ANGELOLOGY: STUDY OF ANGELS, SATAN, DEMONS

James F. Myers

A. Definition of Angels

1. Angel: Hebrew word malak simply means "messenger"; may refer to a human messenger (1 Kings 19:2) or to a divine messenger (Genesis 28:12)

a. As a divine messenger, an angel is a heavenly being charged by God with some commission. The word is found more than 100 times in the Old Testament.

b. Greek word angelos occurs 175 times in the New Testament. Only used six times of men. Also means "messenger . . . who speaks and acts in the place of the one who sends him.”

2. Sons of God: Angels are called "sons of God", in that, in their unfallen (non-sinful) estate, they are God's sons by virtue of His creation of them (Job 1:6 38:7).

3. Holy ones: Psalm 89:5,7 in the sense that they are "set apart" by God and for God as attendants to His holiness.

4. Host: Understood to denote the armies of heaven (Psa 148:2): "Host of heaven;” Sabaoth (1 Sa 1:11; 1 Sa 17:45), and as the millions of heavenly beings that surround God, they are called "hosts" in the phrase, "Lord of hosts”: (Isa 31:4; Jam 5:4; Rom 9:29; Jer 5:14; 38:17; Hos 12:5). "Vast number"

B. Existence of Angels

1. Thirty-four books of the Bible refer to angels (17 in the OT, 17 in the NT).

2. Critical to the belief in angels is the relationship of angels to Christ. The existence of angels is tied to the reliability of the testimony of Christ.

a. He was helped by angels following His temptation by Satan (Mt 4:11) and during His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43), and angels were present at His resurrection (Matthew 28:5-6) and ascension (Acts 1:10-11).

b. He referred to the resurrected state as being comparable to that of angels (Mt 22:29-30).

c. He taught that angels would regather the nation Israel at the time of His return (Mt 25:31-32, 41).

d. He said that He could pray, and that the Father would provide for Him more than 12 legions of angels to protect Him (Matthew 26:53).

3. One cannot reject the existence of angels without rejecting the testimony of Jesus and the Bible.

C. Creation of the Angels

1. Time of angelic creation

a. At some point in eternity past, God created an innumerable host of angels.

b. The angels had already been created before the earth was created (Job 38:4-7), hence, they were created in eternity past.

c. The term “sons of God” in Job 38 refers to angels (cf Job 1:6; 2:1).

d. Job 38:4 uses the Hebrew yasad, which indicates the laying of a foundation in the initial stages of construction (cf. Exodus 9:18; 1 Kings 5:17; Ezra 3:6). Thus, the angels were created before the events of Gen. 1:1.

2. Nature of angelic creation

a. Angels are created beings. The Lord created the angels by His word (Psalm 148:2-5). Christ created the angels that they might ultimately give praise to Him (Colossians 1:16).

b. Every creature, including the angels, was created by God through the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:3; Col. 1:16).

c. Since God is perfect and cannot create anything less than perfect because of to His absolute righteousness, He cannot be involved in the creation of evil (Hab. 1:13a).

d. Thus, all the angels were originally created perfect, holy, and righteous.

e. God did not create the devil or demons as evil beings. They were originally created as perfect angels, but subsequently sinned.

f. Since angels are created, they are not the result of transformation from some other state of being.

1) People who go to heaven do not become angels. In fact, believers become judges of angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).

2) Angels are not babies who have died.

3) Distinction is made in Hebrews 12:22-23 between the spirits of just men made perfect and an innumerable company of angels.

3. Number of angels

a. Angels were created simultaneously and innumerable.

b. The statement of creation in Colossians 1:16 points to the creation of angels as a singular act; the act of creating does not continue (Genesis 2:1-2; Hebrews 4:3).

c. Therefore, angelic numbers remain static.

1) Since they are created, angels are not born.

2) Hence, there is no need for angels to marry (Mark 12:25).

3) They do not die.

4) They do not reproduce (Matthew 22:30).

d. The number of angels is "myriads" (Hebrews 12:22). The term "myriads" literally means 10,000, but here it denotes "countless thousands". The repetition of "myriads" in Revelation 5:11 suggests the number of angels is countless. (Cf. Psalm 68:17; Daniel 7:10; 2 Kings 6:17; Luke 2:13).

e. Jesus indicated that more than 12 legions of angels were available to Him. A legion consists of 4,000-6,000. So this means that, at the very least, He could call upon more than 50,000 angels.

