ANGELOLOGY

The Doctrine of Angels

Author: Ray Shelton

INTRODUCTION

What is the Biblical view of angels? What does the Bible say about the nature and origin of angels? Many have attempted to answer these questions and have speculated about the nature and origin of the angels. Some even deny their existence. But the existence and ministry of angels are abundantly taught in the Scriptures. Let us go to the Scriptures and examine what they says about the origin and nature of angels in order to begin our investigation and to try to answer these questions and to understand the Biblical doctrine of angels.

THE ORIGIN OF ANGELS

The basic Biblical assertion about angels is that they are created by God.

"Thou art the Lord, thou alone;
Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens,
with all their hosts,
the earth and all that is in them;
and Thou preservest all of them;
and the host of heaven worship thee."
(Neh. 9:6 NAS)

"148:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens,
148:2 praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
148:3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
148:4 Praise Him, highest heavens,
And the waters that are above the heavens!
148:5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
148:6 He has also established them forever and ever;
He has made a decree which will not past away."
(Psa. 148:1-6 NAS).

The Apostle Paul says about Christ,
"For by Him all things were created,
that are in the heavens and that are in earth,
visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:
all things were created by Him and for Him."
(Col. 1:16 KJV)

That they were created is implied by the statement in I Tim. 6:16, where Paul says that God is He "Who alone has immortality". The time when they were created is nowhere stated in Scripture. Some have speculated that it occured when God created the heavens and earth. They speculate that God created them immediately after He had created the heavens so they would have dewelling place and before the creation the earth. They quote Job 38:4-7 to support their opinion. God said to Job,
"38:4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding,
38:5 Who set its measurements, since you know?
Or who streched the line on it?
38:6 On what were it bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
38:7 When the morning stars sung together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7 NAS)
These verses do not say that the angles were created just before the earth was created, but only that the angels (sons of God) already existed and shouted for joy. Genesis 1 is about the creation of the heavens and the earth, not the creation of the angels; they are not even mentioned. Genesis 2 is about the creation of man; again the angels are not mentioned. The Scriptures do not tell us when the angels were created; they only tell us that they were created. How many angels were created? The Scriptures do not tell us how many angels were created. But while the Scriptures gives no definite number, the Scriptures tell us that their number is great (Dan. 7:10; Matt. 26:53; Heb. 12:22).

THE NATURE OF ANGELS

The English word "angel" comes from the Greek word angelos and denotes either a human or heavenly "messenger". In the Greek New Testament, except for Luke 7:24; 9:52 and perhaps Rev. 1:20; 2:1, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14, it is used for heavenly beings. Accordingly, the Vulgate introduced a distinction between angelus (a heavenly messenger) and numcius (a human messenger) which modern rendering and usage maintain. This term is chosen by Scripture writers to denote the function of these beings and it does not seem to indicate their nature. The heavenly beings that we call angels are God's messengers and ambassadors. They belong to God's heavenly court and are in His service. In the heavenly court their activity is to praise God (Psa. 103:20-21 NAS).

"103:20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!"
103:21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will."
(Psa. 103:20-21 NAS).
They devote themselves to doing His will and are His servants.

Besides being creations of God, the Scriptures speaks of the nature of angles only negatively, that is, what they are not.
Angels are not glorified human beings,
Angels do not have human bodies,
Angels are not a race, but a company or collection,
Angels are not omniscient, but wiser than human beings, and
Angels are not omnipotent, but stronger than human beings.

  1. Angels are not glorified human beings.
    In Matt. 22:30 Jesus says that we in the resurrection will be like (hos) the angels, but he does not say that we will be angels.
    "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage,
    but are like angels in heaven." (Matt. 22:30).
    The angels are not glorified human beings although the glorified human beings ("in the ressurrection") are like the angels of God in heaven. The angels are clearly distinguished from the resurrected human beings. In I Cor. 6:3 Paul asks,
    "Do you not know that we are to judge angels?" (I Cor. 6:3).
    That is, in the coming age we glorified believers are to judge angels, who are probably the evil angels. Clearly in this case those who are judged are different from those who judge. Clearly, Jesus is not saying that angels are glorified human beings. In Heb. 12:22-23 the "innumerable company of angels" is distinguish from "the assembly of first-born" and from "the spirits of righteous men made perfect". It is not scriptural to sing "I would be an angel and with the angels stand."

  2. Angels do not have human bodies.
    Some theologians hold that angels do not have bodies and they are disembodied spirits. They quote Psalms 104:4 to prove this. In King James Version, Psalms 104:4 is translated,
    "Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire." (Psa. 104:4 KJV).
    But New American Version translates this verse,
    "He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fires his ministers." (Psa. 104:4 NAV).
    That is, this verse is not speaking of angels, but of winds and flaming fires, as the previous verse.
    "...who maketh the clouds his carriot;
    who walketh upon the wings of winds." (Psa. 104:3 KJV).
    Those who hold that angels do not bodies also quote Eph. 6:12 where Paul says,
    "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
    but against principalities, against powers,
    against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
    against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph. 6:12 KJV)
    They argue from this Scripture that angels do not have bodies of flesh and blood. But this verse does not speak of angels but of principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. These are spirits and are not angels. By saying that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood" Paul does not mean that the principalities, powers, etc. do not have bodies, but that our warfare is not against human beings, but is with spiritual beings.

