November 11, 2001 / Volume 5, Issue 45
What Does The Bible Say About Angels?
Below are a set of notes regarding angels. By no means are these a complete resourse regarding angels, but certainly a good start to consider what the Bible says about them.
The Nature Of Angels
Angels are created beings (Colossians 1:16; Psalms 148:1, 2, 5)
The term "angel" simply means "...a messenger or ambassador." Angels have been created by God to be His messengers or ambassadors.
Angels are neither human nor deity. Deity bears the quality of being eternal, which angels do not. Neither do they have flesh and bones as humans. They are identified as being "spirits." (Hebrews 1:14)
Angels stand accountable before God. They can sin (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6), but cannot receive forgiveness by the sacrifice of Christ (He was sent in the likeness of men, to bear the sins of men). Rather, once they have sinned, they become the angels of Satan.
Angels vary in degree. The Scriptures tell us of Cherubim & Seraphim (Genesis 3:24 & Isaiah 6:2, 6), which are two orders/classes of angels. We also read of archangels, of which we are told in Scripture of Gabriel and Michael.
Angels do not marry (Mark 12:25)
Angels are always spoken of in the masculine gender.
Are There Guardian Angels?
There is no scriptural support for the idea of guardian angels. It is a comforting thought, but a concept which is not bore out by the Scriptures. Matthew 18:10 is sometimes used to support the idea of personal guardian angels. However, this passage does not support the common concept of guardian angels.
Note the following concerning the idea of guardian angels:
The passage Matthew 18:10 is specific to the children of God. Even if this passage did teach that there is such a thing as individual guardian angels, it would be limited to those who are Christians.
A proper understanding of the verse would be that the saints have angels who are in the presence of God, rather than, every saint has a guardian angel.'
It is certain that there are angels ministering to the children of God. Hebrews 1:14 states that this is the case. However, again, it is not specified that there is an individual guardian angel for each Christian.
The idea of a personal guardian angel protecting each individual from danger is contrary to personal experience. If such is the case, why do bad things occur (accidents, etc.)? If little children have a guardian angel, why do bad things happen to little children (abused by parents, murdered, etc.)?
We do not know how providence works. Certainly, there are angels ministering for the children of God. We do not know in what manner, nor to what degree. However, we do know that they do so in accordance with the will of God. Angels of God do not act independent of God.
Duties of AngelsThere are possibly a number of things that angels do, of which we do not know, but the Scriptures have revealed to us some of the things angels do.
They rejoice in heaven over one who repents (Luke 15:10)
They carry the souls of the faithful to rest (Luke 16:22)
They minister to those who will inherit salvatio (Hebrews 1:14)
They execute punitive judgments of God on the wicked (Acts 12:23)
They aid providentially in bringing the unsaved to hear the gospel (Acts 10:3)
What Do Angels Look Like?
Do angels have wings? Cherubims & Seraphim did (Exodus 25:20)
Angels have taken the appearance of man at times (Genesis 18:2; Hebrews 13:2; Luke 24:4, 23; Acts 10:3, 30)
Demons
They were created by Christ (Colossians 1:16). They were not created evil, but rather turned evil (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6)
Some demons are more wicked than others (Mark 9:29 )
The demons knew who the Lord was, and that they would soon be tormented (Matthew 8:29 )
Demon possession ended when the power to cast them out ended. Zechariah 13:2 prophesies that demons would be cast out of the land in the days of the Messiah. Matthew 12:28-29 shows Christs power over the demons as proof that He has conquered Satan. If demons can now return and possess men, Satan has regained His power and is now conquering Christ.
Their eternal destiny is hell (Matthew 25:41 )
Though they do not possess men today, they try to influence men to do wrong (Ephesians 2:2; 1 Peter 5:8). However, they cannot force one to do wrong against their will (Romans 8:38)
Angels From The Scriptures
Below are references found in the Scriptures to angels. Each has a short description of what we is revealed in that passage about angels. Note, these are not all the verses with the word "angel" in them, but a selection which gives us insight concerning angels.
Genesis 19:1 Angels came to Lot as messengers of the coming destruction on Sodom...
Genesis 28:12 In Jacobs dream, the angels of God ascended and descended upon a ladder reaching from the earth into heaven...
1 Kings 19:5 An angel ministered to Elijahs needs.
2 Chronicles 32:21 An angel was sent to destroy the mighty amongst Assyria...
Psalms 8:5 Man is a little lower than the angels...
Psalms 78:25 Manna is termed "...angels food..."
Psalms 78:49 There are "...angels of destruction..."
Psalms 103:20 Angels are said to "...excel in strength..." that do his commandments...
Matthew 4:11 Angels came and ministered to Jesus...
Matthew 13:39 The angels are identified as the "reapers of the harvest..."
Matthew 16:27 Angels will come with Jesus at His coming...
Matthew 18:10 The angels of the saints behold the face of the Father in heaven...
Matthew 22:30 Angels do not marry...
Matthew 24:36 The angels do not know when the day of His coming will be...
Matthew 25:41 Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels...
Matthew 26:53 Jesus is in command of the angels...
Luke 2:13 A host of angels praised God at the birth of the Christ...
Luke 12:8 Those who confess Jesus before man, Jesus will confess before the angels...
Luke 15:10 There is joy amongst the angels when a sinner repents...
Luke 16:22 Angels bear up the soul of the faithful to rest...
Luke 20:36 Angels cannot die...
Luke 22:43 An angel strengthened Jesus while He was praying in the garden...
John 5:4 An angel stirred the water in the pool of Bethesda, allowing healing of the first one into the pool...
Acts 10:3 An angel appeared in Cornelius vision, bearing a message for him...
Acts 12:7 An angel freed Peter from prison...
Acts 27:23 An angel comforted Paul through the night...
Romans 8:38 Angels (good or bad) cannot separate us from the love of God...
1 Corinthians 6:3 We shall judge angels...
1 Corinthians 13:1 There is such a thing as the tongues of angels...
2 Corinthians 11:14 Satan transforms himself into an angel of light...
Galatians 1:8 An angel bringing any other gospel is accursed...
Galatians 4:14 Paul refers to himself as "...an angel of God..."
Colossians 2:18 Angels are not to be worshiped...
1 Timothy 3:16 Angels are witness to the Christ come in the flesh...
Hebrews 1:4 Christ is so much better than the angels...
Hebrews 1:5 The angels are called the sons of God (Job 1:6), however, none of them have the same relationship as Jesus. To Him, God has declared, "Thou art my Son..."
Hebrews 2:5 The world to come is not in subjection to the angels, but rather Christ, and we shall be greater than the angels...
Hebrews 2:9 Jesus was made "...a little lower than the angels..."
Hebrews 13:2 Some have entertained angels...
1 Peter 1:12 Angels are intrigued by the New Covenant...
2 Peter 2:4 Angels that sinned have not been spared, but await judgment...
Jude 1:6 Some angels did not keep their proper domain...
Revelation 5:11 There are many, many angels around the throne of God...
Revelation 9:11 There is an angel known as "...the angel of the bottomless pit..." His name is in Hebrew, Abaddon (destruction), and in Greek, Apollyon (destroyer)...
Revelation 14:6 John saw an angel flying...
Click here for this week's Answering The Atheist
Does God tempt man or not? Do Genesis 22:1 and James 1:13 contradict?
