Does the Bible teach there are guardian angels? See Matthew 18:10 please.?Sep 13th, 2012 | By admin | Category: Questions You Ask (click for the full answer)
Verse 10 is helpful in an entirely different way too. It reveals that each consecrated Christian has more than one angel watching over and guarding him. If the guardian angel were always in heaven beholding the face of the Father, then he could not be down here superintending the providences of his assigned individual. Therefore, at least two angels (and probably more) are watching over each consecrated one. The angel in heaven, as the guardian angel, has the chief responsibility. Several angels, or “spiritual body guards,” are assigned to each individual, and one of these, the guardian angel, is appointed to be in charge and make decisions. This latter angel is responsible to the Father to make sure things are done properly.
Another Scripture seems to indicate that each Christian has only one angel, but the statement is based on the thinking of the other disciples at the time Peter was in prison (Acts 12:1-16). James had just been beheaded, and Peter was scheduled for beheading the next day. The disciples prayed into the wee hours of the morning. When an angel appeared unto Peter and released him, the apostle went to the house where the others were praying. Peter knocked on the door, and Rhoda answered and then ran to tell the others with great joy. When she announced, “It is Peter!” the others thought she had seen his guardian angel (singular). However, this statement was just part of the narration of a historical event and was not a doctrine being taught.
Satan concentrates more on certain individuals than others. Consider what Jesus said about Peter, who was a natural-born leader: “Satan has desired to sift you” (Luke 22:31). Satan knew that if he could get Peter to fall, many others would fall with him because of his influence. And it may not always be that an individual is so important. Rather, the circumstance and the effect that circumstance would have on the Lord’s people could be what is important.The point is that there is always a sufficient number of angels available to assist an individual in a given situation, even if that assistance requires activity in several areas.
The emphasis in this setting is to show the sensitivity of the Father and of Jesus toward these little ones—how highly they regard the consecrated and how much displeased they are with those who offend these little ones. Jesus could have had 12 legions of angels assist him if he had so prayed (Matt. 26:53). Since a “legion” consisted of somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000 men, Jesus could have had at least (12 x 3,000) 36,000 angels. Why 12 legions? Perhaps it was to show that all of the spiritual “tribes” would subsequently have angels to guard them.
Extra help was needed to answer Daniel’s prayer (Dan. 10:13). Gabriel was withstood by the “prince of Persia” (Satan) for 21 days until Michael came to help him. This incident shows that adversarial spirit powers are in tartaroo (around earth’s atmosphere). Even though limited to a certain condition or place (a “prison”), the fallen angels exercise great malevolent powers. It is like a Mafia member in prison who continues to manage with authority an illegal operation on the outside.
To us, 21 days (three weeks) is a long period of time, and Daniel fasted for three weeks just to get an understanding of a prophecy. For Gabriel to not come to Daniel for 21 days seems like an inordinate amount of time from our standpoint, but this incident reveals that angelic time is different from ours. Time is relative, so a long time to us is a short time to angels. A thousand years are as a day in God’s sight, and yet, if He so desires, a day can be a thousand years; that is, God can do many things in a short period of time, and He also does things over a long concept of time from our standpoint. Thus 21 days could be like 21 minutes to the angels. When the angels watch an individual from birth to maturity and old age and death, it may be like watching a flower that perishes overnight, whereas to us, it is 80 years.
See our verse by verse study on Matthew 18