    On the basis of Luke 20:34-36, other theologians argue that angels do have bodies.

    "20:34 And Jesus said to them,
    'This sons of this age marry and are given in marriage;
    20:35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and
    the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage;
    20:36 for neither can they die anymore,
    for they are like angels, and are the sons of God,
    being sons of the resurrection.'" (Luke 20:34-36 NAS)
    Since these sons of God, "being sons of the resurrection", have resurrected bodies, and since "they are equal to the angels" (KJV), therefore, the angels do have bodies like the resurrected bodies of the sons of God. Thus the angels are not disembodied spirits, but are clothed with spiritual bodies. And in the Scriptures angels have appeared to men having bodies (Gen. 18:1-8; Judges 2:1; 6:11-24; Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:26-30, 24-38; John 20:11-13; Heb. 13:2).

  3. Angels are not a race, but a company or collection.
    Angels neither marry nor are given in marriage because they do not have any sexual differences; that is, there are neither male or female angels. And since angels neither marry nor are given in marriage, angels are not a race that is proprogated by sexual intercourse between the male and female. And since neither do they die (Luke 20:34-36), angels do not need to have children to sustain the existence of the race of angels. Angels are not a race, but are a company. Hebrews 12:22 refers to "an innumerable company of angels" (KJV) or "myriads of angels" (NAS), a extremely large collection of angels.

    Some take the "sons of God" in Gen. 6:2 who took to themselves "the daughters of men" to referred to the evil angels who entered into sexual intercourse with human women and produced the race of "Nephilim", "the fallen ones", the mighty heroes of antiquity. Since angels cannot marry nor be given in marriage, the "sons of God" here is not referring to evil angels, but is probably referring to the descendants of Seth as compared with the descendants of Cain. The reference in Gen. 6:2 is probably intended as a protest against the intermarriage of the godly line of Seth with the ungodly line of Cain.

  4. Angels are not omniscient, but are wiser than human beings.
    Some quote II Sam. 14:20 to show that angels are omniscient and know all things. The wise woman said to king David,
    "But my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of the Lord.
    to know all things that are in the earth."
    (II Sam. 14:20 KJV)
    But this statement cannot be taken at face value, for the wise woman said them to persuade the king to bring back the young man Absalom. Angels are not omniscient and do not know all things that are in the earth. Their knowledge is limited; Jesus said concerning the time of His second coming,
    "but of the day and hour knoweth no one,
    not even the angels in heaven,
    neither the Son, but the Father only." (Matt. 24:36)
    But good angels are wiser than human beings; they chose to worship and to serve their Creator.

  5. Angels are not omnipotent, but are stronger than human beings.
    "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excell in strength,
    that do his commandments,
    hearkening unto the voice of his word." (Psa. 103:20 KJV)
    Peter says, concerning evil human persons,
    "2:10b Presumptuous are they, self-willed,
    they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
    2:11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might,
    bring not railing accusations against them before the Lord." (II Pet. 2:10b-11)
    Angels are greater in power than human beings, but they do not have the power of the Almighty God, who created them. The power of angels is illustrated in freeing the Apostles from prison (Acts 5:19; 12:7, 23) and in rolling of the stone from the tomb of Christ (Matt. 26:2).

THE FALL OF ANGELS

In this section, let us examine
the fact of the fall,
the time of the fall,
the cause of the fall, and
the results of the fall.

  1. The Fact of the Fall.
    Various Scriptures represent some of the angels as evil (Psa. 78:49; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 9:11; 12:7-9). According to Jude 6 these angels kept not their own domain but left their own habitation. These angels sinned (II Pet. 2:4). Satan no doubt was the leader of this apostasy. Some think that Ezek. 28:15 refers to this act of Satan. This prophesy is about the king of Tyre (Ezek. 28:12) but what this prophesy says about him goes beyond any human king.
    "28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre.
    and say to him,
    Thus says the Lord God,
    You have the seal of perfection,
    Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
    28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
    Every precious stone was thy covering:
    The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond;
    The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper;
    The lapis lazuli, the torquoise, and the emerald;
    And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets,
    Was in you.
    On the day you were created
    They were prepared.
    28:14 You were anointed cherub who covers,
    And I placed you there.
    You were on the holy mountain of God;
    You were in the midst of the stones of fire.
    28:15 You were blameless in your ways
    From the day you were created,
    Until unrighteousness was found in you.
    28:16 By the abundance of your trade
    You were internally filled with violence,
    And you sinned,
    Therefore I have cast you as profane
    From the mountain of God.
    And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub;
    From the midst of the stones of fire.
    28:17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
    You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.
    I cast you to the ground;
    I put you before kings
    that they may see you.
    28:18 By the multitude of your iniquities,
    In the unrighteousness of your trade,
    You profaned your sanctuaries.
    Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you;
    It has consumed you,
    And I have turned you to ashes on the earth
    In the eyes of all who see you.
    28:19 All who know you among the people
    Are appalled at you;
    You have become terrified,
    And you will be no more." (Ezek. 28:12-19 NAS)
    Isa. 14:12-15, which is a prophesy against the king of Babylon (Isa. 14:4), seems also describe the fall of Lucifer, the star of morning.
    "14:12 How have you fallen from heaven,
    O star of the morning, son of the dawn!
    You have been cut down to earth,
    You who have weakened the nations!
    14:13 But you said in your heart,
    'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
    I will ascend to heaven;
    I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
    14:14 And I will sit on the mount of the assembly
    In the recesses of the north.
    I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.'
    14:15 Nevertheless you will be trust down to Sheol,
    To the recesses of the pit." (Isa. 14:12-15 NAS)
  2. The Time of the Fall.
    The Scriptures is silent on this point, but it is clear that it occurred before the fall of man, since Satan entered the Garden of Eden as a serpent and tempted Eve to sin, disobeying God's command. But it is not revealed how long before the fall of man that the fall of the evil angels took place. Some hold that it occurred after the creation of heavens and earth recorded in Gen. 1:1. Some also believe that the fall of Satan caused a catastrophe to occur to the original earth and that the seven days of creation recorded in Genesis 1:2ff. is a recovery of the original creation of the earth. This view has been given classic expression in John Milton's poem Paradise Lost. But this is pure speculation. It is not revealed in Scriptures when this happened. But this fall of the angels did not exclude them from heaven. According to Job 1:6-12, Satan has access to heaven.
    "1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came
    to present themselves before the Lord,
    and Satan came also among them.
    1:7 And the Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?'
    Then Satan answered the Lord and said,
    'From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.'
    1:8 And the Lord said to Satan,
    'Have you considered My servant Job?
    For there is no one like him on earth,
    blameless and upright man,
    fearing God and turning away from evil.'
    1:9 Then Satan said to the Lord,
    'Does Job fear God for nothing?
    1:10 Hast Thou not made a hedge about him and his house
    and all that he has, on every side?
    Thou hast bless the work of his hands,
    and his possessions have increased in the land.
    1:11 But put forth Thy hand and touch all that he has;
    he will surely curse Thee to Thy face.'
    1:12 Then the Lord said to Satan,
    'Behold, all that he has is in your power,
    only do not put forth your hand on him.'
    So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord."
    (Job 1:6-12)
    When this event occurred is not revealed but it is oviously after creation of man.

