Angels speak. There is no question about that. We have their words recorded in the Bible. We’ve seen in our series that while some angels are God’s messengers, other angels work for Satan.
The question we raised at the beginning of this series is whether angels speak to people today. Are those claims real? If real, how can we know that encounters we have are really with angels? If they are angels, how can we know if they are they good angels or bad angels? If we do hear from an angel, how should we respond to what they say?
If you haven’t read the earlier parts of our series, I hope you will do that by starting here or by downloading the entire series in the three-eBook series listed at the end of this article.
Loyal
God created angels for His glory. They are supposed to serve and worship Him. However, some of the angels turned from God to serve and worship Satan. They know they are doomed, but those who are not imprisoned are involved in a cosmic battle. They are fighting against the angels who remained loyal to God and with us. The angels who are loyal to God will prevail against those angels who are disloyal. That’s clear from what we read in the Book of Revelation.
I mention Revelation because the word angel is used more than 70 times. The Gospel of Luke comes in a distant second with only 24 mentions of the word angel. Angels are mentioned almost 300 times in the Bible and one Book, Revelation, contains about one-fourth of them.
Revelation is a Book about “the things which are, and the things which will take place after this” (Revelation 1:19). Most of what we read about angels in Revelation concern the things which will take place in the future. The angels who are loyal to God speak of God’s power and glory, not their own.
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing! Revelation 5:11-12
All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 7:11-12
Obedient
As you read about God’s angels in Revelation you will see their obedience. They do the jobs God assigns to them with great power and understanding. In addition to worshipping God, the angels will carry out His will on the earth and in the heavens.
After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. Revelation 7:1-3
When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. Revelation 8:1-6
The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. Revelation 10:5-7
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! Revelation 11:15
The angels who spoke with the Apostle John did so with compassion and mercy. When John was so overwhelmed at what he saw that he fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had shown him such great things, the angel said —
See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God. Revelation 22:9
God’s angels will not speak of their accomplishments nor accept worship. That’s opposite of Satan who talks about himself and calls on people and angels to worship him.
Notice also that the angel who spoke with John called himself “your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book.” God’s angels are humble. Satan is not.
Courageous
God’s angels are also courageous. They know that war is coming and they are ready for it.
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:7-9
This angelic war will cleanse something that has been going on for thousands of years: Satan’s accusations against God’s people. Satan accused Job and other saints in the Old Testament, even as he does today. However, Satan’s day of reckoning is coming.
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:10-11
It is not long after Satan and his angels are cast out of Heaven that an angel of God will preach the everlasting Gospel to the world:
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water. Revelation 14:6-7
That will be a warning to the people on earth that God’s judgment will intensify:
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth. Revelation 16:1
This will lead to the return of Jesus Christ to earth to strike the nations, rule them with a rod of iron and tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. The angels will play an important role in God’s judgment:
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, ‘Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.’ And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. Revelation 19:17 – 20:3
Satan will be released after a thousand years and he will go out to deceive the nations to gather them together to battle. However, fire will come down out of heaven and devour all the armies who oppose Christ. What about Satan?
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:10
Angels’ Future
The future of angels is clear. Demons have known for thousands of years that the time of their judgment and torment is coming:
And suddenly they cried out, saying, ‘What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time? Matthew 8:29
We read in 2 Peter 2:4 that “God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.”
When we read in Revelation 20:10 that Satan will be tormented in the lake of fire and brimstone day and night forever and ever with the beast and the false prophet, we also know that all of Satan’s angels and demons will be there, too.
That will leave just God’s angels going into the bright new future of a new heaven and new earth. We’re told in Revelation 21 that the New Jerusalem will have twelve gates and there will be twelve angel at the gates. God’s angels, who are immortal, will serve and worship God right along with us through eternity.
Angel Voices
I believe we will enjoy the real voices of God’s angels in Heaven. We’ll hear them speak, sing and glorify God. However, I seriously question that many of us will hear angels speak before we go to Heaven. Some may if God wills it, but most won’t.
If someone claims to have spoken with an angel, be careful. They may have heard the voice of the angel Satan.
If you hear a voice or see someone who claims to be an angel, be careful. It may be not be one of God’s angels. It could be the voice of the ‘enemy.’
The author of Hebrews wrote, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” We also learn in Hebrews that God’s angels are “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).
That would seem to indicate that angels are involved in our lives, but their involvement will be only for God’s glory – not their own. God’s angels will not lie and will not contradict Scripture.
Conclusion
In conclusion, let me say again to be careful about anyone who claims to have heard from angels. If someone does claim that an angel spoke with them, “test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). Instead of repeating the words of God’s angels, they may be speaking “doctrines of demons.”
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1
[Listen to this study on our Podcast here.]
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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