Angels

Posted On July 19, 2020

“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.”

Exodus 23:20 NIV

Angels are mentioned throughout the Bible. Scriptures describe them helping people in different ways and performing other tasks at God’s direction. They’re fascinating to read about, but do they really exist? Are they still around today? The answer to both of these questions is yes. Angels are real and they are all around us. I think we tend to forget this because there are a lot of misconceptions about angels. We often see them depicted as cute little cherubs or as mythological creatures. It’s hard to know what’s true and what’s just fiction.

So what is the truth about angels? This week we look at what some Christian authors, as well as the Bible itself, have to say on the subject. I have also included a few stories of angel encounters taken from the books we are discussing. We, of course, can’t prove these stories are true angel encounters, but they offer a glimpse of the variety of ways angels may be at work in our lives today. I’m sure there are a lot of “fake” angel encounter stories out there, too. As with everything else, the Bible remains the ultimate authority on what we should believe and what we should reject. My goal with this post is just to remind us that we are not alone. God provides help, encouragement, and guidance through His holy messengers. When we feel overwhelmed by fear or sadness or by life in general, it’s comforting to know that His angels are here surrounding us and protecting us.

What Are Angels?

First of all, angels are not human beings who have died. They are not human at all. Other words for angels in the Bible include cherubim, seraphim, ministering spirits, sons of God, holy ones, morning stars, thrones, powers, rulers, authorities, and heavenly hosts. So what are they? The Bible answers this question in the book of Hebrews:

“What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation.”

Hebrews 1:14 GNT

Angels are spirits. They do not have bodies like us. In Matthew 22:30, Jesus said, “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” Angels do not marry, and they do not reproduce. They were not born — they were created — and they do not die (see Luke 20:36). They are living beings created by God to serve Him and to help us. In Angels Billy Graham describes them as “God’s messengers whose chief business is to carry out His orders in the world.” God has given them higher knowledge and greater power than we have so that they can assist Him. Most of us will never see or actually meet an angel in this life, but they are always here doing God’s work. In The Invisible World Anthony DeStefano explains the importance of recognizing the existence of angels:

“The reason that we need to be so clear about this is that angels are not a small, unimportant part of Christianity. They’re an essential part. And not only of Christianity, but of all the major religions of the world. Judaism, Islam, and Taoism all proclaim the existence of angels. These belief systems teach that God created the angels the same way he created the universe — out of nothing. They teach that angels are invisible spirits that were made by God either before or together with the material universe. They teach that although angels are invisible, God allows them — on certain very rare occasions — to manifest themselves to human beings in a visible way. They teach that angels have intellect and free will, and that when they were created, they were able to choose whether to serve God or turn against him. They teach that angels have spectacular powers that are cosmic in magnitude; that the number of angels is prodigious — in fact, they use words such as ‘armies,’ ‘legions,’ and ‘multitudes’ to describe them. They teach that there seems to be, within these multitudes, a mysterious system of ‘ranking.’ Indeed, angels seem to live in a ‘society’ of some kind. And finally, the major religions of the world teach that the primary thing that distinguishes angels from the rest of creation is that they are pure spirits.”

Anthony DeStefano, The Invisible World

Before we move on, I want to comment briefly on one thing mentioned in the passage above: angels have free will and they were able to choose whether or not to serve God. The angels that turned against God were Lucifer, now known as Satan, and his followers, now called demons. According to Revelation 12:4, a third of the angels fell with Lucifer. Satan and his demons will ultimately be defeated (see Revelation 20). Since they cannot defeat God, they try to get at Him through us — by tempting us to turn away from Him. Since they were once angels, Satan and his demons are powerful, but God is infinitely more powerful. God sent His Son to save us, He sent His Word to teach us, and He sends His angels to help us so that we won’t be deceived. I don’t want to diminish the fact that we need to take this seriously, but Satan and his demons are not the focus of this post. For the rest of our discussion we will be talking about the angels that chose to worship and serve God.

In A Rustle of Angels Marilynn Carlson Webber and William D. Webber describe the following types of angels: guardian angels, warrior angels, angels of encouragement, strengthening angels, messenger angels, cleansing angels, and angels at the time of death. In Angels Billy Graham discusses angels as: God’s secret agents, messengers of God, protectors, agents in judgment, ministers in the life of Jesus, agents in prophecy, heavenly escorts at the time of death, spectators, and active helpers in our lives today. Rev. Graham also mentions that Colossians 1:16 seems to indicate that angels are organized into different ranks with different levels of authority. All of these descriptions are a human way of trying to express something beyond human understanding. In this post, I will not attempt to discuss angelic organization or each one of the characterizations of angels mentioned above. Instead, I will highlight a few aspects of angelic ministry.

Messenger Angels

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road — the desert road — that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.'”

