A friend asked me to comment on this subject and here is my two cents based on the rightly divided word of truth:
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels (ELOHIM),
and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Thou madest him to have DOMINION over the works of thy hands; thou hast put ALL THINGS under his feet: - Psalms 8:4-6 (KJV)
This scripture I believe is the root of all the misunderstanding regarding our position when it comes to angels.
The original translators of the the bible from Aramaic Hebrew to English could not fathom how man would be just a little lower than Elohim. So they replaced the word God with angels. When you read it from the hard copy bible (King James Version) the word ‘angels’ is in italics. They put words either added to the text, or their own words in italics to warn readers to take note.
The correct word translated into angel is ɛˈləʊhɪm,ˈɛləʊhiːm which means, ‘Elohim’ which means God Almighty.
Man was created to look like God and to function like Him, but because we were cased with earth (FLESH) to be able to survive here on this planet, we became ‘a little’ lower than Elohim but our spirit is same as Elohim.
That been said, let’s dissect the scripture:
When God says ‘ALL THINGS’ we should believe Him. Some theologians will say the 'all things' are the things created on earth based on verses 7 & 8. I totally agree with them based on Genesis 1:26-28.
But our dominion is not limited to earth's creatures (as I will show in the final paragraph), I believe we have charge over angels as well, ESPECIALLY the ones on assignment here on earth (angels unawares - Hebrews 13:2) but our exaltation over angels isn’t limited to just these angels only but to all of them i believe.
Angels were baffled when God created Man and asked that question, “WHAT IS THIS MAN?"
We need to realise who we are. Most Christians don’t really know, that’s why we doubt ourselves at times.
We are created in God’s IMAGE - this means we look like God. But the most interesting part is that we are created in God’s LIKENESS - this means we are created to BEHAVE, FUNCTION and ACT like Him. This is one revelation the church is struggling with today, we don’t see ourselves LIKE God.
We are sons of God, and you can’t be a son and not be like your father. We even believe we can’t do what He can! Don’t get me wrong am saying we are GOD, but we are God’s children. My son though a boy at the moment is growing swiftly into becoming a Man. I was a boy once it now am a man as my father was and i have charge over his affairs to the extent he permits me.
Paul used this picture to explain how man, in a fallen state was under the control of fallen angels and elemental spirits but when we become Christians we become God's heirs in Galatians 4
What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. - Galatians 4:1-2 (NIV)
Please pay attention to verse three and seven:
So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. - Galatians 4:1-3,7 (NIV)
This leads me to the next point.
Secondly, we are the bride of Christ, everything the husband owns, the wife owns. That’s why the bible says we are joint heirs with Christ since we are God's heirs as well. Let’s take a peep at what Christ owns:
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and INVISIBLE, whether they be THRONES (Cherubims four of them make up God’s throne read Ezekiel 1&2), or DOMINIONS (Seraphims), or PRINCIPALITIES (Archangels - read Daniel 10), or POWERS (Courier / Messenger Angels): ALL THINGS were created BY him, and FOR him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. - Colossians 1:15-17 (KJV)
If Jesus created, owns and controls everything including the angels (Head of all Principalities and Powers seen in Colossians 2:10) and we are His bride, joint heir and co-owner, do we NOT also have our names in the title deed? (See 1 Corinthians 3:21-22)
Have you noticed that angels all through the bible never allowed men, even fallen men to worship them?
Why were they always uncomfortable, even apprehensive when a man tries to bow in worship to them? You cannot worship what what is lower than you, you only worship someone greater than you (Revelation 22:8-9, Colossians 2:18). The least is always blessed by the greater.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: - Colossians 2:8-10 (KJV)
So these teachings that we cannot command angels is SUBTLY elevating them above us.
This is FALSE, A LIE, and UNSCRIPTURAL!
Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
Angels know we are superior to them and they are our servants. - Colossians 2:18 (KJV)
Thirdly, when we speak instruction/s based on God’s Word, ANGELS ACT AND OBEY!
But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all MINISTERING (SERVANT) spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? - Hebrews 1:13-14 (KJV)
The word ministering spirits means servant-spirits. And servants operate by INSTRUCTION! No servant is able to carry out his/her role without instructions. So when people say we should not command angels I wonder. Even God asked us to command:
Thus says the Lord,
The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:
“Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me. - Isaiah 45:11 (NKJV)
This doesn’t mean we should command God and give Him instructions, rather it means we should command His creation including Angels! As always i want to balance this. When we instruct and command Angels, we should do it in the language they understand and obey!
You can’t write a program for a computer in BASIC programming language and expect the app to obey instructions in C++ programming language.
Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, WHO DO HIS WORD, HEEDING THE VOICE OF HIS WORD.
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. - Psalms 103:20-21 (NKJV)
This is the scripture I believe also adds to the confusion for the people that say we should not command angels. Because it is stated clearly that the Angels obey God's WORD and do His WILL. As this is very true, they forget the second part, which if they have knowledge of God’s system of operation won’t be an issue at all.
Heeding ‘The Voice of His Word’ means that as men when we vocalise (lend our voice to) the Word of God, we add voice to the written Word!
Another point worth noting is that, God has given us dominion (authority, reign ‘ruler-ship’) over earth see Genesis 1:26-28, Psalms 115:16.
How do kings rule? By speaking!
Fourthly, we will judge Angels. They know it!
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
- 1 Corinthians 6:3 (KJV)
But the question is why and what are we judging them for? Second question is as some Theologians have argued; that the angels in question are the bad or fallen ones. At least scripture have shown that God has judged ‘some’ fallen angels already. So it might be the good ones that we will judge. And maybe some fallen angels as well i don't know. But the point to note is that WE WILL JUDGE ANGELS. A variant of the word translated from Greek (κρίνω krinō) means RULE. So I take you back to my 2nd and 3rd point on ruler-ship. If we rule angels, how then do we do it?
Finally, Jesus received all POWER after He conquered satan, his cohorts and the kingdom of darkness:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. - Matthew 28:18 (KJV)
He, in the same breath gave us the Power of Attorney to use this ‘All’ Power:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: - Matthew 28:19 (KJV)
In verse 19 we were given AUTHORITY - this means the permission to use His power, that means we have the POWER OF ATTORNEY. To remind you the scope of this power see:
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: - Colossians 2:10 (KJV)
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and INVISIBLE, whether they be THRONES (Cherubim - four of them make up God’s throne read Ezekiel 1&2), or DOMINIONS (Seraphim), or PRINCIPALITIES (Archangels - read Daniel 10), or POWERS (Courier / Messenger Angels): ALL THINGS were created BY him, and FOR him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. - Colossians 1:15-17 (KJV)
Angels are included in the things Jesus created and things He controls, therefore they fall under our authority. Jesus doesn’t do ‘dirty-delegation’. He doesn’t ask us to take charge and takes back the authority.
He said command in His Name and He will do it (John 14:14) but we must command, if we don’t, nothing will happen because he has given charge of this planet to us. (Psalms 115:16)
Every ruler has the military and police that executes his authority. That’s why the Heads of State of nations are called COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES. When God made man the C in C over planet earth, he also gave us Angels (our military) to execute our authority here on earth.
We don’t worship them, they serve us.
They can’t serve us if we don’t command them.
💗
See you at the next one!
Awesome blog postings..