Creflo Dollar - The Reality of Angels - Part 1
Let's begin tonight in the book of Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 14. You know, since scripture tells us angels exist, then what should we understand about angels and how if at all, do they affect our lives in this world from the spirit realm? They exist in the spirit realm, so how do they affect my life and your life in this physical realm? And so at the moment you accept Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and personal savior, for the forgiveness of your sins, God assigns an angel to minister to everyone who gets born again. So everybody that gets born again has an angel assigned to them.
Now, notice in Hebrews chapter 1 and 14, he says: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation"? Angels are ministering spirits sent forth, okay, to minister or to serve them who shall be heirs of salvation. So everybody that gets born again has angels assigned to their lives, and you'll find out little later on this teaching, there's more than one. It's not just one guardian angel, but there are angels that have been assigned to your life to minister to you. So there is a collection of angels looking out for each believer personally, not just, you know, just children, angels are looking out for those of you who are believers. In fact, Matthew chapter 18 and 10, he says something here. He says: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones," Matthew 18 and 10, "for I tell you that there are angels in heaven always see the face of my father in heaven".
You're gonna find out something so interesting here that angels are always in the face of God and ready to take commands from God, and so that's always, that's interesting in this verse where he says, "see that you do not despise one of these little ones," why? Because those angels in heaven always see the face of my father, which is in heaven. And so that's very, very important. So you might ask, are there really enough angels to have several assigned to each believer? Are there really enough angels to have several angels assigned to each believer? This is awesome, but it gives me great comfort and understanding that there's an angel in front of me, on the side of me, behind me, around me. That's an awesome thing.
And let's look at Revelations chapter 5 and 11. Revelations chapter 5 and 11, and just look at the number of angels that are available. He says: "And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands". That's a lot, that's a lot. And for every born-again believer, you have been assigned angels to watch over you, to protect you, to minister to you, something similar to how they ministered to Jesus. Now, what I wanna do tonight, is I wanna start this, I won't be able to finish it, but there's some amazing facts in the Bible concerning angels. And you know, rather than us, you know, there'll be a time where we'll shout about it, do cartwheels over it and rejoice over it, but what I wanna to do tonight is, I wanna take an opportunity to just get factual with you.
Again, like I said, there's something about opening the Bible and being able to see the scriptures, verify the reality of the different facts about angels. And so angels are mentioned close to 300 times in the Bible, 273 times, although we won't look at every instance. We're gonna look, have a comprehensive look at what angels are. So if you're ready, let's go ahead and take note, and instead of us, you know, seeing all the fantasies that people talk about, instead of us allowing movies to talk to us and to say things about angels, instead of us looking at, you know, the artwork where the little baby angels are flying around and all that kind of stuff, let's pay attention to what the scriptures have to say to us concerning these angels.
Number one, here's the 1st fact, and these are facts I wanna share with you. Number one, angels were created by God. Angels were created by God. In the second chapter of the Bible, in Genesis chapter 2, verse 1, we are told that God created the heavens and the earth and that God created everything in them. So the Bible indicates that angels were created at the same time the earth was formed even before human life was created. Look at Genesis 2:1. Let's go to the New King James version of the Bible. Genesis 2 verse 1, and the New King James version of the Bible, okay? He says: "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host", heavenly host. "of them, were finished". All the heavenly hosts were finished. The heavens, the earth, and the heavenly host at the same time that they're being created.
And then if you go to Colossians 1:16 in the NIV. Colossians chapter 1:16 in the NIV. Notice what he says here. He says: "For by him all things were created". For by him or through him, all things in the NIV. "For by him, all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by him and for him". All things were. Whether thrones or powers or authority, things that are visible or invisible, visible matter, invisible matter, all things including angels, angels would have to be included in those all things, were created by him and they were created for him. So God is the one that created angels, okay?
Now here's the 2nd fact. Angels were created to live for eternity. Angels were created to live for eternity. So, the scriptures tell us that angels, they do not experience death. Angels do not experience death nor can they die. That's awesome. That's pretty powerful. For they are equal, to the angels and are the sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. Look at Luke chapter 20. Luke chapter 20 and verse 36 in the New King James version. Angels were created to live for eternity, all of them, all right, they are sons of God. The Bible uses another term to talk about them. He says: "Nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection". They're are sons of God being sons of, and they can't die anymore, nor can they die anymore. Those angels cannot die. They were created to have and experience eternal life.
