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Answer
Naked cherubs, wings, halos, and cute kindergartners in the Christmas play are some of the images that come to mind when we think about angels. However, God’s Word gives us a completely different picture. Hebrews 1:7 says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.” Angels are spirits created to serve God’s purposes.
Scripture provides us with only glimpses into the supernatural realm, but it is sufficient to understand that angels perform a variety of tasks and are utilized for various purposes:
1. To serve the people God saves. One of the purposes of angels is to minister to the elect of God: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” «Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?», (Hebrews 1:14). Paul experienced an angelic visitation during a storm at sea. The angel brought him comfort (Acts 27:23-24). Others who have been served by angels include Elijah (1 Kings 19:3-8) and Peter (Acts 12:6-10).
2. To deliver messages. The word angel literally means “messenger.” In the Bible, angels usually appeared as men when they delivered messages from God to people (see Genesis 18:1-3). The angel Gabriel appeared to at least three people in the Bible. He interpreted a vision for Daniel «And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. », (Daniel 8:16), toldZechariah spoke about the birth of John the Baptist, “And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings.”, (Luke 1:19), and announced to Mary that she would be the mother of the Messiah, “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth.”, (Luke 1:26). Angels in the form of men also warned Lot of God’s impending judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, “And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;”, (Genesis 19:1).
3. To wage spiritual battle. Another purpose of angels is to fight the forces of spiritual darkness who try to thwart God’s plans (Ephesians 6:12;Jude 1:9). When an angel appeared to Daniel to deliver the interpretation of a vision, the angel stated that Michael the archangel had to help him fight his way through enemy forces (Daniel 10:10-14). The full extent of angelic warfare is not known to us, but these few glimpses are enough to suggest that a fierce cosmic battle rages just out of sight.
4. To worship God. Angels constantly surround the throne of God, worshiping and shouting His praises (Psalm 148:1-2;Isaiah 6:3;Hebrews 1:6;Revelation 5:8-13). Since angels were created to worship God, their rejection of that purpose is an unforgivable wrong. When Lucifer, a chief angel, rebelled against God, he was cast out of heaven.El, refused to worship God and insisted that angels worship him instead, God cast him from heaven (Isaiah 14:12-18). Angels siding with Lucifer were exiled with him.
5. To serve. Angels exist to do the will of their Creator. They go where God sends them, say what He gives them to say, and minister to His children on earth (Psalm 103:20; Revelation 22:9; Hebrews 1:14). After Jesus’ forty-day temptation in the wilderness, angels came and ministered to Him «Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. », (Matthew 4:11). When the righteous die, it seems that angels carry them straight to the place of God’s rest «And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; », (Luke 16:22).
6. To execute judgment. Angels are not all radiance and joy. They also carry out God’s orders for destruction. The book of Revelation foretells many angelic acts that will bring about the ultimate destruction of the world (Revelation 7:1; 8—10). When Pharaoh refused to let the people of God leave Egypt, God sent an angel to strike down every firstborn son «For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. », (Exodus 12:12, 23) «For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel,And on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.” , (Exodus 12:12,23). Angels were involved in the death of Herod “And immediately the angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was consumed by worms and died.” , (Acts 12:23), the slaughter of the Assyrian army “And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out and struck in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.” , (2 Kings 19:35), and the punishment of Jerusalem “And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was destroying, the LORD looked and relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, ‘Enough, withdraw your hand now.’ And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” , (1 Chronicles 21:15).
7. To aid in the transmission of God’s Word. Hebrews 2:2, speaking of the Mosaic Law, calls it “the message spoken through angels.” Somehow, angels were involved in the process of Moses receiving the law on Sinai, revealing yet another purpose of angels.
God uses angels in any way He chooses. Because we hardly know anything about a world outside our physical universe, we cannot possibly understand all the purposes angels fulfill. But Christians have the confidence that God’s holy angels stand ready to protect and deliver God’s mortal children “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways.” , Facebook Comments
