus lightening the load for each other in the work to be done. If the two animals were not of the same mind, strength and willingness, much suffering would befall one or both of the two – maladjusted effectiveness would result. If God so cared for the animals referenced in the Deuteronomy passage, how much more does He care for His people in regard to our close relationships, which can be difficult at best in our present, fallen world.

While the principle may be applied to many human relationships which require commitment and perseverance for success (business partners, etc.), it definitely fits as an analogy for the work of a successful marriage.

Ouch! I can feel the stinging words from the many who will no doubt disagree with my understanding of this and related Scriptures. But if we disagree with another Christian regarding the teaching of God’s words to us, let’s make sure we disagree with each other only and not with God. We do this by studying the context of the debated Scriptures and those related to them.

Many scriptural truths were not properly taught in the churches in which I grew up. But after the Spirit came to live in my heart and to guide my understanding, some things gradually became sound reasoning and thus God graciously spared me and protected me from much harm that could have otherwise resulted. As I matured as a Christian and became a woman, casual dating was the norm. I knew that to date a non-Christian would only lead to trouble and regret to some degree. Regardless of a young man’s nice guy or good-ole-boy reputation, and regardless of how attractive he was, I did not have confidence in my ability to bring him to a saving faith in Christ, as some young women seemed to have. Only God can do that (2 Tim. 2:25)!

I was considered by many to be old-fashioned, ‘wall-flowered’ etc. for my lack of boyfriends because of this stance. There were opportunities to sow sorrow and regret for myself and another. It was a time of surging freedoms of expression and passions and sensual appetites run amuck. It still is but to a worse degree! Desiring a mutually Christian marriage and a life-partner who was also my best friend, my prayers and patience were not always in harmony (I Pet. 3:7, Matt. 9:6 & Gen. 2:24).

My testimony is not that, at last, Prince Charming came and we lived happily ever after. It is that eventually God sent the ‘right one’ for me and we now continue to live out our days working and plowing together. This yoke thing requires pulling and leaning together as well as like-mindedness in most things, etc. How great the difficulties must be for those who do not share and submit to the same loving Master in their yoke of marriage. There are difficulties enough even when Christians strive at such team-work.

Am I dooming all marriages of Christian to non-Christian?  No. The Scriptures provide guidance for the believer who is in that situation (I Cor. 7:12-15 and others).  Am I judging those who voluntarily enter such marriages?  No.  Am I saying that Christians shouldn’t date or marry non-Christians? Yes I am, because of many Scripture passages by which we are to be guided.   Dating (to any Christian) should not be viewed as fun, sporting experiments for the single person. Can we play with fire and not get burned (Prov. 6:27)?  Dating (preferably courtship for the very young adult) should be the first step in getting to better know each other as prospective lifetime partners under God’s shelter. Safer, less tempting, more modest and more fitting means of socializing with the opposite sex are easily found by any who are willing to look for them. Why should we walk the precipice of a cliff simply because others do it?

Marriage is one of God’s chief blessings to mankind. When rightly understood and practiced, it is a gilded picture of Christ and His Church. The preliminary relationship that leads to marriage should also be one of the most blessed, beautiful, and God-honoring times of our lives (Prov. 30:18-19). The demand for perpetual love-story-themed movies and countless romance novels tell us that we long for beauty and honor in the relationship that leads to marriage. We desire true and romantic beauty in the marriage union itself. Should we not patiently seek this blessing from God if we desire to please Him as the true Lord of our lives? 

There are countless unequally yoked marriages that survive and in some ways even thrive. PERHAPS, (a big perhaps), God will use the Christian partner to help lead the unbelieving one to true union with Christ; but this is nowhere promised in Scripture and to proceed on the assumption that He will is risky and sometimes rebellious behavior.  Those Christians who have experienced ‘unequal’ marriages for even a short time, in honest assessment, would acknowledge that life would have been and would now be exponentially better if both had been Christians from the beginning of their union. This does not negate the love between them. It does tell us that the Lord always knows what is best for His people.  Always!  

For a Christian to ignore God’s precepts for our lives concerning these relationships is truly the equivalent of courting disaster. His commandments and precepts set forth in Scripture are not given to make us miserable.  He does not wish to squelch our earthly happiness. To the contrary, His truth, when obeyed, will enhance all of our human relationships. If this is true, how much more so the wonderfully emotionally intimate, romantic relationships of courtship and marriage, the most intimate of human relationships.    

~ DLA