  3. The Cause of the Fall.
    This is one of deepest mysteries in theology. Since the angels were created by God perfect, then how can the perfect creation of God become evil? Some theologians assume that this perfection is moral perfection; that is, every affections of their hearts were directed toward God and their wills were inclined to do the will of God. The problem is then, how could they fall? How could any evil affection arise in their hearts and how could their will be inclined not to do His will and turn away from God? Many solutions have been proposed. Some have proposed that since God had created them that God obviously created them to do evil. The objectors to this view say that this means that God is the author of Evil. To this objection they who hold this view reply that it is not God who does the evil, but the creatures that He has created that does the sin. Therefore, God is not the author of Evil. This means that God did not create all of angels as perfect. Faced with this result, some have proposed that the fallen angels were not created by God at all; they existed as an independent and rival reality. In Augustine's time the Persian religious philosophy called Manicheanism proposed an eternal dualism of good and evil. Before he became a Christian Augustine had accepted this view but he came to find it unacceptable and then he adopted the Neoplatonic view that evil was a privation of being; that is, evil is not really real, but is the absence of the good which alone exists. All that was not God, that is, the world, was not really real and was not really good. When Augustine became a Christian he rejected this Neoplatonic view, and accepted the Christian view that all that God has created is good (Gen. 1:4, 10, 31, etc.) and that evil resulted from the wrong exercise of the wills of those creatures that God had created with a free will, that is, with the possibility of sinning and the possibility of not sinning. The angels as created by God had this free will and the fallen angels had used their free wills to sin. The fall of the angels was due to their deliberate, self-determined revolt against God. It was their choice. If it is asked why they made that choice to revolt, the Scriptures hints at several replies to the question. If the Tyrian king is taken to symbolize Satan in the prophesy of Ezek. 28:11-19, then great prosperity and beauty seems to be the motive for his fall. If the king of Bablyon is taken to symbolize Satan in the prophesy of Isa. 14:13-14, then the ambition and desire to surpass God would be the motive. Thus in either case, covetousness, which is idolatry, (Col. 3:5) is the motive.

  4. The Results of the Fall.
    There are several results of the fall of the angels and the most obvious is that there are two classes of angels: good angels, and evil angels.
    And also there is the problem:
    Are demons evil angels?

    1. The Good Angels.
      The good angels are those angels that did not sin and fall.
      Among the good angels are
      the Cherubim,
      the Seraphim and
      the Archangels.

      (1) The Cherubim are mentioned in Gen. 3:24; II Kings 19:15; Ezek. 10:1-20; 28:14-16. They are also probably among the "living beings" mentioned in the book of Revelation. The etymology of the word is unknown, but it has been suggested that it means "to cover" or "to guard", but of this there no direct evidence. There is an interesting similarity between the cherubim as guarding the entrance to Paradise and the winged bulls and lions of Babylon and Assyria, colossal figures with human faces standing guarding at the entrance of temples and palaces. Two cherubim were placed on top of the ark in the tabernacle and temple. Cherubim were also wrought into the texture of the inner curtain of the tabernacle and the veil. From the fact that they guard the entrance to Paradise; that they are represented as somehow supporting the throne of God (Psa. 18:9, 10; 80:1; 99:1); that figures of them were wrought into the curtain and viel of the tabernacle and temple; and that, as the "living creatures" in the book of Revelation they are seen surrounding the Throne of God (Rev. 4:6ff.), we conclude that they are chiefly the guardians of the Throne of God. Satan may have been one of the cherubim before he fell (Ezek. 28:14-16).

