The Most Mysterious Angel In The Bible

the most mysterious angels in the Bible thee oftenham in the Old Testament angels are referenced 108 times the Book of Genesis recounts instances of angels intervening in the lives of Abraham and Jacob in the book of Exodus Moses also encountered Angels during the Wilderness wandering in total the word Angels or Angel appears in the book of the law and Moses writings 32 times the angels of God are introduced to us in the scriptures as the hosts of Heaven angels are real beings they are not mythical figures or opinions they are spiritual personalities that have a physical impact just like the Demonic world the Angelic world is also hidden we might not be able to touch them yet Angels touch people you cannot handle them yet they can destroy Kings this brings us to the most mysterious angels in the Bible the orphanum what are the orphanum the term oftenim in ancient Hebrew refers to Wheels the singular is often of course whales are sighted several times in the Old Testament and the orphanum can refer to normal wheels on a cast or a chariot but of particular interest are the wheels on the throne of god mentioned in ezekiel's vision who was Ezekiel who was this Prophet that saw this vision Prophet Ezekiel the name Ezekiel means L God is strong or God strengthens or may L God strengthen this Prophet lived during one of the most difficult times of judah's History namely the Babylonian exile and this may indicate the reason for his name during Nebuchadnezzar's Conquest in 597 BC he was one of the ten thousand prisoners captured from Jerusalem and most likely he prophesized in Babylon to the Exiles in settlements of Tel Aviv on the river kibah the ministry of Ezekiel was absolutely necessary for the Exiles for those who believed and gave heed to his words there was life but for the others certain judgment ezekiel's Ministry showed that God was still communicating with them even during times of harsh judgment even though they would be punished they were not abandoned Jeremiah preached God's message in Jerusalem while another voice preached it to the Exiles in Babylon so they would be informed about God's plans both voices were equally strong Ezekiel sees the oftenham Ezekiel has been in Exile when God appeared to him God used this encounter to start ezekiel's ministry as a Prophet by showing him an astounding vision it is hard to define the orphanum depicted in ezekiel's Vision Without considering the entirety of the revelation God chooses to open the heavens in front of ezekiel's tempura wise the description of ezekiel's inaugural vision is one of the most difficult passages to translate in the whole Old Testament Ezekiel first tells where he was when he saw the vision Ezekiel 1 1-4 now it came about in the 13th year on the fifth day of the fourth month while I was by the river chabar among the Exiles the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God on the 5th of the month in the fifth year of King jehoshin's Exile the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest son of boozy in the land of the chaudians by the river to our and there the hand of the Lord came upon him as I looked Behold a high wind was coming from the north a great cloud with fire flashing intermittently and a bright light around it and in its Mist something like gleaming metal in the midst of a fire he tried to put into words something that couldn't be explained clearly he used similes to describe it comparing it to other things in order to give an idea of what it was like we read the phrase something like gleaming metal in the midst of the fire Ezekiel notices a foreboding Dark Cloud of lightning and fire approaching from the north within the cloud there are four lighted beings that shine brightly although the beings have the appearance of humans they are not human in any way each possesses four different faces one human face one lion face one Ox face and one eagle face the prophet doesn't record these creatures by name in Ezekiel 1 where the recounting of his vision begins but by chapter 10 they're identified as cherubim Ezekiel 1 5-7 and within it there were figures resembling four living beings and this was their appearance they had human form each of them had four faces and four wings their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf's hoof and they sparkled like polished bronze what Ezekiel Saw was real but he had to describe it with familiar terms before witnessing the orphanum Ezekiel Saw creatures that later identified these creatures as cherubim the cherubim are a group of celestial beings created by God they are the first of the Angelic hierarchy to appear in the Bible immediately following Adam and Eve's fool From Grace we don't know Adam's reaction to witnessing those glorious cherubim for the first time in human history perhaps or fright and wonder will come to mind in Exodus 25 Moses was given specific and detailed instructions on how to make several articles of furniture that would be used in the Tabernacle the Ark of the Covenant and The Mercy Seat where God promised to meet and commune with Moses were the first be detailed what did God want to go over or on top of The Mercy Seat he chose