Angels

Introduction 
 
In this article I will explain what angels are and what angels are not.  
 
 
Angel 
The word angel comes from a Hebrew word "Malakh" (which in Greek is "Angelos") This word means "messenger" and denote that the office of an angel is one of a messenger who relates to man the revelation of God. 
 
Angels are "spirits" that carry out the commands from God (Hebrews 1:14).  
 
 
Archangel 
The word archangel comes from two Greek words. The first one is "arche" which means "ruler" and the other word is "angelos" and means "messenger." The word archangel denotes a ruler of the angels. 
 
The Bible only mentions one archangel by name and he is Michael. The name Michael means "who is like God?" Declaring that there is no-one like God.  
 
Cherubs 
The Hebrew word "Kerub" is normally translated as "cherub" in our English Bibles, but the word has a plurality to it and this is why it is translated as "cherubim" in the AV Bible. The word cherub means "covering" and refers to a creature that covers over. 
 
Seraphs 

The word "Seraph" is a Hebrew word that means "burning." In modern Bibles it is translated as "Seraph", but in the AV Bible it is rendered "Seraphim" - as in the Hebrew it has the plural form.  

 
 

 What do angels look like? Over the years there have been many renderings of what people thought angels looked like in the art world, in drawings and in movies and films. A lot of people visualise them with in male form with wings and golden hair. But what does the Bible say that they look like? 

 
 

The bible tells us that angels are spirits (Hebrews 1:14); they don't have flesh bodies (Luke 24:37-39); they are stronger than men (2 Peter 2:11); they have more knowledge than man (Matthew 24:36); there are two angels named by name in the bible, they are: Michael and Gabriel. 

 
 
The bible says that angels although don't have flesh bodies they have human form (Genesis 18:1; 19:22; 32:24-30). They are always male! Seraphim and Cherubim however are different! Here is why: 
 
Seraphims have six wings (Isaiah 6:2). 
 
Cherubims have four wings; they four faces (as I stated in a previous article they are not babies) - one face is human, the other a lion, the other an ox, and the other an eagle (Ezekiel 1:4-13). 
 
They is another being called the "four living creatures" (Revelation 4:8). These have have six wings like a Sheraphim (Cherubims only have four wings); but they are different - one is like a lion, the other is like an ox, the other is like a man, the other is like an eagle - they don't have four faces like Cherubims. 
 
So angels, archangels, Cherubims, living creature, are male. There is however another life form in heaven (not an angel) that is female! In Zechariah 5:5-9 there is some form of life form that has wings and are female. 
 
There is no mention of angels with harps, halos, or wings! 

Names and Titles of God

Introduction
Below is a short concise list of Old and New Testaments names and titles of God that appear in the Bible.


Jehovah
The name "Jehovah" is the personal name of God. It is derived from four Hebrew consonants: 'YOD', 'HE', 'WAW', and 'HE' (which in English can be written as either 'YHWH' or 'JHVH'). This is known as the 'Tetragrammaton.'

God
The title 'God' comes from the Hebrew word "Elohim" ( or it's shortened form of 'El'). It designates a plural of majesty, as the Hebrew word Elohim in it's plural construction means "Power."

Almighty
The title "Almighty" comes from the Hebrew word "Shaddai" and means "Almighty" and thus denotes holding all the might.

God Almighty
As we can see from the above two words El (God) and Shaddai (Almighty) the words El Shaddai mean "God Almighty."

Lord
The title "Lord" comes from the Hebrew word "Adonay" or "Adonai" and means "Lord." The Greek equivalent "Kurios" can be translated as either "Lord" from Koine Greek or "MR" from Modern Greek. In Latin it is "Dominus" from where the word "ruler" comes from.

Additional Note. 
When we see the word "LORD" in uppercase in the Authorised Version of the Bible it is a substitute for the name "Jehovah" from the Hebrew consonants JHVH. When we see the word "Lord" it is a title that refers to God. And when we see the word "lord" it is a title that designates a false deity or a human ruler.

Jesus

The name Jesus comes from the Hebrew name "Yehoshua" and means "Jehovah Saves" or "Jehovah is salvation." The name "Jesus" is a Latinised form of the name which in English is translated as "Joshua."

Christ or Messiah

The title Messiah comes from the Hebrew word "Masiah" and means "The Anointed One." In the Greek New Testament the word "Christos" is used which is translated as "Christ." Even though the literal translation of the word Messiah into Greek is "Messias."

