Angels

Rating:
Summary: A Gem Of A Book
Review: Billy Graham does in this book what he does in life......let God do the talking and instructing. So much fluff is written on this subject and it is done with the attempt to take the glory away from God. This of course, is something holy angels would never do as they were created to worship God and to obey Him. Thankfully, Mr. Graham can always be depended on to be faithful to the Word of God and this book is wonderful. For those who are fascinated with angels and want a book about them, in all honesty, this is the only book you'll ever need outside of the Bible. Discover for yourself the beauty of angels and their adoration of Christ their King.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Billy Graham really brings home the reality of angels in this book and how they are not some imaginary beings, but mighty warriors used by God for His purposes.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Perspective
Review: Billy Graham, evangelist to millions, father, pastor, and writer has done a good job of working through a topic that has become a flashpoint of discussion and pop culture in recent years- Angels. Graham shares many amazing stories recounted by witnesses that cannot easily be explained away as nonsense. Graham takes a view that these facts need to be represented, examined and shared with other people. You are left to make your own decision about the existence of beings from the heavens, angels, but you are not left without much evidence and information to inventory and work through provided by the author. I read this book twice, once years ago, and more recently, and still cannot blow off what the Rev. has to say about angels. This is an interesting book, and one not to be taken lightly.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Perspective
Review: Billy Graham, evangelist to millions, father, pastor, and writer has done a good job of working through a topic that has become a flashpoint of discussion and pop culture in recent years- Angels. Graham shares many amazing stories recounted by witnesses that cannot easily be explained away as nonsense. Graham takes a view that these facts need to be represented, examined and shared with other people. You are left to make your own decision about the existence of beings from the heavens, angels, but you are not left without much evidence and information to inventory and work through provided by the author. I read this book twice, once years ago, and more recently, and still cannot blow off what the Rev. has to say about angels. This is an interesting book, and one not to be taken lightly.

Rating:
Summary: Well done
Review: I brought this book because I was curious. I had really enjoyed and learned so much from Billy Graham's Holy Spirit and desired the same experience from Angels. The book is very detailed and easy to follow. If you desire to know more about angels, I beseech you to buy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Review of Dr. Graham's book on Angels
Review: I have read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and can speak with authority on the subject. The main thing motivating me to give Billy Graham's book the top rating is the combined trustworthiness of the reverend (due to his long service and sincere effort) --and the accuracy of his book.

However, let me tell you in no uncertain terms, he seems to merely recite old familiar Bible stories regarding angels. This was *very* boring for me, but this is great for many who haven't read the Bible and need solid answers about the ministry of angels.

He adds in just enough Angel encounters from nowadays to spice things up, which was much needed.

One supposedly familiar story, however, that he recounts about Stephen the martyr, was a good read for me because I had mistakenly "remembered" the story as Stephen being stoned to produce an out of body experience for him to see the angels. However, after I read Dr. Graham's recounting of this story, I noticed that he said that Stephen saw the Lord seated in heaven with the angels around *before* he got stoned, so I checked it out, and I was glad: I had forgotten the details, and Dr. Graham's recounting of this story was right.

All in all, I recommend this book, but another good book on angels (although VERY different) is the late Rev. Roland Buck's "Angels on Assignment." The latter is much more fascinating, but, to my mind, still holds up to the Bible and does not contradict it. I hope to write a review of Pastor Buck's book, which was actually authored by Charles and Frances Hunter who took down the pastor's account and published it right before he died of health problems, thank God.

Yes, I recommend Rev Billy Graham's book, but also read your Bible, carefully consider, and read other things to stimulate your faith with the Bible as the measuring stick.

Gordon Wayne Watts in Lakeland, Florida, USA

Rating:
Summary: Quick look at Biblical Angels
Review: If you are looking for a quick read, high level overview on the subject of angels as the occur in the Bible, this is a good choice. Billy Graham only discusses angels as they are shown in the Bible and does not draw from other sources for his discussion. Therefore, this is a good 'first read' to get an overall sense of why angels exist and what they do. Each chapter is set up as a stand alone so you can skip to sections that most interest you without missing relevant information. (I highly recommend the chapter on 'The Angels and Death' for anyone suffering from a loss.) This book is not meant to be a comprehensive analysis for the more involved student. It is more for the layperson who would like to understand the subject better, but without all the 'dry' academia that is sometimes associated with more in depth studies. Read it for enjoyement. Read it for pleasure. Read it for encouragement. And know that God is watching over you...

