Winged Thoughts: Section Two

Section Two: The ongoing relationship between men and angels. God, men, and angels – the three are intrinsically entwined. Man has, throughout history, considered the role that angels play in the affairs of men. Angels, in that regard, have come to represent a half-way point between man and God. Man has evolved an image of angels that is like man, and through recorded history, there have been numerous accounts of man-shaped messengers from God. God is an invisible spirit. God is the God of spirits, and spirits take many forms. Men, like angels, have spirits. It would be wrong for us to conclude of angels that they are only spirits, or that they are only the extrusion of God's spirit into our world. Rather, we would be correct to think of man-shaped angels as being like us in relation to God. By that I mean, they are beings that possess spirits, as do men. They are different in some respects, but both men and angels are humanoid beings whose spirits are commanded by God. God directs the actions of humanoid angels because God is a spirit and the ruler of all spirits. Like an angel, man has a spirit, and God rules it. See how God is described in the following verse. Numbers 27:16, The Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh. Indeed, man is not that far removed from the angel. Man is described as a member of the species of angels. Just as the domesticated dog is a member of the same species that the wolf belongs to – both belonging to the Canidae family – so man is included in the family of the angel. The following reference declares that relationship quite plainly. Psalms 8:5, For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Historically, man's relationship with God has included humanoid angels. These angels are traditionally depicted as men. These man-shaped angels are normally in the service of God, speaking and acting for the advancement of mankind. The following verse is one example of an angel of God being called a man. Ezekiel 43:5 through 6, So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. However these apparitions came to men, the humanoid angels appeared to men in the same manner as men. Many times, they were seen as solid entities. They looked upon us with eyes, they spoke to us with mouths, they stood upon two feet and used hands. They wore clothing, had hair and, on the whole, were credible representatives of all the normal human features. See an angel standing on his own two feet in the following verse. Revelation 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. Many times, in the accounts of angels, it is not clear whether the angel is real or merely a vision of some sort. I do think, however, that when people qualify what they see as being like something, they are not really sure. A real man standing before me will be reported simply as a man standing before me. If there is some doubt as to the state of my mind at the time, or of the quality of the other individual's constitution, I will qualify my report – maybe not a man, but certainly like a man – at least, that was the appearance of what I think I saw. Whether real, a dream, a vision, or a hologram, angelic encounters warranted writing about. Read the report. Daniel 8:15 through 16, And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. In many of the reported angel encounters, the angel was humanoid, but there was also something about the figure strange enough to include in the report. When Moses was instructed to erect a fiery serpent, the end result was an artifact made from brass. I mention this to illustrate a connection between brass and the color of fire – a general reddish approximation. If a man is described as brass-like, what must we think? Is a good tan important enough to include in the report? Many people were ruddy in appearance in that time and environment. Did the man appear in a light that gave him a brass-like appearance? Was his skin shiny and metallic? Did he wear clothing that seemed metallic? Here is a brass angel. Ezekiel 40:2 through 4, And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate. And the man said unto me . . . The following verse is an example of an angel encounter in which the angel is reported as normal. It may have been a vision or dream, the medium is not the issue; the angel was not described as an 'appearance', or 'like' a man – he was simply called a man. Ezekiel 47:3 through 6, And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Another account of angels presents us with a more generic view of angels. In other words, the concept of men and angels is interchangeable. Zechariah 2:1 through 5, Behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him. The following two verses are from the book of Mark. Chapter sixteen, the final chapter of that gospel, is short and offers a brief account of the resurrection. One might not see much of import on the first reading; in regard to the study of angels, one may only note an angel in the tomb, dressed in a long garment. Something quite marvelous and mind-expanding occurs when one reads the chapter with an eye toward the actual wording. Mark 16:5 and 12, And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. From just these two verses, we get an angel described in his angelic attire speaking to the women, and a description of Jesus as unrecognizable to two men who knew him. The wording is key to this chapter, and subsequently, to our understanding of angels and their ongoing relationship to men. The key to chapter sixteen is repetition. In other words, to understand what is really being said, we must put ourselves in the mind of the writer. The language of that time and era used repetition to drive home its message. Verses one and two provide the format for the entire chapter. Verse one states that the women went to the tomb after the Sabbath ended. Then verse two states the same thing, but in a different way – that they went to the tomb early on the first day of the week. Such repetition is common throughout scripture. These are not two separate accounts, but one. Nothing is amiss; that was simply the way that culture spoke and wrote. In reading the chapter, one should see the repetition. Here is the short of it: Mary saw a young man sitting in the tomb very early on the first day of the week. Add verse nine to this: Jesus rose very early on the first day of the week, and presented himself first to Mary. Now, note the word 'first' and add to it, “after that, he appeared in another form”. Are you hearing what the chapter is