SOME TRUTHS ABOUT ANGELS
November 23, 2009
Some Truths About Angels (spirit beings)
All of the spirits were created in the beginning. Before the beginning, none of them were alive. It was God who gave them life (John 1:3). All spirits -that is, all angels- witnessed the creation of the earth (Job 38:4-7).
God did not give the spirits material bodies when He created them. The spirits do not have flesh and blood as we do. The Bible tells us that even though the spirits do not have material bodies, they sometimes show themselves to people as human beings and may also appear in other forms.
God created all the spirits perfect; not one of them was evil or unkind. Everything God does is perfect, because God is holy. God created the spirit beings with great wisdom and strength (Psalm 103:20). God created so many spirit beings that it would be impossible for us to count them (Revelation 5:11).
Angels were created by God to be His messengers and servants. They are mentioned more than 300 times in the Scriptures. (Psalm 148:1-6)
Their purpose is for worship (Rev. 5:11-14) and ministry (Heb.1:14).
The chief end of their service is the glory of God and the good of man. They must not be prayed to (Rev. 19:10; 22:9; Col 2:18).
Angels are intermediaries between God and man but they are not mediators. There is only one mediator between God and man and that is Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 1 Tim. 2:5).
What Jesus Says About Angels
People who confess Jesus’ name, He will confess before the angels; and those who deny Him, He will deny before the angels (Luke 12:8-9).
The angels rejoice when a sinner repents (Luke 15:10). Angels see the face of God (Matt. 18:10). The reapers of the harvest at the end of the age are angels (Matt 13:39).
When Jesus returns He will come “in the glory of His father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). Angels escort saints to God’s presence at the time of death (Luke 16:22).
Jesus has the authority to call many legions of angels to His aid (Matt 26:53).
Personality Traits of Angels
Intelligence… Angels desire to learn, they communicate with speech, and they have knowledge of God’s plan for the world (Matt. 28:5; Rev. 10:5-6; 17:1-18). The chief thing they know is the nature of God. They dwell in His presence, surround His throne, and worship Him continually. They obey His commandments completely and in that, they know God’s desires and right judgments.
God is wiser and stronger than all of the spirits. This truth is very important to remember. No matter what you may have heard or seen presented in movies or books or anywhere else, the Bible tells us that God is greater than all… he is sovereign!
Emotions… Angels have emotions and worship God with deep awe and humble reverence. The New Age religion falsely teaches that feelings such as: love, kindness, and generosity are the angels within us.
Will… Angels have the ability to choose and to follow through on those choices. (Heb. 1:6; Isaiah 14:12-15) They have “limited” free will. In the beginning, they choose to follow God or to not follow Him. Once the choice was made, it is 100% for or against God. It was with this will that Lucifer rebelled against God.
The Bible Gives a Fairly Clear Description of Five Main Types of Angels:
Cherubim… Presented as large winged guards with drawn sword or spear. (Gen. 3:24)
Seraphim… Are radiantly ablaze. The word “seraphim” literally means “fiery” or “burning”…glowing with the flame of God’s love. They are described as having six wings; two to cover their face, two to cover their feet, and two for flight (Isaiah 6:2-3)… four wings for worship and two for service.
Archangels… Are the “chief princes.” The Bible doesn’t give the number of archangels. Only two are mentioned: Michael and Gabriel
- Michael Mentioned by name in Daniel 10:12-14. He is specifically described as an archangel in Jude 9. He is always pictured as warring and fighting and seems to have a special concern for the children of God (Daniel 12:1).
- Gabriel Literally means “hero of God.” He is the angel of annunciation, heavenly mercy, resurrection, and revelation. He is the angel that told Mary of the virgin birth (Daniel 8:16-26; 9:20-27; Luke 1:11-20, 26-38).
Personal Angels… Guardian angels have two main purposes: rescue and protection (Ps.34:7; 91:11-12). They-are limited to believers (Ps. 91:1-2, 9-10). They escort believers into the presence of God at death (Luke 16:22).
The Bible uses many different words to talk about the spirit beings: Spirits, Angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, The host of the Lord, Host of Heaven, Powers, Principalities, Rulers in high places, Stars, or Morning Stars.
Lucifer and His Angels (Satan, demons, evil spirits)
God didn’t create all of the angels exactly the same; some were more beautiful, intelligent, and wise than others. The greatest spirit being was called Lucifer. He was considered to be the most magnificent angel of God. He was very powerful, the highest, the morning star, and the bearer of light (Ezekiel 28:15).
God did not create Lucifer evil. He created a unique angelic being, who, by a free act of his will cut himself off from God. Lucifer wanted to be like “the most High.” He decided that he wanted to take over God’s position as the ruler of all things. Lucifer rebelled against God’s authority over him. Many of God’s angels followed Lucifer, their leader. They joined Lucifer in rebelling against God.
God would not allow Lucifer to take His position. No one can take God’s place, because He is the only true God. God, in great anger, removed Lucifer from his important position of leadership over the angels. God also removed the angels who followed Lucifer from their place of service in Heaven.
Lucifer fell because of pride and became the devil (l Tim. 3:6; Isaiah 14:12-14). He is still a spirit being and has retained all of his power but now uses it to do evil, hates God, all believers, and fights against God. Lucifer and his followers hate God and every good thing that God loves. Right from the time when God removed them from His service until today Lucifer and these other spirits have been fighting against God and everything He does. Lucifer’s name Satan means “enemy, adversary, opponent, or accuser.”
Ten Lies About Angels
- We become angels when we die.
- Angels work miracles.
- We should seek out angels with an open heart through our feelings.
- All angels speak the truth.
- When a person is lost in life “an angel will get right inside your heart with you and show you the way home.”
- What is considered genius by the world is simply the angel within us acting without our interference.
- Angels reward your love with an expansion of your own being. Angels help us evolve as people.
- Angels are omnipresent with us and share our emotions.
- Angels serve only to uncover our innate goodness and divinity.
10. All forms of help to humans is angelic in origin, meaning that all “hunches”, impulses, etc. are angelic.
Angels and New Age
New Age religious thinking puts angels in the place of God. They are believed to be like God the Father: omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent with humans. They are believed to be like God the Son: revealing, helping, redeeming, and raising man up from his current level to a higher one. They are believed to be like God the Holy Spirit continually prompting man toward his better nature… their version of the Trinity.
Bibliography:
C. Fred Dickason, Angels: Elect and Evil (Chicago, It: Moody Press, 1975)
Douglas Conneny, Angels Around Us: What the Bible Really Says Downers Grove, IL InterVarsity Press,1994).
Billy Graham, Angels: God’s Secret Agents (New York, NY: Doubleday & Co., Inc, 1975)
Herbert Lockyer, The Mystery and Ministry of Angels (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman Publishing, 1958) L. W. Northrup, Encounters with Angels (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale. 1988)
Phil Parker. Angels Angels Angels - Embraced By the Light Or Embraced by the Darkness? (Lancaster, FA: Starburst Publishers, 1995)
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