{"id":754,"date":"2024-01-10T17:50:20","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T17:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodspringsfgc.org\/?p=754"},"modified":"2024-01-13T17:22:14","modified_gmt":"2024-01-13T17:22:14","slug":"angels-agents-on-assignment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodspringsfgc.org\/?p=754","title":{"rendered":"Angels – Agents on Assignment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the 1946 classic movie \u201cIt\u2019s A\nWonderful Life,\u201d George Bailey gets in deep financial trouble and desperately seeks\nGod\u2019s help. As George contemplates suicide on a snowy bridge, God sends an\nangel named Clarence to his rescue. Through a series of events, Clarence convinces\nGeorge he really has a wonderful life and it would be a shame to throw it all\naway over losing $10,000 ($150K today). Clarence, of course, is a fictional and\ncomical angel, but there are real angels on standby ready to assist us in a\ncrisis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angels are mentioned over 500 times in the\nBible if you include fallen ones. They are invisible to us but they are\nabsolutely real. When you consider all the mythical creatures people believe in\n(aliens, unicorns, werewolves, vampires, mermaids, dragons, fairies, sasquatch,\netc.), we can confidently believe in angels with a solid, biblical basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are Angels?<\/strong> Hebrews\n1:14 answers, \u201cAre they not all ministering spirits<\/strong>, sent forth to\nministerfor them who shall be heirs of salvation?\u201d<\/em> Angels are supernatural, celestial beings\nwho do God\u2019s bidding in the universe. Angels are superior to humans in ability\n(Heb. 2:6-8), but are inferior to believers in rank. Angels are servants of God; we (the blood-washed, born-again,\nredeemed) are sons and daughters of God. Angels cannot call God \u201cFather\u201d or\nsing the song of the redeemed like us (Rev. 5:9-10). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why aren\u2019t there more angel appearances?<\/strong> While there is plenty of angelic activity,\nand I know people who\u2019ve had credible encounters with them, sightings may be rare\nbecause believers have the Holy Spirit as our constant companion. In Bible\ntimes, God gave more visible confirmations of His presence because they didn\u2019t\nhave the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit like we enjoy today (Jn.\n14:16-18, Rom. 8:14-16). Plus, angels are magnificent creatures and, if people\ncould see them, they would probably try to worship them. True angels will not\naccept worship but will deflect it to their Creator (Col. 2:18, Rev. 19:10;\n22:8-9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do all angels have wings? <\/strong>There are different classifications of angels. Cherub or Cherubim are mentioned 95 times in Scripture and are described as having two wings like the golden cherubim figurines on the Ark of the Covenant (1 Kgs. 8:7). Seraphim, only mentioned twice in the Bible (Is. 6:2, 6), have six wings. The Bible doesn\u2019t specify if all other kinds of angels have wings. Besides, wings aren\u2019t essential to travel in the spirit realm. After His resurrection, Jesus walked through walls and appeared and vanished at will. Furthermore, both Enoch and Philip were transported supernaturally without wings (Heb. 11:5, Ac. 8:39-40). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do angels look like?<\/strong> We don\u2019t know exactly since most people have never seen them, but they can assume different forms (Heb. 13:2, 2 Cor. 11:14). No pictures or paintings can accurately portray them. The best we can do is an artist\u2019s imagination based on biblical descriptions. Angels probably don\u2019t look like chubby, naked babies who sit on clouds and strum harps as they\u2019re often depicted in art. When angels appeared in the Bible, the first thing they usually said was \u201cfear not!\u201d So, they must be impressive, intimidating, awe-inspiring creatures. They mostly appeared in bright, white light or radiant glory (Lk. 2:9-10; 24:4, Ac. 12:7). