Encounters With Angels

Luke 1:11-38 NIV; Hebrews 13:2 NIV

Many, many people throughout the Bible had encounters with angels. Just two of these were Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Because he doubted what the angel said to him, Zechariah was punished by becoming mute until he acknowledged the message. On the other hand, Mary was humble and willing to accept everything the angel said to her.

Today, book stores are filled with books about encounters with angels. And one television program after another recounts tale after tale of the same type of thing. From some of their descriptions, most likely these were true angel encounters. But others, very likely, met up with demons in disguise.

Encounters with angels can take on many forms. Most of the ones described in the books and television programs involve situations in which a person was saved from disaster by a celestial being. I experienced one such encounter myself. I was driving on a freeway in Houston, Texas, some years ago. My oldest son was sitting in the passenger seat. Ahead of us was an old, dilapidated truck filled with tools. The truck hit a bump, and a large shovel flew out of the back, bounced once and was headed, blade first, straight at the windshield of my car. If it had continued in its trajectory, it would have gone through the windshield and most likely have decapitated my son. It happened so quickly, I was in the middle of trying to turn my wheel when, about two feet from the windshield, the shovel made a sharp right turn in mid-air and landed harmlessly on the shoulder of the road, totally defying the laws of physics! I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that an angel knocked that shovel away and prevented my son from being killed.

But there are other stories told about supposed angels that take on other forms. Angels that develop an on-going relationship with people. Angels that talk to people, telling the future, guiding them further and further away from God. These are not heavenly angels. These are Lucifer's angels. the fallen ones. Remember, Lucifer was the most beautiful angel God created. He was the one who got too full of himself and wanted to be God.

And he was the one who was cast out of heaven, along with his followers. But he - and those who serve him - can still appear to be beautiful (2 Corinthians 11:14 NIV). And they can use this beauty, this seeming innocence, to lead the unsuspecting astray.

How can a person tell whether he has been in the company of an angel or a demon? Through a very simple test. does the encounter glorify God? Or does it glorify the angel? It's just that simple.

Should you believe in the existence of angels? Yes! Should you worship them? No! Again, remember that angels are God's creation, and that they serve Him in many ways that are beneficial to you and me. Keep watch for an encounter with an angel, but don't make them the central focus of your life. Again, worship the Creator, not His creation.

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2 NIV

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