Angels are mentioned over 70 times in Revelation. Sometimes the word is symbolic, sometimes literal.

There are times when an angel from heaven interacts with the prophet himself. This is because the prophecy was delivered to him by an angel, as noted in the very first verse of Revelation: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”

Other times the literal, heavenly angels are only referred to in passing, such as when war broke out in heaven: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels” (Revelation 12:7).

There are several times when an angel is the focus in the vision the prophet is having. There is the scene in heaven involving the sealed book: “And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” (Revelation 5:2). Another example is the chaining of Satan during the thousand years: “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.” (Revelation 20:1).

All of the examples above involve angels from heaven who are actual angels. However, there are also symbolic uses of the word angelos, referring to something besides “angels” per se.

In both the Old and New Testaments, Jesus is sometimes called an angel. He was with Israel in the wilderness. “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them” (Exodus 14:19). The Lord said to them, “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared” (Exodus 23:20).

Christ is the One who appears as the angel with the little book in Revelation 10. “And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth” (verses 1, 2). We know this to be the Son of God by comparing this description with Revelation 1:13–15, “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.”

In some cases a symbol may be used to explain something that is also designated by another symbol. For example, in Revelation 1 the symbol of a star is used to represent the symbol of an angel. The messengers, or ministers, of the churches are referred to as stars and as angels. Throughout the letters to the churches presented in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, the message is directed to the “angel” of each church.

Then there are the seven angels with the trumpets, and seven angels with vials of God’s wrath—the seven last plagues. Angels hold back the winds of strife until the sealing angel can finish his work. Some of these may be literal and some are symbolic.

There are four times in Revelation when an angel is seen flying over the earth with a message to give to all the people of the world. Three angels appear in Revelation 14, and the fourth is the “other angel” in chapter 18. Who are these angels? What do they represent?

First, let’s consider what happens when God wants to send a message to the whole earth. Before He takes an action that affects this planet, what does He do? Amos 3:7 says, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” God sends a message via His prophets before doing anything.

The job of the prophet is to tell God’s message to His people—to the church. “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me” (Ezekiel 3:17, emphasis added).

The job isn’t done yet. The prophet has told the church, but the church also has a work to do. The people of the world need to hear the message from God. “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent” (Romans 10:14, 15)? This is why the Lord said to Israel, “Ye are my witnesses” (Isaiah 43:10).

It is not the heavenly angels who do this work of witnessing to the world. It is the church. “The Lord has given His church a special work of personal service to do. God could have sent angels to work for the reformation of man, but he did not do this. Humanity must touch humanity.”1

Don’t you think angels would have done a better job than we do in preaching the gospel to the world? They would always know just where to go, what to say, and to whom they should speak next. They would never be afraid of persecution, or that someone would not like what they had to say. They would be organized and systematic about taking the gospel to all the world. “If angels occupied the place of man in the administration of the gospel, there would not be whole regions left in darkness and the shadow of death. The work would have been as is represented by the angel flying through the midst of heaven proclaiming the everlasting gospel to them that dwell on the earth. But the Lord does nothing without the cooperation of man. Could the intense interest which the angels have for man be put into voice that would be heard by the human agent, what appeals would be heard in burning words to communicate to others that which heaven had communicated to them.”2

Even though angels might be able to do a good job of preaching the gospel, this is the commission that God has given to us. The Lord sends us out into all the world. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). The apostles received the instruction, “ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The same witnessing work needs to be done again in the end of time. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14).

Therefore, when God sends a message to the world, an angel represents the people who have been entrusted with that message to be preached.

“I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6).

“The angel represented in prophecy as delivering this message [of Revelation 14:6, 7], symbolizes a class of faithful men, who, obedient to the promptings of God’s Spirit and the teachings of His word, proclaim this warning to the inhabitants of earth.”3

The other three angels that fly in the midst of heaven are symbols that represent people delivering God’s message also.

“The third angel, proclaiming the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, represents the people who receive this message [of their allegiance to the law of God] and raise the voice of warning to the world, to keep the commandments of God as the apple of the eye, and that in response to this warning many would embrace the Sabbath of the Lord.”4

The “other angel” of Revelation 18 lightens up the earth even before speaking. The Spirit of Prophecy records, “Another angel unites his voice with the third angel, and the earth is lighted with its glory. The light increases, and it shines out to all the nations of the earth. It is to go forth as a light that burneth. It will be attended with great power, until its golden beams have fallen upon every tongue, every people, and every nation upon the face of the whole earth. Let me ask you, What you are doing to prepare for this work? Are you building for eternity? You must remember that this angel represents the people that have this message to give to the world. Are you among that people?”5

Why does God use a holy, pure, heavenly angel to represent the work of His people on the earth, proclaiming the last great warning? Several things can be noted from the symbolism of the angel flying “in the midst of heaven.” (Revelation 14:6).

“This represents the speed and directness with which the church is to prosecute her work.”6 “God’s messengers are to hold this banner high, and with no feeble voice proclaim to a perishing world the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”7

Besides speed and a bold voice, the figure of an angel also represents the character of the work.

“The fact that an angel is said to be the herald of this warning [of Revelation 14:6, 7] is significant. By the purity, the glory, and the power of the heavenly messenger, divine wisdom has been pleased to represent the exalted character of the work to be accomplished by the message and the power and glory that were to attend it.”8

“The warning of the third angel . . . is represented in the prophecy as being proclaimed with a loud voice, by an angel flying in the midst of heaven; and it will command the attention of the world.”9

The church that reflects the character of heavenly angels draws the attention of the entire world. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35, emphasis supplied).

This unity of His followers will be the best evidence that Jesus is the Saviour of the world. Jesus prayed, “that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (John 17:23, emphasis supplied).

What is it that will really lighten up the earth today? “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15).

“The world needs today what it needed nineteen hundred years ago—a revelation of Christ.”10 “The loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth. For it is the work of everyone to whom the message of warning has come, to lift up Jesus, to present Him to the world.”11

When you and I lift up Jesus in our own personal lives, then we are included in the prophecy that “all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Numbers 14:21). “The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to ‘the principalities and powers in heavenly places,’ the final and full display of the love of God (Ephesians 3:10).” 12

Jesus said to His disciples, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

“Christ does not bid His followers strive to shine. He says, Let your light shine. If you have received the grace of God, the light is in you. Remove the obstructions, and the Lord’s glory will be revealed. . . . Men will be captivated by the glory of an abiding Christ.”13

Each of the four angels of Revelation has a message for the people of the earth. Yet “their voices are not heard by the inhabitants of earth, save through the people who carry forward the work as the messengers of God.”14

Just think—the King of the universe, with all His power and unlimited resources, has chosen us to be His messengers!

As I remember the days when my brother and I as two little boys ran back and forth with messages for our parents, I am led to wonder how well I am doing with the message of my heavenly Father. Do you, too, have the same concern for yourself?