Acts 8:26 NIV

All through the Bible God uses angels to communicate to individuals, including Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Mary, Joseph, Paul, Philip, and John, just to name a few. In A Rustle of Angels messenger angels are described as “bearers of important information.” They may appear as ordinary people, they may come to us in a dream, or they may not even appear at all. They may speak to us through an audible voice or by communicating through a thought or sudden inspiration. The information they bring may be a warning to save us from harm, good news to reassure us, or instructions for us to follow. In The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God James W. Goll describes an amazing encounter with angels in his home:

Angel Invasion

“In 1992, the presence of the Lord invaded our house. His angels came. His presence was manifested in startling ways. At 11:59 P.M. on the Jewish Day of Atonement, a heavenly visitor came and stood in our bedroom and spoke to me as the clock turned to midnight. ‘I have come to speak with your wife,’ the visitor said. Not to me, mind you, but to my sweet wife, Michal Ann. The ensuing weeks of unusual divine encounters rocked our world, and the reverberations are still being felt today.

“In Encounters with a Supernatural God, Michal Ann tells about this profound experience: ‘Beginning on the Day of Atonement, October 6, 1992, our family entered a nine-week period of supernatural visitations that forever changed our lives — especially mine. In retrospect, I suppose that period was like a compressed “pregnancy” in the spirit, measured in weeks instead of months. All I know is that by the time it was over, God had birthed a whole new identity in me that literally changed my relationship with Jim and revolutionized our approach to ministry.’

“Those were interesting days indeed. When I went out on the road ministering, I would call home to find out what God was saying! Here I had a certain reputation of being the one who could hear what the Lord was saying — but my wife? It was as though God dried up my creek bed and now I had to learn to hear through another channel.”

Taken from The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God by James W. Goll

God speaks to us in a variety of ways, but the most common method is through His Word. It’s important to study Scripture and practice discernment whenever we receive what we think is a message from God. In A Rustle of Angels the authors remind us that a message from God or His angels will never contradict the Bible and will always be “in the spirit of Christ.” Angels will always glorify God, not themselves, and a true angelic encounter should leave us with a sense of peace and a greater love of God. Prayer should be used to confirm the authenticity of any angelic encounters.

Guardian Angels

“For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go.”

Psalm 91:11 TLB

In The Invisible World Anthony DeStefano tells us: “Throughout sacred Scripture we find it implied that each of us has our own angel watching over us in a highly unique and personal manner.” (See, for example, Matthew 18:10.) He explains that their purpose is to help us stay on the path God has marked out for us, and in this way to help us get to heaven. According to A Rustle of Angels, guardian angels save us from harm or injury. In his book Angels, Billy Graham shares the following story:

Angelic Helpers

“In A Slow and Certain Light, Elizabeth Elliot told about her father’s experiences with angelic helpers: ‘My father, when he was a small boy, was climbing on an upper story of a house that was being built. He walked to the end of a board that was not nailed at the other end, and it slowly began to tip. He knew that he was doomed, but inexplicably the board began to tip the other way, as though a hand had pushed it down again. He always wondered if it was an angel’s hand.'”

Taken from Angels by Billy Graham

Rev. Graham also recounts the story of Paul’s trip to Rome in Acts 27. Paul is sailing with over two hundred men during a dangerous storm. To reassure the crew, he tells them, “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you'” (Acts 27:23-24 NIV). God’s angels comfort us and protect us in times of trouble. As Rev. Graham reminds us, “The enemies of Christ who attack us incessantly would often be thwarted if we could grasp God’s assurance that His mighty angels are always nearby, ready to help.”

Warrior Angels

“After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Genesis 3:24 NIV

In A Rustle of Angels, warrior angels, or cherubim, are described as angels who guard people from “potential evil-doers.” While they often are invisible to the ones they are guarding, they appear very frightening to those who intend harm. The following story, originally shared by Billy Graham, is included in Anthony DeStefano’s book The Invisible World.

An Army of Angels

“In his book Angels: God’s Secret Agents, Billy Graham relates an amazing incident involving the Reverend John G. Paton, a nineteenth-century Scottish missionary in the remote New Hebrides Islands in the South Pacific.

“Living on the island of Tanna with his wife, the Reverend Paton did his best to minister to the needs of the natives — a task that proved both difficult and dangerous. Not only did the half-savage and often cruel inhabitants of the region resist the efforts of the missionaries, but they often made war on them. Many times the missionaries ended up not serving, but being served as the main entree at the village luau! For the natives of the New Hebrides were cannibals.

“One evening Rev. Paton and his wife discovered to their horror that their hut was surrounded by an armed, hostile tribe of warriors, shouting angry threats and beating their war drums. It was clear they were getting ready to attack. Realizing their lives were at an end and that they would soon be slaughtered and eaten, the couple began praying fervently to God. An hour went by, then two hours, then three, then five, and no attack came. Rev. Paton and his wife continued to pray the entire night. Early the next morning they opened the door of their hut and looked outside, and all the natives were gone.

“Why had they left? It was a mystery.

“Over the next two years Rev. Paton and his missionaries were left to do their work in peace. No more attacks were made on his little community. Soon his efforts began to bear fruit, and within a short time most of the native population of New Hebrides was converted to Christianity.

