Angels
Angels have captured the imaginations of people everywhere, but
unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation concerning the subject. Lets
take a look from a Biblical perspective.
What does the word angel mean?
In the old testament the
word for angel is malak, and in the new testament it is angelos. The word angel
comes from a Greek word that means messenger, thus angels are the messengers of
God.
How many angels are there?
The Bible does not give an
exact number, but implies a very great number of them exist. (Dan 7:10) "...thousand thousands ministered unto him, and
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him:" (Luke 2:13)
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God..."
Do angels have names?
Only six names are found, but with that one could come to the assumption that all would have names.
Gabriel (Dan 8:16) (Luke 1:19) which means "man of god"
Michael (Dan 12:1) (Jude 1:9) (Rev 12:7) which means "one who is as god"
Lucifer (Isa 14:12) aka Devil (Mt 4:1), Satan (1Ch 21:1), Accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10), Adversary (1Pet 5:8), Ancient serpent (Rev 12:9), Angel of the bottomless pit (Rev 9:11), Beelzebul (Mt 10:25), Belial (2Cor 6:15), Day star son of dawn (Isa 14:12), Deceiver of the world (Rev 12:9), Evil one (Mt 13:9), Great dragon (Rev 12:9), God of this world (2Cor 4:4), Liar and father of lies (Jn 8:44), Prince of demons (Mt 9:34), Prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2), Ruler of this world (Jn 12:31), The tempter (Mt 4:3).
Jeremiel (Found in the Apocrypha)
Raphael (Found in the Apocrypha)
Uriel (Found in the Apocrypha)
Are there ranks or classes of angels?
Scripture does not
provide us with detailed information, but there appears to be ranks or classes
of angels.
Cherubim (plural of cherub) (Gen 3:24) "... and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims"
Seraphim or seraph (Isa 6:2) "Above it stood the seraphims..."
Archangels (1Th 4:16) "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,"
How are we to treat angels?
Scripture makes it clear that we must not pray or worship the angels. (Rev 22:8-9) " And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship
before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets,
and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God."
Where are the angels?
The good angels live in the
presence of the Lord until they are sent to serve in some task. (Ps 103:20)
"Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the
voice of his word."
The evil angels are held captive in chains of darkness upon the earth awaiting judgment day. (Jude 1:6-7) " And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day."
Evil Angels/Demons
How many angels rebelled?
(Rev 12:4) "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:".
No number given other than a third of the angels rebelled.
Can a person be possessed by evil angels?
(Acts 16:16)
"And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met
us," (Luke 4:33) "And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil,"
(Mark 5:8-9) "For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we
are many."
But we know that a person allows it by living an ungodly life. (Lu 11:24-26) " When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry
places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than
himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first."
