Angels Gather Here

I’m not sure where this little Christmas ornament came from, but it's quite fitting. Although a bit cartoonish in its depiction of angels, we find truth in it. It hangs in my daughter’s room all year round. When she was very little, 2 or 3, and we lived in a much older house, she used to tell me of bright lights she would see when she woke up in the night. She could hear singing coming from the light and would be lulled back to sleep. Ummmm… yeah…uhhhhh…what! She admits now, as a 10 year old, that it sounds kind of creepy. It did not upset her a bit at the time however. When she first told me about this happening, I was amazed. I was careful not to plant ideas in her mind with my questions, but to allow her experience to remain pure. In the bible, angels are often described as bright light. Young children don’t typically describe angels as bright light. They think of them as women or children in gowns with wings and a harp, because that is how our culture represents them. So, were angels really visiting my daughter in the middle of the night? I believe they were, and why shouldn’t I? Angels are real, and they do appear to people on earth in various forms, whether we recognize them as agents of God or not.

Do you give much thought to angels? An understanding of their existence brings both comfort and gratitude. I am fascinated by stories of them, although other than looking in the bible, it takes some intentional seeking to find them. We are certainly not inundated with true portrayls of angels in today’s media. For some reason much is made of the darker side of the spiritual world for entertainment purposes. Movies, tv shows, books, and haunted tours excel at portraying evil, but rarely does the entertainment world create the same stir and excitement over God’s holy messengers. I've never even heard a sermon about the work of angels. Perhaps to some degree that is how it should be. Angels never subscribe to the spotlight, or desire credit for their work, but simply act as ambassadors for the Lord. In all their work, seen and unseen, glory is directed to God.

Here is a wonderful account of angel intervention from Billy Graham’s book Angels:

"The Reverand John G. Paton, pioneer missionary in the New Hebrides Islands, told a thrilling story involving the protective care of angels. Hostile natives surrounded his mission headquarters one night, intent on burning the Patons out and killing them. John Paton and his wife prayed all during that terror filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came, they were amazed to see that, unaccountably, the attackers had left. They thanked God for delivering them.

A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Jesus Christ, and Mr. Paton, remembering what had happened, asked the chief what had kept him and his men from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, “Who were all those men you had with you there?” The missionary answered, “There were no men there, just my wife and I.” The chief argued that they had seen many men standing guard-hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords in their hands. They seemed to circle the mission station so that the natives were afraid to attack. Only then did Mr. Paton realize that God had sent His angels to protect them. The chief agreed that there was no other explanation."

That story gives me chills. How many times in our lives have angels been responsible for our protection and deliverance? How many times have we considered ourselves lucky or fortunate, having no idea an angel, or angels, was responsible for a positive outcome in our life? We will probably never know the answer. Maybe it will all be spelled out one day, but quite possibly it wont be.

So what are angels? I’m no angel expert, but I know a little about them. I was so very disappointed when I realized I’d never become an angel. I was really hoping my afterlife would include traveling back and forth from heaven to earth, helping people by direct order of the King. That may sound really silly but it’s true. (Boo hoo!) So the myth that we become angels upon death, sadly, is not based on truth. It’s a comforting thought to have, but misleading as to the nature of angels. I’m sorry if you are now as crushed as I was when I first learned that. God created the spiritual beings of angels before he created man, and we are simply different. We are not created to transition from man to angel. Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve the Lord’s purposes. They are always working in accord to God’s law. Although throughout the bible angels are referred to as masculine beings, they may not have gender as we understand it. We are told in the bible that angels don’t marry or procreate, which I also find disappointing. What would be cuter than an angel baby or more glorious than two angels joined in holy matrimony?!? All of the angels that will ever be have been created, and they are not subject to death. They are more powerful and knowledgeable than we are, but they are not all powerful or all knowing like God. They cannot be in more than one place at a time. They do not have physical bodies, but they can manifest in different forms to be seen by people and carry out tasks on earth.

Of course much of the story of angels would be missing without mentioning Lucifer and the angel rebellion. Lucifer, who rebelled against God and was cast out of Heaven, is also known as Satan. He is the author of sin and the father of lies. As many as one third of the angels rebelled with Lucifer and were cast down to Hell. An unseen war is raging in our very midst today between the fallen angels and God’s angel army. Until Christ’s return it will continue. In the meantime, the pull of evil on our lives, however discreet and unassuming, is real. The scheme of the evil one is to pull us down one inch at a time. His favorite tool is deception, attempting to prevent or unravel our faith and trust in God one thread at a time. In this sly way we may not even perceive his crafty, manipulative work. Billy Graham says it so well here:

"How easily Satan covers with a light color ideas that are dark. His intrigue comes to us colored in the light of our own desires. Time after time he injects his subtle “if’s”……Satan never fails to appeal to the appetites of the flesh and to the seemingly sensual satisfactions that come from the inventions of sin. Our senses are inlets through which Satan can work, prod, and inject his deadly “if’s”.

The “if’s” he injects into our minds encourage us to lean on our own understanding and doubt the promises of God. His lies plant seeds of doubt in our hearts, growing distrust in God’s love and faithfulness. One of his greatest hopes is for people to doubt or dismiss the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross. If he can keep people in the bondage of sin, and lure us to find our identity and worth outside of Jesus, then our hearts are open and vulnerable to his evil influences. This is one of many reasons why salvation is so much more than going to Heaven. When our faith is placed in Christ, God’s Holy Spirit is sent to live within us for the rest of our earthly days. The sword of the Spirit is the best defense we can have against the evil one. It is still hard at times to discern between Satan’s lies and God’s Truth, but having the great Helper reside within allows that distinction to become more and more clear.

I would love to know what your favorite angel stories are. Have you seen the work of one in your own life? Are there ones from the Bible that stand out to you? I love to imagine what it must have been like for Mary when Gabriel came to tell her about God’s plan for the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus. (Luke 1:26-38) Can you imagine the emotion of having an angel tell you that you are highly favored? I can feel the triumph of life reigning victoriously over death when thinking about the brilliant light and strength of the the angel who rolled the stone of Jesus's tomb away. He caused an earthquake and the Roman gaurds to fall like dead men. After moving the stone, Jesus's resurrected body was revealed. (Matthew 28:62-66) I’m stunned and struck with a healthy fear of the Lord recounting the story of one angel of the Lord causing the demise of 185,000 men in the Assyrian army. (2 Kings 19:35-37) I rejoice while imagining a glorious angel appearing to humble, ordinary, dirty shepherds, announcing that a Savior has been born to them. God sent his messenger to shepherds, choosing them as the first to hear the news of Jesus's birth.

Whether seen or unseen, known or unknown, there is an army of holy beings doing their part to bring His kingdom and His will to earth as it is in Heaven. They provide, protect, guide, worship, deliver messages, strengthen, and even execute by the direction of the Lord. This may not be the good news of the bible, but it certainly is some very encouraging news.

“Christians must never fail to sense the operation of angelic glory. It forever eclipses the world of demonic powers, as the sun does the candle’s light.

If you are a believer, expect powerful angels to accompany you in your life experiences. And let those events dramatically illustrate the friendly presence of “the holy ones,” as Daniel calls them.” Billy Graham

photo by Laura Johnson