Angels in Scripture: The Fierce Army of Yahweh-Sabaoth

Angels in Scripture: The Fierce Army of Yahweh- Sabaoth.

“Yahweh is a warrior! Yahweh is His Name! (Exodus 15:3).

Warrior

Moses and Miriam in their famous Song at the Red Sea, were the first ones to describe the Lord as a warrior. And throughout Scripture, God was identified as a warrior ever since. The Hebrew word for warrior in this passage is “ish milhamah,” which means man of war, warrior, champion, hero, fighter, mighty man.

“Who is the King of glory? Yahweh strong and mighty, Yahweh mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is this King of glory? Yahweh-Sabaoth, the Lord of the Angel Armies, He is the King of glory!” (Psalm 24:8-10).

Psalm 24 is the coronation song crowning Christ as Lord of all. It is a celebration of the Lord’s glorious entrance into the heavenly sanctuary and royal court.” (Father Reardon). The Ascension, when Jesus was taken up into heaven in bodily form. He was then received by the angels in the glory of God’s Kingdom. In this act, Jesus united earth and heaven, and through this event, the Father verified the successful accomplishment of Jesus’ earthly mission… the victory over Satan and the forces of evil, the conquering of death, the salvation of the world from the consequences of sin through the Cross and the Resurrection.

Lift up your heads, O ye Gates – Messiah – Handel

“Lord Yahweh goes forth like a warrior; like a fighter He will stir His zeal. With a shout He will raise a battle cry; like a hero, He charges upon His enemies and will triumph over them.” (Isaiah 42:13).

Isaiah’s word here is a prophecy about the final Judgment. The Lord in His righteous indignation and His hatred of sin will defeat the spiritual enemies in a divine show of power and act of vengeance. The foes here are spiritual, the demonic forces of Satan and Satan himself, and the front line of battle was the Cross. The final battle for all time will be on Judgment Day, when all forces of evil will be defeated and thrown into the lake of fire, specially prepared for them. Isaiah provides an interesting picture of the conquering Warrior in 54:17. “And He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head. And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.”

God’s stature as a fighter was taken up by many prophets, like David (Psalm 24:8-10); Or Isaiah (Isaiah 42:13); Or Jeremiah, “The Lord Yahweh is with me like a dread champion, a violent warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed because they have not acted wisely.” (Jeremiah 20:11). Or Zephaniah, “The Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior, a warrior who brings triumph. He will rejoice over you, taking delight in you with gladness. He will quiet you with His love, renewing you, soothing you, and calming your fears. He will exult over you, dancing with joyful songs as in the day of festival.”  (Zephaniah 3:17).

The Fierce Warrior with a Vivid Imagination. Lord Yahweh, as we would expect, was not just any common fighter. He was a warrior with the divine imagination that created completely unpredictable battle plans for every conflict between an enemy of God and His Chosen People. In Scripture, the Warrior-King was the master of unconventional warfare, unexpected schemes that would leave people scratching their heads in surprise or shaking their heads in amazement. God’s strategies were so diverse that they might appear to be random, but of course they were divinely orchestrated. His battle strategies to victory were well outside the human imagination, in such a way that the faith of His fighters on the ground was tested.  It became obvious to His fighting men, though, that God was going about this battle in a completely different way than they would, and they were wise when they trusted in Him and His angel army. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the enemy and his hordes that are with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and fight our battles.” (Hezekiah, 2 Chronicles 32:7-8).

“Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh-sabaoth. His glory fills the whole earth.”  (Isaiah 6:1).

