Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. Isaiah 6:2

Are they not ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 2:14.

And I, John, saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I bowed down to worship before the feet if the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, "See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book; worship God." Revelation 22:8-9

Several years ago my wife was at UK Medical Center for some spinal surgery. She was in the operating room for five hours. While waiting for her, I wandered around the hospital lobby. I met someone that I thought I recognized, who gave me a word of encouragement. Several weeks later, I mentioned to my friend that I appreciated her concern, but she denied being there. Whether the woman I saw was someone else I just didn't recognize who knew me, or "an angel sent from God," I can't say. Whoever she was, she was an angel to me.

Those of you who watch Touched by an Angel probably recognize the little quote above, repeated often in Roma Downey's charming Scottish accent. The popularity of the show reflects a widespread public fascination with angels. Unfortunately, that fascination usually does not extend to the God who created the angels, and certainly not to Jesus Christ, whom they serve. In all of the episodes of Touched by an Angel that I've seen, I don't recall ever hearing the name of Jesus mentioned, even in the Christmas episodes. Though the characters on the show make frequent references to God, the angels are clearly the focus of attention in the story lines.

The modern love affair with angels, especially apparent in New Age writings, is nothing new. The Gnostic movement in the early church believed an endless chain of angels that stretched between the sinful material world and an unapproachable God who was all spirit. Paul wrote about the beginnings of that heresy to the Colossians. Lucifer himself was, and is, an angel of great beauty. It suits him perfectly well if men worship angels instead of God, even if they're "good" angels. Those angels who serve God, though, will never accept human worship; the whole idea horrifies them.

Angels certainly have an important role in God's work. They are first and foremost God's messengers. It was an angel, Gabriel, who brought the good news of, first, the birth of John, then of the birth of our Lord Jesus. An angelic choir proclaimed the news to the shepherds. An angel brought God's message that drew Abraham back from sacrificing his son. When the apostle Paul was on a ship in a great storm, an angel came to tell him that everyone onboard would be saved (Acts 27:23-24).

Besides being messengers, angels also serve as agents of God's provision and deliverance. The writer of Hebrews, whom many believe was Paul, called them "ministering spirits." Angels came to minister to Christ after the Temptation, and an angel came to provide food for Elijah as he fled from Jezebel (I Kings 19:5-7). When Peter was in prison awaiting execution, an angel came at night, loosed his chains, and led him safely outside. The Psalmist tells us that God sends his angels to encamp around about us, and keep us in all our ways (Psalms 34:7, 91:11-12. Many people believe in guardian angels, though there is no direct scriptural basis for the idea (the closest is in Matthew 18:10). Stories abound about missionaries and ordinary Christians who were delivered out of great danger by angelic beings.

God also uses his angels to execute his judgments on men and devils. Two angels destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, after leading Lot and his family to safety. In God's final judgment on the earth, his angels will send down all manner of plagues and disasters. At the end, Michael, the general of the Lord's armies, will bind up Satan and cast him into the pits of Hell.

Sometimes, the Bible says, we entertain angels unawares. Most of us have heard stories about people who have picked up hitchhikers who later disappeared, or mysterious strangers who lent help in time of need but afterwards could not be found. Not all angels, of course, are from God; Satan took a third of the angels in Heaven with him when he rebelled. If an angel says or does anything that isn't consistent with the teaching of God's Word, or that doesn't glorify Christ, it doesn't come from God.

Angels aren't dead Christians who graduate to bigger and better things, contrary to many popular movies and television shows. Neither do they start off as baby angels, or work to earn their wings. They are created as complete beings, not raised up from children. Although we, as humans, are a little lower on the scale than angels (Psalms 8:4-5), one day we will rule over them. As a matter of fact, Paul says, we will judge them (I Corinthians 6:3). Perhaps we will judge the very demons that torment us, though that's speculation.

If you're ever fortunate (or perhaps unfortunate) enough to be visited by an angel, listen carefully to what they say or watch what they do. Don't just be in awe of their beauty, and never, ever worship them in any way. If they don't speak or act in a way that's consistent with the Word, send them away in Jesus' name. One day, on the other side of eternity, we will see them flying around the throne of God, just as Isaiah did. If we're Christ's, we have nothing to fear from the flight of angels.

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JESUS IS the Bridge Ministries

Beneath His Wings Devotionals - Vol. 1