Here's a 3rd fact about angels. Angels were present when God created the world. Angels were present when God created the world. See, when God created the foundations of the earth, the angels had already been in existence. Now, that's a strong statement, because I mean, think about it. Who else was there to assist in the creation? Angels were present when God created the world, and so if you look at Job chapter 38. Job chapter 38 and verse 1 through 7 in the NIV. Job 38 verses 1 through 7 in the NIV, this is important. He said: "Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm". And he said: "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation"? "While the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy"? So, notice what he says. He says, when I laid the earth's foundation, he said, "Job where were you"? He says, "When the morning stars sang together, where were you, when all the angels shouted for joy"? This is a pretty powerful statement here.
Verses 1 through 7, go to verse 2. He says, "Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge"? We're gonna go to seven. "Brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you shall answer me". Four, he says, "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation"? "Tell me if you understand". Five, "Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched the measuring line across it"? "On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone"? And then seven, "While the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy"? So this scripture is just showing you in the midst of preparing the foundations of the earth, the angels were there. In the midst of it, they were there. That's a pretty awesome thing.
Number 4. Number four. Now remember this is a part of an understanding series, so my objective is not to try to get some deep revelation out of it, it's just to make sure we have some facts about angels. Number four, angels do not marry. Angels do not marry. Okay, there's no Mr. and Mrs. Angel, okay. They do not marry. In heaven, men and women will be. Now, this is pretty important. Angels do not marry and in heaven, men and women will be like the angels who do not marry and who do not reproduce. So when we get to heaven, there's not gonna be any marrying in heaven. Matthew 22 verse 30 in the NIV. So, you see why I'm sharing these facts, 'cause there's a lot of weird stuff that people say, and they don't know whether or where it came from. You're seeing where it's coming from right now. Matthew 22 verse 30 in the NIV. He says: "At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage, they will be like the angels in heaven," who neither marry or are given and married. So that's a little insight there about angels. They do not marry.
Here's a fact, the 5th fact about angels. Angels are wise and intelligent. Angels are wise and intelligent. Angels can discern good and evil and give insight and understanding. They can discern what's good and what's evil, and angels can give insight and understanding. I wanna show you two scriptures here. 2 Samuel 14 and verse 17 in the New King James version. 2 Samuel 14 and 17. And then I wanna go to Daniel chapter 9:22 in the NIV. Angels are wise, and they are intelligent. And so he says: "Your maidservant said, the word of my lord the king will now be comforting for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in discerning good and evil".
See, the angels of God can discern good and evil. "And may the Lord your God be with you". So that's pretty interesting. The angels can discern if something's good, or the angels can discern if something is bad. And then in Daniel chapter 9 verse 22 in the NIV: "He instructed me and said to me, Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding". This is an angel talking to Daniel, and the angel says, "I've come to give you insight and to give you understanding". So angels are wise and intelligent, and angels can give insight and angels can give understanding and angels can discern between what is good and what is bad.
Fact number 6 about angels. Angels take an interest in human affairs. Angels take an interest in human affairs. While we're in Daniel, let's look at Daniel chapter 10, verse 14 in NIV. Angels have been and will forever be involved and interested in what is happening in the lives of human beings. They take an interest in human affairs. Verse 14 in Daniel 10, he says: "Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future for the vision concerns a time yet to come". I mean, wouldn't it be cool if, you know, you would encounter an angel that would give you some information about the future to come? Now, I've got a word even in the midst of this fact, is that there's gonna be an increase of angelic encounters in these last days, so don't... I believe this is why I'm teaching this because we've just not really taken the time to talk factually about what's true about angels and what's not true.
Look at Luke chapter 15, verse 10. Now, again, all of our truth comes from the Word of God. I'm not getting my truth from some lost books of the Bible. I mean, lost books and I... We come from the Bible. I don't deal with all the lost books stuff, okay? I figure if God wanted us to have it, he'd put it in here. And maybe there's some truth in there, maybe not, but I'm just gonna stick with the Word. I'm gonna stick with Jesus, okay? I want y'all, stick with Jesus, all right? And notice what he says here, Luke 15 and 10. "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents". I mean, they're so intricately involved in the affairs of man, that angels are celebrating and rejoicing over one person who changes their mind and repents and become a Christian. They rejoice over that. You know, I would like for the church to rejoice over it, but the angels are really rejoicing, over one person that repents and changes his mind.
