188. II. The Good Angels.

II. The Good Angels.

1. A Great Multitude.—Of course there are no data for an exact or even approximate enumeration of the holy angels. The statements of Scripture, however, assure us that they are a great multitude. We read of “thousands upon thousands” (Psalms 68:17), and of “thousand thousands,” and “ten thousand times ten thousand” (Daniel 7:10), and of “the voice of many angels round about the throne,” in number “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11). These are definite numbers with an indefinite sense, but clearly with the sense of a great multitude.

2. Ever Loyal to God and Duty.—By the goodness of angels we mean more than their primitive holiness. That was simply a quality of their nature, with spontaneous tendencies toward holy activities. Goodness is the creation of such activities. On the ground of a holy nature there is constructed a holy character. The moral activities, with the intensities of thought and affection, are ever in loyalty to God and duty. Such is the meaning of their characterization, often repeated, as “the holy angels.” In all the allotments of duty, as recorded in the Scripture, and whatever the service, there is ever a prompt and hearty fulfillment. They ever keep the commandments of the Lord, and do his pleasure (Psalms 103:20-21). The same truth appears in the petition of our Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). They worship God with all the intensities of adoring love (Revelation 4:8-11).

3. In Social and Organic Compact.—The angels are in no sense a race, but a company, or companies, each individual being an original creation. Hence the grounds of social affinity arising out of our own race relations are entirely wanting in them. It does not follow that they are without social affinity, for there are other sufficient grounds of such affinity. Our own sensibilities go beyond our race relations and embrace all that is orderly and beautiful. That there is no social result is simply from the lack of rational and sympathetic response in such forms of order and beauty. There is no such hinderance in the relation of angels. There is between them a mutual apprehension of all that is pure and good and lofty, and a reciprocal response of loving sympathy. In this there is ample ground for social compact. Beyond this, God is for them a center of loving union. As all are bound to him in a supreme love, so are they bound to each other in loving fellowship. This accords with the view of the angels in which the Scriptures place them.

Beyond this social life, the angels are in economical compact. There are terms which plainly signify a distinction of orders. Such are the terms thrones, dominions, principalities, powers (Colossians 1:16). There may be higher and lower grades in the scale of being. There is no law which should determine an absolute equality. All the analogies of creation suggest gradations among the angels. However this may be, these terms of distinction do imply organic compact. The angels are the Lord’s hosts (Psalms 148:2). This form of expression occurs with frequent repetition, and contains the idea of a military organization. Then we have the names of Gabriel and Michael, who appear among the angels in matchless greatness, and with the investment of rectoral functions. Gabriel appears in his greatness to Daniel, with the interpretation of his vision (Daniel 8); and also brings the salutation to Mary (Luke 1:26-28). Michael as a great prince stands up for the people of God (Daniel 12:1); rebukes the devil in the name of the Lord (Jude 1:9); and with his angels fights against the dragon (Revelation 12:7). Thus he appears with princely powers, and in command of a host of angels. The group of facts which we have presented suffices for the proposition that the angels exist in forms of organic compact.

4. Ministry of the Good Angels.—The idea of service or ministry is given in the appellative sense of angel. The representation of the good angels throughout the Scriptures is replete with this idea. Only an elaborate treatment could compass the question of their ministry; and such a discussion would encounter many perplexities. The leading facts, and about all that can be instructive and useful, may be very briefly given. In the history of opinion on this question extreme views often appear. The government of the world is mostly placed in the hands of angels. Nearly all events which specially concern us are the work of their agency. Every man has his own guardian angel. Each nation has a presiding angel, and each planet and star. These views exaggerate the powers and offices of the angels. Natural events are thus accounted supernatural and assigned to an inadequate agency. The Scriptures do not warrant the opinion of such a ministry of angels; the alleged proofs are inconclusive.

It is true, as previously shown, that Michael appeared as a prince in behalf of the Hebrews; but this was in the time of their captivity, and in a crisis of profound interest, and may have been only for this exigency. Hence the opinion of a permanent presidency is without warrant. Advocates of these extreme views go much further. They find in the same book mention of the princes of Persia and Grecia (Daniel 10:20), and infer that they were the presiding angels of these nations, just as Michael was the presiding angel of the Hebrews. If such princes were angels in fact the inference of a permanent presidency would not follow, just as it does not in the instance of Michael. Much less would the inference of a common presidency of angels over nations follow. Further, there is no proof that the princes of Persia and Grecia were angels. Respecting the former, Clarke says: “I think it would go far to make a legend or a precarious tale of this important place to endeavor to maintain that either a good or evil angel is intended here.”^[852] As against the above views it should further be noted that both Gabriel and Michael fulfilled offices among the Hebrews, and also in Persia. These facts are inconsistent with the idea of one guardian angel for each nation, and particularly with the idea that the prince of Persia was an angel; for in such a case we must find the angel of the Hebrews in diplomatic intercourse with the angel of Persia. This implication is not in itself credible. It is specially discredited by the fact that the prince of Persia maintained a sharp contention against Gabriel and Michael (Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:20-21). Surely he could not have been a good angel. Hence all proof that each nation has its guardian angel entirely fails.

^[852]Commentary,Daniel 10:13. The alleged proof that each person, or even that, each believer, has his own guardian angel, is far short of conclusive. One of such proofs is the text respecting the little ones whose angels behold the face of the Father in heaven (Matthew 18:10). The sense given by Dr. Hodge is all that the passage will warrant: “It does teach that children have guardian angels; that is, that angels watch over their welfare. But it does not prove that each child, or each believer, has his own guardian angel.”^[853] Another text alleged in proof is entirely without force. It is the text respecting the angel which liberated Peter from the prison. When the friends in prayer at the house of Mary, the mother of John, could not dissuade the damsel from her conviction that Peter was at the gate, they said, “It is his angel” (Acts 12:15). These words do not necessarily mean that Peter had constantly a guardian angel; much less that every believer has. Further, even if such were the sense of the words, it must be noted that they are not the words of inspired persons, and hence are wholly without doctrinal value.

^[853]Systematic Theology, vol. i, p. 640.

There still remains much respecting the ministry of the good angels. A glance at their appearances and agency in sacred history may help our view of their offices in the work of providence and in the economies of religion. The angels are the morning stars and sons of God who rejoice over the work of creation (Job 38:7). They often appear in the scenes of patriarchal history as the messengers of God and in the execution of important offices in behalf of his servants. They participated in the publication of the law from Sinai (Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2). They ever wait on the commandments of God in the spirit of obedience (Psalms 103:20-21). They predicted and celebrated the birth of Christ (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:11); they ministered to him in his temptation and sufferings (Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:43); and they announced his resurrection and ascension (Matthew 28:2; John 20:13; Acts 1:10-11). They are still ministering spirits to believers (Hebrews 1:14); they delivered Peter from prison; they watch over children (Matthew 18:10); they bear the souls of the departed to Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22); they are to attend Christ at his second coming, and gather his people into his kingdom (Matthew 13:39; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 24:31). Such are the general statements of the Scriptures on this subject, and with these we should be content. We know that they are the messengers of God; that they are now and ever have been employed in executing his commissions, but further than this nothing is positively revealed.”^{[854] [854]} Hodge:Systematic Theology, vol. i, pp. 639, 640.