Angels are personal spiritual beings who have
intelligence, emotions, and will. This is true of both the good and evil angels
(demons). Angels possess intelligence (Matthew 8:29; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1
Peter 1:12), show emotion (Luke 2:13; James 2:19; Revelation 12:17),
and exercise will (Luke 8:28-31; 2 Timothy 2:26; Jude 6). Angels are
spirit beings (Hebrews 1:14) without true physical bodies. Although they do not
have physical bodies, they are still personalities and occasionally take on
physical bodies.
Because they
are created beings, their knowledge is limited. This means they do not know all
things as God does (Matthew 24:36). They do seem to have greater knowledge than
humans, however, which may be due to three things. First, angels were created
as an order of creatures higher than humans. Therefore, they innately possess
greater knowledge. Second, the angels know what God's Word says (James 2:19; Revelation
12:12). Third, angels gain knowledge through long observation of human
activities. Unlike humans, angels do not have to study the past; they have
experienced it. Therefore, they know how others have acted and reacted in
situations and can predict with a greater degree of accuracy how we may act in
similar circumstances.
Though they have wills, angels, like all creatures, are subject to the will of
God. Good angels are sent by God to help believers (Hebrews 1:14). Here are
some activities the Bible ascribes to angels:
They praise God (Psalm 148:1-2; Isaiah 6:3). They worship God (Hebrews 1:6; Revelation
5:8-13). They rejoice in what God does (Job 38:6-7). They serve God (Psalm
103:20; Revelation 22:9). They appear before God (Job 1:6; 2:1). They
are instruments of God’s judgments (Revelation 7:1; 8:2). They bring
answers to prayer (Acts 12:5-10). They aid in winning people to Christ (Acts
8:26; 10:3). They observe Christian order, work, and suffering (1
Corinthians 4:9; 11:10; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12). They
encourage in times of danger (Acts 27:23-24). They care for the righteous at
the time of death (Luke 16:22).
Angels are an entirely different order of being than humans. Human beings do
not become angels after they die. Angels will never become, and never were,
human beings. God created the angels, just as He created humanity. The Bible
nowhere states that angels are created in the image and likeness of God, as
humans are (Genesis 1:26). Angels are spiritual beings that can, to a
certain degree, take on physical form. Humans are primarily physical beings,
but with a spiritual aspect. The greatest thing we can learn from the holy
angels is their instant, unquestioning obedience to God’s commands.
- Provided by "Got Questions Ministries"