The Reverend John G. Paton was a trail-blazing missionary in the South Pacific in the New Hebrides Islands.  This story illustrates how God provides angels to protect and care for His believers.

One night Paton and his wife found themselves threatened by hostile natives who surrounded their mission headquarters.  The Patons thought for sure that the natives would burn down the headquarters and kill them both.  They prayed throughout the night asking God to protect them from harm.  The next morning they were astonished when they realized that the natives had gone away.  They had no idea where or why they had left.  The missionaries again prayed and thanked the Lord for saving them.

About a year later, the chief of the native tribe who had threatened them became a Christian.  He came to visit the Patons.  When he was asked about the incident of that night of terror, the chief told the Patons that he and his men were too fearful to carry out their plans of attack.  They had seen an army of giant men in “shining garments with drawn swords in their hands” surrounding the mission grounds.  Paton and the chief agreed that there was no explanation other than that God had sent angels to keep the missionaries from harm.

This story is similar to the one told in 2 Kings 6:17: “Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’  And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

The spirit world and its activities are big news today. The idea of the supernatural is not only seriously regarded but is accepted as a fact. Many books on the subject border on the sensational; some are purely speculative or have been dreamed up in somebody’s imagination. Those who take the Bible at full value cannot discount the subject of angels as speculation or hollow conjecture, but we shouldn’t believe everything we hear about them. So what does the Bible say about angels?

Scripture says that angels, like people, were created by God. At one time, no angels existed. Angels are among the invisible things made by God, for all things were created through Him and for Him (see Colossians 1:17).

While angels may become visible by choice, our eyes are not constructed to see them ordinarily any more than we can see the dimensions of a nuclear field, the structure of atoms, or the electricity that flows through wiring. Our ability to sense reality is limited: The deer of the forest far surpass our human capacity in their keenness of smell. Bats possess a phenomenally sensitive built-in radar system. Some animals can see things in the dark that escape our attention. Birds possess sophisticated guidance systems that appear to border on the supernatural.

The angels are near to those who belong to Christ and the Bible declares, “For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands, so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.” (Psalm 91:11–12, NLT). The devil quoted that verse to Jesus.

Angels can be numbered potentially in the millions (even billions) since Hebrews 12:22 speaks of “an innumerable company of angels” (myriads—a great but indefinite number). King David impressively notes, “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands” (Psalm 68:17). The great empire of angels is as vast as God’s creation. They crisscross the Old and New Testaments, being mentioned directly or indirectly nearly 300 times. The word ‘angel’ means messenger. Revelation 5:11 tells us there are a hundred thousand million angels in The Most Holy Place of heaven.

Angels are not just mentioned in past tense. The Bible says that “the Lord Jesus [shall be] revealed from heaven with His mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7). Think of it! Multitudes of angels, indescribably mighty, performing the commands of Heaven as though an extension of the arm of God. Singly or corporately, angels are for real. They are better organized than were the armies of Alexander the Great, Napoleon, or any other mighty world power.

Angelic powers come straight from God and He commands them at His will. But they should never be worshipped. God has given “his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up” (Psalm 91:11-12, RSV). This is the miracle work of the Lord, but He alone is to be worshiped.

Angels participated in the dazzling show when the morning stars sang together at creation. So will the innumerable hosts of Heaven help bring to pass God’s prophetic declarations throughout time and into eternity. This should bring great hope to the hearts of people today. Jesus told us in His second advent sermon that when He comes in power and glory He will be accompanied by His angels. (Matt.24:30-31).

On a deserted, narrow mountain road along a steep cliff, three missionaries realized they needed to turn their car around and go back down the mountain. But how? They could barely see in the heavy snow, and there wasn’t much room—they could easily slide off the cliff. They prayed. A car appeared, coming from the opposite direction. A man stepped out and offered to turn the missionaries’ car for them, and then he told the missionaries to follow him down the mountain, which they gladly did. Near the bottom, the man’s car suddenly disappeared.

Frequent reports like this can only be explained as heavenly help from God’s angels! In the Bible, angels sometimes could be seen—at the birth of Jesus, for example. But usually, angels go about their business unseen and unrecognized. They never draw attention to themselves, but they point us to Jesus instead. God’s angels are empowered by Him and perfectly do His will, so their work is not to be glorified, but rather glorify God who directs them. “Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word” (Psalm 103:20). We face dangers every day of which we are not even aware. Often God intervenes on our behalf using His angels.

Bookstores and libraries are packed with subjects about demons, the occult, and demonic activity. The devil gets more attention from writers than angels do. Some put the devil on par with God. Actually, Satan is a fallen angel. Even when people have had their attention drawn to the subject of angels from time to time, those ideas have often been fanciful or unbiblical. Pop culture has used angels in the form of entertainment, reinforcing the idea in many minds that angels are just a product of our imagination.

The Bible stresses the reality of angels and underscores their constant ministry on behalf of God’s people. In a materialistic world that nevertheless is riddled with evil, it’s a fascinating study to learn what the Bible says about angels.

Angels have a much more important place in the Bible than the devil and his demons. At God’s command, angels intervene in the affairs of the nations. Angels guide and comfort the people of God amid suffering and persecution. In a world that seems destined to live in a perpetual state of crisis, the subject of angels is inspirational to believers in God—and a challenge to unbelievers.

The empire of angels is as vast as God’s creation, and they are still active today (see Hebrews 1:14). Paul further says,” Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” Hebrews 13:2 NLT.

Just as millions of angels participated in the dazzling show when the morning stars sang together at creation, and brightly shined in the sky over Bethlehem when the Savior was born, so will the innumerable hosts of Heaven help bring to pass God’s prophetic declarations throughout time and into eternity.