The God of Angels and Men
Through our study of angels, we have seen that the Lord of Hosts is a mighty God who accomplishes His purposes in heaven and on earth. The verse that strengthens my heart and can strengthen the heart of every true believer is found in Daniel 4:35: “He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand.” He is the God of both angels and men. He is our God! Let our prayer ever be, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Luke 11:2)!
Preface
Sir Francis Bacon, Oxford History of Quotations, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980), 27.
Chapter One: Are Angels Real?
Nancy Gibbs, “Angels Among Us,” Time (December 27, 1993): 56.
Chapter Two: The Truth about Angels
Billy Graham, Angels: God’s Secret Agents (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 1995), 30.
Chapter Three: What Are Angels Like?
Dr. David Jeremiah, What the Bible Says about Angels (Sisters, Ore.: Multnomah Books, 1996), 116.
Herbert Lockyer, All the Angels in the Bible (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1995), 114.
Chapter Six: Angels and Protection
Billy Graham, Angels: God’s Secret Agents (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 1995), 137–39.
“A Strange Place to Hope” by Corrie ten Boom reprinted with permission from Guideposts. Copyright 1972 by Guideposts, Carmel, New York 10512. All rights reserved.
Chapter Nine: Angels and Deliverance
Corrie ten Boom, Marching Orders for the End Battle (Fort Washington, Pa.: Christian Literature Crusade, 1969), 112–13.
Part IV
Chapter One: Are Angels Real?
1.What is your conception of angels? Where did you learn this idea (e.g., church, the Bible, paintings and sculpture, television)?
2.Are the current cultural depictions of angels realistic, fantastical, or both?
3.Do you think angels have a role in your life? If so, what role?
4.Have you (or someone you know) experienced what you considered an angelic visitation? What was it like? What happened?
5.What does Mary Baxter say is the reason she received visions and revelations about angels from God? (pp. 21–23)
Chapter Two: The Truth about Angels
1.(a) Why is it dangerous to study about angels from those who don’t have a solid biblical understanding of their true nature and ways? (b) Why is the Bible our best source for understanding the truth about angels? (pp. 25–26)
2.Why shouldn’t we worship angels, pray to them, or seek their guidance? (pp. 27–32)
3.When angels help and assist us, where is that help ultimately coming from? (pp. 29, 32)
4.How do we know that Jesus Christ is greater than the angels? (pp. 32–35)
5.In what ways are angels and humans distinct? (pp. 35–39)
6.How can we tell the difference between true angels and demonic beings disguised as angels? (pp. 44–45)
7.What is your best protection against demonic deception and evil? (pp. 45–49)
Chapter Three: What Are Angels Like?
1.List five facets of the nature of angels. (pp. 53–61)
2.What are the qualities of spirit beings? (pp. 54–55)
3.How do angels know and learn about God, His ways, and His plan for humanity? (pp. 58–59)
4.How many angels are there? (pp. 61–64)
5.In what three forms did angels in the Bible appear to humanity? (pp. 66–72)
6.Give two or three biblical examples for each form. (pp. 66–72)
7.Why did the writer of Hebrews tell us we should be hospitable to strangers? How should this knowledge change the way we act toward other people—whether they are acquaintances or strangers? (pp. 71–72)
Chapter Four: Types and Ranks of Angels
1.The Bible indicates that the angelic realm includes at least four holy beings called “________________ ,” “__________________ ,” “_______________ ,” and “______________ .” (p. 77)
2.The Scriptures also imply that there is an organizational hierarchy of angels. What biblical authors present this idea? (pp. 77–79)
3.Though believers have held various opinions about the categories and ranking of angels since the time of the early church fathers, it seems clear from the Bible that there are different _______________ of angels and that angels have various ___________________ in God’s kingdom. (p. 79)
