Angels of God: Understanding the Bible

Lang works to dispel what she believes are inaccurate portrayals of angels by pointing to biblical portraits of angels. Her text is divided into four parts, each dealing with one of the four functions Lang ascribes to biblical angels: mediators, messengers, ministers and parts of God's perfect kingdom. To illustrate a mediator, Lang tells the biblical story of an angel's appearance and promise of victory to Joshua as he prepares to do battle against the city of Jericho. The mediator role, according to Lang, is especially apparent in Mary's experience with the angel who conveyed to her that she would be the mother of Christ. Finally, Lang contends that the portrayal of angels as ministers can be seen in the ways that an angel protects Paul of Tarsus and his shipmates during a tempest at sea. Lang's accessible language and style and her descriptive analogies and poetic renderings of biblical stories make for a worthwhile study of angels. (Dec.)