Part 17
You might have drawn the application yourself, but in case you did not, may I suggest that "I WILL" is not a proper phrase to use with the Lord.
"Not My Will, But Thy Will" is a little more appropriate.
The Devil's sentence is set, his future is set, and it will come to pass. Verse 15 tells of his final abode — the pit. Revelation 20:10 tell of his being cast into the lake of fire. John 16:7-11 mentions that his doom is sealed even now, but that the Lord has just not imposed the final punishment. Some of the angels evidently preceded him to the pit, 2 Peter 2:4. Jude 6 mentions that they kept not their first estate.
Vs 16-17
"They that see thee shall narrowly [squinted eyes] look upon thee, and
consider thee, saying, Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who did shake kingdoms, Who made the world like a wilderness, and
destroyed its cities, who opened not the house of his prisoners?"
Two items to note: First there seems to be a loss of his attractiveness and glamor, and secondly the phrase, "who opened not the house of his prisoners" is a sad commentary on his followers. He could not loose his followers from their situation in the pit and Sheol. (His angelic followers are in the pit, while his human followers are in Sheol awaiting The Great White Throne Judgment.)
IN SUMMARY THE DEVIL IS
1. A Created Being. Ezekiel 28:13,15
2. A Perfect Being When Created. Ezekiel 28:12,15
3. A Wise And Beautiful Being. Ezekiel 28:15
4. A Fallen Being Now. Ezekiel 28:15
5. An Ambitious And Prideful Being. Isaiah 14:13,14 (I wills)
6. A Usurper. Isaiah 14:14 (Wanted to take God's place)
7. A Cast Down Being That Will Be Cast Into The Lake Of Fire. Isaiah 14:12; Revelation 20:10
He is now the prince of this world (Ephesians 2:2) yet he is limited by his Creator to certain things, Job. 1:6; 2:1-8.
1. He is very wise and powerful. We need to be on our guard for him. He cannot defeat us in the final analysis, yet he can give us some major headaches. He can sidetrack us and destroy our testimony if we allow it.
James 4:7 tells us to submit ourselves to God and then it tells us to resist the Devil. If you remember the story of Joseph and Potifer's wife you will remember that Joseph went out for track, and got himself out of there. We need to do the same when the Devil's ploys come our way. He is very real and he is very active. We need to resist him.
2. Be careful of stories you hear of the Devil. You might remember that Madeline Murray was trying to get all religious broadcasting off the air. Thousands of letters went out to religious organizations asking them to write the Federal Communication people to protest. The FCC received thousands of letters. As it turned out, the whole thing was a fake. The FCC was not considering any action and spent millions of dollars to inform the letter writers of that fact.
Other items turn out to be fake as well. In the East there was a Baptist minister that was preaching a series of messages on the Devil. He began getting treats from the local Satanic church. They even threatened his life. He continued to preach, but one day disappeared.
The headlines for several days read of the kidnaped preacher and the fear that he was dead. The Devil was receiving a lot of bad press. There was a newspaper article that appeared telling of his brainwashing and the fact that Dr. Narramore had become involved in helping the pastor recover. Come to find out a week or so later the pastor turned up somewhere else in the country. He had taken off with his entire savings account.
God received a mass of bad press due to this man's prank. Some MESS and I'm sure the unsaved world loved it.
Be sure that the Devil will do all that he can to hinder your family life, your marriage, your ministry, your prayer life and any other area of life he can get at you in. Beware and resist him.
THE FALL OF THE DEVIL THE NAMES OF THE DEVIL
When did Satan fall? Basically there are three main positions set forth. We will look at these different thoughts.
1. The Gap View: This position believes that between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 there was a period of time when Satan fell. The first verse speaks of God's creation, and verse two is what is left after Satan's rebellion. The people holding this position feel that Satan was placed in charge of the earth and he destroyed it as part of his rebellion.
