Introduction & Nature
Introduction
- Angels are mentioned fairly frequently in the Bible (holy x 133, fallen x 87 if one source is
correct), but they are usually “in the background”
o There is no extended passage that gives us a nice detailed lecture on angelology
o Mostly what we pick up in the Bible is little bits about them here and there as
something else is the main focus of the passage
o That tells us something: angels are not the main point of the Bible or the Christian life
Angel literally means messenger (in both the OT Hebrew and NT Greek) – they
exist to carry out God’s will
To obsess over angels is to miss the point of what God is doing
Like your dog staring at our finger when you are pointing to the ball you
want him to fetch
Learning about angels is a way of better understanding God’s holy and
loving actions in the world
They are our fellow-servants, not objects of worship (Revelation 22:8-9)
- Much of what people think they know about angels (and demons) does not come from the Bible
o Much of it comes from: TV shows/movies, “angel encounter” and “heaven tourism”
books/articles, Roman Catholic tradition, Jewish folklore, Muslim theology, Gnosticism,
superstitions, shamanism, black magic, and other pagan/occult sources
o We should not trust sources outside the Bible to teach us spiritual truth
This does not refer to sources that help you understand what the Bible says by
accurately teaching it in context (still check up on them – Acts 17:11)
Refers to sources that claim to provide additional spiritual knowledge that is not
found anywhere in the Bible
2 Peter 1:2-4 – In Christ, God has given us everything that we need to live a life
that is pleasing to Him
Looking for spiritual enlightenment elsewhere shows a lack of trust in
His goodness and provision
E.g. psychics, the Masons, transcendental meditation, Oprah Winfrey
1 Timothy 4:6-7 & Titus 1:13-14 – Superstitions and Jewish folklore are
specifically listed as unacceptable sources for sound doctrine
o God takes it very seriously when someone adds to His Word. For example:
Deuteronomy 4:2 – Tells Israel that altering his Law hinders obedience
Proverbs 30:5-6 – Claiming that God said something when he didn’t makes you a
liar (Under the Law it could even get you killed – Deuteronomy 13:1-10)
Revelation 22:8-9 – Altering the book of Revelation brings terrible judgment
o Our beliefs must be based on Scripture on this and any spiritual topic
Even within that, there is still some disagreement over how the details and
implications of certain passages should be understood
On the debatable passages, it is my goal to present you with the major points of
view held by doctrinally conservative scholars and tell you which view I take
The main point: we draw our understanding out of the Bible, we don’t take
spiritual beliefs from another source and try to wedge them into the Bible by
ripping a phrase out of context so that it sounds like the Bible agrees with us
The Nature of angels
Holy angels
- They are not human beings who died and became angels
o Hebrews 12:22-23 – They are listed as distinct from humans
o Job 38:4-7 – They were present at the creation of the world (cf. Job 1:6) - They are spirit beings (Hebrews 1:14)
- They can take on visible/physical forms
o In most accounts of angels in the Bible, they are visible
Usually the take the form of men…often men with a majestic/terrifying glowing
appearance (e.g. Daniel 9:21, Matthew 28:1-7)
Sometimes they appear so thoroughly human that those who see them
don’t even know (Hebrews 13:2 – “angels unaware”)
Other than the Cherubim and Seraphim (see below), they are not
described as having wings
Some do not look human
Ezekiel 1:4-14 – Cherubim (plural of Cherub, cf. Ezekiel 10:1)
Isaiah 6:1-7 – Seraphim (plural of Seraph = burning one)
Revelation 4:6-8 – “living creatures” (maybe cherubim or seraphim)
o In visible form they can interact with the physical world
Genesis 19:1-3, Psalm 78:24-25 – they can eat
Acts 12:7 – they can touch people
o There is only one instance of winged women in the Bible which may or may not be
angels: Zechariah 5:5-11, a highly symbolic passage
They are the ones who are taking evil to the place where it will be established
When a pronoun is used as angels it is always “he”
Angels as pretty women seems to come out of renaissance paintings… in the
earliest paintings these angels were actually supposed to be beautiful young
men with the wings symbolizing speed/travel
- The holy angels appear to be “confirmed in righteousness” (1 Timothy 5:21 – “elect angels”), but
this does not mean they are mindless puppets lacking in free will & individuality
o Daniel 10:12-14 – They are self-aware and are allowed a degree of creativity in
completing their assignments
o 1 Peter 1:12 – They demonstrate curiosity
o 1 Corinthians 11:10 – maybe they can be shocked/offended by sinful behavior
o Job 38:7 – They rejoice over what God has done
o Revelation 4 – They praise God for who He is
o We know the personal names of two holy angels: Gabriel & Michael
More on them next week
I assume that all of the holy angels have names, but these are the only two that
the Bible tells us…any other names you may have heard (e.g. Raphael) probably
come from Jewish folklore and/or Roman Catholic tradition
Fallen Angels
- They would seem to possess the same basic characteristics as holy angels (even able to have a
glorious appearance – 2 Corinthians 11:14) except that rather than being confirmed in
righteousness they are irrevocably on their way to the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41)
o There would appear to be no salvation for fallen angels: more light = more responsibility
o Fallen angels will not rule in the lake of fire…they will be tormented forever and are
terrified of their coming judgment (Matthew 8:29, James 2:19) - Their fall came as a result of following Satan who fell into the sin of pride (1 Timothy 3:6)…more
on this when we get to what fallen angels do - Some people think that demons are a separate order of beings from angels
o Most versions of this idea come from sources completely outside the Bible
o This is dealt with in detail in Part 4 in which we look at Genesis 6:4-5 (a passage whose
importance gets blown completely out of proportion by some people)
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