Angels

CoreyD said:

Thanks for sharing that bit of information.
Yes, the word in Hebrew is messenger, which refers to either human, or spirit.
Evidently, in later times, the word angel was used, but we do not need to assume it was derived from Greek mythology. The Greek equivalent of messenger Angelos, is a word. Not a goddess.

So, one can derive any name from that.
For example, there is the House of Angelos - Female version Angelina, Ἀγγελίνα; Latinised as Angelus.. It is not necessary to say that was derived from Greek mythology.
Sometimes people think the egg came before the chicken, when it comes to the history, of the Bible, but I ask myself...
Do we have to assume that the Bible borrowed from this or that, or could it be the other way around?

For example, people say the Flood account in the Bible was borrowed from Mesopotamian myth, on the basis that the account in the Bible was penned later.
However, because something is recorded later does not mean it was borrowed.
Many letters of the apostles were penned much later than the actual events,

Satan is good at confusion, and the longer something is known, the more time Satan has to imitate it, and put his twists to it, so that it appears bad.
He's still at it to this day, and so we see how "good is bad, and bad is good".
What is good, is made to appear bad.

So, while the word angel may have been chosen to differentiate from heavenly and earthly messengers, it does not mean the word was borrowed from Greek mythology.
The Greek goddess was Angelia, rather than angel, and so was the royal family that produced several Emperors and other prominent nobles during the middle and late Byzantine Empire.

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CoreyD said:

You said that already.
Did you read my response? What exactly don't you agree with?

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CoreyD said:

I'd be careful about that.
Did you mean to say, the Hebrew, and Greek word many translate as angel, simply means messenger? ...because angel doesn't mean messenger, and if we see angels, as "just" messengers, would that be correct?

I really need to get back to the angel's message, before we get too bogged down on what has been already covered the previous two pages.

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CoreyD said:

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That night the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. 2 Kings 19:35

Just one angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night.
The Bible says, at Armageddon, Jesus will come with all the angels. Matthew 25:31
Image the size of Jesus' army - Daniel 7:10 says of the angels surrounding God's throne... "a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him". Myriads of myriads. Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 5:11

What an army of superior might.
Thus we expect a slaughter at Armageddon.
The Bible describes it this way...
Those slain by the LORD on that day will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like dung lying on the ground. Jeremiah 25:33 (See Revelation 19:17-21)

Angels indeed are powerful 2 Peter 2:11, and will be used in a mighty way to vanquish God's enemies. 2 Thessalonians 1:7
God values the willing service of this magnificent creation - the angels.
God says of them... “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.” Hebrews 1:7
They are God's ministers.

Thus, like Jesus, and the holy spirit, angels are very important to God, for assisting those on earth God is seeking to save. Hebrews 2:16
The Greek word translated angel, means messenger.
Angels are God's messengers.

When Jesus was on earth, God said, "This is my beloved son. Listen to him." Mark 9:7
Like Jesus, and the prophets of old 2 Kings 17:13, 14; Acts 3:21-23, and the prophets today 1 Corinthians 12:28, the angels bear a message from God, which God wants all to pay attention to.

Spoiler: Acts 3:21-23

whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been from of old. 22 Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR COUNTRYMEN; TO HIM YOU SHALL LISTEN regarding everything He says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’

So, how do we view God's angelic messengers?
Do we respect them and listen to them?
That will be the focus of this thread.

And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to Him!”
Luke 9:35

On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets. But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things...
Hebrews 1:1, 2​

One way Jesus has spoken to us, is by means of angels - messengers of God.

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
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Note
Though the book of Revelation will be the primary focus of this thread, the book of Daniel will also be considered, but the title of the thread will be maintained - ANGELS.
Also, if you decide to comment in this thread, please remember to pay attention to, and follow the guidelines of the Statement of Purpose, for the sub-forums. Thank you.

So, the question is, are we listening to the angels... including the one sent by Jesus?

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CoreyD said:

I do look forward to living more than 3,000 years, but I'm not that old.
However, every one of us have entertained angels, only not in the way Paul referred to.
Angels have been watching humans for centuries, and have been entertained in one way or other.

