“In the unseen realms of this universe dwell invisible, powerful heavenly beings. They travel back and forth from heaven to earth, fulfilling their Master’s assignments. Whether it’s saving the smallest of toddlers from falling down a flight of stairs or directing political affairs of entire countries, they bullet through the atmosphere to direct, protect, and engage in battle. They are angels, and one might be standing beside you even as you read this.
So, what does Scripture reveal about these creatures?
Sometimes called ‘Sons of God,’ angels are created spiritual beings with moral judgement and high intelligence. They are supernatural or beyond the laws of nature; unless they manifest themselves to us, they are invisible to the human eye. Unlike God, they are finite and can’t be everywhere at once or read our minds. But there are a whole lot of them — we have no idea how many.
God created angels (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 148: 2, 5), and they obviously exercise their own moral will, because many angels decided to follow Lucifer in a coup against God (Jude 1:6) — which didn’t go well for them (Revelation 12: 3-9). Among the activities that we find angels performing in Scripture are communicating with humans, singing, and playing instruments. We see this often, as for example when angels sing at Jesus’ birth (Luke 2: 13 -14) or play a trumpet (Revelation 8: 6). They have more power and greater abilities than us, because we read in the Old Testament of one angel killing thousands of people at once (2King 19:35. Often, humans have been fearful when they meet these beings, falling face down at the sight of them. Angels of death and plagues are mentioned in both Old and New Testaments, so no wonder that many were frightened of them.
We do know that these holy ones were not made in God’s image like us, and they are not as loved by God as humans. He doesn’t save angels (Hebrews 2: 16), but He died in our place to ensure our souls receive redemption.
There is no debating these watchers carry job titles with specific functions. The Bible speaks of some that are called angels (Luke 2: 13) while others are called cherubim (Genesis 3: 24), seraphim (Isaiah 6: 2-7), and living creatures (Revelation 4: 6-8). Some, like Michael the archangel, hold high military rank and may command lesser angels (Daniel 10: 10-14, 21). Gabriel’s role seems to be that of a messenger because when he appears in Scripture, he is delivering critical information (Daniel 8: 16ff; Luke 1: 19.26).
There are serving angels like those who ministered to Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4: 11). There are patrolling angels and guardians, too (Psalm 91: 11-12). Although we never see proof in Scripture that guardian angels are assigned to one human all their life, we hear of many who have encountered mysterious strangers appearing in human form and then vanishing (Hebrews 3: 2).
As you read about the angel encounters in this book, remember to explore what scripture has to say. Understand that these celestial workers serve many purposes. Much like an army, God gives them levels of authority over one another. Some are messengers; others protect us or even go to war for us. Still others bring blessings or curses. even death. Some stay around God’s throne, glorifying Him for eternity.
Still, none of them desires to be prayed to, admired, or held in superior status (Revelation 22: 8-9, Colossians 2: 18).
If we place too much interest in angels, we shift our attention to one of God’s created beings rather than focusing on the Creator. Let us be diligent never to elevate angels to anything more than agents of God.”
