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- [00:02]
A
What do we really know about angels? These mysterious creatures appear throughout Scripture, but what do we really know about them? Welcome to Christ in Prophecy. I'm Tim Moore, Director and senior evangelist for Lamb and Lion Ministries, and I'm here with Nathan Jones, our Internet evangelist. So, Nathan, this is a subject very close to your heart. A while back, you wrote a book called the Mighty Angels of Revelation. So today we're featuring your book and the fascinating facts you discovered as part of our summer book series.
- [00:30]
B
Well, Tim and I can tell you studying the 72 angels or groups of angels found in the Book of Revelation was really one of the most humbling and awe inspiring experiences in my life. There is another remarkable thread woven throughout the Book of Revelation that many Christians overlook entirely, and that is the staggering activity of angels. From the very first verse of Revelation in the book, I'm going to pull back the curtain of these celestial beings and reveal the angels who serve our sovereign God.
- [00:56]
A
Well, Nathan, you said there are 72 angels or at least groups of angels. That is surprising because most Christians have just a couple of pictures in mind. Perhaps the image of winged angels singing praises to God at Christmas time, or the angel Gabriel bringing the message of the birth of Christ to Mary. But you found so much more.
- [01:14]
B
Well, the word angel, which is malik in Hebrew or angelos in Greek, literally means messenger. And throughout the Book of Revelation, these heavenly beings serve as God's messengers or also as warriors, as worshipers, enforcers, and even executioners. And they are all working to accomplish the will of God and to bring history to its glorious conclusion in Jesus Christ.
- [01:34]
A
Well, Nathan, I'm actually excited to bring this fascinating conversation to Christ in Prophecy Radio today. And as always, we invite our listeners to stay with us to gain a greater understanding of the angels of Revelation and deepen your appreciation for God's sovereignty. We'll be right back. But even as we go, if you want to learn more about Bible prophecy and even get your own copy of the Mighty Angels of Revelation, visit our website@christinprophecy.org there you'll find a wealth of resources, including this wonderful book. Stay tuned. We'll be right back.
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C
When you scroll through the daily news, you almost always hear bad news. It's easy to forget that there's anything good happening in the world today. But here at Christ in Prophecy, we want to proclaim the good news that that Jesus Christ is returning soon. So swipe away the endless bad news and open up our free online Lamplighter magazine to discover your blessed hope in the Lamplighter Magazine, we explain why the nations are raging against each other in war, what's really happening in culture, and why you can have hope in Christ. The Lamplighter magazine is available in email, print and downloadable formats. Sign up today@christinprophecy.org
- [02:52]
A
welcome back to Christ in Prophecy Radio with Tim Moore and Nathan Jones. Well, Nathan, as you have documented, the book of Revelation contains the largest concentration of angels in the entire Bible. 72 distinct angels or groups of angels. And the word revelation itself comes from the Greek word apokalypsis, meaning to unveil. So, as you said from the opening verse, God is pulling back the curtain of celestial activity happening all around us. So introduce us to some of these mighty angels.
- [03:20]
B
Well, let's go to Revelation 4 and 5. We're going to do what John did. Be caught up to heaven. We're going to stand before the throne of God. God, folks, obviously is not an angel. The Bible says he is spirit and God alone is spirit, but he is separate from his creation. So never listen to anybody who says that Jesus is an angel or God is an angel. Angels are created just like mankind was created. So there's totally a separate being. But let's say that you are standing before the throne of God, and if you know Jesus as savior, one day you will be. You will meet the seraphim. The seraphim have four different kind of faces. One like an ox, one like a man, one like an eagle, and one like a lion. They also have multiple wings, six wings, and they sing unceasingly before the Lord. They sing, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and and who is to come. But you know, Tim, one of the creepy things about these, I don't know what you think about this, but they're covered in eyes. Why do you think the seraphim are covered in eyes?
- [04:18]
A
Yeah, I tell you what, that is a mystery that I don't know if we will understand until we get to heaven. And even then we just may be in awe because it is an awesome sounding picture to think of these creatures, these beings covered in eyes. I don't know if it is to see all around or to keep their eyes focused on the Lord God. I actually love the fact that the seraphim, with their four faces and seem to be representative even of the four manifestations of Christ in the gospels. Christ as the servant, whether it's the ox, Christ as the eagle, in other words, flying high above Christ, demonstrated as a man in every manifestation, even their appearance reflects the glory of Jesus Christ as He is revealed. But there is yet another class of angels right there in chapters four and five of Revelation.