Emmanuel

The name Emmanuel first appears in the book of Isaiah at Isaiah 7:14 & 8:8 with reference to a Messianic prophecy about Jesus. It also appears in Matthew 1:23where we see the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies in reference to the birth of Christ. The names means "God with us" and signifies that God has become flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.

Study Resources

Confession of Faith

A Confession of Faith is important. Not just because it identifies believers with a certain denomination. (Anglicans and the 39 Articles, Baptists and the London Baptist Confession of Faith, Dutch Reform and the Three Forms of Unity, Congregationalists and the Savoy Declaration, and Presbyterians and the Westminster Confession of Faith), but because Creeds and Confessions help to guard against and protect worshipers from false doctrines and heresies.

I particularly recommend the Westminster Confession of Faith for several reasons:

One) It contains a section by section defence of Christian topics along with a comprehensive list of Christian subjects that are supported with scriptural references.

Two) It contains both the Larger and Shorter Catechisms that can be used in both corporate and family worship as part of a catechism class.

Three: It contains the whole of the divines. These are: 
1) The Epistle to the Reader.
2) The Confession.
3) The Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
4) The Sum of Saving Knowledge.
5) National Covenant.
6) Solemn League and Covenant.
7) A Solemn Acknowledgment. 
8) The Public Worship of God.
9) The Form of Presbyterian Government.
10) The Directory of Family Worship.
11) A Table.

Here is a link to all of the main Protestant Creeds and Confessions: https://reformed.org/historic-confessions/

Bible Commentary

There are many good Bible commentaries available by Reformers such as, Albert Barnes, John Calvin, and John Gill, as well Annotations and Notes by Charles Spurgeon and John Owen - but I recommend Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary - as it is a single work. Most of the other books mentioned are multi-volume works, and as a result, are not easily accessible and are not as easy to transport about.

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary is not only a Bible commentary that cover and explains the whole of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, but due to the portions selected, it also serves as a devotional. 

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary (along with all the other Bible Commentaries, Annotations, and Notes mentioned above) can be found at the following website: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/

Systematic Theology

There are several good multi-volume Systematic Theologies available, but the two that I recommend are single volume works. Theses are: 'A Systematic Theology' by John Brown and 'Systematic Theology' by Louis Berkhof. Both of these Systematic Commentaries can be either bought online or read for free in PDF form. I've recommended these particular two because they both come as a one volume work.

Here are links to the above Systematic Theologies:

John Brown's Systematic Theology: https://www.monergism.com/systematic-theology-john-brown-haddington-ebook

Louis Berkhof's Systematic Theology: https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/systematic-theology-louis-berkhof

Recommended Reference Bible

Westminster Reference Bible

I highly recommend the 'Westminster Reference Bible' printed by the Trinitarian Bible Society. It contains the text of the 'Authorised Version' of the Bible (also known as the 'King James Bible).' In addition to this, it also contains a comprehensive scriptural reference list of in excess of 200,000 references! It has a concordance, a daily reading plan, and colour maps.

These Bibles are available in both hardback and softback. The hardback version is made of a cheap hard durable man-made material and the softback version is made out of quality calfskin.

This Bible is also available in different sizes: as both a 'compact' version for easy convenient carry so that it can be used for street preaching or/and carrying to Church, and a 'large print' version that can be used as either a reference Bible for studying at a desk or as a pulpit Bible for use in sermons.

                               It's specifications (as highlighted by the TBS) are:

Medium print Bible with double column references. Vinyl covered hardback. Authorised (King James) Version.

Westminster Reference Bible in black vinyl covered hardback. This Bible contains over two hundred thousand cross references, and also features a concordance and 8 full colour maps (Was 90A).

Features:

Medium print: 9.6 points, good clear prints, cross references, black text throughout, sewn bindings, two marker ribbons, Bible paper, decorative head and tail bands.

Additional Contents:

Gift presentation paper, translation to the reader, the epistle dedication, list of pronunciation of words and proper names; word list in margins; table of weights and measures; daily Bible reading plan; concordance; colour maps.

Details:

Page Size: 215 x 115mm (8.5" x 6").

Thickness: 33mm (1.3").

Print Size: 9.6 font.

Production Code: 90/ABK (was 90A).

ISBN: 9781862281493.

This Bible can be purchased at:

https://www.tbsbibles.org/store/ViewProduct.aspx?ID=9074718