Heavenly Host: Attributes

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 

They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 

Psalms 91:11-12

Unlike so many pictures that depict angels playing harps or dressed in all white floating amidst the clouds in a beautiful blue sky, they are an heavenly host with many attributes.  It is important that we understand their role in relation to God and to man.  God has given us angels to watch over us. 

Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.   Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.  Psalms 103:20-21

They work in concert with God in accordance with His will for mankind.  They are referenced throughout the word of God and through this, their various attributes are made known to us.

Ö     They are first and foremost, spirits:

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?  Hebrews 1:14

Ö     They are immortal:

Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.  Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.  For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.   Matthew 22:28-30

Ö     They have both visible and invisible forms:

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.  And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:  Numbers 22:31-32

Ö     They appear with the likeness of human form:

And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,  Genesis 18:2

Ö     They have appetites:

And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. Genesis 18:8

Ö     They have emotions:

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.  Luke 15:10

Ö     They are glorified beings:

For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.  Luke 9:26

Ö     They are intelligent:

 To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.  2 Samuel 14:20

Ö     They are meek:

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.  Jude 1:9

Ö     They are powerful:

Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.  Psalms 103:20

Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.   2 Peter 2:11

Ö     They have no need to rest:

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.  Revelation 4:8

Ö     They travel at an unrecorded speed:

And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!  Revelation 8:13

Ö     They speak languages:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.   1 Corinthians 13:1

Ö     They are Innumerable:

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,  Luke 2:13

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,  Hebrews 12:22

Ö     They do not marry or have children:

And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:   But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:  Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.  Luke 20:34-36

Ö     They are obedient:

Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.  Psalms 103:20

Ö     They are holy:

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:  Revelation 14:10

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.  Mark 8:38

Ö     They are reverent:   Their highest activity is the worship of God.

Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.  Nehemiah 9:6

Angels are active in both Heaven and earth. The source of their power is both granted and governed by God. They have access to the presence of God in Heaven:

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.    Matthew 18:10

Among their assignments both in heaven and earth, concerning man, God has given them a charge to watch over us:

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Psalms 91:11-12

(Biblical Studies)

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