Ministration of Angels

That the Lord sends an angel to watch over every saint is plainly taught in the Bible. This fact is thus stated by the Psalmist: "For he (the Lord) shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." Ps. 91:11. This is highly reasonable. In our conflicts with the powers of darkness, the angels of light can give us that aid which we so much need. They can impart to us light and strength and courage, and can be at hand to protect us from dangers, both seen and unseen. Satan is well aware of this, and so he said to the Lord, "Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all he hath on every side?" Job. 1:9, 10. Let David tell us how it is that the Lord makes a hedge about his servants: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them." Ps. 34:7. That is it. God's angel constantly watched over Job and all that he had so that the devil could not touch him.

What was true in Job's case is true of every child of God. Of those who believe on him Christ says, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven." Matt. 18:10. The phrase, "their angels," shows that there are angels so closely connected with every servant of Christ that they are called their angels. When Rhoda affirmed that she had seen Peter at the gate, the brethren said, "It is his angel." Acts 12:15. They did not mean that it was Peter's spirit; for they knew that he was not dead. They meant just what Christ said, and what they said, viz., that it was his angel, the one who attended him.

It is directly affirmed that an angel constantly attended the camp of Israel. "And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel removed and went behind them." Ex. 14:19. The wise man says, "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error." Eccl. 5:6. This assumes that an angel is always present to hear what we say. In harmony with this the apostle says, "We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men." 1 Cor. 4:9.

Speaking to the Corinthians of their religious meetings, Paul says, "For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels." 1 Cor. 11:10. On this passage the Union Bible Dictionary, Art. Angel, says, "The best interpreters understand by the term 'angel' the holy angels, who were present in an especial sense in the Christian assemblies; and from reverence to them it was proper that the women should have power (veils, as a sign of their being in subjection to the higher power) on their heads." Because we cannot see the angels with our natural eyes, we are apt to forget that they are constantly with us, seeing, hearing, and noting our words and conduct. But, according to the Bible, this is really the case. A beautiful illustration of this fact is found in 2 Kings 6: The king of Syria made war on the king of Israel. But the prophet Elisha revealed to the king of Israel all the plans and movements of the Syrians so that he was able to defeat or elude them every time. The king of Syria having learned this, said to his servants, "Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host. And they came by night, and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?" They were in a close place indeed, shut up in a city surrounded by a host of enemies. But how did Elisha feel about it? "And he answerd, Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." We may naturally suppose that the servant looked around upon those two there alone in utter astonishment, and exclaimed, "What, master, we more than they? Impossible! You must be mad!" But "Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." Now the servant could understand what Elisha meant when he said, "They that be with us are more than they that be with them. Legions of the angelic armies were around the man of God to deliver him. The servant could not see them, yet his master knew that they were there." 2 Kings 6:13-18.

When Hagar was wandering alone in the wilderness, an angel addressed her. Then she seemed to be conscious for the first time that she was not alone. "And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me." Gen. 16:13. In this language she recognized the fact that angels are always present with us, beholding our thoughts and actions, though we cannot see them. When Abraham was about to slay Isaac, an angel whom he had not seen before, called to him to stay his hand. Evidently the angel was there all the time, though Abraham did not see him.

Jacob's case, as recorded in Gen. 28:10-22, is a beautiful illustration of this point: He fled from this brother Esau. He lay down alone at night to sleep. "And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and, behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it," and he talked with Jacob. "And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not." Angels of God were all around him, and the Lord's eyes were upon him, but he had not realized it. Could we, too, only realize these solemn facts, we should often feel as did Jacob. Thus we have the fact abundantly substantiated that the angels are always with the children of men. What a consolation to the humble saint when, afflicted, reproached, despised, and persecuted, to know that these heavenly messengers are his companions; that they sympathize with him in all his trials, protect him from the power of the devil, and strengthen him in the service of God.

That these holy angels do take a deep and lively interest in the salvation of the children of men, is manifest from the many references to it in the scriptures. The apostle says, "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently. Which things the angels desire to look into." 1 Pet. 1:10-12. Notice how they rejoiced when our Saviour was born. To the shepherds the angel said, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:10-14. This indicates the great interest which they feel for the salvation of men. In Heaven, they assist Jesus, our high priest, in his work for the saints. John, speaking of what he saw in Heaven, says, "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne." Rev. 8:3. Thus they bear our prayers up before God. How touching is the language of Christ, "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Luke 15:10. They know the worth of a soul; they realize the value of Heaven and the awful doom of the ungodly. They labor long and earnestly to rescue men from the power of Satan. When they have gained one, all the angels rejoice. Then what a tender interest, what deep anxiety, what sympathy they must feel for every struggling soul! Oh my soul, take courage in God!

