Angels are Living Beings
Angels live and be. In other words, they are true existences that have life within them imparted to them by God, their Creator, the only Source of Life.
This short article places emphasis on the actual existence of angels because many people don’t consider them to be real life forms. For a large group of individuals, they are mythological creatures; a figment of mankind’s imagination developed to make life more interesting and give people something to talk about. However, the bible says otherwise. They are not legends but true beings that do lead active lives. As one searches the scriptures, they will recognize that the bible authors believed that angels do exist and that they are mentioned several times as real persons, not as fakes.
In Luke 1 there is the record of Zacharias, a priest, speaking with an angel. Verse nine of that chapter says that Zacharias, burnt “incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.” While he burned incense “there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.” (Luke 1:11). The bible goes on to say “And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings” (Luke 1:12-19)​ In this account it is clear that this interaction between Zacharias and the angel really occurred. There is no evidence to suggest that the story was a parable or meant to be taken figuratively. The angel even went as far as to state his name, Gabriel, while the two spoke. Such a record justifies the theological teaching that angels are indeed real beings.
There is also a story in Mark 1 regarding a man possessed with an unclean spirit. This story, similar to the story of Zacharias, in Luke, speaks about the fallen angel as an actual, real entity. Mark 1:23-26 says, “there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit And he cried out saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.” Again, the quoted scriptures give no reason for a reader to believe the story was false. This event truly occurred. Thus, the unclean spirit in it was certainly real.
​
Moreover, if one was to backpedal from the New Testament and look into the Old Testament to see if the bible speaks about angels as real beings, they would find many records to substantiate this claim. When Jacob was about to face his brother Esau, with whom he was at odds with, the bible said “Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host:” (Genesis 32:1,2). Notice that Jacob saw the angels and didn’t feel they were all in his mind but present before him. The story of Lot also speaks of angels as actual beings. “And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;” (Genesis 19:1). Again, this passage has nothing indicating that the angels spoken of here were make-believe. As a matter of fact, the more one goes into the story, one would realize that the angels were responsible for the destruction of Sodom. The angels, who were posing as men, told Lot, “We will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.” (Genesis 19:13). Not long after the bible reads, “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven” (Genesis 19:24). Through the angels, God destroyed the two cities. Most bible believers consider the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as an event that did happen, and here the scriptures say that angels were responsible for it being destroyed. These angels were spoken of as true, life forms. The biblical canon is riddled with accounts that refer to angels as living beings. So, the bible authors believed the angels were real beings with the life of God in them. They were not considered unreal myths that were mere figments of the imagination.
​
The key point here is that angels have life, a God-given life. It is not a quality they own because of any innate power they possess. Though humans are made “a little lower than the angels” (Psalms 8:5), angels are like humans because they are just as dependent upon God for life. Like humans, in Him they “live, and move” (Acts 17:28). Their glorious form often compels men to feel they are to be worshipped. For example, John saw an angel in vision and had this to say, “ And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.” However, the angel objected, “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.” (Revelation 22:8,9). The angel made it clear who should be worshipped: God. The reason for this is because the angel is a creature formed by God. Revelation 4:10,11 says, “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created". There is the proof that God should be worshipped because he is the Creator. Since you are dependent on God for life, just like the angels, will you choose to worship Him?