Do angels appear to people today?

Peter is set free by the intervention of the angel, and Herod is struck by the judgment of God when he sets himself up against Him. Can we expect similar intervention now? I do not believe that miracles are performed to-day; angels no longer appear; it was not a gift that could continue. In Ephesians 4 no miraculous gifts are to be found. But I fully believe, according to the Lord's promise, that prayer is heard, and that the angels work in favour of the children of God as much now as in those early times. As to prayer, the word of God is clear. The condition is made, however, that what we ask be according to the will of God, and that prayer be made in faith; and we are told that, if the words of Christ abide in us, we shall ask what we will.

All the Apostles were then arrested and Put into the common prison. During the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison door and led them out. Such a manifestation was perfectly in order at that time, and fully corresponds with the other kingdom characteristics in the beginning of this book. But these supernatural manifestations have ceased. Peter once more with the other Apostles bears witness to the resurrection and exaltation of the rejected Christ. On the advice of Gamaliel they were released after they had been beaten. With rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name, they departed and continued in their great ministry.

Angelic Ministry. — Those men were angels. At times in the past God has sent such messengers to communicate with His earthly creatures. Two angels in human form visited Lot, and brought him out of Sodom. The law was ordained by angels, said Stephen (Acts 7:53). With that the Apostle Paul's statement in Galatians (3:19) is in agreement. Often had they appeared on the scene in Israel's history, ministering at times providentially (1 Kings 19:5), at times communicating something of the Divine will. By this latter service Daniel and Zechariah were especially favoured. In New Testament times Gabriel visited the aged priest Zacharias, and later the Virgin Mary. At the Lord's birth there appeared first one announcing the glad tidings, and then was heard a multitude praising God (Luke 2). Yet though twice in the Lord's life He received their ministrations (Matt. 4:11; Luke 22:43), they were not used at any time whilst He was on earth as channels for Divine revelation. We can all understand the propriety of that. He died. Again they appeared to minister the information suited for the moment. Those visiting the tomb of the company of the women saw them and heard them, and they carried away the message they were charged by them to deliver. But during the forty days of the Lord's presence with His own we read not of angelic ministry. And even on Mary's second visit to the tomb they retired into the background, and let the Lord discover Himself to her. When He was present, the angels were silent. The Lord ascended. Two angels then immediately appeared, sent to encourage the Eleven by announcing the certainty of the return of Jesus in person. "Shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." On the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost, the Third Person of the Godhead, came to dwell upon earth. Angels then again receded, as it were, into the background, ministering still providentially (Acts 5:19, 12:7, 27:23; Heb. 1:14), but not as vessels to communicate Christian truth. With this agree the act and word of the angel who visited Cornelius. He directed him to send for Peter, who would tell him words whereby he and his house should be saved (Acts 11:14). For neither the preaching of the Gospel of the grace of God, nor the present teaching to establish souls in the faith, has been committed to angels. The Holy Ghost is here, and He uses human instruments for that purpose. In the Apocalypse, however, angelic ministry reappears. That book unfolds the future of the earth, and the judgments which must take place. Angels will be the executors of those judgments, so in character with that it may be that one speaks therein to John.

Those men were angels. At times in the past God has sent such messengers to communicate with His earthly creatures. Two angels in human form visited Lot , and brought him out of Sodom . The law was ordained by angels, said Stephen (Acts 7:53 ). With that the Apostle Paul's statement in Galatians ( 3:19 ) is in agreement. Often had they appeared on the scene in Israel 's history, ministering at times providentially (1 Kings 19:5), at times communicating something of the Divine will. By this latter service Daniel and Zechariah were especially favoured. In New Testament times Gabriel visited the aged priest Zacharias, and later the Virgin Mary. At the Lord's birth there appeared first one announcing the glad tidings, and then was heard a multitude praising God (Luke 2). Yet though twice in the Lord's life He received their ministrations (Matt.4:11; Luke 22:43 ), they were not used at any time whilst He was on earth as channels for Divine revelation. We can all understand the propriety of that. He died. Again they appeared to minister the information suited for the moment. Those visiting the tomb of the company of the women saw them and heard them, and they carried away the message they were charged by them to deliver. But during the forty days of the Lord's presence with His own we read not of angelic ministry. And even on Mary's second visit to the tomb they retired into the background, and let the Lord discover Himself to her. When He was present, the angels were silent. The Lord ascended. Two angels then immediately appeared, sent to encourage the Eleven by announcing the certainty of the return of Jesus in person. "Shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" On the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost, Third Person of the Godhead, came to dwell upon earth. Angels then again receded, as it were, into the background, ministering still providentially (Acts 5:19 , 12:7, 27:23; Heb.1:14), but not as vessels to communicate Christian truth. With this agree the act and word of the angel who visited Cornelius. He directed him to send for Peter, who would tell him words whereby he and his house should be saved (Acts 11:14 ). For neither the preaching of the Gospel of the grace of God, nor the present teaching to establish souls in the faith, has been committed to angels. The Holy Ghost is here, and He uses human instruments for that purpose. In the Apocalypse, however, angelic ministry reappears. That book unfolds the future of the earth, and the judgments which must take place. Angels will be executors of those judgments, so in character with that it may be that one speaks therein to John.

