Recently it dawned upon me that I belong to a late 20th century minority group. Things may change, but to date I've had no encounter with an angelic being (apart from my wife, of course). I could attend any number of angel awareness seminars to enhance my powers of angelic attraction. And books! There are more books about angels coming out than I have time to read.
Billy Graham's book, Angels published prior to this angel hysteria, now has a shelf full of topical neighbors. A Rumor of Angels, Ask Your Angels, A Rustle of Angels, Celebration of Angels, Angels Dark and Light, Brush of an Angel's Wing, The Real Truth About Angels, The Little Book of Angels, etc...... Newspapers, magazines, supermarket tabloids, all give space to this angel fascination. The television industry has also made room for angels. Beyond the many movies and programs carrying the theme, the more recent documentary, Angel II, has continued to feed our angelic intrigue.
Why this renewed interest? Many would have thought the pursuit of angels belonged to the world of medieval and renaissance art. But even present day artists are cashing in on "angel mania." Modern society has become captivated with angels. A recent Time/CNN poll indicated 69 percent of Americans believe in their existence.
Whatever happened to the hard-line humanistic atheism that rejected all forms of the supernatural? One would think that a society indoctrinated by naturalistic thinking would find all talk of angels incredulous. Not so! Gallup polls, for example, have revealed that teenage belief in angels has increased from 65 percent in 1978 to 76 percent in 1992 (three out of four). One has aptly commented that this "says something about a coming generation and its search for something beyond self to believe in."
What should be made of the many testimonies of angelic encounter? Did they really happen? Are they money-making schemes? Are they hallucinations? It is very hard to judge another person's professed experience. Rules of evidence such as multiple witnesses, documentation and historic attestation would certainly help. I would suggest that separating fad from fact is important.
Interestingly, in spite of my lack of angelic encounters, I have chosen to believe in them. My belief is based on rules of evidence applied to the biblical record. Such a conclusion, however, will be at odds with most current experiences of angelic visitation. In scripture, people's response to angels was not a feeling of warm acceptance like those reported today. In the first recorded example involving Abraham, he was not immediately aware of angelic presence (Gen. 18,19). On other occasions the pattern fits the last biblical encounter noted in the book of Revelation. In this account John was so awestruck he fell at the angel's feet to worship him (Rev. 19:10). The angel quickly corrected John, telling him to worship God. While bright light might appear, fear and terror would better describe the common response to angels documented in scripture-not warm acceptance (Matt. 27:2-4).
If a survey were taken, I would suspect the average person thinks of angels as white-robed, winged creatures with harps and halos-each identical in appearance. This, of course, is not the description found throughout scripture. Although the Bible does not set out to present an organized doctrine of angels, it treats the appearances and activity of angels with historical integrity. In the unfolding of God's plan, there is dramatic angelic involvement throughout both Old and New Testaments. Nowhere are angels more active than in the life of Jesus. They announced his birth to Joseph and Mary. An angel appeared to the shepherds bringing good news of the Savior's birth and directing them to him. On that occasion a great company of angels appeared giving glory to God. An angel warned and directed Joseph concerning King Herod's wrath. Angels ministered to Jesus after his temptation, removed the stone from his tomb, and announced his resurrection.
The Bible reveals many more facts about angels. They were created by God prior to the creation of man (Ps. 148:2,5; Job 28:4-7; Col. 1:16). They function as guardians with the special duty of caring for God's people (Matt. 18:10; Heb. 1:14). Contrary to most "angel art," scripture only refers to them with male gender. They exist in vast numbers (Rev. 5:12). Jesus indicated that angels neither die nor reproduce (Lk. 20:36; Matt. 22:30).
One of the most intriguing statements about angels is found in the New Testament book of Hebrews, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have entertained angels without knowing it."
Apart from the many positive things we learn about angels there is cause for warning. Preoccupation with angels clearly violates Christian tradition. The Apostle Paul warned early Christians to avoid the "worship of angels" and deceptive people who take their stand on visions they have seen (Col. 2:18). This angel-centered focus violates the God-centered purpose of angels. Claims of angelic messages do not in themselves demand belief. In fact, on another occasion the Apostle said, "Even though we, or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed." (Gal. 1:8).
In a day when people senselessly accept whatever they hear in the name of tolerance, there is great need for discernment. If a professed angelic message contradicts Christian truth-it is to be rejected. The story of angels also has a dark side to it that cannot be overlooked. The scripture indicates that some angels rebelled against God. In my next column I will discuss fallen angels.