|
SUBJECT: Revelation 1:1-3 Angel and Christ
QUESTION: I have heard said that Christ is the
angel spoken of in these verses. Is that true?
ANSWER:
Let us take a look at those verses:
Revelation 1:1-3
1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him,
to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to
pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his
servant John:
2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony
of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words
of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written
therein: for the time is at hand.
Now the commentaries:
Revelation 1:1
And he sent - Greek:
"Sending by his angel, signified it to his servant John."
The idea is not precisely that he sent his angel to
communicate the message, but that he sent by him, or
employed him as an agent in doing it. The thing sent was
rather the message than the angel.
~from Barnes' Notes
Note: This shows
that it was a separate being and not Christ as an angel
Revelation 1:1
He, Jesus Christ, by His
angel, joined with "sent." -
The angel does not 'signify things' until Revelation 17:1;
19:9-10: cf. Revelation 22:16. Previously John receives
information from others. Jesus Christ opens the Revelation,
Revelation 1:10-11; 4:1: in Revelation 6:1, one of the four
living creatures acts as his informant; in Revelation 7:13,
one of the elders; in Revelation 10:8-9, the Lord and His
angel, who stood on the sea and earth. Only at Revelation
17:1 does the one angel stand by him (cf. Daniel 8:16; 9:21;
Zechariah 1:19). ~from
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary
Note: This
commentary shows that the word "he" in verse 1 is Jesus and
not God, the Father referring to Jesus "his angel".
Revelation 1:1-2
3. This revelation Christ sent and signified by his angel.
Observe here the admirable order of divine revelation. God
gave it to Christ, and Christ employed an angel to
communicate it to the churches. The angels are God's
messengers; they are ministering spirits to the heirs of
salvation. They are Christ's servants: principalities and
powers are subject to him; all the angels of God are obliged
to worship him.
4. The angels signified it to the apostle John. As the
angels are the messengers of Christ, the ministers are the
messengers of the churches; what they receive from heaven,
they are to communicate to the churches. John was the
apostle chosen for this service. Some think he was the only
one surviving, the rest having sealed their testimony with
their blood. This was to be the last book of divine
revelation; and therefore notified to the church by the last
of the apostles. John was the beloved disciple. He was,
under the New Testament, as the prophet Daniel under the
Old, a man greatly beloved. He was the servant of Christ; he
was an apostle, an evangelist, and a prophet; he served
Christ in all the three extraordinary offices of the church.
James was an apostle, but not a prophet, nor an evangelist;
Matthew was an apostle and evangelist, but not a prophet;
Luke was an evangelist, but neither a prophet nor an
apostle; but John was all three; and so Christ calls him in
an eminent sense his servant John.
~from Matthew Henry's
Commentary on the Whole Bible
Note: Again we
see here that we have two separate beings involved here,
Jesus and an angel.
Now as to the term "angel", first the Websters Unabridged
Dictionary 1913
Angel
An"gel (#), n. [AS. æangel, engel, influenced by OF. angele,
angle, F. ange. Both the AS. and the OF. words are fromL.
angelus, Gr. messenger, a messenger of God, an angel.]
1. A messenger. [R.]
The dear good angel of the Spring, The nightingale. B.
Jonson.
2. A spiritual, celestial being, superior to man in power
and intelligence. In the Scriptures the angels appear as
God's messengers.
Note: The word
"angel" seems to be a collective term for these Spirit
beings. Next the Bible dictionary.
ANGEL
ANGEL
A member of an order of heavenly beings who are superior to
man in power and intelligence. By nature angels are
spiritual beings (Hebrews 1:14). Their nature is superior to
human nature (Hebrews 2:7), and they have superhuman power
and knowledge (2 Samuel 14:17, 20; 2 Peter 2:11). They are
not, however, all-powerful and all-knowing (Psalm 103:20; 2
Thessalonians 1:7).
Artistic portrayals of angels as winged beings are generally
without basis in the Bible. Rarely is an angel so described.
