Angels and Men

My daughter MargaretAnn wrote a paper for school on angels in the book of Psalms. She observed that angels do what men do. Angels are fierce warriors (Psalm 78:49), obey God (Psalm 103:20), praise God (Psalm 148:2). This is a summary of what human beings are called to do.

The logic is this: God created human beings under the angels, but destined to be elevated above angels. The first covenant was the covenant of humanity’s childhood, when we were under guardians and managers until the time set by the Father. The law came through angels; the Son appeared as the angel-messenger of Yahweh; men were subordinated to angels. That was not a permanent hierarchy: We were “for a little while” under angels, but eventually would be glorified above them. That happens when the man Jesus takes His heavenly throne, a man who becomes king of angels.

The childhood covenant is a time of training, not merely a time of waiting. And the training takes place (in part) as men learn to imitate angels. As human beings learn to fight God’s battles, obey God’s commands, and praise Him, we become more like the angels. As the faithful of the old world did angelic things, as they became like angels, they were being trained to rise above the angels.

Of course, Jesus, the Angel of Yahweh, is the only man who lives this angelic life, the terrible warrior king, the obedient Son, the priest who worships His Father with everything He has. Jesus is the most angelic of men, therefore also the most human. And He came to make us angelic, which means to make us fully men, ready to be elevated above the angels.