The existence of angels has been one of the more controversial subjects over the years. Different religious groups such as Christians, Muslims, pagans, and atheists have different perspectives and views on the existence of angels. Some people think the presence of angels as a mythical theory while other people’s opinions on the existence of angels believe to be true since angels do exist based on their religious teachings and scriptures. When people hear the word angel, they often picture a mystical human with a golden halo and white wings. The word reminds many people of how these powerful messengers convey protection, innocence, and calm. However, angels are not always viewed in this way. In fact, there are several perspectives from which angels can be viewed. Some people are skeptical about their existence, since they typically cannot be physically perceived. People who have this perspective often try to take what they believe as a “rational” and “scientific” view of the topic and use it to explain angels strictly through religious literature in naturalistic terms. On the other hand, the religious perspective of the topic holds a strong belief that angels do exist and can be perceived physically even though it may be rare. It is a popular belief that the angels are messengers from God sent with powerful messages. Although the topic of angels may seem controversial to some people, evidence of the existence of angels has surfaced which has provided many people with the proof they need to become aware of their existence.
According to the Christian, sacred book, the Holy Bible, God is seen mentioning several angels and classifying them into different categories in relation to various principles and jobs for them to deliver on his behalf and seen as his messengers. “Angels are beings who have greater power and ability than humans. (2 Peter 2:11) They exist in heaven, or the spirit realm, which is a level of existence higher than the physical universe. (1 Kings 8:27; John 6:38). For example in the Bible, there are two common angels, angel Gabriel and angel Michael. Meanwhile, other angels have been acknowledged in the Bible without names being mentioned. Some of the angels made their choice to follow God while others abandoned God’s path and followed Satan, the Devil who was the first angel to rebel against God, (Mathew 25:41). These angels are also referred to as fallen angels or demons.
Although that is the biblical point of view, the big questions remain, is the existence of angel real or fiction? According to the Christian, sacred scripture, The Holy Bible, angels are beings created by God which possess higher powers and more abilities as compared to human beings. Angels exist in the realm spirit or in heaven, a level which is higher than the real infinity world, (John 6:38; 1 Kings 8:27). In addition, The existence of angels has been attempted to be shown in several films, for example, a film released between the years of 1984 and 1989 known as “Highway to Heaven” and a movie released called “ Heaven Is For real” in 2014 based off of the book about a child with a near death experience.
The topic if angels are real or not is one people are hesitant about when believing they exist. If they do not exist literally then they do figuratively, Angels surround us all the time, especially during the holidays, and in times of prayer and moments of darkness. We commonly see angels depicted in various ways, “They very often appear in paintings, drinking glasses, books, posters and just about everything else. Angels also appear in several religions as well.” (Radford). The angels most people are familiar with today are the Christian angels, which originated from the Hebrew Testaments. In Christianity and Islam, angels function mainly as God’s messengers in which they were mostly used to announce births and deaths. However, in modern times they function more as guardians. For example, in the article, “The gift of the angel feather.” by Kate O’ Rielly reports that “when she was suffering from pneumonia in 1998 angels of God appeared to her. She was in the worse health condition ever in life. However, one night she had been in a deep sleep and she was awakened by the presence of somebody in the room with her. Kate says at first she thought it could just be another patient but when she turned on the other side of bed she claimed she saw two huge bodies with approximately ten feet tall. After a thought, Kate concluded that those were God’s angel protecting her. Finally, she was able to identify them very well even according to their gender whereby she reports one of them as being a male angel and the other a female angel. Kate then stretched her hand and touched one of the angels, and from there she was healed.”( Schroff,27). In addition, The abilities of angels taking physical characteristics are shown in the Quran which states “…we send to our angel… he appeared … like a man…” (Quran 19:17). Also, angels are evidenced visiting Abraham, the servant of Allah in the form of the physical body of a human. The concept of angels allows believers to face hardships and sins throughout their life, with the comfort of knowing God is in control. Angels occasionally feature in reports of near-death experiences, though mostly in those who have a pre-existing belief in them. One popular encounter was told by a woman and the story of her daughter. “In one famous 2008 angel encounter, a North Carolina woman named Colleen Banton claimed that an angel miraculously healed her daughter. While in a hospital’s waiting area, Banton noticed that a patch of sunlight appeared through a nearby window and shone in the hallway outside her daughter’s room. Her daughter soon got better, and Banton attributed the recovery to the angelic visit (Radford).” John Geiger is an internationally known explorer and author who has been investigating this phenomenon for years and claims that the topic still remains a great mystery, even though there have been numerous reports about it just like this one.
Being a believer of the phenomenon requires a lot of faith and trust. However, many sightings that have recently arose around the world has convinced many people of their existence. Some of the most fascinating stories of the unexplained perception of angels are those that feel they take the form when answering prayers or are guardians to the ones in the most vulnerable states. These remarkable events and encounters lend comfort, strengthen faith, and even save lives. They almost always seem to happen when they are needed most. In a story titled “ The Angel Nurse” by Steven Wagner, It includes the real life story of a young boy named Luke at the age of eight years old diagnosed with bone cancer. Luke’s mother had been praying while he was in the hospital bed when a nurse came into the room to check her son’s temperature when she noticed something odd about the nurse. “The nurse was wearing an old-fashioned uniform of the type that would have been common 30 years earlier, in the 1960s. The nurse noticed that Luke’s mother had a Bible by the side of his bed. She said that she was a Christian, too, and said she would pray for Luke’s healing. Luke’s family had never seen this odd nurse before, and they never saw her again in Luke’s remaining time at the hospital. “I came out of the hospital fully healed of my infection,” says Luke, Remarkably, he is now completely free of cancer.” (Wagner). There are many articles similar to this one that have claimed to be real-life stories of encounters with angels. However, because of pop culture and the media including mostly fake news, most people do not believe everything they read and doubt these stories told. In addition, Many people have claimed to have passionate stories about their experiences in the past with angels and the guidance and healing they gained from it. Although there is evidence to prove the existence of angels, the belief will always vary from person to person.
In conclusion, The reality of spiritual beings are undoubtedly attested throughout scripture if not in everyday personal experiences from people. The topic of angels will forever be questioned in the sense if they exist or not, However in Christianity and Islamic scripture they do not refrain from including numerous accounts of the work of angels. Some people have claimed angels have appeared to them and healed them. Some religious leaders have declared being anointed by holy spirits and angels to serve religious activities of God in different aspects. The topic is all a matter of understanding that angels exist in a level which is higher than the real world. Despite there being a controversial argument on the existence of angels, it can be agreed that there is the existence of angels due to various religious beliefs and theories describing the presence of angels.
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