Topical Bible: Angel (A Spirit): A Celestial Spirit are Wise

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Topical Encyclopedia

Angels are celestial beings created by God, serving as His messengers and ministers. They are spiritual entities that exist in the heavenly realms, distinct from human beings, and are often depicted as possessing great wisdom and strength. The Bible provides numerous accounts of angels interacting with humanity, fulfilling divine purposes, and executing God's will.

Nature and Attributes

Angels are described as spirits, indicating their non-corporeal nature. Hebrews 1:14 states, "Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" This verse highlights their role as servants of God, tasked with aiding believers and carrying out divine missions. Their spiritual essence allows them to transcend physical limitations, enabling them to appear and disappear at will, as seen in various biblical narratives.

Wisdom and Knowledge

The wisdom of angels is a recurring theme in Scripture. They possess a profound understanding of God's plans and purposes, often revealing divine messages to humans. In the book of Daniel, the angel Gabriel is sent to provide insight and understanding to the prophet. Daniel 9:22 records, "He instructed me and spoke with me, saying, 'O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.'" This demonstrates the role of angels as conveyors of divine wisdom.

Angels are also depicted as witnesses to God's creation and His unfolding plan of redemption. In Job 38:7 , during the creation of the world, it is said, "while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Here, "sons of God" is understood to refer to angels, who rejoiced in the wisdom and majesty of God's creative work.

Roles and Functions

Angels serve various functions within the biblical narrative. They are messengers, as seen in the Annunciation to Mary in Luke 1:26-38, where the angel Gabriel announces the birth of Jesus. They are protectors, as illustrated in Psalm 91:11 : "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways." Angels also execute judgment, as in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19).

Moreover, angels are worshippers of God, continually praising Him in the heavenly realms. Revelation 5:11-12 describes a vision of countless angels around the throne, proclaiming, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

Conclusion

Angels, as wise celestial spirits, play a significant role in the biblical narrative. They are instruments of God's will, endowed with wisdom to guide, protect, and communicate His divine purposes to humanity. Their presence in Scripture serves as a reminder of the spiritual realities that exist beyond the physical world and the ongoing work of God in the lives of His people. Through their actions and messages, angels reveal the depth of God's wisdom and the unfolding of His redemptive plan for creation.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Samuel 14:17,20
Then your handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD your God will be with you.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Poor in Spirit are Enriched with a Kingdom
... The gates of this celestial kingdom are not shut at all by day ... saw his face as it
had been the face of an angel (Acts 6 ... He is poor in purse as well as in spirit. ...
/.../watson/the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/5 the poor in spirit.htm

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
... in rhapsody divine, and in ecstasy celestial, we enjoy ... show the absolute necessity
of the Spirit's work in ... Talk about tying angel's wings with green withes, or ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the outpouring of the holy.htm

Of Good Angels
... in the world of spirits.) And cannot that ministering spirit see them ... May they celestial
joys rehearse,. ... God gave him this notice by the ministry of an angel? ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 71 of good angels.htm

Proofs in Continuation, Extracted from St. John's Gospel the ...
... was by Him, of whom Gabriel is the angel, who also ... The birth of Jesus Christ was
on this wise." This, then ... us, He sent the gift of the celestial Spirit over all ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xiproofs in continuation extracted.htm

Letter Xlv (Circa AD 1140) to the Canons of Lyons, on the ...
... above the choirs of angels to the celestial realms ... came upon her, not within her,
as the Angel declared: The ... say that she conceived by the Holy Spirit, but not ...
/.../some letters of saint bernard abbot of clairvaux/letter xlv circa a d 1140.htm

An Hymn of Heavenly Love
... Yet, O most bless??d Spirit! pure lamp of light,. ... Some little drop of Thy
celestial dew,. ... The brightest Angel, ev'n the Child of Light,. ...
/.../palgrave/the treasury of sacred song/iv an hymn of heavenly.htm

On Faith
... he told him plainly, "I am of thy fellow-servants, the Prophets;" [Rev.22] not God,
not an angel, not a human spirit. ... May they celestial joys rehearse,. ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 122 on faith.htm

Alive or Dead --Which?
... and tune their tongues to the music of celestial hosts. ... his conscience; he has done
despite to the Spirit of grace ... Oh, if by some touch of an angel's wand our ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 13 1867/alive or deadwhich.htm

On the Angels.
... 2061] and there must also be some angel that encampeth ... or inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, not having ... order of rational creatures among celestial existences is ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/chapter viii on the angels.htm

His Childhood and Youth.
... He appears in the celestial beauty of unspotted innocence, a ... according to the
announcement of the angel Gabriel (Luke 1 ... him in a child-like spirit, but exciting ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/schaff/the person of christ/his childhood and youth.htm