Giant Mysteries Series
“Angels Among Us”
(Inspired by Ron Philip’s book Unexplained Mysteries of Heaven & Earth)
May 11, 2014 Chester FBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A Each of us could tell our own incredible story of something that happened to us that in the final act would should have died (car wreck, hunting accident, boating mishap, accident at home)
1 I remember taking my 2 year old son, Lake, out to Piney Creek Nature Walk and getting way to close to the edge of a slimey cliff that ended with a 75 foot drop into a shallow pool.
a I slipped near the edge, holding Lake . . . there is no reason we shouldn’t have just fallen over the edge to our deaths.
b I’ve always thought that there were angels watching over us, keeping us safe, out of harms way.
aa Then I thought, “Why would God care about Lake and me?”
bb I’m thankful that the King & Creature of the Universe cares about two red necks from Southern Illinois enough to keep watch care over us.
2 I remember David’s words in Ps. 8.
a In my mind’s eye I can see him seating under a Judean sky into the stars, thinking how big & vast the universe the heavens are and how infinite God is when he realized just how small he was.
aa Psalm 8:3-4 (NASB) 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
bb Our God takes notice of us, cares for us, & crowns us as royalty on earth.
b Earth is not the only place that is teaming with life or where life exists.
aa Today, we’ll see how that life exists in other dimensions beyond the earth.
bb Truth be told, supernatural beings exist beyond our earthly realm.
c Psalm 8:5 (NKJV) 5 For You have made him [humankind] a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
aa David looked to heavenward and saw the majesty of God in the vastness of the created order.
bb Then he looked at his little sheep and himself and saw man as the centerpiece and crowning glory of all God has created.
B Although man is God’s best work (After all, He didn’t send His Son to die for angels!), man is not God’s only work.
1 Angels are beings from another dimension that are moving by the multitudes across the vast expanse of our known world.
a These interdimensional beings are not subject to the limitations that we are in this world.
aa They exist in a dimension that we cannot see, out of our normal range of understanding . . . but is it more real/lasting than anything we can imagine.
bb The realm is called “the heavenlies,” where marvelous creatures (both magnificiant & malevolent) exist.
b Both, angels & demons, were created by God, and they have a history all their own.
2 To understand angels (their origin, history, place in God’s purpose) we have to look at various texts in Scriptures.
a Nehemiah 9:6 (NASB) 6 "You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You.
aa Nehemiah establishes the truth that God is the only God.
bb AND that God made the heavens and “The heaven of heavens.” (Why does Nehemiah make the distinction between the two places if they were the same place?)
b The Bible teaches that there are three realms that are referred to as “heaven.”
aa The first realm of “heaven” is the earths own atmosphere.
bb The second realm is above our atmosphere (moons, stars, planets).
cc The third realm is the “heaven of heavens” (cf. Gen. 28, Deut. 10, 1 Kings 8) & it’s a spiritual realm.
c Paul mentions this third realm in 2 Cor.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (NASB) 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
aa In the original language, it’s not “caught up” but actually “caught away.”
bb It reflects the Jewish thought that Paradise was somewhere other than the uppermost heaven. (IL. Parable of Rich man & Lazarus.)
C God created all the “hosts of heaven,” and these “hosts” worship Him.
1 Ps. 148.5, tells us that God spoke every angel into existence.
Psalm 148:5 (NASB) 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.
a They are so vast in number that I dare say they could not all be counted.
aa Our universe seems so bleak, empty of life, but the heavenly realm teems with energy/life.
bb The “heaven of heavens” & “hosts” are there according to the Word of God.
b Paul affirms David in Ps. 148, and that being that angels existed prior to the creation of the sun, moon, & stars with the purpose to praise/worship the Lord.
aa Colossians 1:16 (NASB) 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
bb Angels were created by the Lord Jesus, for the Lord Jesus.
cc Furthermore, the angels were present at the creation of our realm.
2 Job 38:4-7 (NASB) 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, 5 Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? 6 "On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
a According to Job (perhaps the oldest book of the Bible) angels were active at the dawn of creation.
aa Job is full of wonder/mystery and perhaps this verse is the epitome of the wondrous mystery of Job.
bb This passage carries us back to the earliest moments of history.
b At creation, God’s voice boomed & banged, breaking through every dimension.
aa Stars exploded in the heavens like a fireworks display (of which the remnant of the moment of creations inception still shine over us still!)
bb The sun that God created still warms us all these ages later from that beginning blast.
cc IL. Have you ever watched a July 4th fireworks display with your family? Kids sitting close by you as the ramparts explode overhead. (At creation, I imagine that the angels “ooo-ed & ah-ed” as the Father created the entire universe.
D When we think of how vast our universe is, the earth is dwarfed in its massiveness.
