Angelology series
By Jerry Batson, Th.D.
Special to The Alabama Baptist
Even a casual reader of the Bible would notice the frequency with which angels are mentioned. For several weeks Theology 101 has been exploring aspects of some of the many occasions in biblical times when angels were involved. We have noted references to angels from Genesis to Revelation, from before the creation of the world all the way to the end time with the final defeat of evil and the dawning of new heavens and a new earth.
Now we might ask: What about angels in our day and time? Are they real and are they active?
Living in a modern scientific age, our risk is to confess faith in the total truthfulness and trustworthiness of the Bible on the one hand, but then on the other hand commit the error of the Sadducees who rejected the reality of angels — “For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection — and no angel or spirit” (Acts 23:8).
The fact is that most all of us likely have never seen an angel or heard an angel speak a message from God, such as we read about happening in biblical times. Such an acknowledgement may serve at best to make us skeptical about angels being active today or at worst cause us to doubt that they even exist. But then we remember that in other areas we accept the reality of things we cannot see, such as radio waves or electricity. We enjoy the benefits that both realities bring to our lives. In principle, we might do well to agree with Psalm 91:11–12 that angels could be God’s providential agents or invisible protectors behind experiences we might otherwise label as chance or coincidence.
Although unseen by human eyes, angels not only may relate to us as unseen protectors but also relate to us as joint worshippers that engage in perfect praise. They are presented in the Bible as are our unseen companions in praising God. What we do on earth, they do in heaven and they do it perfectly. Congregations often sing “The Doxology,” in which we call for this joint praise with the words, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” When we attend to praising God here below, angels attend to praising Him above. While standing in a congregation of believers lifting our voices in praise to God, have you ever imagined that simultaneously angels are offering heavenly praise?
Angels rejoice
Angels also are said to be looking upon what is happening on earth. We read that angels rejoice whenever a sinner repents and turns to Christ as Savior. Jesus put it like this: “There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). Angels are not only looking for people who respond to the gospel invitation, but also are beholding the worship of God’s people.
The message to the Corinthian Church through the apostle Paul was that the women were to wear clothing appropriate to their gender and commensurate with their Christian commitment “because of the angels” (1 Cor. 11:10). Furthermore angels look upon how we conduct ourselves in church affairs, hence, God’s instructions through Paul to Timothy included: “I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality” (1 Tim. 5:21).
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