representations of the cherubim in gold what an awesome side to that must have been the cherubim associated with the very presence of God and here Ezekiel sees the cherubim in the presence of God they constantly glorify God though artists have painted cherubim the plural of Cherub as chubby little Angelic looking creatures the Bible describes them as attending the Throne of God and executing his will Ezekiel 1 8-10 under their wings on their four sides were human hands as for the faces and wings of the four of them their wings touched one another their faces did not turn when they moved each went straight forward as for the form of their faces each had a human face all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left and all four had the face of an eagle Ezekiel noticed that each living creature had four faces one human possibly representing intelligence one lion representing strength one Ox representing servitude and one Eagle representing loftiness they had wings and the willingness to go wherever the spirit went the Lord wanted Ezekiel to understand that he is everywhere Ezekiel may have been in a Land of captivity but he was not alone God was with him as Believers in God we can find comfort in the fact that he is always with us no matter where we are or what challenges we are facing the idea that God is present everywhere gives us peace of mind knowing that he is always with us Ezekiel 1 11 through 14. search where their faces their wings were spread out above each had two touching another being and two covering their bodies and each went straight forward wherever the spirit was about to go they would go without turning as they went in the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire like torches moving among the living beings the fire was bright and lightning was flashing from the fire and the living beings ran back and forth like bolts of lightning The Chariot after seeing the cherubim Ezekiel Saw the wills like The Chariot Wills the best object for imagining what Ezekiel Saw is a gyroscope Ezekiel was describing something that could move in any direction without needing to turn keep in mind that Ezekiel was describing the indescribable Ezekiel 1 15-21 now as I looked at the living beings behold there was one wheel on the ground beside the living beings for each of the four of them the appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like sparkling topaz and all four of them had the same form their appearance and workmanship being as if one will were within another whenever they moved they moved in any of their four directions without turning as they moved as for their rims they were high and awesome and the rims of all four of them were covered with eyes all around whenever the living beings moved the wheels moved with them and whenever the living beings Rose from the earth the wills Rose also wherever the spirit was about to go they would go in that direction and the wills Rose just as they did for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels whenever those went they went and whenever those stopped they stopped and whenever those Rose from the earth the wheels Rose just as they did for the spirits of the living being was in the whales Ezekiel continued to describe the constant interaction between the whales and the cherubim wherever the cherubim went the wheels went he reported that the spirit of God manifested in all that was happening Ezekiel was also seeing God's omniscience the multiple eyes he saw represented God's complete awareness he sees and knows everything this great book begins with a vision Ezekiel receives a revelation from God of four Angelic figures in this Vision God calls the prophet to be his spokesman and Watchman to the Hebrew Exiles this vision is first of four in the book Ezekiel describes this first Vision in Vivid detail like all effective leaders he spoke as clearly as possible a pastor once said if it's fuzzy in the Pulpit it's foggy in the pew Ezekiel provided Vision by way of analogies then applied those Visions he communicated a picture then shared his point Divine Visions always help a leader and the people move in the right direction a Divine vision also seems to include these components the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels so that the creatures moved in whatever Direction the whales moved it was indeed an awesome sight the huge Wills the living creatures the unfolding fire and the eyes in the rims of the wheels what an arresting picture of the Providence of God always at work intricately designing never wrong and never late what Ezekiel Saw or described In this passage is difficult to visualize in his entirety it's presumably an image of a magnificent Chariot with four wheels thus bringing the Throne of God the scene gives the impression of continuous motion and activity not only on the part of the living beings themselves but also on the part of God's throne the sense seems to be that the wheels and their workings could move in any direction but there was no sense of chaos or disorder in their movements a popular bible commenter stated about this like a ball bearing they could move in any direction without any steering mechanism Ezekiel 