Angelic Encounters

"Are not angels all ministering spirits sent out (of God for the assistance) of those who are to inherit salvation?"

Hebrews 1:14

Whenever I approach the book of Hebrews I know I can plan on being impacted by its heavy words. Today this verse caused me to stop and ponder.  Are not angels available for our assistance and guidance as we walk through this journey here on earth? 

This thought may challenge some of your theologies.  Recently I had the privilege of taking a class here at Regent University titled, "Angelology and Demonology." Whenever I would tell someone I was taking this class their interest was always sparked.  No we did not sit around and share stories of angelic and demonic encounters.  But we did focus on their origin and purpose during ancient biblical text, and their possible purpose for today in the lives of Believers.  

This topic was vast and because of the lack of time we were very limited on our discussions, but one day while we were discussing the ministry of angels I was shocked and saddened to learn that some of my seminary classmates did not believe in angels today. They rationalized for the sake of scripture that God used them during biblical times, because this is very clear throughout the Old Testament and within the journeys of our New Testament church; however, since we now have the Holy Spirit as our assistance, some believed we no longer needed the assistance of these angelic beings.  

But here's my ration: Paul had many angelic encounters that were after the ascension of Christ and the coming of Pentecost (the coming of the Holy Spirit).  I am no theologian, nor do I consider my self an expert of the scriptures, but this seems a little self explanatory to me.

This scripture I think, is self explanatory as well. Angels were created to serve God, and when we become joint heirs of the Kingdom of God through salvation in Jesus Christ, we too partake in this privilege. 

No angels are not to be worshiped (Paul makes this clear in the book of Colossians), but I think we can learn a thing or to from them, such as HOW to worship. Scripture tells us of them worshiping God (Heb. 1:6)! Also ancient biblical text also tells us of how close the Angels work with God and encounter His throne room!

 (This was another very interesting thing I learned during my class, but this is a whole other topic, but an interesting one, especially as one who loves to worship. Real quick~can't help myself~, there was a civilization within the Qumran Community where the Dead Sea Scrolls where found, who longed and strived to live in purity such as angels to get as close as they could to the throne of God. There are even texts within the Dead Sea Scrolls that tell us this community of people encountered Angels who taught them how to worship their Heavenly Father!)

I could go on all day about this topic, as it is one that is vastly researched, discussed, and debated; however, my goal in this blog post is too discuss and bring to light the privedlge we have as Believers.  Angels are not beings to be forgotten or ignored, but they are gift from God that He uses from time to time to help us in time of need, and minister to us whenever He so desires to send them. 

Every night when I put my girls to bed, I ask God to send forth His angels to our home and our my girls as they sleep. They are there to fight our spiritual battles for us in the unseen world. Their swords of Praise can tear down any stronghold and attack of the enemy.  Better yet, they are an extension of Gods hand and kingdom and He has provided their services to us during our time here on earth and this scripture reminds me of their help and assistance in this trying world.

I urge you as a Believer to seek God on this topic. Discover for your self how God can use Angels in your life to serve as helpers in this journey of life. 

Here are some books that I highly recommend concerning this topic:

Angelic Encounters By James and Michal Ann Goll ~ This is a great book about a couple in ministry who encountered Angels in the night. God used these Angelic encounters to minister to them, and to show them a piece of His heavenly Kingdom.

The Books of Enoch~ The is a translation of the extra-biblical text, The Book of Enoch.  This book shows the origins of Angels and of Demons(The Book of Watchers). And it also shows how God used Archangels to perform His tasks... This is clear representation too of how our Old Testament authors viewed angels and their capabilities. (This was a text book used within my class)