Jesus, not me

Dangerous fascination with angels

Jun 08

servantGod Thoughts heresy, holiness, prayer, spiritual warfare No Comments

This has been on my heart and mind for a while now. I never really understood the fascination with angels, but I know that in the 90′s there was a huge surge of interest in angels, and it seems like it’s back again. I’m thinking of some “revivals” that were all about angels, and some “preachers” that lend more weight to angels than to Jesus. I believe in angels, I love angels, and yes, they are a curiosity because they are like, yet very much unlike, people. But there are some very unhealthy doctrines being bandied about regarding angels, and I think that as Bible-believing Christians we really need to question this stuff because it can so very easily take our focus off of Jesus, and distract us with cool/flashy/hip things like angels and what they’re doing around us.

Since angels are in the Bible, I whole-heartedly believe in them. Absolutely and without question. What I do question is what people describe as the purpose of angels. I question this need to describe the angelic hierarchy, to categorize them, to find out their names, to talk with them, pray to them, or order them about like they are our own personal genies. We have been told to worship God, yet I believe that what a lot of people are doing is worshipping angels.

The definition of “worship” is: adoration, reverence, devotion. When people focus on angels, seek after them, talk to them, concentrate on them, then they are, in essence, worshipping them. There is a stern warning about worshipping angels, and people who read their Bibles would know it:

“Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “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.”” (Rev 22:8-9, NKJV)

John was told not to worship the angel who had shown him such amazing and wonderful things as indicated in the book of Revelations. Why then would we think it is ok to give angels this same reverence and adoration today when it wasn’t ok to do it 2000 years ago?

As with all things, the Bible is our litmus test. So what does the Bible say about angels? It doesn’t talk much about angelic hierarchies, and very few angels are named. But it clearly says that angels are messengers of God, that they lead or prepare the way according to God’s Will, and that they also stand in the way, hinder, and destroy certain things — again, according to God’s Will. Angels are always met with reverence — not only because they are supernatural beings, but because they were a manifestation of the Will of God, because they brought God’s message to people. Heb 1:14 says that angels are “ministering spirits” . Psalms 91:11 and Psalms 103:20 say that angels do God’s commands, not ours. Matt 13:41 indicates that Jesus commands angels, not us.

There is another very clear warning against angel worship:

“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.” (Col 2:18-19, NKJV)

I like how the Message reads for that passage as well:

“Don’t tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They’re a lot of hot air, that’s all they are. They’re completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as he nourishes us.” (Col 2:18-19, MSG)

The warning is clear: don’t chase after angels, chase after Jesus — He is the Head, and He is the source of life. Don’t follow vain ideas, outlandish obsessions, things that satisfy the flesh. This is what angel worship is.

Also look to Heb 1:4 and 1:6; Jesus is superior to angels, and angels worship Jesus. So if Jesus is so much more than angels, why do people put faith in angels, and pray to angels, and worship angels. Why worship the created rather than the Creator?

I also find it very dangerous because a lot of the “reading materials” about guardian angels and information on angels, sounds suspiciously like New Age spirit guides. Any Christian will tell you that a “spirit guide” is nothing but demonic, but why do we go soft when talking about angels? In particular, why is it that the same meditational practice to talk to your angel is so similar to that of talking to a “spirit guide”, but because it’s an angel it’s ok? Read the following quote and tell me if this is something that a Bible-believing Christian should ever do:

Make yourself comfortable, sitting or lying down. Be aware of your breathing… Let your body become limp and relaxed. Empty your mind; create space, just as though the whole of the universe was there, inside you. Now just be. No doing. Only being. Communicate to your angel that you wish to connect with her/him. Wait in peace. Be aware of what happens. It may not seem much at first. Be patient. Subtle changes will occur. You may see light, colors or form. You may be aware of a presence. You may feel tingling sensations. You may feel emotion. You will feel love. You can ask or invoke, use stillness for clear reception, use “heart sensing,” pay them by sending them love, and maintain harmony in your aura and home environment.

The source of the above quote is a catholic web site that is devoted to angels and information on angels. The mission statement and beliefs of the site, as stated, all sound great: they believe in the Holy Trinity, they believe in prayer, in anointed worship, and so forth. It sounds very inspiring and very Christian. Until you read the above. If you were to do a search on how to contact your spirit guide, you would find similar themes as the above: be aware of breathing, relax, empty your mind, visualize, speak with your angel (aka spirit guide). What kind of heresy is this! Confess Jesus as the Christ and then tell people that communicating with angels in a prescribed meditational way that is identical to New Age or spiritist/medium/occult mechanisms is ok? No, more than ok, that people should be doing this? That it is ok? What nonsense is this? And more importantly, why do people who call themselves Christian buy into this rot when it is so clearly spoken against in the Bible?

To conclude, I know what kind of angels these people who claim to talk to them, visualize them, converse with them, and so forth are actually dealing with. There are two types of angels: the holy angels that obey God the Father and Jesus the Son, and the fallen angels that follow Satan. Since we know that the New Age movement and “spirit guides” are of the devil, then would it not make sense to conclude that angels contacted in the same fashion are from the same origin? Rev 9:11 says that Satan is an angel and Rev 12:7-9 says Satan has angels.

“But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” (2 Cor 11:12-15, NKJV)

Satan comes as an angel of light, with subtlety, with feelings of love and warm fuzzies. Do not be deceived! We are told to test the spirits, but how many do? So wrapped up in the wonderful feelings, the adoration, the worship of these beings they do not think to question. Yet we are told explicitly to test the spirits:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” (1 John 4:1-3, NKJV)

I think the message is abundantly clear. We do not command angels. They are not here to do our bidding. We are not to worship them or chase after them. We are not supposed to pray to them. They are servants of Jesus, just as we are. Their purpose and function is to praise God and do His Work, just as it is for us. Anything that puts esteem on angels, or a focus on angels, is taking away glory that belongs to God. A holy angel of God would not at all want to take away glory from God. But an angel of darkness sure would. That was the reason why Lucifer was cast out of heaven to begin with! He thought to exalt himself above God. Any doctrine that tries to do the same thing is of the same origin.

As Christians we need to be aware of this and not chase after or find a fascination in this kind of thing. This is demonic, New Age teaching to the core. It has been spruced up to put a “Christian” or “Jewish” face on something that is of terrible danger, to make it more palatable to people. We need to discern this kind of teaching and be aware of it, and toss it out when it comes at you, rebuking it in the name of Jesus. Anything that takes His Glory away from Him is not anything we as Christians should participate in, even slightly. My prayers belong to my Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus, and if He sees fit to send an angel to answer them, then blessed am I! But if not, that is ok too. No angel will be receiving my prayers, thank you very much!