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DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
1] God has created powerful spirit
beings as His aides, agents, and messengers. Since man's creation, these
spirit beings, called angels in the English Bible, function as
ministering spirits to help mankind attain salvation. Like man, angels
have free moral agency. Although created to help God, some of them-led
by Satan the devil-rebelled against God's government transforming
themselves into demons.
DOCTRINAL
OVERVIEW
2]
Before the time of man, God created powerful spirit beings (Job
38:7) in vast numbers (Rev.5:11). Although created before and on a
higher plane than man, these beings will eventually be under man in
authority when humanity has entered God's family (Heb. 2:7-8).
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3]
The Bible gives relatively few specifics about the numerous types
and responsibilities of these spirit beings, mentioning them in context
but not dwelling on them in point apparently, all of these created
spirit beings of whatever variety or power are generally labeled as
"angels," although the Bible nowhere directly makes that statement. The
English word "angel" comes from the Greek word angelos which
means "messenger" or "agent. " The Hebrew word malak has the same
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4]
A number of specific types of angels are generally described.
Cherubim are explained in Ezekiel 1 and 10 as having four wings and
four faces (of a lion, ox, eagle and man) and covering (or carrying)
God's throne. Seraphim are "full of eyes before and behind,"
having six wings and appearing either like a lion, a calf, an eagle or
with the face of a man (Is. 6:2-3; Rev. 4:6-8). "Twenty-four elders" who
apparently serve as counselors for God Himself are described in
Revelation 4:4, 10-11. Angels have at times appeared. on earth as men
(Gen. 19:1-2), although it is not revealed whether this indeed can be
their actual form or whether they had assumed the appearance of humans
for their visit. (Some have wondered that since the physical world
reflects the spiritual world-Rom. 1:20-could some of the animals of this
earth be, at least, in some fashion, physical counterparts of angelic
beings?-cf. Rev. 19:11.) back to top
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5]
Although the above scriptures make plain that God has assigned
angels various responsibilities, Hebrews 1:14 states they are also to
help man attain salvation. "Are they not all spirits sent forth to
serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?" The exact way
or manner in which angels minister to men in this capacity is not
comprehensively described in the Bible, but there are some allusions and
references. Cherubim were sent to guard the way to the tree of life
after Adam and Eve had been cast from the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24).
Parts of the law were given by the angels (Acts 7:35; Gal. 3:19; Heb.
2:2). In Genesis 18, angelic beings came to tell Abraham that he would
have a son and in Genesis 19, they helped rescue Lot from the city of
Sodom before it burned. Angels ministered to Jesus Christ after He
withstood Satan for forty days and nights (Mat 4:11). Matthew 18:10
suggests that God's angels watch over God's converted sons. Likewise we
are told "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one
sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10). The angels even desire to "look into"
the specifics of salvation (I Pet. 1:12). One angel seems to be assigned
to each of the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 (Rev. 1:20); and
different angels will be intimately involved in God's future
intervention in world affairs (Rev. 7:1-2; Ezek. 9; Rev. 8:3-5; 10:1,
etc.). specifically in the final seven trumpets (Rev. 8:6 ff) and the
seven final plagues (Rev. 15:1 ff). Further verses can be cited to show
other specifically revealed times when angels have served man physically
or spiritually. The thrust of all these passages is that the angels play
an important role in God's salvation plan for man, and that their
relationship with man is one of interest and personal concern.
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6]
Long before man, one of the cherubim-his name in Latin is the
familiar word Lucifer-had the honor of covering the very throne of God
(Ezek. 28:14), indicating a position of very high authority and power in
God's government. However, he was lifted up in his own vanity, became
resentful and jealous of God, and finally rebelled against God's
government. He drew with him as cohorts a third of the angels. These
became evil angels or demons with Lucifer, now Satan the devil, as their
leader. back to top
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7]
Satan is called the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) and the
accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). Some form of satanic "spirit" is
now at work in the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:2). These attitudes
enter into the mind of man through the spirit in man (see MAN),
perverting it to the twisted thinking of Satan. By this means, Satan and
his demonic allies hope to destroy all human beings and ruin their
chance for entering the family of God. These wicked spirits try to
separate Christians from the love of God (cf. Rom. 8:38-39). A primary
battle of a Christian is "against wicked spirits in high places" (Eph.
