THE DIGNITY OF THE ANGELS.

Second part

The fundamental dignity of the heavenly hosts can be appreciated in four ways. Some of these points have already been touched but they may admit more comment.

The pre-incarnate Lord identifies with them

They are linked to the holy throne of God

They are agents authorized by God

They minister to the Lord on earth

Continuing with the topic we will see that:

3. THEY ARE AGENTS AUTHORIZED BY GOD

Its strength is not intrinsic, but delegated, but not less surprising. Acting on behalf of God, they are agents of grace and government. Based on the words of the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and in accordance with other Scriptures, we can conclude that the cosmos today is subject to an angelic administration. But in God's redemptive purposes, the coming world has not been subjected to them in this way (Hebrews 2.5). It is conceivable that the vast reaches of space, populated by billions of stars and planets, are somehow administered by angels to God. This is what CS Lewis conceives in his book Out of the Silent Plane . It may be mere speculation, but it is hard to believe that those countless spheres have been created without a purpose and lacking an orderly administration.

As we have seen, angels control all of nature, at least as far as this world is concerned. The angels of fire, water, wind, etc. Revelation 16 deals with ensuring the fulfillment of God's ultimate purpose. In Sinai no less than "ten thousand saints" acted in the delivery of the law (Deuteronomy 33.2, Acts 7.53, Galatians 3.19). The law, ordered in this way through angels, revealed the holy character of the God of Israel. Furthermore, in their capacity as “Watchers,” they oversee the movements of the nations and thus enforce God's holy prerogatives (Daniel 4.23, 12.1). We will see this in greater detail later in our study.

4. THEY MINISTER THE LORD ON EARTH

It seems that angelic activity increased during the pilgrimage of the Lord on earth. We have the announcement of his birth (Luke 2), the ministry in his favor in the desert (Matthew 4), the attention to the events of his passion (Luke 22), the proclamation of his resurrection with a complete disdain for the power of death (Matthew 28) and its incorporation into his retinue as he ascended in glory (John 1.51). In this last passage we see "the angels of God who rise and descend on the Son of Man." That is, they are under your absolute control and at your disposal. His ministry on his behalf is made even more interesting by Paul's words, "seen from the angels" (1 Timothy 3.16).

Wonderful! Already in the desert, among wild beasts , there is only God. Hunger harasses him, Satan tempts him, angels attend, following him after.

It is precisely in these ways that the dignity of these holy beings is emphasized. They are called both children and servants. What you enjoy by virtue of the works of your Creator, we enjoy as a consequence of redemption. By the way, our position in Christ is more dignified and intimate than theirs. “Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we are to be has not yet manifested; but we know that when he manifests, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is ”(1 John 3.2). Again, these outstanding servants of God offer an example for the redeemed, who are also called to serve with the dignity of "the children of God."