1 Earth is a small planet in an average-sized solar system on the edge of a galaxy called the Milky Way. (In comparison, the earth would be a grain of sand in a large building) “Who am I that you are mindful of me?”
a However, if the visible world is all there is and life is an accident, then human intelligence, achievements, and aspirations mean nothing. (Kelsee, put 6 to 8 photos here that capture the essence of man’s greatest achievements in the arts & sciences)
aa Solomon felt this after pondering human existence in the present dimension; “grasping for the wind”
Ecclesiastes 1:17 (NKJV) 17 And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.
bb He understood that God has set a desire in us for more than what we can see in this life.
b Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NASB) 11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
aa Solomon understood that God has made everything beautiful in its time.
bb God put eternity in our hearts, and the work that God does from the beginning to the end is on His own time schedule.
cc We should enjoy our lives right now (eat, drink, enjoy what you work so hard to get) because it’s a gift from God.
c We know that this world is real because we’re in it, live here together... yet there is another realm that is just as real, yet very different.
aa The realm we live is real, but only temporary, not eternal.
bb The realm that angels live in (heavenly dimension) is a realm that we can access, enter.
2 Paul made this discovery 2,000 years ago and declared it in Corinth:
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NASB) 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
a There is an unseen world that is greater, more real, and more lasting than our limited existence.
b Just because you may not believe in it, or want anything to do with it . . . the fact still remains that there does exist an unseen realm, dimension.
E How does God operate in our world? Through people & angels!
1 Nehemiah (Neh. 9.6) said that there are “hosts. (Vast number too great count, who exist to serve their maker.)
Nehemiah 9:6 (NASB) 6 "You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You.
a Psalm 68:17 (NASB) 17 The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
Hebrews 12:22 (NASB) 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,
Revelation 5:11 (NASB) 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,
b The point here is that there lots of these angels available to help us at just the right moment.
2 Angels are our supernatural allies, friends on our side.
a Angels are super intelligent beings that are part of our kingdom family.
b Heb. 12.22, we find that the “innumerable company of angels” gathered was there to join with the church in worship, but is that all they do?
aa In the NT, Angel means “a messenger” or “one who heralds”; OT it means “a message sent.”
bb What the meaning of “angel” teaches us is that God uses angels to communicate, speak to us.
F Angels have a rankings in the kingdom of God (Sgt., Corporal, Captain, etc.). (Kelsee, put images of each order of angel with each of these subpoints, please. ie., Cherubim, seraphim, Michael, etc.)
1 “Sons of God” (mainly in OT)
a It really speaks about their relationship to the Father. (Job 2.1)
Job 2:1 (NASB) 1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.
b **Warning** We are not to worship angels!!
aa They are “unbegotten” sons of God, while Jesus is the “only begotten” Son of God (John 3.16).
bb God is the father to us all, and if you have Christ as your Savior, then you are part of an eternal cosmic family.
c Every angel has a specific task, job.
2 Cherubim (Their job is to guard the throne of God upon the earth.)
a From Scripture, it appears than when God manifests Himself on earth that the Cherubim guard His presence.
aa First mention in Gen. 3.24 when they were placed east of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:24 (NASB) 24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
bb Their names means “great, mighty, and gracious to bless.” (Clearly attributes of God!)
cc The Cherubim guarded the way/blocked access to the Tree of Life (The Cherubim weren’t being hostile to man)
dd Had Adam eaten from the Tree of Life he would have been cursed to live in an aging body forever (not died, just aged). IT WAS GRACE THAT SET THE CHERUBIM THERE FOR US!
b I believe the Garden was in Jerusalem, where Adam & Eve brought their bloody sacrifices before the Lord.
aa It’s also interesting that cherubim of gold adorned the holy of holies around the mercy seat in the tabernacle and temple.
bb These beautiful creatures reminded the priests/people all that was lost in the Garden and of man’s need for a Savior.
c The real cherubim inhabited the tabernacle when the Shekinah glory cloud appeared above the mercy seat, guarding the presence of God.
aa When God was not honored, angels (cherubim) were activated to defend God’s throne.
bb Exodus 25:22 (NASB) 22 "There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.
cc Cherubim appear in Ezekiel 10 as having wings, wheels as a means of motivating and having four faces; Rev. 4, they are called “the living ones”, in Gk. zoon. (Zoo)
dd Cherubim are angelic forces related to planet earth and its creative order (The four faces is the dead give away because four is the number that traditionally represents the earth.)
3 Seraphim (Only found in Isaiah 6 in a vision by the prophet)
a Isaiah’s king & cousin Uzziah had died, and the prophet went into the forbidden holy of holies, desperate for a word from God even if it cost him His life.
aa In the vision, Isaiah saw the Lord high & lifted up in majesty and glory; hearing the seraphim worshipping with cries of “Holy, Holy, Holy!”
bb Immediately Isaiah became aware of his own sins/unrighteousness & a seraphim brought a coal of fire from the altar, where sacrifice was made (pic of brazen alter/tabernacle) and put it directly on his lips.
cc The fire cleansed him and redirected his life.
b Seraphim means “burning ones.”
aa It seems that there is a direct link between these angels and the manifest presence of God.
bb These are the beings that set our hearts on fire for God’s holiness, His presence, and His power.