“It was after this conversion that Rev. Paton finally met — face-to-face — the chief of the cannibal warriors who had once been so hostile to him and his missionaries. With some trepidation Rev. Paton asked the chief about that terrifying night years earlier when the chief’s tribe had appeared ready to kill him and his wife. ‘Why didn’t you attack?’ he asked.

“The chief looked at Rev. Paton with deep respect and said that he had indeed intended to slaughter him and his wife, but that his men had stopped when they saw ‘a hundred soldiers with shining garments, armed with sharp swords, surrounding the hut.’ These mysterious soldiers said nothing. They just stood there, motionless, illuminating the dark night with their glowing white garments. Rev. Paton questioned the chief intently, asking whether or not he could have been mistaken, but the chief was absolutely certain of what he had witnessed. It was the sight of those strange, ghostly soldiers guarding the hut that had petrified his men and caused them to flee in terror, resolving never to bother the missionaries again. Rev. Paton knew then that God had answered his prayers that night and sent an army of angels to protect him and his wife so that his mission to convert the natives could be accomplished.”

Taken from The Invisible World by Anthony DeStefano

Rev. Graham mentions another account of angels as “divine protectors” — the story of Elisha and the Aramenas in 2 Kings 6:8-23. This story, which is the topic of my blog post titled “Our Awesome God,” describes hills filled with angels appearing as “horses and chariots of fire” standing by, ready to protect the city from the invading Aramean army. Rev. Graham calls this passage “one of the great assurances and comforts to me in my ministry.” These accounts are dramatic examples of the awesome power of God and His angels.

Angels in Our Lives Today

“Don’t forget to be kind to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”

Hebrews 13:2 TLB

Angels, our celestial companions, are everywhere. Hebrews 12:22 mentions “thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly” (NIV). As pure spirits they can move instantaneously between heaven and earth. They’re mysterious and extraordinary and very different from us in many ways. But, just like us, they were created by God to glorify Him. In The Invisible World Anthony DeStefano reminds us that although angels are tasked with helping us, they also have their own lives. They live in an organized society with its own history. They have unique talents, interests, and personalities. They rejoice when we turn to God (see Luke 15:10), but they also have their own happiness, independent of ours. They are amazing and wondrous!

Because they often work behind the scenes, we may never be aware of their presence, but they are always here with us. As Anthony DeStefano tells us, “They’re always at our side encouraging us, consoling us, warning us, reminding us, and even yelling at us — all with one objective: to fulfill our purpse to be in union with God both here on earth and for all eternity in Heaven.” They keep us on the path God wants us to follow by acting in a number of ways:

• They bring us messages from God. They may not appear at the front door wearing glowing robes, but they may speak through dreams or thoughts. Or they may appear as ordinary human beings giving us a word of encouragement when we most need it.
• They protect us at God’s command. We have all been hurt or injured, and we may wonder where our guardian angels were then. Angels always do God’s will. For our good or for the good of others, there may be times when we have to suffer or face trials. But there are times — times we may not even be aware of — when they have protected us and saved us from harm.
• They strengthen and console us. When Jesus, in anguish, prayed to God to spare Him from the crucifixion, God could not grant His request. But He sent an angel to console Jesus and strengthen Him to face the ordeal. (See Luke 22:39-44.) They do the same for us. When we are going through hard times, angels are right there to give us encouragement and support.
• They take us home. Angels may appear at the time of death to comfort the dying or their loved ones. When our time here is over, angels will carry us home to heaven. (See Luke 16:22.)

This has been just a brief glimpse into the realm of the angels. There is so much more we could talk about. If you would like to learn more about them, I have included a list below of the books we have been discussing. You can find many books on the subject of angels, but there is a lot of false information out there, so choose carefully. Remember that the Bible remains the ultimate authority. In conclusion, I would like to quote the Reverend Doctor Billy Graham:

“Yes, angels are real. They are not the product of our imagination, but were made by God Himself. Think of it! Whether we see them or not, God has created a vast host of angels to help accomplish His work in this world. When we know God personally through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, we can have confidence that the angels of God will watch over us and assist us because we belong to Him.”

Billy Graham, Angels

This week’s Scripture passages are all about angels. There are accounts of angel encounters and verses giving us glimpses of their role in our world. I have included a printer-friendly pdf version below the image. May we all be strengthened and comforted by the presence of God’s holy messengers.

“Believers, look up — take courage.
The angels are nearer than you think.”

Billy Graham, Angels

References:

• DeStefano, Anthony. The Invisible World: Understanding Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us. Kindle ed., Doubleday, 2011.
• Goll, James W. The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God. Regal from Gospel Light, 2008.
• Graham, Billy. Angels. W Publishing Group, 1995.
• Webber, Marilynn Carlson, and William D. Webber. A Rustle of Angels. Zondervan, 1994.

Images:

• Angels in the Clouds featured image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay
• Archangel image by Dieter_G from Pixabay
• Peace Angel image by Karina Cubillo from Pixabay
• Kneeling Angel image by Marisa04 from Pixabay
• Guardian Angel image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
• Angel with Sword image by bitcoinsm from Pixabay