The wicked angels are entertained when we do things that displeases God, and of course the faithful angles are entertained, when we do the opposite.
Jesus said, "there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over 99 good people who don't need to."

Since Jesus is teaching his people, by means of God's holy spirit John 14:15-21, we can be sure that angels do not pass our way, for us to 'entertain' them... that is, show hospitality to strangers who are not from this realm.
The means by which God spoke to his servants, has changed. Hebrews 1:1, 2

The last angel to visit this realm with a message, was between 70 and 90 A.D., when John received a visit from an angel sent by Jesus. Revelation 1:1
That angel did not visit individual members of the congregation, but rather, Jesus sent that angel to the last living apostle.
This is how Jesus, in imitation of his father, operates.

There is always a chosen servant to lead, whom God, as well as Jesus, communicates the message, and that servants feeds others. Jesus uses this exact method, as the scriptures show. Matthew 24:45-47

Exodus 33:11
Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
Numbers 12:8

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Whereas, all the selected men died out, the one remaining was solely given a message to dispense to all the congregations.
Revelation 1:1

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,​

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This is where we are at present, in regards to the angels.
We entertain angels by listening to the messages they delivered.
Consider this interesting one...

Revelation 12:1, 2

1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.​

Revelation 12:3, 4

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.​

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The angel identifies the dragon....
Revelation 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

However, he does not reveal the identity of the woman, and her child.
The angel does give us clues to their identity though. Those clues are found in the remaining verses of Revelation 12, coupled with Revelation 1:1, and other scriptures.

Some people think this woman is Eve, or Mary.
However, Revelation 1:1, and Revelation 12:13-17 rules out either of those.
This event does not take place until well after Jesus ascension.

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CoreyD said:

You are not alone... You and a whole heap of people who don't know who visited them.

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CoreyD said:

In 1820, Joseph Smith, who was 14 years old at the time, claimed to have been visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ. He reported seeing a pillar of light and within that light, he saw two personages, one of whom spoke to him and identified the other as His Beloved Son.

David Koresh claimed to have had religious experiences that he attributed to being visited by God. He claimed that God had spoken to him and told him, "You're the chosen one. You are my messiah".

Jim Jones claimed to be a "prophet" sent from God to properly interpret his teachings.

Do you believe any of these guys?
What makes you any different to them, and why should anyone believe you? Why do you believe you, for that matter?

Isn't that asking people to believe something that has no scriptural backing, or support?
The Bible does not tell us that God will personally visit anyone, and deal with them in a special way like the prophets, and apostles.
It does tell us that there will be false prophets.

So, can you even prove what you said to be true?
Should people take your word for it, that God visited you, or should they see you as a false prophet?
What would you have done if Joseph Smith, David Koresh, Jim Jones, and others like them, told you that they were visited by God, and know exactly who visited them?

Would you have believed them, or stuck to what the Bible tells us?
Hebrews 1:1-3

1 God, who [a]at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the [b]worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had [c]by Himself [d]purged [e]our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,​

I hope you would have done the later, because that's what I am doing here.

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CoreyD said:

Is that to say Joseph Smith, Jim Jones, David Koresh, and others did not need to prove anything, and you assume their angels were not from God?

I have not assumed anything.
I know who is not visiting you, and who is.
I know this, not from any assumption, which is what all people who claim to be visited by God, subsequent to the death of the apostles, are doing, but rather, I know from God's word, which tells us that God is not visiting anyone, but rather, Jesus by means of the holy spirit, guides God's chosen ones.
On the other hand, the Bibles tells us that there are a lot of people listening to the voices of God's enemies, who masquerade as angels of light. 1 Timothy 4:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Revelation 16:13, 14

The Bible does not lie, and it is my guide.
It warns against false prophets, and so, those who follow its guidance know.
Those who don't know, are the ones that bypass the Bible, and believe that God will also bypass his word to get to them.

That's a mistake many are making today, and the reason is mentioned in Revelation 12:9

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