Familiar stories. Two of the approximately 300 direct or
indirect references in scripture to angels. That is a lot of
talk about angels. Lots MORE talk in the world. Best seller
lists regularly have popular titles about angels; book stores
have whole sections devoted to angels. Michael Landon starred
for five years as an angel sent to earth to assist mortals in
"Highway to Heaven;" CBS had one in the same vein on Saturday
nights called "Touched by an Angel." There was that wonderful
movie several years ago starring John Travolta called "Michael,"
with our hero being about as UNlike our normal image of an angel
as possible - he is presented as paunchy, unshaven, slovenly, and
sporting wings such as might have been grafted from a giant soot-smudged pigeon. But he is sweet - over and over he says, "There
is no such thing as too much sugar." Remember those?
You do not hear much preaching about angels despite the many
biblical references to them. Some years ago, Billy Graham
decided to do a sermon on angels and realized that he had never
heard one. It prompted him to, not only preach a sermon, but
write an entire book on the subject: Angels, God's Secret
Agents.(1)
Some years ago, when the internet was just coming into its
own, I decided that the church I served should have a presence on
the web to reach folks who otherwise might have no contact with
us at all. It was relatively easy to put up a website, and so we
launched one, the first congregation to do so in Greensboro, NC.
It had much the same type of information as our First
Presbyterian website has today - location, service times, events,
activities, and sermons...a new one every week. It attracted a
lot of attention, was written up in the newspapers, and so on.
No big deal these days, but back then, something on the cutting
edge. I mention that because one of the first sermons I posted
had to do with angels,(2) and, to this day, that sermon has
attracted more e-mail than any of the almost 400 that are
currently on our website. One of the notes came from a
university student who was involved in a research project on
angels and, in his web search, he had come across the sermon and
was writing to comment on it. Oh yes, the student was in
Indonesia. Amazing!
Another was from a lady, somewhere in the US, I have no idea
where. She wrote:
Rev. Leininger:
My 50 year old mother died in July from cancer and
complications from cancer. Needless to say, I have
been very overwhelmed with emotions, one of which was
my anger with God, and why he chose my mother at this
particular stage of our lives, young and starting out,
growing families, etc. I could not understand his
reasoning, but had no choice to accept it, although I
did not truly accept it in my heart. Just recently I
had an angelic experience that has put all my anger to
rest.
I was having a dream one night, within the past week.
The dream started out ordinary, something corny, which
is typical for me. Then it changed dramatically. Out
of nowhere, this girl appeared, and told us (me, my
husband, and brother-in-law) that there was a ghost
outside. I ran to see. What I saw was a shadowy
image, three dimensional, of my mother. The image
traveled at great speed to where I was. The detail of
what I saw is remarkable. It was of her from the
thighs up. She was not in her ill state, but as if she
was with her new body. She was dressed in very
familiar clothes, and her hair styled how she always
did. I can remember every little detail on her shirt
she had on. Some parts of the image were darker, some
were lighter. But it was no mistaking it was my mom.
She looked at me, smiled and waved, and gave me a big
thumbs up-something she always did. In that second,
the dream was over.
Now, I was very upset after I woke up. I realized I
did not have a dream. I had a spiritual experience. A
gift from God. The girl that told me of the ghost, was
in my opinion, an angel. I believe it was an angel
bringing me to my mom. (By the way, the girl was
wearing jeans, and had blonde hair that was in a
ponytail - a very hip angel in disguise to fit the
dream). I was upset and sick to my stomach because I
couldn't believe that I had this happen. I could read
my mother's mind, or I guess I could say she sent it to
my mind. We spoke no words. What she told me was that
she was OK and very, very happy. She also told me that
she was very happy with the way I was handling things.
I believe God wanted me to see that she was OK and
happy and in good hands. I was very worried about her
since her death. In the past two weeks I wrestled with
the notion that I wished I could see her one last time,
or I wish I could talk to her one last time. It was as
if God granted my wish, but with a two-fold message
inside.
I called my pastor in the morning and he told me of
people in the Bible with angelic experiences and said
that if I believe in what happened, I can feel chosen
to know I had a true gift from God. I will tell you
this - my anger with God has subsided. I still wish I
could have my mom with me here on earth, but knowing I
can't is ok with me. When I saw her, she was so much
more happy than I ever remember her being. After the
hardships my mom was dealt, it sure felt good seeing
her so happy.
