What is a covenant?
A covenant is a treaty or binding agreement between two parties. The Hebrew word berith which is translated covenant literally means cutting, implying the fact that a covenant was confirmed with the shedding of the blood of a sacrifice. This meant that a covenant was a blood oath.
The New Covenant is primarily stated in contrast to the Old (Mosaic) Covenant. These two covenants are the only conditional covenants God makes in the scriptures. God’s promises in the covenants are eternal, but the agreement itself depends upon men accepting the terms of agreement.
What are some of the differences between the New and Old Covenants?
- The Old Covenants terms/rules had to be learned (Exodus 24:12)
- The Old Covenant had to be obeyed according to the ability of men (Romans 7:5)
- The Old Covenant was confirmed with the blood of animals (Exodus 24:8)
- The Old Covenant had severe consequences for failure to obey (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)
- The New Covenant is Holy Spirit taught (Jeremiah 31:33-34)
- The ability to obey the New Covenant is empowered by the Holy Spirit of God (Hebrews 9:14)
- The New Covenant is confirmed by the blood of the Son of God (Matthew 26:28)
- The New Covenant is crowned with God’s mercy and forgiveness for those times men fail to obey (Hebrews 8:12)
The first Lord’s Supper was a Passover observance by Jesus and His disciples. (Matthew 26:19-20) It was also the institution of the New Covenant. It makes sense for us to honor the New Covenant on Passover.
During the Passover observance, it was customary for the head of the feast (Jesus in this case) to lead the table in remembrance of the four great “I WILLS”, promises of God to Israel as stated in Exodus 6:6-7. These were memorialized by the taking of a cup of wine for each declaration. The four promises and cups were:
- I WILL bring you out (the cup of sanctification)
- I WILL bring you out of bondage (cup of deliverance/praise)
- I WILL redeem you (the cup of redemption)
- I WILL take you to me for a people (cup of acceptance/praise)
On the night of the first Lord’s Supper, Jesus took the first three cups with His disciples. The last cup, the one in which He said “this is my blood of the new testament (covenant) which is shed for many for the redemption of sins” (Matthew 26:28) was the cup of redemption. Redemption (Hebrew gaal) means to be purchased out of slavery, or to pay a ransom and free. It had to be done by someone who was a kinsman (family). Jesus paid the purchase price (His blood) to redeem us from slavery to sin (Romans 6:12-16). Jesus refused to take the fourth cup (the cup of acceptance) because Israel had not yet accepted Him as Messiah. (Matthew 27:20-25, Zechariah 12:10). The next time that He takes the cup will be with all believers and redeemed Israel at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9).
Some notes on the Lord’s Supper taken from the early church -
- Important passages for meditation before taking the Lords Supper include Matthew 26:26-28, John 6:22-71 and 1 Corinthians 11:20-34.
- The Lord’s Supper was done weekly, sometimes with every meal
- The Lord’s Supper is a spiritual and physical blessing to all who take it worthily
- The Lord’s Supper brought sickness and death to believers who took it unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:20-34)
- Unleavened bread (symbolizing purity) and red wine sometimes mixed with water were normally used
- Because the Lord’s supper was normally done in small groups, personal confession was often practiced before taking it, to cleanse the conscience and help the believer take it in a worthy manner
- The point of the Lords Supper is to remember what Jesus did for us (Crucifixion) and to remember our commitment to the New Covenant with Him
Dec 17, 2011
The Old Cross and The New
ALL UNANNOUNCED AND MOSTLY UNDETECTED there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. It is like the old cross, but different: the likenesses are superficial; the differences, fundamental.
From this new cross has sprung a new philosophy of the Christian life, and from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique-a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching. This new evangelism employs the same language as the old, but its content is not the same and its emphasis not as before.
The old cross would have no truck with the world. For Adam's proud flesh it meant the end of the journey. It carried into effect the sentence imposed by the law of Sinai. The new cross is not opposed to the human race; rather, it is a friendly pal and, if understood aright, it is the source of oceans of good clean fun and innocent enjoyment. It lets Adam live without interference. His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure, only now he takes delight in singing choruses and watching religious movies instead of singing bawdy songs and drinking hard liquor. The accent is still on enjoyment, though the fun is now on a higher plane morally if not intellectually.
The new cross encourages a new and entirely different evangelistic approach. The evangelist does not demand abnegation of the old life before a new life can be received. He preaches not contrasts but similarities. He seeks to key into public interest by showing that Christianity makes no unpleasant demands; rather, it offers the same thing the world does, only on a higher level. Whatever the sin-mad world happens to be clamoring after at the moment is cleverly shown to be the very thing the gospel offers, only the religious product is better.
The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a cleaner and jollier way of living and saves his self-respect. To the self-assertive it says, "Come and assert yourself for Christ." To the egotist it says, "Come and do your boasting in the Lord." To the thrill seeker it says, "Come and enjoy the thrill of Christian fellowship." The Christian message is slanted in the direction of the current vogue in order to make it acceptable to the public.
The philosophy back of this kind of thing may be sincere but its sincerity does not save it from being false. It is false because it is blind. It misses completely the whole meaning of the cross.
