Hebrews – Chapter One XXX

by Ed Urzi February 11, 2022

“Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14).

Hebrews 1:14 tells us that angels “…are spirits sent to serve those who are going to receive salvation” (GW). The Biblical record tells us that angels approach that ministry in a variety of ways. For instance…

Angels have extricated God’s people from imprisonment (Acts 12:7).
Angels have also served to encourage the people of God in times of trouble or danger (Judges 6:12, Acts 27:23-24).
Jesus once related the account of a poor beggar who was carried by angels following his death (Luke 16:22).
Psalm 91 tells us that God directs His angels to protect those who trust in Him (Psalm 91:11).
An angelic being once provided food and drink for a person in need (1 Kings 19:5-7).
Joseph, the husband of Mary, received guidance and direction from an angel concerning his wife and the infant Jesus (Matthew 2:19-20).
In addition, angels ministered to Jesus following the devil’s temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).

However, angels have also carried out far more contentious tasks. For example…

Angels were actively involved in executing God’s judgment against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-29).
It also appears that there are (or at least have been) clashes between angelic beings who are loyal to God and those who are not (see Daniel chapter ten and Jude 1:9 for some examples).
The Old Testament book of 2 Kings reports that the angel of the Lord once put 185,000 soldiers to death (2 Kings 19:35).
Revelation 12:7-9 tells us that there will be open warfare between the members of the angelic and demonic realms in the future.

In light of these things, the following author offers some important reflections…

“Notice that Hebrews 1:14 tells us that angels are sent to render service to the heirs of salvation. The angels are specifically appointed by God to carry out tasks on behalf of believers. They are all under His control, and are in a subordinate position to Him. It is important to keep this in mind, for many angel enthusiasts today have focused so much attention on angels that God is left entirely out of the picture. We must never forget that angels assist us because God has ordained it that way.” ₍₁₎

And with that, another source prepares us for our transition into Hebrews chapter two…

“With this mention of ‘salvation’ the author closes his discussion concerning the cosmic dimensions of the Son, and moves on to a new topic-the role of Jesus in redemption on the plane of historical events.” ₍₂₎