The topic of angels suffers equally from the skeptical who will believe nothing about them and the credulous who will believe anything, however weird. Of the various ideas about angels in popular thinking, I’m only going to deal with what you might call "biblical angels".
After all, the only reliable knowledge we have about angels comes from the 300 references in the Bible. Any doubts about the existence of angels should be resolved by how Jesus frequently refers to them in the gospels.
The Bible nowhere defines angels but takes them for granted.
The Bible nowhere defines angels but takes them for granted, with the result that we have to piece together a picture of who they are and what they do. I’ve given the briefest summary here but to do justice to angels, you have to sit down with a Bible and a systematic theology book and consult the various references.
One false, if common, belief about angels that we must eject is that they are the souls or spirits of the dead. No!
Angels are immortal, supernatural creatures created by God at the dawn of creation.
Angels are immortal, supernatural creatures created by God at the dawn of creation. Although spiritual beings, they can take on a form solid enough to allow them to speak and to move things: they rolled away the stone at the resurrection of Jesus.
The Bible speaks of the heavenly realms being occupied by an uncountable number of angels: the "angelic host". It also indicates there is a diversity and hierarchy within angels, with "archangels", "cherubim", and "seraphim". Some angels have names: we know of Gabriel and Michael.
Although angels are beings with intelligence, the Bible’s emphasis is more on their ability to serve than their wisdom or insight. They faithfully transmit God’s message; they don’t interpret it.
Angels are normally invisible but can take on human form. In a few cases they are described as having wings—but that may be symbolic language referring to their ability to travel anywhere rapidly.
They may be very ordinary in appearance.
It is widely assumed that angels are supremely beautiful but I find little evidence for this. In fact the way angels are often initially mistaken for human beings suggests that, on earth at least, they may be very ordinary in appearance.
The focus of the Bible’s treatment of angels falls on how they relate to humans and here there is a clear separation between us and them. Although we lack the power, immortality, and holiness of angels and their privilege of seeing God, we human beings are superior in important ways.
Although there are rebellious angels, there is no mention of God redeeming them.
We are made in God’s image, are loved by him and, at enormous cost, have been redeemed by him in Christ. Although there are rebellious angels, there is no mention of God redeeming them.
A misleading belief about angels is to consider them as cosy, reassuring beings. They may be, but coming from the very presence of God as his faithful servants and carrying his divine authority, they can be bearers of death and judgement.
In the Bible the appearance of an angel is often enough to bring terror to a human being and it’s common for an angel’s first words to be "Don’t be afraid".
We... need to be aware that some "angelic manifestations" may not be from God but from the devil.
Angels need to be treated with respect and wisdom. They cannot be worshiped. Neither should they be sought. If we want to deepen our faith, we should not pursue angels but, through his word, God—Father, Son and Spirit. We also need to be aware that some "angelic manifestations" may not be from God but from the devil.
There are numerous sad accounts of people being led astray by lies they believed had come from angels, but no angel can contradict what God has revealed to us in the Bible.
So what do angels actually do? In summary, they have three roles.
- First, angels praise God.
Simply by their existence, the "angelic host" gives God glory. On earth it’s common for the majesty of monarchs and leaders to be enhanced by an entourage or noble figures around them. Similarly, the presence of millions of angels adds to God’s splendor and majesty.
Furthermore, angels are not simply a silent presence in heaven. From the Psalms and elsewhere in the Bible, we learn that they continually give God praise. - Second, angels proclaim God’s message.
In both Hebrew and Greek the word translated as "angel" means "a messenger'. While God can speak to people in dreams and visions he can also use angels. - Third, angels protect God’s people.
Angels use their power and authority to guard and support God’s people. Although there’s not much evidence for the popular belief in "guardian angels" in the sense of each of us having an attendant angel, there’s a lot of evidence that angels protect God’s people.
Angels provide encouragement for Christians.
In all three roles of praising, proclaiming and protecting, angels provide encouragement for Christians.
So, for instance, we can be encouraged to praise by the thought that our feeble worship is joined with that of the angels. And in our proclaiming of the gospel, angels set us an example in their bold and authoritative presentation of God’s truth.
In terms of protection, angels are a tremendous encouragement for Christians at times of trial and threat: we are not alone. Yet, equally as angels defend and protect God’s people, so we should be people who guard our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Do angels appear today?
Do angels appear today? It’s notable that in the Bible, angels tend to appear at critical moments or crises in the history of God’s people.
So we find angels at Jesus’ birth, his crucifixion, and resurrection. But in our time? It’s not easy to say: after all, angels work without drawing attention to themselves. And of course, today Christians have the power and presence of the Holy Spirit; a blessing which, in some ways, makes much of the proclaiming and protecting work of angels unnecessary.
Angels are an unseen and unappreciated presence around us.
But, personally, I think angels are an unseen and unappreciated presence around us, particularly in times and places of intense spiritual conflict. But I have heard of so many people who have seen them, including several friends, so yes, they can appear and I hope I will see one too.
Thank God for angels!
Originally published by Philo Trust. Republished with permission.
J.John is an evangelist, minister, speaker, broadcaster and writer. He has been in ministry for four decades. He has spoken in towns, cities and universities in 69 countries, establishing Philo Trust in 1982 to organize his various evangelistic ministry offerings. J.John’s weekly podcast, The J.John Podcast, features a range of interviews with Christians from all walks of life and talks by J.John. Click here to listen. J.John’s books are available to order via jjohn.com or through other online or physical bookshops.
Philo Trust was established by J.John in 1982 to organize evangelistic events and projects, equip Christians to naturally share their faith, mentor evangelists, and produce books and resources to help people in their journey of faith.
