The first mention of an angel in scripture is found in Genesis 16. Hagar, pregnant with Abram’s son Ishmael and mistreated by Sarai, had fled into the wilderness. The angel of the Lord found Hagar, gave her a prophetic word about her son, and then directed her to return to her mistress Sarai and submit to her. Our first encounter with an angel, then, is a result of God watching over a pregnant outcast who is in danger of dying in the desert. Most of us believe that a primary function of angels is to watch over or guard people from harm. Is the idea of guardian angels a biblical concept or just wishful thinking on our part?
There are several verses that suggest that angels are assigned to individuals to care for them. The first suggestion of this is found in Genesis. “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm — may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth” (Gen. 48:15-16). This mention of an angel is found in Jacob’s blessing over Joseph’s sons. The phrase, “The angel who has delivered me from all harm” suggests that an angel had been assigned to care for him throughout his life.
The word translated as “angel” here is the Hebrew word malak which can be translated as angel, messenger, envoy, representative, or ambassador. The context determines how it is translated. Some scholars believe that Jacob’s reference is an Old Testament reference to Jesus – not as a created angel but as a representative of the Father to man. There are several places in the Old Testament where the Lord seems to show up in some physical form to interact with God’s people. In Genesis 18-19, there are two angles interacting with Abraham and, apparently, also the Lord. Many believe that Melchizedek (King of Peace), to whom Abraham offered a tithe in Genesis 14, was also an O.T. appearance of Jesus. In addition, Joshua encounters the commander of the Lords army on Holy Ground in Joshua 5:13-14. These occurrences are most likely the Son of God who is the member of the Trinity that represents God to man and man to God.
Another scripture that suggests guardian angels comes from the lips of Jesus. “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). Some people have taken this passage to mean that when children die they become angels who stay in the presence of God. But we have already determined that humans don’t become angels after death (sorry Clarence), so what does this mean? To me, this passage suggests that angels are assigned to children and always have immediate access to the Father on behalf of children because children have such a favored place in the heart of the Father. Would that angelic protection be for all children, only covenant children, or only children whose parents pray for that divine protection? You would have to decide.
A third passage that suggests guardian angels is, “If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the Lord, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name” (Ps.91:9-14). This verse is also quoted in the New Testament regarding Jesus (Mt.4, Lk.4).
There is no question that angels show up to minister to God’s people for protection, provision, rescue, a word from the Lord, and so forth. The question is whether an angel is assigned to you for a lifetime, never leaving your side as a guardian angel. You would have to decide yourself but most of scripture suggests that the answer is “no.” If that were the case, an angel would not have to be “sent” to Daniel in Daniel 9-10 since an angel would already be present. We are told that “an angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring” in Genesis 16. If he had been assigned to her 24/7, he would not have needed to find her or search for her. In Luke 1, we are told that, “God sent the angel Gabriel” to Mary. The flavor of most encounters in scripture is that angels come and go on assignment. It is possible that some assignments are lengthy.
To a great degree, the presence of angels might be in response to our prayers. James told the recipients of his letter, “You have not, because you ask not” (James 4:2). A consistent prayer for divine protection from the enemy and from hurtful people might be your best guarantee for angelic protection for your children and yourself. The Lord taught us to pray for daily bread and for God to keep the evil one from us. As we pray for daily bread we may also need to pray for daily protection. I’m not saying that angelic protection is never provided if we don’t pray, but I prefer not to take things for granted in our relationship with the Lord.
In our ministry, we often ask the Father to assign angels to watch over those who are traveling, to keep the enemy from homes we have just cleansed, from those who are vulnerable to the enemy, and for those who are in dangerous places. We also pray for their presence when we do deliverance. There are a few folks out there that believe we can command angels because of who we are in Christ. Since Jesus is the commander of the armies of heaven, I think it might be best to ask him to command angels on our behalf. Nevertheless, angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation (Heb.1:14). They are real, powerful, and protective so feel free to pray for their presence and ministry in your life and in the lives of those you love.
In my next blog I will quote some seers who see angels in the spirit realm so that we get a sense of what may be going on around us as we serve and worship the Lord! Be blessed today and may the Lord’s angels watch over you.
