Humans Are Not Nor Will Ever Be Angels

“Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings”. A six year old Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu Bailey, said these words in that classic 1946 film, “It’s A Wonderful Life”. The film was cute. Over the past many years as a Pastor, I have read obituaries written by well meaning people who sought to honor a deceased loved one. One of the phrases I often read are either:

“Heaven gained another angel today”
or
“___ earned his wings, and is in the Presence of the Lord”

I am sure the writer of the obituary means well, and is sincere. But does the Bible teach the deceased Christian becomes another “Angel”? No, it doesn’t.

In the Book of Hebrews we are told that believers in Christ are not brought to Mount Sinai, but by the Blood of Christ are brought to Mount Zion.

Heaven is our home, Christian, if you have received Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior. As God describes Heaven through the writer of Hebrews, He says:

Hebrews 12:22-24 ye {Christians} are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men {Greek δίκαιος dikaios, literally “of the Justified”} made perfect, 24 and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

As we read about Heaven, we see that there is “an innumerable company of angels”, but there is also “the spirits of THE JUSTIFIED made perfect”. There are three types of beings in Heaven. There are ANGELS, which are created by God, there are those who have been JUSTIFIED or made right with God BY FAITH IN JESUS, and there is Creator God Himself, uncreated and eternal.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

When the Christian gets to Heaven, we will be given some of the attributes that angels now possess. Jesus told us in Matthew 22:30 that in the resurrection there will be no marriage as we know it today, but we will be “like” the angels of God in this perspective. Angels never were given the power to reproduce. Humans, however, are given the ability to reproduce NOW, because it was the will of God for us to “be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). This earth was to be populated by humans who, loving one another, made more humans.

The earth is populated by physical birth.
Heaven, however, is populated by spiritual birth.

Those who are “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God” (1 Peter 1:23) are the ones who will populate Heaven. “You must be born again” (John 3:7). Humans are created in the image of God, and are given the ability to reproduce. Angels have NEVER had the ability to reproduce.

Humans Are “A Little Lower Than The Angels”

The Bible says in Psalm 8:3-8, When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

Though humanity is made “a little lower than the angels”, both angels as well as humans were made perfect.

Genesis tells us “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). Humanity fell from perfection through the failure of Adam. Angels fell from perfection through the failure of the Archangel Lucifer, also known as “Red Dragon”, “The Old Serpent”, “Satan (or Accuser)”, and “The Devil”. Lucifer’s fall is partially chronicled in:

Revelation 12:3-4, 9 … there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth…. 9 the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The reason Lucifer, a Chief Arch Angel, a General of the Angels in Heaven, revolted against God is PRIDE.

What both Adam and Lucifer had, they received from God. Pride caused them to create the false narrative that they somehow deserved more. Adam chose a forbidden fruit. Lucifer chose a more direct approach. He wanted the Throne of God. The Prophet said:

Isaiah 14:12-14 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

When Lucifer could not get the throne of God by direct revolt, he entered the Garden of Eden to try and steal God’s glory through Adam. This is why he is called “that old serpent”. It was Lucifer, the Devil, the Serpent who tempted Adam, defying what God said.

Genesis 3:4-5 … Ye shall not surely die: 5 for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

You know the rest. Adam ate that which was forbidden, following Lucifer rather than the God Who loved him. Here we come to a key difference between humans and angels.

God sent His Son Jesus to give His life a ransom and an atonement for humanities sins. God did NOT send Jesus to die for the Angels. Fallen angels cannot be saved.

