A Divine Revelation of Angels (20 page)

4.The Word of God and the angels are always in ____________________ accomplishing His ___________________. (p. 224)

5.God wants us to participate with Him in fulfilling His purposes. List six important truths for loving and serving God that should be a part of our lives as we help fulfill His will. (pp. 224–27, 233–34)

6.Angels are an example to us of how we should ____________________ and worship God. (pp. 224–25)

7.What should learning about the ministry of angels on our behalf do for our faith? (p. 225)

8.As we trust God in all things and for all things, what should we concentrate on? (p. 226)

9.What two things should we be doing to discern false angelic beings or evil spirits? (p. 227)

10.Question number 4 of the first chapter asked if you (or someone you know) had experienced what you considered an angelic visitation. (See page 240.) After reading this book and working through the questions in this section, how would you now define that encounter? Do you think it was a true angel or a false angelic being? What is your reason for thinking this?

11.The faces at the ends of the ropes in Mary Baxter’s vision signified mercy and truth. God says we must have both of these qualities in our lives in order to be like Him. How can mercy and truth meet together in our hearts? (pp. 229–30)

12.We can be obedient to God only as we abide in Christ and honor His Word in our lives. [See John 15:5–8.] (p. 231) Are you abiding in Christ, or have you drifted away from your Source of spiritual life? What will you do today to join yourself to, or remain connected to, the Vine, Jesus Christ?

13.Through what two things does Hebrews 6:12 tell us we can inherit the promises of God? (p. 233)

14.How does the Holy Spirit help us in our prayers? [See Romans 8:26–27.] (p. 234)

15.God is the God of both __________________ and ______________. (p. 235)

Chapter One: Are Angels Real?

1.Answers will vary.

2.Answers will vary.

3.Answers will vary.

4.Answers will vary.

5.Mary Baxter says she was given visions and revelations so she could give them to the body of Christ and those who are not yet believers; they are signs that God is working among His people. The revelations are also meant to bring Him honor and glory and to draw people close to Him. God wants to give people hope and encouragement, to show them that He loves them and is with them, and to bring them salvation, healing, and deliverance.

Chapter Two: The Truth about Angels

1.(a) Much of so-called teaching on angels making the rounds these days—even in religious circles—is false, and it causes people to be deceived. In addition, not all angels are holy and good. Evil angels seek to deceive us about their true intentions toward us. They are demons that want to harm us rather than help us. We have to understand the truth about God’s angels if we are going to be able to discern what is counterfeit. (b) The Bible is God’s own Word and is completely trustworthy.

2.Angels are not divine; they were created by God to minister to Him. True angels never accept worship from human beings; they are co-worshipers and fellow servants of God with us. Angels do God’s bidding, not their own or ours. Praying directly to an angel may open a person up to spiritual deception because the “angel” may actually be an evil spirit disguised as an angel of light. (See 2 Corinthians 11:14.)

3.God alone, because He is the One who sends and empowers the angels who help us.

4.Jesus Christ is God, and He created the angels. When He came to earth as a man, He temporarily set aside the splendor, but not the reality, of His deity. In this way, He became “a little lower than the angels” (Psalm 8:5) for a time in order to secure our salvation by dying for our sins on the cross and rising again in victory. When He ascended to heaven, God put all things in heaven and earth under His authority—including all the angels, all humanity, and Satan and his demons.

5.Angels were created before mankind, and throughout the Word of God, they are depicted as existing on a level somewhere between God and man. Angels and people are always distinct creations; human beings do not become angels when they die. Angels are a higher form of creation than humans in the sense that, right now, they have higher spiritual knowledge, power, and mobility. In addition, God’s holy angels never sin against Him. As long as we are on earth and not yet totally free from our tendency to sin, then we are not as morally good as God’s holy angels. Yet humanity will ultimately be elevated higher than the angels. God sent His Son to earth to die for us when mankind fell. (He didn’t do that for the angels who fell and rebelled against Him.) We are redeemed through the blood of Christ, and we have the righteousness of Jesus Himself. This gives us a high and exalted position with God. Paul wrote of the time after Jesus comes back when Christians will exist in a glorified state. (See Romans 8:18, 30.) At that time, we will be higher than the angels, and we will even judge them (1 Corinthians 6:3).

