Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Angelic Conflict. Part 7. Archangels, special messengers, and angelic military leaders: Michael and Gabriel.
Friday, December 2, 2005
Seraphim are noted for their priestly type service to God and proclaiming the glory of God.
They appear to be that group of angels who became winners by understanding the righteousness and justice of God which reveals the integrity of God, and the importance of proper motivation and a right thing being done in a right way.
The cherubim angels are noted for defending the justice and righteousness of God and as vehicles of divine judgment.
The ark and the mercy seat with its symbolic cherubim were kept in the innermost sanctuary of the tabernacle or the holy or holies.
Unlike seraphim angels, most cherubim are not messengers in their duties.
Their main purpose and activity is to proclaim and protect God’s presence, His sovereignty, and His holiness.
In one sense, they proclaim to men the transcendent and unapproachable God, as in forbidding entrance into paradise, GEN 3:24, and protecting and shading the ark, Exo 25.
In another sense they speak of the revelation of God’s glory to man since they are associated with the visible form of the glory of God, EZE 1:4-28.
Throughout the book of Ezekiel we see the glory of God associated with the cherubim disciplining Israel for sin and rebellion and judging ungodly nations.
Cherubs also intervene on behalf of Israel to bring about the accomplishments of God’s promises to Israel.
Cherubim seem to deal with the holiness of God as being outraged by sin and rebellion whereas seraphim deal with the uncleanness of man as related to God.
They emphasize God’s presence and holiness in their symbolic form upon the mercy seat which is above the lid of the ark of the covenant.
1. The tables of the Law, the Ten commandments, which the Jews disobeyed.
2. Aaron’s rod that budded - a testimony to all of the sins that come from rejecting authority because God used that rod to reveal His authority and power.
LUK 14:18 “I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.”
LUK 14:19 “I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.”
LUK 14:20 “I just got married and need to get home to my wife.”
GAL 4:16 Have I therefore become your enemy by telling you the truth?
ECC 8:11-12 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. Although a sinner does evil a hundred {times} and may lengthen his {life,} still I know that it will be well for those who respect and fear God, who are in awe of Him openly.
Aaron’s rod was the rod that was used for miraculous powers during the plagues of Egypt, which the Jews ended up rejecting the authority of.
3. A golden pot of manna - the wonderful principle of logistical grace and all of the sins that come from rejecting logistical grace support.
When the high-priest would enter once a year to sprinkle the blood of the atonement for sin on the mercy seat, the blood would grant entrance to God and atone for sins, LEV 17:11.
LEV 17:11 For the life of the flesh [the animal] is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.
The cherubim, proclaimers of God’s holiness, would symbolically look down and see the sprinkled blood on the mercy seat covering the sins of the people symbolized by the three items under the lid of the ark.
All of this naturally pointed forward to TLJC who would shed His blood not just to cover sins, but to put them away by the sacrifice of Himself, HEB 9:6-26.
In witnessing the sprinkling of the blood in HEB 9:5 the cherubim of glory were not only protectors of God’s glory, but proclaimers of God’s grace.
Michael and Gabriel are mentioned as archangels in the Bible and special messengers.
Michael commanded the army of angels who defended Israel.
He is called the prince of Israel, DAN 10:21.
EPH 6:12 - special groups of fallen angels are assigned to discrediting and attacking rulers of this world and believers. They not only attack spiritual VIP’s like the apostle Paul, but they also attack anyone in the vicinity of a VIP believer like Timothy with Paul.
“Kings of Persia” = certain fallen angels who are rulers of the cosmos.
He is not talking about the prince or the king of Persia or the prince or the king of Greece; he is talking about the spiritual demonic angelic beings behind those two empires.
Both Persia, made up of current day Iraq and Iran, and Greece had demon rulers over them.
There is warfare in the heavens all of the time, which includes the clash of soldier-type angels.
1. The angelic order of battle begins with our Lord Jesus Christ, the commander and chief of the army of elect angels, under the title of Adonai tsebaah = “the Lord of Hosts.”
2. Second in the angelic order of battle are the archangels or army commanders, and two of them are mentioned in the Bible, Michael and Gabriel.
Extra-biblically (in the book of Enoch), Raphael and Uriel are mentioned as archangels.
In this apocryphal book, Gabriel is mentioned as “one of the chief of all angels placed over all powers.”
Michael commands the army of angels who defend Israel, and for this reason he has an additional title, “the prince of Israel,” DAN 10:21.
Michael also will lead the elect angels into battle as they defend Israel during the Tribulation period according to several prophecies, DAN 12:1, REV 12:7-8.
Gabriel is not only an archangel or army commander, but he is an officer of arms in the angelic college of Heralds. Gabriel was commissioned to explain to Daniel the vision of the Ram and He Goat, Dan 8, and Gabriel was sent to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist, so he has additional duties.
He is a very unusual angelic creature - he is in both the college of Heralds and the order of battle. Gabriel is not only the army commander (possibly for Gentile client nations) in the angelic order of battle, but he also functions as one of the officers of arms in the angelic college of heralds.
3. The angelic general staff, Rev 4-5, who lead in the worship in heaven.
They are all cherubs.
4. Tseba-oth or the army or troops = there are quite a number of categories among elect angels in this group.
“Hosts” = rank and file angels, all guardian angels, PSA 91:11f. The function of these angelic armies is described in PSA 103:21 as praising the Lord.
PSA 91:11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.
PSA 103:21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will.
PSA 148:2 Praise Him, all His angels, Praise Him all His armies of angels.
When an elect angel announced to the shepherds the birth of our Lord, he is joined by multitudes of heavenly armies praising God, LUK 2:13.
Ministering angels are included in this group, HEB 1:14.