I recently received a question from someone checking out our church website asking me my thoughts on angels.
They asked me if I thought they were real, and if so, was it possible that they saw one.
It is a question many of us have probably asked before, or at least wondered about. Therefore, allow me to note a few things about angels that we know are factual from the Word of God.
First, God created angels. Nehemiah 9:6 states that God created the heavens, with all their host. The Bible also explains that they don’t look like we do, that is bodiless.
Scriptures also teach that they are powerful beings (Ephesians 1:21, Revelation 12:7-8, 20:1-3). They have the ability to battle and defeat Satan’s evil forces.
One practice of angels is to worship God. We see this in Revelation 5:11-12 as they provide a model to us, as humans, on how to worship.
Additionally, angels are doing God’s work. In the pages of the Bible we see examples of angels being messengers of God’s word, we see them as acting as patrol over the earth in Zechariah, we see read of them carrying out God’s judgments by bringing a plague on Israel (2 Samuel 24:16-17), and striking King Herod dead in the book of Acts.
I have no doubt that angels exist.
However, is it possible for us to see an angel? Personally, I believe it is, but not in physical form as the Bible mentions. It is possible that an angel is intervening in a situation. Therefore, I believe in angels and I believe they are still carrying on the work of God in our world.
Now, with all that said (or written), I do not believe that angels are to be glorified or worshiped. Read Colossians 2:18 and Revelation 19:10. Additionally, we are not to pray to them as well as the apostle Paul warns us that there is only one mediator between God and humanity, and that is Jesus Christ.