“Yahweh-sabaoth” = LORD of Hosts; LORD of the Angel Armies; Commander of Heaven’s Armies; Leader of Angelic Warriors; a host of angelic forces massing together for battle at the command of the LORD. This biblical name of God is the most frequently used compound name for God in the Hebrew Bible. It is used over 280 times, in the Torah, the historical books, the Psalms, and in all the major and minor Prophets. Here are a few examples from the Hebrew Bible of Yahweh-sabaoth in action:

1. Hannah. “In the bitterness of her soul she prayed to Yahweh with many tears, and she made this vow, ‘Yahweh-sabaoth! Should you condescend to notice the humiliation of your servant and keep her in mind instead of disregarding your servant, and give her a boy, I will give him to Yahweh for the whole of his life.’”  (1 Samuel 1:10-11, NJB).
2. Joshua. “Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him, grasping a naked sword. Joshua walked towards him and said to him, ‘Are you on our side or on that of our enemies?’ He replied, ‘On neither side. I have come now as the captain of the army of Yahweh.’ Joshua fell on his face to the ground, worshipping him, and said, “What has my Lord to say to his servant?’ The captain of the army of Yahweh answered Joshua, ‘Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.”  (Joshua 5:13-15, NJB).
3. David and Goliath. “… The Philistine, preceded by his shield-bearer, came nearer and nearer to David. When the Philistine looked David up and down, what he saw filled him with scorn, because David was only a lad, with ruddy cheeks and an attractive appearance. The Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog for you to come after me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. David retorted to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with sword, spear and scimitar, but I come to you in the name of Yahweh-sabaoth, the LORD of the Angel Armies, and the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have challenged. Today, Yahweh will deliver you into my hand; and the whole assembly shall know that Yahweh does not give victory by means of sword and spear – for Yahweh is Lord of the battle and He will deliver you into our power.’” (1 Samuel 17:41-47, NJB).
4. Elisha. “So the foreign king sent horses and chariots, and a large force; and these, arriving during the night, surrounded the town.  Next day, Elisha got up early and went out, and there surrounding the town was an armed force with horses and chariots. ‘Oh my lord,’ his servant said, ‘what are we to do?” ‘Do not be afraid,’ Elisha replied, ‘for there are more on our side than on theirs.’ And Elisha prayed, “Yahweh,’ he said, ‘open his eyes and make him see.’ Yahweh opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw the mountain covered in fiery horses and chariots surrounding Elisha… So at dusk they set out and made for the Aramaean camp, but when they reached the confines of the camp there was not a soul there. For Yahweh had caused the Aramaeans in their camp to hear a noise of chariots and horses, the noise of a great army.” (2 Kings 6:15-17and 7:5-6, NJB).
5. Jehoshaphat. “Now the prophet Micaiah told them, ‘Now listen to the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh seated on his throne with the whole array of heaven standing on his right and on his left… And the prophet Jahaziel said, ‘Listen, all Judah and you citizens of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat! Yahweh says this to you, ‘Do not be afraid, do not be daunted by this vast horde, for the war is not your affair but God’s. Go down against them tomorrow. You will not need to fight in this battle. Take up your position, stand firm, and see what salvation Yahweh has in store for you. Judah and Jerusalem! Be fearless, be dauntless; march out against them tomorrow and Yahweh will be with you.’ Then, having conferred with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed singers who were to praise Yahweh and go out ahead of the army in sacred vestments, singing, ‘Praise Yahweh, for his faithful love endures forever!’ The moment they began their shouts of praise, Yahweh sprang ambushes on all who were invading Judah, and that was the end of them.”  (2 Chronicles 18:18 and 20:15-17, 22, NJB).
6. Isaiah. “On a bare hill hoist a signal, shout for them, beckon them to come to the Nobles’ Gate. I have issued orders to my sacred warriors. I have summoned my heroes to serve my anger, my proud champions. The noise of a great crowd in the mountains, like an immense people, the tumultuous sound of kingdoms, of nations mustering. It is Yahweh-sabaoth marshaling the troops for battle. They come from the far horizons. Yahweh and the instruments of his fury, to lay the whole country to waste. Howl! For the Day of Yahweh is near!” (Isaiah 13:1-5, NJB).
7. Amos. “For Yahweh is the One who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals His thoughts to mankind. He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth. Yahweh-sabaoth is His name!  (Amos 4:13).
8. Angel Warriors on the Mulberry Treetops. “Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. Therefore, David inquired of the Lord, and Yahweh said, ‘You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go in front of you to strike the camp of the Philistines.’ And David so, as the Lord commanded him; and David drove back the Philistines…” (2 Samuel 5:22-25).
9. The Angel of Death. “This is what the Lord says, ‘Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against Me from the Assyrian king. Listen! I myself will move against him…”O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see!… Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from the Assyrian king’s power. Then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God! ”The passionate commitment of Lord-sabaoth, the Lord of the Angel Armies, will make this happen! For My own honor, says the Lord, and for the sake of My servant David, I will defend my city and protect it. “And that night the Angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when the people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.” (2 Kings 19).
10. Angel Warriors. “For God will order His angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from stumbling and falling.” (Psalm 91:11-12). This psalm underscores the reality that angels have always been used by God for our protection during spiritual warfare. This entire psalm is about divine protection of our soul during demonic attack. In verse 13, three of the great symbols of satanic power are mentioned by name: lions, snakes, and dragons. But we needn’t worry about demonic spirits capturing our souls or hurting us in any way spiritually, because, as the Orthodox Christian church has stated, “Believers can walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness.” The psalmist’s opening verses clearly declare that only those who dwell in God, who abide in faith to the Almighty God as refuge and fortress, will remain safe and protected from the demonic realm. Our soul is fiercely defended, and the victory is sure. Much of that spiritual protection comes from God’s angelic hosts. God has assigned His warriors to watch over us, to surround us with protection. As the Message puts it, “God ordered His angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling.” Rabbinic teaching has consistently maintained that guardian angels protect God’s people, even from demonic forces (David Stern). As David wrote in Psalm 103:20-21, “Bless the Lord, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will.”

