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About Angels | Angelic Hierarchy | Fallen Angels Disclaimer
Introduction Since Satan and his demons operate almost exclusively in the spirit realm, and Satan often "masquerades as an angel of light", the only source for learning the truth about these celestial beings is God's Word. All extra-biblical information fringes on the cultic practice of angel worship [either excessive honoring or invoking the names of, or commanding of, angels]. Thus, we would do well to avoid all such references. Definitions Greek: aggelos Other dictionaries that assist us in better understanding the term as used in God's Word:
The terms "messenger" or "angel" in the Bible do not always refer to celestial beings. The Bible also uses both terms for humans, such as: First Mention of an Angelic Being Of course, we do not normally associate Satan and the other fallen angels with our image and definition of "angels". However, as beings created by God to serve and worship Him, and later to serve mortal man, they are indeed angels, albeit "fallen angels". The next mention of an angelic being in Scripture is in Genesis 16:7-11— Of course, from our earlier studies on Level 1 about Jesus in the Old Testament, we know this is no ordinary created angel. In fact, He's not an angel at all, but He is the "Pre-Incarnate Christ" whom we see interacting with humans more than 28 times in the Old Testament. The "Angel of the LORD" does not appear anywhere in the New Testament, however, because of the Incarnation when God the Son "became flesh and dwelt among us." (John 1:14) Not All Celestial Beings Are "Angels" If we limit this series of lessons to "angels", "archangels", and "fallen angels", we would be ignoring the majority of spirit beings revealed to us in God's Word. The lessons in this series do not seek to provide all the information that is available concerning the spirit realm or to answer all questions about angels and other spirit beings. Rather, our objective in these lessons is twofold: Number of Angelic Beings "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect," (Hebrews 12:22-23 emphasis added) Revelation 5:11 provides a somewhat arbitrary number which may nor may not be precise: "And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" (KJV emphasis added) In Daniel's vision of the Almighty's throne in chapter 7 verse 10, Daniel says: "A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened." (emphasis added) In Luke 2:13 we read that "a multitude of the heavenly host" was praising God at the Messiah's birth. So, the number of angels, elders, and other living creatures around the throne of God would be at least 100 million (10,000 x 10,000). A Divine Hierarchy "The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia," (Daniel 10:13 emphasis added) "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people..." (Daniel 12:1a emphasis added) Ephesians 1:21— 1 Thessalonians 4:16— See also Zechariah 1:9,11; 2 Corinthians 10:3-4; Ephesians 6:11-13; Colossians 1:16; Jude 9. Please see the in-depth teaching of angelic classes and hierarchy in the next lesson. Angels' Characteristics Are Angels Male or Female? In their created, natural form, angels and other celestials are spiritual beings without flesh-and-bones. "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14 emphasis added) Zechariah's Vision of Two Women Were these women truly "angels", or were they mere visions representing God's justice and judgment on the nation of Israel? This is another place where we need to reason and analyze the text in its complete context. Prior to the image of the two women, Zechariah saw a flying scroll, and later he saw a flying basket. However, no one assumes that either the flying scroll or flying basket is an angel [such as we know concerning the winged wheel-within-a-wheel Wheels in the next lesson]. When we read that verse in its context — meaning the entire fifth chapter of Zechariah, which is very short — note that Zechariah says two times, "...the angel who talked with me...", referring to a third being. However, he never refers to the two women as angels of God nor do they converse with him. It seems unlikely that he would mention only the one angel if, indeed, the women were also angels. And finally, in Zechariah's vision, the women represent God's judgment against Israel, or to be more precise, His judgment against the worship of false gods. As you read about these two women, keep in mind that God uses feminine pronouns when talking about Israel. He even used a human adulteress and her marriage to a man of God [Hosea] to make His point about her/their/Israel's sin. Next, in looking for appearances or manifestations of other female personages in the Bible — especially those connected with God's judgments against gods that are not gods and against the world's failed systems of government and religion — we turn to the book of Revelation. Herein, we read about "Babylon the Great" who is represented as a very corrupt woman on whom God will execute His divine judgment and justice. The rise and eventual fall of Babylon the Great is similar and consistent with the two women in Zechariah's vision and Hosea's marriage to an adulteress because all three pertain to God's judgment, but in different circumstances. Thus, we maintain that the two women in Zechariah's vision were not "angels", but were representative of God's coming judgment. Who Is the "Angel of the LORD"? "He must of necessity be One of the three in one Godhead. The 'Angel of the Lord' is the visible Lord God of the Old Testament, as Jesus Christ is of the New Testament. THE CAMBRIDGE BIBLE observes: 'There is a