Since mankind is made “a little lower than the angels”(Hebrews 2:5-8) , our

Hebrews 2:9-11 … Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor.; that he by the grace of God should taste death for {Greek πᾶς pas, for every one [lower than the angels]}. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren

Jesus, by the “grace of God {tasted} death for every EVERY ONE”. Not for the Angels, but for every one of us who are “lower than the angels”. Jesus did not come to pay for the sins of Angels, but for the sins of humanity. When Jesus spoke of the Final Judgment, the time that God separates His people from the evil, the evil went into everlasting fire. Jesus said:

Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels

Eternal damnation, that place we call “The Lake of Fire” or “Hell”, was designed with the devil and his angels in mind. Jesus was made lower than the Angels so that He might redeem believing humanity. The Apostle spoke of …

1 Peter 1:7-12 … Jesus Christ: 8 whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: … 12 … which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

The Angels do not understand the salvation we are offered through Christ. When Satan walked away from God with 1/3 of the Angels in Heaven, God made no effort to offer them Grace. Yet God did offer us Grace through faith in Christ Jesus. Why did God offer to save us, but not to save Angels? The Bible does not say. And yet, God did. The Bible says that Angels watch humans – and rejoice when a human repents and believes of Jesus. Our Lord said:

Luke 15:10 … I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

As the Apostles went about – under the power and authority of Christ – establishing Churches, Angels watched their progress (1 Corinthians 4:9). The Bible calls Angels “Principalities and powers in Heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10), and these superior beings watch the Church of Christ on the earth. Angels watch how saved humanity obeys the will of God in the creation and maintenance of the family (1 Corinthians 11:9-12). Bible Teacher Don Stewart writes:

“Though there are some things that angels and humans have in common, there are many things that separate them. Humans have been made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). They are able to bear children and have family relationships. Though sin entered into both the angelic and human sphere, only the sin of humans can be forgiven (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ came to die for the sins of humanity, not of angels. Those humans who have trusted Christ as their Savior will eventually judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). Because of these things, the humans who have believed in Jesus will have a superior position to the angels in the ages to come (Ephesians 2:6). ”

Angels Are Not Humans, But Often Look Like
Or Interact With Humans

Angels can assume the appearance of a human. Scripture says:

Hebrews 13:1-2 … Let brotherly love continue. 2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Angels walk among us, and watch us. Throughout the Bible God used Angels to carry messages to and to interact with humans.

• Angels met Jacob (Genesis 32:1) in the wilderness.
• When Daniel was thrown in the lion’s den, he was not eaten. Why? Because, he said, “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me” (Daniel 6:22)
• An Angel brought “Israel out of Egypt” (Numbers 20:16).
• In the birth of Christ into this world, Angels were very active (Mathew 1; Luke 1,2).
• An Angel sent Philip to share the Gospel with an Ethiopian Eunuch of great authority (Acts 8:26-28).
• It was an Angel that rolled back the stone of Jesus’ tomb (Matthew 28:2).
• When Jesus returns to this earth to rule and reign, our Lord said, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory” (Matthew 25:31).
  

There Are Many Different Types Of Angels In The Bible

Among the Angels, the Archangels are the highest rank. The Bible reveals three Archangels: Lucifer who has fallen away from God, Michael, and Gabriel.

The Archangels rule all the other angels under the authority of God. Michael is a warrior Archangel, who will – with the other warrior angels – cast Satan out of Heaven just prior to the Tribulation:

Revelation 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Michael often fought for Israel (Daniel 12:1). Gabriel is an Archangel, but he is more of a Messenger than a warrior. Gabriel and the other messenger angels …

• announced the coming birth of Christ to Mary and Joseph (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26-27)
• prophesied the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias his father (Luke 1:19)
• heralded the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem to the Shepherds (Luke 2:9ff)
• warned Joseph to flee to Egypt with the baby Jesus and Mary (Matthew 2:13)
• rolled the stone from the tomb of Jesus (Matthew 28:2)
• and was very active in the early Church guiding and protecting God’s people (Acts 5:19; 10:3; 12:7).

Among the Angels, there are Cherubim and Seraphim.