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are angels male or female? <\/strong>Neither,they are probably\nnon-sexual beings without reproductive organs. Often, in art, angels are\ndepicted as women with long hair, breasts, and other feminine features. However,\nmost angels seen in the Bible looked like men. Plus, the main named angels have\nmale names like Michael and Gabriel.Jesus implied that angels are genderless\u2014\u201cFor\nin the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but<\/strong> are\nlike angels of God<\/strong> in heaven\u201d<\/em> (Mt. 22:30). Nothing in Scripture\nindicates that they can multiply. Rather, they seem to be a fixed number. They are\neternal spirit beings which never die, so there is no need to reproduce (Lk.\n20:34-36). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do believers become angels when they die? <\/strong>Often, when a Christian dies, people will\nsay something like, \u201cSo and so finally got their wings\u201d or \u201cGod needed another\nangel, so He took them home.\u201d While that is a sweet sentiment, nothing in Scripture\nsupports this idea. Plus, that would be a demotion instead of a promotion for a\nchild of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many angels exist? <\/strong>Revelation 5:11 gives a number\u2014\u201cThen I\nlooked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living\ncreatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten\nthousand, and thousands of thousands<\/strong>.\u201d<\/em> If taken literally, ten thousand\ntimes ten thousand equals one hundred million, plus it multiplies exponentially\nwith the phrase \u201cand thousands of thousands.\u201d<\/em> So, there could be\nmillions, billions, or trillions of angels. No wonder Elisha said to his\nservant, \u201cFear not, for those who are with us are more than those who are\nwith them.\u201d<\/em> (See 2 Kgs. 6:14-17.) If Satan indeed took one-third of the\nangels when he fell, then that leaves two-thirds on our side. That\u2019s a good\nratio in our favor of two angels for every demon spirit (Rev. 12:3-4, 9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is the only designated archangel? <\/strong>The term \u201carchangel\u201d is only found twice\nin Scripture (1 Th. 4:16, Ju. 1:9). Michael, mentioned five times (Dan. 10:13,\n21; 12:1, Ju. 1:9, Rev. 12:7), is the only designated archangel. Church tradition\nassumes that Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer were the three archangels who each commanded\none-third of the angels. That is possible but not provable. Michael is a mighty\nwarrior and a captain over an angelic army which wages spiritual warfare (Dan.\n10:13, 20-21, Rev. 12:7-9). Gabriel is a messenger who appeared to Daniel,\nZacharias, and Mary bearing good news (Dan. 8:16; 9:21, Lk. 1:19, 26). Many preachers\nand Gospel songs speculate that Gabriel will blow the trumpet at the rapture\nbut the Bible doesn\u2019t specifically say so (1 Th. 4:16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there \u201cGuardian Angels\u201d? <\/strong>Are specific angels assigned to specific\npeople to watch over and protect them from danger? Jesus said, \u201cTake heed\nthat ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in\nheaven their angels <\/strong>do always behold the face of my Father which is in\nheaven\u201d<\/em> (Mt. 18:10). Notice He used the possessive pronoun \u201ctheir\u201d angels. When\nPeter escaped from prison and went to a house where a prayer vigil was held,\nthey thought it was \u201chis angel\u201d (Ac. 12:12-15). Plus, we have this powerful\npromise in Psalm 91:11-12\u2014\u201cFor He shall give His angels charge over you, to\nkeep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash\nyour foot against a stone.\u201d<\/em> <\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is The Angel of the Lord? <\/strong>This unique Angel has God-like qualities so many scholars to believe He was\/is the pre-incarnate Christ. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush and said, \u201cI am the God of your father . . . I AM WHO I AM\u201d<\/em> (see Ex. 3:2-15). The Angel of the Lord slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night who were attacking Israel (2 Kgs. 19:35). The good news is that same, omnipresent Angel is with us too\u2014\u201cThe angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them\u201d<\/em> (Ps. 34:7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What specifically do angels do?<\/strong> Author Mike\nShreve says, \u201cAngels are messengers, ministers, worshippers, warriors,\nwatchers, protectors, assistants, and administrators of God\u2019s Kingdom in heaven\nand on earth.\u201d There is a wide variety of tasks angels perform: <\/p>\n\n\n\n