Posted on 07/28/2012 8:52:47 AM PDT by John Leland 1789
Angels: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly! Part I
Don Boys, Ph.D.
In this first of three columns on angels, I will discuss Good Angels with the following two columns dealing with Bad Angels and Ugly Angels.
It is obvious that good angels are messengers of God who are ministering spirits, “sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Heb. 1:14). In fact, “angel” means “messenger” and they are often seen in the Bible as delivering messages from God. They are seen throughout the Bible and are mentioned 297 times in the entire KJV. They informed Mary of Christ’s impending birth; announced His birth at Bethlehem; one stirred the pool at Bethesda; one ministered to Christ in the Garden; another opened the prison door to release the disciples; one smote King Herod because he did not give God the glory; another stood by Paul during a storm; angels were active in the various actions in Revelation; and John fell at an angel’s feet in Revelation 22:8 to worship the Lord.
Angles rejoice over sinners who repent and trust in Christ (Luke 15:10). Moreover, Christians will judge angels according to I Cor. 6:3. However, angels are not to be prayed to, loved, or communicated with. They are not all powerful or all knowing, nor can they be everywhere at the same time. They never replace God! Angels are ministers of God who watch and protect Christians (Ps. 91:11).
Angel protection is an interesting, informative, and inspiring subject. The first mention of angels is in Gen. 16:7 where an angel found and directed Hagar and her infant son to safety. In Dan. 6, Daniel gives credit to an angel sent by God to protect him from the lions. There have been numerous accounts that are very similar where Christian missionaries have been protected by a crowd of angels. It almost always takes place on the mission field where God-haters sought to kill a missionary family yet stopped their assault and fled. Later, it was revealed that the attack stopped because a huge crowd of armed men with swords were seen surrounding the home or the mission compound! In one such case, a village chief and leader of the intended killers, became a Christian a year later and informed the missionary why they were not killed.
It is affirmed by some that everyone has a specific angel to watch over them and they point to Peter’s release from prison by an angel and when just-released Simon Peter arrived at the gate of the home of the mother of John Mark, the Disciples refused to believe it was he. They said “It is his angel” (Acts 12:14). It might be so but we should tread lightly to establish a teaching on so little Scriptural proof.
The Scripture indicates that angels, being spirits, are invisible but can take the appearance of humans. On two occasions, angels, appearing to be humans, ate with Abraham and later with Lot. The people of Sodom thought the two angels were men; moreover, God warns us in Heb. 13:2 to be hospitable since “for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Almost all sketches depicting angels show them with wings but the Bible never says that angels have wings. In Daniel 9:21 we read about an angel "coming in swift flight," but that doesn’t mean that an angel must have wings to be able to fly. It is possible that angels have wings although it seems to be irrelevant. Alternatively, there are creatures called cherubim (Lucifer seems to have been one), which do have wings as revealed in Ezekiel chapter 1. However, the Bible never says that cherubim are angels. The cherubim are similar to angels from what little Scripture we have about them. That may indicate that angels also have wings. In fact, many believe that cherubim and seraphim are angels. We cannot be authoritative when the Bible is not clear; often we indulge in pious speculation without much positive benefit. Some artists have speculated, without any scriptural authority or suggestion, that angels are naked babies. Afraid not. Neither are they the spirits of departed humans. Babies that die do not become angels. They die and go to Heaven. And I hate to prick your balloon but a ringing bell does not mean another angel “got his wings” no matter what Jimmy Stewart said in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Angels are often spoken of in connection with harps. Is that myth or reality? John the Apostle reveals that they do play harps. (See Rev. 5:8; 14:2, and 15:2.) But do they sing along with playing the harp? It seems the answer is negative. They “say” but don’t sing. After all, since angels don’t sin, have never been redeemed, do not possess the Holy Spirit, and are not children of God (creatures, not children), what do they have to sing about?
Christians have something to sing about!
Copyright 2012, Don Boys, Ph.D. (Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives, author of 14 books, frequent guest on television and radio talk shows, and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Three years ago, the second edition of ISLAM: America's Trojan Horse! was published, and his new eBook, The God Haters is available for $9.99 from www.thegodhaters.com. These columns go to newspapers, magazines, television, and radio stations. His other web sites are www.cstnews.com and www.Muslimfact.com. Contact Don for an interview or talk show.)
