39- Christ's Authority over Angels

With Respect to His Authority over Angels

(1) In the first two chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews, St. Paul the Apostle explains how Christ is greater than the angels (Heb. 1:4) with indications proving His Divinity with respect to Him being the Son sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high. And it was said that God's throne is forever and ever, and that everything was put under His feet.

(2) It was said of Christ: "Let all the angels of God worship Him" (Heb. 1:6), and that at His name "every knee should bow, of those in heaven... " (Phil. 2: 10). The angels can not bow down and worship except God alone. It was said in the Book of Revelation that the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before Him while singing: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals" (Rev. 5:9).

(3) It is written that after the temptation in the wilderness, "the angels ministered to Him" (Mk. 1: 13), and: "Angels came and ministered to Him" (Matt. 4:1 1).

(4) About the submission of the angels to Christ, it is written: "Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him" (1 Pet. 3:21,22). Who is the One ministered to by the angels, and to whom angels, authorities and powers are subject, but God alone?

(5) It was said on more than one occasion that the angels are Christ's angels and that He sends them:

(a) In St. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 13, verses 41 and 42, it is written: "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire." Who is the One who has authority to send angels on the Day of Judgment, but God alone?

(b) In St. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 24, verses 30 and 31, it is written: "And they will seethe Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. "We observe here that the angels are His, the Kingdom is His and the elect are His, and this cannot apply to a human being or any created being whatsoever.

The angels belong to God alone because the angels are the angels of God, and we have discussed this issue before here on st-takla.org in other pages. The Psalm says: "Bless the Lord, you His angels" (Ps. 103:20), and also: "Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers aflame of fire" (Ps. 104:4); (Heb. 1:7); "For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands" (Ps. 91:11,12); (Matt. 4:6). The Lord Jesus Himself says: "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Rev. 3:5). God is the One who sends His angels, as the Prophet Daniel says: "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths" (Dan. 6:22).

How can the angels be God's and Christ's at the same time unless the Two are One? We have a good testimony at the end of the Book of Revelation: "And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place" (Rev. 22:6), and in the same chapter: "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things" (Rev. 22:16). Also compare with the first verse of the Book of Revelation.