A Bible Study
Introduction:
The interest in angels has been high
What do we know about the angels?
The Origin of the Angels:
A. Do people become angels after their deaths?
B. Searching the Scriptures to discover the source of angels:
The Characteristics of the Angels:
A. In this brief Bible study all the pertinent Bible passages cannot be printed to discover what the angels are like. Therefore, their characteristics are listed below with some of the Bible references.
B. The devil and his demons are angels also, fallen angels. Being angels they possess the angelic characteristics we noted above with some noted differences.
The Angels’ Dwelling Places:
A. The good angels:
B. The devil and his evil angels:
Guardian Angels:
A. How do we know the good angels guard us?
Psalm 91:10,11 tell us: "For he (the Lord Most High) will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will lift you up in the palms of their hands, so you will not strike your foot against a stone."
B. According to Psalm 91:10,11 above, the angels are always with us to guard us in all of our ways.
C. All of the angels are guardian angels.
Hebrews 1:14 informs us: "Are they not all ministering spirits repeatedly sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation?"
D. According to Hebrews 1:14, and according to Psalm 91:10,11, which was written about those who take their refuge in the Lord, the Lord's good angels guard us believers who will inherit salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
E. These two passages are the only ones which specifically speak of the guardian angels. Based on these passages, we believers in Jesus cannot say with certainty that we have one guardian angel assigned to us. We may have more than one.
Demonic Possession:
A. Spiritual possession:
B. Physical possession: a demonic spirit inhabits a person’s body, taking control of all his faculties, as the following verses make clear:
C. Characteristics of those demonically possessed:
D. We have no reason to fear the devil and his demons. Read Psalm 91:1-12.
The interest in angels has been high
- Books
- Television programs
- Bible classes
What do we know about the angels?
- Perhaps a better question would be: How little do we know about the angels?
- There has been much speculation about the angels throughout the New Testament era.
- St. Ambrose, 4th century bishop of Milan, conceived and published nine tiers of angels in the descending order of seraphim, cherubim, dominions, thrones, principalities, powers, virtues, archangels, and angels.
- Dionysius the Areopagite, an unknown author of about 500 A.D., wrote The Celestial Hierarchy, which he said consisted of nine choirs of angels who were divided into three hierarchies.
- Billy Graham in his best seller wrote of ten ranks of angels.
- Such rankings of angels are pure speculation. While Scripture mentions the nine classes of angels noted by St. Ambrose, it reveals nothing to us about the arrangement of their orders or what are their spheres of influence, other than the archangels are princes and rulers among the angels.
- Television programs have made much of these speculations. We should be aware and beware of them.
- The Bible provides a wealth of information about the angels, much more than we could hope to cover in this short study. In this brief study we can barely scratch the surface of the biblical information provided.
- At the same time, however, the purpose of the Bible is this: “. . . the Holy Scriptures . . . are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15). Our gracious Savior God had the Scriptures written to teach us the gospel of Jesus Christ for our salvation, not to provide us with a text book on the angels.
- Our situation, then, is this: While the Bible teaches us a great deal about the angels to glorify God and to comfort us, it by no means answers all our questions, leaving us, perhaps, in the end with more questions than we have answers. We need to be prepared for this and ready to accept this as well.
The Origin of the Angels:
A. Do people become angels after their deaths?
- Many think so.
- If this were true, then throughout history the angelic population has been steadily increasing and we would know that angels are an evolutionary progression of human spirits.
B. Searching the Scriptures to discover the source of angels:
- The evil angels are called rulers, authorities, powers, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms in Ephesians 6:11,12: Put on the full armor of God, in order that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
- Colossians 1:15,16 tell us the angels, known as thrones, powers, rulers and authorities, were created: He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him,
- Psalm 148:2,5 teach us the angels were created by the Lord's command. Likely by the power of his word, "Let there be angels," they came into being: Praise him all his angels, Praise him all his heavenly hosts! . . . Let them praise the name of the Lord, For he commanded and they were created.
- The angels were created sometime during the six days of creation. Before the beginning of creation in eternity we know only the Lord himself existed, who then proceeded to create all things, ref. John 1:1-3. The angels could not have existed from eternity, then, and prior to when the Lord began his creative activity. Exodus 20:11 informs us the Lord made everything in the heavens and the earth in six days. The angels were created during those six days as well: For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. Then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Colossians 1:16 clarifies that not only this visible earth was created during those six days, but the angels in their invisible realm as well:. . . for by him (Christ) all things were created in heaven and on earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him,
- Millions of angels were created.Numerous passages such as Hebrews 12:22 and Psalm 68:17 make this clear. But let Revelation 5:11 suffice: And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and their number was ten thousands upon ten thousands and thousands times thousands,
- The number of angels is the same now as at the time of their creation. Lujke 20:34-36 tells us Jesus said, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain that age and the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. For they are no longer able to die, for they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection." Since all the angels were created during the six days of creation, and since they do not marry, propagate, or die as humans do, there are no more or less angels now than when they were created.