      (2) The Seraphim are mentioned by name only in Isa. 6:2, 6. They are distinct from the cherubin. God is said to be seated above the cherubum (I Sam. 4:4; Psa. 80:1; 99:1, etc.), but the seraphim stand above Him (Isa. 6:1). Their duties are different from those of the cherubim also. They lead heaven in the worship of God Almighty and purify the servants of God for acceptable worship and service. The cherubim, on the other hand, are the guardians of the Throne of God and are God's ambassadors extraordinary. Thus the cherubim and seraphim have distinct positions and ministries.

      (3) The term Archangel occurs twice in the New Testament (I Thess. 4:16; Jude 9). There are other references to at least one archangel, Michael. He is the only one that is called an archangel. He is represented as having his own angels (Rev. 12:7) and is said to be the prince of the people of Israel (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1). The Apocryphal Book of Enoch (20:1-7) enumerates six "angels of power", that is, Uriel, Raphiel, Raguel, Michael, Zariel, and Gabriel. A variant reading in the margin adds a seventh, Remiel. The Apocryphal Book of Tobit (12:15) reads, "I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who offer up the prayers of the saints and enter in before the glory of the Holy One." It would seem that Gabriel might qualify as a second archangel. These apocryphal references must taken with reservation and not with same level of credibility as the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament.

      Archangels appear to have specific responsibility of protecting and prospering Israel (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1); of announcing the birth of the Savior (Luke 1:26-38); of defeating Satan and his angels in their attempt to kill the Man Child and the woman in the vision recorded in Rev. 12:7-12; and of heralding the return of Christ for His own (I Thess. 4:16-18).

      There are some indications that there are organizations among the good angels. In Col. 1:16 Paul writes about thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, and adds that they were created through Him and unto Him, Christ.

      "For by him were all things created,
      that are in the heavens and that are on earth,
      visible and invisible,
      whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers:
      all things were created by him and for him." (Col. 1:16 KJV)
      This seems to indicate that Paul is referring to the good angels. In Eph. 1:21 the reference to "all principality, and power, and might, and dominion" seems to include both good and evil angels. Elsewhere this terminology refers definitely to the evil angels alone (Rom. 8:38; Eph. 6:12; Col. 2:15).

      But it is not likely that Paul is presenting in Col. 1:16 a hierarchy of angels, or that he had an elaborate system of aeons as was held by the Gnostic metaphysical theology. In the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs (Levi 3), written near the close of first century, there is the teaching concerning the seven heavens. The first is not populated; but all above it are populated by various spirits and angels. But Paul does not seem to teach any such systematic gradation of the angels. The thronoi refer to angelic beings, whose place is in the immediate presence of God. These angels are invested with regal power which they exercise under God. The kuriotetes appear to stand next in dignity to the thronoi. The archai or principalities seem to refer to rulers over distinct peoples or nations. Thus Michael is said to be Israel's prince (Dan. 10:21; 12:1); thus there is also the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece (Dan. 10:20). That is, each one is a prince in one of these princedoms. The exousai or powers are possibly subordinate authorities, serving under one of the other authorities. We cannot be absolutely sure of the real meaning of these terms, but the above seems to be a plausible explanation.

    2. The Evil Angels.
      Here there is also a difference. There are evil angels that are kept in prison and evil angles that are free, among whom is Satan.
      Are demons evil angels?
      (1) The Evil Angels that are kept in Prison.
      These are mentioned specifically in II Pet. 2:4 and Jude 6.
      "For if God did not spare angels that sinned,
      but cast them into hell [Tartarus] and
      committed them to pits of darkness,
      reserved for judgment;" (II Pet. 2:4 NAS)

      "And 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 NAS)

      Jude here may be referring to Deut. 32:8 where God is said to have divided the nations "according to the number of the sons of Israel." According to Daniel (10:13, 20-21; 12:1), the various nations are under one or another of angelic "princes". These fallen angels that left their own principality may have sinned merely being unfaithful in the performance of their duties, or more likely that they sought to obtain a more coveted principality. Some others hold that these fallen angels sinned in leaving their heavenly dwelling and came down to the earth. As a punishment for their sin, Peter says, that God cast them into Tartarus. This word occurs here only in the Greek New Testament, but appears three times in the Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint (LXX): Job 40:15 (20); 41:23 (24); Prov. 24:51 (30:16). In Homer Tartarus is a murky place beneath Hades. If wicked men were confined to Hades, then the wicked angels would be confined even farther down. According to Peter, they were committed to pits of darkness, and according to Jude, being bounds in everlasting chains awaiting the great day of judgment. The chains were everlasting (aidiois), in the sense that they will never wear out, not that their bondage is forever. They are bond until the day of judgment, when they will then be judged and eternally punished.
      (2) The Evil Angels that are free, not imprisoned.
      These are usually mentioned in connection with Satan, their leader (Matt. 25:42; Rev. 12:7-9). But they are also mentioned separately in Psa. 78:49; Rom. 8:38; I Cor. 6:3; Rev. 9:14. Some theologians includes them among the "rule and authority and power and dominion" in Eph. 1:21, and are explicitly referred to in Eph. 6:12 and Col. 2:15. Their main occupation is that of supporting their leader Satan in the warfare against the good angels and God's people.
      (a) Satan.
      This superhuman being is mentioned often in the Old Testament (Gen. 3:1-15; I Chron. 21:1; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; Zech 3:1-2). In the New Testament he is also mentioned very often (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 10:18-19; John 13:2, 27; I Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12; 13:1-4; 20:1-3, 7-10). Some prefer to think of Satan as a impersonal force of evil. But the Scriptures abundantly testify to the personality of Satan. Not only are personal pronouns applied to him (Job 1:8, 12; 2:2, 3, 6; Zech. 3:2; Matt. 4:10; John 8:44); he speaks and is spoken to as a person (Gen. 3:1-15; Job 1:6-12; Matt. 4:1-11; etc.), has the characteristics of a person ascribed to him (will - Isa. 14:13-14; knowledge - Job 1:9, 10), and personal acts are performed by him (Job 1:9-11; Matt. 4:1-11; John 8:44; I John 3:8; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7-10). There should be no doubt that the Scriptures considered him a person, not an impersonal force of evil.