The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being. The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said good-by to his friends. He was not coming back. He was going out to have it ended. The cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man, completely and for good. It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim. It struck cruel and hard, and when it had finished its work, the man was no more.
The race of Adam is under death sentence. There is no commutation and no escape. God cannot approve any of the fruits of sin, however innocent they may appear or beautiful to the eyes of men. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again to newness of life.
That evangelism which draws friendly parallels between the ways of God and the ways of men is false to the Bible and cruel to the souls of its hearers. The faith of Christ does not parallel the world, it intersects it. In coming to Christ we do not bring our old life up onto a higher plane; we leave it at the cross. The corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die.
We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.
God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life He offers is life out of death. It stands always on the far side of the cross. Whoever would possess it must pass under the rod. He must repudiate himself and concur in God's just sentence against him.
What does this mean to the individual, the condemned man who would find life in Christ Jesus? How can this theology be translated into life? Simply, he must repent and believe. He must forsake his sins and then go on to forsake himself. Let him cover nothing, defend nothing, excuse nothing. Let him not seek to make terms with God, but let him bow his head before the stroke of God's stern displeasure and acknowledge himself worthy to die.
Having done this let him gaze with simple trust upon the risen Saviour, and from Him will come life and rebirth and cleansing and power. The cross that ended the earthly life of Jesus now puts an end to the sinner; and the power that raised Christ from the dead now raises him to a new life along with Christ.
To any who may object to this or count it merely a narrow and private view of truth, let me say God has set His hallmark of approval upon this message from Paul's day to the present. Whether stated in these exact words or not, this has been the content of all preaching that has brought life and power to the world through the centuries. The mystics, the reformers, the revivalists have put their emphasis here, and signs and wonders and mighty operations of the Holy Ghost gave witness to God's approval.
Dare we, the heirs of such a legacy of power, tamper with the truth? Dare we with our stubby pencils erase the lines of the blueprint or alter the pattern shown us in the Mount? May God forbid. Let us preach the old cross and we will know the old power. (A. W. Tozer, Man, the Dwelling Place of God, 1966)
From this new cross has sprung a new philosophy of the Christian life, and from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique-a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching. This new evangelism employs the same language as the old, but its content is not the same and its emphasis not as before.
The old cross would have no truck with the world. For Adam's proud flesh it meant the end of the journey. It carried into effect the sentence imposed by the law of Sinai. The new cross is not opposed to the human race; rather, it is a friendly pal and, if understood aright, it is the source of oceans of good clean fun and innocent enjoyment. It lets Adam live without interference. His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure, only now he takes delight in singing choruses and watching religious movies instead of singing bawdy songs and drinking hard liquor. The accent is still on enjoyment, though the fun is now on a higher plane morally if not intellectually.
The new cross encourages a new and entirely different evangelistic approach. The evangelist does not demand abnegation of the old life before a new life can be received. He preaches not contrasts but similarities. He seeks to key into public interest by showing that Christianity makes no unpleasant demands; rather, it offers the same thing the world does, only on a higher level. Whatever the sin-mad world happens to be clamoring after at the moment is cleverly shown to be the very thing the gospel offers, only the religious product is better.
The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a cleaner and jollier way of living and saves his self-respect. To the self-assertive it says, "Come and assert yourself for Christ." To the egotist it says, "Come and do your boasting in the Lord." To the thrill seeker it says, "Come and enjoy the thrill of Christian fellowship." The Christian message is slanted in the direction of the current vogue in order to make it acceptable to the public.
The philosophy back of this kind of thing may be sincere but its sincerity does not save it from being false. It is false because it is blind. It misses completely the whole meaning of the cross.
The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being. The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said good-by to his friends. He was not coming back. He was going out to have it ended. The cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man, completely and for good. It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim. It struck cruel and hard, and when it had finished its work, the man was no more.
The race of Adam is under death sentence. There is no commutation and no escape. God cannot approve any of the fruits of sin, however innocent they may appear or beautiful to the eyes of men. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again to newness of life.
That evangelism which draws friendly parallels between the ways of God and the ways of men is false to the Bible and cruel to the souls of its hearers. The faith of Christ does not parallel the world, it intersects it. In coming to Christ we do not bring our old life up onto a higher plane; we leave it at the cross. The corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die.
We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.
God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life He offers is life out of death. It stands always on the far side of the cross. Whoever would possess it must pass under the rod. He must repudiate himself and concur in God's just sentence against him.
What does this mean to the individual, the condemned man who would find life in Christ Jesus? How can this theology be translated into life? Simply, he must repent and believe. He must forsake his sins and then go on to forsake himself. Let him cover nothing, defend nothing, excuse nothing. Let him not seek to make terms with God, but let him bow his head before the stroke of God's stern displeasure and acknowledge himself worthy to die.
Having done this let him gaze with simple trust upon the risen Saviour, and from Him will come life and rebirth and cleansing and power. The cross that ended the earthly life of Jesus now puts an end to the sinner; and the power that raised Christ from the dead now raises him to a new life along with Christ.
