My Answer
By Billy Graham

QUESTION: When were the angels created? Or have they always existed, just as God has always existed? I've always been curious about this.

- M.McK.

ANSWER: The Bible doesn't say exactly when angels were created but they haven't always existed in the same way God has. God has no beginning, but the angels did.

The Bible does indicate, however, that the angels were created long before God made the world. In fact, it tells us that before the universe was ever created, some of the angels decided to rebel against God and challenge His rule over them. They were led by the angel we have come to call Lucifer or Satan and as a result they were cast out of Heaven forever (see Isaiah 14:12-15). After Adam and Eve were created, Satan successfully tempted them to follow his path of death.

While it's interesting to speculate about the origin of the angels, it's much more important to remember why God created them. The Bible says one reason God made them was to help us in our journey through life by surrounding us with His protection. The Bible says, "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14).

Thank God for His angels, for even if we don't see them, they are still with us every day if we know Christ. This should give us confidence in the midst of life's storms, and assurance that no matter what happens to us, nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39).

Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, P.O. Box 1270, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.

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