The Truth about Angels

Things looked grim to Elisha’s servant. He and Elisha were staying in the city of Dotham in Israel, and they were suddenly in big trouble. After rolling off his mat one morning and stepping outside, the servant saw that the small city was surrounded by a strong force of enemy soldiers who had moved their horses and chariots quietly into position during the night (2 Kings 6:15).

The servant knew that danger was part of Elisha’s job description. As God’s prophet on earth, Elisha received supernatural messages from God that he delivered to God’s people. This often got him in trouble.

Just recently, God had been telling Elisha where the enemy Aramean army was planning raids on Israel. Elisha kept passing the info on to the king of Israel, who was then able to guard against the raids each time.

This really ticked off the king of Aram. Convinced he had a traitor in his camp leaking intelligence to the Israelites, he called his officers together to figure out who it was. But one officer knew the whole deal about Elisha and told the king that the prophet Elisha supernaturally knew everything the king planned—even when the king was alone in his bedroom!

Not thinking too far ahead, the king made a new plan—get Elisha! He sent a strong force to Dotham to capture the prophet, apparently not considering that Elisha would know he was coming.

But if Elisha did know, he didn’t let on to his servant, who now saw a whole lot of enemy spears and horse hooves between him and safety. The servant was scared.

Elisha was not. He told his servant this: “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). That must have been confusing, since the servant could only see himself, Elisha, and a bunch of soldiers wearing the other team’s colors.

Then Elisha asked the most powerful supernatural force in the universe to let his servant see beyond the natural world to the supernatural. When he turned around, the servant suddenly saw the hills around Dotham full of “chariots of fire” and horses that easily outnumbered the enemy forces.

Elisha’s servant realized it wasn’t he who was doomed—it was the Arameans. God’s supernatural army was protecting Elisha from the suddenly flimsy-looking Aramean force. You can read the rest of this exciting story in 2 Kings 6.

The passage doesn’t say specifically that the supernatural fiery chariots seen by Elisha’s servant were led by angels, but that would make sense. The point is that there’s a whole supernatural world out there we never see or know about. God uses these usually invisible forces to accomplish his will on earth.

Let’s find out more about these supernatural servants of God.

Misunderstanding Angels

In City of Angels, Nicolas Cage plays an angel who falls in love with a mortal woman and chooses to become mortal himself. In Michael, John Travolta is an irresponsible angel who smokes, eats too much sugar, and generally behaves badly. In countless other films, angels are shown helping humans fall in love or see the value of their lives (It’s a Wonderful Life) or even win baseball games (Angels in the Outfield).

In classic art, angels are pictured as everything from chubby babies with wings to beautiful floating women in long gowns to powerfully muscled, winged men. In newspaper and magazine stories, angels are regularly given credit for stepping in at the last minute to save lives supernaturally.

In the greeting card section at your supermarket, baby cards welcome the birth of little angels while sympathy cards suggest that your departed loved one has become an angel. Parents everywhere hope desperately that each child has a guardian angel—something nearly 80 percent of the teens in our survey believe. In fact, angels are the one spiritual being that most people believe in.

Over the last few years, interest in angels has skyrocketed. A quick search on the Internet will reveal angel magazines, books, movies, and music—not to mention angel jewelry, clothing lines, and artwork.

As humans, the idea that there are unseen angels among us, working to make sure everything turns out okay, is powerful and hopeful. But because people want to believe in angels, many will believe almost anything about them. Christians, Wiccans, and even some atheists claim to believe in angels—but obviously they don’t all agree on what those angels are like.

So how can we sort out the truth about angels from all the other ideas out there? Are angels really former humans? Can they sin or make mistakes? Are they always watching us? What powers do they have?

As always, we believe that God’s Word is the standard for truth. So everything we can know for sure about angels, we’ll find in there. And there’s plenty to find. Angels are mentioned 108 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the New Testament. Let’s dig in.

Where Do Angels Come From?

The book of Job describes a group of spiritual beings that many scholars assume to be angels. These beings existed before the earth was created (Job 38:6-7). And we know they were specially created by God, because in Colossians 1:16-17, Paul explains that God created every kid of being: “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.”

We know angels are not former (or glorified) humans based on several passages. Some people get confused because of Jesus’ statement that at the resurrection, we will be “like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). But the first half of that sentence is that we will not marry in heaven—just as the angels don’t marry.

To make it even clearer, a description of heaven in the book of Hebrews lists both the “spirits of righteous men made perfect” and “thousands upon thousands of angels” (Hebrews 12:22-23). Angels and humans are different groups in the city of God.

Angles are not a race, like humanity. The Bible never speaks of “sons of angels.” Apparently, angels never have little angels. And Jesus said that angels don’t die, either (Luke 20:36). God’s Word seems to teach that all angels were created at the same time and will exist forever.

And God must have created a lot of them, because Daniel 7:10 describes the throne room of God with what seems to be millions of angels. Jesus claimed that the Father could send tens of thousands of angels to him (Matthew 26:53), and Hebrews 12:22 paints the picture of “thousands upon thousands” of angels in the city of God.