Angelic intervention more directly characterizes the dispensation of the law, and consequently also the time of the prophetic remnant, but it is not absent in the dispensation of grace, as we see in the history of Peter (Acts 12), only today the believer is in direct communication with Christ, without any intermediary. His eyes are opened to "see Jesus," not to see angels. He can say, "We have seen the Lord " not the chariots of Israel. Most intimate communion of the Christian — a portion better than that of the remnant! And from the moment that Jesus comes upon the scene, the soul receives from Him the assurance that it has nothing to fear, because He is the absolutely sufficient resource for every eventuality.

Angels now take charge of the city of the living God. They are ministers or servants with a specific commission to take care of the people of God who are the heirs of salvation. (Heb. 1:14). That fact is dimly seen and often referred to in a sentimental way by people in general, so much so that in times of great trial, people are convinced that they witness vast forces of angels acting on their behalf. E.g., at the battle of Mons in 1914 there were many credible witnesses of the presence of angels. We have no intention of discussing that matter, because from the premises of human reason the vision could quite well be attributed to hallucination of men's minds under strain; but we have scriptural testimony that angels are constant attendants on those who belong to Christ as aforesaid. So that their presence is not confined to times of tremendous trial. But in every moment of life's journey we are assured of their presence. However, it is perceived by spiritual means. We need not be looking for angels in white by natural perception. Probably we have very little realisation how much we are guarded by the angels!

That leads us to the next quotation, from the 104th psalm, the psalm of creation. It says of the angels, "Who maketh His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire." Here God is speaking of His works of creation and providence, and the messengers that He uses: they are angels, beings who excel in strength, and delight to do His will. He makes the angels spirits, and they go as the lightning or as the wind, quick and certain in their work. Blessed position they have, the place of exaltation as far as man is concerned but after all, they are ministers and — as we read in the last verse of our chapter, "Are they not all ministering spirits" — not merely those who minister to God, those who go as the rushing wind or as the flame of fire to do His will, but are they not ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to us?

There is a vast amount of curiosity as to angels. I do not propose to take part with those who delve into curious questions. But it is interesting to look up the various allusions to their service in the Old Testament. You have them in the life of Abraham, in the history of Lot, and in various other places, scattered throughout the Old Testament. In Job they are called "the sons of God." They are God's messengers to do a certain specific work. How they seemed to crowd out of heaven's portals when there was One here in the manger, to whom they would have delighted to minister! How they seemed to follow Him out of the heavens, longing to attend upon Him, as He Himself said when in the garden, surrounded by two or three poor, feeble men, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now call upon My Father and He will send Me more than twelve legions of angels?" How they would have delighted to minister to Him! but the time was not then.

But the ministry of angels since our Lord's ascension is simply that of servants, as in Acts, when the prison doors were opened for Peter by the angel of the Lord.

At the present time believers are under the guardian care of angels, as we read, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” In the world to come they will still exercise their guardian care, for they stand at the gates of the heavenly city, and will pass between heaven and earth, ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.

He therefore is in the place of absolute authority, but angels are "all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." Theirs is the place of servants simply, their place infinitely lower than His, just as in person they are as much lower. But it is nevertheless a blessed place they occupy, in being delegated to minister in temporal protection, comfort, sustenance, to those destined to eternal glory. Doubtless we owe to angelic ministry far more than we discern in matters of physical strength and wellbeing, yet as spirit beings their ministry is completely veiled, and they are content to remain unknown to us, that glory for this may be given only to God. Blessed service indeed! Compare their ministry to the Lord Jesus in Mark 1:13, and an angel strengthening Him (physically of course) in Luke 22:43.

Indeed the epistle to the Hebrews is full of allusions to the angels, for their ministry was well-known in the olden times. The verse quoted clearly establishes the fact that angels are active on behalf of the “heirs of salvation.” We are not told in what way, save that they protect us providentially. If details had been given we should have the door opened for the imagination of ill-balanced minds. Rather are we left with with this great comfort, that angels, unseen and unnoticed, minister to us in a way that is sufficient for our needs and that they are directed of God in His love and wisdom.