Even as a small child, age 10, reading the Bible for the first time, I saw angels as presented by the Bible and not as presented by our culture.
The Bible always presents the holy angels as having "the appearance of a man" and usually bringing a message. In one instance the angels escort Lot and his family to safety before the destruction of their hometown. In another instance an army of angels fights a battle on behalf of God's people. There is not a single verse that alludes to angels having some soft frilly, feminine, or baby-with-wings appearance. Consequently, I find it extremely disquieting to walk into a Christian bookstore to see the "angel trinkets" for sale on their shelves.
So I was comforted this past week when my Beloved and I read the chapter in Calvin's Institutes concerning the Doctrine of Angels and Demons. Our friend Scott reviews this chapter and you can read his comments here. Calvin wrote some centuries ago, so you will have to read carefully to delve into the meaning of his sentence structures. Nevertheless, you will delight in his Biblical insight.
There are far too many persons, who in lieu of trusting our Lord and Savior, instead trust a coin in their pocket that has an angel imprint upon it. Somehow rubbing the coin between their fingers will bring them "blessing".
Or perhaps they wear a small "cupid angel" on their lapel, as if this little image (which is a non-Biblical interpretation of the word cupid) will protect them from evil. How sad that they have not learned to pray directly to our Lord who always intercedes with the Father on our behalf. It is as if they are willing to acknowledge "angels" but unwilling to acknowledge "Lord, Savior, Creator God".
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