(For exceptions, compare the
CHERUBIM and SERAPHIM and the living creatures-Exodus 25:20;
Ezekiel 1:6; Revelation 4:8).The Relation of
Angels. Angels were created by God (Psalm 148:2, 5) and were
present to rejoice when He created the world (Job 38:4-7).
In their original state they were holy, but before the
creation of the world some of them rebelled against God and
lost this exalted position. The leading angel in this revolt
became the devil, also known as SATAN (Genesis 3:4, 14;
Ezekiel 28:12-16; Revelation 12:4, 7-9). Another of the
fallen angels is named Abaddon or Apollyon (Revelation
9:11), "the angel of the bottomless pit" [abyss],
NASB, NIV, RSV. Two of the vast company of unfallen [better,
“faithful”] angels are named in the Bible. They
are the archangels Michael (Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9;
Revelation 12:7) and Gabriel (Daniel 8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19,
26). Michael has the special task of caring for Israel, and
Gabriel communicates special messages to God's servants. The
vast army of [faithful]
angels delight in praising the name of the Lord continually
(Psalm 103:21; 148:1-2). Large numbers of them remain at
God's side, ready to do His every command (1 Kings 22:19).
Angels in God's presence include the cherubim, seraphim, and
living creatures (or living
beings) (Exodus 25:20; Isaiah 6:2; Ezekiel 1:5-6;
Revelation 4:6). [Faithful]
angels are known for their reverence for God and their
obedience to His will. Angels represent God in making
significant announcements of good news (Genesis 18:9-10;
Luke 1:13, 30; 2:8-15). On His behalf they also warn of
coming dangers (Genesis 18:16-19:29; Matthew 2:13). In some
cases they are God's agents in the destruction and judgment
of evil (Genesis 19:13; 2 Samuel 24:16).
Of special importance in the Old Testament is the ANGEL of
THE LORD (Genesis 16:7; 22:11; 31:11). This angel is
depicted as a visible manifestation of God Himself. He has
powers and characteristics that belong only to God, such as
the power to forgive sins (Exodus 23:20-21).
The Relation of Angels to Man. When visible to human
beings, angels consistently appear in human form (Genesis
18:2; Daniel 10:18; Zechariah 2:1). Sometimes, however,
their appearance inspires awe (Judges 13:6; Matthew 28:3-4;
Luke 24:4).Angels are never known to appear to wicked
people-only to those whom the Bible views as good, such as
Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Jesus, Peter, and Paul. They
are charged with caring for such people and serving them in
times of need (Psalm 91:11-12; Hebrews 1:14). They also
guide and instruct good people (Genesis 24:7, 40; Exodus
14:19). This task is illustrated by the role the angels
played in God's giving of the Law to Moses (Acts 7:38, 53;
Hebrews 2:2). Sometimes their guidance comes through human
dreams (Genesis 28:12; 31:11).
Angels also protect the people of God (Exodus 14:19-20;
Daniel 3:28; Matthew 26:53). They meet a wide variety of
human needs, including relieving hunger and thirst (Genesis
21:17-19; Mark 1:13) and overcoming loneliness and dread
(Luke 22:43). They sometimes deliver the people of God from
danger (Acts 5:19; 12:6-11).Although they are not the
objects of salvation, angels are interested in the salvation
of human beings (Luke 15:10; 1 Corinthians 4:9). They also
were particularly active in the events surrounding the birth
and resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 1:20; 2:13, 19; 28:2;
Luke 1:11-38; 2:9-15; 22:43; 24:23; John 20:12). The
frequency with which angels participate in human affairs has
diminished since Pentecost, probably because of the larger
role played by the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians
since then.
Jesus spoke frequently of angels, both good and bad (Matthew
13:41; 26:53; Mark 8:38; Luke 12:8-9). Angels are quite
real, and they play a vital part in God's plan for the
world. ~from Nelson's
Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Note: Believe we
can see from this that the term "angel" is a classification
rather than a job description. Now notice this from our
doctrinal statement on angels.
