Reading: King of Angels (Dr. Feddes)

King of Angels
By David Feddes

Jesus Christ is the king of angels.

Some folks associate angels with Jesus in much the same the same way they associate elves with Santa Claus. They see angels as just another part of the imaginary cast of characters that make the Christmas season so delightful. Picturing angels as cute makes them seem as unreal as a fairy tale, and it certainly doesn’t do justice to the splendor and importance of the angels. The real angels described in the Bible had to tell almost everyone who saw them, “Don’t be afraid.” But the cute little creatures that we put up as Christmas ornaments wouldn’t scare anybody.

The Bible shows what angels are really like and tells many things that angels have done. As we meet real angels in Scripture, we find that they are sometimes comforting, sometimes frightening, always fascinating.

Even if we think of angels as very real and very strong, we may still make the mistake of thinking their main purpose is to do whatever we want them to do. Some popular books about angels tell how handy it is to have your own angel. Your angel can rescue you from car accidents, help you win baseball games, heal you from sickness, and if you’re looking for a spiritual high, your angel can give you experiences and feelings like nothing you’ve had before. One book says that angels “pour their blessings on us overwhelmingly… always they try to give us what we want.” In other words, angels think that the customer is always right. If some of the popular books about angels are right, you really can have your own personal genie–an angel who considers your wish his command. But if God’s book, the Bible, is right, angels aren’t here to serve the customer. They’re here to serve God. They do many things which help people, but only at God’s command, not our demand.

Let’s explore what the Bible says about angels. First we'll see what angels are like. Second, we'll see what angels do. Third, we will focus on the great King of angels, Jesus Christ. Fourth, we'll see how God, through Christ, has blessed humans even more than angels. Fifth and finally, we'll see how God's blessings on humans also benefit the angels.

What Angels Are Like

First, what are angels like? What are some of their characteristics? One thing we know is that angels are creatures: that is, they have been created by God. Angels have not existed from all eternity. God made them. We don’t know how or when, but we know that angels had a beginning and, like every other creature, they owe their existence to God (Nehemiah 9:6). They are God’s creatures, not his equals.

Another thing we know about angels is that they are personal beings, not impersonal forces. Each has a name, such as Michael or Gabriel.  Not all angels are alike. The Bible uses various titles to describe angelic beings: angels, archangels, cherubim, seraphim, thrones, dominions, rulers, authorities, and powers. Some writers in the Middle Ages took these titles and described nine different angelic levels. That was mostly guesswork; the Bible doesn’t offer many details. But Scripture does indicate that there are different types of angels with different responsibilities, different levels of authority, different official titles, and different personal names.

Another characteristic of angels: they are spirits (Hebrews 1:14). Angels belong to a mysterious realm of beings that exist in a different dimension than we do. They are a kind of creature that is completely different from any life form on earth. You can’t see an angel with a telescope or analyze the parts of an angel in a laboratory. Most of the time their activity is inaudible to human ears and invisible to human eyes. People can’t see them or hear them unless the angels want them to. That’s because angels exist in another dimension, the spirit realm, and they are not subject to our laws of physics.

Scientists have had a project called SETI, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, in which a very sensitive receiver continually searches for energy emissions and radio waves from outer space that might alert us to the existence of other intelligent beings out there somewhere. But we already know about a life form that no high-tech receiver or space probe can ever discover. Angels can’t be detected by sonar or infrared or radio waves or any other scientific device.

But what science can’t tell us, the Bible does tell us: right around us, in another dimension of existence, there are countless personal beings of phenomenal intelligence and remarkable power. Angels are mighty, and they are magnificent. The Bible often portrays them as so dazzling, so stunning that even when they made friendly visits, those who saw them were overwhelmed with awe and amazement and fear.

What Angels Do

Now that we’ve had a glimpse of what angels are like, let’s take a look at what they actually do. What activities, according to the Bible, are they involved in?

Worshipers

The first and foremost activity of angels is to praise and worship God and bring honor to Jesus Christ. The Old Testament records visions of angels who cover their faces in God’s presence, and keep repeating, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

Now, if angels are so strong and splendid, just how awesome is the God they worship? Just how dazzling is the One that not even angels can look upon? Angels are so overwhelming that you might be tempted to worship one if you saw one. But angels don’t want your worship; they want you to worship God. In the book of Revelation, the apostle John fell down at the feet of a splendid angel who had shown him astonishing visions. But the angel told him, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you … Worship God!” (22:9) Angels know that no matter how great they may be, they are still just servants of Someone far greater. They know that all their glory comes from God and is nothing compared to the glory of God himself.

