Can Babies See Angels?

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible contains numerous stories about angels. The Old and New Testaments shed light on the nature of their existence, including their names, abilities, intelligence, strength, movement, morality, and worship of God. One of the many questions people have about angels is whether or not babies can see them.

The Bible doesn’t teach that babies can see angels. While sometimes angels appear in visible form, including as a person, it’s adults that see, hear, and interact with them. Babies don’t have unique spiritual sensitivities, although some non-biblical Jewish and Christian worldviews allege they do.

Why do some people think babies can see angels? What worldviews argue that they can? What do Job and David say about their innocence at birth? What are the implications for all people? What does the book of Hebrews say about angels taking on human form? Please keep reading to learn the answers to these questions and others.

Also, see Do Angels Have Free Will? to learn more.

The Innocence of Babies and the Purity of Angels

Some worldviews, especially those related to New Age spiritualities, suggest that babies can see angels even though older youth and adults can’t. They argue that babies have a special connection with angels that allows them to see God’s spiritual servants, an ability that deteriorates as they grow older.

According to such spiritualities, babies’ innocence enables them to see angels. As newborns, their bodies and spirits are unblemished. The reason is that babies are pure like angels are, so they can see them. Yet, as babies grow older and lose their purity, angels become invisible to them.

What physical evidence do people have that babies can see angels? One argument people make is sometimes babies appear to be looking at something when there is “nothing” there.

For instance, they gaze into the air or at a blank and act like they are interacting with a person. And since angels are invisible yet have personality, some conclude it’s God’s spiritual servants that they are watching.

Others respond that there are natural explanations for babies appearing to “see” something, like light or sound. Babies’ eyesight doesn’t usually develop until they are about three months old, and it takes about five months to start seeing clearly. It takes longer for them to have the same eyesight as an adult.

Also, see Do Angels Have Wings? to learn more.

Are Babies Pure and Innocent From Birth?

The Bible teaches that all people are born with a sinful nature (e.g., Rom 3:23; Psa. 51:5), meaning their essence is inherently impure. The manifestation of a baby’s sinful nature is different than its expression in adults because they don’t initially think, talk, or act in immoral ways. As they grow and choose to sin, as all people do, God holds them accountable (Deut. 1:39; cf. Isa. 7:15-16).

While contemplating his own life, Job reflects that sinful parents can’t produce pure and innocent children. “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one” (Job 14:4, ESV). Another translation says, “Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!” (NIV).

Similarly, while reflecting on his own sin, David writes, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psa. 51:5, NIV). Another translation says, “For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me” (NLT). David isn’t writing about his mother’s sin but his own, which he inherited from her.

Bible scholar and Psalms commentator James Hamilton explains, “Here David states the problem faced by every descendant of Adam. We did not come into the world innocent and sinless, finding ourselves freshly placed in a pristine world. We were born in sin, having been conceived by sinners, and we live in a world pervaded by sin.” [1]

Also, see Are Angels Aliens? to learn more.

The Visible Appearance of Angels in the Bible

Even though babies don’t have special abilities to see angels when others don’t, like other people, it would be possible for them to see God’s spiritual servants if they assumed human form.

If this occurred, it would have nothing to do with their innocence and purity; it would only mean that a visible form appeared in their line of sight.

Angels in human form

Hebrews teaches that the default nature of angels is spiritual, not physical. “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:4, ESV)

However, the Bible teaches that sometimes angels take on human form. For example, the angels that went to Sodom and Gomorrah were in human form.

Genesis 19:1 reads, “The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth” (ESV).

The residents of the town saw them as men. For example, Genesis 19:5 reads, “And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them” (ESV).

Hebrews teaches that angels can still take on human form. Hebrews 13:2 reads, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (ESV). Another translation reads, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” (NLT).

The encouragement from Hebrews isn’t to obsessively seek interaction with angels but to be kind and generous to strangers. There is even a danger in focusing too much on angels.

Pastor John MacArthur writes, “Nowhere does Scripture encourage us to have an angel-fetish, or to look for evidence of angels in everyday life… [Furthermore] biblical appearances of angels – unlike those of popular lore – often cause trauma and great fear (Matt. 28:4; Luke 1:29; 2:9).” [2]

Also, see Do Jews Believe In Angels? to learn more.

References:
[1] Psalms: 1-72 by James M. Hamilton. p. 508.
[2] The Glory of Heaven by John MacArthur. p. 150.