There are places in Scripture where God chooses to manifest Himself as a human. Even angels do the same. Of course, the prime example is Jesus Himself emptying Himself of the use of His divine attributes and taking Human form (Phil 2:5-10). But, there are more examples where God has done so: He showed Himself as a man to Abraham near the Oaks of Mamre (Gen. 18), He showed Himself to Jacob as a man (Gen. 32:22-30), and, of course, Jesus walked as a man and with men for thirty three years.
Angels have shown themselves as men as well. The two men who were with God in Genesis 18 are identified as angels (Gen. 19:1). The angels at the tomb of Jesus came in appearance of men (Matt 28:5; Mark 16:5; Luke 24:1-9).
So, there are times we have been visited by heavenly beings, beings who could destroy us with a wave of a hand but don’t. In fact, they come to help us, to test us, to comfort us. They, whether God or angel, are benevolent toward God’s people. If we are children of God, we have nothing to fear from them. Have you ever thought how wonderful it would be to meet an angel who came to meet with you as two did with Abraham or those two who came to speak to the women at the tomb? What an honor, what a privilege.
My point here, though, is how do they see us? How do we treat them? Hebrews 13:2 says some of us have entertained angels unaware. So, someone has had a visit. There’s nothing in Scripture which tells us this won’t continue to happen after the first century. How do we treat strangers? Do we leave them with a kind word, a helping hand, a good taste in their mouths, a word from God? Imagine what it may be like when we face our God and an angel comes to stand beside us to testify about how we treated him when he visited us, unawares. What might he say about us?
Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV)
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Genesis 32:22-30 (ESV)
22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had.
24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.
25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.
26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”
28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him.
30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”
Matthew 28:1-5 (ESV)
1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
Mark 16:1-6 (ESV)
1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.
2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.
3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”
4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large.
5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.
6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.
Luke 24:1-9 (ESV)
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.
5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,
7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”
8 And they remembered his words,
9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
Hebrews 13:1-3 (ESV)
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 