4.Who is the only archangel mentioned by name in the Bible? What is his main role? What should the character of this archangel inspire in us? (pp. 80, 82–83)
5.Who is another angel who plays a prominent role in Scripture and may also be an archangel? What is his main role? What should his character inspire in us? (pp. 83, 87–88)
6.What two special kinds of angels are prominent in the Bible? (p. 88)
7. Describe the contemporary culture’s idea of a cherub. (p. 88)
8.What are biblical cherubim really like? What is their role? (pp. 88–93)
9.Which cherub rebelled against God and fell from his position in heaven? What can his fall teach us? (p. 93)
10.What are seraphim like? What is their role? (pp. 94–96)
11.What can we learn from the seraphim that we can apply to our own relationships with God? (p. 96)
12.What does the term “angel of the Lord” or “Angel of the Lord” refer to? (p. 96)
Chapter Five: Ministering Spirits
1.What is the primary role of all angels? (p. 99)
2.What is a second major role of angels? (p. 101)
3.Name the Scripture verse that tells us angels minister to those who have received eternal life in Christ. (p. 101)
4.List eight ways in which God’s angels minister to His people. (pp. 102–120)
5.How does the author define “defensive” and “offensive” angels? (p. 116)
6.What is a third major role of angels? (p. 120)
7.Describe a fourth major role of angels. (p. 123)
8.What are three aspects of this fourth role? (pp. 123–24)
9.How has this chapter’s emphasis on God’s ministering angels changed your perspective on your relationship with God and your ministry/service for Him?
Chapter Six: Angels and Protection
1.Angels are our spiritual ________________. (p. 133)
2.Psalm 91 gives several reasons God’s people are protected. What are those reasons? (pp. 133–34)
3.What does Mary Baxter urge parents to do on behalf of their children, and why? (p. 135)
4.What was the reason the author prayed for her son at the particular time that she did? (p. 134)
5.Why did she pray when, at the time, she didn’t fully know what her prayers were for? (p. 134)
6.Have you ever been prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray for a person or situation without fully knowing the circumstances? How did you respond? Did you ever learn the reason you were prompted to pray? If so, what were the circumstances? What did you learn from this experience?
7.Mary Baxter talked about how she is protected by angels as she is ministering. (p. 138) How could knowing about God’s protecting angels give you courage to tell others about the Gospel—even under difficult circumstances?
8.How does the author define the “blood covering” or “blood covenant”? (pp. 140–41)
9.What does it mean for us to dedicate someone or something to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? (p. 141)
10.What have you learned about God’s protection of yourself and others based on what you have read in this chapter?
Chapter Seven: Angels and God’s Word
1.In Mary Baxter’s visions of the pulpits on fire, what was the fire meant to signify? What did God evidently tell the author happens when His Word is preached? (pp. 145–47)
2.What does it mean to “rebuild the altars of God”? (p. 148)
3.How are we to clean the altars of our hearts and make them altars to God? (pp. 149–51)
4.What was the vision of the glory and power intermingling with fire meant to convey? (p. 154)
5.What are two biblical promises that we can include in our prayers for the salvation of our loved ones? (p. 154)
6.What effect does the Word of God have on Satan? (p. 155)
7.What are two verses that assure us of the effectiveness of God’s Word? (p. 158)
8.Have you been reading, meditating on, memorizing, believing, applying, and obeying the Word of God? In what ways?
9.What specific steps can you take to become more committed to God and His Word? What difference will this make in your life?
10.How will you apply God’s Word and faith in Him to a difficult situation or personal struggle in your life today?
