Gabriel and Christmas Part 1

Viewpoint: Romanism examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective viewpoint when Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism welcome to this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM we are into the Christmas season and of course the Christmas season includes the story of the Nativity included in that story of the Nativity is an announcement that is made by an angel who was given the name of Gabriel and this is from Luke chapter 1 verses 26 through 38 and is titled the birth of Jesus foretold in the six month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. The virgin's name was Mary, the angel went to her and said greetings you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondering what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her to not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the most high, the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over Jacob's descendents forever. His kingdom will never end.

How will this be Mary asked the angel since I am a virgin.

The angel answered the Holy Spirit will come on you in the power of the most high will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the son of God, even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age and she, who was said to be unable to conceive his inner six month for no word from God will ever fail.

I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered.

May your word to me, be fulfilled within the angel left her other couple things in there that make it very uncomfortable for me as a Christian living in Utah when Mormons put on productions or plays or having anything to do with the birth of Christ. Part of it, you mentioned in that narrative where it talks about Mary being overshadowed and will become impregnated. We know that Mormons in the past have been very vocal Mormon leaders in the past been very vocal to say that this means that God was a body of flesh and bones as tangibles man's came down and physically impregnated Mary right that he has body parts and passions. That obviously this is one of those times when he uses one of those parts in order to do this and that's why I'm uncomfortable when I see Mormon productions talking about the birth of Christ, because I know that this is what Mormon leaders of taught and we talked about that before where this was a literal God the father coming down here and coming upon Marion and the Scripture very clearly says the Holy Spirit play that role that Mormons use that phrase that he's the only begotten in the flesh.

Yes, because if they don't put that part on their in the flesh will then were all begotten were all begotten of God according to the Mormon scheme of things. But getting back to this angel Gabriel is one of the few angels that is actually given a name we know there is also mentioned Michael who is specifically described as an archangel in the book of Jude, but Gabriel is not considered an archangel. What are some of the characteristics very well and and as you've just been talking about the book of Tobit actually calls Gabriel and archangel but not in the Bible we should say that the book of Tobit is in the Apocrypha, which as Protestant believers we don't hold to the Apocrypha is being scriptural does not have the scriptural authority for us as Protestants and I would say Gabriel is probably the most prominent angel in the Bible.

He's mentioned in both the old and new Testaments. He makes an appearance twice to Daniel in Daniel chapter 8 and nine and then also before the passage I just read.

He appeared to Zechariah that the husband of Elizabeth who had John the Baptist so at mentioned in our Bible very prominently. He stands in the presence of God. That's what Luke 119 says the word for stands in the in the Greek actually means waiting before a superior so we know that this is a special angel sent directly by God.

He who looks like a man, though, even though he is an angel will talk a little later about what does that which is angel typically look like. But this appearance. Apparently according to Daniel the name Gabriel means man of God. And that's how Daniel described him as a man and then Gabriel scares people. Even though it looks like a man.

We see Daniels frightened and falls on his face and Zacharias his first words are.

Do not be afraid to Zechariah's because it was obviously fear and Mary's greeting might be of more celebratory but Gabriel still tells her not to fear. Fear not, and then finally we see here in this passage that Gabriel anticipates Jesus and he relays a prophecy that concerns the Messiah the Prince to Daniel and he tell Zacharias a John the Baptist to be the forerunner before the Lord and then most famously, as I just read Mary, her son would be called the son of the most high.

Okay, so how would I Mormon describe what an angel actually is working to talk about ontologically what is an angel, Robert L. Millet gives a I think a very concise description of this Robert L. Miller is a BYU professor Mormon apologists if you will, but he does describe in the context of Mormonism. What an angel is yes and this is from his book the Mormon faith understanding restore Christianity any right of which he is a contributor and and this is on page 39 and it says Latter Day Saints believe that angels are men and women, human beings sons and daughters of God.

Personages of the same type as we are partly P. Pratt in early apostle wrote God's angels and men are all of one species one race one great family. Elder Bruce R.

