“And the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10)
Last week’s column about Lucifer prompted a lot of questions about angels. When did God create angels? What do angels do? How many angels are there? Do angels have bodies? What do angels look like? Do people become angels after death?
The word, angel, actually comes from the Greek word aggelos, which means “messenger”, and is mentioned 201 times in the King James Version of the Bible. You don’t have to dig as hard to learn about angels as I did to learn about Lucifer. I guess that God’s way making sure we are headed in the right direction.
When did God create angels? The Bible doesn’t answer that question probably because it’s just not that important. God has never been as concerned about process as much he has about results. However, we do know that angels were present shortly after God created the heavens, but before he created the earth because Job 38:7 tells us that “all the angels shouted for joy” as the earth was being formed.
What do angels do? Hebrews 1:14 clearly states that “all angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation.” So even though their heavenly function seems to be to worship and praise God (Isaiah 6), their earthly mission is quite different. They are often messengers who reveal God’s will to men (Acts 7:53), but have on occasion served as guides pointing the way to Jesus (John 20:13-15). They also help God to answer prayer (Acts 12:1-7), care for believers at the moment of death (Luke 16:22), serve as a source of strength and encouragement (Acts 27:23-25), deliver believers out of danger (Acts 5), and provide for physical needs (Genesis 21:17-20). The truth is angels were created by God to carry out his will. So they are capable of doing anything that God has purposed for them.
How many angels are there? Again, God doesn’t provide a specific number, but the Prophet Daniel reports that he saw as many as “ten thousand times ten thousand” in one dream. (Daniel 7:10) That’s 100 million angels!
Do angels have bodies? The answer is yes and no. Obviously angels can take on the appearance of men when the occasion demands, which is supported by Hebrews 13:2, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” On the other hand, the Bible also records supernatural appearances: “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. (Matthew 28:3)
Finally, do people become angels after death? The answer is an emphatic no. Angels are not glorified human beings. In fact, Matthew 22:30 explains that they do not marry or reproduce like humans. Even more important, Hebrews 12:22-23 tells us that when we get to heaven, we will be met “thousand upon thousand of angels” and also by the spirits of “righteous men made perfect”. There is a distinction in heaven between angels and humans.
Questions about angels often come from the mouths of children. I know mine have often asked me questions about angels that I could not answer. Perhaps I am a little better equipped to respond. As Peter put it, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15)
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