WORD DEFINITIONS
To begin to understand angels we must look at the definition of an angel as a messenger/ambassador. This definition exists in the Old Testament, and the New Testament and agrees with the definition in common English usage.

The notion of an angel as a messenger is our first clue as to what God means to represent symbolically through angels. For example, the Hebrew word Mal’ak is translates as angel one hundred and eleven times as messenger ninety-eight times and as ambassador four times in the KJV. In the NAS, Mal’ak is translated as ambassador two times, as angel one hundred and one times, as angels nine times, as envoys one time, as messenger or messengers one hundred times. Clearly angel, messenger, ambassador and envoy are interchangeable translations. How Mal’ak is translated in any Bible version depends on the personal choice and theology of translators who are strongly influenced by the historical acceptance of mythical angels in traditional theology. That theology is a spiritual stronghold that shapes how they interpret the Bible.

AUTHORS’ NOTE: See Origins of Judaism and Christianity for understanding of how God uses religious myths to convey spiritual truth. Also see this link for a review of angels in Christian thought and doctrine.

In the New Testament, the Greek word Aggelos is translated as angel one hundred and seventy-nine times and as messenger five times in the KJV. In the NAS, Aggelos is translated as angel one hundred and sixty-nine times, as messenger or messengers seven times and as ambassador three times. Again it is clear that the use of angel or messenger is a matter of choice by translators — not of doctrine. And so we conclude that angels can also be called messengers or ambassadors or envoys without affecting the meaning to the Biblical text.

This leads us to the conclusion that angels in the Bible are just another example of God using a mythical character from another religion to represent a spiritual truth. In the case of angles/messengers/ambassadors/envoys, the truth is that God sends New Covenant disciples (i.e.angles/messengers/ambassadors/envoys) to help Old/First Covenant religionists recognize their sin and make the transition to becoming New Covenant disciples. The sin of which they speak is listening to false prophets which is also called idolatry and religion.

Only New Covenant disciples know the truth because they have not hardened their hearts to hearing God’s voice. Therefore, they are the only ones qualified to share the truth of God’s spoken word with others. The Bible also calls these messengers messiahs, high priests, warriors and prophets. All others are false prophets who speak lies.

AUTHORS’ NOTE: See  God’s Written Word and God’s Spoken Voice Part 1 for understanding about hearing God’s voice.

The next step in understanding angels is to see how the words translated as angel and messenger are used in the Bible. In the NAS we find the phrase “angel of the Lord” appearing sixty-four times. It also appears sixty-four times in the KJV, with the phrase appearing in both the Old and New Testaments. That an angel is “of the Lord” is a clue that the messenger is a New Covenant disciple and not an independent spiritual agent that circulates around heaven and earth delivering messages or doing good deeds for people on its own authority. An angel of the Lord is the spiritual equivalent of a New Covenant disciple, a child of God, who is “born again by the spirit.” They all hear God’s voice and then speak what they have heard to others.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of “born again.”

It is critical to understand that all who presume to speak for God and pretend to be children of God or born again are not what they claim to be. Their testimony of themselves is not true. Similarly, the testimony of others about their Godly status is not true because men are only exchanging their glory with one another so that they can all feel like they are close to God.

People who truly hear from God have no need or desire to advertise or promote themselves as Godly or spiritual. They are completely at rest knowing that God will testify about their spirituality to others when and if such testimony is necessary. Just like Jesus, they neither desire nor receive glory from men for anything they might do or say. They know that the only glory (i.e. honor, praise) that matters is that which comes from God. Thus anyone who desires or receives glory/praise from others is a false prophet and not a true angel as God considers angels.

STUDY TIP: See Making a Name for Yourself, TEBOW’S BROAD PHYLACTERIES, and Pride, Arrogance, Boasting, Power and Humility for more examples of how people seek glory for themselves.

The way to identify an evil angel (i.e. false prophet) is to look at their religion. If you can see their religion it is Defiled Religion and they are false prophets.

If someone speaks for God and does not do the things that religious people do, but practices Pure Religion with a pure heart, and does not do religious things in public, then that person might be a true angel. In all cases, however, it is critical to test every message, the spirit of the messenger and the message itself against scripture. People who follow these cautions will guard against being deceived.