fascinating forecast of the coming Messiah, breaking through the dimness with amazing consistency, at intervals from Genesis to Malachi, Abraham, Moses, the slave girl Hagar, the impoverished farmer Gideon, even to the humble parents of Samson, had seen and talked with Him centuries before the herald angels proclaimed His birth in Bethlehem.'" For an in-depth teaching and discussion on this Person, go to the lesson "The Pre-Incarnate Christ / Angel of the Lord". Familiar Angelic Appearances Other Angelic Attributes "Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!" (Psalm 103:20 emphasis added) As we have discussed in the Soteriology lessons concerning humankind's salvation, there is nothing in Scripture to indicate that the "elect" angels were pre-selected and thus unable to rebel. Rather, this may be a term of reverence toward the holy angels whom God has preserved in their sinless state in accordance with His eternal purpose. However, just as God has not arbitrarily chosen some humans for salvation and others for damnation, Scripture offers nothing to cause us to conclude that the "elect" angels have no will of their own or that they couldn't also rebel if they so desired. The "elect" reference, therefore, seems to indicate, not a divine pre-selection, but a divine electing love on those who did not fall. "Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind." (Colossians 2:18 emphasis added) "Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, 'You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.'" (Revelation 19:10a & b) Do People become Angels When They Die? However, a more careful study of God's Word reveals that Jesus was not saying the resurrected dead become angels, only that they are like the angels. Note Jesus' words in Luke 20:35-36: "...those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection." This is where we need to exercise our God-given reason. In much the same way, when believers are resurrected from the dead, they are "like" or "equal to" angels in their immortality and perfect joy, but they do not become angels. Another verse that some use to validate the flawed belief that deceased humans become angels is 1 Corinthians 15:52, which says: "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed." Again, this is flawed reasoning. When we read this verse in its full context, we see that the phrase "we shall be changed" refers to changing the perishable or corruptible to imperishable or incorruptible. If we go back to verse 50, we read in the second part of the verse: "...For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed." (emphasis added) Thus, while it might help those who are grieving to think their loved one has become an angel in Heaven and is watching over them, there is no Scriptural support for that belief. Scripture, in fact, quite clearly teaches that angels are created beings and were created before the creation of the world. We'll discuss this later in these lessons.
Here's something to think about. I wish to pose this question: "Would Heaven really be Heaven if people could still see into this realm and see all the disease and hunger and pain and violent crimes and wars?" The Bible says that "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" in Revelation 7:17 and 21:4. It does not say that He continues to wipe away our tears, which surely He would have to do if we could see all the suffering in this world while having escaped it ourselves. And just how comforting is it, really, to think our deceased loved ones are seeing our pain and shame, and yet are either incapable of helping or unwilling to help? And finally, since we're on the subject of what angels are and are not, cherubim are not cute, chubby baby angels with wings, flittering from cloud to cloud. In fact, they are just the opposite; cherubs are perhaps the most powerful angelic beings in God's army and rightly to be feared, not cuddled! Facts about God's "Messengers" "but in these last days he [God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world." (Hebrews 1:2 emphasis added) "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." (Revelation 4:11) "Then I said, 'What are these, my lord?' The angel who talked with me said to me, 'I will show you what they are.'" (Zechariah 1:9) See also Genesis 32:1; Zechariah 2:3; Matthew 1:20, 2:13, 28:2; Luke 1:11,28, 2:9; John 20:12; Acts 8:26, 10:3. Luke 2:9-14— 9"And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.' 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased;" 1 Kings 13:18— See also Matthew 1:20-21, 2:13, 28:5-7; Mark 16:6-7; Luke 1:11-20,26-27, 24:5-8; Acts 7:53, 10:22, 27:23-24. "Therefore God has highly exalted him [Christ] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11) Hebrews 1:68— Isaiah 6:1b-3— See also Revelation 7:11. "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone." (Psalm 91:11-12 emphasis added) "But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them [the apostles] out, and said, 'Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.'" (Acts 5:19-20) See also Genesis 16:7, 19:16, 21:17-20, 22:11; Exodus 14:19, 23:20; 1 Kings 19:5-8; Isaiah 63:9; Matthew 4:11; Mark 1:13; Luke 16:22; Acts 12:7, 27:23; Hebrews 1:14. Daniel 3:24-28— See also Daniel 6:16-17 and 20-22. "Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!" (Psalm 103:20 emphasis added) "...to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels." (2 Thessalonians 1:7 emphasis added) A more accurate statement might be that God's angels, or the holy angels, refuse our worship. From the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, we know that Satan's chief goal in rebelling against God is/was