D. Nature and Attributes of Angels

1. Angels are rational, personal beings. They exhibit the traits of personality.

a. Angels have ability to learn (Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12).

b. Angels have volition to obey the commands of God (Hebrews 1:6; Matthew 24:31).

c. Angels can speak, and sing, and shout; therefore, they have capacity to communicate.

d. Angels express emotions (Job 38:7; Luke 15:10).

2. Angels are spirit beings.

a. Although angels may reveal themselves to mankind in the form of human bodies (Gen 18:2; cf 19:1), they are called "spirits" (Psalm 104:4; Heb 1:7, 14; Ephesians 6:12), suggesting they do not have corporeal bodies (Luke 24:39).

b. Therefore, also, they cannot die but are immortal (Luke 20:35-36).

c. Because they are spirit beings, they are not limited as to space, and many may occupy the same space (Mark 5:9, 13; Luke 8:30).

d. Being spirit in nature does not mean omnipresence, nor the ability to travel from place to place instantaneously (Daniel 9:21-23; 10:12-13).

3. Angels are holy beings

a. Because God is holy, He cannot create that which is unholy. Therefore, angels were created as holy beings.

b. Some angels rebelled against God and followed Satan, but the rest are holy and will remain in that state.

c. There will be holy angels at the Second Advent of Christ (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; Acts 10:22; Revelation 14:10).

d. Apparently, these angels are no longer capable of sinning, even as believers in eternity will be incapable of sinning.

4. Angelic ability

a. Compared to man:

1) Angels are of a higher order than man, and are therefore superior to man in ability (Psalm 8:4-5). Mankind, including Jesus Christ as a man, is "lower than the angels” (Hebrews 2:7).

2) Angels are not subject to death (Luke 20:36).

3) Angels have greater wisdom than man (2 Sam 14:20), but are not omniscient.

a) Their knowledge is limited (Matt 24:36).

b) Learn from man by observation (Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12)

4) Angels have greater power than man (Matthew 28:2; Acts 5:19; 2 Pet 2:11), but they are not omnipotent. Their power is limited (Daniel 10:13).

5) Angels are invisible (usually) Numbers 22:22-31.

6) Angels have limitations compared to man as regards future relationships. Angels are not created in the image of God, therefore do not share man's glorious destiny of redemption in Christ.

70 At the end of the age, man will be exalted above angels (1 Cor 6:3) and will become superior to angels (Hebrews 2:5-10; Romans 8:17).

b. Compared to God

1) Angels, although superior to man, are subject to God’s authority (2 Samuel 24:16; Revelation 7:1-4).

2) Angels are limited in power compared to God (Daniel 10:13, 30; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7-9).

3) Compared to the angels, the exalted Christ is superior (Hebrews 1:4ff; Ephesians 1:20-21; 1 Peter 3:22).

4) They are not worthy of worship, in spite of their superior existence (Col. 2:18; cp. Rev. 19:10; 22:8-9).

5. Angelic gender

a. Angels who appear to men always appear in the form of males, and masculine pronouns are always used for them (e.g. Genesis 19). Although, when angels are seen in non-earthly contexts, they do not look like men.

b. It is likely that angels do not have male/female gender characteristics as we think of them, or else they all are males.

c. Before the Flood, not only could angels appear in human form, but at lest some could procreate with human women (Gen. 6:1-4). Mark 12:25 says that the angels in heaven do not marry. (See addl Gn 6)

6. Angelic appearance

a. When seen on earth

1) They appear as young men, never as old men, children, or women.

2) Moreover, the effect of their appearance was generally to arouse awe and/or fear (Dan. 10:4-9; Mt. 28:2-6; Lk. 1:11-12, 26-30; 2:9).

3) Their facial appearance, judging from Acts 6, is a distinguishing characteristic—probably some sort of radiant light. When Stephen was on trial, “all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15).

4) Their appearance and clothing like a brilliant light (Daniel 10:5ff; Matthew 28:3; Luke 24:4).

5) When angels visited Abraham in Genesis 18, they walked, sat, talked, and ate as ordinary men.

6) The men of Sodom sought to have sexual relations with the angels, whom they assumed to be men (Genesis 19:1, 5).

7) Angels also appeared as men at the resurrection and ascension of Christ (Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4; Acts 1:10).

b. When seen in non-earthly settings

When angels are seen in non-earthly settings, they appear as creatures unlike anything man has ever encountered.