The Star Trek TV series picture people exploring the universe aboard Federation Starships. But do you ever wonder what they do for entertainment during their long starship voyages? The answer is the holosuite. This is a large room which creates holograms, three dimensional scenes designed as you please. If you come from earth you can go to the Holosuite and recreate the Swiss alps and then start trekking through them. If you are a Klingon warrior you can recreate a famous battle and test your fighting skills in it. The holograms are so well done that they seem real. You can see holographic projections, touch them, interact with them. But once your session is done you say "Computer, end program" and all of a sudden you’re back in the bare room.
When we think about spirit beings such as angels we’re faced with two possibilities. Perhaps they’re like real life people, a class of beings like you and me. On this view angels have a real, ongoing existence. Alternately it’s possible to see them as something like holographic projections created by God. Given that people of the bible era lived in a world where they were convinced of the reality of angels God creates the appearance of angels to send messages and serve their needs. When the angel’s mission is over it pops out of existence. Either way, the ultimate reality remains the same. Angels remind us that God is active in his creation.
Source: Scott Higgins
Applications: angels, spirits, spiritual realm, apologetics