1 22-28 now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse like the awesome gleam of Crystal spread out over their heads under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight one toward the other each one also had two Wings covering its body on one side and on the other and I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant Waters as they went like the voice of the almighty a sound of a crowd like the sound of an army camp whenever they stopped they let down their wings and a voice came from above the expanse that was over their heads whenever they Stood Still they let down their wings now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne like lapis lazuli in appearance and on that which resembled a throne high up was a figure with the appearance of a man then I noticed from the appearance of his waist and upward something like gleaming metal that looked like fire all around within it and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw something like fire and there was a Radiance around him like the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord and when I saw it I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking finally Ezekiel Saw the chamber in heaven and tried to describe the sights and the sounds of the creature then he noticed a throne occupied by someone with the appearance of a man Ezekiel observed that the entity Seated on the throne resembled a human but was more akin to flames than physical matter just imagine the glory and the Splendor that there was next Ezekiel Saw a rainbow around the Throne of God gave Noah the rainbow of Promise After the flood Jon saw the rainbow before the storm Ezekiel witnessed a rainbow amidst the storm which symbolized God's covenant promise and divine power the message conveyed is about the Magnificent power of God he was comforting Ezekiel by assuring him that he is in control and there is nothing Beyond his capabilities what does God's omnipotence mean to us no problem or difficulty that we are going through is beyond God's power to do something about we may not be able to handle it but God can we do not have to wonder why Ezekiel fell down he was exposed to the glory of God the outward manifestation of his divine presence when someone experiences the magnificence and Grandeur of the Lord the only natural response is to bow down in reverence during the challenging times of ezekiel's ministry God reminded him of a vision to reassure him that he was still in control from his throne in heaven despite being far from Jerusalem he knew that God was with him similarly Believers today may feel like they are in Exile in this age in today's world there is a rise in wickedness and immoral Behavior even people who attend church May refuse to accept the teachings of the Bible however we can take comfort in ezekiel's description of God's magnificence we may not see the will like he did but we know God is with us no matter where we are or what we are going through he knows everything and he can do anything more than that he has given us his holy spirit to be our helper we should keep these truths in mind and remain steadfast in our faith in him during these challenging times until the day we are called to join him in heaven it can be challenging to visualize what Ezekiel Saw or expressed in this passage the description of full of eyes was how John described the cherubim themselves Revelation 4 6 New American Standard Bible and Before the Throne there was something like a sea of glass like Crystal and in the center and around the throne four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind the sense is of excellent knowledge and intelligence the four wheels in their workings moved in step with the four cherubims they rotated they were linked together in such a way that Ezekiel was able to write the spirits of the living creatures was in the wheels ofanima also mentioned similarly in Ezekiel 10. Ezekiel was meant to understand that God's Chariot or Chariot thrown was on the move the image seems bizarre to the modern reader but one must remember that this is a Visionary experience the surrealistic features May overwhelm realism in the passages the Throne of God is set on Wheels often him and then pushed by Four Angels there are wheels inside of wills at Cross angles with the effect that the throne can move in any direction without having to turn the offenim has been a point of Fascination for many and later Jewish apocalyptic writers gave them a life of their own the wills were eventually recognized as a separate type of Angel known as the orphanum why do some refer to the orphanum as angels there's not a single mention of the orphanum in the scriptures being Angelic creatures but apocryphal Jewish writers branded them as a class of Angel and list them in their hierarchy of angels along with the seraphim and cherubim because the orphanim's unique life likeness their Supernatural power and their close proximity to God's Throne not to mention the multitude of eyes whether or not the orphanum are actually Angelic beings or merely a divinely powered mechanism of multi-dimensional Transport doesn't matter what does matter is the orphanim's function in displaying