Angels’ Works - What Do They Do?

Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (ESV)

Faithful Angels = Perfectly Obedient Servants - Across the Whole Bible

  • Faithless, Disobedient Angels = Fallen Angels = Demons

  • Revelation 12:7–12 “the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

  • Ezekiel 28:15–17 “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. … and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. [17] Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground”

  • Isaiah 14:12–15 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! … You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God … I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.”

Messengers of the Law - Acts 7:53 “the law as delivered by angels”

  • Galatians 3:19 “the law?…it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.”

  • Hebrews 2:2 “For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution”

Messengers of Revelation - Scripture

  • Revelation 19:9–10 “And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” [10] Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Messengers of Revelation - Instruction & Understanding

  • Judges 13:3–22 the angel returns to Manoah and his wife again to teach them about the mission of their son

  • Angels Appear at Jesus’ Tomb Upon His Resurrection (Matthew 28:2-7, John 20:12-13)

  • Angels at Jesus’ Ascension (Acts 1:10-11)

  • Angel of God Appears to Centurion Cornelius and the Lord Speaks to Peter (Acts 10:1-16)

Messengers of Revelation - Encouragement

  • Genesis 16:7–14 to Hagar - direction, encouragement

  • 2 Kings 1:15 “Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, ‘Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.’ So he arose and went down with him to the king”

  • Angel Speaks to Paul with Warning Prior to a Shipwreck (Acts 27:23-24)

Messengers of Revelation - Announce Birth of a Child

  • Judges 13:3–22 to Manoah and his wife, announces Samson’s coming birth

  • Gabriel and other Angels Appear to Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, and the Shepherds (Luke 1:11-20, Luke 1:26-38, Luke 2:8-15, Matthew 1:20-25, Matthew 2:19)

Messengers of Revelation - Call to Obey, Follow, & Lead

  • Exodus 23:20–21 “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.”

  • Judges 6:11–23 to Gideon, call to battle

Messengers of Revelation - Judgment

  • Daniel 4:13-17 “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. … [17] The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’”

  • Genesis 31:11 to Jacob in a Dream

  • Prepared to destroy Jerusalem - 1 Chronicles 21:15–16 “And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw, and he relented from the calamity. And he said to the angel who was working destruction, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. [16] And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.”; 2 Samuel 24:16-17 to David

Messengers of Revelation - Rebuke 

  • Judges 2:1–3 to all the people of Israel

Messengers of Revelation - Future Judgement, Deliverance, & Events

  • Zechariah 1-6 angelic visions to Zechariah

  • Revelation to John

God Sent an Angel in Response to Prayer

  • Judges 13:3–22 Manoah asks the Lord to send the angel again to teach them about the mission of their son

Court of Witnesses

  • Deuteronomy 33:2 “The LORD came from Sinai … he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand.”

Guard

  • Genesis 3:24 “He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.”

  • Elisha Asks for His Servant to See the Lord’s Army of Horses and Chariots (2 Kings 6:17)

Execute Judgement/Wrath - Gather, Destroy, Cast

  • God Destroys 185,000 Assyrians (2 Chronicles 32:21, 2 Kings 19:35)

  • Zechariah 1-6 angelic visions to Zechariah,

  • An Angel of the Lord Strikes Down & Kills King Herod for Not Glorifying God (Acts 12:22-23)

  • Revelation 14:19–20 “So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. [20] And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.”

Guide

  • The Lord & the Angel of God Lead Israel by Pillar of Cloud and Fire (Ex13:21-22, 14:19-20)

  • Numbers 20:16 “when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt”

  • Exodus 23:20–21, 33:2, Numbers 20:16 an Angel before the Israelites

  • Angel Tells Philip to Go South (Acts 8:26)

  • Angel of God Appears to Centurion Cornelius and the Lord Speaks to Peter (Acts 10:1-16)

  • An Angel of the Lord delivers Peter from prison (Acts 12:7-10)

Stop Disobedience

  • Numbers 22:22–38 to Balaam, Balaam’s Donkey Speaks

Discipline 

  • Muteness for Zechariah's unbelief - Gabriel - Luke 1:11-20

Protect

  • The Lord & the Angel of God Lead Israel by Pillar of Cloud and Fire (Ex13:21-22, 14:19-20)

Provide

  • 1 Kings 19:5-8 - Food to Elijah when he was about to die

  • And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.”

Bring Forgiveness from God

  • Zechariah 3:4 The angel of the Lord takes away the sin of the high priest Joshua

  • Isaiah 6:6-7 Seraphim to Isaiah

Deliver/Save

  • Genesis 19:15 “As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.”

  • Angelic Opening of the Prison Doors to Free Apostles (Acts 5:19)

  • An Angel of the Lord delivers Peter from prison (Acts 12:7-10)

Minister to the Needs of the Children of God

  • Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”

Minister to Jesus their Creator

  • Angels Minister to Jesus After Satan’s Temptations (Matthew 4:11)

  • Angels Strengthen Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43)

Worship - Song & Praise

  • Hebrews 1:6 “And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’”

  • Isaiah 6:3 “And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’”

  • Revelation 4:8 “And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’”

  • John’s Vision on Patmos (the book of Revelation)


4 Biblical Responses In Regard to Angels

1.See, Receive, & Follow Jesus’ Example of Servant Leadership - Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

2. All Creation, both Great (Angels) and Small (Humanity), Is Designed to Serve God - Revelation 19:4–5 “And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” [5] And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”

3. Together We Worship God Alone - Revelation 19:10 “Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

    • Revelation 22:8–9 “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, [9] but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

4. Jesus Is Far Greater than All of the Angels - Hebrews 1:3–4 “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, [4] having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”