They also wear crowns and scepters. In order to know the truth, we have to ask, what does the Bible say about angels? I.e., Satan was the consummation of perfection in his original wisdom and beauty. (Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible, Expanded Edition, Moody Press, Chicago, 1995, p. 1306). Yet for Mans Infirmity He appointed His Angels to Watch over Us.34, Hebrews 13:2 reads, Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it (NIV). They remind us to be zealous about guarding Gods glory and his worship as well. Will God forgive me for losing hope and the will to live? 3:16; 1 Pet. She leads the communications work atGeorge Mason Universitys Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Regarding the governmental rulers in the angelic world, Ryrie described this as follows: 1. They have a hierarchy based on their closeness to God and humans, as well as their duties. We greatly appreciate your consideration! The glory of Gods holy angels can inspire us to praise God for the wonders of his creation. Much of what we see or hear about angels in culture is based on speculation, non-biblical sources, or just plain fantasy. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, so I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia and came to make you understand what is to befall your people in the latter days. Daniel 10:1214. But because of their rebellion, God has kept or reserved (tetereken perfect tense) these fallen angels in darkness and in eternal chains awaiting final judgment. A consciousness of the reality of the vast hosts of angelic beingthe benefit derived from the good, and the opposition of the badcan be gained only through meditation upon the Scriptures that record these truths, and through prayer.46. The word may be derived from a root meaning to burn or possibly from a root which means to be noble.28. That angels are created beings and not the spirits of departed or glorified human beings is brought out in Psalm 148. Satan and his fallen angels also warn us against the evil nature and the dangers of rebellion in contrast with submission and obedience. 45 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology, Vol. When the Jews were dishonoring God and cheating people, Jesus went into the temple, scattered the coins of money changers, flipped tables, and yelled, Take these things away from here! Gods intention was for man to rule over this earth, never angels, much less the fallen angels. But as this dialogue and Jobs suffering continued over a prolonged period, Job began to become angry with God and he developed a demanding spirit. However, they still give us free will and leave it up to us to make decisions. Mans redemption and the recovery of paradise lost has always been based on what God would do through the seed of the woman, the Messiah Savior who would die as mans substitute, but also defeat Satan and, by implication, demonstrate Satans slander as false (cf. But can we be any more specific? Their leader is Tsadkiel, who helps in emergencies when humans invoke him. The Psalmist declares:.Angels glorify God for who he is in himself, for his excellence.Bless the Lord, O you his angels,you mighty ones who do his word,hearkening to the voice of his word! (Psalm 103:20, see also 148:2). 22 The terms and descriptions given there certainly go far beyond that of any human monarch. It is out of this extended body of Scripture, therefore, that the doctrine of angels, as presented in this study, will be developed. They also bore the throne-chariot which Ezekiel saw (Ezek. 24:36). In His holiness and justice, God had no other choice but to judge Satan and his angels to the lake of fire. In Acts 27:23-25, Luke recounted Pauls experience with an angel who brought him a message from the Lord, but there was no worship of the angel. Unlike the cherubim who have four faces, the living creatures each have onethe face of a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. 31:4). Divination like idolatry is demonic (see 1 Cor. The study of angels or the doctrine of angelology is one of the ten major categories of theology developed in many systematic theological works. 24:36). In addition, since Satan originally was a guardian cherub who became prideful and desired to be like God (Is 14:14, 1 Tim 3:6), we must also be warned against ministering for God and yet seeking glory for ourselves. The context must determine if a human messenger is in view, or one of the celestial beings called angels, or if it is being used of the second Person of the Trinity as will be discussed below. Romans 12:21 assures us that, through relationships with Jesus, we can overcome evil with good., Its important to know that we can count on God to send us help from angels. These wings consist of 2 to cover their faces, 2 to cover their feet, and 2 to make them fly. Angel Gabriel The task of the Angel Gabriel is to convey the revelations given by Allah to the Prophets and Apostles. In other words, there are good angels and there are evil angels. Though a defeated foe (cf. and the virgins name was Mary (Luke 1:2627). As the leader of these unholy angels, Satan is a liar, a murderer, and a thief (John 10:10). All miraculous power has its source in God. 2:1-4; 5:23; 6:11-22; 13:3-22; 2 Sam. Cherubim are mentioned ninety-two times in thirteen different Bible books (Gen, Ex, Num, 1 and 2 Sam, 1 and 2 Kgs, 1 and 2 Chr, Ps, Is, Ez, and Heb).1 God originally put a cherub outside of the Garden of Eden to keep humans from eating from the tree of life (Gen 3:24). 6:1f; Dan. Heb 1:4ff with Col. 1:15-17). They patrol the earth as Gods representatives (Zechariah 1:1011). Obviously, only Christ can cleanse people of sin. Chafer quotes Otto Von Gerlach who pointed out: By the revelation of Himself in Christ, by the institution of the Christian Church on earth, God after a manner hitherto unknown glorifies Himself before the heavenly principalities. There is a material kingdom, an animal kingdom, and a human kingdom; So it may be assumed, there is an angelic or spirit kingdom. The reason is twofold. 1 Cor. Archangel Gabriel, also known as St. Gabriel (Saint Gabriel), is the most famous of Gods messengers for delivering Gods message to Mary. When Christ was born in Bethlehem, a multitude of angels praised God and said, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased! (Luke 2:14, see also Hebrews 1:6). 