Angels and Demons Among Us

Some people regard them as guardians, for others they are sentinels of good that champion truth and justice, but for most, they function as heaven’s messengers. The fact is, believing in angels is a matter of faith; we cannot be sure they really exist since we have no tangible proof of them.

Nevertheless, since time immemorial, the existence of angels has captivated the imagination of some people. They come in many names: seraphs, archangels, cherubs, guardian angels, spirit and messenger among others, but they all are perceived as just one and the same -- angels.

Many claim to have had ‘real’ experiences with angels, mostly in a spiritual nature, and they believe that the existence of angels is important to us as human beings since we so desperately need spiritual guidance and protection. The notion of a higher spiritual being that appease to man’s need for such a deity working through angels is a vital component of many faiths.

There’s no definite information that teaches us how angels came to be. It’s left up to scholars to scour the holy writs in an attempt to find information about them since much of man’s record provides scant little knowledge on the heavenly beings. One thing is certain: the written record of angels is as old as man’s story. Many different cultures and religions have their own ideas and beliefs regarding the existence and characteristics of angels. They are generally perceived as spiritual messengers of a supreme divine entity, whoever that entity might be.

One common question that arises is that of free will: do angels possess such free will, or do they simply follow the supreme dictates of the divine entity they serve? Biblical scriptures lend proof of their existence as messengers of God, yet we read that Lucifer, once exalted as an angel of high rank and position, actually led a rebellion against God. In that rebellion, he convinced at least one-third of the angels to take up arms with him.

Another common question is that of appearance. Although many believe that angels take on various appearances, depending on culture, tradition or belief, there seems to be one common denominator -- they all take on the shape of a human being. This belief stems from the fact that many people believe angels were previously humans in an earlier life who took on an angelic form after death. Unfortunately, no Biblical evidence exists to support that all angels take on human form, but there are several examples in the Bible of angels taking on human form in particular instances for specific purposes.

It is believed that early Christians inherited the Jewish idea of angels. In the early stages of Christianity, the concept of angels took a different twist as angels became more associated as messengers of God and a reflection or manifestation of God. As time passed, angels then came to be known as individual messengers of God, especially Michael and Gabriel. Angelic descriptions later evolved through theology and popular art until church leaders started assigning them rank and orders, each rank / order with a particular purpose and function. Other popularly held concepts of angels are carried on throughout the Christian world. One thing is certain: angels are an integral aspect of the faith.

The existence of angels has long been debated. But in different religions, angels are mentioned, usually as some sort of messenger. We read of angels in the writings of our ancient forefathers, including Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations. These winged messengers later evolved into protectors and guardians of humans. Angels have been perceived, described and named in different ways. But even so, they seem to be unified in one thought: angels exist to enrich the spirituality and lives of people.