One Angel Can be Enough

And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. (2 Kings 19:35)

For years, people have posed the satirical question, “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” The question was never meant to be taken seriously; it was a jab at theologians from centuries past who would argue about anything. Nevertheless, angels are real spiritual beings. As spiritual beings, they lack physical mass, so there is no answer. However, you don’t need a thousand or a hundred or even a dozen angels to completely change your situation, as we see from 2 Kings 19:35, where only one angel destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers!

Angels are not childlike beings who play harps and fly aimlessly. They are aware, powerful, and ready to serve God and His people. Just as people have unique assignments from God, so do angels. Some are communicators, like Gabriel, who told Mary she would bring forth God’s Son by the power of the Holy Ghost. He also appeared to Zacharias, announcing that he and Elizabeth, who had long given up hope of having a child, would soon bring John the Baptist into this world to prepare the way of the Lord. An angel also spoke to Paul in Acts 27, when he was caught in a violent storm that lasted two weeks.

Other angels, like the seraphim in Isaiah, help people prepare for worship, as Isaiah 6:6 states: “Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar.” Angels shut the lions’ mouths when Daniel was in their den (Daniel 6:22); they delivered Lot (Genesis 19), fed Elijah (1 Kings 19), and even ministered to Jesus (Matthew 4:11; Mark 1:13). Hebrews 1:14 says that angels are sent to minister for those who are heirs of salvation. In other words, God sends angels to assist His people in accomplishing His will.

Practical Application

Angels respond to God’s Word (Psalm 103:20), so give your angel something to work with by speaking God’s Word.

2 Samuel 24:16; 2 Chronicles 32:21