“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:10).
The word angel is used in a couple different ways in Scripture; it can refer to the heavenly hosts, to a mere messenger, and to the spirit of a person. The use of the term angel in reference to the human spirit is frequently overlooked if indeed recognized at all.
In Acts 12:15 the brethren in Jerusalem gathered behind locked doors to pray for the apostle Peter who was in prison and likely facing death at the hand of Herod. When a knock was heard at the door, the young girl Rhoda went to answer and was so overjoyed to see Peter standing there, that she forgot to let him in as she rushed back to tell the other disciples the good news. Upon hearing Rhoda’s announcement that Peter was at the door the disciples replied, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” (Acts 25:15). The only possible meaning of the statement “It is his angel” is that the word angel here means “spirit.”
Rather than teaching the doctrine of guardian angels, Jesus taught in Matthew 18:10 that when a child dies their spirit goes straight to heaven and sees the face of God. Why do children go directly to heaven? Because they are innocent (Matthew 18:3) and do not have to wait for judgment to be with God. The damnable doctrine of total hereditary depravity would have many people believe that children are lost in sin when they die, while the Bible advocates children immediately see the face of God.
The death of a child is the hardest of all deaths to handle, yet in this most difficult time Scripture gives the greatest hope and assurance.
May we live a life of faithful obedience so one day we too can see the face of God without fear in judgment and hear the Lord say,
“‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:21).