Angels

He’s closing out his letter to friends and loved ones. He includes a couple of thoughts:

Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:1-2 KJV)

I don’t know what entertaining strangers means to you, but to me it means looking for angelic attributes in people I meet. I believe here the author means God’s messengers, true angels, not of this realm. I don’t believe I’ve met an angel, but I have seen angelic attributes.

I have met strangers who offered me strength. Solace. Truth. Protection. All of these are found in angels. And, the double joy is, I, too, can offer strength, solace, truth or protection – though I can never be an angel.

An angel is mentioned 203 times in 194 verses of KJV. Amazing, in ASV we find 194 again – but that’s the number of hits, and the number of verses is 185. No, I haven’t checked to see where the Hebrew or Greek word was translated differently. I find it interesting, that’s all.

The first angel of Jehovah is seen with Hagar in Genesis 16:7. The last verse is where Jesus states:

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. (Revelation 22:16 KJV)

I’m concerned about one of the New Testament verses:

Know ye not that we shall judge angels? (1 Corinthians 6:3a KJV)

We’ll have to take care to follow Jehosaphat’s admonition to the judges he set in Israel:

And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. (2 Chronicles 19:6-7 KJV)

We’ve heard what some have done:

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9 KJV)

Isn’t is wonderful that God’s judgment is perfect? It is awesome for us to know that He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4 KJV)

In the meantime, I shall look for the reflections of angels in people I meet, hoping to provide a similar reflection of those who do not have faith, do not wait, but stand before the Lord, our God, and wait for our joining them.