What Do Angels Look Like?

Remember, angels are supernatural beings that are usually invisible to humans. So most of the time, they don’t look like anything—at least to us. Described as “ministering spirits” (Hebrews 1:14), angels don’t require a physical body at all. They exist in the spiritual world beyond our senses.

However, the Bible includes many stories of times when angels appeared to humans, so we know they can reveal themselves to us when they need to. In Scripture, angels take several different forms.

Most often, angels appear to people in human form, as three did when they delivered a birth announcement to Abraham (Genesis 18-19). And many folks are surprised to realize that, in those few cases where an angel’s gender is specified in the Bible, the angel is always a full-grown man—never a chubby baby, and never, strangely, is a biblical angel specifically depicted as female. So the painters and storytellers who create feminine and baby angels have great imaginations, but their angel pictures aren’t based on Scripture.

God’s Word also includes several stories about times when angels appeared much more “angel-like”—in long, white robes (Mark 16:5) or with a dazzling, bright light (Luke 2:9) or flying with wings (Isaiah 6:2). And often, an angel who appears to humans must start by saying, “Don’t be afraid!” From that, we can guess that angels can look intimidating when not “disguised” as normal looking people.

The descriptions of some angels are just plain strange to us. The seraphs or seraphim that Isaiah saw are described as having six wings and using two to cover their feet, two to cover their faces, and two to fly.

The descriptions of the cherubim, another type of angel (we don’t know how many types exist), get even stranger. In chapter 10 of his book, Ezekiel pictured these angels as having four faces (human, ox, lion, and eagle), along with hands and wings. They’re also presented, among other things, as being covered with eyes and being wheels within wheels. What strange and wonderful creatures they must be.

What Powers Do Angels Have?

The short answer is that angels have the power to do anything God asks them to do. However, they’re still limited. Angels are created spirit beings, but they’re not gods!

We know from numerous passages in the Bible that angels have to travel from place to place—so they can’t be everywhere at once. Jesus said that the angels don’t know the timing of the end of the world (Matthew 24:36), and Peter wrote that angels “long” to look into certain things (1 Peter 1:12), so we can be sure that angels are not all-knowing. They have limited knowledge.

However, angels do have power to travel from heaven to earth. They have the power to communicate with humans across the supernatural barrier. In 2 Samuel 14:20, angels are described as being wise and knowing much about what happens on the earth. And we know that angels are “mighty” (Psalm 103:20) and “stronger and more powerful” than humans (2 Peter 2:11).

From the stories in the Book of Daniel about angels protecting Daniel from the lions (chapter 3) and his friends from the fire (chapter 6), we also know that angels can control our natural world with their supernatural power when God directs them to do so.

In other words, angels have the power to do incredible supernatural things on earth and in the world of humans.

What Do Angels Do?

The world angel comes from the Greek word aggelos; it means “messenger.” The angels’ number one job, then, is to do deliver God’s message, to do God’s work. Some religions teach that angels can be called on—used, manipulated—to do what humans tell them to. That’s a lie. Angels do the work of God. Period. That’s what he created them to do.

Worship God

Within that higher priority, God gives angels many different types of jobs. First and above all in Scripture, angels are shown worshipping and praising God in heaven. In the Book of Isaiah, the seraphs were crying out to one another in voices that shook the room: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

And the millions upon millions of angels in the throne room of God pictured in John’s Revelation sing out together in what must be a deafening and awesome chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:12)

In eternity, Christians will join that angel chorus, worshipping the Lamb forever.

Help and Serve Christians

Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” God uses these mysterious beings to care for his children. Talk about a mystery! How, exactly, do angels get involved in serving believers?

We don’t know all that they do for sure. In the Bible, such angelic service included protecting people from harm as well as breaking them out of jail. We can assume that protecting and delivering are still part of what God uses angels to do in the lives of believers.

Many people have told strange stories of the sudden appearance of a powerful, protective figure at the exact moment of a crisis. They walk away unscratched from an accident that should have killed them. They’re suddenly joined in a threatening situation by a group of strong and friendly-looking guys. A kindly stranger tells them exactly the words they need to hear to keep going—and then disappears.

Are these angel stories real? Some have been proven false. Others turn out to have rational explanations. But many accounts of such supernatural phenomena remain unsolved. What we know for sure is that God is able to use these supernatural creatures to serve Christians in our moments of need.

One of the great mysteries of the Christian life is that we’ll never know on earth exactly what God has done through his angels to keep us safe, to encourage us, to protect us, to prod us on to do his will. It’s essential to remember, though, that God is the one who does it. Angels are merely his servants, obeying him by ministering to us.

Interact with Humans Undetected

Part of the reason we don’t know how much angels do in our visible world is that they are apparently able to walk among us undetected. Again, the writer of Hebrews says, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (13:2).

It’s possible that many of us—even you—have had contact with angels disguised in human form.

Are Used to Help Answer Prayer

In Acts 12, God used an angel to answer the prayer of Peter’s friends to break Peter out of jail. God can still use angels to answer the prayers of his people. Again, though, we must always remember that it’s God answering the prayer and not the angel.

