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What is An Angel?
The
word "angel" actually comes from the Greek word
aggelos, which means "messenger." The matching Hebrew
word mal'ak has the same meaning. The word "Angel"
appears 108 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the
New Testament, so the bible gives us some very useful information
about Angels.
One of my favorite verise of scripture concerning Angels
is HEB 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:
for therby some have entertained angels unawares.
We like to romanticize angels, which over the years have
allowed angels to become many things to many people. I urge
you to check the bible on the facts about angels and to stick
with the facts. This much I can tell you, you can't trust
all angles, remember that the devil was once an angel. According
to the bible, with the possible exception of one debatable
passage in Zechariah 5:9, angels always appear
as males rather than females (Mark 16:5).
In Genesis 18, Abraham welcomed three angelic
guests who appeared at first to be nothing more than some
travellers. Angels in the Bible never appear as cute, chubby
infants with wings! They are always full-grown adults. When
people in the Bible saw an angel, their typical response was
to fall on their faces in fear and awe. The one thing the
bible teaches us is that Angels are servents of God and that
God uses Angels for various thing. This does not mean that
we should pray to angels, it means that we should ask God
to send Angels to help and protect us.
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The Power Of God, Prayer, and Angels
In 1997 I was diagnosed
with a rare form of cancer, so rare that it took over
three months to diagnose. After an operation to remove
the tumor, I was faced with chemotherapy and radiation
treatment.
During my radiation
therapy I was blessed to meet a fellow patient, Zelda
Seideman. Etched in my memory forever is the picture
of this little wisp of a woman, 4 feet 10 inches tall
and 72 years young, facing the pain and uncertainty
of radiation therapy, yet standing six feet tall in
her determination to continue life with grace and dignity.
Looking like everyone's grandmother, Zelda, so very
sick from the very first radiation treatment, maintained
her strong faith and belief in God.
On our first meeting
Zelda suggested that we should pray for each other.
She explained to me her deep rooted Jewish belief in
the power of prayer and with an impish grin informed
me that God also heard the prayers of Christians.
Over time, I found
just how strong Zelda's faith in God, Prayer and Angels
were, in that order.
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She believed that
Angels were messengers sent by God to assist you. Her
believed was that if you pray to God for the wisdom
to understand, you would be able to understand the message
God has for you through the Angels he sends.
Having started my
therapy three weeks before Zelda, I completed my therapy
before her. As much as I despised having to go to the
hospital, I would go back to be with Zelda while she
underwent her radiation treatments. Everyday I spoke
with Zelda, by phone or in person. Everyday she would
say, " I prayed for you this morning, God will
bless you."
The cancer returned,
this time Zelda did not have the strength to fight.
I was out of the area at the time and could not attend
her funeral. I remember that I cried when I learned
of the loss of my friend, and then rejoiced in the gift
she had given me, the power of prayer. The prayer book
she gave me, which her husband carried during W.W.II,
is never very far away.
A picture of Zelda
is on my desk, every time I look at the picture there
is no doubt in my mind that I am alive today due to
her prayers. This web site is dedicated to the memory
of my friend Zelda Seideman, and her gift, the power
of God, Prayer, and Angels.
Jay Jones
Angels Prayer
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How
Did Angels Originate?
The Scripture speaks about the creation of angels,
therefore, it is clear that they have not existed from all
eternity (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 148:2,5). Colossians
1:16-17 explains: “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 by Him and for Him. And He is before all
things, and in Him all things hold together.”
The time of their creation is never definitely specified,
but it is most probable that it occurred in connection with
the creation of the heavens in Genesis 1:1.
It may be that God created the angels immediately after He
had created the heavens and before He created the earth—for
according to Job 38:4-7, “the sons of
God shouted for joy” when He laid the foundations
of the earth.
How Does God Use Angels?
God often uses angels as His means of answering the prayers
of His people (Daniel 9:20-24; 10:10-12; Acts 12:1-17).
God has used angels to provide physical needs such as food
for Hagar (Genesis 21:17-20), Elijah (1
Kings 19:6), and Christ after His temptation (Matthew
4:11). Angels also serve as messengers to communicate
God's will to men. They helped reveal the law to Moses (Acts
7:52-53), and served as the carriers of much of the
material in Daniel, and Revelation.
Author: Dr. Paul Eymann.
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