In the book ‘Heaven’, Paula Gooder considers the ways in which the Bible sees heaven and earth connecting, and explores all the major strands of belief about life after death, including the role of paradise, and what happens between death and resurrection. She shows how the biblical writers see heaven and earth as closely connected, so that what happens in heaven affects events on earth and vice versa. This is session three of five.
In this session you will explore the Biblical witness to angels, focussing on heavenly hosts and reflecting on Metaphors and worship.
Start the session relaxing as a group. You may want to encourage participants to get a hot drink and chat about the events of the week. When its time to move towards the topic start by asking the below question:
Watch the below video exploring the popular views of angels, outlining the two categories we see in the Bible, focussing on heavenly hosts.
This session it is over to the group to find Bible verses about angels and read them out to the group. For example:
Now you have heard the ideas and read scripture it is time to reflect on what has been said and pull out the group’s initial thoughts and feelings about the topic. In a group, such as this one, there are no wrong or right answers. This is a time for participants to share what the ideas mean to them and how they might change or reinforce a personal conviction.
In this time discuss the content of the session, perhaps focussing on the different types of angels mentioned:
What is the purpose of the above types of angel in the Bible?