Do Angels Visit us Today?

angelsDo Angels Visit us Today?

The answer is a simple NO.  The reason being is because Jesus Christ has given us the Holy Spirit.

John 14:15-18

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever– 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

From a casual reading of Scripture, a person might get the idea that angelic appearances were somewhat commonplace, but that is not the case. Likewise, in our society there has been a radical increased interest in angels, and it would seem that angelic appearances are commonplace today.  Angels appear in every religion, and generally seem to have the same role of messenger.  In the Old Testament angels seldom visited people and when they did come it was under very special or dire circumstances.  Below I have listed every visitation of an angel mentioned in scripture (except the book of Revelation).  In just over 4000 years, angels have appeared approximately only a number of times:

  1. Genesis 3:24,  when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. God placed guardian angels, or cherubim, to block the entrance with a flaming sword.
  2. Genesis 16:7,  about 1900 years later. Hagar, the Egyptian servant who bore Ishmael to Abraham, was instructed by an angel to return and submit to her mistress, Sarai.
  3. Genesis 18:2,  Abraham was visited by God and two angels, when God informed him of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
  4. Genesis 19:1-11,  The same two angels visited Lot and instructed him to escape the city with his family before it was destroyed.
  5. Genesis 32:1,  When Jacob saw angels he immediately recognized them as the army of God.
  6. Exodus 23:20-22,  God sends an angel to lead Moses
  7. Daniel 6:19-22,  Daniel in the Lion’s Den
  8. Numbers 22:22,  An angel confronted the disobedient prophet Balaam, but Balaam did not see the angel at first, although his donkey did.
  9. Matthew 2:13,  Mary received a visit  an angel who told her that she would be the mother of the Messiah, and Joseph was warned by an angel to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to protect them from Herod’s edict.
  10. (Judges 6:22;  1 Chronicles 21:30;  Matthew 28:5) Often when angels appear, those who see them are struck with fear,
  11. Luke 2:13, The shepherds were visited by a heavenly choir as they were told of the birth of Jesus.
  12. John 20:11-15, The Resurrection of Jesus – Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there.
  13. Acts 12:7-10, Peter is saved by an angel out of prison.
  14. Acts 1:10-11,  After Jesus ascended to heaven.
  15. etc, etc, etc

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Let’s look at the Holy Spirit and what He has to offer

Below are some of the names and descriptions the Bible uses for the Holy Spirit:

He is the Author of Scripture: (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16) The Bible is inspired, literally “God-breathed,” by the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit moved the authors of all 66 books to record exactly what He breathed into their hearts and minds. As a ship is moved through the water by wind in its sails, so the biblical writers were borne along by the Spirit’s impulse.

He is a Comforter / Counselor / Advocate: (Isaiah 11:2; John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7) All three words are translations of the Greek parakletos, from which we get Paraclete, another name for the Spirit. When Jesus went away, His disciples were greatly distressed because they had lost His comforting presence. But He promised to send the Spirit to comfort, console, and guide those who belong to Christ. The Spirit also “bears witness” to our spirits that we belong to Him, and thereby assures us of salvation.

He is the Convicter of Sin: (John 16:7-11) The Spirit applies the truths of God to men’s own minds in order to convince them by fair and sufficient arguments that they are sinners. He does this through the conviction in our hearts that we are not worthy to stand before a holy God, that we need His righteousness, and that judgment is certain and will come to all men one day. Those who deny these truths rebel against the conviction of the Spirit.

He is our Deposit / Seal / Earnest: (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14) The Holy Spirit is God’s seal on His people, His claim on us as His very own. The gift of the Spirit to believers is a down payment on our heavenly inheritance, which Christ has promised us and secured for us at the cross. It is because the Spirit has sealed us that we are assured of our salvation. No one can break the seal of God.

He is our Guide: (John 16:13) Just as the Spirit guided the writers of Scripture to record truth, so does He promise to guide believers to know and understand that truth. God’s truth is “foolishness” to the world, because it is “spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Those who belong to Christ have the indwelling Spirit who guides us to the knowledge of all we need to know in regard to spiritual matters. Those who do not belong to Christ have no “interpreter” to guide them to know and understand God’s Word.

He Indwells the Believer: (Romans 8:9-11; Ephesians 2:21-22; 1 Corinthians 6:19) The Holy Spirit resides in the hearts of God’s people, and that indwelling is the distinguishing characteristic of the regenerated person. From within believers, He directs, guides, comforts, and influences us, as well as producing in us the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). He provides the intimate connection between God and His children. All true believers in Christ have the Spirit residing in their hearts.

