I
am more afraid of angels than asteroids or aliens. God has given us his plans
for the end times, and it does not include humanity being wiped-out by an asteroid.
He has also given us the full account of creation, so there is no threat of
other life forms inhabiting outer space and coming to take over our planet.
But
angels? That is a different story. The good angels are awe-inspiring servants
of the Living God, able to carry out powerful acts for the good or harm of
humanity. The ones with God will carry out his will without succumbing to our
pleas for man-centered preferences. The fallen ones with Satan are intent on
ruining all human beings, but they are not actually as scary as the good ones
on God’s side.
When
I read that there are “four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,
holding back the four winds of the earth,”[1] and that these four angels “had been given power to harm earth and sea,”[2]I realize that man’s
concern of our planet being hit by an asteroid, or attacked by aliens, is
nothing. God’s angels have our planet surrounded. Knowing whose side they are
on is imperative.
There is a
good side and a bad side to what these four angels are doing in holding back
the powerful winds that will harm the earth.[3] The good side
is that they are holding them back until all God’s servants are sealed and set
apart as his. The bad side is that, as soon as the full number of God’s
redeemed are sealed as his, the angels will release the harm that God has
promised for a very long time.
Did I say
that it is imperative that we know whose side these angels are serving?
All through
the Bible there is a picture of God relating to his creation in both justice
and mercy.[4] Justice is
carried out against those who determine to take over God’s beautiful planet
with corruption, rebellion, wickedness, evil, and sin. Mercy is shown to those
who long to return to our Father-Creator through his Son-Redeemer. All are
sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God. Some experience mercy
bringing them home to the image and likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To those who
come to Jesus, his angels are on our side. They hold back the harming winds
until all of us come to our Savior. They stand against the destructive force of
the waiting winds until the midnight bell announces that all the elect have
been sealed and saved from harm, and now the end can come.
Whether we
speak of the angels that saved Lot from Sodom, and rained down fire and sulphur
on the wicked cities of the plain,[5] or the pillar
of cloud and fire that parted the Red Sea for Israel’s deliverance and poured
the same waters on the Egyptian army in perfect justice,[6] God has been
clear that he is good to those who seek him,[7] and a terror
to his enemies.[8] The same Jesus
who will one day break through the clouds with a shout of victory, sending out
his angels to gather all the sealed-ones of God into their eternal home, will
cause the nations to mourn because they cannot escape the one with whom they
have to do.[9]
I am
awestruck at the mighty strength of angels who can hold back winds that are
able to harm the earth. I am thankful that they are on my side. This is not
because of anything I have done, but because God has said that his angels are “ministering spirits sent
out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.”[10]Since they are his angels, and
he is my Father, I do not need to fear what they will soon do to this planet. Instead,
I look forward to the “new heavens and a
new earth in which righteousness dwells.”[11]That
is where I will find the home Jesus is preparing for me.[12]
Asteroids?
Aliens? Nothing to worry about. Angels? Depends whose side you are serving.
© 2014 Monte Vigh ~
Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise
noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
[1] Revelation 7:1
[2] Revelation 7:2
[3] Revelation 7:1-8 tells
the story.
[4] Isaiah 30:18; Hosea
2:19;Zechariah 7:9; Matthew 23:23; James 2:13
[5] Genesis 19
[6] Exodus 14; Deuteronomy
11:4
[7] Lamentations 3:25
[8] Psalm 14:5
[9] Matthew 24:29-31
[10] Hebrews 1:14
[11] II Peter 3:13
[12] John 14:1-6
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