6:12). It is a battle to resist the influences of Satan and his demons
against a person's mind. back to top
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8]
God has given us the means to fight this spiritual battle. We
must "put on the whole armor of God ... to stand against the wiles of
the devil" (Eph. 6:11); this spiritual armor includes truth,
righteousness (v. 14), peace (v. 15), faith (v. 16), salvation, the Word
of God (v. 17), prayer and supplication (v. 18). Satan our adversary
"prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (I Pet.
5:8); but he will flee from us if we resist him and draw near to God
(James 4:7-8). back to top
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9]
While angels are now above man in authority, they are not to be
worshipped or prayed to, nor regarded as mediator between God and man
(Col. 2:18; Rev. 19:10, 22:8-9). Nonetheless, we must, of course, acknowledge and respect
their authority as powerful spiritual helpers of God and His created
"sons" (Job 38:7). Even the archangel Michael dared not revile Satan the
devil, but appealed to God's authority when confronting him rather than
his own (Jude 9). The biblical record shows that angels' authority over
man is temporary (Heb. 1:13-14), and explains that man will eventually
be in the position of judging the angels (I Cor. 6:3).
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10]
God is in supreme command and is only temporarily allowing Satan
to influence man within certain confines (Job 1). This process actually
enables man to build greater character by resisting Satan and by
learning how to rely more on God. During the millennial rule of Christ,
Satan is to be removed from the world scene along with his demons. Jesus
Christ will replace Satan as the ruler of this world (cf
2 Cor. 4:4 and
Rev. 20:4-5). Following the millennium, Satan is to be released for a
short span of time and then finally, to be removed to a place of
restraint for all eternity where he and his demons can no longer affect
men or angels. But the faithful angels who have followed God throughout
these countless eons of time will continue as servants of the greatly
expanded family of God for all eternity. back to top
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11]
It is understandable how some have an extremely simplistic
impression of the angelic/spiritual realm. From the brief glimpses the
Bible gives of God's throne (Rev. 4), one can get the naive idea that
angelic beings bow before God all the time as though in a beatific
trance; repetitively incanting "holy, holy, holy ..." constantly, without
ever stopping or thinking. Likewise, one can easily think that the
entire spiritual realm is very ethereal and rather dull when compared
with the reality and tremendous variety of the physical realm as we know
it. back to top
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12]
In point of fact, this must be a total misconception. The
spiritual realm is the true reality while the physical realm maintains
an ethereal existence; the spiritual world is the true "substance,"
while the physical world is the "shadow." We can only begin to
comprehend the invisible things of the spiritual realm by observing the
visible things of the physical realm (Rom. 1:20). Indeed, the incredible
variety and abundance of the physical universe must be paled into
insignificance by the unimaginable majesty, beauty, complexity, and
diversity of the spiritual universe. The few hints seen show an
abundance of, for lack of a better term, spiritual "things" (which
comprise just a portion of spiritual reality) that extends incredibly
far beyond even angelic beings. The symbolism of spiritual cities,
gates, rivers, trees, fruits in Revelation 21-22; horses, armies, and
swords in Revelation 19; thrones and wheels in Ezekiel I and 10;
thrones, clothes, crowns, gold, lightnings, thunders, voices and lamps
in Revelation 4, testify to an existence so incomprehensible that even
the profuse utilization of physical analogies can scarcely do more than
whet our appetite. Going farther, there are spiritual books, seals,
incense, vials, songs, hair, etc., with no indication of any limit to
the scope of spiritual "things." Indeed, there is every reason to
conclude that our present physical realm is drab, plain, and dull when
compared with the unfathomable variety and ineffable splendor of the
spiritual realm. back to top
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