6.The Bible instructs us to try or test the spirits to see if they are authentic: “Every spirit that confesses [“acknowledges” niv] that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess [“acknowledge” niv] that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God” (1 John 4:2–3). If a spiritual being communicates any message that denies the deity, humanity, and salvation of the Lord Jesus, it is not from God. If its message promotes an unscriptural message or practice, if it draws attention to itself rather than Jesus, then that spirit being is a demon attempting to deceive people. We should continually read and meditate on God’s Word in order to be able to discern the spirits.

7.Your ultimate protection against the enemy’s deception and evil is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to receive Him as your Savior. Jesus will be faithful to forgive you and cleanse you completely, and you will be kept by His power. He will give you the gift of the Holy Spirit, who will live within you and enable you to obey and serve God. You will become a part of God’s own family, and His angels will watch over you. In addition, as you study about angels, you should pray to God the Father, in Jesus’ name, and ask for His direction and protection so that you will not be deceived by the enemy.

Chapter Three: What Are Angels Like?

1.Angels are (1) spirit beings, (2) holy, (3) elect, (4) intelligent, but not omniscient, (5) powerful, but not omnipotent.

2.Spirits are immortal, are not subject to physical limitations of time or space, and have no gender (they do not marry or have children).

3.Angels know only what God chooses to reveal to them or allows them to know. The Bible teaches that angels learn things by observing God’s working in and through His people. Paul wrote about how God uses the church to reveal certain things to His holy angels. (See 1 Corinthians 4:9; Ephesians 3:8–10.)

4.(At least) more than one hundred million, and likely more than we can count. (See Revelation 5:11; Hebrews 12:22.)

5.In the Bible, angels appeared to humanity in (1) shining or dazzling appearance, (2) strange forms or features, and (3) human form.

6.Answers may vary from the examples given on pp. 66–72.

7.Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (niv). We are told to be hospitable to strangers because they just might be angels disguised as humans. In addition, God wants us to love and serve Him not only in the obvious presence of His holy angels, but also in the presence of human beings, who are precious in His sight. The Bible exhorts us in 1 John 4:20, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”

Chapter Four: Types and Ranks of Angels

1.angels, archangels, cherubim, and seraphim

2.Matthew quoted Jesus’ reference to “legions of angels” (26:53). Jude mentioned the archangel Michael (v. 9). Paul spoke of “the voice of an archangel” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and gave a glimpse into the organization of angels in various other passages in his letters. (See Romans 8:38–39; Ephesians 1:20–22; 3:9–10; Colossians 1:16.)

3.types; positions

4.Michael is the only archangel the Scriptures mention by name. He is always depicted in the Bible in spiritual conflict with evil and wicked powers, and he appears to be the supreme commander of the angels who do warfare for God—the “hosts” of heaven. Michael should be an inspiration to us to be faithful and obedient to God as we serve His purposes in His kingdom.

5.Gabriel is another angel who plays a prominent role in Scripture and may also be an archangel. This angel’s appearance in the Bible always seems related to the mission of announcing to God’s people His purpose and program concerning Jesus the Messiah and “the time of the end.” Gabriel’s reverence for God, His Word, and His work should inspire us to love and serve God as He carries out His purposes in our own lives and in the lives of all humanity.

6.cherubim and seraphim

7.Contemporary society’s idea of cherubs is that of plump little babies with wings.

8.Cherubim are powerful and holy beings who are closely associated with God, His purity, and His glory. Ezekiel 10:1–21 describes their features in detail, including their backs, wings, hands of a man, and wheels—all of which are full of eyes. Each also has four faces: the face of a cherub, the face of a man, the face of a lion, and the face of an eagle.

