Limitations of Angels

QUESTION: What are the limitations of angels?

ANSWER:

Angels are heavenly spirit beings (Psalm 104:4; Matthew 18:10; 22:30; 24:36; Hebrews 1:14) with personal spirits. They can speak all the different languages known to man (1 Corinthians 13:1) and are considered personal souls with emotions (Luke15:1-10). These souls are just and never have the need for salvation, because they proved faithful during the war in heaven with Lucifer.

All angels were created before the earth and man were formed (Job 1:6; 2:1; 4:18; 38:4-7). God called them His sons, the sons of God. These souls have other characteristics.

• Patience (Numbers 22:22-35)
• Meekness (2 Peter 2:11; Jude 9)
• Modesty (1 Corinthians 11:10)
• Holiness (Mark 8:38)
• Obedience (Psalm 103:20; Matthew 6:10)
• Knowledge (Mark 13:32; 1 Peter 1:12)
• They come with God’s power (Isaiah 14:12-14)
• Glorious (Luke 9:26)
• Immortal (Luke 20:36)
• Powerful bodies (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 18:1; Isaiah 37:36)
• Higher than man (Psalm 8:5)
• They can eat food (Genesis 18:8; 19:3; Psalm 78:25)
• They need no rest (Revelation 4:8)

Even with all these characteristics, angels do have limitations. They are limited in their knowledge of things (Mark 13:32). They are not omnipresent like God, being everywhere at the same time and are inferior to God (Daniel 10:10-14). They are very powerful being, but they are not all-powerful (2 Peter 2:11; Revelation 12:7; Daniel 10:3). They are not humans who died and became angels; Christians will judge them (1 Corinthians 6:3).

With all this information at our fingertips to study the purposes and the works of angels, we realize that we were created for one major purpose as they were; to sing, praise, worship, and glorify God (Luke 2:13; Psalm 103:20; 148:2; Revelation 5:11). We must keep our interest of angels and their activities to minimum. It is God we worship and not the angels. Apostle Paul admonishes us to keep our worship to God first and foremost, warning us to stay away from angel worship (Colossians 2:18).

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