Angels in the Old Testament

After the war in heaven, Satan and his fallen angels were confined to the earth and holy angels were also placed on this planet to carry out God’s orders. In fact, their sphere of influence even includes the weather. After the fall of man, God ordered angels to guard the Tree of Life, effectively denying Adam and Eve and their offspring access to the Garden of Eden.

This assignment lasted 1,600 years until Noah’s flood. Jesus and two angels visited Abraham on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah and later Lot and his family were miraculously rescued by the same angels. God sent an angel to Joshua prior to the invasion of Canaan.

The Lord also sent an angel to strengthen Gideon and prepare him for the road ahead. The prophet Ezekiel was shown holy angels who are assigned to execute the people that have been judged and sentenced to death by God.

You could liken God’s angels to the armed forces of the United States which are in charge of keeping the nation safe and battling any enemy that threatens its interests. Nothing happens by chance on this earth and the physical world in which we live is highly regulated by holy angels acting on God’s behalf.