Probably one reason why they are so much interested in man's salvation, is because Christ, their great leader, gave his life for man, now acts as his mediator, and will finally raise the saints to be companions with the angels. It would be natural for them to have their sympathies with those of their commander, and especially since he has given them so important a part to perform in the work of salvation. Jesus has given them the honor of making his revelations to man. Rev. 1:1, will serve as an example of how the whole Bible was given. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John." Here are four persons introduced: 1. God. 2. Jesus. 3. The angel. 4. John. God gives a revelation to Jesus, who sends his angel to make it known to John. Thus the angels became the mediums of all communications between Christ and his saints. Of the law of Moses Paul says, "For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast," etc. Heb. 2:2. To the Jews Stephen said "Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it." Acts 7:53. Indeed, the angels have always had a prominent part to act in all the Lord's work for men.

THE ANGELS RECORD THE DEEDS OF MEN.

Another occupation of the angels, I think, is to record the deeds, both good and bad, of all men. The idea is quite extensive at the present time, that in keeping account of men's deeds, God uses no means, but simply remembers, or keeps in his mind, all the actions, and even thoughts, of all the millions upon millions of men who have lived from Adam to the last man. They suppose that when the last day comes, the Lord will appear in the clouds of heaven, the trumpet will sound, and the dead, both saint and sinner, will be raised and brought up around the throne of God to be judged. Then the Lord calls up each one individually, recounts to him his deeds, and assigns him his place to the right or to the left, as the case may be. This process goes on till all are judged. Now we think that this theory cannot be correct. See the countless millions of righteous and wicked mixed up together, crowded around the throne of God, each anxiously waiting to have his case decided. How long would they thus have to wait? Allowing one man to be called up, his deeds to be examined, and his sentence to be pronounced in one minute, only 1,440 could be judged in one day, as there are only that number of minutes in twenty-four hours. In one year 365 times as many could be judged, which would be only 525,600. This would allow no time for either Sabbaths or nights. At this rate, to judge one billion, the present population of the globe, it would require over nineteen hundred years! Allowing that, from Adam to the present time, there have been only sixty times as many as are now living, it would take, to judge the world one hundred and fourteen thousand years or nineteen times as long as true earth has stood! It might do well enough as a punishment to the wicked, to keep some of them waiting as long as this; but some of the saints would have to share the same fate. It may be objected that God could judge a million in a moment if it were necessary. If the Scriptures had said that God would judge the world in this way, we would believe it; but they say no such thing, hence we can not believe it.

Moreover, this would be no judgment at all. It would only be pronouncing their sentence. The Bible plainly declares that every man's case will have a separate and fair investigation; and that in this investigation, all his deeds, and even his idle words, will be considered. 2 Cor. 5:12; Matt. 12:36, 37; Rev. 20:12. No man could be called up and receive such a trial as this in one minute, nor in one day. Thus we see that this theory is too unreasonable to be believed. Says Jesus, "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matt. 12:36, 37. Every action, aye, every idle word of every man, is to be brought up and weighed at the Judgment day. Will God keep all these things in his mind till the day of Judgment, and then personally recount to each one all that he has done or said? We cannot believe that this is the case, without positive testimony to that effect. But there is no such testimony. This is not the way that God works, besides it is contrary to the plain declarations of the Bible.

That it will take some time for the Judgment, is declared in Eccl. 3:16, 17, "And, moreover, I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there." That is the way it is in earthly courts. Not so in God's Judgment. "I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose, and for every work." God will give plenty of time to thoroughly investigate every work. But does God need books from which to judge? Does he need time in which to do it? No; but another all important fact pertaining to the judgment is entirely overlooked, viz., that angels and righteous men must see and know that God's judgments upon the wicked are just. The Lord does not choose to rule arbitrarily, but to have all see the righteousness of his ways. Hence the record of men's lives must all be laid open to the view of all. Here the motives of the heart, and the secret sins, unknown to all but God, will be revealed. Relatives will here see that their friends who are lost are justly condemned. Then all, as the prophet saw, will unite in saying, "True and righteous are his judgments." Rev. 19:2.

Furthermore, the saints are to judge the world. "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? (the fallen angels) how much more things that pertain to this life?" 1 Cor. 6:2, 3. See also Rev. 20:4; Dan. 7:22; 1 Cor. 4:5. We have not the space here to consider this point further, but it is plainly taught that the saints will judge and pronounce sentence upon the wicked. The books of record, then, are for the benefit of men.