You see them in kid's programs. Kids dressed up with cardboard wings, white robes, and some kind of golden halo sitting on top of their head. You see them in some movies, perhaps acting strange and quirky, but overall pretty friendly and nice. We hear talk of guardian angels, who stand by night and day to protect us from harm and danger, and maybe even to guide us at certain times in life.
Overall, our picture of angels are of these cute angels who may or may not appear, and who rarely show themselves, but direct us when needed and turn harm and danger away from us. But is this really the picture of angels that the Bible paints for us?
Almost without fail, when we have a record of an angel appearing to deliver his message, the initial reaction of the person to whom he is appearing is that of fear. That is why the first response of an angel typically is "Do not be afraid." Now, I have to admit that the Bible doesn't tell us that this is because of their appearance, or if they just suddenly appear out of nowhere, or anything like that. However, from the many times when we see angels appearing and having to tell people not to be afraid, it seems that there is just something frightening and awesome about their appearance.
On top of that, we're also told that angels can have different appearances. If you read through Isaiah 6, you come across these angels called seraphim. These are literally angels of fire. They have six wings and fly around the throne of God. I don't know about you, but if an angel appeared to me and looked like it was burning and had six wings, I'd be pretty frightened.
The one thing that we know about angels is that they are spiritual creatures, which means that, when they show themselves, they are doing something that doesn't completely fit with what God created them to be. So it would make sense that they would appear somewhat strange to us. And then, that they are sent by God, and are His holy messengers, brings us another level of fear. These are, after all, beings who are perfect, and who live in God's presence. They know God face to face, unlike us.
So enjoy the shows with these pictures of cute angels. But just remember that the reality is probably a lot more frightening that we could ever imagine.
Overall, our picture of angels are of these cute angels who may or may not appear, and who rarely show themselves, but direct us when needed and turn harm and danger away from us. But is this really the picture of angels that the Bible paints for us?
Almost without fail, when we have a record of an angel appearing to deliver his message, the initial reaction of the person to whom he is appearing is that of fear. That is why the first response of an angel typically is "Do not be afraid." Now, I have to admit that the Bible doesn't tell us that this is because of their appearance, or if they just suddenly appear out of nowhere, or anything like that. However, from the many times when we see angels appearing and having to tell people not to be afraid, it seems that there is just something frightening and awesome about their appearance.
On top of that, we're also told that angels can have different appearances. If you read through Isaiah 6, you come across these angels called seraphim. These are literally angels of fire. They have six wings and fly around the throne of God. I don't know about you, but if an angel appeared to me and looked like it was burning and had six wings, I'd be pretty frightened.
The one thing that we know about angels is that they are spiritual creatures, which means that, when they show themselves, they are doing something that doesn't completely fit with what God created them to be. So it would make sense that they would appear somewhat strange to us. And then, that they are sent by God, and are His holy messengers, brings us another level of fear. These are, after all, beings who are perfect, and who live in God's presence. They know God face to face, unlike us.
So enjoy the shows with these pictures of cute angels. But just remember that the reality is probably a lot more frightening that we could ever imagine.
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