7 Lessons From Angels in the Bible

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The word “angel” comes from the Greek word for “messenger”. Angels are often referred to as the messengers of God. Angels are mentioned at least 108 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the New Testament (Chafer, Systematic Theology, II, 3). While the exact number of angelic beings is unknown the bible does imply, often referring to a “host” of angels, that the total number of angelic beings is quite large. Angels are not human. Angels were created as a separate order of beings with an internal hierarchy that includes archangels, seraphim and holy angels.

Angels are powerful spiritual beings without a physical form that have intelligence, emotion and will. Throughout the bible angels appear in various forms including: with wings, in human form, with no form but only as bright flashes of light and no visual appearance at all with only their voices heard. Angelic beings play many different roles serving many different purposes in the bible including messenger, guide, healer, protector and warrior. In the bible angels are documented carrying out many different actions including: praise, worship, rejoicing, making appearances on God’s behalf, acting as God’s instrument of judgment, bringing answers to prayers, making announcements, delivering news, providing guidance, observing, overseeing, encouraging, caring, supporting and protecting.

One way to better understand different roles of angels in the bible is to familiarize ourselves with some of the well-known angelic stories written in the scripture. The following are 7 well known biblical stories involving angels.

Angels guided Moses during the exodus from Egypt.

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The Book of Exodus tells the story of the Hebrew people who traveled through the wilderness to escape slavery in Egypt in search of the land God had promised them. Moses led his people but Moses was not operating alone. An angel traveled with Moses and his people, guiding them and watching over the people. The angel appeared in the form of a cloud during the day and as a pillar of fire at night, never leaving the people. Some believe this angel was the Archangel Metatron. This divine being spoke as a messenger of God, providing guidance to Moses and the Israelites along on their journey.

This story reminds us that God is faithful to those who believe in and follow Him. If we reach out to God and demonstrate our belief in Him by following His guidance, He will safely lead us on our journey and help us to achieve our goals. We must trust in God’s guidance and demonstrate our faith but following His lead knowing God can see the bigger picture even when we cannot.

Daniel and the Lion’s Den.

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The story from the Book of Daniel relays how jealousy and trickery resulted in Daniels being cast into a pit of lions. Even though Daniel could have questioned God when facing such dangerous foes, he instead put his full trust and faith in God. Daniel knew with all his heart that God would protect him. Daniel remained in the pit or lions’ den with the lions through the night. In the morning the king went to the pit hoping to find that God had saved his friend. Thankfully the king found Daniel alive without even a scratch. Daniel told the king that God had sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions, because he was blameless before God. Some biblical translations also refer to an angel that guarded the mouth of the lions’ den to ensure that Daniel’s enemies did not cause further trouble.

The importance of standing by our principles and acting with integrity even when it is not convenient is one of the many lessons that can be taken from this story. Our faithfulness and belief in God is demonstrated through our actions. When we fully place our trust in God, knowing that through God all things are possible, God will protect us and shower us with His blessings.

Angels appear to Mary and Joseph.

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The Virgin Mary, likely a young woman of 14 to 16 years of age at the time, was pledged to be married to Joseph. This was the custom of the times. The Lord sent the angel Gabriel to bring a message to Mary. Gabriel’s message was that she was to give birth to the son of God. Although this seemed impossible to Mary since she was a virgin, she believed in the angel’s message and submitted her willingness to be God’s servant whatever the responsibility may be. Following this angelic intervention an angel appeared to Joseph, her fiancé, in a dream and told Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. The angel relayed the message to Joseph as well that Mary was to give birth to the son of God and that they were to name him Jesus.

God has a plan for each of us. God’s plan is divine and perfect in all ways, although it may not always feel that way to us at the time. Trust in the Lord and His plan. We all have a valuable role to play in God’s plan. If we place our trust in Him, He will take care of the details. When we trust in Him, He will guide and protect us. When we follow the path God has for us we will be blessed, experiences and successes we never could have imagined on our own. Do not struggle against the path God has designed for you. Resistance to God’s plan only serves to increase the struggles in life. Instead rejoice in the opportunity to serve Him and you will be rewarded.

The Christmas story.

