Why do people think they will become Angels?

[SMHW]

Jesus Christ said, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” (Matthew 22:30) Such a statement could easily be misunderstood.

I’ve always thought that is probably where the idea came from.

I’ve never noticed that there was much difference between Protestants and Catholics on this one. People are especially likely to say it when a baby or young child dies. But they obviously say it for adults too.

 

[Karen107]

Humans do not become Angels when they die…how did this conception start?

Actually I believe the belief came from SDA and JW beliefs and even part of Mormonism. There’s a scripture that says that Jesus was made lower than the angels for a little while…

Hebrews 2:9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

And we know that Jesus was made a little lower than the angels when He became ‘man’… See we know there are hierarchies of angels and they missed the part that says Jesus is higher than the angels Hebrews 1:3-4 and angels are higher than humans in divine-ship we learn also from Hebrews 2:9,

And then others in Daniel and the Book of Revelation that say Michael (the archangel) whose name means like God, plays into this… Somehow making believe that it is not Jesus who saves, it’s Michael the Arch’angel’ who will save us. Now we know that Michael is the archangel who protects the Church but the name Michael means ‘who is like God’ and Michael is an angel not God. They don’t have the belief in the trinity like we do, thinking Jesus is an angel so when they baptize they don’t use the trinitarian formula like we do and leave "In the name of Jesus’ out of it.

Then theres the scripture where Jesus says we will be like angels… Mark 12:25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

Now that tells us we will be a spiritual being (like the angels) not an angel. In fact we will one day judge the angels making us higher than the angels in heaven.

1 Corintians 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

God has ordered things since the beginning of time…

 

[tabycat]

Television.

Or movies. (It’s a Wonderful Life)

 

[tabycat]

Ven. Fulton Sheen used to talk about his angel who would erase the blackboard during his tv program

I remember his ‘angel’ cleaning his black board for him ! ! ! ( I was very young at the time)

 

[simonmic]

Or movies. (It’s a Wonderful Life)

Where’s my Clarence (Angel, second class) when i need him? Haha!

 

[Sarcelle]

I am not familiar with this concept. Is it prevalent?

Peace

Unfortunately, yes.

 

[Karen107]

I just wanted to add this scripture why people ‘may’ believe they will become angels.

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

:angel1::harp:

 

[KCT]

Perhaps a lack of understanding of what a saint actually is?

 

[Devekut]

I just wanted to add this scripture why people ‘may’ believe they will become angels.

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

:angel1::harp:

I don’t think this particular verse is the least bit confusing at all. It doesn’t suggest we will be Angels. It simply refers to examples in the bible where Angels have visited people and the one that turned out to be the worst incident was in Genesis, leading to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

 

[insideitall]

do people actually *believe *this, or is it just a figure of speech? it’s certainlya convenient shortcut to describe how happy/peaceful/loving/holy we will be when we get to heaven, especially when used to describe a child lost at a very young age (“angel baby”), because we already have a mental image of what an angel looks/acts like. we already use the phrase “you’re an angel” when someone does something especially helpful/kind for someone else.

 

[pianistclare]

do people actually *believe *this, or is it just a figure of speech? it’s certainlya convenient shortcut to describe how happy/peaceful/loving/holy we will be when we get to heaven, especially when used to describe a child lost at a very young age (“angel baby”), because we already have a mental image of what an angel looks/acts like. we already use the phrase “you’re an angel” when someone does something especially helpful/kind for someone else.

In formation fro children we get MANY children who believe that their grandmother or grandfather is hovering over them at all times, beucase they are an angel.
It happens.
A figure of speech to an adult is a fact to a child or a uneducated person.
That’s why it paramount that we take with what we say. The forums are full of posters who say “I heard from a priest once”…and maybe that’s not at all what their priest meant.

 

[insideitall]

pianistclare, that’s interesting. but a very good point that hadn’t occurred to me, because yeah, there are plenty of children with “angel baby” siblings. and then for many children, it’s probably also just as simple as making a jump between “grandma’s watching over you now” with “angels watch over us, therefore grandma must be an angel.”

 

[Kielbasi]

Humans do not become Angels when they die…how did this conception start?

Its a device used in television and movies for dramatic or comedic effect.

The 3 stooges used it, Sam Kinison was Al Bundy’s guardian angel, and of course in" Its a wonderful life."

 

[Devekut]

Its a device used in television and movies for dramatic or comedic effect.

The 3 stooges used it, Sam Kinison was Al Bundy’s guardian angel, and of course in" Its a wonderful life."

It is one thing to portray an angel in human form, as the bible has done this, but to make the claim that when we die we get angel wings and a cassock is not very Christian at all. It is truly down playing the importance of a soul and our role in this life and the life in heaven. It is like saying “eternal life in the presence of God is no longer a selling point? Try red bull Jesus, he’ll give you wings!”

 

[SMHW]

pianistclare, that’s interesting. but a very good point that hadn’t occurred to me, because yeah, there are plenty of children with “angel baby” siblings. and then for many children, it’s probably also just as simple as making a jump between “grandma’s watching over you now” with “angels watch over us, therefore grandma must be an angel.”

When you consider that many people who call themselves “Christian” or “Catholic” don’t have much better than a child’s understanding of their Faith, I don’t think it’s surprising that comforting platitudes about those who have died turn into a belief that people become angels when they go to heaven. TV and movies reinforce that misconception.

 

[insideitall]

When you consider that many people who call themselves “Christian” or “Catholic” don’t have much better than a child’s understanding of their Faith, I don’t think it’s surprising that comforting platitudes about those who have died turn into a belief that people become angels when they go to heaven. TV and movies reinforce that misconception.

another good point!