He is our Intercessor: (Romans 8:26) One of the most encouraging and comforting aspects of the Holy Spirit is His ministry of intercession on behalf of those He inhabits. Because we often don’t know what or how to pray when we approach God, the Spirit intercedes and prays for us. He interprets our “groanings,” so that when we are oppressed and overwhelmed by trials and the cares of life, He comes alongside to lend assistance as He sustains us before the throne of grace. – This is NOT Tongues!

He is a Revealer / Spirit of Truth: (John 14:17; 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:12-16) Jesus promised that after the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit would come to “guide you into all truth.” Because of the Spirit in our hearts, we are able to understand truth, especially in spiritual matters, in a way that non-Christians cannot. In fact, the truth the Spirit reveals to us is “foolishness” to them, and they cannot understand it. But we have the mind of Christ in the Person of His Spirit within us.

He is Spirit of God / the Lord / Christ: (Matthew 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 1 Peter 1:11) These names remind us that the Spirit of God is indeed part of the triune godhead and that He is just as much God as the Father and the Son. He is first revealed to us at the creation, when He was “hovering over the waters,” denoting His part in creation, along with that of Jesus who “made all things” (John 1:1-3). We see this same Trinity of God again at Jesus’ baptism, when the Spirit descends on Jesus and the voice of the Father is heard.

He is the Spirit of Life: (Romans 8:2) The phrase “Spirit of life” means the Holy Spirit is the one who produces or gives life, not that He initiates salvation, but rather that He imparts newness of life as opposed to the Law, which, according to Romans 7, produces death and condemnation. When we receive eternal life through Christ, the Spirit provides the spiritual food that is the sustenance of the spiritual life. Here again we see the triune God at work. We are saved by the Father through the work of the Son, and that salvation is sustained by the Holy Spirit.

He is our Teacher: (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13) Jesus promised that the Spirit would teach His disciples “all things” and bring to their remembrance the things He said while He was with them. The writers of the New Testament were moved by the Spirit to remember and understand the instructions Jesus gave for the building and organizing of the Church, the doctrines regarding Himself, the directives for holy living, and the revelation of things to come.

He is our Witness: (Romans 8:16; Hebrews 2:4; 10:15) The Spirit is called “witness” because He verifies and testifies to the fact that we are children of God, that Jesus and the disciples who performed miracles were sent by God, and that the books of the Bible are divinely inspired. Further, by giving the gifts of the Spirit to believers, He witnesses to us and the world that we belong to God.

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No Christian will EVER prefer an angel or want to see an angel over having the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Who in their right mind would want to see a lesser being than have Jesus himself abide in you and give you all the above?  Jesus, who made the angels and receives their worship, has promised us His own presence in our lives.  Jesus Himself has said, “Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20)

Now, the Holy Spirit is our comforter, but the Holy Spirit is not someone who can rescue us when we are in trouble. This is where the Angels step in.  Angels can and will help people out of dire circumstances, for example; a person’s life saved by an angel.  Like when the Apostle Peter was in prison the angel came to rescue him. 

But for an angel to bring us messages (when everything we need to know is in the bible), healing, gifts, teaching us, guiding us, etc? No!

Satan on the other hand loves to appear as an ANGEL OF LIGHT and will gladly parade himself in front of you, full of stories that contradict the Bible.

2 Corinthians 11:14-15  14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”

All Satan hopes for is that you are gullible enough to fall for his lies and then he’s got you in his claws.  And the chance that you do fall for it is great because NO ONE reads, let alone UNDERSTANDS the Bible.  And why do people not understand their bibles?  Because they think they are Christian, but they aren’t and have not the Holy Spirit abiding in them.

Please share:

Deborah (Discerning the World)

Deborah Ellish is the author of the above article. Discerning the World is an internet Christian Ministry based in Johannesburg South Africa. Tom Lessing and Deborah Ellish both own Discerning the World. For more information see the About this Website page below the comments section.

48 Responses

  1. Li says:

    hi there,
    Few question
    what is this THIRD EYE ? Meditation ?
    {Meditate on God’s word} or {quite mind to talk to god}
    {holy spirit} or {our inner self}
    {power of faith in Christ can move mountains} or {Telekinesis and Belief move any objects}
    and so many questions……….any one can answer ?

  2. You can read here to find more out about the “third eye.”

  3. melanie says:

    Then stop calling them angels.

  4. melanie says:

    Why are you still calling them angels. If they no longer deliver message then stop calling them angels. Also there something that are not in the bible, so it can’t go against God’s Word. I’ve decide to call them shining men since that they no longer deliver messages. However what about people in other countries.

  5. melanie wrote,

    What kind of message/s would you like an angel to deliver to you? What about people in other countries?