ANGELIC REALM
DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
God has created powerful spirit beings as His aides, agents,
and messengers. Since man's creation, these spirit beings,
called angels in the English Bible, function as ministering
spirits to help mankind attain salvation. Like man, angels
have free moral agency. Although created to help God, some
of them—led by Satan the devil—rebelled against God's
government transforming themselves into demons.
DOCTRINAL OVERVIEW
Before the time of man, God created powerful spirit beings
(Job 38:7) in vast numbers (Revelation 5:11). Although
created before and on a higher plane than man, these beings
will eventually be under man in authority when humanity has
entered God's family (Hebrews 2:7-8).
The Bible gives relatively few specifics about the numerous
types and responsibilities of these spirit beings,
mentioning them in context but not dwelling on them in point
apparently, all of these created spirit beings of whatever
variety or power are generally labeled as "angels," although
the Bible nowhere directly makes that statement. The
English word "angel" comes from the Greek word angelos which
means "messenger" or "agent. “The Hebrew word malak has the
same meaning.
A number of specific types of angels are generally
described. Cherubim are explained in Ezekiel 1 and 10 as
having four wings and four faces (of
a lion, ox, eagle and man) and covering (or
carrying) God's throne. Seraphim are "full of
eyes before and behind," having six wings and appearing
either like a lion, a calf, an eagle or with the face of a
man (Isaiah 6:2-3; Revelation 4:6-8). "Twenty-four elders"
who apparently serve as counselors for God Himself are
described in Revelation 4:4, 10-1 1. Angels have at times
appeared on earth as men (Genesis 19:1-2), although it is
not revealed whether this indeed can be their actual form or
whether they had assumed the appearance of humans for their
visit. (Some have wondered
that since the physical world reflects the spiritual
world—Romans 1:20—could some of the animals of this earth
be, at least, in some fashion, physical counterparts of
angelic beings?-cf. Revelation 19:11.)
Although the above scriptures make plain that God has
assigned angels various responsibilities, Hebrews 1:14
states they are also to help man attain salvation. "Are
they not all spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of
those who are to obtain salvation?" The exact way or manner
in which angels minister to men in this capacity is not
comprehensively described in the Bible, but there are some
allusions and references. Cherubim were sent to guard the
way to the tree of life after Adam and Eve had been cast
from the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24). Parts of the law
were given by the angels (Acts 7:35; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews
2:2). In Genesis 18, angelic beings came to tell Abraham
that he would have a son and in Genesis 19, they helped
rescue Lot from the city of Sodom before it burned. Angels
ministered to Jesus Christ after He withstood Satan for
forty days and nights (Matthew 4:11). Matthew 18:10
suggests that God's angels watch over God's converted sons.
Likewise we are told "there is joy in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). The
angels even desire to "look into" the specifics of salvation
(1 Peter 1:12). One angel seems to be assigned to each of
the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 (Revelation 1:20); and
different angels will be intimately involved in God's future
intervention in world affairs (Revelation 7:1-2; Ezekiel 9;
Revelation 8:3-5; 10:1, etc.). specifically in the final
seven trumpets (Revelation 8:6 ff) and the seven final
plagues (Revelation 15:1 ff). Further verses can be cited
to show other specifically revealed times when angels have
served man physically or spiritually. The thrust of all
these passages is that the angels play an important role in
God's salvation plan for man, and that their relationship
with man is one of interest and personal concern.
Long before man, one of the cherubim—his name in Latin is
the familiar word Lucifer—had the honor of covering the very
throne of God (Ezekiel 28:14), indicating a position of very
high authority and power in God's government. However, he
was lifted up in his own vanity, became resentful and
jealous of God, and finally rebelled against God's
government. He drew with him as cohorts a third of the
angels. These became evil angels or demons with Lucifer,
now Satan the devil, as their leader.