2. The Days Of Creation View: (Post creation) This view sees Genesis 1:1 as the introductory statement and then 1:2 is the beginning of the creation. Chapter one and chapter two are parallel texts describing the creation. Then chapter three develops the idea of the fall. The Devil fell sometime between Genesis 2 and Genesis 3.
This is based on Job. 38:7. The creation seems to follow the creation of the angels in vs. 1-7. Those saying that the devil fell post creation use verse 67 to show that all The sons of God were present at the creation, thus the fall had not yet occurred. They build their thought on the fact that the Sons of God mentioned are ALL of the angelic host. They fail to understand that the fall may have occurred and that the Sons of God mentioned do not include the fallen host. The fallen angels would not necessarily be called the sons of God after the fall, thus proving nothing more than the angels were created before the creation of heaven and earth disproving their own theory.
This fall was in the spiritual world not in the physical realm, thus the creation need not be in existence. Indeed, there is little if any evidence to show that it was.
3. The Pre-Creation View: This view holds that Satan fell before creation was set into motion. Job. 38:4-7 indicates the angels were in existence before creation. They are spirit beings and as such do not need the material
world to operate in. There is no reason that this could not be the time of Satan's rebellion.
SATAN'S FINAL DOWNFALL
1. His Sentence Was Prophesied In The Garden: Genesis 3:14,15,
"And the Lord god said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
2. His Sentence Was Mentioned By Christ:
"Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out." John 12:31
Christ was speaking of the cross.
The indication is that the Devil is cast out of some place. This would be fitting to the book of Job and the Devil having access to the throne of God. It would seem that this text is stating that the Devil after the cross did not have access to the throne area. (some suggest that this merely states that the Devil won't gain the position of replacing the Lord. [Dickason])
3. His Sentence Was Mentioned In The Context Of The Ascension: ". . .the prince of this world is judged." (John 16:11) The judgment seems to be a done deal for the Devil. Christ was talking of the ministry of the Holy Spirit and part of that ministry was based on the fact that the Devil is judged.
4. His sentence was mentioned in relation to the work of the cross:
"And, having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of
them openly, triumphing over them in it." Colossians 2:15
5. His Sentence Was Mentioned By The Writer Of Hebrews: He declares that the Devil is destroyed.
"Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil," Hebrews 2:14
6. His Sentence Was Mentioned In The Revelation: John tells
us that the Devil will be cast down to the earth in Revelation 12:7-12. The indications of this are one of three.
a. The Devil will yet future be cast from the throne area to the earth area.
b. The Devil will yet future be restricted to the earth ONLY as opposed to the principalities and powers of the air.
c. The Devil was cast out from the throne area, at the time of the cross.
Without giving a day or two over to the Revelation text it seems that the content of this text would best fit the end times. Since the Gospels and Colossians seem to indicate that the Devil has been thrown out of the throne area then this text would best fit a restriction of the Devil to the earth for a season. (The mention of those that overcame with the blood of the Lamb demands that the statement be at the very least, post cross.)
7. His sentence was mentioned as having a final fulfillment: The Devil's final end is recorded for us in Revelation 20:10,
"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever."
This is a very good verse to prove that the lake of fire is eternal, for the beast and false prophet were there for the one thousand years and they are still there. If they didn't burn up in 1000 years then it must be for eternity. (Revelation 19:20 shows that the beast and false prophet were cast into the lake prior to the kingdom Revelation 20:1-3; Revelation 20:10 shows that they are still there.)
His sentence will be controlled by Christ. Revelation 1:18 shows the Lord as the one with the power to carry all of this out.
"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for
evermore, Amen, and have the keys of hades and of death."
There is a period between the Revelation 12 text and his final end in the lake of fire. In Revelation 20:1-3 it tells us that there is a thousand years in the end time during which the Devil will be bound and unable to work. This is during the Millennial kingdom.
After the one thousand years is up the Devil will be released for "a little season." 20:7 shows his release.
