Angelology Part 1

The branch of theological thought known as angelology must be linked with the related themes of satanology and demonology. Each of the three themes takes the Christian into the realm of the supernatural. Angelology is in the heavenly realm. Satanology is in the sphere of darkness. Demonology is in the realm of the underworld or hell. Increasing demonization produces rapidly increasing apostasy. The common thought of progressive thinking should be avoided, because it goes hand in hand with progressive deafness to the word of God. Satan was at one time an angel; therefore, we will begin the discussion with angelology.

In the record of the creation of the heavens and the earth, nothing is stated about the creation of the angels (Gen. 1). Since the angels rejoiced when God created the earth, they already existed. Paganism, with its wild speculation about angels, has created a distaste for them. Religious cults with their own angelology have caused many to shy away from this teaching. Because there is an unlawful intrusion into the unseen world, Paul warned against mysticism that involves angels (Col. 2:8-19). This interposition is a warning against angelic idolatry, spiritism, and occultism in general. It cautions against anything that fails to make Jesus Christ preeminent. The Devil knows the tendency of God’s people to be suspicious of what is embraced and magnified by occultists; therefore, he uses all forms of advertisement to exploit occultism. Thus, he advances error and keeps many Christians from studying a subject that would enhance their spiritual lives. The prince of darkness requires the darkness of ignorance in which to work. Therefore, any subject that is mentioned 273 times in God's Word should not be neglected by believers.

To the Christian, after God, Satan is the next largest factor in the universe. There is nothing our age needs more, apart from the knowledge of God, than a Biblical view of what the Scriptures teach concerning Satan. Evil goes beyond the depravity of man to a spiritual foe who is none other than Satan, the primary source of evil. This supernatural being hates God and is bent on turning mankind against God—if it were possible.

The subject of satanology has the support of facts. Philosophies, theologies of men, cosmology, and hypotheses all change, but Biblical facts never change. To deny that Christ lived and died and that He spoke of a personal Devil who is the god of this age is to reveal one’s ignorance of facts. We have the crushing facts of a world reeking in crime, lust, war, misery, etc., which are causing men’s hearts to fail them because of the things coming to pass. This world system is lying in the evil one (I John 5:19).

Angels and demons should be distinguished. Angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall be the heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14). Angels are never said to possess human beings. Christians have the Spirit of God, not angels, dwelling within. Demons are false angels (Gal. 1:6-9). They possess and influence human beings. Demons are fallen angels, the angels that God did not choose. There are chosen angels, and the angels that God passed by (I Tim. 5:21).

Fallen angels roam over the earth and in the air (Job 2:1, 2). Critics have asked the following question: How can the fallen angels roam over the earth and in the air if they are kept in chains for the day of judgment? Read II Peter 2:1-5 and observe the following: (1) Error needs a disguise. Truth welcomes exposure. (2) In verse 4, there is the first class condition particle ei which should be translated “since” instead of “for.” (3) Sentence is given before the execution. (4) God has not promised to save the elect from the judgment of men, but He has promised to save them from God’s coming wrath. (5) God will continue the existence of mankind because many of the elect are offspring of the nonelect. “And the angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6 NASB). Neither II Peter 2:4 nor Jude 6 indicate that fallen angels cannot roam the earth. In Luke 8:26-39, the demons possessed the Gerasene (Gadarene). When they were cast out, they entered the swine and caused the swine to run into the deep. In the future, the abyss will be opened, and they will come out of the abyss (Rev. 9:1-11). There will be a great amount of demon activity before the coming of Jesus Christ as King.

All specific demonization referred to after the ascension of Jesus Christ is found in relation to the conclusion of this age. While there are more than 70 references to demon activity and unclean spirits in the four Gospels, all the other references beginning with Acts through Revelation point to the activity of demons in the last days of the age. Therefore, we are justified in concluding that like the days of our Lord’s earthly ministry, demon activity will be powerful and violent toward the conclusion of this age. Unclean spirits, evil spirits, and demons are synonymous in the Gospels. The adjectives “unclean” and “evil” in reference to spirits are descriptive adjectives of these spirits or demons.

Creation began in the angelic realm, and apostasy began with one of the created angels, Lucifer. The word “angel,” which means messenger, is the transliteration of the Greek word aggelos and the Hebrew word malak. This term is not only generic in that it is applied to all orders of created spirits, but it is also expressive of their office and service. The word is applied in various ways: prophets (Hag. 1:13), John the Baptist (Mal. 3:1), disciples (Luke 9:52), the representatives of the seven assemblies in Asia (Rev. 2; 3), and those sent from John the Baptist (Luke 7:24). The word is also used of providential circumstances, because these convey a message. God makes winds His messengers (Ps. 104:4; 148:8). It is also applied to Jesus Christ. He is frequently referred to as the angel of Jehovah (Gen. 16:7; Ex. 3:2; Judg. 6:12). He is seen interceding (Zech. 1:9-21) and calling on Jehovah (Zech. 3:1, 2). In His incarnation, the Son of God became God’s final message to man (Heb. 1:1-3). Unlike the created angels who refused worship, the angel of Jehovah accepted the worship offered Him (Rev. 5:1-5). Subsequent to the incarnation, Christ is never called the angel of the Lord. Appearances of Christ in angel form before the incarnation are called theophanies.

