One hundred years ago, when G.K. Chesterton assessed how modern people view the unseen realm of spiritual beings — what the Bible calls “the heavens” — he surmised, “To the modern man the heavens are actually below the earth. The explanation is simple: he is standing on his head, which is a very weak pedestal to stand on” (Orthodoxy, 231). In other words, we’ve inverted the order of things, making what we can see with our eyes the foundation of our worldview. We’re upside down. Unfortunately, the intervening century has done little to right modern man or free him from the cramped confines of materialism. Confusion regarding the heavenly host — those celestial beings often called angels — still runs riot.
We need to regain an enchanted view of the spiritual realm — to get our feet back on the bedrock of Scripture and “get our head into the heavens” (Orthodoxy, 18).
Why Bother?
But it’s worth asking: Why bother about spiritual beings at all? First and foremost, they exist. The triune God has woven celestial beings into the fabric of reality. Therefore, as his works that display his glory, they ought to be “studied by all who delight in them” (Psalm 111:2).
Second, modern man lives in a misenchanted society (not truly disenchanted because no amount of angry atheists, secular assumptions, or evolutionary propaganda can actually strip God’s world of its wonder and magic). As a result, many are largely allergic to anything beyond the material. The universe of modern science is too cramped to fit the singing, fighting stars (Job 38:5–7; Judges 5:20). Even in the church, we tend to be modern Thomases, skeptical of much we can’t see or touch, living as functional materialists. So, one great need of our generation is to see the unseen realm again — God and angels, heaven and hell, sin and souls. We need to awaken to what’s real.
Thus, the heavens should be studied as a source of wonder that fuels love for both the Creator and his creation.
Map of the Heavens
The heavens are a realm of mystery. The Bible does not exhaustively describe the celestial ones. This makes sense: The scriptural story is not about them. It is preeminently about the triune God — both the main Character and the glorious Author — and his dealings with man. Still, the heavenly host are more than extras or bit characters, and so Scripture yields a substantial character sketch of them.
So, what part do the heavenly host play in God’s cosmic story? They have seven major roles.
1. The King’s Heralds
Scripture most often designates celestials as angels (Greek: angelos; Hebrew: mal’ak). But angel is a job description (like messenger or herald), not a kind of being (like man or star). Men, spirits, and God himself are all called angels at different times in Scripture. So it’s more accurate to use names like celestials (stars), spiritual creatures, and heavenly host to refer to these beings (e.g., Psalm 89:5–7; Job 38:5–7; Hebrews 1:14). In the pages of Holy Writ, spiritual beings are closely connected with, and at times indistinguishable from, the stars and the heavens.
That said, these awesome characters often function as angels, heralds who proclaim and explain divine words. For example, they participate in delivering the laws to God’s people (Deuteronomy 33:2), and later they proclaim the stunning news of great joy (Luke 12:8–15). In a broader sense, this divine heralding role might be summarized by saying that spiritual creatures bridge heaven and earth.
2. The King’s Guard
The celestials guard what is holy. The seraphim guard God’s throne, and the cherubim comprise his numinous secret service, protecting Eden and the Edenic symbols of the tabernacle, the temple, and the ark of the covenant (Genesis 3:24; Exodus 24:17–22).
Yet guarding the throne room includes more than just barring men from it. These starry sentinels also prepare men to be in the presence of the King and usher them in (Isaiah 6:6–7). Thus, the same beings that barred Adam from the garden-temple with flaming swords wielded words of welcome at the garden-tomb of the second Adam (Luke 24:1–12). The same beings that guarded the gate to the tree of life ushered Mary into the presence of the Lord of life when the veil-gate was torn asunder and set aside (John 20:11–18). The celestials are the King’s guard.
3. The King’s Ministers
The writer of Hebrews offers one of the few non-narrative passages dealing with spiritual creatures. During his sermon-letter, he explains that angels are “ministering spirits” who serve for the sake of “those who are to inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). In other words, the heavenly host minister to the saints.
The scope of this service is staggering: We see them guard the saints (Psalm 91:11), render them fireproof (Daniel 3:28), slay their enemies (2 Kings 19:35–37), feed them (1 Kings 19:5–8), surround them with warriors (2 Kings 6:17), shield them from the teeth of lions (Daniel 6:22), demolish prisons for them (Acts 5:17–21), guide them (Matthew 2:1–12; Acts 8:26), and join them in worship of the triune God (Revelation 5:8–14, 7:11–12). Given this litany of aid, who knows what daily service God’s heavenly powers render to his people — render to you. They minister to the King’s people.
