ANGELS

Angels – Another subject of controversy. Some people believe in angels and others don’t. To some, they are a figment of the imagination, whereas to others they are like gods. Many believe that angels are human beings that have done good deeds and are awarded by making them angels when they go to heaven.

ALL OF THESE BELIEFS ARE NOT TRUE!

Before beginning the actual study of angels, I’d like to briefly recap the study of man being a three part being made in the image of God.

Man (meaning a human being), is a spirit made in God’s spiritual image. He has a soul, (mind emotions and will) that is housed in a body. Our spirit and soul is what will live on forever in heaven or hell, (depending on our choice).

All this to say that we live in a spiritual world that is more real than the physical world we inhabit. This spiritual world is made up of our Lord God, who is Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; good and bad angels, devils and demons.

To get a better understanding of this subject, return to Spitiual Maturity II, topic five, lessons 1 & 2.

The word angel means messenger. According to the teaching of Jesus, on good angels, they are personal, sinless, immortal beings, existing in great number and in close relation with individual men. The Bible speaks of children having a personal angel:

Matt. 18:10 "….do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father…";

Psalm 34:7, "The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.";

Heb. 1:14, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?"

Luke 16:22 shows that upon our death, we are carried by angels to the Lord. In addition, angels are an integral part of God’s kingdom and laced throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

For more information about angels in the Bible, look in your concordance.

Angels are a little higher in dignity than man. They are created beings, and were created before man. Jesus said they do not marry nor do they die, (Luke 20:34-36). They are not glorified human beings, but are distinct from man (1 Cor. 6:3; Heb, 1:14). There is a vast multitude of them. John said,

Rev. 5:11, "I heard the voice of many angels…and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands".

Angels are highly organized with many ranks, but only one is called an archangel in Scripture; Michael, (Jude 9).

Angels were created holy, but after a period, some fell from their state of innocence (Jude 6). These creatures are known as "fallen angels". Due to a deliberate, self-determined rebellion against God, they lost their original holiness.

Some became corrupt, and were evil; these followed Satan as their leader, and will continue to follow him. These angels are destined to the abyss at the second coming of Christ

Rev. 20:1-3, "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more…..".

Some were cast down to hell where they are held in chains until the day of judgment

2 Pet. 2:4, "For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;…");

others were left free, and it is they who oppose the work of God.

There are two types of angels: cherubim, and seraphim.

Cherubim – (Hebrew plural of cherub). The implied meaning is covering angel. We first see cherubim in Gen. 3:24. They had flaming swords and were placed at the East of Eden to "guard the way to the tree of life" after Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden.

God directed Moses to place two cherubim on the mercy seat above the ark, where God would commune with Moses in the tabernacle (Ex. 25:18-22). God dwelt between the cherubim above the Ark of the Testimony, in the tabernacle.

Ezekiel gives a description of cherubim in chapter 10:1-22 and 9:3, which shows that they are the "living creatures" that are explained in chapter one of Ezekiel. They were winged creatures with features both animal and human.

Each had four faces; of a man, a lion on the right side; of an ox on the left side; also of an eagle.

(Ez. 9:3, "Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple…")

Primarily, the cherubim are the living chariot or carriers of God, (when appearing to men), and the bearers of His throne. Figures of these living beings were used symbolically in both tabernacle and temple.

In lesson two of "Angels", we will learn about Seraphim, and the place angels had in the life and ministry of Christ along with the varied work of angels.

1. Angels are human beings that have led a good life and become angels when they go to heaven.

2. Angels are……

3. Which Scripture says: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?“

4. Which Scripture gives an example of a man, who upon his death, is carried by angels into the presence of the Lord?

5. Which of the following is true?

6. What caused the angels to fall?

7. Some of the fallen angels were cast into hell and held in chains until the day of judgment.

8. How many types of angels are there?

9. In the description given in Ezekiel, how many faces did the cherubim have?

10. In what book do we first see Cherubim?

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