4 Michael (Who is like God?)
a Mentioned in both OT/NT.
aa He is the commander & chief of the angelic armies of Earth.
bb In Daniel, it is Michael who wars against the demonic prince of Persia for two weeks to answer Daniel’s prayer
Daniel 10:13 (NASB) 13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.
b He’s also mention in Rev. 12.7 as the angel at the end of the age as the one who casts Satan the fallen angels out of the heavenlies.
Revelation 12:7 (NASB) 7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,
c He would be known to us as the secretary of war.
5 Gabriel (If Michael is the secretary of war, Gabriel is the vice president of communications)
a This angel shows up to answer prayer, interpret dreams & release the word of God.
aa Gabriel interpreted dreams for Daniel twice.
bb He was the angel that appeared to Mary giving her the news about the child she would deliver.
cc Gabriel said of himself to Zacharias in Luke 1.19
Luke 1:19 (NASB) 19 The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
b Gabriel, along with Michael, is the highest rank of angelic authority in the Kingdom.
6 Angel of the Lord (Mentioned 63 times in Scripture)
a This angel carries with it an awesome anointing, so much so that God’s presence is recognized, then worshiped, whenever this angel appears. (I believe this is God’s accompanying angel.)
b He has mighty power and operates on behalf of the people who dwell in the presence of God.
aa It was this angel who held Abraham’s hand from killing Isaac.
bb This is the angel that stretched forth his sword and destroyed Jerusalem in David’s day; who killed 185,000 of the Assyrian army in one night; who ordered the watching angels to do surveillance of the whole earth in the Book of Zechariah.
cc The Angel of the Lord directed the heavenly choir over the shepherds’ field in Bethlehem, appeared to Joseph & Mary to guide them to Egypt, and struck Peter to awaken him/lead him out of prison.
7 Principalities, powers, thrones, and dominions
a These are the angels who rank over regions, nations, cities, communities.
aa These can be either good/evil beings.
bb There is a battle raging in the invisible realm, known as the heavenlies, between angels of light and angels of darkness.
cc This struggle is affected by our prayers (cf. Dan. 10)
Ephesians 6:12 (NASB) 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
James 5:16 (NASB) 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
b All angels are different, unique, have their own name, personalities, & assignments.
aa As the church comes to the end of the church age, face last days, secular society, threat of demonic terror . . . doesn’t it make sense that we’d use any and all supernatural resources available from God?
bb When we do, we’ll discover an open heaven, and the hosts, the angelic armies, will come to her aid.
G Angels are real and they are on the pages of Scripture from Gen. 1 to Rev. 22.
1 Throughout our lives we have been the recipient of angelic assistance.
a Only within the last 50 years has science caught up to Scripture in the area of other realms and dimensions beyond normal human perception.
b They are living with us & beyond us at the same time. . . the angels of God.
2 There is an unseen world but it’s real.
H In recent years, Quantum physics has pursued the origin of matter.
1 This field of science believes the world had a beginning; therefore a greater world existed and still thrives beyond our cosmos.
a Our world operates in four dimensions: length, width, height, and time . . . these dimensions limit us.
aa Brian Green, The Elegant Universe, has discovered the existence of at least 11 dimensions (image?)
bb All of these dimensions are moving in straight lines; called “linear.”
cc God created our universe and set this line in motion, but He is not captive to it.
b God lives above & beyond our history!
aa Knowing that there are at least 7 other dimensions beyond our limited view, our prospective is broadened, and dimensions we have not seen captivate our imagination.
bb This is the realm where God abides.
2 Paul called these dimensions “the third heaven.”
a Solomon, as the dedication of the great temple, spoke of our God not being limited to the heavens we observe.
b 1 Kings 8:27 (NASB) 27 "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!
3 How do we reach the dimension where God dwells? (Our linear history cannot reach the third heaven . . . our dimensions simply do not travel in the same direction.)
a They may intersect with ours. . . when they do what is in that dimension becomes available to us in our present dimension.
b When heaven invades earth, intersects . . . the limitations and laws of our present dimension can be altered, broken, or transformed.
c Our natural order can be changed by a supernatural dimensional interruption.
Conclusion:
A Billy Graham once said, “Angels belong to a uniquely different dimension of creation that we, limited to the natural order, can scarcely comprehend. In this angelic domain the limitations are different from those God has imposed on our natural order. He has given angels higher knowledge, power, and mobility than we; they are God’s messengers whose chief business is to carry out His orders in the world. He has given them an ambassadorial charge. He has designated and empowered them as holy deputies to perform works of righteousness. In this way they assist Him as their Creator, while His sovereignty controls the universe. So He has given them the capacity to bring His holy enterprises to a successful conclusion.”
B Long before there was Star Wars, the ancient prophets saw an end-time life & death struggle between the forces of darkness and the forces of light in the eternal realm.
1 Thought the war has been won by Christ on the cross, a battle rages for the soul of mankind; we are not alone in that battle.
2 We have invisible allies available to assist us in the end time as we enforce Christ’s victory.
Notice to Sermon Central Users:
My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