Observe Christians

In his New Testament writings, Paul made several references to the fact that angels were aware of and watching believers (1 Corinthians 4:9; 1 Timothy 5:21). And Jesus said the angels in heaven rejoice over one repentant sinner (Luke 15:10).

Obviously, invisible angels are paying attention to our lives, watching us as we grow in our relationship with God through Jesus. The Bible doesn’t say that these angels judge us or condemn us. They don’t have that authority, and their job is to serve us. But we know that they’re watching.

Care for Christians at Death

Probably one of the most comforting thoughts about angels—and one that shows up often in movies and TV shows—is the idea that they help Christ’s followers make the transition from this life to the next one.

We get this picture from the story Jesus told about the rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. When Lazarus dies, he is carried by angels to the next life (Luke 16:22).

Deliver God’s Instructions

One of the three named angels in the Bible, Gabriel, is specifically identified as the Lord’s messenger. He flew in to deliver messages and prophecies from God to Daniel (Daniel 8-9). And he’s the “FedEx angel” in the first chapter of Luke who let both Zechariah and Mary know that they were to become parents to miraculous babies. Gabriel or other angels also delivered messages from God to Joseph (Matthew 1:20-21), the women at Jesus’ tomb (Luke 24:4-8), and Philip and Cornelius (Acts ( 8:26; 10:1-8).

Does God still use angels to deliver important messages today? We know he can. However, since his Word to us through the Bible is a complete message from him, he might not choose to do it as often.

Battle God’s Enemy

The other two angels named in the Bible are Lucifer and Michael. Lucifer, of course, is better known as Satan, the supernatural and powerful enemy of God. Michael is called the Archangel. He apparently commands the “host” or armies of God’s angels.

Several times in Scripture, Michael is described as doing battle with Satan and his demonic forces. In Daniel 10, he takes over a battle, so Gabriel can get away to deliver God’s message to Daniel. Jude mentions Michael disputing with Satan over the body of Moses. And Revelation 12:7 depicts the first battle, in which Satan (“the dragon”) and his forces are cast out of heaven. (More on that in the next chapter.)

How Should We Deal with Angels?

When you really think about it, angels are mind-blowing supernatural creatures. It’s no wonder people can’t get enough of them. Who wouldn’t want to know more about spirit beings who get involved in the lives of humans?

However, God’s Word never tells us to make angels a priority in our lives. He doesn’t teach us to look for them or have relationships with them. God wants us to know about them, but he wants our attention focused on him. So what should we do about angels?

Thank God for Angels

What an amazing thing to know that God’s angels are always watching us, actively protecting us, ready to serve us in any way that God commands. It is comforting to know that God cares about us that much.

Be Motivated to Live Right

As mentioned before, the angels are watching God’s children. The passage in Hebrews 13 encourages Christians to obey God by offering hospitality to strangers because those strangers might be angels. The point wasn’t that we should try to “entertain angels,” the point is that we should live right because the angels are aware of our actions.

Knowing that angels can see what’s happening in our lives can be a kind of accountability—a motivation to do the right thing even when we think nobody is watching us.

Note: That’s not something to fear. The angels aren’t going to get you. They’re not going to report you to God or take away his forgiveness. He already knows everything you do, anyway. In a way, it could be encouraging to know that someone is observing God’s lifelong transformation of us into people who live like Jesus.

Don’t Worship Angels or Put Too Much Emphasis on Them!

This one is huge—and its one way our culture can use something good to lead us into areas that are very, very bad.

The Greek and Roman culture that surrounded early Christianity was also very “spiritual.” Spirit worship and witchcraft and casting spells and calling on gods and spirits and angels to do human bidding were all very popular. Some Christians got caught up in the worship of angels as part of their Christianity, incorrectly believing that angels were just Christian spirits available to use for personal power. They were more excited about the idea of “experiencing” angels than they were about living in Christ.

Paul warned Christians to avoid such people:

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. (Colossians 2:18-19)

Why is making too big of a deal out of angels such a concern for Christians? Because this is an area in which Christians can be deceived. Either through hoaxes or through a desire to have a supernatural experience, some Christians have been drawn into believing serious lies about God and the supernatural world.

Whether an experience involved an angel or not doesn’t really matter in the end. What matters is that God loves us and cares for us—and that he controls what his angels do in our lives. Our relationship with him is through Jesus, not through angels.

The popular show Touched by an Angel depicted a group of angels doing God’s will by helping people on earth. Many Christians loved that show because it was so positive and talked about God and emphasized the importance of making right choices. But how much did it talk about Jesus? And if a show about angels gives people the idea that they can get to heaven with the help of some wonderful angels but without Jesus, is it doing more harm than good?

In fact, any show, song, movie, or book suggesting that we can get power from God’s angels without Jesus is a great big lie. Jesus is our power source. He’s our way to the Father. He’s our savior.

Some Wiccans love angels. One site I found on the Internet explained how you could pray to angels or set up alters to them or call on them to help you. But people who don’t understand the truth about God’s angels are opening themselves up to being deceived by a fallen angel called Satan and his army of fallen angels called demons.