The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Nelly Kaye of Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, from the tape, GC 1301-H, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 10." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1978. All Rights Reserved.
Question
Do we have guardian angels?
Answer
The answer to that is the Bible never talks about them as guardian angels. But I
do believe there are angels, okay? By the way angels were created by God and
they last forever. They go on forever. It’s amazing how well we believe in the
demons, but we have lots of problems with the angels. That’s because the demons
are maybe more visible in our society. But the angels are there and the Bible is
explicit about what angels do.
Now as far as, "Are there guardian angels?"--that’s a term that some people
have said, well it means that everybody’s got his own angel. Well now, the Bible
doesn’t say that. I don’t think that we can prove biblically that John MacArthur
was assigned a certain angel who just goes around all the time helping me out. I
know that I probably need more that one. But I don’t know. On the contrary, I
wouldn’t need more than one, frankly since one angel could slay one hundred and
eighty-five thousand Assyrians, which would be plenty for anything I ever run
into.
Question (continued)
What do angels do? What do they do on the behalf of a believer?
Answer (continued)
Let me give you real fast. The Bible is very clear about this.
1. First of all, they watch the believer.
Now whether you want to call it a guardian or not, the angels are involved very actively in watching believers. This is very clear from First Corinthians chapter four, where it says that the Apostle Paul was made a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men. They watch believers. In First Corinthians chapter eleven, same book, it talks about the fact that we are to follow the subordination that God has designed, and then it says in verse ten “…because of the angels.” The angels are looking at the church, they’re seeing what the church is like. Ephesians chapter three, verses nine and ten, he shows the church to the angels, so that they might know the wonderful wisdom of God. So they watch the church. In fact, Paul says to Timothy, in First Timothy 5:21, “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels …” Timothy, I’m telling you this because God is watching, Christ is watching, and so are the angels. So however you want to call it and whatever way you want to define it they watch the church.
2. Secondly, they guide.
There’s very specific cases in book of Acts where they guide people, they guided Phillip, an angel guided Phillip. You find guiding Peter to the house of Cornelius.
3. Thirdly, angels provide.
In Genesis 21 they provided physical needs for Hagar. In Psalm 78 they provide physical needs for Israel. In First Kings 19 they provided physically for Elijah.
So they are watching, guiding, providing.
4. Protecting is another thing.
There’s no question in my mind but that angels protect. In Matthew chapter 18 it talks about little children and it says, for “their angels do always behold them.” The angels are protecting children. Now that’s were you get that guardian concept.
5. Fifth, they deliver us.
We find in the book of Acts a couple of times, in the Book of Revelation, chapter seven, that angels deliver from trouble, from death, from problems.
6. And then one final one they attend us at our death.
To me there’s no question about the fact that angels are some how involved when a believer dies. You remember that in Jude nine, Michael, the archangel was trying to fight with the devil to get the body of Moses. And so there was an actual conflict going on at that point over the body of Moses. Luke 16:22 comes to mind, I think it’s the right one to add to that. It says, “It came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom:…” There was a believing man who died and the angels attended him in his death.
So we do know that there are angels and that they are active and they are very busy and doing the things that God wants them to do. In fact, at the end of the book of Hebrews it says that we ought to be careful that we show love to people and it says in Hebrews 13:2, Don’t forget “to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Better be good to a stranger, might be an angel. And of course the writer of Hebrews has in mind there Abraham and Sarah who entertained God Himself and two of His holy angels. And in chapter one of Hebrews it sums it up by saying in verse 14 that angels are ministering spirits, watch this, “sent forth to serve them who are the heirs of salvation.”
So I
don’t know if you want to say that we have guardian angels or not but we’ve got
angels who at least historically in the Bible watch, guide, provide, protect,
deliver, attend us at our death and their purpose is to serve the heirs of
salvation.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
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