• The Cherubim had four faces: a man’s face, a lion’s face, an ox face, an eagle face. They had four wings, with a human hand protruding from underneath the wing. They had cloven calves feet that were shiny like brass (Ezekiel 1:4-28; 10:1-22). Lucifer the fallen Archangel was “the anointed cherub that covereth” (Ezekiel 28:14).
• The Seraphim or “The Burning Ones” have six wings. Two covered their face and two covered their feet, while two wings were used to fly. The Seraphim are in charge of leading the worship of God in Heaven. (Isaiah 6:1-7)
• The Four Elder Angels, also called “Beasts”, are around the Throne of God in Heaven. Revelation 4:6-9 tells us “round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honor. and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever.” Their focus is to worship God (see also Revelation 5:8; 6:1, 3, 5, 7).
• The Guardian Angels watch over believers in Christ (Matthew 18:10). The Bible says that they are “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation”. Those who have trusted in God, “making the Lord their refuge”, have been assigned Guardian Angels by God Himself. The Psalmist said, “he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” (Psalm 91:11-12)
• A Water Angel is mentioned in Revelation 16:5. This angel controls the flow of the seas and the tides.
• A Abyss (Deep Pit) Angel guards the prison where some fallen angels are bound. (Revelation 9:1).
• Revelation 14:18 speaks of “another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire”, a Fire Angel.
• God uses Angels to dispense judgments on the earth during the latter half of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 8:1; 15:1).

Angels are not like us humans. Peter said “angels are greater in power and might” (2 Peter 2:11). Angels are not composed of the dust of the ground of this earth, but are beings of light. Zondervan Academic notes, “The author of Hebrews suggests that all angels are “spirits” (Hebrews 1:13-14). When Jesus appears to the disciples, he asserts that “spirits” don’t have bodies like he does (Luke 24:39). In the Bible, angels can’t usually be seen by humans unless God reveals them (see Numbers 22:31, 2 Kings 6:17, Luke 2:13).” Angels are immensely powerful.

• It was two angels that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah: “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).
• God sent one angel to destroy the Assyrian Army, as it was encamped against Israel. 2 Kings 19:35 tells us “that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. ”
• When Peter was imprisoned by King Herod, sleeping chained to two soldiers (Acts 12:6), with guards on the locked prison door, “the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him” (Acts 12:7-9). The Angel caused the guards all to sleep on, even while freeing Peter to return to ministry.

In his book, Angels: God’s Secret Agents, Billy Graham wrote:

““We may not always be aware of the presence of angels. We can’t always predict how they will appear. But angels have been said to be our neighbors. Often they may be our companions without our being aware of their presence. We know little of their constant ministry. The Bible assures us, however, that one day our eyes will be unscaled to see and know the full extent of the attention angels have given us (1 Corinthians 13:11, 12).”

Christians Will One Day Be Greater Than The Angels

Dear one, if you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you will not one day leave this life to be an Angel. When you get to Heaven – if you are a believer – the Bible says:

1 Corinthians 6:3 … we shall judge angels

While we are on this earth we are “a little lower than the angels” (Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:7). But in Heaven, we will be a little higher than the angels. Why? Because of Jesus. Because we have received salvation by faith in Him. Receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we are made “Sons, or Children of God”. We who have received Christ have this promise:

John 1:12-13 … as many as received {Jesus Christ}, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Upon your outward profession and confession of Jesus (for no child of God is ashamed of Jesus), God brought you into His Family. You are born again – not of blood nor of the will of man, but by the will of God! The Bible says of us, dear Christian, that:

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit {Himself} beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

We are no longer sons of Adam, but sons of God because of what the Son of God did for us. We who are Christians are led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14). We are not perfect by any means, for we are yet in our human frail but broken flesh. But we are, according to the Apostle:

Philippians 2:15 … blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world

When we get to Heaven, praise God, “we shall be like Jesus; for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). This is not because we have either earned nor deserved it. This is because we, broken as we are, received the Grace of God by “calling on the name of the Lord Jesus”.

Do you know my Jesus? If not, I beg you, call upon Him today. The Bible promises:

Romans 10:9-13 …. if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

May God the Holy Spirit move His Word into your hearts this very day! Amen and Amen. For the glory of Christ I preach this! Hallelujah! Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Maranatha!