Angel of the Lord (Kurios): the Lord himself controls the complete history of missionary work and church-building from his throne in heaven (Acts 1:9–11). Jesus is Lord in heaven (Acts 2:33–36) and looks after his work on earth by sending an angel. God’s Son sends heavenly servants to earth, like he sends out the apostles to establish his kingdom on earth. Heaven and earth are connected with each other. The unseen world is our reality, also today!

More often, we see an angel appear in the books of Luke and Acts at critical times and moments of crisis. Gabriel appears to Zechariah and Mary (Luke 1:1–80) at the announcement of Jesus’ birth. There is also an angel with Joseph and with the shepherds; with the resurrection and with the ascension: men in white robes (Acts 1:10). An angel from the Lord opens the prison doors and frees the apostles (Acts 5:19). We also find an angel with Peter (Acts 12:7) who tells him to “Get up quickly” (“anasta”). Furthermore, we find the phrase ‘it is his angel in Acts 12:15. In Acts 12:11, Peter confesses: “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel (“exapostello”) and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” In Acts 6:15 the people see the face of Stephen as the face of an angel. Stephen’s address also talks about, among other things, the angel of the Lord who appears to Moses (Acts 7:30, Acts 7:35). With Cornelius in Caesarea, an angel of God appears in a vision (Acts 10:3, compare Acts 11:13). Paul also hears the voice of an angel during the storm at sea (Acts 27:23) to encourage him and inform him that all on board will survive.

Angels support the gospel preachers, the servants of God. They protect them and guide them in their task to spread the gospel message. Angels do not always appear to save, for example James and Stephen do lose their lives as martyrs. But angels always minister to the believers, with an eye to the fulfillment of their salvation (Hebrews 1:14). They are travel guides, protectors for those who follow Jesus on the pilgrim journey, so that they reach their eternal destination. So, they are heavenly support workers for the kingdom of God in this world.

Attention to angels has everything to do with our faith in God who is enthroned in heaven. Our vision on reality is often diminished and limited to this earth here and now. Angels belong to the invisible world of God and have not withdrawn themselves from our reality; they are above us and around us. That is living in the reality and closeness of God.