God's glory to Ezekiel and every other believer who would one day read his account and gain A Renewed vision of God's kingship what do the author name reveal about God both in appearance and operation the ofanim that appear in ezekiel's Vision demonstrates God's absolute dominion over the entire Cosmos the omnidirectional Wheels themselves serve as a constant reminder to us that the God we serve is on the present meaning that he can be in all places at all times as the spirit of God guides the cherubim The Same Spirit indwells the orphanum and the eyes that cover the wheels in the cherubim are symbolic of God's omniscience he is all saying all-knowing why is it important for Christians to know about the supernatural Realm Ephesians 6 11-12 New American Standard Bible put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil for our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the powers against the world forces of this Darkness against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the Heavenly places in Ephesians 6 12 we're told that our struggle is not against flesh God desires Believers to be aware of the world beyond what our temporal eyes can see so that we in the Lord's Mighty power can be prepared to take on whatever scheme the enemy has in store extremism is prevalent in today's society on the one end of the scale there are believers who downplay the supernatural parts of their faith and insist on maintaining a naturalistic worldview which is characterized by an exclusive Reliance on the truths of doctrinal teachings for day-to-day living on the opposite end of the spectrum are those people who are so preoccupied with the spiritual realm because of the Allure it holds for them that they are of little help on Earth we must first ensure that our eyes are open to the reality of the situation when a servant was terrified by the surrounding enemy in 2 Kings 6 16.

the prophet tells the young man don't be afraid the world in which we live cannot be considered our home there is a world that we cannot see yet it is Rife with conflict over our own Souls when we make the decision to investigate the Bible and seek God's perspective on the supernatural we move one step closer to the establishment of God's Kingdom Ezekiel clearly LED out a vision and God consistently provided him with unusual visions that drove him to speak in unusual ways from hands and Scrolls descending from Heaven to four Abominations committed in the temple to Vines Eagles Lions dry bones and fires Ezekiel trafficked in strange but memorable pictures these pictures often arrived with a Divine interpretation and instructions on how he was to communicate God's word to the people Ezekiel closely followed the leadership Axiom on vision see it clearly show it creatively and say it constantly despite the response of the people Ezekiel remained steadfast in his convictions and core values we read the phrase son of man this phrase is used for Ezekiel roughly 90 times and emphasizes that he is merely a messenger of the Divine Sovereign of the universe who has planned all the events that were to take place which could not be hindered from being accomplished Ezekiel was a skilled Communicator who encouraged people to listen to him and engage with important topics he was known for his creativity often incorporating visual aids and dramatic performances to convey his message he quickly obeyed the Lord's instructions even when many of the symbolic actions God called him to enact looked different or embarrassing his Dynamic Ministry won the respect attention and admiration of judah's Elders despite ezekiel's efforts to cast a vision for his generation they listened but refused to act on his words which left him disappointed he took great pains to share his message but unfortunately no one acted upon it according to God Ezekiel was a Watchman who was summoned to alert the people of potential danger if they didn't repent similar to a Watchman who sparked an approaching Army he advises the people to prepare themselves or face destruction [Music] God describes himself to Ezekiel as the one who supplies the right words God is the director of this great drama that Ezekiel acts out he is the writer of the script Ezekiel is to read to the people and he is the author who closes the curtain when the play ends a finale in the form of the invading Babylonian Army when it is too late for the people to discover the play is no mere Act the purpose of angels firstly Angels make the word of God come to pass the angels of the performance hosts of God angels follow the word of God to ensure that it produces in the Bible the phrase the Lord of hosts will perform it is used often any time an outstanding prophecy is given which cannot be humanly explained the angels of God have the Performing license to carry out anything that comes out of God's mouth angels are the attack troops that deal with opponents they always get the answer and Victorious after every Act also they do the pleasure of God Psalms 103 20-21 bless the Lord you his angels who excel in strength who do his word heeding the voice of his word bless the Lord all you his hosts you Ministers of his who do his pleasure angels are