Both in the past and in the future the Lord manifests Himself as the One who serves. But a new thing was inaugurated when He went on high as a Man, crowned with glory and honor, serving God’s saints on earth. That heavenly beings should minister to men in their mortal state was nothing new, for as soon as Adam and Eve fell and expulsion from the garden was found to be part of the consequences of their sin, the cherubim, placed eastward in the garden, guarded with the flaming sword every way to the tree of life. This was a ministry of goodness and mercy to the fallen pair. From that day till the time of the patriarch Abraham, we read nothing about angelic ministry to men, but from his days and onward to the close of Scripture, we meet with statements of their service and intervention, providentially and judicially, or otherwise, in the affairs of men. By the visit of two angels to Sodom, Lot was rescued, and by one Peter was brought out of prison. By the destroying angel the firstborn of the Egyptians were smitten, and by an angel was Israel chastised in the reign of David. An angel ministered to Elijah in the desert and appeared to Paul on board ship in the storm. The angels of God met Jacob at Mahanaim and surrounded Elisha and his young man on the mount. An angel was sent to Daniel to tell him about the future, and the revelation of Jesus Christ was signified to John by one of those heavenly messengers. To men in general, without distinction of race or spiritual condition, do they attend, it would appear, for the Lord acquaints us with the fact about little children that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of His Father in heaven. But to God’s people in particular do they minister. Thus Messiah was to be the object of their providential care, as the psalmist declared (Psa. 91:1111For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. (Psalm 91:11)), and the nation of Israel, as God’s earthly people, is specially cared for by Michael their prince (Dan. 10:21; 12:121But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. (Daniel 10:21)
1And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1)). And now, that Israel and God’s people are not one and the same class, we learn from Hebrews 1:1414Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:14) that the angels are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. Thus, men, Israel, and God’s saints, though inferior to angels in rank and power, are cared for by them.
The Lord’s Present Service
Since the Lord Jesus went on high, a new thing has been instituted — His service, while in heaven, to souls upon earth, not superseding in the least angelic ministry to men, as the Acts of the Apostles abundantly evidences, nor carrying on exactly the same service in which He engaged when on earth. Personal service it was then; personal service it is now. He as much concerns Himself with individuals as ever He did, we have to say with reverence and with thankfulness. To heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people is not the special feature in His ministry now; to restore the dead to desolated homes and hearts is not His present service. He may and He does answer prayer for bodily wants, but since to depart and be with Christ is the better thing for God’s saints, we look not for Him to restore the dead to life, unless, as in the case of Dorcas, for a testimony to the reality of His power and exaltation to God’s right hand, yet the Lord’s ministry is as real and as constant now as ever it was, though only on behalf of His own, for, though on earth He ministered to men irrespective of their soul’s condition, since He was rejected by the world, He carries on His service, while on high, on behalf of His saints.
Words of Truth