4. The King’s Council
The Lord (Yahweh) reigns over all the work of his hands, and as King of all, he holds court. Certain celestial ones sit as the members of that court or “divine council” (Psalm 82:1). Scripture refers to these creatures with the same word, “gods” (ʾĕlōhîm), used to describe Yahweh, and Yahweh himself calls them “gods,” “sons of God,” and “sons of the Most High” (see Psalm 82:1, 6–7). However, we must remember the basic metaphysical divide that runs between creatures and the Creator. The triune God is utterly unique, incomparable, self-defined, and not dependent on any created being to be who he is (Exodus 3:14; 20:3; Deuteronomy 6:4). Spiritual powers, though they be “gods,” remain clearly in the creaturely category. There may be many ʾĕlōhîm, but there is only one Yahweh.
Yet the Lord chose to make these lesser divine beings responsible for doing justice and ruling as his representatives, though they often fail to do so (Psalm 82:2–4). Moses explains this system of divine delegation, noting that the Most High divided up mankind and allotted the nations “according to the number of the sons of God” (Deuteronomy 32:8). For his own good pleasure, the Lord freely chooses to use what Tolkien dubs “a theocratic hierarchy” to exercise dominion over his creation. The stars are the King’s court.
5. The King’s Host
They are also his celestial army, waging war for the Lord. When Elisha’s servant is granted the ability to see this host, he beholds a vast cavalry, an empyrean force mounted on flaming steeds and commanding chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17). This is a good host but not a safe one; just one of these warriors can single-handedly slay 185,000 men (2 Kings 19:35–37). At least part of this stellar army is under the command of the archangel Michael, who vanquishes the dragon’s horde with his host (Revelation 12:7–12). But Jesus himself is the grand General, telling Peter he could summon twelve legions of angels with one little word (Matthew 26:53). Many kings in history have claimed to command armies that outnumber the stars, but only the King of kings himself commands the army of stars!
6. The King’s Attendants
War is not the only way they serve Christ. He is the central person in Scripture — the Author-become-Character — and as such, it is fitting that the celestials adore and attend to him. Spiritual creatures flocked around Jesus, fixated on him through the highs and lows of his earthly ministry. They heralded his birth (Luke 1:26–31; 2:8–14; Matthew 1:20–25), they attended to him at the temptations that framed his ministry (Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:43), they announced his resurrection (Matthew 28:5–6), and they beheld his ascension and enthronement (Acts 1:10–11).
The spiritual powers were firsthand witnesses to the divine comedy of the gospel, heralds of his cosmic victory and harbingers of eucatastrophe. They eternally adore the Lamb who was slain and stand ever eager at his beck and call (Revelation 5:11–12; Matthew 26:53).
7. The King’s Choir
Most importantly, the celestial ones delight in the triune God. Over and over, Scripture pulls back the veil on the unseen realm, and what is revealed? Spiritual creatures relentlessly rejoicing in their Maker. Consider the fierce delight of the seraphim, whose endless and unparalleled cry of “holy, holy, holy” shook the temple to its foundation (Isaiah 6:1–6). Or the angelic host, heralding to sheep and shepherd alike the glory of God in the gladness of man (Luke 2:13–14). Or the myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands before the throne, pouring forth sevenfold praise and filling heaven with their happy song: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!” (Revelation 5:11–12). Truly, the heavens declare the glory of God! Even among the innumerable stars, God is most glorified in his creatures when they are most satisfied in him.
To summarize this character sketch, unbent celestial beings mediate and celebrate the sovereignty of their Lord. Lewis is apparently right: “Creation seems to be delegation through and through. [God] will do nothing simply of Himself which can be done by creatures” (Letters to Malcolm, 95). The heavenly host joyfully enact the King’s will — often on behalf of the saints (Psalm 103:20).
Worship and Wonder
So, what do we make of all this? How should the celestials affect my life? Getting our heads into the heavens should kindle enchantment, worship, and wonder.
First, a biblical vision of spiritual creatures can help reenchant reality, dispelling what Lewis calls “the evil enchantment of worldliness” (The Weight of Glory, 31). After all, anyone who excludes spirits from their sight has, at best, an impoverished vision of reality. That is why Christians like Dante in The Divine Comedy, Lewis in The Ransom Trilogy, and Tolkien in The Silmarillion bent all their poetic effort to create worlds that unveil the magic and mystery of the heavenly host. We live in a Spirit-haunted cosmos, and it is good we know it.
Second, the heavenly host should fuel worship. These holy champions who adore the triune God serve as mimetic models for the saints, fueling our love for God through their praise. This singing assembly constantly participates in a polyphonic — indeed, a poly-species — choir, praising God with voice and instrument (Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 5:8; 8:2). They adorn the harmony of the triune God and conduct the music of the spheres. And when we worship, we join them in that cosmic joy. Worship is never an indoor affair.
Finally, an awareness of the celestial ones should serve to cultivate wonder at their Maker. Our God is “the God of gods” (Psalm 136:2). The celestials are beautiful because he is, glorious because he is, holy because he is. The more we can get our head into the heavens, the more we will marvel at the Maker of heaven and earth.
