How Angels Minister to God’s People
We have talked about the nature of angels, but in what ways do they minister to God’s people?
First of all, they are messengers. The term “angel” stems from the Greek word angelos, meaning “messenger”. Angels frequently appear in scripture to announce pivotal events and interpret visions, such as the archangel Gabriel announcing the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. Angels in the empty tomb told Mary that Jesus had been raised from the dead, etc. Sometimes they appear in person and sometimes they appear in dreams and visions as with Daniel. Overall, this is, perhaps, their most prominent ministry.
Although we may hear from God through the Holy Spirit, God still sends angels with a word. When Paul was on a ship that had weathered days of a terrible storm, he said, “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you” (Acts 27:23-24). Paul certainly heard from God frequently as a prophet and an apostle, but at times God still spoke to him and others through angels.
Secondly, they serve and protect God’s people. Remember, they are described as ministering spirits sent to serve God’s people (Heb. 1:14). They protect, guide, provide, and comfort. Sometimes we are aware of their presence, sometimes we are not. An angel shut the mouths of lions when Daniel was cast into a lion’s den (Dan. 6:21). An angel protected Shadrach and his friends from harm in a fiery furnace (Dan. 3:25). An angel rescued Peter from a prison cell (Acts 12:7). Angels ministered to an exhausted Elijah with food and water as he ran from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:5). Angels ministered to Jesus on the night of his arrest in Gethsemane (Lk. 22:43). An angel appeared to Cornelius in a vision and told him to send for Peter so that the Gentiles might receive the gospel (Acts 10:3).
Throughout scripture, angels watch over God’s people to protect them, warn them, provide for them, encourage them, and rescue them. If you ask a group of believers today if they believe angels have kept them from harm, most will say they believe angels have protected them in the midst of a car accident or near accident or gave them some direction as a stranger who just happened by when they needed to know where to go. Our seers often see angels present on Freedom Weekends when we are about to minister deliverance to believers. They are there to partner in what we are doing. In the end times, angels will place a mark on the foreheads of God’s people to protect them from judgments released on the earth (Rev.7:3), When Jesus returns, the angels will gather his people from the four corners of the earth (Mt.24:31).
Though powerful and awesome, angels are not to be worshipped. In the Book of Revelation, in a moment of awe, John fell down to worship an angel. The angel declared, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” (Rev. 22:9).
Thirdly, they carry out and impose the judgments of God. Angels act as instruments of God’s justice and wrath. Instances include the execution of the plagues in Egypt. We are told in Psalms the plagues were released by a band of destroying angels (Ps. 78:49). Two angels were involved in bringing destruction upon Sodom and Gomorrah. We see an angel suspended between heaven and earth with his sword drawn releasing a plague over Jerusalem in judgment (1 Chron, 21:16). In Acts 12:23 we are told that an angel struck down Herod because he did not give glory to God and we see them throughout the book of Revelation releasing God’s judgments on the earth.
Finally, they partner with God’s people in carrying out God’s will on the earth. Remember when John fell down to worship an angel and the angel rejected his worship saying he was a fellow servant with John and the other followers of Jesus (Rev. 22:9)? As you serve God, angels may well be handling things or clearing away resistance in the spiritual realm while you are handling things in the natural realm. One of the most fascinating examples of this is found in the book of Daniel.
In Daniel 10, we are told the prophet received a revelation that concerned a great war. He was deeply troubled by the revelation so he began to fast and pray, asking God to give him understanding of the vision. The text says, “Then he (an angel) continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come” (Dan. 10:12-14).
Scripture reveals that demonic spirits often resist the answers to our prayers. An angel had been dispatched as soon as Daniel asked for understanding, but a demonic prince, the Prince of Persia, resisted the angel. They fought against one another in some cosmic battle for twenty-one days until Michael, the archangel, came to take up the battle so Daniel could receive understanding of the vision.
It was clearly important that Daniel receive a proper interpretation of the revelation he had received and that Satan had sniffed out the importance and attempted to keep that prayer from being answered. Daniel prayed, the angel came, and the angel fought a demonic prince to get the message to God’s prophet. Apparently, God does not simply wave a magic wand when we pray to answer our requests. Often angels are involved even to the extent of fighting Satan in order for our prayers to be answered and the will of God to be done on earth. If God’s will were automatically done, Jesus would not have instructed us to pray for his will to be done on earth as in heaven. This is not a limitation on God’s power, but is simply how he has decided to exercise his sovereignty on this planet.
Although it is not specifically stated in the text, I believe if Daniel had stopped praying for the interpretation of the revelation, Michael might not have been dispatched and the angel carrying the answer to Daniel’s prayer might not have ever delivered the message. Angels often partner with us in fulfilling God’s will in our lives, and our prayers, our declarations, and our commands assist those angels in fulfilling their part. So…keep praying and declaring God’s word over the situations you are involved in.
Finally, angels are often seen in scripture surrounding the throne of God in worship. We will be co-worshippers with them and are already. The seers I know (those who have the gift of seeing into the spiritual realm) often see angels in church when we are gathered worshipping with us.
In closing, one question we often ask in regard to angels is, “Are their guardian angels?” If we mean are their angels assigned to us our entire life to watch over us and guard us from harm, scripture does not say. We know from Biblical accounts that angels are often sent or dispatched to care for God’s people, but that doesn’t seem to be a lifelong, every-minute assignment. Jesus does say, however, “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Mt. 18:10).
We do not become angels when we die, so these angels must be assigned to children and always have immediate access to the Father on their behalf. Maybe they are assigned to all children or the children of those in a covenant with God. Perhaps, they are assigned when parents pray for that assignment. We cannot be sure from scripture but we can know that angels were created to minister to those who will inherit salvation and that is you and me.
Be encouraged when you seem to be in a battle. You are not alone. Pray for the ministry of angels in your family, your church, and your circumstances. We actually have so much more at our disposal that Satan can bring against us. We have Jesus as our perfect sacrifice, our High Priest and our mediator. We know that he is in us and is greater than he that is in the world. We also have the Holy Spirit who reveals, prays for us, leads us, and gives us power to overcome the enemy. We have one another so that when two or three agree together on anything, it will be done. And we have myriads of angels partnering with us, watching over us, providing for us and fighting for us. And if God is for us, who can stand against us!!! We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. Be encouraged!
