Pastor Tony Jeffrey
Jim Denison, PhD, founder and CEO of Denison Ministries, tackles this question in his Biblical Insight to Tough Questions.
The Bible contains 306 verses with specific references to an angel or angels. Two hundred ten verses mention a singular angel; 96 describe angels working together. An angel is first mentioned in Scripture when God sends angelic help to Hagar (Genesis 16:6). Angels are last mentioned in Revelation 22:16. Sixteen of the 39 Old Testament books contain references to angels. Seventeen of the 26 New Testament books contain angelic references. The Book of Revelation contains the most references with 79. Surveying the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we discover that the word of God describes an extensive ministry of angels. When you need such help and hope, turn to one of these references and make its truth your own.
Angels Help Us: Angels were created by God to be “ministering spirits” (Hebrews 1:14). All through the Bible, we find them serving his people. Here is the earliest reference to such angelic ministry: “The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur” (Genesis 16:7). Hagar was running away from her home to a certain death before God’s angel found her, saving her life (cf. Genesis 21:17).
Angels Protect Us: Perhaps the most powerful way angels help us is by protecting us from our enemies. Long before an angel kept Daniel from the lions, we find angelic guardians extending power and protection of the Lord to his people. In fact, his angels protected his people across their biblical history. Angels guard children (Matthew 18:10), and God promises the same protection to his people today (Psalm 34:7, 91:11-12).
Angels Guide Us: An angel directed Hagar, Abraham, Abraham’s servant, Jacob, Moses, Balaam, Gideon, Manoah and his wife, Joseph, Mary’s husband, Phillip, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, the mother of Jesus, revealed the resurrection, directed the apostles, Cornelius, Paul, John, and one day, angels will address the entire world (Revelation 14:6-11).
Angels Bring Judgment and Reward: Angels mediate God’s judgment and punishment as they judged Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:12-13, 24). Angels also reveal God’s plan to prosper his people in paradise (Revelation 22:1).
Will We Become Angels?: God created angels before he created the physical universe. Angels are spiritual beings who can sometimes take on physical appearance. But they are not humans. They are not created in God’s image as we are. Nor do humans become angels in heaven. When we are with God in paradise, we are still humans, though we will worship alongside angels (Revelation 7:9-12).
The most important fact we need to remember about angels: They are “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). Even now you are surrounded by an angelic guard you cannot see with human eyes (2 Kings 6:8-23).
However, believing is seeing.
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