Angels and YouSample

The Truth about Angels

In Revelation 5:11-12, the apostle John describes a heavenly vision of Jesus being worshipped by angels that numbered “ten thousand times ten thousand.”

Wow – that’s 100 million luminous angels pouring out their adoration! In fact, “ten thousand” was the highest numerical figure in Greek at the time, so this may be John’s way of saying there was an incalculable number of angelic beings. That’s one thing we should know about angels – there’s a whole lotta them! But what else does Scripture reveal? Here are some facts about angels that we can glean from the Bible and which I explore in Seeing the Supernatural:

• God created angels as spirits, so they are immortal, because they don’t have bodies that decay.
• Since they are immaterial, they have no gender and don’t marry nor reproduce. When they do materialize in the form of humans, they are always described in the Bible as being male, though female manifestations are mentioned in ancient Jewish literature.
• They have emotions. Job 38:7 says angels shouted for joy when God created the world, and Luke 15:7 says they rejoice whenever a sinner repents.
• They aren’t omniscient, which means they can’t read our minds.
• They have names. For example, there’s Michael, who is identified as an archangel and is described in Revelation 12:7 as leading the heavenly army. And there’s Gabriel, who stands in the Lord’s presence and makes special pronouncements for God.
• They are powerful. Psalm 103:20 calls them “mighty ones” who do God’s bidding. In fact, an angel was able to roll away a huge rock – estimated to weigh four tons – from the entrance to the tomb of Jesus.
• They are greater in knowledge than humans. In fact, angels rank lower than the Lord but higher than people – interesting, because 1 Corinthians 6:3 says we will judge the angels in the end.
• They have a hierarchy. Traditionally, nine “orders” of angels have been recognized. Each has a different function, and some seem to have very different forms or appearances.

Why did God create angels in the first place? Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” So their mission is to glorify God and minister to his followers.

How? By bringing messages – in fact, the word angel literally means “messenger.” They also communicate God’s will; they meet physical needs; and they provide protection, strength, and encouragement. They promote evangelism – in Acts 8, an angel guides Phillip in reaching out to an Ethiopian official with the good news about Jesus.

What’s more, they can rescue believers from danger, which is illustrated in Acts 12, where an angel frees the apostle Peter from prison. At other times, they can execute God’s judgment, such as in Acts 12, where an angel strikes down King Herod as God’s punishment for withholding praise.

Given the impressive powers and abilities of angels, it’s understandable for people to ask God to send them to help us. In his evening prayer to the Father in his Small Catechism, Martin Luther includes this sentence: “Let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.”

Maybe that’s a prayer we all should emulate today.

—Lee Strobel

YOUR RESPONSE

1. What are two or three of the most intriguing powers of angels – and why?
2. God is all-powerful and self-sufficient, so why would he choose to create countless numbers of angels? What are some possible reasons that occur to you?
3. What are some areas of your life where angelic assistance might be needed? What circumstances are you facing where the help of these angelic beings might be beneficial?