Angels, as agents of God's judgment

Spiritual beings who assist God in carrying out his judgments. Angels will be especially active when Jesus Christ returns for the last judgment.

Angels as agents of earthly judgments

Psalm 78:49

He unleashed His fury against them, wrath, indignation, and calamity— a band of destroying angels.

Against Sodom and Gomorrah

See also Genesis 19:13, Genesis 19:24–25

Against opponents of God

Exodus 12:23; 2 Kings 19:35 parallels 2 Chronicles 32:21, Isaiah 37:36; Psalm 35:4–6

Against Israel

Exodus 32:35; 2 Samuel 24:16–17 parallel 1 Chronicles 21:15–16; 1 Corinthians 10:10

Against Herod Antipas

Acts 12:18–23

Angels restrained by God's mercy

1 Chronicles 21:15–16 parallel 2 Samuel 24:16–17 See also Genesis 18:20–32

Then God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented from the calamity, and He said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.

Angels and final judgment

Angels proclaim God's sovereignty

Revelation 12:10–12 See also Revelation 10:1–4, Revelation 11:15

And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down — he who accuses them day and night before our God. They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time.”

Angels announce God's final invitation

Revelation 14:6–7 See also Revelation 14:9–13, Revelation 19:9

Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth — to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters.”

Angels hold back the final judgment

Revelation 7:1–3

Angels carry out preliminary warning judgments

Revelation 8:1–13, Revelation 9:1–16, Revelation 10:5–7

Angels accompany Jesus Christ when he returns to judge

2 Thessalonians 1:7 See also Matthew 16:27, Matthew 25:31; Mark 8:38 parallel Luke 9:26; 1 Thessalonians 3:13

and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels

Angels gather everyone for the final judgment

Matthew 13:37–41 See also Matthew 13:49–50, Matthew 24:31; Revelation 14:15–19

He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.

Angels announce the final judgment

Revelation 14:15 See also Revelation 10:8–11, Revelation 17:1–3, Revelation 17:7, Revelation 17:15, Revelation 18:1–2, Revelation 18:4

Then another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the One seated on the cloud, “Swing Your sickle and reap, because the time has come to harvest, for the crop of the earth is ripe.”

Angels enact the final judgment

Revelation 15:1 See also Revelation 14:16–19, Revelation 15:6–8, Revelation 16:1–21, Revelation 18:21, Revelation 19:17–18, Revelation 20:1–3

Then I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels with the seven final plagues, with which the wrath of God is completed.

Angels are subject to judgment

1 Corinthians 6:3 See also 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6

Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!