To any who may object to this or count it merely a narrow and private view of truth, let me say God has set His hallmark of approval upon this message from Paul's day to the present. Whether stated in these exact words or not, this has been the content of all preaching that has brought life and power to the world through the centuries. The mystics, the reformers, the revivalists have put their emphasis here, and signs and wonders and mighty operations of the Holy Ghost gave witness to God's approval.
Dare we, the heirs of such a legacy of power, tamper with the truth? Dare we with our stubby pencils erase the lines of the blueprint or alter the pattern shown us in the Mount? May God forbid. Let us preach the old cross and we will know the old power. (A. W. Tozer, Man, the Dwelling Place of God, 1966)
A Scriptural Overview of Angels
The word used for angel in Hebrew is malawk. It literally means messenger. While this highlights one of the primary tasks of angels, it is only the beginning of what they do. Let’s start with the angels the Bible tells us about by name.
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
The Angel of the Lord is mentioned many times in the Old Testament. It is apparent that this is sometimes a generic term for a messenger of God, but at other times describes the most unique of all the angels. The features of this angel include speaking not only for God, but as God. Some examples of this include Gen. 16:6-13, where Hagar is fleeing from Sarah. The Angel of the Lord appears to Hagar and speaks for God in verse 9, then speaks as God in verse 10. Again in Gen. 18:1-14 we see three angels appear as men to Abraham. Abraham actually prepares food for them which they eat! (vs. 10) In verse 1 of this chapter one of the men is actually identified as Yahweh, the Lord Himself. In Gen. 22:9-18 Abraham again encounters the Angel of the Lord as he is taking his son, Isaac, up to Mount Moriah to offer him as a sacrifice. In verse 12 the angel speaks both for God and as God in the same verse. Furthermore, in vs. 15-18 the Angel again speaks as God, pronouncing the great blessing upon Abraham as though the Angel Himself were God. In Gen. 28 and 31 Jacob interacts with the Angel of the Lord in dreams. In Gen 32:23-31, Jacob wrestles with a man (vs. 24), but this man goes on to rename and bless Jacob, giving him the new name of Israel (ruling with God or God prevails vs. 28). In verse 30 Jacob renames the place Peniel, meaning the face of God, as Jacob had “wrestled with God” face to face and prevailed, at least to the extent of receiving the blessing of the Lord. This is confirmed in Hosea 12:4-5.
So we have here an example of an angel (messenger) of God speaking for God but also as God. This is called a theophany, meaning an appearance of the Son of God before His incarnation through the Holy Spirit and Mary. This being necessary because as we read in Jo. 1:18 and 5:37, no one can look upon God or hear Him directly. God is holy, and we who are unholy would not survive being in His presence. The Angel of the Lord was a necessary intermediary in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, with the incarnation of the Son of God in Jesus Christ, His appearing as the Angel of the Lord became no longer necessary. We now have the face and voice of God available to all believers. Jesus Christ in the flesh is now our intermediary. We see similar encounters in Ex. 3:1-6 with Moses at the burning bush, and Josh. 5:13-15 where Joshua encounters the Angel of the Lord in the appearance of a man before the fall of Jericho. We see the Angel again in Jud. 6:11-24, where He appears to inspire and direct Gideon in the deliverance of his people. There are other passages referring to the angel of the LORD in the Old Testament, but it’s not certain that all of these are referring to theophanies.
MICHAEL
Michael is an archangel (chief) of God. His name means “Who is like God”. (Dan. 10:13, 21, 12:1, Jude 9 and Rev. 12:7.) Michael appears in scripture to be the head of God’s armies of angelic beings (see Rev. 12:7) and has personally contended with Satan (Jude 9). In Hebrew tradition and alluded to in Dan. 12:1, Michael is the “Prince of Israel”, or the spiritual defender of Israel. We read of other angelic princes in Daniel 10:13 and 20, those of Persia and Greece. We can deduce from those passages that these Princes are the spiritual authorities ruling over those areas of the world.
It should be added here that the idea of “principalities” or angelic princes reigning governing the earth, with different angels covering different parts of the world is mentioned in scripture. In Deut. 32:8 we are told that God set the bounds of the people on earth according to the angels of God. While the KJV of this verse says “sons of Israel”, the Septuagint, the scriptures Jesus used, has rendered this accurately. This tells us that spiritual governance of this world is divided amongst “principalities”, powerful angels of God. The bad news for us in this is that most of these angels are fallen.
Getting back to Michael, in Dan. 12:1 we are told that in the last days “shall Michael stand up”. The word for stand up here is amad, and is used twice in verse 1. It means to stand, or take a stand. This is the explicit meaning the first time it’s used in verse 1, but the second time it’s used it would mean to “cease” from standing. We are told in the second half of Daniel 12:1 that after Michael ceases from his activity which initiates the “time of Jacob’s trouble”, centered on Israel, which has never been seen before. This verse explains “the restrainer” or the one who holds back (Satan in this case) in 2 Th. 2:6. Michael is the only angel who has been shown to engage and eventually defeat Satan (Rev. 12:7), and he is the spiritual protector of Israel. Dan. 12:1 indicates that when Michael ceases to restrain Satan, then the time of great tribulation or Satan’s wrath (Rev. 12:12) begins. Michael is the one who restrains. It has become popular for those supporting the pre-tribulation view of prophecy to claim the Holy Spirit is the Restrainer who is removed, but there is no scriptural basis for this claim. It should be noted that restraining humanity in not listed as a function of the Holy Spirit anywhere in scripture.
