Day 20, Read Matt. 1:20; 2:13,19; Luke 1:11,26; 2:9,13

Angels play a significant role in the story of the birth of Christ. 

·        Who or what are angels?  Both the Hebrew (malak) and Greek (angelos) terms mean “messenger”.  Cherubim ( “to praise”; Ezek. 1:4-14) and Seraphim ( “burning”; Isa. 6:2,6) are types of angelic beings.  The living creatures of Rev. 4:6-8 may have been Seraphim.  An archangel is a “chief angel” indicating order and rank in the “heavenly host” (1 Th. 4:16; Psa. 103:21).  Eph. 1:21 and Col. 1:16 refer to the various ranks of angelic beings.  Some are “fallen” from their original state (2 Pt. 2:4; Jude 1:6).  There is a future battle between Satan and Michael and their respective angelic armies (Rev. 12:7,9).  Angels are “spirit” beings (Heb. 1:14) who may take on a physical appearance.  References to the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament are considered by many to be pre-incarnate appearances of God for special purposes.  Angels are not stars; they are not exceptional humans who were promoted to “angel” when they died; and they do not have halos.

·        What do angels do?  They serve God, especially in encouragement of His people (Ps. 103:20f; Heb. 1:14).  The term “angel” in Hebrew (malak) and Greek (angelos) means messenger.  As messengers angels are often relaying specific messages from God as in the story of Christmas.  But their purpose is fundamentally to praise and worship God (Psalm 148:2; Rev. 5:11-12).  Again, angels may do any number of things because they simply serve God.

·        What is our relationship to angels?

·        Are they links in a chain to draw us to God?  No!  Christ as Redeemer reconciles us to God (Eph. 2:13); the Spirit draws us to God (Jn 16:7-11).

·        Are we to form personal communicative relationships with them?  No.  This was never commanded.  When angels initiated communicated with people, such as in the story of Jesus’ birth, those individuals did not initiate further communication with the angel.  They communed with God.

·        Are we to pray to them?  No!  Prayer is worship and this is directed only to God (Col. 2:18; Rev. 22:8-9).  God may use angels to answer prayer, but that is God’s sovereign choice.

·        Could God use them to influence unbelievers to Christ?  Yes, but it is God to whom we pray for the salvation of souls (Rom. 10:1).

·        Could they provide us with guidance?  Yes, but again we seek direction from the Lord (Prov. 3:5-6).

It is true, angels are an important part of the story of Jesus’ birth.  It is an exceptional event in history.  But let us keep it straight.  “For to which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You’?  And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son’”?  But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”  (Heb. 1:5-6)  Worship Christ the newborn King!