Who Was That Guy?

One of the things that has changed for me in my reading of the Bible has been noticing the frequency of angel appearances.  I’ve been reading the Bible for way over half a century now, so it’s not like I hadn’t seen all the occasions when an angel shows up.  For some reason, they were always just some spiritual being that I didn’t think much about because – well – I’d never seen one.  Of course, maybe I had, but didn’t know it, and yes, I knew the Bible warned of that possibility, but why think it could happen to me?  I believe now that it has happened – several times.  I can’t prove it or even specifically point to it, but the Bible is so clear about their presence and their providential work that I can’t imagine it not happening.  I am more amazed just thinking about how many angels I have missed in my life time.  After all, if I’ve ignored the scores of angels I’ve read about in scripture, why would it be a stretch to assume I’ve ignore plenty in my own life.

For instance, how many times have you read, studied, and talked about the famous battle of Jericho in Joshua 5,6, & 7?  I bet you could tell the smallest details of that story to any Bible class group you needed to.  You do remember the part an angel played in the story, right?  You know, the “man” Joshua saw who introduced himself as “commander of the army of the Lord?”  “Joshua fell face-down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?'”  He was told to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground.  When he was finally told what to do, the Bible says, “Then the Lord said to Joshua”.  Was it an angel or was it God?  It was an angel speaking for God  At least that seems, to me, to be the best way to understand it.  It wasn’t some ghost in a flowing white sheet!  It was  a warrior standing with a drawn sword in his hand.  He got Joshua’s attention!  He is the one who gave all the strange instructions about marching around Jericho six days with the Ark, and then seven trips around on the seventh day ending with the trumpet blast and shouting of the army.

God’s angels are fighters.  How and when do they fight?  We aren’t told, but certainly in the spirit realm there is a battle going on like we can’t even imagine.  Well, I take that back.  I have imagined it and described it in The Judas Sword, and the soon to be released The Perspicacious Quandary, part two of my Matt Zampolos adventure.  That is why I notice the appearance and involvement of angels in the Bible more than I use to.  If you didn’t know, they are mentioned hundreds of time – not dozens or a few.  They are God’s agents to help carry our His work.  Check out my book.  Maybe my imagination will help you get more excited about angels.