THE light which the teachings of Christian Science have thrown upon the Scriptures, clearing up many hidden meanings and seemingly impractical promises, could not be better exemplified than in the true meaning of angels and what they are doing for men to-day.
Since angels are referred to about two hundred times in the Bible, it is highly important that we should understand their true meaning if we are rightly to interpret the Scriptures. It had long been believed that angels were guardians who appeared to the ancient worthies in some mysterious way with messages, but were never to be heard of in present-day experience. For example, no promise in the Bible was considered more beautiful, yet more uncertain of present-day fulfillment, than that in the ninety-first psalm: "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone."
It remained for Mrs. Eddy to interpret that Scripture, as well as many other Biblical promises, in terms of present possibility, by stating in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 581), that angels are "God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality." She also says (ibid., pp. 566, 567): "The Old Testament assigns to the angels, God's divine messages, different offices. Michael's characteristic is spiritual strength. He leads the hosts of heaven against the power of sin, Satan, and fights the holy wars. Gabriel has the more quiet task of imparting a sense of the ever-presence of ministering Love. These angels deliver us from the depths." This interpretation of angels and their mission is also borne out by a passage in the twelfth chapter of Revelation, where John tells us that "there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