11. Our Comrades in Arms. “Finally, grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. Put on the full armor of God so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics. For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the principalities and the ruling forces who are masters of the darkness in this world, the spirits of evil in the heavens. That is why you must take up all God’s armor, or you will not be able to put up any resistance on the evil day, or stand your ground even though you exert yourselves to the full.” (Ephesians 6:10-13, NJB). We are all recruits in the angelic army. Believers in Christ are asked to join an angelic army. We are called to put on God’s armor, the spiritual armor of Yahweh, to engage in battle with the spiritual forces of wickedness. In the Hebrew Bible, we often see Yahweh gather His angelic warriors to serve Him in warfare against the enemies. It seems that sometimes the warfare was more spiritual, and other times the battles were with physical enemies. Sometimes there is a mysterious interplay between the unseen and seen worlds. Oftentimes Yahweh fought along with the believers in the battle, like with David and Goliath. Other times Yahweh and His army fought instead of the believers, asking the believers to simply watch the battle as Yahweh and his warriors do all the fighting. Who knows what spiritual warfare looks like now. Who knows what role the LORD’s host plays in everyday life. I have a feeling we have no idea the battles that are waged that we know nothing about. The fact is we can’t be aware of what is happening in the unseen world. What would we see if Yahweh opened our eyes to see like Elisha’s servant? We can certainly thank Yahweh-sabaoth that He fights our battles for us when we are blissfully unaware. One thing we do know… When we put on God’s armor, we are joining Jesus and His angel army in some meaningful way, to an extent that we can’t be sure of. Are the spiritual qualities we put on like armor a tangible reflection of what the angelic warriors wear? Do the heavenly troops wear the same armor as the Christian believers? What do their battle clothes and weaponry look like, in order for them to be effective soldiers against the demonic forces? Thank you, Yahweh and Jesus, that you remain the valiant Commanders of the Angel Armies. Thank you that you still are the victorious Kings of the heavenly troops that continue to defend us in the unseen battles that occur around us.

A Prayer to Yahweh-sabaoth (ya’-way sab-ah-owth’):

We honor and salute you, Yahweh-sabaoth, LORD of Hosts. For you go forth like a great warrior, and your voice rings out at the head of your troops. Your angels of protection encamp around those who fear you, Lord, and as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so you surround your people both now and forever. You are at our side like a mighty hero, and our opponents will stumble and be vanquished. For our struggles are not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. No weapon forged against you will succeed, for you do not give victory by means of sword and spear, O LORD of the Angel Armies. You are the righteous King leading your heavenly warriors, O God of renown, and your deliverance will be forever, your salvation to all generations. We kneel before you, Yahweh-sabaoth, and gather together around your holy Name. Amen.