9.Lucifer, or the devil, was the cherub who rebelled against God. Lucifer’s fall is a grave reminder to us of the consequences of sin, if even a cherub can have such an end. Yet it is also a reminder of the great sacrifice of Christ on our behalf that restores us to the very presence of God as if we had never sinned. As Hebrews 2:16 says, “For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.”

10.Seraphim hover above God’s throne and are closer than all the other angels to their Creator. In Isaiah 6:1–4, the seraphim are described as powerful beings who have six wings and who give reverent praise to God for His holiness and glory; they seem to dwell in the midst of God’s holiness. Of the seraphim’s six wings, two pairs cover their faces and feet in the presence of God’s brilliant glory, while only one pair is used for flying.

11.Seraphim are intelligent beings who celebrate the Holy One. They are aflame with love for God. Their devotion should inspire deep love for God in us, as well.

12.At various times, the biblical term “angel of the Lord” or “Angel of the Lord” may be referring to one of God’s angels, to God Himself, or to the Lord Jesus Christ in what is often called a pre-incarnate appearance.

Chapter Five: Ministering Spirits

1.The primary role of all angels is to praise and exalt God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

2.Angels are also God’s willing servants. They are His active agents who do His will day and night as they minister to Him and His people.

3.Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (niv).

4.Angels (1) bring special messages from God; (2) deliver God’s Word to people and also help them to understand it; (3) bring God’s guidance, directing people’s steps and clearing the path before them as they do His will; (4) comfort and encourage people during difficult times in their lives; (5) strengthen and sustain God’s people; (6) protect and deliver believers; (7) promote the Gospel; and (8) convey the souls of God’s people to heaven.

5.Defensive angels protect us from harm and danger and all kinds of evil devices of Satan. They serve as guardian angels. They protect us even when we don’t know they are there. Offensive angels wage active war against strongholds, principalities, demons, forces of darkness, and everything else that opposes the work of God.

6.Angels defend God’s honor and glory; they help fight His battles and execute His judgments in the world.

7.Angels will participate in end-time events. They will help bring this world to a culmination as the old heavens and earth pass away and the new heavens and earth come into being.

8.Angels will, first of all, accompany Jesus when He returns to the earth. Second, angels will harvest the disobedient for the Day of Judgment. Third, angels will gather together all the righteous for eternal life.

9.Answers will vary.

Chapter Six: Angels and Protection

1.guardians

2.Psalm 91 says, “Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling....[The Lord says,] “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation” (vv. 9–10, 14–16, emphasis added).

3.Mary Baxter says parents need to “press into God in prayer” for their children because, many times, the children’s safety may depend on their parents’ prayers for protection.

4.The Holy Spirit prompted the author to intercede in a special way while she was praying, and she began to pray earnestly in the Spirit.

5.The wording of answers will vary, but should be similar to the following: Although Mary Baxter didn’t understand all of what she was praying, only a part of it, she trusted in the leading of the Holy Spirit and responded immediately to His prompting.

6.Answers will vary.

7.The wording of answers will vary, but should be similar to the following: Knowing that God is taking care of us, that His protecting angels are nearby, and that nothing can happen to us that He does not allow can give us courage to speak the truth of the Gospel, even though there may be opposition, rejection of the message, and even persecution.

8.Our salvation in Christ includes the protective covering of the precious blood He shed on the cross when He became our Substitute. When we pray for people, and God impresses upon us to cover people with the blood, we should say, “I cover you with the blood of Jesus, the covenant of God!” This means that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was sent from heaven. He knew His purpose and His destiny. He was sent to give His life on a cruel cross for you and me, so that we could have eternal life. He died so that our sins could be washed away. When we pray or command a covering of His blood, we are affirming that we believe Jesus provided a covering for us and our families through the Atonement. The angels go to us immediately and seal and protect us. Through the blood covenant, we build a hedge of protection around our families and ourselves.