    What do you mean by “Also there something that are not in the bible, so it can’t go against God’s Word.”? Please explain.

  6. melanie says:

    @ Tom

    Where did I type that I want an angelic message. No where did I say that. Why do you guys call them angels. The word angels mean messenger, that why I decide to call them shining men or the true living stars. Now the part about the people in other countries. It just hit me that God could send them the his word. I can’t really explain your second question. I don’t why I type it. God bless you!

  7. melanie says:

    But does the whole Paul and the shipwrecked in the bible. Does that still prove angels still send us message or not. Not that I want an angelic message, but just that in Acts 27:23 the angel was giving Paul a message, but maybe it wasn’t a message. I don’t want the angel/ messenger, who I now call shining men or true living stars to give me a message. I just want to know is the true living stars ( angels), was a messenger/angel( the word angel mean messenger). Thank you! Well the Holy Spirit will help me.

  8. melanie says:

    My bad I meant that God could send them his word, and I also meant I can’t really answer your second question.

  9. melanie says:

    Since that the devil and his angels comes as an angel of light. I call them false living stars, since that they are full of false light.

  10. melanie says:

    My bad again I meant was the true living star (angel) in Acts 27:23 still be as a consider messenger/angel.

  11. melanie wrote,

    Since that the devil and his angels comes as an angel of light. I call them false living stars, since that they are full of false light.

    Don’t you think it is better to call them what the Bible calls them since our own naming of fallen angels may lead others astray?

  12. melanie wrote,

    But does the whole Paul and the shipwrecked in the bible. Does that still prove angels still send us message or not. Not that I want an angelic message, but just that in Acts 27:23 the angel was giving Paul a message, but maybe it wasn’t a message. I don’t want the angel/ messenger, who I now call shining men or true living stars to give me a message. I just want to know is the true living stars ( angels), was a messenger/angel( the word angel mean messenger). Thank you! Well the Holy Spirit will help me.

    Indeed, the word angel means messenger (a messenger sent of God or even sent from the devil). It can either be a human messenger like a pastor or missionary or even a false teacher sent or inspired by Satan (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). And it can also mean a messenger sent by God. The one in Acts 27:23 was an angel sent by God to warn Paul of the impending disaster of their voyage in a boat.

  13. melanie

    Why don’t you just call God’s angels, angels and Satan’s angels fallen angels. It’s really that simple and this is what the bible calls them. To be honest your names sounds like New Age teaching.

  14. Fleur says:

    Hi…
    Regarding angels visiting today what about what paul says about entertaining strangers

    Hebrews 13:2 ?

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

  15. Fleur

    Hebrews 13:2. The verse does not mean that angels visit us today in the same way they visited Abraham. It simply means that we should treat strangers who visit us in the same way Abraham treated the angels, as if the strangers are angels. I’m not saying that angels cannot visit us today, but why would they want to visit us when we have the complete Bible (entire canon of Scripture) which “is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16)?

  16. LINDA BRYANT says:

    SUFFERING MUCH GRIEF FROM DEATH OF HUSBAND, MARRIED 51 YEARS. “LORD WHAT HAVE I DONE THAT YOU WOUD TAKE MY HUSBAND?” GO TO STORE, PERSON APPEARS TO ME SAYING TO ME “THE LORD WANTED ME TO TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE OKAY.” AND GONE IN A FLASH. REALLY! I HAVE QUESTIONED THIS. WAS THIS A DEMON? BLESSINGS, LINDA

  17. Hi Linda, The Lord Jesus will never appear to a person to tell him or her something that we already have written down for us in the Bible, and neither would the angels because they obey God 100%. Grief is not wrong, but when you start asking God things like “Lord what have I done that you would take my husband,” then someone else other than Jesus or his angels may take advantage of your situation and your question and say something to comfort you when what you had said, is not okay.

    Let me explain. First of all, God will never blame you for something you had done for the death of your husband. How do I know? Well, God himself says that “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). So, as you may see, we are responsible, through our own sins, for having to die sometime in our life. We cannot blame it on others, and neither can God. The wages you and I must pay for our sins cannot be transferred to someone else. We all die physically for our sins while our bodies remain in our graves but receive eternal life through Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, and when we die physically our souls go to Jesus andd remain with Him until we are resurrected with our new heavenly bodies, just like the one He has been raised with.

    The bottom line is this. Satan wants you to feel guilty for the death of your husband and inspired you to say, “”Lord what have I done that you would take my husband,” and sent some to confirm his lie that what you had said, is okay. Pray to the Lord for the 50 wonderful years of marriage He granted you and tell the devil to go away.

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