Today, I preached part two of a three part message on angels. The doctrine of angels, or angelology, is one of the ten historic disciplines which make up traditional courses on systematic theology. The current angelmania gripping our nation is, by and large, driven by mysticism and pop culture, having little to do with biblical revelation concerning angels. As is true with the cartoonish images of Noah’s Ark as a Chinese junket with giraffes sticking their heads out from windows, or crèche scenes depicting wise men in the manger with the baby Jesus, so too, the popular rococo images of fat baby cherubs with wings (popularized in the eighteenth century by Reubens), of angels earning their wings (i.e. It’s a Wonderful Life), or female angels (Della Reese, et al.) — all contribute to the mythologizing of Christianity. When you couple the impact of these inaccurate and doctrinally unsound images with the popular superstitions (even floating around the Church) about the nature, function, and mission of angels, you have a formula for superstition. This superstitious attitude toward angels has resulted in the very form of false worship of angels that the Apostle warns against in Colossians.

The biblical doctrine of the angelic host of Heaven is, in fact, one of the most glorious revelations of Scripture. These non-corporeal, metamorphic, finite, but powerful beings, also known as “the sons of God” and the “morning stars,” serve as both ministers and messengers of the Lord for the benefit of the people of God. Remarkable! However, Hebrews 1 and 2 point us to the fact that these blessed messengers in all of their glory can not hold a candle to their Creator, Jesus Christ.