I expressed my concern to my pastor that I feel that if
I try to share this with people that I will be looked
at as crazy, and strange. There is nothing strange
about me. I am as normal as they come. I've heard of
a few stories where people said they've experienced
angels, but never really thought whether I believed
them or not. I thought their stories were neat, but
that was it. I hope you can read this with an open
mind. I don't know you, but am sharing something with
you that is so special to me. Reading that you were a
minister, made me feel better, but I still am a little
leery. Your sermon was the closest thing I've found on
the internet that related to my experience. So I
thought you must have some feelings or insight to such
experiences. Please be honest, but gentle. I've been
in tears most of the days since this happened, because
I am elated that I got to see her again. Tears of joy
to the whole experience. Thank you for your time. E.
Adams
Well, Mrs. Adams, I do have some feelings or insight as to
such experiences. I agree with Shakespeare who said in Hamlet,
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are
dreamed of in your philosophy."(3)
According to a Gallup Poll last year, while the portion of
Americans who believe in God has remained relatively steady at
upward of 90%, increasing numbers of Americans believe in heaven,
hell, angels and the devil. Eighty-one percent of Americans
believe in heaven, and 70% believe in hell. Those figures are up
from 72% and 56%, respectively, since 1997. More than three-fourths of Americans - 78% - believe in angels, up from 72% in
1994. Eighty-four percent of women believe in angels, compared
to 72 percent of men.(4) That surprises me a little - after all,
how many men describe their wives as angels? "My wife is an
angel...always up in the air harping about something." Uh-huh.
So saying, if there is such a thing as a universal idea, one
that cuts across cultures and religions, common through the
centuries, it is this belief in angels. Not only do Christians,
Jews, and Muslims (the monotheistic religions) have angels, but
Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism do too; winged figures appear
in primitive Sumerian carvings, Egyptian tombs and Assyrian
reliefs. Angels litter the metaphysical landscape from ancient
times to the present.
What does the Bible say about angels?(5) First of all, the
term: "angel" is derived from the Greek word angelos which means
"messenger." Angelos and the Hebrew equivalent, malak (which
also means "messenger" [the book of Malachi = My Messenger]), are
the two most common terms used to describe this class of beings.
In general, in texts where an angel appears, the task is to
convey the message or do something on behalf of God. Since the
focus of the text is on the message, the messenger is rarely
described in detail. Thus, the divine emissary may or may not be
some sort of supernatural being.
Another set of terms used to describe angels focuses not on
angels as mediators between God and us, but on God's heavenly
entourage. Terms such as "sons of God," "holy ones," and
"heavenly host" seem to focus on angels as celestial beings. As
such, these variously worship God, attend God's throne, or
comprise God's army. These terms are used typically in contexts
emphasizing the grandeur, power, and/or mighty acts of God.
By the way, those cute cuddly little cherubs on Christmas
cards do NOT reflect the Biblical image; after all, most every
time someone encounters an angel in scripture, the first words
out of the angel's mouth are FEAR NOT. Who would be afraid of
one of those chubby little munchkins?
So, where did the angels come from? The Bible does not say
other than to affirm that since only God is eternal, angels must
therefore be created beings. "They are not ghosts nor are they
spirits of the dead. They do not spend time trying to `earn
their wings' like the sweetly ministering Clarence in the movie,
It's a Wonderful Life."(6) No place in Christian theology do we
find any reference to humans becoming angels.
What do angels look like? In the Bible, the appearance of
angels varies. Only cherubim and seraphim are represented with
wings. Often in the Old Testament angels appear as ordinary men.
Sometimes, however, their uniqueness is evident as they do things
or appear in a fashion clearly non-human. The brilliant white
appearance common to the New Testament angel is not a feature of
the Old Testament image.
How about gender? Are there boy angels and girl angels?
Some point to Jesus words in Mark 12:25 about there not being
marriage as we understand it in heaven; instead we will, to use
his words, "be like angels;" many have interpreted that as
meaning that angels are sexless (which would mess John Travolta's
Michael up BIG time). But then there is that passage in Genesis
6:2 which says, "the sons of God (or 'angels') saw that the
daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them
they chose." In other words, I would not bet the ranch on either
position - the Bible is not clear here. And, by the way, just
because the Bible is not clear has never hindered theologians
from speculations - I will not go into them all here, but if you
are interested, you can check that old sermon on our website
entitled ANGELS for some of them.
