What Can We Know About Angels?
1) Direct Answer
We can know this: angels are created, holy spirits who serve the one true God and carry His messages and works to men. They are not to be prayed to or worshiped. They minister to the heirs of salvation, protect, deliver messages, execute judgments, and will be involved in end-time gathering. Some fell with Satan and are reserved for judgment. Believers will not become angels; in Christ we are placed higher, and we shall judge angels.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Created by God, innumerable:
- Colossians 1:16; Psalm 148:2,5; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 5:11.
- Nature and duty:
- “Ministering spirits” (Hebrews 1:14); “He makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire” (Hebrews 1:7; Psalm 104:4); they “excel in strength” and “do His commandments” (Psalm 103:20).
- Not objects of worship:
- Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9; Colossians 2:18.
- Messengers and guides:
- Gabriel to Daniel (Daniel 9:21-23) and to Mary (Luke 1:26-38); an angel directed Philip (Acts 8:26), spoke to Cornelius (Acts 10:3-6), stood by Paul (Acts 27:23-24).
- Protection and deliverance:
- “The angel of the LORD encamps round about them that fear Him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7); “He shall give His angels charge over thee” (Psalm 91:11); Daniel 6:22; Acts 12:7-11.
- Strengthening God’s servants:
- Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:43.
- Appearances:
- They may appear as men (Genesis 18–19; Judges 13); “some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2).
- Order and ranks:
- Michael the archangel (Jude 9; Revelation 12:7); “principalities and powers” (Colossians 1:16; Ephesians 3:10).
- The Angel of the LORD:
- Speaks as God and bears His Name (Exodus 3:2-6; Exodus 23:20-21; Judges 13:18-22). God revealing Himself by a messenger form.
- What they know and don’t know:
- They rejoice over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10); they desire to look into the things of the Gospel (1 Peter 1:12).
- Marriage and nature:
- They “neither marry” (Matthew 22:30). Saints do not become angels but are “equal unto the angels” in not marrying and not dying (Luke 20:36).
- Fallen angels and deception:
- Satan has angels (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:7-9). Some angels sinned (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). Satan can appear as an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).
- Testing any message:
- Even if an angel preached another gospel, reject it (Galatians 1:8). “Try the spirits” (1 John 4:1).
- Angels in the end time:
- They will gather the elect (Matthew 24:31) and separate (Matthew 13:39-49). The Lord descends “with the voice of the archangel” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
- Believers’ position:
- In Christ we will “judge angels” (1 Corinthians 6:3). Jesus is far above angels, and angels worship Him (Hebrews 1:4-8).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- If angels were to be worshiped, they would accept it; instead, they refuse and point us to God—so worship God alone.
- If an angel’s message ever disagrees with the written Word, it is not from God; God does not contradict Himself.
- Angels serve; the Holy Spirit leads. We pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus, and God may send angels as His servants.
- People do not become angels. Angels are one order of God’s creation; redeemed men and women are another, brought into sonship by Jesus Christ and set to judge angels.
4) Short Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, angels are real, present, and active—but always under God’s command and always in harmony with the Bible. Respect their ministry, refuse their worship, test all things by the Word, and keep your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whom angels themselves adore.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Jehovah-Jireh, part 2
62-0706 §70
Our heavenly Father, You see those hands. You know what's behind them. You said, "A sower went forth sowing seed. Some fell by the wayside, didn't do no good; some fell on stony ground; some on thorns; some went into a hundredfold." The sower was only responsible for sowing seed. Let the Holy Spirit catch that seed just now. Lord, I believe, Lord. No man knows when You're coming. We don't know that. You said, "Not even the angels would know; just the Father only." Jesus claimed that He didn't know. "Just the Father...
Church Ages, part 5: The Pergamean Church Age
60-1207 §110
Then Balaam started---jumped on his mule (Or, not his mule; his donkey.), down through there he went. And the first thing you know, the angel of the Lord stood in the way. And you know, that prophet (that pope, bishop, cardinal, whatever he was), was so blinded to spiritual things---that thought he was going to get promoted because he lived on the river Euphrates. I guess he thought that was some inheritance, like, "Upon this rock I'll build my church," (Peter) or on some rock that was in Rome, or something. But wh...
How the Angel came to me, and His commission
55-0117 §71
Oh, my! There I seen that the very power of the Holy Spirit... Where one time back there I'd thought it was wrong, and I knowed that this same Angel of God was associated with them people that had those things. Although they had phony and a lot of mix-up and a lot of Babylon in it, but in there was a genuine article. And I seen that it was true. Oh, years passed by, and in the meetings the people would see the visions and so forth.
One man's influence on another
62-1013 §62
Notice, Isaiah knowed that he must find something different. So what did he do? He went to the temple; he raised up his hands, and he cried out to God. And he fell into a vision. And as he fell into the vision, he saw God, not on a throne down here, but lifted up, way up. Oh, my! His train was following Him. He lifted up into the heavens and he saw back and forth through the temple, seraphims flying. Oh, my! "Seraphim," it means "burners," the word "seraphim" means. Which it is next to the altar. Actually, the sera...
Identification
64-0216 §34
...t taken God Himself. Amen! I hope you see it. Look. That was the expression, to manifest such a character as that. For others, it was a fallen character nothing could save. Angels wasn't created for such. Man was a fallen character. Look, how could this man...