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Biblically Accurate Angels:
8 Essential Truths To Know
Angels have always fascinated human beings. The New Age, Occult and other religions all have their teachings about these spiritual beings. Some scholars believe it is likely that there are more angels on planet Earth than there are human beings. These unseen beings are all around us and impact our lives. Misinformation on Biblically accurate angels abound and has led millions to destroy their lives. Read on to uncover the Truth and understand the real place of angels in this world.
As Truth Seekers, we must turn to the pages of Holy Scripture to find reliable information on these spiritual beings surrounding us. Their presence in the Word of God is undeniable. The actions of Biblically accurate angels can be shocking and deadly.
There are eight Truths you must know about Biblically accurate angels.
Biblically Accurate Angels Truth One:
Angels Are Created Beings
Only God is self-existent and eternal. We don’t know for sure when the angels were created. Some believe they were created on Day Four of Creation Week since they are sometimes identified with stars and the heavens. Job gives an important clue when he says in Job 38:4-7: “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation…while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”
While correcting Job, God Himself states that the angels witnessed His acts of Creation. It is likely, then, that angels were created before God began work on His physical creation.
Biblically Accurate Angels Truth Two:
Angels Were Designed To Serve God And Minister To Human Beings
Everything God does and creates has a purpose. From the quick glimpses in the Holy Scriptures into this invisible yet very real realm, we know there are different kinds and ranks of angels, each with their own responsibilities and purpose. However, there are two overarching purposes of God for the angels.
Like everything in God’s creation, they are to serve and worship Him. God is always their priority. There are likely millions of angels that have nothing to do with humanity but whose purpose is focused on God alone.
Angels watch with great interest the wisdom and plan of God being unfolded on Earth. They stand in amazement at the work of God both in His original creation and in His process of redemption, of bringing the world back into right relationship with Himself. Knowing the holiness and perfect beauty of God, they would naturally be shocked at the self-will and rebellion of human beings and watch in admiration of God’s patience in dealing with such ignorant and repulsive creatures. They cheer as the Holy Spirit steadily goes about His work of sanctification, turning many of these beings into the images of Christ Himself!
Peter tells us in First Peter 1:12, that “even angels long to look into” the things that relate to the redemption of mankind.
Yet we also know that some angels have been given human charges to look after. In Hebrews 1:14, it says, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” And Jesus Himself, in Matthew 18:10, said: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven."
From this, we learn that some of the angels are assigned to minister to Christians. Every Christian likely has multiple angels assigned to him or her. Some of these angels, according to Jesus, stand in the presence of God on behalf of their human charges.
Angels are not rulers in this world or in the world to come. God placed this world under the dominion of Adam and Eve as they were in submission to Him. The world, after the return of Jesus, will also be under the care of redeemed men and women. Angels are servants and helpers of the Most High God and of His human creation.
Whether non-Christians have angels assigned to them is unknown.
Biblically Accurate Angels Truth Three:
Angels Are Not Redeemable
At some point in the mysterious past before Day Six of Creation, Satan led a rebellion against God. Pride had clouded his vision, and he thought he could overthrow his Creator and receive the worship that is due to God alone. At that moment, every angel was presented with a choice. Would they remain faithful to God, or would they follow Satan? It was a one-time decision which they would be locked into for eternity. The angels who chose to follow God would no longer have the possibility of falling into sin. The angels who followed Satan would be judged without any possibility of salvation or redemption. Whatever decision they made then, they are totally committed to their choice.
Biblically Accurate Angels Truth Four:
Angels May Disguise Themselves As Human Beings
In Second Corinthians 11:14, Paul tells us that we should not be surprised by false teachers in the church because even “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." In the story of Abraham found in Genesis Chapter Eighteen, Abraham talks with angels in the disguise of men, not realizing who they are. In the Bible, angels are always presented as masculine, while in modern culture, they are often presented as feminine or feminine-looking.
The author of Hebrews tells in Hebrews 13:2: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
You may have spoken to or been kind to an angel without realizing it!