McConkie, a more recent apostle wrote these messengers, agents, angels of the Almighty are chosen from among his offspring and are themselves pressing forward along the course of progression and salvation all in their respective spheres. In spite of prevailing sentiments in the religious world as well as in Christian traditions and legends. Joseph Smith taught that angels do not have wings. These beings, Joseph explained either have lived or will live on this earth at some time in its history.

Any uses D&C 130 verse five as his reference. They do minister to people on earth sometimes being seen and often on scene they are subject to the will and power of Jesus Christ, and of course we would not agree with that description. In saying that angels and men, or of one species one race and one great family. We certainly wouldn't hold to that the Bible makes it very clear that angels are a specific created type of being.

And there's at least three what I think are three good verses in the Bible that specifically point this out. One of them being Nehemiah 96. In the Old Testament. It says you are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them and you preserve all of them and the host of heaven worships you course, the host of heaven is a host would be another name for angel who worship God in his presence, then we have Psalm 148 that says praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord from the heavens praise him in the Heights praise him all his angels praise him all his hosts, praise him, sun and moon praise him, all you shining stars praise him you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded, and they were created now and Mormonism. They would say as you've just mentioned that they probably former humans. At some point there at saying they were created as angel himself certainly does seem to give that impression that God created angels as angels that they aren't some kind of mutated human or some kind of evolved human but they were created what they are. So we don't have anywhere in the Bible that gives us any indication that what Robert L.

Millet has said regarding angels is actually true.

This is something that is is a part of Mormonism. Now it is certainly a part of folklore, one of the most famous holiday movies would be what it's a wonderful life on your favorites ill and Eve got clearance was the angel who was once a human being who's looking to get his wings now Millet says.

And I think quite appropriately in a certain aspect that angels don't have wings. But I would say wait a minute, you can't really say that all of them don't have wings. Certainly some of them don't. While the seraphim and the cherubim are talked about in the Bible as having wings.

I mean, Exodus 2520 Ezekiel chapter 10 Isaiah 6. Those are three passages you can go to that talk very clearly about the wings of the angels and I don't think there being symbolic. I think there talking about literally having wings that let's get back to angels being created it.

We also have Colossians 116. As I mentioned that there were three verses and so we have Colossians 116 for by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him again were not given this impression that angels are some kind of evolved human beings and on and John 13 goes right with that through him all things were made talking about the word. The word was God's word was Jesus without him nothing was made that has been made. So Jesus is the creator of all things, including angels. It's a little confusing.

I think in Mormon theology when it comes to angels because I would think most Mormons would look at an angel as being a good thing but yet Joseph Fielding Smith in doctrines of salvation, volume 2, page 73 gives us the impression that maybe angels are not as good as we might think they are. He says no marriage in heaven for unrighteous.

This is the only answer. The Lord could have given to those boat nonbelievers.

It is in full accord with the revelation given to the prophet Joseph Smith where in the Lord says that quote when they those of this world who do not keep the whole law are out of the world. They neither marry nor are given in marriage that are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants to minister for those who are worthy of a far more and exceeding and eternal weight of glory for these angels did not abide my law.

Therefore they cannot be enlarged but remain separately and singly without exultation in their saved condition to all eternity and from henceforth they are not gods but are angels of God forever and ever." Now when I read that I don't seem to get a very good impression of what in the novel is because it sounds to me like in Mormon theology, at least according to Joseph Fielding Smith that are being who is an angel and perhaps was a former human. In this context, was not the best human. They could've possibly have been otherwise wouldn't they have received exultation or wouldn't they receive exultation in the next life or godhood any mentions marriage Soto Spencer W Kimball. He says that those without eternal marriage maybe angels. Now the angels will be the people who do not go to the temple who did not have their work done on the temple, and if there are some of us who make no effort to cement these ties we may be angels for the rest of eternity sounds almost like a threat to me. So are we to assume that maybe Gabriel wasn't a good cumin when he was on earth or that Michael wasn't a good cumin when he was on earth, or even Moron I was in a good human because he was honored because he was a human in the book of Mormon and then he dies and comes back later and says Joseph Smith the plates tomorrow were going to talk about Gabriel when he was a human. Thank you for listening. If you would like more information regarding his research ministry.

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