LESSON #1: ANGELS ASCENDING AND DESCENDING UPON THE SON OF MAN
The Lord Jesus said to Nathanael who would become one of His twelve disciples, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” (John 1:51) Why would the heaven open and the angels of God ascend and descend upon the Lord Jesus? It is because the angels of God would work together with the Lord Jesus, becoming part of His ministry.
LESSON #2: ANGELS MINISTERING TO THE LORD JESUS
The angels of God often descended and ascended upon the Lord Jesus in His life. They were always ready to help and work together Him. At the end of His forty days temptations from Satan in the wilderness, the angels ministered to Him (Mark 1:13). When He was in agony during prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him (Luke 22:43). Also, when He was about to be arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, He told His disciples that He could pray to His Father and His Father would provide Him with more than twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53).
LESSON #3: THE FATHER SENDING HIS ANGELS FOR HIS SON
The Lord Jesus is the incarnation of God, that is, God who became Man. He was perfect in every way. He was one with God His Father and He had the Holy Spirit without measure. Why did He still need God's angels to help and work with Him? Could He only do all things by the Holy Spirit without the angels? Of course, He could. But, God the Father chose to send His angels to help and work with Him. The Lord Jesus never looked for nor asked any angel to help Him or work with Him. He always focused on His Father and asked Him. While He became hungry after He fasted for forty days in the wilderness, being tempted by Satan, He never asked nor told the angels to bring food for Him. His heart was set on God and His word. He said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4) It was God who chose to send His angels to bring food and minister to Him (Mark 1:13). When He was in agony during His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, He never asked any angel to strengthen Him. He only focused on His Father and it was His Father who chose to send an angel from heaven to strengthen Him (Luke 22:41-43).
LESSON #4: ANGELS ASCENDING AND DESCENDING UPON THE CHURCH
God's angels did not only descend and ascend upon the Lord Jesus but upon the church as well. They helped and worked together with the church. When some apostles were put in prison, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out (Acts 5:18-19). An angel of the Lord told Philip to go to a certain place so that he could preach Jesus to a man of Ethiopia (Acts 8:26-27). When Peter was put in prison by Herod the king, God sent His angel and delivered him from the prison and from the hand of Herod (Acts 12:4-10).
LESSON #5: A FLAME OF FIRE SPIRIT BEINGS
What or who are angels? How were they created? The psalmist wrote, "Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire." (Psalm 104:4) Angels are spirit beings who were created to be God's ministers. They are a flame of fire. Why are angels a flame of fire? It is because it seems that they were made from the fiery stones. Speaking about the Archangel Lucifer, Prophet Ezekiel wrote, "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones." (Ezekiel 28:14)
LESSON #6: THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN ANGEL AND MAN
There are some similarities between the creation of man and the creation of angel although man was created on earth while angel was created in heaven. Man's body was formed of the dust of the ground where he walked on after he became a living being (Genesis 2:7). Angel's body was formed of the fiery stones where he walked on after he became a spirit being. There is the breath of life in man and there is the flame of fire in angel. God created both man and angel with a free will. If man sins, his physical body will deteriorate and will eventually return to dust. If angel sins, his spiritual body will burst to flame and will eventually return to fire.
LESSON #7: MINISTERING SPIRITS FOR SALVATION
The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote about the angels, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14) God sends His angels to minister for those who will inherit salvation? What does it mean? It means if someone is looking for or searching for salvation, God will send His angels to help him find it. A man of Ethiopia was sitting on his chariot, returning to his country after he had come to Jerusalem to worship. He was reading Isaiah the prophet. An angel of the Lord was sent to Philip the evangelist to tell him to go to the place where the ethiopian man was so that he could preach Jesus to him (Acts 8:26-28). There was a certain centurion in Caesarea who was called Cornelius. He was a devout man and feared God with all his household, one who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. God sent His angel to him so that he and all his household could hear the words of salvation from Peter (Acts 10:1-6).
LESSON #8: RECEIVING HELP FROM ANGELS
Angels are ministering spirits whom God sends for those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14). So, if we serve God and preach the gospel to bring salvation to people, then angels will surely work together with us. We may not always be aware that angels work together with us, but they will be very active in our lives. We will experience their helps when there is no man who can help. At times, we will sense their presence when they come, hear their voices when they speak, see their powers when they act. Basically, receiving help from angels is like receiving help from people but in a supernatural way.
LESSON #9: ANGELS' PROTECTION OVER US
When we make God our dwelling place, He will give His angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways. They shall bear us up in their hands so that we do not stumble in our walk. What is the result? No evil thing will happen to us. No plague will come near our dwelling. The psalmist wrote, "Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone." (Psalm 91:9-12)
LESSON #10: ANGELS BRINGING VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGES AND REVELATIONS
Angels are also actively involved in bringing very important messages and revelations from God to His servants. The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a virgin named Mary to tell her that she was chosen to conceive and give birth the Lord Jesus. He said to her, "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus." (Luke 1:31) God sent His angel to signify the revelation of Jesus Christ to His servant John. John the beloved himself wrote, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John." (Revelation 1:1)
LESSON #11: EXPERIENCING THE MINISTRY OF THE ANGELS
God sends His angels to minister to us in many things. Therefore, we should be open to the ministry of the angels. Nevertheless, we must not focus on them, not purposely looking for them or talking to them. We must only focus on God, His word, and His Spirit. We should let God decide when He will send His angels to minister to us or appear to us. One thing we can be sure of. The more we worship God and preach the gospel to people, the more His angels will actively get involved in our lives and we will experience their powerful ministry.