The Bible portrays the angels constantly praising the Lord of heaven, and when the Lord Jesus became a baby on earth, they continued their praise of their King. The coming of God’s Son to earth was a moment the whole universe had been waiting for, and so on the night of Jesus’ birth, the praise of the angels reached new heights. Hebrews 1:6 says, “And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.” When an angel announced Jesus’ birth, “a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:13-14).

The praise of the angels for the newborn king–that’s one of the great themes of Christmas. Indeed, praising the Lord is perhaps the foremost activity of angels. It’s humbling to think that even if not a single human being ever worshipped God or believed in Jesus, the Lord would still have millions upon millions of absolutely magnificent creatures who never stop praising him. It’s humbling to know that, but it’s also thrilling to think that by faith in Jesus, we can join our voices with the all God’s angels in one great chorus of praise.

Messengers

But let’s move on. In addition to praising God, what else are angels involved in? The Bible tells us that angels serve as God’s messengers. Angels spoke with Abraham, they took part in giving the law of God to Moses on Mount Sinai, they communicated with the prophet Daniel, and they announced the birth of great biblical figures such as Samson and John the Baptist.

Of course, the greatest birth announcement the angels ever made was the birth of Jesus. How did the virgin Mary first learn that she would give birth to the Savior? The angel Gabriel told her. How did Joseph find out that the baby growing inside Mary was really the Son of God? An angel told him. How did the shepherds on that first Christmas find out about the Christ child? An angel told them, backed by an entire chorus of angels.

Angels brought messages at the time of Jesus’ birth, and they continued to bring vital messages about Jesus. When Jesus rose from the dead, angels were the first to announce it. When Jesus ascended to heaven, angels appeared and told his followers that the Lord would return again someday. As the early church faced many challenges, angels continued to bring messages from God. Many of the visions recorded in the book of Revelation were communicated through an angel messenger.

Angels have communicated or confirmed many important things, but they have never brought any of these messages on their own authority. They have always spoken the message God has given them. Angels are ambassadors. They don’t speak their own opinions; they say only what their King tells them to say. Their message is the eternal gospel. It comes from God and addresses everyone on earth.

Still today angels work as messengers. Revelation 14:6 pictures an “angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on earth–to every nation, tribe, language, and people.” As God’s people on the ground share the gospel with others, angels above the ground are their partners in proclaiming the eternal gospel.

Warriors

In addition to serving God as worshipers and messengers, what else do angels do? They serve as warriors. They defend and deliver God’s people from enemies. The Bible says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them” (Psalm 34:7). “If you make the Most High your dwelling… he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:9-11). What a comfort! When God’s people are surrounded by enemies and frightening circumstances, the angels are there as guardians.

But what about all those times when trouble comes crashing in and when death strikes God’s people? Where are angels then? Have they abandoned us or failed to do their job? No, even then, the angels are busy. Jesus told about a man named Lazarus. This man suffered most of his life and then died. Did that mean the angels weren’t with Lazarus? No, Jesus says that when Lazarus died, “the angels carried him to Abraham’s bosom.” Even though the angels didn’t shield Lazarus from trouble or prevent him from dying, they were there the whole time, and the moment Lazarus died, they carried his soul to heaven. When you are a child of God facing harm, the Lord’s angels will protect you by doing one of two things: either they will rescue you and preserve your life, or else, if it is your time to die, the angels will shield your soul and bring you safe to heaven.

The angels are warriors who serve as guardians for those who love God, but there’s another side to the angels’ work as warriors. As they protect God’s friends, they also fight his enemies. There are many stories in the Bible of how God’s angels destroyed entire armies, laid waste great nations, and struck down individuals who harmed God’s people and denied God’s glory.

Do you like seeing a police officer nearby? It all depends. If you have car trouble or an accident and need help, you’re glad to see a police car pulling up. But if you drive too fast or run a red light, you’re not happy to see the police behind you.  If you’re being robbed and beaten, you’re overjoyed to see an officer coming. But if you happen to be the robber, a police officer is the last person you want to see.

Angel warriors, like police, are good news for some but bad news for others. Angels are good news for oppressed people but bad news for oppressors.  Angels are good news for those who trust and obey God but bad news for those who break God’s law.

It’s comforting to think angels stand up for you when you face trouble. But remember, angels stand up for others too. When you meet someone who seems weak, small or unimportant, don’t despise or harm that person. “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones,” says Jesus. “For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:11). It is an awful crime to harm the weak or cause little ones to sin.  Their angelic enforcers and their King will catch up with the guilty and punish them.

At the end of time, Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead, and his heavenly warriors will be with him. “The Son of Man will send out his angels,” says Jesus, “and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:41-42). It’s a great comfort to be on the side of Jesus and his angels, but if you chose another way, it will be horrible to be seized by those fierce warriors and hurled into hell.

