From the first chapters of Genesis to the closing verses of Revelation, angels play an important role in
Scripture and are active throughout the story of God’s people. Angels are powerful, fascinating, and
appear in many different ways and in many different situations. We are likely familiar with many of
the angels that appear in Scripture: the angel who guarded Eden, the angel Gabriel who announced
the birth of Christ, the archangel Michael, and many others. So, who exactly are these unique beings,
and what role do they play in our world today?
Angels are beings created by God who not only share his messages, but also actively do his will,
encourage believers, and fight spiritual battles on our behalf. The word angel comes from a Greek
word that literally means “messenger” , and angels are often seen bringing messages from God to us.
In spite of what we may have seen in cartoons and movies, angels are not people who have died,
now sitting on clouds playing harps and waiting to earn their wings. This can make for a great
storyline, but it is simply not accurate. Angels are created beings, made for God’s service and
different from human beings. Hebrews 1:14 gives us this relationship between humans and angels,
“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”
Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:30 that in heaven we will become more like angels in certain respects,
saying, “at the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the
angels in heaven” . This doesn’t mean that we actually become angels, but that we will be free from
the things of earth and be able to see and enjoy our Father in the same way that angels do. Angels
are eternally singing the praises of God, and we will also worship him forever in the same way.