There are many angel encounters recorded in the Bible. Named and unnamed angels appear throughout the Bible. The three named angels in the Bible are Michael, Gabriel, and Satan. Michael is an archangel, Gabriel is a messenger angel, and Satan is a fallen angel who chose to rebel against God, taking his demons with him. Despite Catholicism teaching other named angels, such as Raphael, there is no biblical proof of them.
Throughout time, there has been an obsession with angels.” In the 1980s and 1990s, “angel mania” increased with TV shows like “Touched By An Angel.” This show is not biblical, nor does it contain theological teachings. It’s important to understand that not everyone has a proper view of angels. This can be changed by discussing actual encounters with angels in the Bible.
Michael the Archangel
One encounter with an angel in the Bible is with Michael, the archangel. There could be other archangels serving God, but they are not mentioned in Scripture, so as far as can be proven, he is the only archangel. Michael is recorded in many books of the Bible, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Book of Daniel reads,
“But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I was detained there with the king of Persia” - Daniel 10:13.
Daniel described Michael assisting God’s people, which is not uncommon. As an archangel, one of Michael’s responsibilities is to protect God’s people. While many people would try to praise Michael for this, all the praise belongs to God. Michael is under the authority of the Lord and does as the Lord tells him.
The New Testament mentions Michael, as referenced by Paul when he is talking about the rapture of the church. This is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:16:
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
The archangel spoken of in this passage is Michael. There are many other mentions of Michael in the Bible, including the Book of Revelation. Here we read of Michael and other angels fighting off Satan
"Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels." - Revelation 12:7
This is commonly seen throughout the Bible because Michael’s allegiance lies with Christ. Since Satan and his demons fell, the good angels have been in constant conflict with him and his demons. This will continue throughout all the time until Satan and his demons are cast into the lake of fire.
Gabriel the Messenger Angel
Gabriel is a messenger angel. The most well-known encounters with Gabriel are between him and Mary, as well as him and Joseph. Gabriel is the one who comes to tell Mary the great news that the Messiah will be conceived in her.(Luke 1:26-38)
Often, we only discuss this encounter at Christmas time, but we should remember and discuss it throughout the year. Mary was a peasant girl with little standing in the world; however, God still chose her.
The angel, Gabriel, conveyed the important message to her. Mary did not draw back, nor did she run away. Instead, she accepted Gabriel's message and was happy to carry the Messiah. Just as Mary obeyed Gabriel’s message, Joseph also obeyed the angel Gabriel’s message to him. (Matthew 1:20-24)
Although it would be frightening to witness an angel in person, Mary and Joseph knew they could be trusted and could do everything properly to ensure the Messiah was born into the world by the strength of their faith in God.
Unnamed Angels
There are various other encounters with these angels; however, we are never given their names. This could be for the purpose of keeping mankind from becoming obsessed with various angels. We know that all angels are male and have male names.
A few of these unnamed angels are recorded throughout the Book of Revelation. The angels recorded in the Book of Revelation are:
- the revealing angel (1:1)
- the angels of seven assemblies (2-3)
- a mighty angel (5:2)
- a myriad of angels (7:11)
- four angels at the corners of the earth (7:1)
- angels around the throne (7:11)
- the seven angels (8-9)
- an angel with the golden censer (8:3)
- the angel of the abyss (9:11)
- the four angels of the Euphrates (9:14)
- Michael and other angels (12:7)
- the devil’s demons (12:9)
- six other angels (14:6-14:8)
- seven angels with the seven plagues (15:1)
- the angel of the waters (16:5)
- an angel standing in the sun (19:17)
- an angel with keys to the abyss (20:1)
- an angel with one of the seven bowls (21:9)
- twelve angels on the gates of the city (21:12)
- and once again
- another revealing angel (22:16)
All these angelic encounters will occur in the future, some occurring during the seven-year tribulation and the New Heaven and New Earth.
The Angel of the Lord
The angel of the Lord only appears in the Old Testament because He is the pre-incarnate Christ. The first time we see the angel of the Lord is when He appears to Hagar (Genesis 16:7-14).
Through this encounter with the angel of the Lord, we see Him as caring, comforting, and loving to Hagar. Despite Hagar having been pushed away by Sarah, the angel of the Lord surrounded Hagar with His love.
The angel of the Lord is also shown when He appears to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2-4). Not only this, but we also see the angel of the Lord meeting Baalam on the road. (Numbers 22:22-38)
The angel of the Lord also appears to Israel in Judges 2:1-3. Throughout all these encounters, we see the angel of the Lord as loving, caring, and compassionate, yet we also see Him as righteous, strong, and mighty. The angel of the Lord ceases to be shown in the New Testament because, as mentioned, He is the pre-incarnate form of Christ. Within the New Testament, we see the incarnate Messiah and how He became fully man while retaining His full divinity.
The many encounters with angels throughout the Bible should not be overlooked. Even today, there are angels under the authority of God, protecting us. Angels are spirit beings, able to take on form, but we typically cannot see them with our naked eye. They are responsible for protecting God’s children, which is something all of us can take comfort in. They are God’s messengers and protectors sent to help His children.
Photo Courtesy: ©GettyImages/cranach
