Biblical Oddities: Angelic Oddities

Today I’m going to look at a few oddities that deal with angels. Angels are mentioned more than 200 times in the Bible and are a fairly popular subject. Despite their popularity, however, much of what the Bible has to say about them is ignored. A lot of the popular “common knowledge” regarding angels is actually wrong – for example, all of the angels in the Bible are men (there is no mention of any female angels), and no angels sang at the birth of Christ.

My aim is not to make an exhaustive list of everything that the Bible has to say about angels, but instead to mention a few bits of information that tend to get overlooked. For example, angels have a sense of curiosity:

1 Peter 1:12: “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

The angels are quite interested in our salvation! That subject grabs their attention. This does make sense, if you think about it: mankind has been given a gift that the angels have not received. When Lucifer fell and brought down many angels with him, God did not launch a plan of salvation for angels. It is impossible for the fallen angels to be saved – Christ died to save the sins of man, not the sins of angels. The angels do not have a redeemer. All of the angels who have sinned are lost forever, with no hope of salvation. (I am not saying that the demons are looking for salvation or desire it; I’m simply saying that it is utterly impossible.)

In other words, salvation is an experience that no angel will ever have. The gospel is something special that is only for mankind, and angels are very curious about it.
 

As it turns out, the angels were also interested in the apostles:

1 Corinthians 4:9: “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.”

Paul points out that the apostles are a spectacle to the world, to men, and to angels. Since angels are interested in the gospel, it only makes sense that they would be interested in the ministers that God appointed to preach the gospel. God used the apostles in mighty ways and yet they were despised, persecuted, abused, trampled upon, and (in many cases) executed. These church leaders (appointed by Jesus Christ Himself) were set forth as being the least, appointed unto death.

Christ warned His disciples that it would be that way. He told them that “he that is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:11), and he warned them that the highest positions of authority in the kingdom were purchased through immense suffering and pain (Matthew 20:22). Those who suffer the most for Christ will be rewarded the most.
 

The Bible also tells us that one day we will judge angels:

1 Corinthians 6:3: “Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?”

Some people have tried to argue that this verse is talking about human messengers, not angelic beings. However, the whole point Paul is making is that since we will one day judge angels, then surely we can judge matters between one another!

I believe Paul is saying that one day we will be given authority over the angels. Christ said in Revelation 3:21 that “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne”. Christ certainly has authority over the angels; if He is going to share that authority with us then that would confirm the idea that one day we will rule over them.
 

Another odd fact is that apparently there is angelic food. When talking about Israel’s journey from Egypt to Canaan the psalmist said this:

Psalm 78:24: “And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
25 Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.”

Do the angels really eat food, or is the psalmist just being poetic? It’s hard to say based on just that one passage, but there’s also the curious experience of Elijah:

I Kings 19:5: “And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.”

It would seem that while Elijah was sleeping, a being from Heaven cooked him a meal that was so potent that it not only revived him, but it gave him enough energy to travel for 40 days and nights! That angelic food is pretty powerful stuff.
 

We’re not done yet though. The apostle Paul tells us that the Mosaic Law was ordained by angels:

Galatians 3:19: “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”

This seems rather astonishing, but it’s not the only place we find this idea in the Bible. Paul is echoing what Stephen told the Pharisees right before he was killed:

Acts 7:52: “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.”

In other words, the angels were actually involved in giving the Law to mankind! They played a role that is pretty much never talked about.
 

There is one more point, and I have saved the most bizarre one for last. Paul says that women should keep their heads covered in church because of the angels:

1 Corinthians 11:10: “For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.”

I don’t think Paul is talking about messengers between churches or anything like that; I think he really does mean angels. There may be more going on here than you might think.

Back in the Old Testament, in the days before the Flood, there was a time when some angels became enraptured with the beauty of human women and actually had children with them (Genesis 6:1-2). This, however, was an awful sin, and God imprisoned the angels who were responsible (Jude 1:6; II Peter 2:4). Angels are not permitted to marry women – but as odd as it may seem, some angels actually find women tempting. I think that Paul may be saying that when women wear hats (or some other symbol of authority), they are reminding the angels that they are under authority and are not available.

Does that seem strange? You bet it does! However, we often forget that angels can be tempted by sin. The fact that 1/3rd of all angels chose to join Satan’s rebellion is a sober reminder that even angels can fall (Revelation 12:4) – and once they fall there is no going back. We can obtain forgiveness through Christ, but angels cannot.