Guardian Angels

I’ve been thinking about angels a lot recently. My young daughter is helping me reclaim a proper Christian imagination and worldview. Angels are a part of the unfathomable complexity within God’s creation. Though the Bible doesn’t tell us when God created them or why, their presence spans the entire length of the Bible.

Though they never stay for very long, their appearance typically induces their beholders with a tremendous sense of fear, wonder and awe. The Book of Genesis tells us that angels guard the entrance of Eden, three appear to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre, Jacob wrestles one in the Jabbok and they appear quite often in the prophet’s dreams. They visit the likes of Zechariah and Mary, and they tell the wise men to go home by another way. Shepherds are graced by the multitude of the heavenly hosts and they care for Jesus after He is tempted by their fallen counterpart.

God gives them the blessed task of telling the women that Jesus is alive at the empty tomb and they appear to the apostles moments after Jesus’ ascension. They visit Peter in prison and call on Ananias to go baptize a man named Saul. They play a significant role in the Book of Revelation, with even the seven churches being told they have their own guardian angel.

From the beginning to the end, angels are around. They have been given a task that is different than ours. God has called them to serve as His distinct messengers and to help lead all creation in worship. And so, I hate to tell you, but we don’t turn into angels when we die.

The Church Fathers spilled much ink considering the role of angels. Their relationship is different to time and space than ours; they are not omnipresent like God but have a freedom of movement within space and time that we simply do not have, according to Athanasius.^[i] And Chrysostom said that angels serve God to our salvation.^[ii]

Angels then are for us; they share in Christ’s work by encouraging us onward to our salvation. So, take heart, you are surrounded—and that’s a good thing. Now onward to salvation!

[i] Church Dogmatics III.3 Doctrine of Creation. Karl Barth. p. 382

[ii] Church Dogmatics III.3 Doctrine of Creation. Karl Barth. p. 383