The Reverend John G. Paton felt drawn towards missionary work. He had completed his education and training, and finally he and his lovely wife, Jenny, boarded a series of airplanes and moved to their new mission assignment in the New Hebrides Islands, where they would reside for the next year in a thatched-roof single room hut.
Both Reverend Paton and his wife were concerned about the many obstacles they knew that they would face on the islands. Disease, deadly animals and fierce natives all figured to play a factor in their lives for the next year.
Nevertheless, they knew and believed that God was in charge and they were where He wanted them to be at this time of their lives.
During their time in this remote mission field that God had called them to, they found many opportunities to hold Bible studies and to teach the local tribes about their faith, and about the Lord Jesus Christ.
However, there was one tribe in particular, known for their fierce fighting, which grew more hostile towards the missionaries with each passing day.
For weeks they had threatened to attack the Patons and kill them, because they had interfered with ancient tribal traditions and taught their people a new and strange way of faith.
Soon the hostile tribe made plans to carry out their threats. Late in the evening of June 23, 1973, the Patons sat in their tiny thatched home, and listened to the sound of war cries outside their hut growing louder and louder.
“They’re coming for us, John,” a terrified Jenny whispered to her husband. John nodded and said “Pray Jenny, talk to God, keep praying!” Then John began to pray aloud. “Heavenly Father” he began, “You have commanded us to come to You in time of need, and to ask for your intervention. We come before You now and ask You to protect us as You have so many times in the past. Please deliver us from the danger we are in. In Your name we pray, amen.”
For nearly an hour the sounds continued outside their bungalow. By the end of an hour the Patons could see dancing lights surrounding their home. “Fire!” John whispered, holding Jenny tightly. “Keep praying Jenny! I think they are going to try and burn us out.”
Another fifteen minutes passed while John and Jenny continued to pray for protection. Then suddenly, the screaming began to lessen and grow more and more distant. The tribesmen were moving farther and farther away from the Patons hut. Finally the sounds completely disappeared.
Three months would pass by and the Patons had no explanation for why the tribesmen had chosen not to kill them that terrifying night. Then, in a very strange turn of events, the chief of that tribe contacted the Patons and began asking them questions about their mission work and about Jesus Christ.
Shortly thereafter, the Chief accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior and received salvation. Then John decided to ask the Chief that burning question within his mind. “Why didn’t you kill us that night?” he asked, staring into the Chief’s eyes. “We tried” said the Chief, “but your guards wouldn’t let us past.” “What guards?” asked the missionary.
The chief waved his arms dramatically. “Hundreds of guards, big men in shiny clothes with swords drawn and with torches. They circled your hut. We had no choice so we left.”
A. WHAT ARE ANGELS?
1.Created Spiritual Beings.
-Angels have not always existed, God created them. (Neh 9:6)
-They were created to bear the message of God, protect the people of God, implementing the judgement of God, and offering worship to God.
-They are spirits which are sometimes given temporary physical bodies to do specific jobs. (Heb 1:14, 13:2)
2.Other Kinds of Heavenly Beings.
-Cherubim
a.Guard the entranced into the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:24)
b.God is frequently said to be enthroned on the cherubim or to travel with them as his chariot. (Ps 18:10; Ezek 10:1-22)
c.Their figures covered the mercy seat over the Ark. (Ex 25:22; 18-21)
-Seraphim
a.Only mentioned in Isaiah where they continually worship God (Isa 6:2-7; 6:3)
-Living Creatures
a.They appear like a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle
b.They are the mightiest representative of various parts of God’s creation
c.They worship God continually
d.Rev 4:8; Ezek 1:5-14
3.Rank and Order Among the Angels
-Scripture indicated that there is rank and order among the angels.
-Michael is called the “archangel” in Jude 9
-One of the chief princes in Daniel 10:13
-Angles have been identified by their name
4.Angels are Not Omnipresent (can be everywhere at one time)
-Evidence of this is in Luke 1:26, Dan 10:12-14
5.Do People Have Individual Guardian Angels?
-Ps 91:11-12
-Matt 18:10 and Acts 12:15
6.Angels Do Not Get Married
-Matt 22:30; Luke 20:34-36
7.Do Angels Have Wings, halos, and harps?
-The Bible teaches that angels do fly [Revelation 14:6], but nothing is said about wings. Cherubim and seraphim were special classes of angelic beings which did have four wings [Ezekiel 10:20-21].
-Nothing at all is said in the Scriptures about angels having halos and harps.
8.When Were Angels Created?
-They must have been created before the 7th day of creation (Gen 2:1)
9.Do Christians Become Angels When They Die?
-This in mentioned no where in scripture
-In fact, the Bible says we will be glorified with Christ because we have been purchased by his blood – that is a claim that angels cannot make.
10.Who Is “The Angel of The Lord” or “The Angel of God”?
-God the Son or God the Father (Gen 31:11,13)
B.OUR RELATIONSHIP TO ANGELS
1. We Should Be Aware of Angels in Our Daily Lives
-Angels see our joys and struggles. They also see our descisions.
-Sometimes we entertain them unawares(Heb 13:2)
-They are sent by God to protect us(Ps 91:11-12)
2. Cautions Reguarding Our Relationship to Angles
-Beware of receiving false doctrine from angels (Gal 1:8)
a. Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14)
b. Those declaring to have received some further revelation from God (ex. Mormons) should be reguarded as false prophets.
-Do Not Worship Angels, Pray to Them, or Seek Them
a. Worship of Angels was one of the false doctrines being taught at Colossae (Col 2:18)
b. John in the book of Revelation was told not to worship angels (Rev 19:10)
c. We are not to pray to angles: Jesus is our mediator to God; not angels.
d. It is not wrong to ask God to send his angles to protect us; but it is wrong to seek angels- This will draw our minds off of God and to his creation.
-Do Angels Appear to People Today?
a. Scripture gives us no compelling reason to rule out the fact that some have seen angles in today’s times.
b. However, we should use extreme caution in receiving guidance from an angel should such an unusual event happen. Why?
·Demons can appear as angels of light (2 Cor 11:14)
·Any appearance of an angel-like creature does not guarantee that it is from God
·No Angelic creature can give authoritative teaching that is different from the Bible
-Do not get so preoccupied with angels that you fail to give glory where glory is due.
-Is it wrong to posses pictures, figurines, or jewelry of angels?
a. When you look to it as your help. Ex: Some wear an angel around their neck or in their pocket for good luck.
b. When it becomes nothing more than a collectors item marketed in different worldly styles so that people will buy it because they don’t have one like that.
c. When the image is used to portray anything other that the Biblical purposes of angels.
d. When angel jewelry becomes something you use only to accessorize an outfit.
