The Tongues of Men and Angels

Here's another view point on the subject that I wrote on June 6, 2007. I noticed the Greek word "aggelov" just transliterated in the copy & paste, but it was in Greek letters in the original.

Sometimes, I think we all get a little myopic and that causes a sort of tunnel vision, where we don’t see all there is to see on a particular issue. Our first inclination, on hearing the word “angel”, is to think of a supernatural being. That comes, in part, from the Greek word “aggelov” (aggelos) having been transliterated into English and never actually being translated. Sure, it’s a tradition that pre-dates the King James Version, but it would seem like someone would actually translate that word, and others, that have just been transliterated. It might save a lot of confusion in the long run.

The root meaning of aggelos is, “a messenger, envoy, one who is sent”, which can include many more concepts than just a supernatural being.

Recognizing I’m not a great scholar, and it may even be a stretch to consider myself any sort of scholar, I still comprehend the communication skills and words I use may not be the same as the average person. By that, I mean there is no gift of being a messenger (aggelos), but there are gifts that enable the messenger to do his/her job and language skills are a part of that enabling.

As an example, the other night I was reading in Isaiah 7 and part of what came home to me was the need to write. In other words, to perform as a messenger, an envoy, who is passing on that which is heard and making it understandable to the intended audience. Think of it as being a conduit or pipe that transfers something from one point to its destination, without change to the contents.

The incident in Daniel 5 may also shed some light on the concept of angels and their language. If you will remember the king saw a hand writing on the wall, that left this message, Daniel 5:25 “And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.” There was a great amount of consternation on the king’s part, so much so, that “his knees smote one against another” (that reminds me of the videos I’ve seen of the Nuremberg trials). For some reason, the astrologers, Chaldeans and soothsayers couldn’t interpret the writing, but was it because it was some angelic language or just a language they were unfamiliar with? Was the hand an angel, was Daniel an angel, was it both or neither? In Daniel 5:26 and following, Daniel gives the interpretation and I will contend right here, he’s an angel, a messenger who is giving a message by merely acting as a conduit for information. Sure the hand was also a messenger of sorts, but the message must have been unintelligible, except to those who understood Aramaic. So, it wasn’t a mysterious angelic language, only understood by supernatural beings, but a common language for the Jewish slaves and prisoners.

As I think about the various accounts of supernatural beings visiting men, I can’t remember one time there was a failure to communicate. Contrary to Heb 13:2 “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”, I have yet to remember a time where those visited were unaware of their supernatural visitors (when I refer to being visited, I mean in a form that can be seen, not the “ministering spirits”, like in Hebrews 1:14).

It is also evident that most of us have had strangers in our homes who were messengers from God, we just weren’t aware of it at the time. 3 John 5 “ Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; 6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: 7 Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.”

In conclusion, the passage in I Corinthians 13:1 says, “ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” It’s like being an unclear sound as far as a message is concerned. It may sound pleasing to the ear and have a melodious quality, but the main emphasis of the passage is on charity, not your listening pleasure. Doing for others far outweighs the notoriety achieved by speaking in a language no one understands.

If I had written this in Greek and said, “Here is a message that will change your life for the better, take it and use it to the fullest.” You might think, “That’s Greek to me!” and it would never do you any good, unless there’s an interpreter available.

I’m sure there may be a language used by supernatural beings, I just don’t see any evidence of it ever being used to communicate with earthly beings.