GABRIEL
Gabriel interestingly means “man of God”, and apparently appears and speaks like a man. He also seems to be a herald of God, that is, one who is sent before the King to announce His coming. (Dan. 8:16, 9:21, Lk. 1:19, 26). He not only appears to announce prophecies relating to the coming Messiah to Daniel, but also appears to Mary to announce that she would soon be pregnant by the Holy Spirit with the Savior of the world.
CHERUBIM
The cherubim are powerful angels usually mentioned as being in the immediate presence of God. They first appear in scripture as guardians of the way into the Garden of Eden after the fall of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:24). In scripture they bear the throne of God (Ps. 18:10, 2 Sam. 22:11-12), and the Lord sits between them (Ps. 99:1). God communed with Moses from between the cherubim on the Mercy Seat (Ex. 25:22). They have four faces, those being a man, a lion, an eagle and a ox/bull. The ox is said to be the face of the cherub in Ezek. 10:14. Satan is called the “anointed cherub” in Ezek. 28:14.
The cherubim are part of an amazing vision that Ezekiel relates in chapters 1 and 10. Part of this vision mentions the ophan, or wheels. The ophanim would be yet another class of angels if they are indeed separate from the cherubim. These amazing “wheels within wheels” are described in Ezek. 1:15-21 and 10:9-13. The wheels and the cherubs move in connection with the Throne of God, and we are told this is because the spirit of the living creature (cherub) was in the wheel. We are also told these ophan are dreadful to look at and are covered with eyes!
We have briefly mentioned the Cherubim, but there are two other classes of angels mentioned in scripture. The Seraphim (fiery, burning ones) and the Nephilim (fallen ones). The Seraphim are mentioned in Is. 6:2, where they are described as having six wings, two with which they cover their eyes, two with which they cover their feet, and two with which they fly. The cry Holy, Holy, Holy in the Presence of the Lord. These same beings appear to be described in Ezek. 1:13 as part of the moving angelic throne of God, also consisting of the cherubim and ophan. Rabbis called this angelic combination that makes up the throne of God the “merkabah”.
We also read of fiery chariots and horseman, the “chariot of Israel” that carries Elijah away in 2 Ki. 2:11-12. In 2 Ki. 6:17, Elisha’s servants eyes are opened so that he may see a “mountain full of horses and chariots of fire”. These may be a general class of angels, most likely the Lord’s attendants as it is written in Ps. 104:4. He “makes His angels spirits, His ministers (attendants) a blazing fire”.
There are also several verses mentioning the “saraphs” that are “fiery flying serpents” (Num. 21:7, Deut. 8:15, Is. 14:29, 30:6). These serpents are a curse to the murmuring Israelites in the wilderness, and a prophetic warning to the areas of Palestine (Is. 14:29) and Egypt (Is. 30:6). These verses do not make these seraphim evil, but rather instruments not only of God’s immediate service but also of judgment to the wicked. They also appear to be of the same angelic class as the worshipping angels in Is. 6:2.
THE FALLEN ONES
Speaking of the wicked, this brings us to the Nephilim. These beings are mentioned in Gen. 6:4. The King James and older versions translate the term as “giants”, but owing to much controversy, newer versions like the NIV simply leave the word in its original form. The term means “fallen ones”. In Gen. 6:2 we are told these Nephilim are the offspring of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men”. Sons of God is bene elohim in the Hebrew. It is used three other times in the Old Testament, each time being understood as denoting angels.
If we read this passage as written, it says that angels of God chose to rebel, to “come down” (fallen ones) and have children with human women. The central argument against this view comes from Matt. 22:30, where Jesus tells the Sadducees that the “angels in heaven do not marry, nor are given in marriage”. What Jesus said is describing obedient angels. One important point about angels is that, just like us, they can choose. They can choose to obey God, or disobey, like Lucifer.
Genesis 6:4 mentions that the offspring of the Nephilim were on the earth in those days and “also after that”, that is, after the flood. Five different tribes are mentioned in the Old Testament that are said to be the giant offspring of the Nephilim. These are the Amorites, (the prominent ones, Amos 2:9), Anakim (long-necked ones, Num. 13:32-33), Emims, (terrors, Deut. 2:10-11), Rephaims, (dead ones, Gen. 14:5), and the Zamzummims (plotters, Deut. 2:20)
The literal interpretation of the resulting offspring of this union, is the word gibborim in Hebrew (Gen. 6:4), usually translated as giants. Giants are not a normal offspring of human union. Other Bible passages support this view, including 1 Pet. 3:19-20, 2 Pet. 2:4 and Jude 6. The passage in 2 Peter states that “the angels that sinned” led to the flood of Noah’s day (2 Pet. 2:5). This strongly supports the view that this angel/human union was corrupting the whole human race. Jude 6 mentions the “angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation”, again confirming the story in Genesis 6. In 1 Pet. 3:19-20 Peter tells us that Jesus “went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient”…”in the days of Noah”. This Jesus did after His resurrection. These passages can only be referring to the Nephilim of Genesis 6. Jesus warned that in the last days conditions will be “as the days of Noah” (Matt.24:37). This begs the question, will the fallen ones be seen on earth again?