Fact number 7. Angels are faster than humans. Angels are faster than humans. Angels seem to have the ability to fly. Some of them. We got some things I'm gonna really show you that, you know, there are things that humans hadn't heard of like, beings with six wings and four different faces, Seraphims and then Cherubims, which are other angelic beings. I tell you, when you get to heaven, you gonna see stuff you ain't ever seen before in your life. I'll also show you some facts to come. The fact that when you die, who do you think carries you to certain places when you die? Angels are gonna carry you to heaven. There's a lot... They will deposit you where you need to go. Let's say that for sure. So angels are faster than humans. Angels seem to have the ability to fly.
There is a scripture I'd like to look at this to kind of use as a proof in the book of Revelations chapter 14 and 6. Let's look at, first of all Daniel, while I'm gonna get everything we can out of Daniel. Daniel 9 and verse 21 in the NIV. Daniel 9:21 in the NIV. He says, "While I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice," okay? "Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision". So obviously, he looked like a man, okay, in this particular one, and you're gonna see the variety types of angels and stuff. And the Bible says, "be careful when you entertain strangers, 'cause you could be entertaining an angel and doing it unaware".
Look at Revelations 14 and 6 in the New Living translation. Revelations 14 and 6 in the New Living translation. He says: "And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim the people who belong to this world", to every nation, tribe, language and people. So I saw another angel flying through the sky. This is evidence that angels may have the ability to fly. And there are groups of them in, you know, like you got a group of Seraphims, you got some Cherubims, and I think you have some angels that look like men, okay? And the question should be in your mind, do all angels fly? And so that's gonna be an interesting something to look at.
Fact number 8. Fact number eight. Angels are spiritual beings. Not physical, they're spiritual beings, yet they can transform. As spirit beings, angels do not have a true physical body. They don't have true physical bodies. They are spiritual beings. They are equipped with that spiritual matter. So, Psalms 104 and 4 in the New King James version to back this up, the Bible says: "Who makes his angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire". So our evidence is right there, is that he makes the angels what? Spirits, spirits. So angels are spiritual beings. He didn't say who makes his angels physical, he said he makes his angels spirits, okay? That's awesome.
Fact number 9, fact number nine, angels, listen to this now, are not meant to be worshiped. Angels are not meant to be worshiped. Revelations chapter 19 and verse 10 in the New King James version. Revelations 19 and verse 10. He says, "And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, see that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant". Wow. "And of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy". The testimony of Jesus is spirit of prophecy. So angels are sometimes mistaken for God by humans, and they're worshiped in the Bible but reject it, as they are not meant to be worshiped. For most people, if they see angels, they'll go to worship in them and they're not God. So he says, don't do that. Don't do that. You see what I'm doing? It's important to me, as a teacher of the gospel, to settle down sometimes and say, let's go to the Bible. Let's go see what this stuff says in the Bible. Let's get away from the fantasy because in these last days, there's an uprise of a bunch of false teachers and prophets that are gonna come, and you just kind of need to see what the Word has to say.
Fact number 10. Fact number 10. Angels are subject to Christ. In other words, angels are Christ Jesus's servants, okay? They are subject to Christ. I like what 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 22. 1 Peter 3 and 22 in the New King James version. He says: "Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Jesus". Angels, authorities, and powers having been made subject to him. So angels are subject to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fact number 11. See if I can squeeze at least one more in here. Now, this is quite enlightening for me to see this. Angels have a will. Angels have a will. You know, I don't remember who or when, but I think somebody told me that angels don't have a will. They do they have a will. How do you think they ended up rebelling against God? They had to decide. They made a decision to rebel against God, and they are in chains in hell, because hell was created for the devil and his angels. So every angel that made a decision to rebel against God, that was a decision. Satan is part of the angelic class, Lucifer, and he made a decision. And you know, you gotta see that angels have a will. Angels have the ability to exercise their own will.