One of the subjects with which that sermon dealt remains one
of biggest questions people have regarding angels, specifically
Guardian Angels - do we have them? Lots of folks believe so.
The passage in Psalm 91 suggests YES: "For he will command his
angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will
lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot
against a stone." There is Jesus' comment in Matthew 18:10: "See
that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I
tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my
Father in heaven."
In Billy Graham's book is the story of the Reverend John G.
Paton, pioneer missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. He told a
thrilling tale of hostile natives surrounding 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. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
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. God's angels?
The chief agreed that there was no other explanation. Do you
have one?
I will say this: I DO have a problem with some stories. In
my files I have one(7) of a woman who says she was prevented from
going into a certain building at a certain moment because she was
held back by an unseen hand on her shoulder. She looked around,
but saw no one nearby. She tried again and was stopped again.
Whirling around, she still saw no one. But then she heard a
clear voice: "It would not be wise for you to go in there just
now." Hours later she learned that there was a woman murdered in
the building, just after she would have entered. It could have
been her - it probably would have been her, she thought. She got
down on her knees and gave thanks. But the story raises a
disturbing question: if she was actually saved by an angel, why
did the other woman have to die? Where was HER angel? Are
angels partial to certain humans -- does even God play favorites?
I have never heard an answer that satisfies me.
What do you think? In the comic strip "Family Circus,"
Billy comes into the house all tattered and torn. He looks like
he has been in a wreck, then a fight, then dragged for a mile or
two by a team of runaway horses. He asks, "Do guardian angels
take days off?"(8)
The biggest hazard in all this fascination with angels is
that it can take people's focus off God, the God who created
these ministering agents in the first place, the one who loves us
and this whole world so much that God's own son Jesus Christ came
to redeem us. Angels are a sign of God's interest in us, of
God's desire to point us in the right direction. In the Bible
God uses angels to guide people to begin new ventures, to protect
themselves, to wait, to trust. There is no reason to think that
God has stopped guiding people that way. My advice is to keep
your eyes open for angels...angels of all kinds. Do not confine
yourself to wings and haloes. Just remember that, Biblically,
the word we translate as ANGEL is just as correctly translated
MESSENGER.
One messenger might be your conscience. "Ah, ah, ah."
"Watch it." "Careful." Listen for that inner voice that keeps
you from straying from the right path. An angel.
A second might be found in your dreams. This has great
Biblical precedent - In the Old Testament, Abimelech, Jacob,
Laban, Joseph, the Egyptian Pharaoh, Gideon, Solomon. In the New
Testament, Joseph, the Wise Men, the wife of Pontius Pilate, to
name a few. Analyze your dreams and their symbols (if you
remember them), to see what is being said to you. An angel.
Third, look for angels in the people around you every day.
Years ago, I was in the process of wrestling with God in
discerning where it was my ministry would take me next. I was
convinced it was a church in Kansas. One morning, as Christie
and I were walking, she said to me, "I don't know how you feel
called to Kansas, but I feel called to North Carolina (where
another church was asking me to serve). She had never said
anything like to me before. Ever. An angel.
Angels. A pastor went to visit a newly-married couple in
his congregation. He knocked on the front door. A sweet voice
from within called, "Is that you, angel?"
The minister replied, "No, but I'm from the same
department."
Angels. No, we do not begin to have all the details
available to us. But if you are interested in angels, be glad -
it is a sign of a healthy hunger for the answers to the great
mysteries. Listen for God's messengers and messages. Remember,
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are
dreamed of..." Angels.
Amen!
1. Waco, TX : Word Publishing, 1975
2. http://www.presbyterianwarren.com/angels.html
3. I, v, 166
4. Kevin Eckstrom, Religion News Service, "Poll: Belief in angels, devil on the rise," The
2004 figures are based on a telephone poll of 519 adults. The poll has a margin of error of plus or
minus 5 percentage points.
5. Much of the following comes from "Angels" by Mike Martin in the Holman Bible
Dictionary, Electronic Edition, Parsons Technologies, 1994
6. "Angels Among Us," Time, 12/27/93, p. 59
7. Eileen Elias Freeman, Touched by Angels, (Warner Books)
8. The Pastor's Story File, Oct. 1991, p. 5
click and send us mail