The heavens constitute the region of the angelic beings. The time of the creation of the angels is not specifically stated in the first chapter of Genesis, but Genesis 2:1 speaks of the host of the heavens being completed. The spirit beings would of necessity be the chief part of the heavens. Daniel spoke of the host of heaven (Dan. 4:35). The heavenly host praised God (Luke 2:13).

The creation of the heavens preceded the creation of the earth in the Genesis account: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1 NASB). Therefore, supposing the heavenly beings were created when the heavens were created is not unreasonable. The angels did not evolve. They were created as angels, and they belong to the invisible world. A proof of their direct creation is that they are called sons of God (Job 1:6). Adam is called “the son of God” in Luke 3:38, but the word “son” is italicized, signifying that it is supplied by the translator and not in the Greek text. The elect are individually re-created in Christ as sons of God (Gal. 3:26; Eph. 2:8-10; 4:24).

The angels rejoiced as a result of what God had done when He created the earth (Job 38:4-7). “Praise Him, all his angels; praise Him, all His hosts....Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created” (Ps. 148:2, 5 NASB). (See Rev. 4:10, 11.) To say the heavens and the earth were created before the first day does not contradict the truth that God was the Creator of all things before the world existed. This is a statement expressive of eternity.

Angels are spirit beings described as ministering spirits (Heb. 1:14; Ps. 103:21). God is an uncreated Spirit Being, but angels are created spirit beings. God is infinite; angels are finite. Unlike men, angels are not appointed to die (Luke 20:36). They are immortal. Although angels are described as men, and the masculine pronoun is used to designate them (Gen. 18:2, 22; 19:1, 5, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 21; Dan. 10:18-20; Mark 16:5, 6; Luke 24:4), they are sexless. Therefore, they do not marry or procreate.

Human beings know nothing about the nature of angels except what God has been pleased to reveal. The first error about angels is gnosticism, which is the result of speculative reasoning. This occurs when a person endeavors to penetrate mysteries that have not been revealed. It is demonstrated in Colossians. The second error is the placement of angels by the Roman Catholic Church in a false mediatorial position and relying on their intercession. However Christ, the only Mediator between God and men, is our Intercessor (I Tim. 2:5; Gal. 3:19). The third error is the protestant error of thinking too rarely about angels. By ignoring the Biblical teaching on angels, one disregards a great portion of Holy Scripture. This error never leads to an honest Biblical investigation of the subject.

There are cherubim and seraphim among the angels. The word “cherubim” comes from “cherub,” which means “contending or preceding.” The word “seraphim” means “burning ones.” These are heavenly beings with a special ministry regarding God's holy character and the purification of those who approach God (Ex. 25; Is. 6). They are not artificial, temporary, or symbolic figures with no personal existence. Neither are they the two testaments in the tabernacle nor the four evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, nor symbols of God’s attributes. The cherubim are spirit beings. They have form, and they represent the angelic beings that God created.

In the narrative of the fall, cherubim are introduced as real creatures into a real scene. Subsequent to man’s fall, God stationed them at the east of the garden of Eden: “So He [God] drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every direction, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Gen. 3:24 NASB). This does not indicate that they were there to exclude man from blessing but to show that salvation is impossible without the satisfaction of Divine justice. In the tabernacle and temple, cherubim formed an essential part of the furniture of the holy of holies (Ex. 25:18; 26:31; I Kings 6:23, 29-35). The holy of holies is the place where the Lord manifested Himself in the character in which He is worshipped by sacrifice. God spoke to Israel from between the cherubim. (Study Num. 7:89; Ps. 80:1; 99:1.) They looked down with intelligent wonder at the mystery of redemption represented in the tabernacle and temple. They are viewed in association with the providence of God in Ezekiel’s vision of the cherubim and the wheels. The operations of providence are fulfilling the purpose of grace. They are called living beings (Ezek. 1) and cherubim (Ezek. 10). In Revelation 4:6, they are not beasts but living creatures (dzon) who share in the worship of the heavenly sanctuary and rejoice in the final victory of Jesus Christ. The ministry of the cherubim is about the throne in the presence of God.

Angels are not omniscient, but they are superior to man in knowledge (Matt. 24:36). Great power is ascribed to them (Ps. 103:20). Christ was made a little lower than the angels (Heb. 2:7; Ps. 8:5). A comparison of Genesis 1:26 with Hebrews 2:6-7 will prove that the present position of mankind is lower than the angels. However, man conformed to the image of Christ is an honor that not even Lucifer had before he fell. Man was created lower than the angels, but redeemed man is destined to be higher than the angels. Man was created with an immortal soul and a mortal body. Angels were created spirit beings with celestial bodies. Man is a spirit being clothed in a material body. Redeemed man will have a heavenly body: “And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (I Cor. 15:49 NASB).