A Brief Study of Angels
Holy Angels
Taking each of the three subjects separately (holy angels, fallen angels and Satan), we will ask several questions which should address most of the issues regarding angelic beings. In areas where there is some redundancy between the three, we will endeavor to be brief.
Do angels really exist?
We ask this question primarily to point out the fact there is no source of reliable information about these beings other than the Bible. The main reason for so much skepticism about angels and the supernatural during what is known as the modern era (believing mainly that which can be proven by the scientific method) is that there is no absolute proof for the existence of angels. There have always been (and are) a few people who claim to have seen or spoken with angels but it has never been common, thus it has not been convincing enough for most in the past.
We have already commented, however, that belief in angels is now widespread. Why is that? There has been a change in the underlying philosophy and worldview of society. We have moved into the postmodern era. This has happened because the promises of the modern era were not kept. In other words man did not find complete satisfaction and fulfillment in the materialism and naturalism of that philosophy. Science and technology did not make things better--in fact things got worse in general. So people began looking into the supernatural and spiritual realm for answers and satisfaction. The interest in angels is part of that.
Many have written and speculated about angels in ancient times (chiefly a Syrian mystic who called himself Dionysius), the Middle Ages (Thomas Aquinas), the Reformation years (John Calvin and John Milton--whose work Paradise Lost is probably most responsible for present day popular ideas about angels, demons and hell), and the modern period (Karl Barth and many New Age writers). But predating and outstripping them all with regard to accuracy and reliability is, of course, the Bible.
As with God Himself, the Bible never sets out to make a case for the reality of angels--it merely assumes that they exist and records some of their activities and other information concerning them. They are mentioned in 34 of the 66 books of the Bible (17 in the Old Testament and 17 in the New Testament) from the very beginning and earliest (Genesis, 1400 B.C. ) to the very end and latest (Revelation, A.D. 95). Important, too, is that Jesus Christ Himself interacted with and spoke of angels with the assumption and knowledge that they indeed do exist (Matthew 4:11; 22:29,30; 24:36; 25:31,41; Luke 22:43).
So for the Bible-believing Christian, this question really need not even be asked. We believe in God, we believe His word, that it is accurate and true, and so we believe in the angels that the scriptures reveal to us.