For many, the thought of death is terrifying! I must admit I’ve done my fair share of considering death these last few years. Having gone through two cancer diagnoses, it does make you think about it. Some of my friends have died recently. Four friends in the last year have been diagnosed with cancer, and the prognosis is not good for at least two of them.

I recently read a comment a church-going family member wrote on Facebook to a friend who lost a small child in an accident. She wrote, “God must have needed another angel in heaven.” 

Perhaps this concept is a platitude to try and comfort those who are grieving. But it does not seem to be Scriptural. When I reviewed what Scripture says about man, angels, and death, there is actually better news than that!

Angels are talked about a lot in the Bible. When I was younger, I was fascinated by this verse. 

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)

What an awesome thought! I went through the Bible that year and circled every Scripture I ran across that dealt with angels. I wanted to learn more about them. 

I found that angels are mentioned over 250 times in the Bible! And Scripture seems to make it clear that angels are separate created beings, they are different than man. At times, angels take the form of man. At other times they appear so dazzling that man can only fall face down and be terrified. 

Scripture indicates angels were created to be God’s messengers and ministers, with the authority and power to do His will. In fact, the word “angel” in the Greek language means messenger or minister. 

Hebrews 1:14 (NIV) goes on to state, “Are they not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who are to inherit salvation?” 

Wow! Angels are ministering spirits set out to serve, to do God’s purpose. And to whom? For those who are to inherit salvation! Who inherits salvation? The good news is salvation is available to man! We are the recipients of mercy, forgiveness, and grace. Angels can minister to us!

Hebrews 12:22–23 indicates that when we get to heaven we will be met by God, by Jesus, and by “thousands upon thousands of angels” and “the spirits of righteous men made perfect.” Angels and men appear to be two distinct groups here. 

Although we may be “a little lower than the angels” while here on earth (as Psalms 8:5 and Hebrews 2:7 indicate Jesus was for a brief time when He came in human form), it seems that when we get to heaven, we will be higher than the angels. 

1 Corinthians 6:3 (NIV) further strengthens that our status in heaven will be greater than that of the angels when it states, “Do you not know that we will judge angels?”

Hebrews 2:13–17 quotes a passage from Isaiah and explains to the reader that because man is flesh and blood, Jesus came to earth as flesh and blood. As human. He came to destroy the power of death and to deliver us men from the fear of death. 

He emptied Himself and became like us, to die for us and to rise again to defeat death so that we can experience life, not death. He came so that we can experience hope, not despair. He came so that we can experience love, not fear.

Perhaps it is not so much death that makes us afraid, but a fear of the unknown. We must remember that Jesus has made the unknown (death) known. Our greatest fear can become our greatest hope as a Christian. 

He arose in a glorified body. He conquered death. My guess is that after Lazarus was raised from the dead after being in the grave for 4 days, he no longer feared death. To him, the unknown was then the known. 

As believers we can know death is dead! It was slain by Jesus Christ. It is not unknown. It is life…eternal life for those who give their lives to Christ.

There are still times when facing despair I am plagued with tinges of fear. There are times when the unknown still seems so overwhelming. It’s at those times I lean into God, asking for forgiveness, for greater faith, and for a bold and fearless heart. 

Perhaps it is when we face our most desperate situations that we finally realize, “Is there any hope more powerful than God?” All else seems shallow in comparison…money, relationships, power, strength, children, fame. Can any of these anchor your soul?

The book of Hebrews brings comfort as it stresses the supremacy of Christ. He is greater than anything in the Old Covenant, including Judaism and the 10 Commandments. He is greater than my sin. He is the fulfillment of the prophesies. He is God. He is the perfect and Great High Priest who constantly mediates for His children. He is greater than the prophets and the angels.

The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life —of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 (NIV)

Oh that God would grant us all the courage and boldness to meet each day with that thought. Oh that we might live each day with hope, with excitement, not fear, regardless of what we may face that day!