This week on Things Unseen since we're in the Advent season, we've been thinking about

angels. And when we think of these amazing creatures, it's kind of ludicrous that they've

been portrayed almost as though they were children's ties. Make sure you wonder if that's

been a tactic of Satan to ridicule the angels and thus to ridicule God. So we've been

trying to reflect on who these heavenly creatures are and what they do. Of course, we know that

in general terms, their servants of God are establishing his purposes. Some 103 verse

20 puts it this way, they are mighty beings who accomplish God's will. Yes, mighty

beings. Think of their power. They destroyed Sodom. Think of the angel of death's visitation

in the Exodus. Or in a different way, think of the angel who opened prison doors to rescue

Peter from prison or those who rolled away the stone before the tomb of Jesus. But what

I think is especially interesting is the way these heavenly beings seem to appear at

especially strategic points in biblical history. Here are some of them. At creation, according

to Job chapter 38, at the time of the fall in Genesis chapter 3, in establishing the

covenant line and family in the life of Abraham in Genesis 19 and in the case of Isaac as well.

Or in the Exodus, in the angel of the Lord appearing to Moses, and then leading the people

in the pillar of cloud and fire. And then the angels appear in connection with the

giving of the law, according to Galatians 3 verse 19. And then they are there in the entrance

into the promised land in Exodus 23. And again in the days of the judges, the lives of Gideon

and Samson. And then later we meet with angels in the establishing of the prophetic ministry

in Elijah and Elijah. And then in the visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel. And again in the experience

of Daniel at the time of the exile. And then of course as we turn to the New Testament,

we meet with angels at the birth of our Lord Jesus and in his ministry, his death, his resurrection,

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