Pope Shenouda III
Examples of the intercession of the angels There are two examples in the Book of the Prophet Zechariah:
(a) The intercession of the angel for the sake of Jerusalem: The angel prayed and said: "O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?" (Zech.1: 12) If the angel interceded for Jerusalem even without the latter asking him to, how much more will he intercede if you ask him for his prayers?
(b) The intercession of the angel of the Lord for the sake of Joshua the high priest: The angel stood against Satan who was going to bring an accusation against Joshua, and said to him: "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" (Zech.3: 1,2)
(c) Another example is in the Book of Genesis: An angel of the Lord guarded and saved Jacob. Jacob talked about him when he was blessing Ephraim and Manasseh and said: "The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads" (Gen.48: 16).
(d) We should not forget that the Holy Bible said about the angels: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (He.1: 14) This means that they have a work to perform for the people on earth.
