“Cornelius!” the angel said.
Cornelius stared at him in terror.
“What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.
Sir, yes Sir!?!
ACTS 10: of an angel & a Roman warrior
What an unlikely scene in this new missionary journey of Twelve Jewish Apostles of JESUS the Messiah of Israel.
Luke records an encounter of a Roman soldier, Cornelius, with an angel of God!
Previously, we left Peter in Joppa, where the Apostle has just performed another resurrection.
We will get to Cornelius and then Peter; but TODAY I would like us to consider the role of an angel of God in the mission of the Church.
A missionary moment with a timeless messenger
Man, even a prophet or an Apostle, is mortal – spirit adorned in flesh with beating heart tirelessly churning the blood of life from limb to limb.
We know the nature of a fellow being of dust whom we meet in the street.
But what of an angel?
How would you and I react to such an encounter with that which is unlike us – an angel – a living being created of spirit without flesh and bone, an eternal messenger who may appear to mankind only once in many lifetimes?
What do we really know about angels?
Angels in art have blurred our view of truth, eternity and the messengers of the Lord our God.
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com
- What do YOU think?
We cannot take time here for an exhaustive quest for God-sent angels or an unveiling of messengers veiled in darkness, but let’s glance at the evidence of angels in the Bible.
What do you know about them?
Angels in a Biblical Context
- Question: What book of the Bible makes the most mentions of an angel (or angels)?
If you guessed: The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John [51x in the KJV] you would be correct. (But that's a scene somewhat challenging for any to get a clear picture of an angel in its usual mission for the Lord.)
- What about all the angels in Luke’s Gospel announcing Jesus’ birth?
- Pretty good guess. [15x KJV] But it comes in fifth.
- Two Old Testament Books come in at #3 and #4.
- Any guesses? [hint: one is a Prophet]
- CLICK HERE for that answer [19x]
- TWO books of the Bible, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament, contain the most references (second only to Revelation) to an angel or angels).
- DO YOU KNOW WHAT THESE TWO BOOKS REFERRING TO ANGELS HAVE IN COMMON?
Answer:
History.
- #3 is Judges
- & you have probably guessed..
- #2 is ACTS of the Apostles.
So before we proceed with our look at an angel bringing messages to Cornelius, Peter and others, let's take a brief glance at what the Bible reveals about these messengers of God.
מַלְאָךְ
mal’āḵ – From an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy
- messenger
- angel
- the theophanic angel
a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher):—ambassador, angel, king, messenger.
Strong’s H4397 – mal’āḵ
An angel may be a heavenly being with a message from God.
BUT a man such as Zechariah (or the Apostle John) may also bring a commanded message and/or a prophetic message of the future from the Lord.
We see this many times:
- And the angel H4397 of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
- And Jacob went on his way, and the angels H4397 of God met him.
- And Jacob sent messengers H4397 before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
We needn’t debate if these angels of specific instances were men or heavenly beings; the point is that these angels bring a message of God to men and women for whom He cares.
וַיַּעַל מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָה מִן־הַגִּלְגָּל אֶל־הַבֹּכִים פ וַיֹּאמֶר אַעֲלֶה אֶתְכֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם וָאָבִיא אֶתְכֶם אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם וָאֹמַר לֹֽא־אָפֵר בְּרִיתִי אִתְּכֶם לְעוֹלָֽם׃
CLICK FOR ENGLISH TRANSLATION FROM HEBREW: Shoftim (Judges) 2:1 :: Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)
Would you like to READ an encounter from the Old Testament between an angel and the parents of Samson? CLICK HERE FOR JUDGES 13 CSB with ten references to this angel.
Angel in the New Testament
ἄγγελος – angelos
- The KJV translates Strong’s G32 in the following manner:
- angel (179x),
- messenger (7x).
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS G32:
ἄγγελος, -ου, ὁ,
- a messenger, envoy, one who is sent: Matthew 11:10; Luke 7:24, 27; Luke 9:52; Mark 1:2; James 2:25. [From Homer down.]
- In the Scriptures, both of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, one of that host of heavenly spirits that, according alike to Jewish and Christian opinion, wait upon the monarch of the universe, and are sent by him to earth, now to execute his purposes (Matthew 4:6, 11; Matthew 28:2; Mark 1:13; Luke 16:22; Luke 22:43
ἄγγελος θεός – angelos theos
AN ANGEL OF GOD
Acts 10:3 (and other passages) referenced by Thayer’s Greek Lexicon [above]
He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
sent by him to earth, now to execute his purposes
hence, the frequent expressions ἄγγελος (angel, messenger of God, מַלְאָך) and ἄγγελοι κυρίου or ἄγγελοι τοῦ Θεοῦ.
They are subject not only to God but also to Christ (Hebrews 1:4ff; 1 Peter 3:22, cf. Ephesians 1:21; Galatians 4:14), who is described as hereafter to return to judgment surrounded by a multitude of them as servants and attendants: Matthew 13:41, 49; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 24:31; Matthew 25:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7, cf. Jude 1:14.
Up until now, we have encountered an angel seven times in Acts of the Apostles.
What is your COMMENT about any similarities and differences between these seven angels we have met so far in ACTS of the Apostles?
NEXT: Cornelius and the Angel of God
in ACTS 10: [click for NASB]
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