Thoughtful

This time, I want to talk about something that bothers me more and matters more than if angels have wings or not.

Do we become angels when we die? 

My answer:  absolutely not.  I understand this might stir up a lot of anger, and I want to remind everyone that I'm not saying that we don't go to heaven when we die.  I'm just saying we don't become angels.

Angels Existed Before Anyone Died

We don't know exactly when God created angels, but I believe it was sometime before Adam and Eve were removed from the garden of Eden.  Satan, who is a fallen angel, was in the garden in the form of a snake, tempting Eve to disobey God's instructions about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Furthermore, we know that they existed before anyone died.  Death did not occur until Adam and Eve's son Cain murdered his brother Abel.

Age and Gender

Angels are never described in the Bible as children or women but as full-grown adult men.  I suppose one might argue that only adult male angels take messages to people from heaven, but it makes more sense, especially with our other evidence, to believe that angels are either mature, male beings, or, more likely, genderless and ageless spiritual beings that present themselves as adult men.

Salvation is not for Angels

Hebrews 2:16 says, "For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham."  (NASB).

Hebrews 1:14 says, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?"  (NASB).

1 Peter 1:12 says, "It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look."  (NASB).

The Bible makes it clear that angels are not going to receive salvation.  Christ did not die for angels.  Christ's sacrifice was for sinful man, and angels are intended to serve Him and us.

It is a nice scene to imagine, our friends and family members that we've lost, living in heaven as angels, serving God and serving us.  But that's just not quite what the Bible tells us.  

For those who have received salvation, death does mean being in the presence of God, but being in God's presence does not mean that we are angels.

"We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord."  2 Corinthians 5:8 (NASB).

Because mankind has such a spectacular role in all of this as recipients of the greatest gift ever given, I find it insulting when someone relegates us into a different role, one that does not receive that gift.

Remember that recognizing that humans do not become angels is not a step down; it is a step into our rightful place.