Let’s summarize what we’ve seen so far. When it comes to the nature of angels, the Bible says they are creatures made by God, they are spirits, they are personal, and they are mighty and magnificent. When it comes to the activities and roles of angels, the Bible says they are worshipers, messengers, and warriors. Clearly, angels are impressive, and their work is important.

King of Angels

The reason the Bible tells us all this is not just so that we will be aware and amazed by angels, but so that we will stand in awe of Jesus, the King of angels. If angels are so great that a man who saw one would be tempted to worship the angel, just imagine the splendor and power of the One the angels themselves worship.

In an old episode of the comic strip Hagar the Horrible, the pudgy Viking Hagar is looking for a fight. He bangs on a castle door and shouts, “Is Og the Awful in there? Come out and face me!” The castle door opens and out steps a ferocious giant, bristling with weapons. His waist is higher than Hagar’s head. Little Hagar shrinks back in terror and gasps, “Are you Og the Awful?”  “No,” replies the giant, “I’m just his butler.”

Angels are mighty and overwhelming. But great as they are, cherubim and seraphim, angels and archangels, are still only God’s butlers, his servants and throne attendants. The Lord himself is infinitely higher, greater, and more glorious than all of them combined. Make no mistake: the angels are dazzling, but that tiny baby lying in Bethlehem’s manger whom the angels announced and praised was infinitely greater. Within the form of that tiny baby was hidden all the splendor and greatness of God himself. In Hebrews 1 the Bible says of Jesus,

We’ve seen how splendid angels are. But splendid as they are, the angels are still only God’s servants. Jesus is God’s only begotten Son, equal in splendor with God the Father. If even the most magnificent angels cover their faces before the Lord and devote themselves to praising and serving him, you can only imagine how great the Lord himself must be.

Jesus is immeasurably greater than the angels, and what he has accomplished is infinitely greater. The work of the angels, wonderful as it is, would be completely useless without the work of Jesus Christ to save us from our sins.

It was not an angel who became a baby in Bethlehem. It was Jesus. The angels announced it, but Jesus did it. It was not an angel, but Jesus, who lived among us, who identified with us, who took our guilt upon himself, who took the punishment for sin in our place, who suffered and died so that we could be saved. It was not an angel who entered into the grave and then rose from the dead. It was Jesus. An angel rolled away the stone and announced the victory, but it was Jesus himself who actually destroyed the power of death and crushed Satan forever.

Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves. And he did it all out of love. Nobody forced the Son of God to become a tiny baby. He chose to become one of us because he loved us. When Jesus was arrested and facing death, he didn’t have to go. He could have called an army of angels to rescue him, wipe out his enemies, and destroy this evil world (Luke 26:53). Even one angel is powerful enough to wipe out an entire army. And Jesus had all the hosts of heaven ready to fight for him. Those mighty warriors stood rank upon rank, poised for the order to attack. But the order never came. The angels stood back at their King’s command, and the King of angels allowed his human enemies to seize him and crucify him. He died in our place so that all who believe in him might not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus didn’t do this because anyone forced him, and he didn’t do it because he needed us. Jesus is the King of angels, after all. Even without us, he’s still got countless millions of splendid angels who love him, serve him with perfect obedience, and never stop praising him. And even without the angels, Jesus’ union with God the Father and the Holy Spirit is so full and wonderful that the Holy Trinity needs no one else to be happy. However, his love is so great that, even though he didn’t have to, even though he didn’t need us, he stooped to become a tiny baby anyway and to endure death on a cross, rather than abandon his people to hell. How could a Lord so big become so small in that manger of Bethlehem? How could a King so powerful endure such suffering on that cross? I don’t know how he did it, but I know he did it for me, and I marvel at the mystery of his love.

Humans Blessed More Than Angels

And as if that weren’t enough, God has chosen to give us blessings even greater than the blessings he pours out on his holy angels. People who belong to Jesus by faith have privileges that even an angel can never enjoy.

The Son of God never became an angel, but he did become a man. Hebrews 2:16 says, “Surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants,” those who by faith belong to God’s family. The Lord adopts us as his sons and daughters, a privilege that he hasn’t given to the angels. When we are forgiven of all our sins and born again through faith in Jesus, we know a dimension of God’s greatness and love that even angels can’t quite grasp.

British preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “If you imagine that forgiveness is a simple matter for God, and that because God is love he simply has to say, ‘Very well, I will forgive you,’ you might as well burn your Bible. The forgiveness of sins, I dare to say, taxed even the wisdom of God. At any rate, I am certain when I say that the angels could see no way through this problem. That is why they are surprised when they see what God has done about it.” God could create worlds and galaxies merely by speaking. He can cause an earthquake or bring down a nation simply by frowning. But for God to reconcile himself with sinners,  he did something far more difficult: he joined himself to humanity as a baby, and died for humanity on a cross.