- [05:04]
B
Yes. So, folks, you got to get rid of this. What I had growing up was this new 1950s Americana view of angels, you know, from our children's books. They're all blonde haired, white togas, they had a little halo, they had wings like birds. And that's not. There might be some that look like that, but really they're as vastly different as the animal kingdom is here on the earth. So we saw these different seraphim with four faces, six wings and covered in eyes. Well, the cherubim actually have four faces. They have all four faces, but instead of six wings, they have four. And God uses them to transport his throne across the heavens. Actually, in reality, the heavens move and God's throne stays put. And so, as Ezekiel saw, these cherubims sit within these wheels, within the wheels. For God's throne is actually a chariot. It moves and they're the ones who transport God around. Very different, Tim, than you see at Valentine's Day, where most of the time cherubim. Yeah. Are little chubby babies who shoot hearts and arrows. Not at all like the Bible describes them.
- [06:05]
A
Not at all like the Bible describes. I think as a matter of fact, sometimes it. We can hardly imagine, even though it's described in Revelation, the vision that John saw of these beings, we just know that they are glorious. But their glory is only meant to offer and bring praise and glory to the Lord God. And that brings us to the choir angels. This is one I can begin to identify with because these countless multitudes of angels, it says thousands and myriads of myriads, are singing praise to the Lamb. Nathan, some of us may not have an angelic voice, but. But all of us have the ability to praise the Lord. And even with our mouths, we can sing praises to him, just as this angelic choir is doing.
- [06:44]
B
Yeah, we don't understand the concept of time in heaven, but we do know that the angels sing 24:7. Not all the same angels. They come and go. They're beings just like we are. So they have other things. But when you go to the throne of God, there will always be some choir singing at some time. And Tim, I love the way Revelation 5:11 says, Thousands and myriads of myriads, many myriads of myriads. Folks, point to the fact that it's like 100 billion times 100 billion. There are so many more angels than there are people.
- [07:13]
A
Another thing that I find very reassuring. You talk about the angels of the seven Churches, we obviously know that this could have an angelic representative. We've speculated of whether these particular messengers are representing the actual pastors of these churches. But God cares for his churches to, just as he cares for us as individual followers of Christ. And so Jesus sends specific messages through an angel to these churches just as he has sent his word to us as believers.
- [07:43]
B
Yeah. You can read in Revelation chapters two and three that the Lord has seven letters. The seven different churches, they are historical churches in what is present day Turkey. It was Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. And the Lord says that he holds the seven stars in his hands. The star and the is another term for angels in the Bible. And so it's believed that the Lord has guardian angels over his churches. You know, Tim, it's wonderful when you see the imagery of Jesus there walking amongst the seven lampstands, in other words, the seven churches. He's got control over the guardian angels. In other words, he never leaves our churches. He never leaves us. And a lot of times we as Christians think that God's out there somewhere distant from us. But in truth, he walks among us all the time.
- [08:27]
A
He certainly does. Well, before we run out of time in this segment, obviously we haven't even begun to touch on all the various forms of servant angels that will carry out God's will during the tribulation as described in Revelation 6:16. The branding angel who marks the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. The four wind angels who control the weather and natural forces of the earth, the seven trumpet judgment angels who unleash waves of God's wrath. The seven bowl judgment angels who pour out final judgments of the Great Tribulation. Nathan, what's the big picture here when we talk about all these forms of angels during the Trib, they serve God,
- [09:02]
B
they do his will, and they do it without question. They are totally devoted to him. And that's a beautiful thing. And in just a moment, we'll talk about the angels connected to the most dramatic events in all of Revelation, including the demonic fallen angels, Satan himself, and the angels who accompany Christ at his glorious return. But first, we're going to take a look at current events through the lens of Bible prophecy. In our next segment, what's called what's really Going On. Stick with us.
