SUBJECT:
Angels Among Us
QUESTION:
What does the Bible have so say about angels among us?
ANSWER:
Thank you for your question
on angels. I have inserted below the article on angels from
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary. It should answer
most of your questions about them.
We believe that the angels
of God are present at all times throughout the Earth and the
universe for that matter. When we have the blessing of the
children in our church, we ask that God set His angels about
the children to protect them throughout their lives. As you
will read below, there is enough in the scriptures to show
that angels do God's will and a part of that is to protect
those He wishes protected. We can call upon God to give us
protection and He can set these angels about us.
The description of most
angels is that of human form though no passage ever
describes them in female form. There is indication that not
all angels have the same form and some may resemble or take
other forms. The most intriguing scripture about angels is
Hebrews 13 and verse 2:
Hebrews
13:2
Be not forgetful to
entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained
angels unawares.
Clearly angels are around us
and among us. Above all, we know that angels are God's and
that they do His will.
Notice this definition from a Bible dictionary and
understanding that secular sources will not necessarily be
word-for-word perfect:
ANGEL
A member of an order of
heavenly beings who are superior to man in power and
intelligence. By nature angels are spiritual beings <Heb.
1:14>. Their nature is superior to human nature <Heb. 2:7>,
and they have superhuman power and knowledge <2 Sam.
14:17,20; 2 Pet. 2:11>. They are not, however, all-powerful
and all-knowing <Ps. 103:20; 2 Thes. 1:7>.
Artistic portrayals of
angels as winged beings are generally without basis in the
Bible. Rarely is an angel so described. (For exceptions,
compare the CHERUBIM and SERAPHIM and the living creatures--
Ex. 25:20; Ezek. 1:6; Rev. 4:8.>)
The Relation of Angels.
Angels were created by God <Ps. 148:2,5> and were present to
rejoice when He created the world <Job. 38:4-7>. In their
original state they were holy, but before the creation of
the world some of them rebelled against God and lost this
exalted position. The leading angel in this revolt became
the devil, also known as SATAN <Gen. 3:4,14; Ezek. 28:12-16;
Rev. 12:4,7-9>. Another of the fallen angels is named
Abaddon or Apollyon <Rev. 9:11>, "the angel of the
bottomless pit" [abyss], NASB, NIV, RSV.
Two of the vast company of
unfallen angels are named in the Bible. They are the
archangels Michael <Dan. 10:13,21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7>
and Gabriel <Dan. 8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19,26>. Michael has the
special task of caring for Israel, and Gabriel communicates
special messages to God's servants.
The vast army of unfallen
angels delight in praising the name of the Lord continually
<Ps. 103:21; 148:1-2>. Large numbers of them remain at God's
side, ready to do His every command <1 Kin. 22:19>. Angels
in God's presence include the cherubim, seraphim, and living
creatures (or living beings)
<Ex. 25:20; Is. 6:2; Ezek. 1:5-6; Rev. 4:6>.
Unfallen angels are known
for their reverence for God and their obedience to His will.
Angels represent God in making significant announcements of
good news <Gen. 18:9-10; Luke 1:13,30; 2:8-15>. On His
behalf they also warn of coming dangers <Gen. 18:16--19:29;
Matt. 2:13>. In some cases they are God's agents in the
destruction and judgment of evil <Gen. 19:13; 2 Sam. 24:16>.
The Relation of Angels to
Man. When visible to human beings, angels consistently
appear in human form <Gen. 18:2; Dan. 10:18; Zech. 2:1>.
Sometimes, however, their appearance inspires awe <Judg.
13:6; Matt. 28:3-4; Luke 24:4>.
Angels are never known to
appear to wicked people-- only to those whom the Bible views
as good, such as Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Jesus,
Peter, and Paul. They are charged with caring for such
people and serving them in times of need <Ps. 91:11-12; Heb.
1:14>. They also guide and instruct good people <Gen.
24:7,40; Ex. 14:19>. This task is illustrated by the role
the angels played in God's giving of the Law to Moses <Acts
7:38,53; Heb. 2:2>. Sometimes their guidance comes through
human dreams <Gen. 28:12; 31:11>.
Angels also protect the
people of God <Ex. 14:19-20; Dan. 3:28; Matt. 26:53>. They
meet a wide variety of human needs, including relieving
hunger and thirst <Gen. 21:17-19; Mark 1:13> and overcoming
loneliness and dread <Luke 22:43>. They sometimes deliver
the people of God from danger <Acts 5:19; 12:6-11>.
Although they are not the
objects of salvation, angels are interested in the salvation
of human beings <Luke 15:10; 1 Cor. 4:9>. They also were
particularly active in the events surrounding the birth and
resurrection of Jesus <Matt. 1:20; 2:13,19; 28:2; Luke
1:11-38; 2:9-15; 22:43; 24:23; John 20:12>. The frequency
with which angels participate in human affairs has
diminished since Pentecost, probably because of the larger
role played by the [power of]
Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians since then.
Jesus spoke frequently of
angels, both good and bad <Matt. 13:41; 26:53; Mark 8:38;
Luke 12:8-9>. Angels are quite real, and they play a vital
part in God's plan for the world.
~from Nelson's Illustrated
Bible Dictionary
See the letter,
Angels…are they our helper in Salvation?
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