saying? Chapter sixteen is about the resurrection and subsequent appearances of Jesus. The wording is critical to a proper understanding. Jesus appeared to the eleven (his third appearance) in the form of Jesus. Jesus appeared to the two men (his second appearance) in another form. Jesus appeared to Mary (his first appearance) in a wholly different form. The fact is that both Jesus and Mary were in the tomb very early on the first day – where Jesus showed himself first to Mary. If you are tempted to think that there are two tomb accounts, think again. Mary ran from the tomb after she saw the young man in a long white garment. Verse nine is a repetition. It is the retelling of the only account. Jesus showed himself first to Mary in the form of an angel. When he spoke of Jesus of Nazareth, he spoke of his old self, for he had ascended. If this was not the case, the wording of verse twelve would not include “after that he appeared in another form”. Note, too, how the angel named the remaining apostles. The angel said, “tell his disciples and Peter”. This was a common classification in the gospels, even up into the book of Acts. It is how they were thought of. It was always 'Peter' and this or that other disciple. It was 'Peter and the rest'. The writers of the gospels thought that way among themselves. They were close-knit, and the group existed on a personal level. Peter was somewhat distinct from the rest of his band and was referred to that way. It is not likely that outsiders would refer to them in such a manner, but it is likely that Jesus would. What is the point of all this? The point I am making is that Jesus was an angel, that angels are on a higher level than their earthbound brothers, that as ascended beings, they are capable of physical actions that we find impossible. Although angels and men have an ongoing relationship, angels are not the main thing, spiritually speaking. Angels guide us in our relationship with God, but we are warned about getting too wrapped up in the whole angel thing. Colossians 2:16 through 18, Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. It would appear, then as now, that not everyone believed just anyone could see angels. Some things that people say, then as now, are based not in spiritual understanding, but rather in the mindset of the world. By that, I mean to include, physical actions and goals, desires and emotions. Nevertheless, communications from God are common knowledge. Mankind has regularly received messengers, ambassadors, and attachés, both solid and invisible. How many people do you suppose left Egypt with Moses? Every one of them daily witnessed the columns of cloud and fire. You might say it was burned into their collective memory. And then – there was that time when (how many thousands of them?) heard God speak directly to them. Check it out. Exodus 20:22 through 25, And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. As to angels, they walk the Earth as men. That, too, is part of the general historical psyche of mankind. It is such a deep-seated part of our collective view, that it has become axiomatic. See the following verse. Hebrews 13:2, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. If you are tempted to think that such things are inapplicable to our present day, consider this. I knew a man in Texas who relayed to me a story his wife had told him concerning her Dad. Her Dad had been a traveling salesman. His area was the entire west so you can imagine he was on the road a lot. According to the daughter's story, her Dad had once been a church-going man, business slowly leeched that aspect from his life. All he did was travel and sell. He was reported to be a man that never picked up a hitch-hiker, but one day he saw a neatly dressed young man on the side of the road and decided to do what he never did. With the introductions past, the two settled into a long trip through a hot desert. The a/c hummed as driver and passenger each viewed the barren landscape from his respective window. Suddenly, the young man asked, “Are you a church-going man?” The driver turned to answer, but the young man was not there. The door was locked, and the window was up. The young man had asked his question and quietly vanished. After that, the man returned to church as an active member. Angels are sometimes as solid and real as we are; we deal with them in real ways. Interactions between men and angels can seem mundane at times. In the Bible, angels sometimes appeared as men of God. 1 Samuel 2:27 . . . there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord . . . and 2 Kings 1:3 & 15 . . . the angel of the Lord said to Elijah . . . And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah . . . The following verses give us solid information about angels. As you read them, note that angels can be touched, travel in groups, and are concerned with time. Note also that not all angels exhibit great strength or mighty powers. Genesis 32:1, 2, and 24 through 28 . . . the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. “As a prince”; keep that term in mind. It will play its part in this study. So, angels are seen as men and handled as men. Consider the account of Abraham and the Lord. Genesis 18:1-5 plus 16 and 22, The Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, and said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, so do, as thou hast said. And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. Consider how the narrative alternates between the singular 'Lord' and the plural 'men'. Consider how the Lord, as three individuals, rested beneath a tree in the shade, how they washed their feet, how they ate bread, spoke to Abraham, listened to Abraham, had visible faces, and all the other attributes of normal men. Yet, Abraham's account is not about a meeting with three men, or three angels, but about a meeting with the Lord. Still – the Lord is described as three men. What was there about the three men that tipped off Abraham about their true nature. Although the three are not described, I wonder if they wore different clothing, or clothing not particularly in keeping with the heat of the day. Did that Prompt Abraham to offer rest and refreshment? Did they walk with no covering for their heads? Was their bearing appreciably prince-like? It is not always so evident that a man dresses or carries himself like a prince, but there may be hints or a certain gut reaction that sets the mind to wondering. We will have to ask: what exactly are the manner and bearing of a prince, how did some people recognize them, and what gave them away? In the following verses from Judges, Manoah did not at first see anything more than a man of God, but his wife, at least, thought that he might be an angel, based on his 'countenance'. We will see in this study that the occasional 'man of God' is also an angel of the Lord. Since the two are linked, we may be equally interested in just how the man of God was recognized. Judges 13:3 through 22 . . . the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman . . . Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible . . . Then Manoah intreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us . . . and the angel of God came again . . . the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband . . . And Manoah . . . went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground. But the angel of the Lord did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. It was commonly accepted that God could take the form of a man. Manoah didn't bat an eye at the notion that the man they had just seen was God. It's quite understandable. The man had just taken the flame to heaven as if it was an elevator. We can understand that this couple was just a little freaked out. Before that, however, Manoah thought he was speaking to a man of God, while his wife suspected there was an angel in their midst. Manoah's subsequent actions would have been the same for any man of God. He asked the man for his name – and that should clue us in on at least part of how a man of God might have been recognized. That whole thing about the name being secret was not necessarily due to the individual being an angel. It may be that a man of God identified himself: gave his name, and or some initial blessing or curse. We cannot begin to guess how men of God dressed. There may have been no set code for godly attire. Loads of people used walking sticks, or, staffs – but, how might that identify a man of God? Unless their staffs were significantly different from other staffs, they may have been mistaken for shepherds. Were men of God the wild-eyed outdoorsy type? Did they sport deep tans, hairy backs, and leather girdles? If an angel dressed as a man of God, his manner might still give him away. They might be a little spookier than the average man of God. They might seem menacing – they might have a more godly glower. Still – throughout the Bible, there seems to be an underlying theme of recognizable godly traits. This can be seen even in cultures other than the early Hebrews. Ask yourself, how would an idol worshiping pagan be able to recognize an angel – much less the son of God? Ask yourself, do angels look like Jesus? Daniel 3:24 through 28, Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellers, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellers, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. So, the king was knowledgeable about the Hebrew God. Still, his mind was awash with his own religious practices. Safe to say, the angel was no carved piece of rock. In his thinking, as with others from early times, the concepts of an angel, and of the son of God were not distinct. Note this about the son of God – slash – angel: he not only was able to personally overcome the intense fire, but he was able to change the constitution of the fire, and/or the three humans so that not only did they survive, but witnesses noticed no damage – and be sure, they looked closely. Not even the smell of smoke was on their clothing. The ongoing relationship between men and angels began at the beginning of recorded history, at the expulsion of mankind from the garden, and extends to the very end, where the history of mankind culminates with a fusion of human and angelic habitation. Revelation 21:10 through 12 and 17 . . . and he . . . shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: . . . and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. The angels, however, they may have been identified, share a certain quirk of character with the men of God. That quirk rests in the mannerism of message delivery. One need not be particularly well versed in scripture to recognize the phrase: “Thus saith the Lord”. Both men and angels spoke that way, but as to the more terrifying 'countenance' of angels, the mannerism is just a bit more on the personal side. Note what the angel says first to Satan, and then to Joshua; more importantly, note how he says it. Look very closely at the wording. Zechariah 3:1 through 7 . . . Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee . . . And unto him (Joshua) he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee . . . And the angel of the Lord stood by. I think that the more common consensus, spanning Biblical eras and mindsets, was that spirits of God, and angels of God were such high-caliber representatives of God as to constitute God himself. This assertion finds support in the following verses. Acts 23:8 through 9, For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. The humble mindset of early man placed above his own person the person of an angel. Angels were eagerly received because of their abilities, expertise, and over-all bearing. Men of God (those who were merely men) were just as eagerly received, and usually for similar reasons. See how Paul was received by the Galatians. Galatians 4:13 through 15, Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. As an aside, I wish to point to the clue embedded in the verses listed above. The clue is not about angels, but about Paul. Paul was blinded on the road to Damascus. It could well be, that after that life-changing event, he never enjoyed the full power of his eyes. The infirmity and trial of his flesh are referenced against the Galatians in such a manner as to suggest ailing eyesight. The Galatians were not willing to rip off their arms or legs for Paul's sake but to pluck out their eyes. Paul's reception impressed him, and it seems that for some telling reason, both angels of God, and Jesus Christ are mentioned in what may be considered the same breath. It is evident, in the writing, that man adopted a close mental association with his more advanced brother, the angel. Apostles justified their station thus. In the line-up of spiritually evolved types, apostles felt as though they stood out. 1 Corinthians 4:9, For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. After all, they were men. For that matter, angels were men. It can be argued that even God is a man. Exodus 15:3, The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.