Bible Questions Answered:
“Did Peter have a angel?...”
Corrie/ Auckland, New Zealand
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Acts 12:1-17 NLT
1 About that time King Herod
Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church.
2 He had the apostle James (John’s
brother) killed with a sword.
3 When Herod saw how much this
pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place
during the Passover celebration.
4 Then he imprisoned him, placing
him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod
intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.
5 But while Peter was in prison, the
church prayed very earnestly for him.
6 The night before Peter was to be
placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two
soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
10 They passed the first and second
guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this
opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started
walking down the street, and then The Angel suddenly left him.
11 Peter finally came to his senses.
“It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent His Angel and
saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to
do to me!”
12 When he realized this, he went to
the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered
for prayer.
13 He knocked at the door in the
gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it.
14 When she recognized Peter’s
voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she
ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the
door!”
15 “You’re out of your mind!”
they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his
angel.”
16 Meanwhile, Peter continued
knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were
amazed.
17 He motioned for them to quiet
down and told them how The Lord had led him out of prison...”
Members of the
early church, had the belief that everyone had a guardian angel. And
in this instance, the believers told Rhoda, that what she saw must
have been Peter's angel, not actually Peter.
The Apostle Paul:
Hebrews 13:2 KJV
Be not forgetful to entertain
strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Hebrews 13:2 NLT
Don’t forget to show hospitality
to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels
without realizing it!
According to Paul,
and early believers, angels could assume the likeness of men, thus
the apostle's warning.
Again Paul states
that angels are capable of assuming the image they choose.
II Corinthians
11:13-15 NLT
13 These people are
false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as
apostles of Christ.
14 But I am not
surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 So it is no
wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of
righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked
deeds deserve.
Angelic forces may
be visible or invisible:
II Kings 6:17
KJV
And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I
pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And The Lord opened the
eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full
of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
Colossians 1:16
KJV
For by Him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:
all things were created by Him, and for Him:
Hebrews 1:7 KJV
And of the angels He saith, Who
maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.
Angels appearing as
men:
Genesis 18:1,2
KJV (Theophany, Jesus Christ, and two angels.)
1 The Lord appeared again to Abraham
near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at
the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day.
2 He looked up and noticed three men
standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed
them, bowing low to the ground.
Are there guardian
angels?
Here is what The
Word says....
Genesis 48:16
KJV (Jacob prayed.)
the Angel who has redeemed me
from all harm..."
Psalm 34:7 KJV
The Angel Of The Lord encampeth
round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.
Daniel 3:26-28
NLT
26 Then
Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming
furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of
The Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire.
27 Then the
high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them
and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads
was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even
smell of smoke!
28 Then
Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego!
He sent His
Angel to rescue His servants who trusted in Him. They defied the
king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship
any god except their own God.
Daniel 6:21-23
NLT
21 Daniel
answered, “Long live the king!
22 My God
sent His Angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not
hurt me, for I have been found innocent in His sight. And I have
not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was
overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a
scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.
Matthew 18:10
KJV (Jesus)
Take heed that ye despise not one of
these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels
do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 18:10
NLT
“Beware that you don’t look down
on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their
angels are always in the presence of My Heavenly Father.
Hebrews 1:14 KJV
Are they not all ministering
spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of
salvation?