At the time of the birth of Jesus shepherds were in the fields nearby watching over their sheep. An angel appeared to them and announced the birth of the Savior. After this announcement many other angels appeared praising the Lord God. Once the angels had left the shepherds went to Bethlehem to see if what they had just been told was actually true. When they arrived at the stable they found Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus just as the angels had told them. Having witnessed this amazing experience the shepherds then returned to their flocks, spreading the word of the birth of the baby Jesus along their travels.

The shepherds trusted in God’s message to them and took guided action immediately. They did not delay, stall or find excuses to rationalize their experience with the angels’ appearance. The shepherds obeyed God’s simple instructions and immediately went in search of the baby Jesus. The shepherds were rewarded right away for their faith and obedience.

An angel comforts Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane.

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The night before His death on the cross Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jesus has foreknowledge that one of His disciples would betray Him later that evening resulting in Jesus being sentenced to die by crucifixion. Jesus knew what He must do, but still struggled with the anticipation of the pain He would have to face mentally, emotionally and physically on the cross. Jesus was tempted to abandon His plan and save Himself in order to avoid this pain. An angel, many believe to have been Archangel Chamuel, visited Jesus in the garden providing loving support and encouragement for Jesus to stick to the plan. The angel gave Jesus the strength to accept God’s will and prepared Jesus for the intense suffering that awaited Him at the crucifixion.

Even during our darkest moments God is there for us. When we turn to Him we will find the strength, love, comfort, support and encouragement we need to get through those dark times. We may not receive the answers we want. We may have to keep walking a path that is not what we desire, but we must trust that there is a greater plan and a purpose to what we are going through. No matter what challenges we face, God will be there walking through it with us, strengthening and supporting us.

An angel frees Peter from prison.

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Peter, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, was imprisoned and was to be put to death because of his beliefs. On the night before Peter was to be put to death he was sleeping, bound by chains and under the watch of guards. Suddenly an angel glowing in bright light appeared in Peter’s cell and woke Peter up. The angel commanded Peter to stand up. When Peter stood up the chains instantly fell from his hands. The angel instructed Peter to put his clothes on, wrap himself in a cloak and follow him. Peter did as he was told. As Peter followed the angel they walked right passed the guards but none of them seemed to see them pass by. When Peter and the angel reached the gate leading out of the prison it miraculously opened and Peter walked out of the prison and into the city. The angel then disappeared just as quickly as he had come to Peter. The next morning King Herod, upon discovering Peter had escaped, searched for Peter but was unable to find him. King Herod died shortly after the escape and Peter continued preaching the gospel for many more years.

This story teaches us that God will never leave us. We need not be afraid. Trust in the Lord, follow His guidance and rejoice in knowing you are not alone. Have faith that God’s timing is perfect. All things will come in divine time and God is always with you. Even when you cannot see a solution or a way out, trust the God is with you and will carry you through.

Jacob wrestles an angel.

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Jacob, a man with many struggles and indiscretions, is exhausted and broken by the challenges has faced in his life and falls asleep alone in the wilderness. During his sleep an angel visits him. Jacob wrestles with the angel all night long. One blow from the angel during the battle crippled Jacob, leaving him with a limp for the rest of his life. However the angel spared Jacob’s life. Ultimately as day began to break Jacob confronted his failures and weaknesses, ultimately confessing his sins to God. Once Jacob stopped struggling with the angel and submitted to God, he received God’s blessing.

From Jacob’s story there is a lesson we can apply to our own lives. We all experience struggles. Life is not easy, yet God is always with us. When we submit to God’s will He will be there, to help us to grow and develop. Ultimately we learn from our struggles and at the end of every storm there is a blessing for us from God. Our task is to stop resisting and believe in the wisdom of God to guide us through each challenge we face.

What did you learn?

These stories are just a few of many references to angelic intervention in the bible. These stories teach us that angels are everywhere and are always watching over us. Angels are God’s servants here to support and guide us through our life journey. Angels may appear in many forms and play many different roles. Angels may deliver messages and guidance, inspire, motivate, heal or protect us. While these biblical stories happened in the distant past, the lessons apply to our lives today. Take notice of how God’s messages and angelic interventions are occurring in your life today. Be open and apply that angelic guidance in your life to help you develop, grow and improve the quality of your life just as the characters in our biblical stories did.