committed to obeying God's command so you can send them to carry out whatever God has commanded concerning you the word says Tell those who do what is right that thing will go well with them they will enjoy the results of the good things they've done Isaiah 3 10. aside from the orphanum the angels are of different ranks in a general sense probably the largest group of angels is what we might call the regular angels most of the time when angels are mentioned in the Bible it is these otherwise unidentified Angels who are being referred to to speak of ordinary Angels seems a contradiction in terms however for how could these extraordinary created beings be considered just something routine yet in one sense this designation is proper when we contrast them with the several unique classes or orders of angels that the Bible mentions cherubim the cherubim are the first of the Angelic order to appear in the scriptures they appear right after Adam and Eve's Fall From Grace seraphim a different group of angels specifically recognized as the seraphim the seraphim in the Hebrew language means burning ones Isaiah chapter 6 tells us of the seraphim Michael another Angelic rank Archangel the position held by only one angel in the scriptural record the word Arch means Chief so this Angel is the most prominent of all the Holy Angels the archangel's name is Michael the meaning of Michael is who is like God whenever you hear that name you're hearing a question who is like God Gabriel another Angel whose name is clearly given in scripture besides Lucifer is Gabriel Gabriel means mighty one of God Gabriel lives up to his name for he does indeed do powerful things Gabriel serves God more as a messenger in several instances in the Book of Daniel Gabriel appears to give major Revelations concerning coming events particularly relating to God's Kingdom what are the relevance of angels the next question is are angels still relevant do we need them today as Christians filled with the Holy Ghost anointing a glimpse at the lives of the distinguished individuals in the Bible reveals that they all experienced Angelic Fellowship There is almost no person of Distinction in the scriptures who did not have physical real proof of angelic Fellowship God has said I the Lord do not change so you the descendants of Jacob are not destroyed Malachi 3 6. it follows that what he did yesterday he's also doing today there is a lot attached for this time we live in angels are an indispensable and essential part of God's package for the redeemed the anointing cannot replace the services of angels Jesus Christ was born of the Holy Ghost and he had the Holy Ghost anointing and yet he required the services of angels it is great to think that Jesus believed in angels and he enjoyed their Ministry even as the son of the most high God even the Lord Jesus Christ required the assistance of angels even before his birth an angel announced his arrival when danger appeared because of the news of his birth and the angel spoke to Joseph to move to Egypt with the baby Jesus that the scripture may be fulfilled although angels are important ministering Spirits we may limit their Ministry in our lives the first is spiritual blindness when it comes to God's issues you must believe it before you can experience it whatever is written in the word must be seen before it can be possessed Angels who are the hosts of Heaven are all around us don't let the devil mislead you about the presence of angels just as the Demonic world is invisible the Angelic world is also invisible we must know that Angels belong to a uniquely different dimension of creation that we can hardly understand in this realm the constraints are different from those God has placed on ours God has given Angels higher knowledge and Mobility than humans the word of God lets us know that Angels like men were also created by God this implies at one time no Angels existed as seen in Colossians 1 16.

God's angels indeed are among God's invisible things for he created all things and for him Hebrews 1 14 calls them ministering Spirits are not all Angels ministering Spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation Hebrews 1 14. the Empire of angels is as vast as God's creation if you believe in the Bible you will believe in their Ministry they cover both the Old and New Testament being mentioned directly or indirectly nearly 300 times biblical scholars believe that angels can be numbered potentially in the millions because Hebrews 12 22 speaks of an innumerable company of angels as to their number David described 20 000 coursing through the skyways of the Stars even with his limited Vision he impressively notes the Chariots of God are twice ten thousand thousands we can be sure the Angels including the orphanim never draw attention to themselves but ascribe God's glory and press his message upon the hearers is the delivering and sustaining word of the highest order as glorious as the Angelic and Heavenly beings are they become dim beside the Indescribable Glory resident in our Heavenly lamb the Lord Of Glory To whom every Power in heaven and on here on Earth bow in holy worship and excited adoration [Music] what were the wills in Ezekiel 1.