ABOUT ANGELS
A few general characteristics of angels include:
- They may appear as humans, and often do (Genesis 18:2-10, Mk. 16:5, Heb. 12:2).
- The human form which Jesus took is “a little lower than the angels”, indicating the resurrected body will be equal or greater to that of an angel (Heb. 2:7-9).
- Jesus said that “little ones” (children, small, meek) have angels that always face the Father (indicating intense interest) (Matt. 18:10).
- They are sent to “minister” to the “heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).
- They are described as being made “blazing fires” (Ps. 104:4).
- They shall “gather together His elect” at the end of the age (Matt. 24:31).
- They are called “stars” in some passages (Is. 14:13, Dan. 8:10, Rev. 1:20, 9:1).
- The star of Bethlehem may have been an angel (Matt. 2:9).
- They carried the recently deceased to Abraham’s bosom (Lk. 16:22).
- They were created by God (Neh. 9:6, Ps. 142:2-5, Col. 1:16-17).
- Three angels will circle the earth at the end of the age, the first telling the world to fear God and give him glory (Rev. 14:6-7), the second announcing the fall of Babylon the great (Rev. 14:8), and the third warning the earth not to take the mark of the beast (Rev. 14:9-12).
- They were created before mankind (Job 38:4-7).
- They are innumerable (Dan. 7:10, Heb. 12:22).
- The only description of female angels is in Zech. 5:9.
- They are stronger than man (Ps. 103:20, 2 Pet. 2:11).
- They have more wisdom than men (2 Sam. 14:20).
- A single angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night (2 Ki. 19:35).
- A single angel (possibly the same as above) killed seventy thousand Israelites by pestilence in a 3 day period (1 Chr. 21:12-16).
OTHER SPIRITS MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE
- Wisdom is mentioned as a spirit (Ex. 28:3, Pro. 8:1-9:6).
- The Sword of the Lord is mentioned as a spirit (Gen. 3:24, Jer. 47:6, Ezek. 14:17, Amos 9:4).
- There are seven spirits of God mentioned in Rev.1:4, 4:5, 5:12. They are Power, Riches, Wisdom, Strength, Honor, Glory (known as Shekinah in the Old Testament) and Blessing/Praise.
- Mystery Babylon is an evil spirit named in Rev. 17:5-6. She is said to be “drunken with the blood of the saints”.
- A “lying spirit” that was obedient to the Lord is mentioned in Micaiah’s prophetic vision in 1 Ki. 22:19-23.
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
The Angel of the Lord is mentioned many times in the Old Testament. It is apparent that this is sometimes a generic term for a messenger of God, but at other times describes the most unique of all the angels. The features of this angel include speaking not only for God, but as God. Some examples of this include Gen. 16:6-13, where Hagar is fleeing from Sarah. The Angel of the Lord appears to Hagar and speaks for God in verse 9, then speaks as God in verse 10. Again in Gen. 18:1-14 we see three angels appear as men to Abraham. Abraham actually prepares food for them which they eat! (vs. 10) In verse 1 of this chapter one of the men is actually identified as Yahweh, the Lord Himself. In Gen. 22:9-18 Abraham again encounters the Angel of the Lord as he is taking his son, Isaac, up to Mount Moriah to offer him as a sacrifice. In verse 12 the angel speaks both for God and as God in the same verse. Furthermore, in vs. 15-18 the Angel again speaks as God, pronouncing the great blessing upon Abraham as though the Angel Himself were God. In Gen. 28 and 31 Jacob interacts with the Angel of the Lord in dreams. In Gen 32:23-31, Jacob wrestles with a man (vs. 24), but this man goes on to rename and bless Jacob, giving him the new name of Israel (ruling with God or God prevails vs. 28). In verse 30 Jacob renames the place Peniel, meaning the face of God, as Jacob had “wrestled with God” face to face and prevailed, at least to the extent of receiving the blessing of the Lord. This is confirmed in Hosea 12:4-5.
So we have here an example of an angel (messenger) of God speaking for God but also as God. This is called a theophany, meaning an appearance of the Son of God before His incarnation through the Holy Spirit and Mary. This being necessary because as we read in Jo. 1:18 and 5:37, no one can look upon God or hear Him directly. God is holy, and we who are unholy would not survive being in His presence. The Angel of the Lord was a necessary intermediary in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, with the incarnation of the Son of God in Jesus Christ, His appearing as the Angel of the Lord became no longer necessary. We now have the face and voice of God available to all believers. Jesus Christ in the flesh is now our intermediary. We see similar encounters in Ex. 3:1-6 with Moses at the burning bush, and Josh. 5:13-15 where Joshua encounters the Angel of the Lord in the appearance of a man before the fall of Jericho. We see the Angel again in Jud. 6:11-24, where He appears to inspire and direct Gideon in the deliverance of his people. There are other passages referring to the angel of the LORD in the Old Testament, but it’s not certain that all of these are referring to theophanies.