- The spiritual state of all the angels at their creation was good. They were holy angels, as Genesis 1:31, 2:1 inform us: "And God saw all that he had made, and behold it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning – the sixth day. And the heavens and the earth were completed and all their hosts."
The Characteristics of the Angels:
A. In this brief Bible study all the pertinent Bible passages cannot be printed to discover what the angels are like. Therefore, their characteristics are listed below with some of the Bible references.
- The term angel means messenger, which designates their office. But their nature is that of a spirit, a non-physical, immaterial living being. (Hebrews 1:14; Luke 24:39; Ephesians 6:12)
- Immortal, but not eternal (Psalm 148:5; Luke 20:36)
- Powerful, but not omnipotent (Psalm 103:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 2 Peter 2:10,11)
- Knowledgeable, having an intellect, but not omniscient, or knowing all things (1 Peter 1:12; Luke 24:4-7)
- Present in one place or another, but not omnipresent (the Lord commands and sends them to one place or another, they move about; Psalm 91:10; Zechariah 1:8-11; Hebrews 1:14)
- Illocal, that is being spirits, they do not take up any physical space such as humans do.
- Invisible (Colossians 1:15,16)
- Unchanging, that is because they are immortal, immaterial spirits who do not grow up physically or age as humans do (Luke 20:34-36)
- Asexual, that is being neither male nor female, having no sex (Luke 20:34-36)
- Volitional, that is having a will of their own and a desire (Jude 6; 1 Peter 1:12)
- Emotional (Luke 15:10; Job 38:7)
- Winged spirits (Isaiah 6:3; Ezekiel 10:5)
- Immaterial, yet capable of touching, moving, affecting this physical world (Matthew 28:2; Acts 12:7,9; Genesis 19:11; 2 Kings 19:35 and 2 Chronicles 32:21,22)
- The good angels are holy, being confirmed by the Lord in their holy state (Mark 8:38; since the wicked cannot dwell with God, ref. Psalm 5:4, and the good angels always are in God’s presence, ref. Matthew 18:10, they must be holy and permanently so.)
- The holy angels are glorious, radiant, brilliant in appearance (Matthew 28:2,3; Luke 9:26; Acts 12:7)
B. The devil and his demons are angels also, fallen angels. Being angels they possess the angelic characteristics we noted above with some noted differences.
- Being fallen angels, they are less than the holy angels, being weaker for example, ref. Revelation 12:7-9, and not possessing the intellect and wisdom of the holy angels, who have the benefit of being in the presence of God. Satan foolishly self-destructed when he plotted and instigated the crucifixion of Christ.
- The evil angels are evil, perverse, depraved spirits, that is their very nature in which they have been hardened. (Luke 7:21,8:2; Mark 1:23; the devil is a murderer and liar from the beginning, John 8:44)
- The devil and his demons are not glorious but wretched, and miserable, having been separated from all the blessings that the holy angels enjoy. Theirs is a kingdom, not of light, but of darkness. (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4; 1 Peter 3:18)
- Being bound in hell for their condemnation to the eternal fire, ref. Matthew 25:41, they have no second chance for repentance, salvation, or restoration to their former, original holy state.
- The devil is most brash and brazen. He was willing to challenge God himself and tempt Christ, the Son of God (Job 1:9-11; Matthew 4:1f)
The Angels’ Dwelling Places:
A. The good angels:
- The good angels are always in heaven in the presence of God, as Matthew 18:10 makes clear:"See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I say to you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven."
- Yet the good angels are also with us humans on earth, as 1 Corinthians 4:9, 1 Timothy 5:21 and Hebrews 1:14 make clear: "For, it seems to me, that God has displayed us, the apostles, as the least of all, as men sentenced to die, because we have been made a theater of exhibitions for the world, both for angels and for people" . . . "I (Paul) charge you (Timothy) in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels, that you follow these instructions without discrimination, doing nothing according to partiality". . ."Are they not all ministering spirits repeatedly sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation?"