So many Bible teachers have taught for som many years that angel means "messenger," and my friend Dr. Boys has just grabbed up the way that has gotten into the theology books----many angels do indeed carry out the function of a messenger, but the meaning of the word goes far deeper than that.
Angels are not sexless. EVERY angel in the Scriptures is seen as a male, and there is no Scriptural reason to think that any are otherwise.
If you have a ping list for these articles, please add me to that. Looking forward to the next essay. Have always wondered if Angels appear vastly larger than human form at times, as in a huge Angel protecting the Israeli soldiers during the six days war.
A good read...Thanks...
Angels, Part 2
Angels, Part 1
Angels Among Us Today
God Created the Angels as Individual, Immortal Spirits with Intelligence and Free Will
The Angels in Sacred Scripture
Angels in the History of the Church
Angels - in Heaven, on Earth and in Hell
Catholic Q&A: Angels and Demons (Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer)
GOD AND THE ANGELS
Question: “Are there really such things as guardian angels?”
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You wrote...
“Angels are not sexless. EVERY angel in the Scriptures is seen as a male, and there is no Scriptural reason to think that any are otherwise,”
...and that is true but I believe it is because in angelic form they are both male and female. “There is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” [Galatians 3:28] And....
Mark 12:25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.
Also, in the OP it was written....
“After all, since angels don’t sin, have never been redeemed, do not possess the Holy Spirit, and are not children of God (creatures, not children), what do they have to sing about?”
Angels do sin..angels did sin and shall again.
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The angels IN HEAVEN neither marrying nor being given in marriage . . .
1. . . . does not speak to their sex. Those who left their first estate (they are not in heaven) could be an entirely different matter (Genesis 6).
2. . . . . does not speak to sins of sex.
3. . . . . . does not speak to the angels which are NOT in heaven ; those who left their first estate by their fall with Lucifer.
You are correct that angels did sin. And angels did fall. And there are angels who do sin, and will sin in the future.
There are some Bible students over the years who have suggested from Colossians 1:20 that the angels in heaven were sealed by the reconciliation of Calvary. . . . . Just a suggestion.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2914926/posts
Galatians 3:28 has nothing to do with angels, but with the Body of Christ, of which angels don't have a part, but only observe to learn the wisdom of God. The angels IN HEAVEN neither marrying nor being given in marriage . . .
1. . . . does not speak to their sex. Those who left their first estate (they are not in heaven) could be an entirely different matter (Genesis 6).
What are angels but humanity in spiritual form? We are them and they are us...just at various stages of being.
Why would [angelic beings/celestial bodies]change from what they were in heaven to what they were while on earth?
I agree that [Galatians 3:28] refers to the body of Christ but from other passages on the topic we see more is being said....
Matthew 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
2. . . . . does not speak to sins of sex. 3. . . . . . does not speak to the angels which are NOT in heaven ; those who left their first estate by their fall with Lucifer. You are correct that angels did sin. And angels did fall. And there are angels who do sin, and will sin in the future. There are some Bible students over the years who have suggested from Colossians 1:20 that the angels in heaven were sealed by the reconciliation of Calvary. . . . . Just a suggestion.
Thank you.
If that is your position, I would not be able to carry on much discussion with you. I believe that angels are distinctly different creations . . . . albeit, not incapable of taking human women and corrupting them sexually. I do believe that the giants of Genesis 6 and some outbreaks of them afterward were the resul of angelic corruption of human females.
I believe that the angels who have taken women are NOT the angels of God "in heaven," but once WERE. They were angels who were cast out, without ceasing to be angels.
The serpent of Genesis 3:15 (Lucifer) is also spoken of as having "SEED," just as the woman in the same verse has seed.
Ultimately, the seed of the serpent is Antichrist, and could very well be the offspring of a co-mingling.
I don't think they were "cast out" before doing what they did for it looked like a voluntary decision to me. "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation." [Jude 1:6]
I believe the only way they are "different creations" is because they are in spiritual form...the same form we are when we physically die. They are us...we are them.
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