7. ANGELS
“And He sent and signified it by His Angel unto His servant John” Revelation 1:1c.
Strong’s Greek #32, aggelos, (to bring tidings), a messenger, especially an “angel”, by implication, a Pastor.
Strong’s Hebrew #4397, mal’ak, to deputize as a deputy, a messenger, specifically of God. An angel, also a prophet, priest or teacher.
Brown, Driver, Briggs Lexicon: (1) One sent, (2) a messenger, (3) a messenger from God; i.e. (a) an angel, (b) a prophet, Haggai 1:13; Malachi 3:1; (c) a priest, Malachi 2:7.
Question 1: What are Angels?
A. What they are not:
1. Not God, not Jesus, not the Holy Spirit, not reincarnated people, not to be worshipped.
2. Angels can fall: Satan and his angels, Revelation 12:7-9.
3. Angels are not greater than the Word of God: Galatians 1:8: “But though we, or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
4. Satan can disguise himself as an angel: 2 Corinthians 11:13-15: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
B. What they are: They are excellent, wise, powerful ministers.
1. Powerful: Psalm 104:4: “Who maketh His angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire.” (Quoted also in Hebrews 1:7.)
2. Ministers: Hebrews 1:14: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
3. Interpreters: AMP: Job 33:23-24: A messenger from God acting as an interpreter and declaring what is right. “If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: Then He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.”
4. Pastors, Revelation 2:1, etc., “Angel of the Church….”
[Read RIC p. 520, top of page: Quotations from Lightfoot.]
5. Protectors: Psalm 91:11-12: “For He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” (Quoted by the devil in the temptation of Jesus, Luke Chapter 4. Jesus answered: “It is written, ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God’.” After the temptation, Angels came and ministered to Jesus, “strengthening Him.”)
6. Strong Doers of the Word: Psalm 103:20-21: “Bless the Lord, ye his angels that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his Word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his that do His pleasure.“7. Deliverers: Psalm 34:7: “The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”
8. Wise: 2 Samuel 14:20: “To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing; and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.”
QUESTION 2: DID DANIEL HAVE ALL OF THESE QUALIFICATION?
A. Daniel as the Interpreter: READ: RIC p. 495, 1:1 “And He sent and signified it by His angel…” [Note: Blue emphasis refers to Daniel’s wisdom as an interpreter. Red emphasis refers to the sealing of the Book until the end.]
1. Daniel 5:12: “Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.”
QUESTION 3: Who is the Angel of Revelation 1:1? CLUES: (Credit Stuart)
1. Fellowservant, Brother Prophet: Revelation 19:10: “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me. See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
2. Man/Angel: Revelation 21:17: “And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.”
3. Prophet: Revelation 22:6: “And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.” (This echoes Revelation 1:1, showing that these things have now been shown.)
4. Fellowservant, Prophet, Doer of the Word: Revelation 22:8-9: “And I, John, saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”
5. The Angel of Jesus: Revelation 22:16: “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
SOME REFERENCES TO THIS “ANGEL INTERPRETER” IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION:
A. Excerpts from Daniel’s Prophecies of the “End”: (From the RSV version)
Daniel 8:16-19: “… Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision … that the vision is for the time of the end … for it pertains to the appointed time of the end ….”
Daniel 8:26: “… but seal up the vision, for it pertains to many days hence.”
Daniel 8:27: “And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days; then I rose and went about the king’s business; but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.”
Daniel 9:20-27: “While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God; (21) While I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. (22) He came and he said to me, ‘O Daniel, I have now come out to give you wisdom and understanding. (23) At the beginning of your supplications a word went forth, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the word and understand the vision.
(24) “‘Seventy weeks of years are decreed concerning your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy (place, one). (25) Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. (26) And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off, and shall have nothing; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war; desolations are decreed. (27) And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out upon the desolator.”
(In Daniel chapters 10-11, Daniel is given the prophecies concerning the worldly kingdoms that will arise and fall up to the time of the Roman Empire. He understood these visions: 10:1).
Daniel 12:1-4: “At that time (referring to 11:40 “the time of the end”) shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time; but at that time your people shall be delivered, every one whose name shall be found written in the book. (2) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (3) And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. (4) But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, until the time of the end….”
Daniel 12:5: “Then I, Daniel looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. (6) And I said to the man clothed in linen (referring to chapter 10:5) who was above the waters of the stream, ‘How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?’ (7) The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven; and I heard him swear by him who lives for ever and ever that it would be for a time, two times, and half a time; and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be accomplished.’ (8) I heard but I did not understand. Then I said, ‘O my Lord, what shall be the issue of these things?’ (9) He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. (10) Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but those who are wise shall understand. (11) And from the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (12) Blessed is he who waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. (13) But go your way till the end; and you shall rest, and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.'”
B. Appearances of the Angel Interpreter:
1:1: “And he sent and signified (interpreted) it by his Angel….”
5:2: A strong Angel with a loud voice asks: “Who is worthy to open the book and loose the seals thereof?”
10:1: A strong, bright Angel has a little book open.
10:8: John takes the little book and is told, (verse 11), “Thou must prophecy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
17:1: The Angel shows John the judgment of the great whore, and verse 11 tells the mystery of the woman, a City.
Chapter 18: A powerful and brilliant, loud Angel describes the destruction of the great whore (City) and calls for his people to “Come out of her, my people,….”
19:17: Again the Angel is bright and loud.
20: 1: A powerful Angel binds Satan.
21: 9: The Angel shows John the Bride, the Lamb’s wife.
22:6-10: See above, P. 2, Question 3, items 3 & 4.
22:10: “Seal not the … prophecy, … for the time is at hand.” See Revelation 1:3.
[C. FOR FURTHER STUDY: As “The Voice”: These passages refer to a voice which may or may not be Daniel. I believe, however, that “the voice” is Jesus: Revelation 4:1; 9:13-14; 10:8; 14:2, 13, 15, 18; 16:1; 18:4; 19:5; 21:3-4.
Also for further study see RIC pp. 13-29: “Daniel in the Book of Revelation”; 95-97: “The Signifying Angel of Revelation”; Word Studies pp. 341-342.]
RIC means my book: Revelation In Context.