What Does The Bible Teach About Angels?
Share
This resource is exclusive for PLUS Members
Upgrade now and receive:
- Ad-Free Experience: Enjoy uninterrupted access.
- Exclusive Commentaries: Dive deeper with in-depth insights.
- Advanced Study Tools: Powerful search and comparison features.
- Premium Guides & Articles: Unlock for a more comprehensive study.
•Angels can nevertheless take on human appearance when their assigned task calls for it (Gn 18:1-8; Heb 13:2).
•Angels are localized beings. They are not “everywhere present” like God. They have to move from one place to another (Dn 9:21-23).
•Angels are extremely powerful; they are described as “mighty” (Ps 103:20).
•God’s angels are holy (“set apart”). They are set apart from sin and set apart unto God to do his bidding (Jb 5:1; Ps 89:7).
•The holy angels are unreservedly obedient to God (Ps 103:20).
•Angels are immortal, though created. Once created (Ps 148:2-6), they never cease to exist (Lk 20:36).
•The angels are innumerable (Rv 5:11). Daniel 7:10 makes reference to “ten thousand times ten thousand” angels (100 million angels).
•Angels are called “ministering spirits” (Heb 1:14). The word “ministering” comes from a Greek word meaning “serve.” Angels, then, are spirit servants who render aid to the heirs of salvation in the outworking of God’s purposes on earth.
•This service takes many forms, including being used by God in answering believers’ prayers (Ac 12:7), bringing announcements and warnings to God’s people (Lk 1:13; Ac 10:3-33), giving encouragement (Ac 27:23-24), providing protection (Ps 91:11), giving guidance (Gn 19:17), providing deliverance (Ac 12:7), and caring for believers at the moment of death (Lk 16:22).
•Many believe that every Christian has a specific guardian angel throughout life (Mt 18:10; Ac 12:15). Others believe that angels are charged with different assignments as God directs (Ps 91:11).
•Angels are organized by rank, including thrones, powers, rulers, authorities, and dominions (Eph 1:20-21; Col 1:16), but the details and nature of these ranks are not revealed to us.
•Among unbelievers, angels restrain wickedness (Gn 19:1-15), announce God’s judgments (Rv 14:7-10), execute God’s judgments (Ac 12:23; Rv 16:1-18), and in the end times cast them “into the blazing furnace” (Mt 13:37-43).
•In the afterlife Christians will judge angels (1Co 6:3).