Satan is called the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4)
and the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). Some
form of satanic "spirit" is now at work in the sons of
disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). These attitudes enter into
the mind of man through the spirit in man (see
MAN), perverting it to the twisted thinking of
Satan. By this means, Satan and his demonic allies hope to
destroy all human beings and ruin their chance for entering
the family of God. These wicked spirits try to separate
Christians from the love of God (cf. Romans 8:38-39). A
primary battle of a Christian is "against wicked spirits in
high places" (Ephesians 6:12). It is a battle to resist the
influences of Satan and his demons against a person's mind.
God has given us the means to fight this spiritual battle.
We must "put on the whole armor of God ... to stand against
the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11); this spiritual
armor includes truth, righteousness (v. 14), peace (v. 15),
faith (v. 16), salvation, the Word of God (v. 17), prayer
and supplication (v. 18). Satan our adversary "prowls
around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1
Peter 5:8); but he will flee from us if we resist him and
draw near to God (James 4:7-8).
While angels are now above man in authority, they are not to
be worshipped or prayed to, nor regarded as mediator between
God and man (Colossians 2:17). Nonetheless, we must, of
course, acknowledge and respect their authority as powerful
spiritual helpers of God and His created "sons" (Job 38:7).
Even the archangel Michael dared not revile Satan the devil,
but appealed to God's authority when confronting him rather
than his own (Jude 9). The biblical record shows that
angels' authority over man is temporary (Hebrews 1: 13-14),
and explains that man will eventually be in the position of
judging the angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).
God is in supreme command and is only temporarily allowing
Satan to influence man within certain confines (Job 1).
This process actually enables man to build greater character
by resisting Satan and by learning how to rely more on God.
During the millennial rule of Christ, Satan is to be removed
from the world scene along with his demons. Jesus Christ
will replace Satan as the ruler of this world (cf 2
Corinthians 4:4 and Revelation 20:4-5). Following the
millennium, Satan is to be released for a short span of time
and then finally, to be removed to a place of restraint for
all eternity where he and his demons can no longer affect
men or angels. But the faithful angels who have followed
God throughout these countless eons of time will continue as
servants of the greatly expanded family of God for all
eternity.
It is understandable how some have an extremely simplistic
impression of the angelic/spiritual realm. From the brief
glimpses the Bible gives of God's throne (Revelation 4), one
can get the naive idea that angelic beings bow before God
all the time as though in a beatific trance; repetitively
incanting "holy, holy, holy …" constantly, without ever
stopping or thinking. Likewise, one can easily think that
the entire spiritual realm is very ethereal and rather dull
when compared with the reality and tremendous variety of the
physical realm as we know it.
In point of fact, this must be a total misconception. The
spiritual realm is the true reality while the physical realm
maintains an ethereal existence; the spiritual world is the
true "substance," while the physical world is the "shadow".
We can only begin to comprehend the invisible things of the
spiritual realm by observing the visible things of the
physical realm (Romans 1:20). Indeed, the incredible
variety and abundance of the physical universe must be paled
into insignificance by the unimaginable majesty, beauty,
complexity, and diversity of the spiritual universe. The
few hints seen show an abundance of, for lack of a better
term, spiritual "things" (which
comprise just a portion of spiritual reality)
that extends incredibly far beyond even angelic beings. The
symbolism of spiritual cities, gates, rivers, trees, fruits
in Revelation 21-22; horses, armies, and swords in
Revelation 19; thrones and wheels in Ezekiel 1 and 10;
thrones, clothes, crowns, gold, lightnings, thunders, voices
and lamps in Revelation 4, testify to an existence so
incomprehensible that even the profuse utilization of
physical analogies can scarcely do more than whet our
appetite. Going farther, there are spiritual books, seals,
incense, vials, songs, hair, etc., with no indication of any
limit to the scope of spiritual "things." Indeed, there is
every reason to conclude that our present physical realm is
drab, plain, and dull when compared with the unfathomable
variety and ineffable splendor of the spiritual realm. |