      The Scriptures refers to Satan by about a dozen different names. He is called Satan, Devil, Dragon, Serpent, Beelzebub, Belial, Lucifer, The Wicked One, The Tempter, The God of this World, The Prince of the Power of Air, and The Prince of this World.

      ((1)) Satan (I Chron. 21:1; Job 1:6; Zech. 3:1; Matt. 4:10; II Cor. 2:11; I Tim. 1:20). This name means "adversary" (I Pet. 5:8); he is the adversary of God and man.
      ((2)) Devil (Matt. 13:39; John 13:2; Eph. 6:11; James 4:7). This name occurs only in the New Testament. The name means "slanderer, accuser"; he is the accuser of the brethern (Rev. 12:10); he slanders God to man (Gen. 3:1-7) and man to God (Job 1:9; 2:4).
      ((3)) Dragon (Isa. 51:9; Rev. 12:3, 7; 13:2; 20:2). The word "dragon" (Heb. tannin) seems to mean liertally "serpent" or "sea-monster". The dragon is taken as the personification of Satan, as it is of Pharoah in Ezek. 29:3; 32:2. The dragon is a sea animal and may properly represent Satan's activity in the seas of mankind.
      ((4)) Serpent (Gen. 3:1; Isa. 27:1; Rev. 12:9; 20:2). By this term the crookedness (Job 26:13) and deceitfulness (II Chron. 11:3) of Satan is represented.
      ((5)) Beelzebub, or more correctly Beelzebul, according to the Greek spelling (Matt. 10:25; 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:14, 18-19). This exact meaning of this name is not known. In Syriac language it means "lord of dung". It is also suggested that it means "lord of the house".
      ((6)) Belial or Beliar (II Cor. 6:15). This term was used in the Old Testament in the sense of "worthlessness" (II Sam. 23:5, marg.), Thus there are "sons of Belial" (Judges 20:13; I Sam. 10:27); the "men of Belial" (I Sam. 30:22; I Kings 21:13), and "base fellows".
      ((7)) Lucifer (Isa. 14:12). This name means the morning star, an epithet of the planet Venus. It literally means "light-bearer", and is a name applied to Satan in this passage in Isaiah. As Lucifer, Satan is seen as an angel of light.
      ((8)) The Wicked One (Matt. 13:19, 38; Eph. 6:6; I John 2:13-14; 5:19). This is a description of his character and work. He is wicked, cruel, and tyrannical over all that he can control; and he is out to do wickedness whereever possible.
      ((9)) The Tempter (Matt. 4:3; I Thess. 3:5). This name indicates that Satans constant purpose and attempt is to incite men to sin. He presents the most plausible excuses and suggest the most striking advantages for sinning.
      ((10)) The God of this World (II Cor 4:4). As such he has his "ministers" (II Cor. 11:15), "doctrines" (I Tim. 4:1), "sacrifices" (I Cor. 10:20), and "synagogues" (Rev.2:9). He sponsors the religions of the natural man and is back of all false cults and systems that attack Christianity today.
      ((11)) The Prince of the Power of the Air (Eph. 2:2; 6:12). As such he is the leader of the evil angels (Matt. 23:41; Rev. 12:7) and the prince of the demons (Matt. 12:24; Rev. 16:13-14). He has a vast host of underlings that carry out his behests, and he rules with despotic power.
      ((12)) The Prince of this World (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). This seems to refer to his influence over the governments of this world. Jesus did not dispute Satan's claim to some sort of right here on this planet in Matt. 4:8-9. But God has set up definite limits to his influence and when the time comes he will be superceded by the rule of the One Whose right it is to rule, Jesus, the Lord of Lords.
      (b) The Demons.
      The English word "demon" does not occur in the King James Version (Authorized Version). The word in the Greek New Testament daimon and daimonion that is translated in other English translations (NAS, RSV, etc.) as "demon" is translated as "devil" in King James Version. In Greek New Testament the noun daimon occurs once (Matt. 8:31), the noun daimonion occurs 63 times, and the verb daimonizomai occurs 13 times. The verb daimonizomai is usually translated as "to be possessed" and means "to be under the power of a daimon". In the classical Greek language a daimon (daimonion) is divine power, a deity; it used to refer to lesser gods, whether good or evil. The noun daimon is used in the Greek New Testament (Acts 17:22; 25:19) in this sense as a compound noun deisidaimon (deido, "to fear", daimon, "deity") which means "fear for deity", "reverence for deity", "religious", "superstition, superstitious" (KJV). In the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, the Septuagint, LXX, these nouns are used to refer to heathen deities, false gods (Deut. 32:17; Psa. 95 [96]:5). Everywhere else in the Greek New Testament it is used to refer to an evil spirit. And the Greek words daimon and daimonion should never be translated "devils"; for there is but one devil (diabolos), Satan. Furthermore, demons and evil spirits, as well as unclean spirits, are clearly one and the same (Matt. 8:16; 10:1, 8; Luke 10:17, 20). They are apparently also "the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph. 6:12).

