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| Volume 26 Number 3 March 2024 |
Page 5 |
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| Volume 26 Number 3 March 2024 |
Page 5 |
Hiram Kemp
There are some subjects in the Bible about which we possess a great deal of information. Then, there are other things on which the Bible touches only briefly. The secret things belong to God, but we should be sure to read and to wrestle with the things revealed to us (Deuteronomy 29:29). Some subjects are hard to understand, and though we wish for more information on other topics, we must be content with what God has told us (2 Peter 3:16). The subject of angels is a fascinating one in the Bible. Many people are aware of their mention in Scripture, but sometimes our view of angels is more informed by popular theology and cinema than the Word of God. We need to allow Scripture, even in its brevity, to inform us concerning the topic of angels. How angels look, function and serve are things we can only learn by listening to God’s Word. Let us notice a few things the Bible does and does not say about angels.
Myths and Misunderstandings About Angels
Angels are mentioned in 34 of the 66 books in the Bible (17 in the Old Testament and 17 in the New Testament). While some people mistakenly think that angels are mainly an Old Testament topic, they are mentioned in several important places in the New Testament, especially associated with the life of Jesus (Matthew 28:2-7; Luke 2:13-14; Acts 1:9-11). When many people think of angels, they think of cute babies or maybe even having a female face. Several who saw angels in the Bible were terrified, and every time the Bible mentions angels, it refers to them as men (Genesis 19:1, 5; Mark 16:5). Often, angels are depicted in art as having wings, halos and playing harps, but the Bible does not mention these things. On occasion, when someone dies, people say “He got his wings. God needed another angel.” The Bible mentions Christians receiving a new body at the resurrection, but it says nothing about humans being turned into angels (1 Corinthians 15; Philippians 3:20-21).
Some religious groups exalt and worship angels, but every time people tried to worship an angel in the Bible, they were forbidden from doing so (Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9). God is the only One worthy of worship, and angels are servants who join us in worshipping God (Matthew 4:10). There are those who refer to the Devil as the former head angel. I have even heard some say he was the head angel over the music in Heaven before he was cast out. The Bible does not assign any of these descriptions to Satan. Sometimes people turn to Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 as text that prove these assertions made about Satan, but these texts refer to the Babylonian king who exalted himself and was cast down as a result of his arrogance. Though we may wish we had more information and that we could trace certain events back with specificity, we should not go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6).
Angels: Creation and Fall
Since only God is eternal, this means angels must have had a beginning at some point (Psalm 90:2). Angels were created by God and enjoyed being in His presence. Everything that God created was very good in the beginning, even the angels (Genesis 1:31). When God questioned Job, He spoke of the morning stars and the sons of God (probably a reference to angels) shouting for joy at creation (Job 38:7). Angels were those who viewed some of what God created, but they were not creators. God is to be praised because He created the angels along with everything else that exists (Psalm 148:2-5).
At some point, certain angels decided to transgress God’s law, and they were punished. We are told in the New Testament that certain angels sinned, and they were cast down as a result (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). When the angels sinned, there was no scheme of redemption put in place for them like there is for us; we truly are blessed (Hebrews 2:16). The sin of the angels was what motivated God to create hell. Hell was created for the Devil and his angels, not for humans (Matthew 25:41). We learn from the angels that though they were created in splendor and glory with great privileges, they could fall and suffer the consequences. We are created in the image of God and blessed above all He created, but we, too, can fall and suffer the same fate as the sinful angels (Genesis 1:26-28; Matthew 25:46).
The Role and Function of Angels
The two primary words used for angels in Scripture are malak (in the Old Testament) and angelos (in the New Testament). Both of these words mean messenger. The context determines whether it was used to describe a human messenger or an angelic one. Throughout the Old Testament, angels were messengers or those sent to serve in a variety of ways. Angels were sent to guard the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). They were sent to view the wickedness of Sodom (Genesis 19:1, 13). It was an angel that came to Manoah announcing that he would have a son named Samson (Judges 13:8-14). One angel killed 185,000 Assyrians as they stood outside Jerusalem (Isaiah 37:36-38). An angel was sent to destroy Jerusalem as a result of David’s sin, but the Lord restrained him (1 Chronicles 21:14-15). Angels are God’s servants, and they do what He tells them to do for His good pleasure (Psalm 103:20-21).
Angels are mentioned throughout the New Testament as well. The angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, Joseph and Zechariah concerning the birth of Jesus and John (Luke 1).
Angels appeared to the shepherds in the field to praise God (Luke 2:13-14). When Jesus overcame temptation, angels comforted Him (Matthew 4:11), and He was comforted and strengthened by angels in Gethsemane before the cross (Luke 22:43). An angel descended from Heaven and rolled away the stone from the tomb of Jesus (Matthew 28:2). An angel struck Herod because he refused to give God the glory (Acts 12:20-23), and an angel was involved in Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12:7). When Paul was on a ship headed to Rome, an angel comforted him. Lastly, John was guided through his heavenly revelation by an angel (Revelation 22:8-9).
Angels and Christians
Seeing that the miraculous age has ceased, we can be sure that God does not use angels today in the same miraculous way He did in Scripture (1 Corinthians 13:8-13). The faith has been once for all-time delivered in the Bible, and miracles are no longer needed to confirm its message (Hebrews 2:2-4; Jude 3). No one has seen an angel today (Hebrews 13:2). However, God does work providentially in the lives of His people (Romans 8:28). The Bible says angels are ministering spirits who serve those of us who are heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14). We do not know all of the ways angels serve us, but we know that they do. There is a sense in which we will judge the angels. This may be about the fallen angels and the fact that our righteous lives will condemn their rebellious behavior (1 Corinthians 6:3).
Angels are interested in what God is doing in redeeming humanity (1 Peter 1:10-12). God is saving us through Jesus Christ, which interests and intrigues the angelic beings. We are often interested in angels, but the Bible says they are interested in what God is doing with us. Christians should study about angels, appreciate what the Bible says about their role and work, but we worship God.