Rating:
Summary: Quick look at Biblical Angels
Review: If you are looking for a quick read, high level overview on the subject of angels as the occur in the Bible, this is a good choice. Billy Graham only discusses angels as they are shown in the Bible and does not draw from other sources for his discussion. Therefore, this is a good 'first read' to get an overall sense of why angels exist and what they do. Each chapter is set up as a stand alone so you can skip to sections that most interest you without missing relevant information. (I highly recommend the chapter on 'The Angels and Death' for anyone suffering from a loss.) This book is not meant to be a comprehensive analysis for the more involved student. It is more for the layperson who would like to understand the subject better, but without all the 'dry' academia that is sometimes associated with more in depth studies. Read it for enjoyement. Read it for pleasure. Read it for encouragement. And know that God is watching over you...

Rating:
Summary: Informative and Scripturally Based
Review: The Bible tells Christians that we have angels watching over us. Billy Graham focuses on that truth in this book. In the first chapter he discusses the reality of the spirit world and goes on to offer a rationale for a book of this nature. The second chapter is a progression of that thought as he describes the reality and nature of angels. Chapter 3 goes on to look at both the visible and invisble manifestations of angels. Subsequent chapters discuss the differences between humans and angels, angelic organizational structures, angelic rebellion, the ministry of angels, angels as God's agents, and Angels and the Gospel. The book continues by discussing angels involvement in the earthly life of Jesus. From there he goes on to talk about the role of angels in prophecy. A chapter on angels and death is included, as is a section on angels as spiritual spectators. The concluding chapter has to do with angels in the lives of Christians today. I highly recommend this book. He keeps angels in proper perspective, i.e., they point to Jesus.

Rating:
Summary: Angels 101
Review: This book is basically a layman's guide to angels. Graham uses the Bible as his only source of information on the subject, and he does a very good job of describing the heavenly hosts to readers. The book was written largely in response to the proliferation of books centering around demonology and New Age ideas in recent years; as he points out, there really aren't many satisfying treatments available of angels per se. Sadly, modern man's conception of angels has been shaped and largely determined by popular entertainment; Graham effectively delineates truth from lies and imaginative thinking. The book is meant to inspire and comfort as much as it is to inform the reader. Graham offers many penetrating insights into the subject, but, most importantly, he lays out the basic facts about angels as they are revealed in the Bible. He describes a hierarchy of angels that is more extensive that I realized--at the top is the archangel Michael, followed by Gabriel, then cherubim and seraphim, and finally a myriad of different principalities, authorities, etc. Angels, Graham argues, perform different functions but serve only to glorify God and assist man in attaining salvation.

While the concept of a hierarchy among angels seems somewhat strange, given that it necessarily implies varying levels of power and authority and, thus, inequality among these divine beings, Graham does an excellent job of explaining what angels do and, more interestingly, what they cannot do. Angels, first and foremost, praise the Lord and work for Him in all things; they serve as His divine warriors and as the protective agents of every Christian in the world. Interestingly, angels cannot preach to man or take any other action to compel man to repent of his sins because each man must make his own decision for or against Christ. One of the explanations Graham suggests for angels' inability to actively win human souls is the fact that angels do not know sin and cannot relate to the miraculous conversion from sin to faith in Christ. What I find most interesting about angels, and this is a notion borne out by Graham's writing, is the fact that they will be subordinate to saved human souls in heaven. Though born wretched, those men and women who accept God's salvation will live eternally in a closer relationship with God than the sinless angels do.

Many readers will find the information on Lucifer and his fall from heaven the most interesting section of the book. I certainly cannot understand how any angel, created without sin, can somehow fall victim to pride (which Graham implies is the seedbed of all sin), especially to the point where he will challenge God for His throne and, even more amazingly, convince up to one third of all angels to join with him in the revolt. Graham does a good a job as anyone at explaining the origins of Satan (as well as the inevitable defeat of the prince of lies).

The true purpose of the book is to win new souls for the Lord and to offer comfort and inspiration for those already redeemed. Graham makes the case that, for Christians, angels are always over our shoulder watching out for us, that they love each of us and rejoice each time a new soul is won, and that they will be there to guide us directly to Heaven once we pass away. The only weakness of the book is, ironically, also its greatest strength--it is written so that anyone can understand it. While I might turn away from a hefty theological tome, I would very much like to see a more detailed, scholarly treatment of the subject, especially by such an authority as Billy Graham.