9:6). Perhaps the most famous is the beast found in Revelatio What happens after you die? 3:19), and were used of God to interpret visions as with Daniel and Zechariah. Instructor: He is given the strength to encourage humans to have faith in God, and given the capacity to intervene in the affairs of humans. Some people believe that the Powers keep demons at bay, while St. Paul believed that the Powers were the evil angels. 12:7). Further, other passages clearly teach us that there are often angelic or demonic forces behind the reign of human kings or kingdoms (cf. The two wings to fly with are used to serve God. By Christs incarnation He became lower for a little while (Heb 2:9), but this only applied to His humanity. These include seraphim angelswho worship God in heaven (described in Isaiah chapter 6); cherubim angels who guard what is holy (in the book of Genesis, cherubim appear in the Garden of Eden, and in the book of Exodus, God directs that cherubim likenesses should be featured on the Ark of the Covenant, etc. 10:13; 12:1; Jude 9). Why did Michael and the devil dispute over the body of Moses? For more on this whole issue as it applies to todays fascination with angels, see the study, Angels, Gods Ministering Spirits on our web page in the theology section. All rights reserved. Hiking uphill, I hoped to get out of the canyon before dark. This means we are not to pray to them or trust in them even though God may use them to minister to our needs in various ways. 11 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology, Vol. 26:53; Rev. They are also in charge of sending duties of the lower angels. May I suggest that when Job criticized Gods ways or became demanding toward God he was in effect following in the footsteps of Satan in both finding fault and usurping Gods position as governor of the world. 14:12-15). Like all of creation, angels are under Gods authority and subject to His judgment (1 Cor. (3) For an impersonal agent, Pauls thorn in the flesh described as a messenger of Satan (2 Cor. What stood out most in the reading and why? 22:31) and Elishas servant could not see the host of angels surrounding him until Elisha prayed for his eyes to be opened (2 Kings 6:17). Angels frequently appear as messengers in the Bible, traveling from one place to another (see the verse above, where Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth). These angels are said to be messengers or armies of God, who carry out His missions, teachings, and messages to people on Earth. There are different types of angels with unique roles: archangels, cherubim, and seraphim, for example. ); and thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers (who are all mentioned in Colossians 1:16, and who work on various assignments from God to help people on Earth). Copyright 2020 HarperCollins Publishers. Good angels, Satan, and demons demonstrate that they have wills (Luke 8:28-31; 2 Tim. The book of Revelation speaks of several beasts. If angels were omnipresent, Michael wouldnt have came to help because he wouldve already been there, and this angel wouldnt need to leave Michael to bring this message. Gabriel also announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias (Luke 1:1120). Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, The Bible Teachers Guide, Angelology: Understanding Angels. 6:4; 2 Pet. In a passage that refers to angels (the host or armies of heaven), we read, You are the Lord, you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host . Jesus teaches us to pray, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10), and in heaven Gods will is done by angels, immediately, joyfully, and without question. The second difficulty concerns the identity of the angel of the Lord as it is used in the Old Testament. They are mentioned in Isaiah 6:1 to 8 and depicted as having 6 wings. They are seen on the throne of God, singing praises and worshipping God at all times. While all the angels were originally created holy and without sin, there was a rebellion by Satan, who, being lifted up by his own beauty, rebelled and sought to exalt himself above God. At the consummation of the age, redeemed man will be exalted above angels (1 Cor. Describe the types of angels and their functions and share any applications that can be drawn from them. Though sometimes the instrument of aid or deliverance was an angel, New Testament believers recognized it was the Lord who delivered them (see Acts 12:11). Cherubim are mentioned in several places throughout Scripture: Another type of angel, the seraphim, are only mentioned once in the Bible. 8:38, Eph. This possibility is turned into certainty by the express and explicit teaching of the Scriptures. They guide the world, cities, or small towns as well as oversees politicians and religion. 4:16 and Jude 9. Micheal is said to be the only Archangel because he is the only one mentioned in the Bible, but some also believe that Gabriel is also an Archangel, while others believe there are 3 or even 7 Archangels. While the Bibles revelation on the organization of angels is rather meager, it says enough to show us there does seem to be organization in the angelic world. Cherubim had an extraordinary appearance with four facesthat of a man, lion, ox, and eagle. Certain things are basic to a discussion of this issue. setTimeout( six These facts will help us learn a lot about the angels in the Bible: what they are, why God created them, how their hierarchy works, and much more. 11:14-15). They are constantly seen in the activities of worshipful adoration of God and in humble service, totally submissive to the will of God. Angels are so numerous that the Bible uses incalculable language to describe their vast numbers. 9:21; Luke 1:26). One was placed in the Garden of Eden to guard the tree of life; two were placed in the holy of holies to guard the presence of God. Our tendency is to look at the Bibles answers through human reason and logic. He seems to be a messenger angel. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9). . Thrones are defined as being two wheels that have many eyes, or a chariot of God.