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.
The Angel of the Lord
51-0718 §53
...t love You so much that I ... my heart just burns in me. I think of Paul preaching all night, one night about You, and a boy fell out of the window and got killed; and Paul went and laid his body over him, for he knowed he was anointed. He knowed the Angel of God that stood by him out there that night on the stormy sea was with him, and the boys life returned to him. And he said, "You'll be all right," and he got all right. I think of how Paul loved You. When they was building the scaffold to take his life, he said...
God in His people
50-0227 §33
The Holy Ghost dispensation come in, and continued on, and will continue on, by the administration of Angels to the Church. Truly. But they're ordained Spirits of God, sent from God, to--to carry the--the things out. Every man was a special calling, back all through the ages, Angels has visit men. Not a worship of Angels (That's wrong.), like Brigham Young and so forth. But an Angel of God will testify to the truth of God. That's right. And it'll declare God. It won't have some kind of mythical something and no one...
Daniel 9: The sixfold purpose of Gabriel's visitation
61-0730E §10
So I want to continue on tonight now, so we won't be too long. And don't forget now... This morning (I got a little notes here), this morning I spoke on Daniel in captivity, Gabriel coming to him and instructed him of the future. That's what we had this morning, the instruction of the future. Now, tonight we're talking on "The Sixfold Purpose of Gabriel's Visit to Daniel," and next Sunday, the Lord willing, placing the seventy of weeks where they belong in the time element, and where are we standing? Now, if we can...
God commissioning Moses
53-0603 §8
Now, tonight, God is still God. Now, when God led the children of Israel out, He brought down an angel. God has always used angels in His work. There's never been an angel of God worshipped, for He wouldn't stand for it. A true angel of God doesn't stand to be worshipped. But God has had angels through every dispensation. Recently, a man that belongs to a fine, full Gospel church, said to me, "Brother Branham," said, "you keep speaking of an angel that visited you. I read your books, and so forth ... an angel." Sai...
One man's influence on another
62-1013 §64
...m die under the judgment of God; and then saw these holy beings that was next to the side of God, the seraphims crying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!" And them holy angels covered their face. Holy angels covering holy faces in the midst of a holy God, then who are we? Oh, you Methodists, and Baptists, and Presbyterians, and Pentecostals, who are we? When holy angels hide their holy faces under the wing to stand in the presence of God, when angels, a being that's actually beyond angels... The angels don't st...