Some believe that when a person dies they become angels. Many believe that Angels are male and female. In fact, judging by statues of angels and children’s books it is likely that most believe that Angels are mostly female.
What does the Bible tell us about God’s angels?
According to the Bible, angels are a separate creation of God. God created the angels and humans as two different races of beings. Angels are immortal and live forever. Angels do not marry or have the ability to procreate and so they do not really have a gender (Matthew 22:30). God’s Angels have the ability to take on human form (Hebrews 13:2, Genesis 18) and when they do the Bible seems to indicate it is as a man, not a women. There is not one incident in the Bible describing an angel as a female. They may actually be neither gender but when they do appear it has been of a male looking being.
There are literally millions and millions of angels that God calls His Holy Host of Angels. The Angelic Host also has a hierarchy, with each rank of angel set to perform specific tasks. Jesus Christ, as the Son Of God and equal to God, is the commander of the angelic host of angels (Joshua 5:14). The Arch Angel Michael contends with Satan (Jude 9). Michael is the angel that fought with Satan at the angelic rebellion and cast him out of Heaven.
The Bible indicates that there are many different types of angels. There are the Cherubim and Seraphim that protect God’s throne and worship him day and night (Ezekiel 1:5-14). Satan is a Cherubim angel that rebelled against God and was cast out of Heaven and God’s throne. If our eyes were opened to see the invisible realm of angels we would be shocked to see just how many are around us all day and all night long. And that includes the evil fallen angels.
Throughout the Bible and all of human history Angels have worked in helping connect the unsaved with believers so that they might believe and be saved and redeemed. Jesus said that “…there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10). This is not their only task though. The Bible shows us much about the Angelic race of eternal beings.
God’s Holy Angels Are Messengers Of God
There are numerous incidents in the Bible showing us that angels are messengers of God to humankind. God sends us many messages for different events in our lives. Angels are a very busy race of beings helping millions and billions of people here on Earth throughout time. Angels travel between Heaven and Earth constantly in a steady stream of the work God assigns them.
“And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.” (Genesis 28:12 KJV)
God Sends His Angels To Fulfill His plan For Humankind
Satan and his angels are fighting these plans and trying to thwart them. Satan has one third of the angels under his command. God has the other 2/3 of angels. And remember that Satan is not an anti-god, that is he is not all knowing and all powerful like God. God created Lucifer and Satan is just a powerful angel. When Satan and his fallen angels, known also as demons, manipulates the circumstances around a person’s life it is always to discourage us and defeat the purposes of God. However, God makes “…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.“ (Romans 8:28 KJV).
God uses His Angelic creation to accomplish His will for our lives. The Bible shows us that angels are used to take us out of dangers that we do not even know are right before us. In the events of Sodom and Gomorrah Angels visited Lot and we see that ” When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” (Genesis 19:15). God used His Angels to prevent the destruction of those who were faithful to God in the doomed city. To remove them from the city before the judgement of God that was about to occur. I wonder how many times the angels have averted trouble for you and me? I believe that one day, at the Rapture, we will be able to look back with full knowledge of our lives and will be astonished how much angels have prevented disasters Satan and the fallen angels had setup for us to fall into. These ‘wiles of the devil’ and how to thwart their efforts are described in Ephesians 6 starting at verse 10.
The Angels Are Destroying The Enemies Of The Redeemed
During the Exodus from Egypt the Pharaoh refused numerous times to let the Hebrew slaves go free from their 400 years of slavery. Each time Moses and Aaron would tell the Pharaoh and he refused to free them, God sent another destructive force to hit Egypt until he agreed to let the Hebrew slaves go free. God sent swarms of locust, frogs everywhere and all the waterways turned to blood, undrinkable, etc. In all of these destructive forces, God had sent angels to accomplish the plagues and destruction.
“He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.” (Psalm 78:49 KJV)
Angels Provide Ongoing Comfort And Encouragement
God uses Angels to provide ongoing support for the believer in faith. There is great comfort in this and God also sends His angels to comfort us in times of trouble.
“For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” (Psalms 91:11 KJV)
“Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” (Psalm 103:20 KJV)
Angels even ministered to Jesus when He was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days. After Jesus dismissed Satan’s temptations,
“Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” (Matthew 4:11 KJV)
Even at our death as a believer in Christ, at our physical demise, when your spirit looks down at your physical body, an Angel will comfort you and take you to Heaven,
“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom:…” (Luke 16:22 KJV)
When everything thing in your world seems to have fallen apart and all is out of control, God is still in full control and He sends you angels to help encourage you. They will direct you to listen to something on a Christian radio program, in a book, on a blog (maybe this one?). To help ease your mind, angels will direct other people to “just show up” at the right time and in your time of need. And sometimes Jesus Christ Himself will speak to your heart, or more directly as He did to Hagar when she was put out from Abraham and Sarah.
“And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.” (Genesis 21:14-18 KJV)
Angels Watch Over Our Children
I often wonder after seeing my kids in their very early years sitting on the floor in their diapers but appearing to be looking and laughing at something as if there was a person in front of them doing something. Were their angels communicating with my children? Are they imaginary friends? Speculation on my part but it is very possible that there were angels because in the Bible it tells us that angels do watch over our children.
“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10 KJV)
This verse is showing us that we all have guardian angels, assigned to each individual person on Earth.
Angels Help Us In Times Of Stressful Situations
When Mary (a virgin) conceived, even though Joseph and her had not yet consummated their marriage, Joseph was very confused but also did not want any harm to come to Mary because he loved her. Joseph undoubtedly must have been wondering who she slept with in adultery, an offense punishable by stoning to death at that time. He was very troubled and stressed out about this as you can imagine.
“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
(Matthew 1:20-21 KJV)
Angels Are Found Throughout The Bible!
They are everywhere!
They are numerous and doing many things with humankind for fulfilling God’s promises and plan for us. An angel of God came to the aid of Peter who was imprisoned. The angel broke the chains, open the doors, and guided Peter to escape the prison (Acts 12:7-11)! An angel helped the Apostle Paul on numerous occasions. Angels appeared at Christ’s birth and ascension and they will be present at the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ.
Angels Are Watchers of God’s Super Abundant Love
Angels are learning something not experienced before. Satan committed the first sin of pride in Heaven, and it has spread to the human race. Angels are partakers in the redemptive power of God’s love on an evil world. They are seeing God’s plan roll out with front row seats.
“For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.” (1 Corinthians 4:9 KJV)
We Are Not To Worship Angels
Angels are so beautiful and powerful that when humans see them, some bow to their knees. We seen this when angels appeared to the shepherds during the birth story of Jesus. But the angels told the Shepherds to not worship them but only God. This is good advice not only because it is true but there are also evil fallen angels that can come and appear beautiful too. Before the fall the devil’s name was Lucifer and the name literally means ‘the shining one’! Since his fall, satan’s whole goal in the rebellion was to become like God so that all humans and angels would bow to him. We don’t want to bow to Satan in error! Apostle Paul instructed the Galatians,
“But though we, OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8 KJV)
If an angel were to appear to us, we still need to discern if what they say is not against the true Gospel of Christ or the Bible. If so, our response should be ‘The Lord Rebuke You!’
Praying For The Help Of Angels
We should not pray to angels directly as if they are the same as God the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit but we can pray to God, in Jesus’ Name, to send us His angels to protect us and help us in times of trouble and throughout the span of our lives. God hears your prayers and He will answer your prayers. The Father may use His Holy Angels To Accomplish the answers to your prayers.