- [09:29]
C
Many churches avoid Bible prophecy, but it's a valuable part of God's word. For more than 45 years, Christ in prophecy has provided reliable insight into all of God's Word. We're Talking about passages and prophecies God recorded so you and I can know what to expect. If you'd like to hear Tim Moore and Nathan Jones speak in person, consider attending one of our upcoming events or invite them to come and speak at your church. Get in touch to find out more and make your request@christinprophecy.org contact let's take God at his word, all of it. Connect with us@christinprophecy.org contact
- [10:09]
A
welcome back to Christ in Prophecy Radio and our feature called what's really Going On. So, Nathan, one of the first things people want to know about angels is are they still active today?
- [10:18]
B
Yeah, that's a good question. I mean, what's really going on? Well, God's will continues, and of course God's will continues, so does the work of angels. And that was my problem, Tim. Before I even started writing the Mighty Angels of Revelation, I kind of doubted that angels were still active. I mean, we read about them in the Old Testament, we know they showed up to Mary in the New Testament, and I thought, well, the book of Revelation, they'll be busy in the future, but are they busy in this church age? And my paradigm was shifted, so to speak, when I got a call from my father late one night. He and my mother got in a terrible car wreck. I mean, she was just totally crushed. He was had broken ribs and he had passed out on the street. And all of a sudden this motorcycle pulled up next to his head and this biker got out, picked him up, lifted him off. And my father said he was in a daze, but he could swore that the guy ripped the door off my mother's car and checked on her and then checked on another car. And my father passed out. And he woke up being loaded into the ambulance. And he said to the paramedic, please thank the biker for me. And the paramedics said, I'm sorry, sir, I don't. What biker? And they looked at the cop and said, I didn't know. I don't have any biker until that day. My father believes that an angel came and helped rescue them from getting run over by other traffic and all that. And I kind of doubted it at first, Tim, I wasn't sure. But the more I think about it and hear other stories of people all over the world who have had angelic encounters, that yes, angels are indeed at work in our time. Do you have a story from your history?
- [11:44]
A
Well, I have a friend who has a picture he took and he says, look at this picture and you can see him. And there's someone standing there with their arm around him. He said, when that picture was taken, there was nobody but me there. And he believes it's a picture of an angel. I can only take by faith what he tells me, that there was no one else actually physically present. My own brother, when his little boy was very young, or his son now grown, was very young, went looking for his son as they were getting ready to leave on a family trip and couldn't find him. And finally he found this young boy, probably three years old, out in the backyard. And he said, jonathan, what are you doing? He said, I was out here talking to these men. And my brother looked around and said, there are no men here, son. The backyard gates are locked and no one has come through the house. I've been looking for you. No one has been here. And his son said, dad, there were two men who were glowing. And my brother said, two men who were glowing. What did they say to you? And they said, jesus is coming soon. I do believe that there are angels. And yes, some people have had encounters with them. And yet, Nathan, on the flip side of this reality, we see a growing cultural fascination with angels that is actually unbiblical, both in its foundation and in what it is really trying to advocate.
- [12:57]
B
Yes, folks, if you are going to want to know about angels, the Bible is resplendent with information about angels. But when you go outside the Bible, even pseudo Christian books like the Book of Enoch for instance, which teaches a lot about the angels, but the Book of Enoch is among modern day forgery. It's not the original Book of Enoch or extraterrestrial encounters. We also hear about this teaching that and Tim, just you go on the Internet and you pull up angel, and almost always they look like women. But folks, the Bible teaches that angels are not given in marriage. So they're genderless, but always they're put in the male, masculine context, not female. And so we've got all these misconceptions infiltrating us not only about God, but about his angelic spirit servants and, you know, cherubs on greeting cards. And you think, it's a Wonderful Life.
- [13:44]
A
Yeah, My favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life, when Clarence earns his wings. And every time a bell rings, an angel earns its wings. It's a great movie. It is not biblically true or like
- [13:53]
B
the fact that when you die, you become an angel. Folks, the Bible does not teach that at all. Angels are actually called the sons of God in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament because We are saved. Christians are called the sons of God. We, we become higher ranked than the angels in the celestial realm. And that's one of the reasons we'll get into it the next segment. While Satan hates humanity so much. Well, let's close what the Bible actually says that angels are created beings. They're not glorified humans. They do not marry. Matthew 22. And most importantly, and Tim, we saw this in Revelation 19, angels are not to be worshiped.
