The Ministry of Angels {Understand What Angels Do}

In this article we are going to take a deep look into the Bible and see the ministry of angels. We will answer what is the work of angels and what angels do. Grab your Bible and get ready to be amazed at God’s Word…

Angels have many functions and tasks. Like I mentioned in my other blog post 5 Types of Angels in the Bible. They are not just for our protection and guarding. They are sent here to assist believers and release God’s will on the Earth.

We see this in Hebrews 1:14

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Pretty, awesome when you think about it! We have God on our side and His angels to help us!! Thank you, Jesus!

Now in this post, I want to look into the Bible and see what angels do. We will be taking a look at what kind of work, task, or ministry do they have on the Earth and with us.

I shared this quote in How to Release God’s Angels In Your Life, but it’s good to share here as well.

The ministry of Angels in the Bible is limited to natural physical help. They are never a savior, lord, or god. They work for man; they are agents of God who bring to us the message that God wants fulfilled in our lives. –

Lester Sumrall 

So, get ready to see angels in the light of God’s word! I would encourage you to dig deep into these scriptures as I am only going to touch the surface of this topic.

There are more ways God’s angels minister then the list I have below. I will keep it updated as I discover more in my time of study!

What Do Angels Do? Understanding the Work of Angels

Just as millions of angels participated in the dazzling show when the morning stars sang together at creation, so will the innumerable hosts of heaven help bring to pass God’s prophetic declarations throughout the time and into eternity.

Billy Graham

Angels Worship God

It’s clear that angels spend time praising and worshiping God.

• Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
  
  
• Psalm 148:2  Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!
  
  
• Revelation 7:11  And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
  
  

Angels Around the Throne of God

We see both in the Old and New Testament that angels surround the throne room of God.

• Isaiah 6:1-4 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
  
  
  Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 
  
  
  And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 
  
  
  
• Revelation 5:11-12  Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.
  
  They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.  In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
  
  

Angels Rejoice When Someone Is Saved

This is such a beautiful picture that the angels of God are full of joy when someone comes to know Jesus!

• Luke 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Angels listen to God & Obey

Angels are not just these magnificent creatures that do their own bidding (unless they are fallen angels). They obey God and help fulfill his purposes on earth.

• Psalm 103:20 Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word!
  
  

Angels Watch & Protect God’s Children

Nowhere in scripture do we see the term guardian angel, but we do see scripture supporting the fact that angels protect us in times of need.

• Psalm 34:7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.
  
  
• Exodus 23:20 See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
  
  
• Psalm 91:11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.
  
  
  

Angels Send Messages from God

The Hebrew word for angel is mal’ak and the greek is angelos (you can see here where we get our English word from.) These words both mean the same thing… “messenger.”

• Luke 1:19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
  
  
• Judges 6:11-12 11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
  
  
• Daniel 8:15-19 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.” As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.” While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.
  
  Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.
  
  

Angels Send Warnings from God

Throughout scripture and even church history, we know that angels are sent to warn his people of danger.

• Matthew 2:13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
  
  

Angels Ranking: Positions of Authority

If you have studied the different types of angels, then you will see that there are different positions and rankings of authority.

• Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
  
  

God’s Army of Angels: Fighting for God’s People

Even when we don’t see them, God places His angels around us to fight on our behalf.

• 2 Kings 6:15-17 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered.
  
  “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
  
  
• Acts 12:7-9 Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.
  
  Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening.

Angels Can Give Instruction & Direction

Much like an angel giving a warning, they can also provide divine instruction and directions from God.

• Acts 8:26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south* down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
  
  
• Acts 10:4 Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.  And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.
  
  

Angels Can Be Sent To Answer Prayers

Similar to giving instructions and directions, angels are also sent by God to answer prayers.

• Daniel 9:21-23 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.  
  
  He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision…
  
  

Angels Do Not Rest

It’s hard for us to grasp since our natural bodies need to rest daily, but angels and spirits don’t have these natural needs and therefore don’t need to sleep or rest.

• Revelation 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’who was, and is, and is to come.”
  
  

Angels in Dreams

There are times when God will send an angel in dreams. I specifically wrote on the topic of God speaking in dreams. You can learn more here: Does God Speak In Dreams

• Genesis 28:12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
  
  
• Genesis 31:11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’
  
  
• Matthew 1:18 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
  
  

Angels Can Be Sent To You To Make Your Journey Successful

God knows our future and what we will be facing, and He can send an angel before us to make our journey a success. Pretty cool!

• Genesis 24:40 He replied, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.
  
  

Angels Can Bring Judgement

Let’s be real this is not the kind of angelic activity we want, but it is important to know and realize.

• Genesis 19:1-11 (This is the story of the city of Sodom)
  
  
• Matthew 13:41-42 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
  
  
• Revelation 16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”
  
  

The Ministry Of Angels Chart

Angelic Task	Bible Verses
Worship and Praise God	Luke 2:13-14, Psalm 148:2, Revelation 7:11
Surround God’s Throne	Isaiah 6:1-4, Revelation 5:11-12
Rejoice When Sinners Repent	Luke 15:10
Obey God’s Commands	Psalm 103:20
Watch and Protect Believers	Psalm 34:7, Exodus 23:20, Psalm 91:11
Deliver Messages from God	Luke 1:19, Judges 6:11-12, Daniel 8:15-19
Send Warnings from God	Matthew 2:13
Give Instructions and Directions	Acts 8:26, Acts 10:4
Answer Prayers	Daniel 9:21-23
Bring Judgement	Genesis 19:1-11, Matthew 13:41-42, Revelation 16:1

As you can see angels can do a lot of things and that’s not even all of them. If you want to read more on the topic you can check out my other two blog posts on angels:

Drop me a comment below! I would love to know your thoughts and what you have been learning on the ministry of angels.