Angels: When Heaven Meets Earth

by Tim Chester

A simple guide to what we really know about angels   Nearly eight in ten Americans believe in angels. Even among those who never attend church it’s four out of ten. In the United Kingdom one in three people believe they have a guardian angel. You may well be one of them. Every tenth person in your street or workplace thinks they may have seen or heard an angel in some way. Books telling the story of angelic encounters are best sellers. Despite the widespread rejection of Christianity in our culture, many people are still fascinated by angels.   But what we can know for sure about angels? Are we dependant on second–hand accounts? Are we left with conjecture and guess work? This book goes back to the most reliable source we have for information about angels – God Himself speaking through the Bible.   Tim Chester delves into the mysterious world of angels and shows us what the Bible says about what angels are, what they do, and where they lead us.

Genres: Christian

96 pages, Paperback

Published July 8, 2022

About the author

Dr Tim Chester is involved in The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in Sheffield, UK. He was previously Research & Policy Director for Tearfund UK, and has been published widely on prayer, mission, social issues and theology. He is married to Helen and has two daughters.

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Really scratched the itch of my curiosity on this topic. (Thanks, Jude, for this bunny trail!)

Per my pastor’s recommendation, Wayne Grudem’s treatment of angels/demons in systematic theology was my first stop to learn about this topic, but that still left me wanting more information. This really filled it in. I think it would even be suitable for unbelievers who are curious about angels/demons because it’s written so biblically and really points to Christ and presents the gospel.

One area I wish was phrased a little more carefully was on page 54 regarding God’s sovereignty and his use of means to accomplish his purposes… what he said is correct I think, but just could have been better.

I was really impressed by how broad the scope is, it really seemed like he must have studied every single instance of angels in the Bible. Excellent addition to a study of Revelation, Jude, Daniel, etc.

I would recommend this book for believers or seekers, anyone with a curiosity about angels. Those who have unhealthy curiosity will be encouraged to look to Christ for help, not angels.

[Emily Crutchley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demystifies angels with a straightforward and solid presentation of all that the Bible says about them, offering an understanding of the nature and role of angels that impacts our worship and devotion as we're lead to Jesus.

[Troy Solava · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful and concise guide to what the Bible says about angels- who they are, what they do, and why it should matter to us.

If someone has a question about or fascination with angels, this will be the book I recommend.

[Gareth Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very straightforward; none of the fluff that's common to the topic. The best quote was "...if it doesn't say something in the Bible then it isn't important enough for us to know".

[Adam Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good biblical overview of the work of angels in the Bible, covering the "Who?", "Where?" and "What?" questions. It's fairly comprehensive in scope, and Tim Chester is admirably cautious about speculating too much: "A good principle to follow is that, when it comes to spiritual matters, we clearly don't need to know what the Bible doesn't tell us clearly" (57). In case you're wondering, he sees the "Angel of the Lord" in the OT as a representative of God, rather than an appearance of the preincarnate Christ. He ends his exploration by showing how the ministry of angels leads us to Jesus, to whom we must pay much closer attention. I'm still left wondering exactly how the author thinks we should understand the experiences he mentions at the beginning, but generally this is a helpful book.

[Jeremy Childs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written book on a topic that is interesting to many people, whether ‘religious’ or not. This would make an excellent evangelistic tool. The final chapter clearly explains how Jesus is superior to the angels, and what that truth entails for us and our salvation.

[Lynn R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about Angels. Scripture based to encourage truth.

[Beth]

Interesting food for thought

[Jenny Dohner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book. Very complete yet not cumbersome to 'wade' through.

[Carolyn Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sound biblical explanation on the Who, What, Where and Why of angels.

[Nick Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, short look at the Bible’s descriptions and teachings about angels. It both elementary and thought-provoking.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angels: When Heaven Meets Earth is a concise and concrete exploration of the topic of angels. At 95 pages in length, Tim Chester gives a thorough survey of what the Bible says about angels without getting bogged down in either fancy scholarship or worldly theories. This is a concise presentation focused on what we can know from Scripture about angels – both good, in service to God Almighty, and evil, demons of Satan’s realm. Chester does mention some systematic theological constructs, some of which he deems helpful, and others lacking Scriptural support.

The only negative of this book is that, due to it’s concise and concrete nature, it can be rather dry, which may be discouraging for someone not highly interested/ motivated to form a foundational understanding of the topic. I think this concern is balanced out by the knowledge that the book is short and to the point.

I was pleased with this book as a Christmas purchase, and recommend it for those curious about angels.