- [14:29]
A
Absolutely not. None of the people who wanted to fall in worship were told, yeah, go ahead. Every angel said, do not do that. I am not God. Give your worship only to the Lord. And yet there is a false angel who would love to be worshiped, and that is Satan, the fallen angel. And we are going to talk more about him in our next segment. Stay with us.
- [14:50]
C
Studying Bible prophecy is an important practice for Christians who want to mature in their faith. At Lamb and Lion, we have compiled the best resources to help you explore and explain Bible prophecy. Our online store is stocked with insightful books and charts from authors such as Dr. David Reagan, Tim Moore, Nathan Jones and more. So why not add a good Christian book to your library today or order one for a friend? Understand Bible prophecy better when you visit christinprophecy.org
- [15:24]
A
well, thus far we've talked about the angels who are serving the Lord, Heaven and even as they interact with mankind here on earth. But Nathan, let's turn to the darker side of what revelation reveals in the angelic drama. Those are the fallen angels and the angels who deliver God's judgments on the earth in the end times. So who is the premier fallen angel?
- [15:44]
B
You know, a poll was done recently, Tim, that 91% of non Christians do not believe that Satan is a real being, that he is a force of nature or a symbol for evil. But folks, that the Bible teach that Satan was once known as Lucifer. He was a cherubim and actually a very mighty cherubim. He was the greatest of all the creation that God created. He's always portrayed as a dragon. So since angels can also look like forces of nature or animals, that he might have been reptilian in nature. And he was also meant to serve God as the choir leader of heaven. But he started then to see, and we could read this in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, how Satan began to want God's power. He wanted the worship, he wanted the throne. And so he was able to convince a third of the other angels to join him and try one great rebellion and attempt to overthrow God himself.
- [16:36]
A
Yeah, you know Isaiah 14 you mentioned in verse 12 says, oh, how you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn. In other words, this elevated angel who tried to usurp God's throne was cast out. Now we know he still has access to heaven. And Nathan, we don't fully understand that, but that's exactly what is conveyed in the book of Job. And yet one day he will no longer have access to heaven and he will become enraged. Even in his rebellion. Though Satan tries but cannot succeed in thwarting God's plan, he is merely an unwitting instrument of God's sovereign purposes. You think of the cross. Satan thought he had defeated Jesus Christ by having him killed there on the cross of Calvary. But instead even that evil act according to God's plan and purpose. Because from the foundation of the earth the Lord knew that his Son would come to be sacrificed for the sins of all who would put their trust in him.
- [17:31]
B
Yes, Satan must be an incredibly frustrated being because he wants to overthrow God and God allows him to continue to serve as a kind of a lightning rod for people to choose. Folks, we have free will. We can choose the Lord or not. And those who want to reject the Lord need a lightning rod to rally around. And that's Satan. Now Satan was cast down with his demons, the Bible says, like lightning upon the earth. And there they sit dwelling to control the powers behind the world system, but also to thwart God's plan of bringing redemption to humanity. Satan loves to punish, he hates God's people. Why? Because the Bible says that humanity was made in the image of God. So he hates God, he then therefore hates humanity.
- [18:13]
A
Well, you mentioned another class of angels that Revelation touches on especially in chapters 19 and 20. And you call these the executioner angels. What are those all about?
- [18:22]
B
Well, as we get near the end of Revelation, we are getting to the end of a tribulation time period. The Bible prophesies a seven year time of tribulation is going to come upon the world for God to test the earth to bring judgment upon the earth. And so the forces of Satan against the forces of God, this is the we are getting to the final battle for that time period. And we are introduced some angels that serve God in helping defeat Satan as antichrist forces. So we get the stone angel for instance, who will crush the Antichrist capitol. We don't know what that capital is. Some believe it rebuilt Babylon or could be Rome. But the Antichrist, this one world leader, his capital will be destroyed by this stone angel. And then When Jesus returns, just a word. He melts the Antichrist forces. He takes the antichrist and false prophet and throws him to hell. And he binds Satan and he sends a jailer angel to bind Satan and cast him into the bottomless pit from for a thousand years. And we see too when Jesus returns on his white horses, he's accompanied by the armies of Heaven, folks, heavenly warriors. I think a lot of time, Tim, when we think about angels as messengers or choir leaders, but there are also warriors who serve in his army.