      Who are demons? Historically, there have been three answers to this question.

      1. Philo, Josephus, and practially all early Christian writers held that they are the souls of bad men, especially the spirits of men who in this life were evil. This view has been rejected by later Christian theologians by pointing out that in the Scriptures everywhere says that the unsaved dead are in Sheol and Hades, and not roaming around on the earth (Psa. 9:17; Ezek. 32:17-24; Luke 16:23-26; Rev. 20:13). Also, since the Lord has the keys of Hades, it is unlikely that He would allow these wicked souls to get out and roam around on the earth (Rev. 1:18).
      2. Are demons fallen angels? The traditional answer has been "Yes". Since not all of the fallen angels are confined to Tartarus, the free fallen angles are the demons. This has been the traditional answer and there much to commend it. It has the advantage of simplifying things by not having to inquire into the origin of demons. But there are two difficulties with this view. First, the Scriptures never intimate that the fallen angels ever sought the embodiment in a human being, and secondly, why would a being superior to human beings seek to be embodied in an inferior being? And if fallen angels have bodies, superior to human bodies, then how could they possess and be in another body?
      3. That demons are the disembodied spirits of a pre-Adamic race. This view has against it the fact that the Scriptures nowhere speaks of such a race. This view is thought best to explain why demons seek embodiment, which is a re-embodiment. Those who hold to this view appeal to II Pet. 3:5-6 as referring to the destruction of this pre-Adamic race for their sins. But this passage is a clear reference to the Noahic flood and not to the destruction a pre-Adamic race of which the Scriptures nowhere mentions. This view is pure speculation.
      If demons are not the fallen angels, then who are demons? Since Scriptures clearly teach that there are demons and they can possess human beings, they must be created spirits inferior to the angels but somewhat superior to human beings in that they are not confined to bodies but can possess human bodies. These beings must have been created with the rest of creation and therefore fell under the curse placed on creation after the fall of man (Gen. 3:13-19). They operate in this world which is under the "reign of death" (Rom. 5:12-21). Thus they are separated and alienated from God and operate without the Lordship of their Creator.

THE WORK OF ANGELS

Having considered the origin, nature, and the fall of angels, here we will consider what the Scriptures says about the work of the good angels, of the evil angels, of Satan, and of the demons.

  1. The work of the good angels.
    For convenience we shall divide the work of the good angels into two parts.
    1. The work of good angels in general.
      (a) They stand before God and worship Him (Matt. 18:10; Rev. 5:11; Psa. 148:2; Heb. 1:6).
      (b) They protect and deliver God's people (Gen. 19:11; I Kings 19:5; Psa. 91:11; Dan. 3:28; 6:22; 10:13, 21; 12:1; Acts 5:19; 12:11; Heb. 1:14).
      (c) They guide and encourage God's servants (Matt. 28:5-7; Acts 8:26; 27:23-24).
      (d) They interpret God's will to men (Job 33:23; Dan. 7:16; 10:5, 11; Zech. 1:9, 13, 14, 19; 2:3; 4:1, 4, 5; 5:5, 10; 6:4, 5).
      (e) They execute God's judgment against evil men and nations (Acts 12:23; Gen. 19:12-13; II Sam. 24:16; Ezek. 9:1, 5, 7; Rev. 16).
      (f) The Lords return will be accompanied "with a shout, with the voice of the archangel" (I Thess. 4:16).
      (g) Angels will gather together the elect when Christ returns (Matt. 24:31).
      (h) Angels will separate the true from the false at His coming (Matt. 13:39, 49, 50).
      (i) Angels will stand before the gates of New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:12).

    2. The work of good angels in particular with reference to Christ's Life and Ministry.
      (a) Mary was informed by the angel Gabriel that she would be the mother of the Savior (Luke 1:26-38).
      (b) Joseph was assured by an angel that "that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 1:20).
      (c) The angels announced to the shepherds the fact of Christ's birth at Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-15).
      (d) Angels came and ministered to Christ after the temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4:11).
      (e) Jesus told Nathanael that they would see the angels of God ascending and descending upon Him (John 1:51).
      (f) An angel from heaven came and strengthened Him in the Garden (Luke 22:43).
      (g) Jesus said that He could ask the Father for twelve legions of angels to come to His help, if it were necessary or desirable (Matt. 26:53).
      (h) An angel rolled away the stone from the sepulchre of Jesus and spoke to the women that came to the tomb (Matt. 28:2-7).
      (i) Angels accompanied Christ at the ascension (Acts 1:11).
      (j) Angels will accompany Him when He comes the second time (Matt. 16:27; 25:31).
      (k) Angels are represented as eager to look into the plan of salvation accomplished by Christ (I Pet. 1:12).