MICHAEL
Michael is an archangel (chief) of God. His name means “Who is like God”. (Dan. 10:13, 21, 12:1, Jude 9 and Rev. 12:7.) Michael appears in scripture to be the head of God’s armies of angelic beings (see Rev. 12:7) and has personally contended with Satan (Jude 9). In Hebrew tradition and alluded to in Dan. 12:1, Michael is the “Prince of Israel”, or the spiritual defender of Israel. We read of other angelic princes in Daniel 10:13 and 20, those of Persia and Greece. We can deduce from those passages that these Princes are the spiritual authorities ruling over those areas of the world.
It should be added here that the idea of “principalities” or angelic princes reigning governing the earth, with different angels covering different parts of the world is mentioned in scripture. In Deut. 32:8 we are told that God set the bounds of the people on earth according to the angels of God. While the KJV of this verse says “sons of Israel”, the Septuagint, the scriptures Jesus used, has rendered this accurately. This tells us that spiritual governance of this world is divided amongst “principalities”, powerful angels of God. The bad news for us in this is that most of these angels are fallen.
Getting back to Michael, in Dan. 12:1 we are told that in the last days “shall Michael stand up”. The word for stand up here is amad, and is used twice in verse 1. It means to stand, or take a stand. This is the explicit meaning the first time it’s used in verse 1, but the second time it’s used it would mean to “cease” from standing. We are told in the second half of Daniel 12:1 that after Michael ceases from his activity which initiates the “time of Jacob’s trouble”, centered on Israel, which has never been seen before. This verse explains “the restrainer” or the one who holds back (Satan in this case) in 2 Th. 2:6. Michael is the only angel who has been shown to engage and eventually defeat Satan (Rev. 12:7), and he is the spiritual protector of Israel. Dan. 12:1 indicates that when Michael ceases to restrain Satan, then the time of great tribulation or Satan’s wrath (Rev. 12:12) begins. Michael is the one who restrains. It has become popular for those supporting the pre-tribulation view of prophecy to claim the Holy Spirit is the Restrainer who is removed, but there is no scriptural basis for this claim. It should be noted that restraining humanity in not listed as a function of the Holy Spirit anywhere in scripture.
GABRIEL
Gabriel interestingly means “man of God”, and apparently appears and speaks like a man. He also seems to be a herald of God, that is, one who is sent before the King to announce His coming. (Dan. 8:16, 9:21, Lk. 1:19, 26). He not only appears to announce prophecies relating to the coming Messiah to Daniel, but also appears to Mary to announce that she would soon be pregnant by the Holy Spirit with the Savior of the world.
CHERUBIM
The cherubim are powerful angels usually mentioned as being in the immediate presence of God. They first appear in scripture as guardians of the way into the Garden of Eden after the fall of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:24). In scripture they bear the throne of God (Ps. 18:10, 2 Sam. 22:11-12), and the Lord sits between them (Ps. 99:1). God communed with Moses from between the cherubim on the Mercy Seat (Ex. 25:22). They have four faces, those being a man, a lion, an eagle and a ox/bull. The ox is said to be the face of the cherub in Ezek. 10:14. Satan is called the “anointed cherub” in Ezek. 28:14.
The cherubim are part of an amazing vision that Ezekiel relates in chapters 1 and 10. Part of this vision mentions the ophan, or wheels. The ophanim would be yet another class of angels if they are indeed separate from the cherubim. These amazing “wheels within wheels” are described in Ezek. 1:15-21 and 10:9-13. The wheels and the cherubs move in connection with the Throne of God, and we are told this is because the spirit of the living creature (cherub) was in the wheel. We are also told these ophan are dreadful to look at and are covered with eyes!
We have briefly mentioned the Cherubim, but there are two other classes of angels mentioned in scripture. The Seraphim (fiery, burning ones) and the Nephilim (fallen ones). The Seraphim are mentioned in Is. 6:2, where they are described as having six wings, two with which they cover their eyes, two with which they cover their feet, and two with which they fly. The cry Holy, Holy, Holy in the Presence of the Lord. These same beings appear to be described in Ezek. 1:13 as part of the moving angelic throne of God, also consisting of the cherubim and ophan. Rabbis called this angelic combination that makes up the throne of God the “merkabah”.
We also read of fiery chariots and horseman, the “chariot of Israel” that carries Elijah away in 2 Ki. 2:11-12. In 2 Ki. 6:17, Elisha’s servants eyes are opened so that he may see a “mountain full of horses and chariots of fire”. These may be a general class of angels, most likely the Lord’s attendants as it is written in Ps. 104:4. He “makes His angels spirits, His ministers (attendants) a blazing fire”.