for him to be worshipped. But God's elect angels, those who did not rebel, refuse any and all attempts on our part to worship them. "Don't be cheated by people who make a show of acting humble and who worship angels..." (Colossians 2:18a CEV emphasis added) Revelation 19:10— "...after I had heard and seen all this, I knelt down and began to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown it to me. But the angel said, 'Don't do that! I am a servant, just like you. I am the same as a follower or a prophet or anyone else who obeys what is written in this book. God is the one you should worship.'" (Revelation 22:8b-9 emphasis added). "That's how it will be at the end of time. Angels will come and separate the evil people from the ones who have done right. Then those evil people will be thrown into a flaming furnace, where they will cry and grit their teeth in pain." (Matthew 13:49-50 emphasis added) Judges 5:23— See also Genesis 19:1,13,24-25; 2 Samuel 24:16; 1 Chronicles 21:15; 2 Chronicles 32:21; Isaiah 37:36; Acts 12:23. Even as powerful and intelligent as they are, the Heavenly host waits for Christ to give the call, to commanding them concerning how He wants to deal with certain places and/or events. "And he [the Son of Man] will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:31) Matthew 25:31— "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53) See also Luke 2:13, 22:43; John 1:51; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:11. What Is the Heavenly "Host"? We might also recall the use of the specific term "heavenly host" in Luke 2:13 where we read that "the heavenly host [was] praising God." Many descriptions of angels in the Bible use military terms to describe them, such as:
Revelation 7:14 calls Jesus Christ the "Lamb of God" the "King of kings and Lord of lords". Thus, we may correctly deduce that the rider on the horse, who is leading the Sabaoth of Heaven, is none other than Jesus Christ Himself! See also Matthew 13:41; Revelation 7:2. See also Judges 5:20; 2 Kings 6:8,23; Job 19:12. Because the "hosts" often speak of the armies of Heaven, their specific hierarchy differs slightly from the angelic hierarchy as it speaks more pertaining to military services. The hierarchy of all angels, on the other hand, is a division of all celestial beings into non-military services to God. Other References to the Sabaoth One of the most dramatic illustrations about the Sabaoth fighting for us is in 2 Kings 6:16-17. Here, we are told that Elisha's servant is troubled by the seemingly-defenseless position in which the city of Dothan found itself when surrounded by the Syrian army. When the servant asked how they would defeat such a great multitude of Syrian soldiers, the text tells us: "He [Elisha] said, 'Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' Then Elisha prayed and said, 'O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.' So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." (2 Kings 6:16-17) These references serve to encourage us as we go about our everyday battles and struggles. We have full assurance from God's Word that He is indeed very involved in our lives, whether or not we see such involvement manifesting in as dramatic a way as in the above reference. Exodus 14:14— "The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes," (Deuteronomy 1:30) "...for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory." (Deuteronomy 20:4) Jeremiah 1:19— A New Era In Luke 1:26-38, the Angel Gabriel announces the miraculous event of the Messiah being born of a virgin. Angels also came and strengthened Him while He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane just prior to His death. Luke 22:43— John 20:12-13— "And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.'" (Acts 1:10-11)  But perhaps the most important thing for us to remember is that God created the Angels to be specifically His agents in carrying out His will and work. And the work that is most important and near to God's heart is the great work of redemption for humankind! "For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you." (Exodus 12:23) When God sent a pestilence on Israel that killed 70,000 men, Scripture tells us: "And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, 'It is enough; now stay your hand.'" (2 Samuel 24:16) "Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!" (Psalm 103:20 emphasis added) Psalm 104:4— Matthew 6:10— See also 2 Kings 19:35; 1 Chronicles 21:16; Acts 12:23; 1 Corinthians 10:10; Hebrews 11:28. They Still Minister to God's People Psalm 34:7— Psalm 91:11— "See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10) See also Acts 5:19; 8:26; 10:3; 12:7; 27:23. Guardian Angels Commanding Angels God's Word warns us that "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14 NIV) So, if we believe the Bible is the inerrant full counsel of God and that He is the one true Sovereign, then we can conclude one of the following whenever someone starts commanding Angels: Their ministry to us is at God's choosing, not ours, as they are agents of God's control or guardianship. Thus, we can say with absolute certainty: If God didn't ordain it or allow it, then no power on earth can command it!
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The Bible mentions angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, powers, authorities, principalities, etc. ±183 times in the Old Testament and ±192 times in the New Testament. Thus, although God's Word does not specifically address this topic, by its numerous incidental details, there is sufficient information in the Bible to facilitate a thorough study and understanding of angelic beings.