Angels, like people, were created by God

Q: Are angels considered part of the spirit world and have they always existed? Are they present today, and can we see them like some claim?

S.A.

A: The spirit world and its activities are big news today. The idea of the supernatural is not only seriously regarded, but is accepted as a fact. Many books on the subject border on the sensational; some are purely speculative or have been dreamed up in somebody’s imagination. Those who take the Bible at full value cannot discount the subject of angels as speculation or hollow conjecture, but we shouldn’t believe everything we hear about them. Some would have us believe that they are only celestial beings with beautiful wings and bowed heads. But what does the Bible say about angels?

Scripture says that angels, like people, were created by God. At one time, no angels existed; indeed, there was nothing but the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Angels indeed, though, are among the invisible things made by God, for all things were created through Him and for Him (see Colossians 1:17).

While angels may become visible by [God’s] choice, our eyes are not constructed to see them ordinarily any more than we can see the dimensions of a nuclear field, the structure of atoms, or the electricity that flows through copper wiring. Our ability to sense reality is limited: The deer of the forest far surpass our human capacity in their keenness of smell. Bats possess a phenomenally sensitive built-in radar system. Some animals can see things in the dark that escape our attention. Swallows and geese possess sophisticated guidance systems that appear to border on the supernatural.

The angels are near to those who belong to Christ and the Bible declares, “For [God] shall give His angels charge over you … in their hands they shall bear you up” (Psalm 91:11–12, NKJV).

This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.