Angel
“Messenger, one sent”
Summary
A created spiritual being of high intelligence and power who serves God as a messenger, executor of His will, and attendant in His heavenly court, sent forth to minister to those who inherit salvation.
☩Nature and Characteristics
Angels are created spiritual intelligences, first in rank and dignity among created beings, whose name denotes their office rather than their nature. Whether pure spirits or possessing spiritual bodies, they have no bodily organization like ours and are not distinguished by sex. They were created before the present world, for at the foundation of the earth 'the sons of God shouted for joy.' Scripture represents them as exceedingly numerous—thousands upon thousands, ten thousand times ten thousand—remarkable for strength, and noted for swiftness and activity in executing divine commands.
☩Ministries and Functions
Angels serve God in three primary capacities: as attendants upon His throne, as messengers to mankind, and as executors of His will in providence. Throughout Scripture, angels appear at crucial moments to deliver divine messages, protect God's people, and execute judgment. They found Hagar in the wilderness, drew Lot from Sodom, announced births to patriarchs and prophets, and strengthened Christ in His agony. They are ministering spirits sent to serve the heirs of salvation, though believers are not to put trust in them, offer them adoration, or pray in their name.
☩Orders and Hierarchy
Scripture indicates different orders among the angelic host, using various titles: thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, seraphim, and cherubim. Cherubim function primarily as guards or attendants to the divine throne, while seraphim voice praises before God's presence. Michael is specifically named as an archangel, and Gabriel stands 'in the presence of God' as a messenger of special revelations. The precise arrangement of these orders remains unclear, but the variety of names suggests gradations of dignity and function among the heavenly host.
☩Guardian Angels
Jesus' statement that the angels of little ones 'always behold the face of my Father' has led to the concept of guardian angels assigned to individuals. Scripture teaches explicitly that angels minister to every Christian, though whether each person has a particular guardian angel cannot be definitively proven. What is certain is that believers have a guard of angels about them, and angels are intensely concerned with the salvation of men, rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.
☩Fallen Angels
Not all angels kept their first estate. Those who sinned were cast down to hell and reserved unto judgment. These fallen spirits, with the devil as their head, became enemies of God and mankind, actively seeking to seduce and pervert humanity. Their offense is not explicitly stated in Scripture, though pride is commonly suggested. They now comprise the kingdom of darkness, ruling in malice against the kingdom of light, though their final punishment is certain.
Related Verses336 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.Richard Watson, "Angel," in A Biblical and Theological Dictionary (John Mason, 1831).
- 2.American Tract Society, "Angel," in American Tract Society Bible Dictionary (American Tract Society, 1859).
- 3.Chad Brand, Charles Draper, and Archie England (ed.), "Angel," in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Holman Bible Publishers, 2003).
- 4.Edwin W. Rice, "Angel," in The People's Dictionary of the Bible (American Sunday-School Union, 1893).
- 5.Charles G. Herbermann et al. (ed.), "Angel," in The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. I (Robert Appleton Company, 1907–1912).
- 6.Charles Buck, "Angel," in A Theological Dictionary (Charles Buck (London), 1802).