ANGELS

Musick-al note # 155           

     We know some things about angels but most of the scriptures that mention them are concerned with their announcements from God and their service to His people. It is not revealed their beginnings. They are mentioned in various ways as they come into contact with mankind.  There are archangels, some named, and many were soldiers, armed and ready for battle as well as messengers of God.

      However, not all beings in the eternal realm were godly but some were rebellious, malicious and evil. Was Satan an angel who rebelled in the eternal realm where God dwells?  No definite answer has been given in scripture, but soon after God created all things, Satan appeared in the Garden of Eden and tempted Eve with the fruit of the tree of knowledge (Genesis 3:1) which caused her to sin.  I do not know Satan’s status with God, but Satan came with angels when they presented themselves before God (Job 1:6), God knew the deceiver and asked about faithful Job. Satan’s answers were that Job had no choice because of God’s goodness and protection to him. Allowed to afflict Job with loss of family, possessions and sores from head to foot, Satan shows his true nature by seeking to destroy an innocent man. Satan (called the old serpent, the devil) lost his place in heaven in a war against Michael and his angels. He and his angels were banned from heaven and cast down to the earth where he deceived the world (Revelation 12:7-9) by appearing as an angel of light and false teachers appear to be ministers of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

      There are many references to the angels of God as they did His bidding and many things about them are given: they have levels of authority, they could act directly on mankind (Genesis 19:1-15), they do not marry (Mark 12:25), only a few are named (Luke 1:19, Jude 9), they are not to be worshipped (Hebrews 1:6, Revelation 19:10), they rejoice when a sinner repents (Luke 15:10), they are ministering spirits to the righteous (Hebrews 1:14), they are subject to Christ (1 Peter 3:22), they watch over children and report to God (Matthew 18:10), they do not know the hour of the end (Matthew 24:36) and some were warriors who fought for God’s people (Numbers 22:22, Joshua 5:14), they are the reapers at the end of the world (Matthew 13:39) and they guard the gates of the heavenly city (Revelation 21:12). There is an innumerable host of angels in the heavenly city (Hebrews 12:22).

              Gordon Musick