Chapter Eight: Angels and God’s Fire
1.God’s fire accomplishes what two things? (p. 161)
2.What does it mean to “purge out the old leaven” (1 Corinthians 5:7)? (p. 163)
3.Why do people sometimes feel heat when they are healed by the Lord? (p. 164)
4.What was the meaning of the plumb line in the Lord’s hand in Amos 7:7–8? (p. 165)
5.According to Isaiah 28:17, what criteria of measurement does God use when measuring our lives? (p. 165)
6.Mary Baxter says she believes God’s judg-ment is with us today and that He is setting a “plumb line” among us. How should we respond to this judgment? (pp. 165–67)
7.What can happen when we resist conviction of sin in our lives? (p. 167)
8.What are two consequences of falling into sin and dishonesty before God? (p. 167)
9.Jesus was manifested to ________________ us from sin and ___________ us from eternal punishment. We serve a mighty God who ______________ and ______________ ____________ us. (p. 168)
10.How do you usually respond to God’s discipline and correction? Do you ignore or fight it? Or do you allow God to renew and cleanse you through His forgiveness, His Spirit, and His Word?
11.What specific steps should you take to yield to God’s loving discipline when He convicts you of sin or a lack of devotion to Him? (See 1 John 1:7–8; Psalm 119:9–11; Galatians 5:16.)
12. Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something today? How will you respond?
Chapter Nine: Angels and Deliverance
1.When we are in right relationship with God, what two things happen as we “call upon [the Lord] in the day of trouble” (Psalm 50:15)? (p. 169)
2.In this chapter, the author mentions several things that bring about deliverance, healing, and salvation. What are they? (pp. 172–78)
3.How did the author’s understanding of Jesus’ sufferings and sacrifice of atonement affect the way she looked at her painful circumstances? How can it affect the way you see your own difficult situations? (p. 178)
4.Once a person has been delivered by the power of God, what needs to happen in order for him to stay delivered? (pp. 187–88)
5.Another aspect of deliverance is provided in Isaiah 10:27, which says, “The yoke shall be destroyed because of the __________________” (kjv). (p. 189)
6.What are two things a person should do to be set free from the yoke of bondage? (pp. 189–90)
7.What did Mary Baxter say had to happen first in the country that worshiped false gods and idols before its people could be open to receive the Gospel? (pp. 190–92)
8.The devil has to back off and release his victims when he is cast out in the _________________ of Jesus. (p. 193)
9.What should we have before we cast out Satan and his demons in this way? (p. 193)
10.For what reasons does God always have the victory over Satan? (pp. 194–95)
11.Based on what you have learned in this chapter, what areas of your own life or the lives of your friends and loved ones need to be addressed before you or they can receive deliverance? (For example, do you need to forgive someone who has wronged you? Do you need to ask Christ to fill you with His compassion for others? Are you being open and honest before God and seeking to live according to His Word? Are you interceding for others so that they can be set free from Satan’s control and be able to hear the Gospel?) What will you do today to begin to address an area you need to deal with so that deliverance can come?
12.Build your faith in God’s deliverance by memorizing and meditating on Scriptures such as the following:
And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.(2 Timothy 4:18)
The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations.(2 Peter 2:9)
The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.(Psalm 34:7)
Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.(Psalm 41:1–3)
Chapter Ten: Angels and Prayer
1.On what basis can we join with the angels in worshiping God? What sacrifices do we need to offer God in worship? (p. 201)
2.According to Revelation 8:3–4, what happens to the prayers of the saints? (p. 201–2)
3.What are four types of prayers that the angels help answer? (pp. 202, 205, 210–11)
4.In what four ways did Mary Baxter say that God taught her to pray for people’s deliverance? (p. 219)
5.When should believers pray? (p. 220)
6.How important to God are the prayers of believers? (pp. 220–21)
7.What have you learned from this chapter about the effect that believers’ prayers can have on salvation, healing, miracles, and deliverance?
8.How seriously have you taken the role of your prayers for the fulfillment of God’s purposes in the world?
9.What specific steps will you take to develop your prayer life and intercede on behalf of others who need God’s forgiveness, wholeness, and deliverance?
Chapter Eleven: The Meaning of Angels
1.How can the study of angels help us spiritually? (pp. 223–24)
2.What are we to focus on as we learn about angels? (p. 223)
3.God has angels for every _______________ you have. (p. 224)