  2. The work of the evil angels.
    Although there are a number of references in the Scriptures to evil angels, there is little indication of their specific work. We shall look at the references to evil angels to throw some light on their activity.
    1. Evil angels oppose the good angels in their work.
      A messenger from God appeared in a vision to Daniel,
      "10:12 Then he said to me,
      'Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day
      that you set your heart on understanding this
      and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard,
      and I have come in response to your words.
      10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days;
      then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me,
      for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.'"
      (Dan. 10:12-13 NAS)
      This may explain why the answer to our prayers are delayed. The prince of the kingdom of Persia was opposing this messenger from God with God's answer to Danial's prayers.
    2. Evil angels are used by God to carry out His wrath.
      In Psa. 78:49, speaking of God's wrath upon Egypt, the Psalmist says,
      "He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger,
      wrath, and indignation, and trouble,
      by sending evil angels among them." (Psa. 78:49 KJV)
      The New American Version translated this verse as
      "He sent upon them His burning anger,
      Fury, indignation, and trouble,
      A band of destroying angels." (Psa. 78:49 NAS)
      The nature of the work of these evil angels is not specified, but it seems to imply that they were sent to torment and trouble the wicked people.
    3. Evil angels try to separate the believer from Christ.
      The Apostle Paul says in letter to the Romans,
      "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
      nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come,
      nor powers, nor height, nor depths, nor any other creature,
      shall separate us from the love of God,
      which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:38)
      Clearly the angels that are trying separate the believer from the love of God are evil angels. The good angels would not be doing this since they seek to do the will of God. But these evil angels will not succeed. Praise God.
    4. They cooperate with Satan in carrying out his purposes and plans (Matt. 25:41; Eph. 6:12; Rev. 12:7-12). The study of the work of Satan below will throw additional light on the work of evil angels.
  3. The work of Satan.
    The various names given to Satan indicates his various works. For example, as Satan he opposes, as devil he slanders and accuses, while as tempter he seeks to lure men to commit sin. In addition, the Scriptures reveals the nature of the work of Satan. In general, Satan's object is expressed in the words of Isa. 14:14: "I will make myself like the Most High." To accomplish this purpose of his heart, some like Milton has Satan reigning over a kindgom in hell. Milton makes Satan say: "To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell -- better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven." (Paradise Lost Book 1) Although the Scriptures gives no evidence for this view that Satan is now in hell and hell is the kingdom over which Satan rules, hell (the lake of fire) is his destiny. In order to accomplish his purpose to reign as God, Satan sought to kill the child Jesus (Matt. 2:16; Rev. 12:4) and when that effort failed, he tried to induce Jesus to worship him (Luke 4:6-7). Had his temptation of Jesus succeeded, Satan would have achieved his ambition to establish his rule in the earth.

    Satan employs various methods for the realization of his purposes.
    The Scripture mentions the following methods used by Satan:

    1. lying (John 8:44; II Cor. 11:3),
    2. tempting (Matt. 4:1),
    3. robbing (Matt. 13:19),
    4. harassing (II Cor. 12:7; Job 1 and 2),
    5. hindering (Zech. 3:1; I Thess. 2:18; Eph. 6:12),
    6. sifting (Luke 22:31),
    7. imitating (II Cor. 11:14-15; Matt. 13:25),
    8. accusing (Rev. 12:9-10),
    9. smiting with disease (Luke 13:16; cf. I Cor. 5:5),
    10. possessing (John 13:27), and
    11. killing and devouring (John 8:44; I Pet. 5:8).
    The believer must not let Satan gain an advantage over him by remaining ignorant of his devices (II Cor. 2:11), but should be sober and vigilant and resist him (I Pet. 5:8; Eph. 4:27; Jas. 4:7). The believer should not speak lightly of him (I Pet. 2:10; Jude 8-9), but put on the whole armor of God and take his stand against him (Eph. 6:11).

  4. The work of the demons.
    We are assuming, as we have shown above, that demons are of a different order distinct from the evil angels; but we would caution not to be dogmatic on this point. They may after all, be one and the same. If they are, then what is said about demons here should be simply added to what has been said above about evil angels. But on the assumption that demons are an order distinct from evil angels and that demons, unclean spirits, and evil spirits are one and the same, they perform the following works.
    1. Demons inflict disease (Job 1:5-10; Matt. 9:33; 12:22; Luke 9:37-42; 13:11, 16). In this connection two things must be said.
      First, when God permitted Satan to inflict disease upon His servant Job, God definitely limited and set bounds as to how far Satan could go.
      Second, the Scriptures distinguishes definitely between demonic possession on the one hand and purely physical and mental disorders on the other (Matt. 4:24; 8:16; 9:20-35; 10:1; 14:35; Mark 1:32, 34; 3:15; Luke 4:40; 6:17, 18; 9:1).
    2. Demons cause mental disorders (Mark 5:4, 5; Luke 8:35). Although many psychopathic cases come under this heading, we must not forget that the Scriptures do not consider all mental disorders as directly the works of the demons.
    3. Demons disseminate false doctrine (I Kings 22:21-12; II Thess. 2:2; I Tim. 4:1). They lead men into explaining biblical concepts with legalistic meaning which are contrary to the explicit teaching of the Scriptures.
    4. Demons engage in spiritual warfare with God's people (Eph. 6:12). In the sixth chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul instructs his readers concerning the spiritual warfare with spiritual wickedness in heavenly places and urges them to put on the whole armor of God, in order that they may be able to stand against the spiritual forces of evil.
    5. Demons sometimes possess human beings as well as animals (Matt. 4:24; Mark 5:8-14; Luke 8:2; Acts 8:7; 16:16). A distinction must be made between mere demon influence and demonic possession; the former is a temporary operation of demons from without; the latter is a more permanent operation of demons within a human being.
    6. Demons are sometimes used by God in order to carry out His purposes and plan (Judges 9:23; I Sam. 16:14; Psa. 78:49). During the Great Tribulation God seems to use them (Rev. 9:1-12; 16:13-16). Apparently they will be invested with miraculous powers for the time (II Thess. 2:9; Rev. 16:14).
    With regard to the whole problem of demonism, the Scriptures exhorts us
    (1) to try the spirits, to see whether they be of God or not (I John 4:1; I Cor. 12:10);
    (2) to have no fellowship with such as commune with demons (Lev. 19:31; I Cor. 10:20; II John 10-11), much less to consult the evil spirits ourselves (Deut. 18:10-14; Isa. 8:19);
    (3) to put on the whole armor of God for conflict with these spirits (Eph. 6:12-13); and
    (4) to give ourselves to prayer and supplication at all seasons, with all perservance (Eph. 6:18).

