Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ 1 Kings

[Ongoing Questions]

Hello! Non-denominational Christian here struggling with the concept spiritual beings and angels. This is a random area that’s been bugging me - I was at a church service that referenced 1 Kings 19:6-7 over the weekend and it stoked my curiosity. No disrespect is intended, my hope is just to understand how other believers read and analyze text (Side note -Tim Mackie with the Bible Project is the man).

The idea of the Lord providing is a beautiful thought that is powerful but I struggle to grapple with cosmic beings dropping from the sky with cake for Elijah. I have similar struggles with Angels facilitating a Peter prison break in Acts, simply appearing and letting him out.

• Do you accept God beaming angels down to advocate on behalf of his believers in a historical sense? Or is it something that is hard to fully comprehend or understand in our modern terms?
• The appearance of angels seems to have gone away over time, or just existed in the ancient world. What do you make of this? I’m of the belief I could’ve met one and not known it - we just don’t see the beaming down kind of thing frequently. (Would love to receive some Toll House cookies after prayer though - jealous of Elijah]
• Do you have any cool testimonies or stories about meeting an angel or spiritual being?

[jimwalton]

> Do you accept God beaming angels down to advocate on behalf of his believers in a historical sense?

I do. If we accept the existence of God, then we accept the idea of non-material spirit beings. The Bible speaks of several different kinds of spirit beings—cherubim, seraphim, archangels, and angels, and since I have learned that the Bible is reliable, and I have no reason to think that its treatment of spirit beings is allegorical, I accept their existence as real, and that they appear on the Earth on occasion in a historical sense.

Elijah had traveled far. It makes sense that he was truly, physically weakened by hunger and needing food. I don't see in the text any justification for understanding it in any other way than a real angel providing real, physical food for Elijah's health, nourishment, and strength.

> The appearance of angels seems to have gone away over time, or just existed in the ancient world.

There have actually been many claims all through history. Even in biblical times, seeing an angel was a rare event. So also in our day, but there are reports of them. They 're completely unverifiable, but just because something is unverifiable doesn't mean it's untrue. It just means that it can't be examined and confirmed in any objective or scientific way. That's OK, though. The headache I had last week can't be examined or confirmed in any objective or scientific way can't be confirmed either, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

> I’m of the belief I could’ve met one and not known it

Sometimes in the Scriptures angels appear as normal humans. Gn. 19; Judges 6.20-22; cf. Heb. 13.2.

> (Would love to receive some Toll House cookies after prayer though - jealous of Elijah]

I would take Toll House cookies even if I hadn't prayed!

> Do you have any cool testimonies or stories about meeting an angel or spiritual being?

No, I've never had any experience like that. Most often in the Bible when it happens, though, the people are terrified, not delighted.