There are also several verses mentioning the “saraphs” that are “fiery flying serpents” (Num. 21:7, Deut. 8:15, Is. 14:29, 30:6). These serpents are a curse to the murmuring Israelites in the wilderness, and a prophetic warning to the areas of Palestine (Is. 14:29) and Egypt (Is. 30:6). These verses do not make these seraphim evil, but rather instruments not only of God’s immediate service but also of judgment to the wicked. They also appear to be of the same angelic class as the worshipping angels in Is. 6:2.
THE FALLEN ONES
Speaking of the wicked, this brings us to the Nephilim. These beings are mentioned in Gen. 6:4. The King James and older versions translate the term as “giants”, but owing to much controversy, newer versions like the NIV simply leave the word in its original form. The term means “fallen ones”. In Gen. 6:2 we are told these Nephilim are the offspring of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men”. Sons of God is bene elohim in the Hebrew. It is used three other times in the Old Testament, each time being understood as denoting angels.
If we read this passage as written, it says that angels of God chose to rebel, to “come down” (fallen ones) and have children with human women. The central argument against this view comes from Matt. 22:30, where Jesus tells the Sadducees that the “angels in heaven do not marry, nor are given in marriage”. What Jesus said is describing obedient angels. One important point about angels is that, just like us, they can choose. They can choose to obey God, or disobey, like Lucifer.
Genesis 6:4 mentions that the offspring of the Nephilim were on the earth in those days and “also after that”, that is, after the flood. Five different tribes are mentioned in the Old Testament that are said to be the giant offspring of the Nephilim. These are the Amorites, (the prominent ones, Amos 2:9), Anakim (long-necked ones, Num. 13:32-33), Emims, (terrors, Deut. 2:10-11), Rephaims, (dead ones, Gen. 14:5), and the Zamzummims (plotters, Deut. 2:20)
The literal interpretation of the resulting offspring of this union, is the word gibborim in Hebrew (Gen. 6:4), usually translated as giants. Giants are not a normal offspring of human union. Other Bible passages support this view, including 1 Pet. 3:19-20, 2 Pet. 2:4 and Jude 6. The passage in 2 Peter states that “the angels that sinned” led to the flood of Noah’s day (2 Pet. 2:5). This strongly supports the view that this angel/human union was corrupting the whole human race. Jude 6 mentions the “angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation”, again confirming the story in Genesis 6. In 1 Pet. 3:19-20 Peter tells us that Jesus “went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient”…”in the days of Noah”. This Jesus did after His resurrection. These passages can only be referring to the Nephilim of Genesis 6. Jesus warned that in the last days conditions will be “as the days of Noah” (Matt.24:37). This begs the question, will the fallen ones be seen on earth again?
ABOUT ANGELS
A few general characteristics of angels include:
- They may appear as humans, and often do (Genesis 18:2-10, Mk. 16:5, Heb. 12:2).
- The human form which Jesus took is “a little lower than the angels”, indicating the resurrected body will be equal or greater to that of an angel (Heb. 2:7-9).
- Jesus said that “little ones” (children, small, meek) have angels that always face the Father (indicating intense interest) (Matt. 18:10).
- They are sent to “minister” to the “heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).
- They are described as being made “blazing fires” (Ps. 104:4).
- They shall “gather together His elect” at the end of the age (Matt. 24:31).
- They are called “stars” in some passages (Is. 14:13, Dan. 8:10, Rev. 1:20, 9:1).
- The star of Bethlehem may have been an angel (Matt. 2:9).
- They carried the recently deceased to Abraham’s bosom (Lk. 16:22).
- They were created by God (Neh. 9:6, Ps. 142:2-5, Col. 1:16-17).
- Three angels will circle the earth at the end of the age, the first telling the world to fear God and give him glory (Rev. 14:6-7), the second announcing the fall of Babylon the great (Rev. 14:8), and the third warning the earth not to take the mark of the beast (Rev. 14:9-12).
- They were created before mankind (Job 38:4-7).
- They are innumerable (Dan. 7:10, Heb. 12:22).
- The only description of female angels is in Zech. 5:9.
- They are stronger than man (Ps. 103:20, 2 Pet. 2:11).
- They have more wisdom than men (2 Sam. 14:20).
- A single angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night (2 Ki. 19:35).
- A single angel (possibly the same as above) killed seventy thousand Israelites by pestilence in a 3 day period (1 Chr. 21:12-16).
OTHER SPIRITS MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE
- Wisdom is mentioned as a spirit (Ex. 28:3, Pro. 8:1-9:6).
- The Sword of the Lord is mentioned as a spirit (Gen. 3:24, Jer. 47:6, Ezek. 14:17, Amos 9:4).
- There are seven spirits of God mentioned in Rev.1:4, 4:5, 5:12. They are Power, Riches, Wisdom, Strength, Honor, Glory (known as Shekinah in the Old Testament) and Blessing/Praise.
- Mystery Babylon is an evil spirit named in Rev. 17:5-6. She is said to be “drunken with the blood of the saints”.
- A “lying spirit” that was obedient to the Lord is mentioned in Micaiah’s prophetic vision in 1 Ki. 22:19-23.
Signs of the end of the age
Jesus gave a number of signs, major events that would occur to signal the “end of the age”. That does not mean the end of the world, but rather the end of this period of history. The signs are as follows:
Matthew 24:4-5 - False Christ’s deceiving many.
