11/14/82 11/18/82 2/17/83 Rev 8:2;10:1
A. The Commander-in-Chief.
1. The angel of the Lord is Jesus Christ. This is a theophany of Jesus Christ. The elect angels are always under the command of Christ. This implies that the angelic salvation is related to Christ, just as ours is.
2. There are four manifestations of our Lord:
a. A theophany is a manifestation before the First Advent.
b. The incarnation is an appearance in Hypostatic Union.
c. Christophanies are post-resurrection appearances in Hypostatic Union.
d. The Second Advent is His return in Hypostatic Union.
3. The angel of the Lord is identified as the Lord or Jehovah in Gen 16:7-13, 22:11-18, 31:11-13, 48:15-16; Ex 3:1 cf Acts 7:30-35; Ex 13:21, 14:19; Jud 6:11-23, 13:9-10.
B. The Seraphim Heralds.
1. Seraph is an order of rank created as a reward for angels who achieved maximum glorification of Christ. The seraph is distinguished from all other angels as the highest ranking angel because of his six wings, Isa 6:2. Angels do not have wings except for seraphs and cherubs. Wings are an insignia of rank.
2. The pair of wings covering the face of the seraph are analogous to his integrity and humility. In the angelic conflict, these angels learned more doctrine and achieved a higher rank than anyone else. Their six wings indicate that Bible doctrine was more important to them than anything else.
a. Four of these seraphs are the heralds of Rev 4 and following. They had the coat of arms of the Lord and eyes on each side of the coat of arms, which indicated their great wisdom from their perception of doctrine.
b. The reward of “seraph” is related to the fact that part of their escutcheon is the uniform of wisdom (“full of eyes”) which describes their maximum knowledge of doctrine.
c. Without humility, they would have no capacity to enjoy the fact that only seven angels hold this highest rank and always will.
3. The pair of wings which cover the feet refer to their respect for divine authority. They serve the Lord best in worship. Note that the highest ranking person is the greatest servant of all.
4. The pair of wings with which they fly indicate their function, production, and modus operandi in the communication of divine policy, Isa 6:6-8 (where an angel communicated doctrine to Isaiah and gave him a personal sense of destiny.)
5. There are three categories of seraphs:
a. The king of arms, the highest ranking seraph. This is the powerful angel of Rev 5:2 and 10:1;
b. The officer of arms, Rev 18:1, 20:1-3. This angel has the key to the abyss.
c. The four angelic heralds, Ezek 1, 10 cf Isa 6. These angels are “full of eyes [doctrine], both inside [perception] and outside [application].”
C. Cherubim Heralds
1. These angels were originally the highest ranking angels prior to the prehistoric angelic eternal state. They have four wings, Ezek 1:4-6, 14, 15f. Also known as the pursuivant officers, these angels are high ranking noblemen who wear the coat of arms of their Lord. One officer is found in Ezek 1 at every wheel of the chariot of fire, a vehicle of judgment which Jesus Christ rides, Ezek 10:9-10.
2. There are seven other functions of these cherubs:
a. The two cherubs who guard the gates of the Garden of Eden, Gen 3:24 (analogous to the port cullis, meaning the officer of the gate.)
b. The four cherubs of the chariot of fire, Ezek 1,10. These are also the administrators of historical disaster in 2 Sam 22:11 and Ps 18:10 (analogous to the royal dragoon.)
c. Lucifer, the son of the morning, Ezek 28:14.
d. The pursuivant officer who commands the weather machine, Rev 7:2.
e. The angel with the golden incense shovel, Rev 8:3
f. The seven thunders are teachers of eschatology, Rev 10:3-4.
g. The seven angels of judgment, Rev 14:6,8-9,15,17-19.
D. Pursuivant, the Wingless Rank and File Angels. Generally, these angels are messengers of judgment. They are wingless messengers. There are nine categories of them:
1. The angelic messengers with Lot, Gen 19:13ff.
2. The destroying angel of 2 Sam 24:16.
3. The destroying angels of Ps 78:49.
4. The executioners of the city of Jerusalem, Ezek 9:1ff.
5. The man clothed in linen who acts as the messenger of the chariot of fire, Ezek 10:6.
6. The four angels each having a hemisphere who restrain the wind cells of the weather machine, Rev 7:1.
7. The seven angels with the seven trumpets, Rev 8:6.
8. The seven angels with the seven plagues, Rev 15:1, the same ones having the libation bowls.
9. The seven thunders who accompany the King of Arms, Rev 10:3-4.
E. Human Heralds. There are human heralds for both advents as well as angelic heralds. Lk 2:9-15 cf Jn 3:28-31 mentions John the baptizer as the human herald for the First Advent. In the Second Advent, along with the angelic herald of the King of Arms, “the mighty angel,” of Rev 10:1, the human heralds are Moses and Elijah, Rev 11:3-12.
______________________________________________________________________