B. The devil and his evil angels:
- The evil angels are permanently bound in hell for judgment on the last day according to Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4: ". . . and angels who did not keep their sphere of authority but deserted their own habitation, he has kept in everlasting bonds under the blackness of hell for judgment on the Great Day" . . . "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but casting them down into hell in chains of blackness, handed them over to be kept for judgment, . . . "
- Yet the devil and his evil angels are also with us humans on earth as is evident from the following verses: "And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who leads the whole inhabited earth astray, he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. . . For this reason rejoice, O heavens, And those who dwell in them; Woe to the earth and the sea, Because the devil has come down to you Having an intense rage, Because he knows that he has little time." (Revelation 12:9,12) "Now judgment is upon this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast outside." (John 12:31) ". . . (sins) in which you formerly walked according to the evil ways of this world, according to the ruler of the powers of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience" . . . (Ephesians 2:2) "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)
Guardian Angels:
A. How do we know the good angels guard us?
Psalm 91:10,11 tell us: "For he (the Lord Most High) will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will lift you up in the palms of their hands, so you will not strike your foot against a stone."
B. According to Psalm 91:10,11 above, the angels are always with us to guard us in all of our ways.
C. All of the angels are guardian angels.
Hebrews 1:14 informs us: "Are they not all ministering spirits repeatedly sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation?"
D. According to Hebrews 1:14, and according to Psalm 91:10,11, which was written about those who take their refuge in the Lord, the Lord's good angels guard us believers who will inherit salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
E. These two passages are the only ones which specifically speak of the guardian angels. Based on these passages, we believers in Jesus cannot say with certainty that we have one guardian angel assigned to us. We may have more than one.
Demonic Possession:
A. Spiritual possession:
- In the wide sense: the devil holds the unbelievers in the spiritual blindness and ignorance of unbelief, which is clear from 2 Corinthians 4:4: ". . . in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the bright light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, did not shine forth in them."
- In the narrow sense: the devil enters a person’s mind and heart, taking control of his will to prompt him to do evil. This is clear from the following verses: "Then Satan entered into Judas, the one who was called Iscariot, who was of the number of the Twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple captains how he might betray him to them.. . ." "And while dinner was in progress, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray him, . . ." (Luke 22:3,4; John 13:2). "Then Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and set aside some money out of the sale price for the piece of property?” (Acts 5:3)
B. Physical possession: a demonic spirit inhabits a person’s body, taking control of all his faculties, as the following verses make clear:
- “Now whenever the unclean spirit comes out of the man, it goes through waterless places looking for a resting place, but it does not find one. “It then says, ‘I will return to my house from where I came out.’ And when it comes, it finds the house standing empty, having been swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with itself seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. So it will be also with this wicked generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45).
- "And after he came out upon the land, a man from the city who had demons met him; and he had not worn clothing for a considerable time, nor did he stay even in a house but among the tombs . . . For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him violently many times, and he would be bound repeatedly with chains and shackles while being kept under guard, and yet, breaking the bonds, he would be driven by the demon into the wilderness.....(After Jesus had cast out the demons from Legion) the people came out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and they found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting beside Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they became frightened." (Luke 8:27,29,35)
C. Characteristics of those demonically possessed:
- They are out of their right minds, having lost control of their will, emotions, intellect, sense of decency, bodily functions. They become different people who are no longer in control of themselves. (ref. Legion, Luke 8:27,35; Mark 9:17-26)
- They may exhibit superhuman strength. (ref. Legion, Luke 8:29; Acts 19:14-16)
- They may be afflicted with physical maladies. (ref. the boy who was possessed by a demon which robbed him of his speech, threw him about on the ground and into the fire and water, threw him into convulsions so he foamed at the mouth, made him gnash his teeth and made his body rigid. (cf. Mark 9:17,18; Acts 8:7)
- They may speak of themselves in the first person plural “we, us,” as being more than one person. (Mark 1:23,24, 5:9)
- They may speak the most profane, foul, filth.
- They may have knowledge of things which are humanly impossible to know, speak in foreign tongues which they have never learned, suddenly have artistic talents which they do not possess before or after their seizure, foretell future fortunes, perform other superhuman, miraculous feats, or have inexplicable phenomenon occur while they are present--such as it raining in an indoor room or objects flying and hurdling through the air. (ref. Acts 16:16; 13:6-10)
- They can be possessed by more than one demon simultaneously (Mark 16:9; Matthew 12:43-45).
- Their presence may be accompanied by a horrible stench and an eerie cold air or draft.
- Afterwards their knowledge of the Lord and his Word can be totally wiped from their minds and they have no recollection of them.
D. We have no reason to fear the devil and his demons. Read Psalm 91:1-12.
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