After considering the dark side (the demonic) for several weeks, we should be encouraged by the help we can receive from heaven – specifically through the activity of angels. We see their involvement with the people of God from Genesis to Revelation. Many of our prayers are answered through the activity of angels, so lets look at their nature and ministry as revealed through scripture.
The writer of Hebrews wrote, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14)? This is the overarching purpose of angels. They are spirits who serve God’s people in various ways.
The Nature of Angels
Angels are spiritual beings who were created. Genesis says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Jewish and biblical thought describes three heavens. The first we call the atmosphere. The second, we call space. The third heaven, however, is the spiritual realm…what is often called “the heavenlies.” What we now think of as heaven or Paradise is in the third heaven. It seems that all spiritual beings exist in that realm. When God created the heavens and the earth, he created all things physical as well as spiritual. It was probably then that God created angels. Paul confirms that the unseen realm was created just as the natural realm was created. “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:16-17).
In Ezekiel 28, the prophet takes up a lament against the King of Tyre. It seems that he is drawing an analogy between the king’s pride and Satan’s pride the got him expelled from heaven. The text says, “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you…Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. …So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor” (Ezek. 28:12-17). Most scholars believe this is a reference to Satan…a created being who lost his place in heaven.
It also seems the spiritual realm functioned before the natural realm was created. When Job was being questioned by God, the Lord said, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy” (Job 38:4-7). It appears the angels were witnesses to the creation of the world.
Angels, then, are created beings. Because they are spirits, they are not subject to death, but have limitations. They are not omnipresent nor all-knowing. In fact, things the angels have longed to know have been revealed and announced to them through the church (1 Pet. 1:12).
Clearly, angels are awesome. When seen in their heavenly glory, they are powerful and majestic. When appearing to men, their first words are usually, “Do not be afraid.” In Daniel 10, the prophet saw an open vision of an angel who had come to give him a message. Even Daniel, who had seen so much and had been delivered from lions by an angel, trembled. The men with Daniel were terrified, even though they didn’t see the angel, and Daniel fell to the ground. The text says, “A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel” (Dan.10:10-12). The good news is that these powerful heavenly beings were created to minister to you. How many angels are there? In the book of Revelation, John states, “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand” (Rev. 5:11).
We also know that angels, like mankind, have free will. They can choose to serve God or rebel. We know from various scriptures that Satan, who was an angel that desired to take God’s throne, led a rebellion in heaven in which a third of the angels joined and were driven out of heaven. “And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him” (Rev. 12:7-9).
For rebellion to take place, the angels must have free will. Like men, they choose to serve God or reject him. That passage also reveals that God and those who serve him are more powerful than those who serve Satan. Every instance of deliverance in the gospels reveals that Jesus had authority over the demons and over Satan. Jesus even gave us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions (demons) and to overcome all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). James tells us when we submit to God and resist the devil, he will flee (Ja. 4:7). Because of Jesus, we have no need to fear the demonic but we need to be wise and equipped to fight if need be.
Scripture also reveals that angels can work unseen, appear as angels, or can manifest as humans. The writer of Hebrews charged believers, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb. 13:2). There are numerous passages in scripture where people thought they were dealing with men, but then discovered they were face to face with angels. For instance, in Judges 6, Gideon is met by a “man” who tells him that he will lead his people in victory over Midian. It is only at the end of the conversation that Gideon realizes the “man” was indeed an angel when the angel touched a rock with his staff and fire came from the rock while the angel disappeared. The Lord and two angels walked into Abraham’s camp, visited with Abraham, shared a meal, and only as the two angels went ahead to Sodom and Gomorrah does the Lord stay behind and reveal who he was and that the two men were angels (Gen. 18). As the angels entered Sodom to judge the city, Lot and the citizens of Sodom assumed they were mere men until they struck a number of wicked men blind.
In 2 Kings 6, Elisha and his servant are surrounded by the army of Aram sent to arrest him. His servant was greatly alarmed while Elisha was unafraid. Elisha prayed that God would open the eyes of his servant. The Lord did so, and the servant suddenly saw angels in chariots of fire surrounding them ready to fight on their behalf. No one else could see the angels but they were there to battle for Elisha. At many other times, angels appear to God’s people in visions, in the empty tomb, etc., and they know they are engaged with angels.
We also know that angels are incredibly powerful. In 2 Kings 19:35, we are told that one angel went out against the Assyrian army encamped around Jerusalem and killed 185,000 men in one night. We discover in Psalms that it was angels who released the destructive plagues on Egypt (Ps. 78:49) and we see another angel release a plague on Israel that killed seventy thousand men (1 Chron. 21:12). Men cannot stand against the power of God wielded through his angels. Now remember, these angels are sent forth to minister to God’s people – which includes you! Next, we want to consider how God’s angels minister to us.
Next Week: How Angels Minister to God’s People
