Book of Hebrews, part 2 — What is meant by ‘angels’?

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Angels as described in the Bible are mysterious. They have great power and a dazzling appearance. Today, some are so enraptured with angelic beings that they seek to commune with them, and the situation wasn’t much different in the first century. Was Messiah Yeshua simply one of the mighty angels, elevated above the others for a certain role? The Book of Hebrews explains.

Food for thought from the discussion

Let’s recap a couple of major themes in the Book of Hebrews discussed last time:

1. Aaron’s priesthood did not replace Melchizedek’s priestly order, and Melchizedek’s hasn’t replaced Aaron’s. Each of them is a type of something God is doing.
2. The New Covenant really is new, not a “renewed” or “restored” version of the deal Israel made about God’s commandments when the people received the stone tablets with the law of God at Sinai. As is clear in Jeremiah 31, God’s law is still part of the New Covenant, but the people need a new heart and new mind to receive it. The old way of life, driven by selfishness as well as ignorance of or indifference toward the Creator, would have to die. God’s people would have to take hold of God’s salvation — His Yeshua — so He could recreate them.

Today, let’s consider what the Book of Hebrews tells us about angels.

The word in Greek (ophelimos, Strong’s 3588) and Hebrew ( malakh, Strong’s 4397) literally means “messenger.”

Heb. 1:1-2 — Yeshua created the times, ages. When the Bible talks about “seasons,” it talks about three seasons, which are the seasons when crops, orchards, etc. are productive.

Heb. 1:3-4 — Why did the author start the book with a discussion of the angels?

Heb. 1:5-8 — What is the status of the Son in comparison with the angels? What is the order of Melchizedek (see the previous discussion)?

Heb. 1:14 — Do both the Son and the angels minister to mankind? What are the two main functions of the angels? Do angels have authority? If so, what kind? What is the difference between a deacon and a minister?

Descriptions of angels throughout the Bible

Matt. 1:20 — An angel came to Yosef to reassure him that Miriam’s Son was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Matt. 2:13 — The angel came again to warn Yosef to flee and save Miriam and Yeshua.

Zech. 1:11 — The angel gave a message to the prophet.

The angels are ministers to the “heirs of salvation” (Heb. 1:14), not to those who are in rebellion against the Lord. The angels serve the “heirs of salvation,” the “heirs” don’t serve angels. We’re not over the authority given to the messengers of God.

John 5:5 — The angel would “trouble the water” to bring physical healing to the “heirs of salvation.”

Hebrews also refer to “minsters of flame of fire” (Heb. 1:7). What does that mean (see Psa.104:4; Acts 7:35)?

Revelation 1 tells us that each congregation had a ministering angel attending it. Rev. 1:14 gives us a description of the Messiah. How does it describe Him? What does the fire represent here? What does this fire do?

Rev. 2:13 — The eyes of the Son of God are described as being like fire. God is angry at a false prophet in the church of Thyatira. The angel of this church is carrying out the wrath of the Lord, not his own wrath.

Joel 2:5 — Here, we see the angels performing a different ministry — a ministry of God’s wrath, rather than a ministry to the “heirs of salvation.”

Heb. 2:1-2 shows us an extremely power warning. We need to “give a more earnest heed” and not let them slip. Don’t take salvation for granted.

Obadiah 18 — The angels bring God’s wrath on Esau, etc.

Gen. 16:7 — The angel of the LORD found Hagar and gave her son a special message. It was not a message of wrath, even though Hagar had a hard time living under Sarah’s authority.

Even Yeshua, in the flesh, could not command the angels. He would have to ask the Father for their help (Matt. 26:53). Those of us who are the “heirs of salvation” are not called to boss the angels around. We call out to the Father and if the Father agrees, the angel will come.

After Yeshua’s resurrection, He has the authority over everything, including the angels, as seen in Revelation.

Question for next week: Does the New Covenant replace the Aaronic priesthood?

Speaker: Richard Agee.