Biblically Accurate Angels Truth Five:
Angels Are Powerful
Although angels are not designed to rule, they are extremely powerful. One angel, in one night, killed one hundred and eighty thousand battle-hardened Assyrian soldiers without effort, as recorded in Second Kings 19. Since they are not part of the physical universe, they can perform what looks like miracles to us. They can appear and disappear at will, moving between the equally real but different parallel universes of the spiritual and the physical.
Even all the mightiest human armies combined could offer no resistance to even one angel. We have no idea of the mighty forces for good or evil that move around us and observe us daily. You may think you are doing something secretly, but an array of spiritual beings is carefully watching.
Biblically Accurate Angels Truth Six:
Angels Are Under The Command Of God, Not Man
These mighty beings who serve God and the redeemed of God are not under our command. Even the angels assigned to various duties relating to us personally are not there like a genie in a bottle to fulfill our every desire. How foolish they think we are when we do anything less than live our entire lives in the worship of our Redeemer! They are not dogs to whistle at and order around. They are servants of the Most High God to be treated with respect but never worship.
Angels do not operate on their own authority but solely under the authority and command of God. Jude pulls back the curtain a bit and gives us a glimpse of a confrontation between the archangel Michael and Satan in Verse Nine of his book: “But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
Biblically Accurate Angels Truth Seven:
Angels Will Never Promote Themselves
Or Anyone Other Than The Lord Jesus Christ
True angels are always about the Lord's business. They are not interested in self-promotion. They have no agendas other than serving the King of kings. Any shining angel that speaks of another way other than Jesus Christ or gives another word other than what is written in the Bible is a masquerading demon. Powerful and deceptive religions and cults have begun with visits from so-called angels. Jesus Christ is the only Way, the Truth and the Life. Any being in heaven or earth that says otherwise is deceived or a deceiver, no matter how wonderful they may look.
The great apostle Paul even put himself under this standard of judgment when he said in Galatians 1:8: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!”
Angels are probably offended at all the attention that is given to them. Their desire is to serve God and help Christians serve God. They are happy to fulfill their responsibilities with credit or praise.
Biblically Accurate Angels Truth Eight:
Angels Are Not To Be Prayed To, Worshipped Or Contacted
Satan and his followers love worship. The New Age movement, the Occult and some religions practice the worship of angels. Christians can get drawn into this because it sounds so spiritual. It plays to their pride in having power or influence in the spiritual realm. Paul warns against this danger in Colossians 2:18, where he says, “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you.” God alone deserves worship. As soon as any other being demands or even hints at worship - leave immediately.
We are not to pray to angels [or saints]. Jesus is the Mediator between God and man. Prayers can legitimately be offered to any Person of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - but no one else.
We are not to contact angels. There are many examples of two-way communication with angels in the Bible, but there is no case where human beings initiated the contact. Angels may bring messages from God or reveal themselves for other purposes, but it is always by God’s command.
In Judges 13, we have the story of an angel appearing to Monoah’s wife to explain how to raise Samson. Like a good wife, she went and told her husband. He wanted to see the angel or, as he thought, the man of God, himself. Notice very carefully in Verses Eight and Nine what happened. “Then Manoah prayed to the Lord…God heard Manoah, and the angel of the Lord came again…”.
Manoah did not ask the angel to come again. He prayed to God. The angel returned at God’s command. Angels have no interest in obeying human beings; they obey God alone.
Biblically Accurate Angels:
Conclusion
Biblically accurate angels are exciting and a legitimate object of study, as revealed in Holy Scripture. However, we must be careful not to allow the experiences of people - even Christians - cultural beliefs to overly influence what we believe. Everything must line up with what is taught in Scripture. Beware of anyone with an abnormal fascination with angels or who claims to communicate regularly with them. In Paul’s words, we do not want to become disqualified by allowing anything or anyone to divert our attention from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Be sure to take our course on Practical Spiritual Warfare.
For more information about Glenn Davis, see our About Glenn page or visit Glenn Davis Books.
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