Have you ever felt someone’s breath in the gentle breeze? A teardrop in the falling rain? Experienced a gush of whirling energy? Comforted by invisible hands? Heard a whisper amid the rustle of leaves? Or been kissed by a lone snowflake? Angels are guardian spirits who act as intermediaries between heaven and earth. Angels are created by God; however they are believed to be superior to humans as they are immortal – they do not have material bodies and are not subject to death. Angels are considered to be messengers of God who carry out God’s duties and protect and guide humans. They look over us humans at each juncture of life and accompany us to heaven even after death. They are often depicted as humans with feathered wings on their backs and halos over their heads.
Most major religions today acknowledge the existence of angelic beings.Christianity characterizes angels as messengers of God. It believes that angels are classified into different categories, with different missions assigned to them – deliver messages, help humans in difficult times, teach principles of salvation etc. Throughout Christianity, angels are represented as spiritual beings intermediate between God and men. Many Christians believe that angels belong to no particular gender; though they are usually depicted as males in sculpture and painting and also have masculine names. Many Christians consider angels as spirits of humans who are yet to be born or who are deceased.
The religion of Islam believes that angels are messengers of God who have no free will of their own and have to follow God’s commands. All angels are meant to praise and glorify God and carry out all the tasks that they have been assigned. No angel is allowed to disobey God. It is believed that they cannot be seen as they are heavenly beings made of light but can take on different forms, including human. Most angels including Michael, the Archangel have always been present to quell vicious traits from individuals and even defeat the devil, for example, Lucifer or Satan.
In Zoroastrianism, each person is believed to have one guardian angel who supports human beings and manifests God’s energy. Angels are believed to be expressions of the Lord of Light, who are considered as divine gifts and Lord of Darkness, who are evil spirits.
In Theosophy, angels are considered to be living in the atmospheres of other planets and they help to guide the processes of nature such as evolution. Some psychologists describe angels as a kind of hallucination originating from people’s own culture and beliefs.
In current times, many people have revealed that they have encountered angels in their daily lives wherein they have been warned to avert a dangerous situation or received comfort and reassurance in times of distress. People claim to have seen angels in their classical form with wings and a halo and also as beings of light. In the presence of angels, people have always expressed a sense of tranquility and peace. How relevant they are, in the present world depends on the faith and beliefs of people and how willing they are, to question the existence of angels. Those who have experienced angels surely would like to believe in their presence.
Angels descending, bring from above, echoes of mercy, whispers of love – Fanny J. Crosby