THE DESTINY OF ANGELS

Here we will consider what the Scriptures says about the destiny of the good angels, of the evil angels, especially Satan, and of the demons.

  1. The destiny of the good angels.
    In his vision of the future recorded in chapter 21 of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1), John saw twelve angels at the twelve gates of the New Jersalem (Rev. 21:12). Evidently the good angels are destined to continue in the service of God throughout eternity in the new heavens and the new earth (Rev. 21:1-2). There is no reason for not believing that the good angels will continue their worship and service to God into eternity.

  2. The destiny of the evil angels.
    According to Jesus, the evil angels are destinied for the lake of fire.
    "Then He [the King] will say to those at His left,
    'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire
    which has been prepared for the devil and his angels,'"
    (Matt. 25:41 NAS)
    Meanwhile some of them are kept in chains and under darkness unto the day of their judgment (II Pet. 2:4; Jude 6), like the convicted criminal who has been found guilty and is kept in prison awaiting the day when he shall be offically sentenced and then taken to suffer the penalty for his crime. Others of the evil angels are free with Satan and have access to heaven. They with Satan have access to both heaven and earth (Job 1:6-7; 2:1-2; Eph. 2:2). At the beginning of the Great Tribulation, these evil angels apparently wage war in heaven against the good angels and their leader Michael.
    "12:7 And there was war in heaven,
    Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon.
    And the dragon and his angels waged war,
    12:8 and they were not strong enough,
    and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.
    12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down,
    the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan,
    who deceived the whole world;
    he was thrown down to earth,
    and his angels were thrown down with him.
    12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
    'Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God
    and the authority of His Christ have come,
    for the accuser our brethern have been thrown down,
    who accuses them before God day and night.'"
    (Rev. 12:7-10 NAS)
    After the coming of Christ, the believers will have part in judging the evil angels (I Cor. 6:3). At the end of Great Tribulation the beast is defeated and Satan is bound for a thousand years.
    "20:1 And I saw an angel coming down from heaven,
    having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
    20:2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old,
    who is the devil andSatan, and bound him for a thousand years.
    20:3 and threw him into the abyss,
    and shut it and sealed it over him,
    so that he should not deceive the nations any longer,
    until the thousand years were completed;
    after these things he must be released for a short time."
    (Rev. 20:1-3 NAS)
    At the end of the millenium, Satan will be released and will deceive the nations again; he will be defeated again and he will be thrown into lake of fire for ever (Rev. 20:10).
    "20:7 And when the thousand years are completed,
    Satan will be released from his prison
    20:8 and will come out to deceive the nations
    which are in the four corners of the earth,
    Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war;
    the number of them is like the sand on the seashore.
    20:9 (9) And they came up on the board plain of the earth
    and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city,
    and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
    20:10 And the devil who deceived them
    was thrown into the lake of fire and brimestone,
    where the beast and the false prophet are also;
    and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
    (Rev. 20:7-10 NAS)
    Apparently all the evil angels will also be cast into the lake of fire.

  3. The destiny of the demons.
    If demons are evil angels, then the destiny of the demons is the same as that of the evil angels discussed above. But we have shown above, that demons are not the evil angels, but an order distinct from them and that demons, unclean spirits, and evil spirits are one and the same. We also showed that they must be created spirits inferior to the angels but somewhat superior to human beings in that they are not confined to bodies but can possess human bodies. These beings must have been created with the rest of creation and therefore fell under the curse placed on creation after the fall of man (Gen. 3:13-19). They operate in this world which is under the "reign of death" (Rom. 5:12-21). Thus they are separated and alienated from God and operate without the Lordship of their Creator. And in the future at the great white throne judgment they shall be thrown into the lake of fire with death.
    "20:11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it,
    from whose presence earth and heaven fled away,
    and no place was found for them...
    20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it,
    and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them,
    and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
    20:14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.
    This is the second death, the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:11, 13-14 NAS)
    Thus are the demons eliminated. Their destiny is the lake of fire.