Revelation 6:2 - A conquering spirit is released, conquering many. This would mean nations and peoples that are being subdued, governments and world leaders being toppled.
Matthew 24:6 - Wars and rumors of wars. See also Rev. 6:3. Nations shall rise against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms.
Matthew 24:7, Revelation 6:5-6 - Famine, especially a loss of grains which is a staple food for the world, but not harming the oil or wine.
Matthew 24:7, Revelation 6:8 - Pestilence and death. The Revelation passage reveals death will come to one fourth of the earth. Today that would be nearly 2 billion people. The death will include those killed by pestilence (disease, sickness), by the sword (war and governments being toppled), hunger (famine) and beasts of the earth.
Luke 21:11 - Fearful sights (literally terrifying things) and great signs from heaven (the sky).
All of these are precursors to a great persecution that will be unleashed on the followers of Jesus Christ. Paul calls this the apostosia, the “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). This literally means a great defection of those who claimed to be Christians away from the true Messiah, Jesus. It’s apparent that the main reason for this defection will be the revelation and deception of the Antichrist as seen in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12.
The result is seen in Revelation 6:9-11, with the martyrdom of many faithful. Jesus describes this in detail in Matthew 24:9-13. His encouragement and instruction for those believers who face this time is found in Luke 21:13-19. I encourage all believers to review these scriptures and meditate on what the Lord has told us is coming. And soon.
Matthew 24:4-5 - False Christ’s deceiving many.
Revelation 6:2 - A conquering spirit is released, conquering many. This would mean nations and peoples that are being subdued, governments and world leaders being toppled.
Matthew 24:6 - Wars and rumors of wars. See also Rev. 6:3. Nations shall rise against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms.
Matthew 24:7, Revelation 6:5-6 - Famine, especially a loss of grains which is a staple food for the world, but not harming the oil or wine.
Matthew 24:7, Revelation 6:8 - Pestilence and death. The Revelation passage reveals death will come to one fourth of the earth. Today that would be nearly 2 billion people. The death will include those killed by pestilence (disease, sickness), by the sword (war and governments being toppled), hunger (famine) and beasts of the earth.
Luke 21:11 - Fearful sights (literally terrifying things) and great signs from heaven (the sky).
All of these are precursors to a great persecution that will be unleashed on the followers of Jesus Christ. Paul calls this the apostosia, the “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). This literally means a great defection of those who claimed to be Christians away from the true Messiah, Jesus. It’s apparent that the main reason for this defection will be the revelation and deception of the Antichrist as seen in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12.
The result is seen in Revelation 6:9-11, with the martyrdom of many faithful. Jesus describes this in detail in Matthew 24:9-13. His encouragement and instruction for those believers who face this time is found in Luke 21:13-19. I encourage all believers to review these scriptures and meditate on what the Lord has told us is coming. And soon.
Prophetic timeline for the end of the age
Dan. 9:24-27 - Seventy weeks, or seventy “sevens”, that is periods of seven years, were declared to:
- finish transgressions and make an end of sins
- make reconciliation (atonement) for iniquity (Is. 53:4-6, 1 Jo. 2:1-2)
- to bring everlasting righteousness (2 Co. 5:21, Heb. 10:14)
- to seal up the vision and prophecy (Lu. 24:44)
This is the purpose of God’s 490 year plan. The plan was broken into three periods. Seven weeks, or 49 years appears to have been the allotted time given to the rebuilding of Jerusalem, as seen in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
Sixty-nine weeks (total) or 483 years was the appointed time between the beginning of the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the time when the Messiah, meaning Anointed or Chosen One, was to be cut off, not for Himself but for others. (Is. 53:8, Jo. 11:51-52)
The final week or seven year period will begin with a covenant initiated by the “prince that shall come”. This covenant is referred to in Is. 28:14-22 as a covenant with death and hell. This coming prince is readily identified by numerous scriptural passages. We know him by the term “anti-christ”, or one who comes in place of the true Christ. (Zech. 11:15-17, Rev. 13:1-8,
- finish transgressions and make an end of sins
- make reconciliation (atonement) for iniquity (Is. 53:4-6, 1 Jo. 2:1-2)
- to bring everlasting righteousness (2 Co. 5:21, Heb. 10:14)
- to seal up the vision and prophecy (Lu. 24:44)
This is the purpose of God’s 490 year plan. The plan was broken into three periods. Seven weeks, or 49 years appears to have been the allotted time given to the rebuilding of Jerusalem, as seen in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
Sixty-nine weeks (total) or 483 years was the appointed time between the beginning of the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the time when the Messiah, meaning Anointed or Chosen One, was to be cut off, not for Himself but for others. (Is. 53:8, Jo. 11:51-52)
The final week or seven year period will begin with a covenant initiated by the “prince that shall come”. This covenant is referred to in Is. 28:14-22 as a covenant with death and hell. This coming prince is readily identified by numerous scriptural passages. We know him by the term “anti-christ”, or one who comes in place of the true Christ. (Zech. 11:15-17, Rev. 13:1-8,
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