Angels appear in the Bible as soon as Adam and Eve disobey the rule about not eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil. Angels are seen throughout the pages of the Bible right up through the last chapter of the Book of Revelation.
God placed a Cherubim at the entrance to the Garden of Eden to guard the Tree of Life. If Adam and Eve partook of the Tree of Life in their fallen, sinful, spiritual condition; they would have lived for eternity in corrupt bodies.
Hagar, Lot, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, all had experiences with angels. These angels protected, gave direction, delivered from evil, and gave new boldness to fulfill a mandate in their lives, as was the case for Moses.
The Ark of the Covenant had two ‘Cherubims’ facing each other, and looking down toward the cover of the Ark. They were placed there to remind Moses and the High Priest how holy God is, and to protect the contents of the Ark. Inside the Ark was a copy of the Law, a portion of the Manna, and Aaron’s Rod that budded.
The Prophets received glimpses of angelic beings while having their visions and dreams of heaven. They saw ‘Seraphim’ and ‘Cherubim’ and ‘Living Creatures’. They were above, around, and before God’s throne.
When Daniel was praying and fasting for three weeks, he was visited by the Archangel Gabriel. Michael had to help fight against the Prince of Persia, enabling Gabriel to deliver his message to Daniel.
There are Guardian Angels assigned to those who reverence God. Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear Him, and delivers them.” Jesus spoke of Guardian Angels around little children. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 18:10 NASB
There are angels assigned to guide people to God. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14 NASB
Angels are innumerable. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,” Hebrews 12:22 NASB “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.” Psalm 68:17 NASB
Angels are able to take on human bodies. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2 NASB
Angels do not marry. “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” Matthew 22:30 NASB
The word ‘Angel’ comes from the Greek word, ‘aggelos’, meaning ‘Messenger’.
We are not to worship angels. “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,..” ESV “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” Revelation 22:8,9 NIV
Angels are not dead ancestors, nor ‘spirit’ guides. Books, movies, television shows, mediums, psychics, and many others seek to convince the populace that it is a normal thing to communicate with the ‘Other Side’. The Bible says different. Consider the following points and scriptures.
1. Deuteronomy 18: 10-12 forbids divination, sorcery, spirit contact, consulting mediums, consulting those who contact the dead, casting spells, and heeding omens.
2. Jesus tells us about the rich man and the beggar (Lazarus), who have both died, in Luke 16. When the rich man pleads that the beggar, Lazarus, be allowed to go back to earth to warn the rich man’s brothers about his separation from God after death, and the terrible place he is in, the rich man is told that his brothers can listen to Moses and the Prophets and be warned that way. When the rich man begs again that “someone from the dead” should go to them, he is told that if his brothers ignore Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced “even if someone rises from the dead,” (verses 27-31). Jesus is not just speaking of someone coming back from the dead, but of his own resurrection from the dead which many refused to believe.
3. 1 Samuel 28:11-20: The medium called up Samuel, who was dead, but the medium seemed surprised to see Samuel. Although God allowed Saul to see Samuel, it was for him to receive news of his death the next day. God used Saul’s forbidden consultation with the medium to give him a message that condemned his action. First Chronicles 10:13, 14 follows up by telling us that one reason that Saul is allowed to die in battle is because he consulted a medium.
4. Consulting mediums or attempting spirit contact takes us away from seeking God for direction: “And when they say to you, ‘Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them,” (Isaiah 8: 19, 20).
5. Leviticus 19:31 puts it clearly: “Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. ” God considers this spiritual adultery (Leviticus 20:6).
6. There are two kinds of angels: good angels who serve God, and fallen angels (evil spirits, demons) who serve Satan. Good angels are messengers of God; they serve God, not us. They do not come and go at our command. If one seeks to contact an angel, only evil angels will respond.
II Corinthians 11:14 tells us that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. Demons serve Satan, and take after him. Why can’t a demon disguise itself as a good angel, a dead person, a wise spiritual master, or any other spirit that humans seek?
The bottom line is that we need to seek God through Jesus Christ and not seek information from God through a spirit contact. We don’t need a medium, a channeler, or a psychic contacting spirits who are playing with our minds. God gave us His only son, and He gave us His word in scripture. Through trusting in the work of Christ on the cross as the atonement for our sins, we are reconciled to God. Jesus, who has power over all the spiritual realms, has this to say: Revelation 1:17-18 “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
I have had several experiences with both angels and demons. We will write about the demons later, and I will mention one ‘angel-visit’ for now.
I had just appeared before the foreign missions board to be examined, quite intensely, about my desire to go to Africa as a missionary. I was driving back to Ohio, and it was late at night. I stopped to get a cup of coffee and to top the tank off with gasoline. The gas station sat on top of a small hill, and off to the right of the exit ramp of the freeway. There were no other buildings around, just barren farm fields. Across from the gas station was the ramp going back down to I-70. It was late, with very little traffic on the side road, and not that much on the freeway.
I pull up to the pump, jump out of the van, and run inside to grab my coffee. There is one other car on the opposite side of the pump that I am parked by. A man is pumping gas, and looks at me with a smile, as I walk by going into the station for my coffee. I pay the attendant for my coffee and walk back out with the coffee in my hand, and proceed to pump gas into my vehicle.
While I am waiting for the pump to do its job, I am standing there sipping my coffee and staring off into the vacant land and air around the station, praying about Africa and the Board’s decision. Then, I hear the man on the other side put his pump away, and then he says to me. “You are going to like it over there.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and I almost spilled my coffee! I whipped around to look at him with my mouth open. I said, “What did you just say?” He smiled and said, “You are going to like it over there.” I said, “Over where?” He said, “Africa.”
I am totally dumbfounded now and I smile with a puzzled look on my face, and I ask him. “Do I know you?” He said, “No.” I said, “How do you know about me going to Africa?” He smiled real big, and said, “I know things.” Before I could say anything else, while standing there in total shock, he has gotten back into his car and driven off.
I turn to put the pump away and the gas cap back on. When I look up again, this man is nowhere to be seen!
I walk toward the road and look both ways and then down the ramp to the freeway, and there is no car, no headlights, no tail lights, no buildings to hide the car from sight. Nothing! I then feel ‘goose bumps’ all over me and begin to thank God for His angel, as I realize what had just taken place. I had just been visited by an angel ‘unaware’, as Paul described it.
To be continued…