Once Jesus had solved the sin problem through his death, he rose from the dead by the power of God and ascended to heaven, where he now reigns in power and glory, adored by angels and reigning over the universe. This whole chain of events, from Jesus’ birth to his death, resurrection, and glorious ascension, never ceases to amaze the angels. The Bible says, “Beyond all question the mystery of godliness is great: [Christ] appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).

Each time an individual repents of sin and trusts in Christ, the angels are amazed and delighted afresh at another new display of God’s wisdom and love. Jesus said, “I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). If one person turning from sin to Christ can set off so much celebration, just imagine how amazed and merry the angels must be to see a whole mosaic of millions of people, each a unique individual, each one chosen by God from all eternity, each led to salvation by God’s own special plan for that person, and all joined in one body, the church, with Jesus Christ as the head. Angels marvel that Christ saves multitudes of lost sinners and makes them into saints and royalty who can be at home in the company of angels and may enjoy privileges even greater than the angels. 

The Bible says that followers of Jesus will someday rank higher than angels. Does that upset the angels? Does it make them envious to see members of the church blessed so bountifully? No, it fills them with delight that the God they serve has the wisdom and generosity to do such astonishing and splendid things, and it makes them eager to find out even more. The things God is doing through Christ in his church are so thrilling, says the apostle Peter, that “even angels long to look into these things” (1 Peter 1:12).

Angels Benefit from God's Blessings on Humans

What Christ has done for humans is so great that the benefits overflow even to the holy angels. The angels feed on the glory of God—it is their nourishment and pleasure—so every fresh display of God’s glory expands their happiness even more. The holy angels always knew that God is good and loving, but never before had they seen such love as when God the Son became human and died to rescue sinners. That’s why the angels erupt in praise for the Lamb that was slain: it thrills them to serve a God whose love is greater than even angels could have guessed.

Another way the church benefits the angels is to give them reason to prize their own heavenly happiness even more when they see what it cost to provide such happiness to humans. Eternal enjoyment of God is breathtakingly valuable—so precious, in fact, that God paid the immeasurable price of his own Son’s blood to purchase it for human beings. The holy angels didn’t need Christ to die for their sins in order to be fit for heaven, but when they see what it cost God to pay for humans to be there, that great price helps the angels to sense more strongly than ever what a huge treasure they have in belonging to the Lord and enjoying him forever.

Another blessing for angels is that Christ, the God-man, is their head as well as ours. By becoming human, God the Son has come closer to angels than when he was divine but not yet human. Angels are creatures, and God the Creator is infinitely above them as he is infinitely above us. But by becoming human, the Son of God has a created nature joined forever to his divine nature. That makes him one of us, and it also brings him closer to the angels. The Bible says that God’s final goal is “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Ephesians 1:10). What does it mean for the angels to have Christ as their head? The holy angels did not need Jesus to die for their sins, but now that Christ has a created nature, the angels are as closely connected to him as a body to its head. Their relationship to God can be more intimate and joyful than ever, and they can also have a closer bond to other creatures who have Christ as their head.

This brings up still another way in which Christ’s love for the church benefits the angels. Angels are blessed by their bond with the church, and they are thrilled anew every time another human is saved. One reason the angels celebrate each new Christian is that they see a fresh display of God’s goodness. Another reason for celebrating is that when a sinner turns to Christ, another splendid being is added to the heavenly fellowship headed by Christ. The angels know that each repentant sinner is adopted by God as his child and becomes a prince or princess in his kingdom. The angels are excited to have another member of royalty join the eternal circle of joy around God’s throne.

You may not see yourself as royalty, you may not see anything about yourself that would make angels excited to enjoy your company, but if you could only see what God will someday make of you (if you are one of God’s children in Christ), you would understand why angels would feel honored and thrilled to associate with you. If you belong to Christ, you will share in the splendor of Christ himself and reign with him in a way that even the angels will never cease to marvel at.

It’s clear from the Bible that angels enjoy great blessings from what Christ has done for his church, even though they benefit only indirectly. How much greater, then, are the blessings for those who benefit directly? If angels rejoice that Christ became human, shouldn’t we rejoice that Christ is one of us? If angels marvel that Christ would die for others, shouldn’t Christians marvel that Christ died for us? If angels are amazed at what God does for his church, shouldn’t every person in the church be amazed? And if you’re outside the church, shouldn’t you be asking how you can get in? Shouldn’t you be seeking a share in the riches of Christ and find out how you can benefit from God’s wisdom which amazes even the angels? If “even the angels long to look into these things,” shouldn’t you look into them as well?