- [19:34]
A
We know obviously that in the Old Testament Daniel was visited by an angel who said he was constrained for a period of time by the demonic angel, the prince. Power over Persia. Boy, isn't that something old coming back into the fore today? So there are demonic forces even over nations and entities here on earth. Well, obviously, Nathan, we also are very much looking forward to the new heaven and the new earth. And even then in Revelation 21 and 22, the Lord has revealed that there are angels who will have special purposes during that time period.
- [20:08]
B
Yes, the new Jerusalem folks. This is going to be Jesus capital on the earth and it has 12 mighty gates. And the Bible calls the guardians of the 12 gates. These 12 angels will stand guard as kind of honorary in front of each of these gates. And we will come in and out of this wonderful city that's our future home and just explore the universe that God has made. The Lord sends out one final proclamation of the Gospel through the Good News angel. And then as we get to the end of the story, we're reintroduced to this angel that has accompanied John throughout the book of Revelation. I call him the revealing angel. Tim, he doesn't give us his name there. We know very few names of Ang. We know, of course Lucifer, we know Michael, we know Gabriel, but that's about it from the Bible itself. So I gave them titles so we could keep track of who these angels are. But I love what Hebrews 1:14 says. Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to render service for the sake of who? Those who inherit salvation? Tim, there are angels out there that the Lord has put in guardian over us to care for us as well.
- [21:12]
A
You know, that demonstrates God's great love for us. And even as he created an entire realm of beings who have angelic powers and angelic proximity to the throne of God, we are still the loved ones. And so he has even this angelic realm serving him, acting as ministers and servants on our behalf. Well, Nathan, before I come back with a final word of encouragement, which we always close with what would you say about the angels of Revelation? And how can people get a copy of your tremendous book, the Mighty Angels of Revelation?
- [21:45]
B
We've seen here that the angels of Revelation are absolutely magnificent. But, folks, they're not the point of the Bible. Every angel in Revelation, from the seraphim before the throne to the jailer who locks Satan away, exists to do what? Magnify Jesus Christ. The angels will always point you to Jesus Christ, and that's how you know they're a true angel. Folks, if you'd like to get a copy of the Mighty Angels of Revelation, we offer it on our website@christinprophecy.org we're actually having a two for one deal. Buy one, get one free, and that includes shipping for $20. We will send that to you. So Visit our website, christinprophecy.org and get your copy of the Mighty Angels of Revelation today. Stay with us. Tim's going to be back in just a moment.
- [22:28]
C
Four decades ago, Lamb and Lion Ministries was launched by Dr. David Reagan. And today we are continuing his legacy and proclaiming the soon return of Jesus Christ to an international audience. Through tv, radio and online, we're fulfilling the great calling to proclaim the truth of scripture from beginning to the end. Find out more when you go to christinprophecy.org
- [22:56]
A
well, I'm so grateful that Nathan Jones, our own Dr. Jones, wrote a book on the mighty angels of Revelation. You know, folks, there is a moment near the end of Revelation that I find deeply instructive. Twice, twice the Apostle John, the very man who walked with Jesus, who leaned against him at the Last Supper, who stood at the foot of the cross, fell at an angel's feet to worship him. And twice the angel stopped him cold and said, do not do that. Worship God. And that's the whole message of Revelation in a single exchange. The angels are glorious. They are powerful beyond imagination. They come in shapes and sizes that would utterly overwhelm us. And yet and every one of them, from the mightiest seraph before God's throne to the humblest messenger angel, points away from himself and toward the one who is worthy of all worship, Jesus Christ. In a world that is increasingly fascinated with spiritual things, angels, mystical experiences and signs and wonders, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. He is the alpha and the Omega, the one who was and who is and who is to come. He is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. He is the one who loved us and released us from our sins. By his blood. The angels exist to serve him, and so do we. If you are a believer, take courage. The God who commands armies of angels is the same God who calls you his child. His heavenly host is at work even now, carrying out his sovereign purposes, moving history towards its appointed conclusion. And that conclusion is Jesus Christ Triumphant, reigning over a redeemed creation with every tear wiped away. If you have not yet placed your faith in Jesus Christ, let me urge you, do not wait. The angels who execute God's judgment are just as real as the angels who escort the redeemed into his presence. The choice before you is urgent. Come to Christ today, before it is too late. Until he returns, Godspeed.