So let us recap what we have seen. The Devil fell at some point before the creation of the heavens and the earth (Job 38:1-7). His fall left him to wander the earth, the atmosphere and the heavens. He had access to the throne of God to make accusation against the saints in the Old Testament economy (Job 1 and 2). At the cross, there was a judgment that was set. There seems to have been a limiting of his activities to the atmosphere and earth proper (Principalities and powers of the air). In the book of Revelation there is a further limitation which will keep him on the surface of the earth. He will be limited completely for the Millennial kingdom, but then he will have freedom for a brief time to assemble his followers for one last rebellion in which all will find their physical destruction and their eternal end. He will be cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity.
THE NAMES OF SATAN
Do you know what your name means? I looked up Stanley once many years ago and found that it meant a "stone lay". In today's idea lay means a string of flowers that the pretty Hawaiian girl gives you when you disembark in Hawaii.
Now, imagine a string of stones hung around your neck. How uncomfortable can you get? I told a class once that they could probably relate to the meaning of my name, and the way I piled on the homework.
In the old English a lay was a valley or plain. A plain made of stone. This is all very irrelevant to our study of Satan, except to draw attention to the fact that his names have meaning, other than just names. Names don't mean much any more unless it is Kennedy or Getty or Onasis. In the Biblical times the names had great meaning.
We want to spend some time on the names of Lucifer and see if they don't have some meaning to us in our walk with the Lord.
1. He Is Called The Devil: He is called the Devil and is described as our adversary in 1 Peter 5:8,
"Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, like a
roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour;"
We oft think of the devil in red, with horns and a long pointed tail. I believe he is much more hideous than that. I don't think anyone would care to look at him.
Some picture him as hairy with goat's legs, ears, and horns. This comes from the fact that the Hebrew word translated devil in other literature means hairy or shaggy, and is translated goat or satyr in Isaiah 13:21; 34:14.
There are four terms translated Devil in the New Testament. We will only look at one of them, but a study of these four terms might be profitable.
The term used in 1 Peter is "diabolos" which means slanderer, traducer, malignant accuser. Now you know where the slanderous Christian gets his or her ammunition.
The term adversary is quite needful of our understanding. He is our enemy. We ought not mess around with his troops and his methods, or we may get ourselves into trouble.
So if he is our enemy we should think of the idea of enemy. How many Americans during WWII would have gone to Germany and put on a German uniform and hollered Hey I'm an American? You say, "Not many." So why do so many Christians go into the world and take on the dress, activities, and philosophies of the enemy and call themselves Christians? So why do so many go into the business world and operate under the worlds practices and methods and call themselves Christian? Dangerous, in my way of thinking.
2. He Is Called Satan: Satan means adversary or opposer. 2 Corinthians 12:7 mentions, Paul's thorn in the flesh or "messenger of Satan". 1
Thessalonians 2:18 mentions, "Wherefore, we should have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us."
The hindrance of Satan can take on many forms. It may be a physical problem that slows us down or hinders our thinking. It can be financial problems that hinder us from doing those things that we would like to do for the Lord.
We need to remember that there is nothing that the Devil hinders that God hasn't allowed (Job 1, 2). We need to work through and around those hindrances to gain the glory for the Lord. When I first studied the Devil for a series of sermons, I found that there were great hindrances that were not present before nor present after the series was finished. I found myself in a multitude of problems, not impossible problems, not large problems, not bad problems, but just many, many time-consuming problems that took time away from the proper study of the subject. Ultimately all was completed and the Lord blessed the study both to my own life and understanding, but also to my students.
3. He Is Called The Accuser Of The Brethren: Revelation 12:10 states, "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night." In the Old Testament economy the Devil accused the brethren of wrongs that they had committed (Job 1, 2). In the days when we had baby sitters we always told the children that we would ask for a report when we arrived home. When we arrived the sitter would report and the children knew that misbehavior would gain a spanking. They were usually — I repeat usually, found without accusation. The Lord must have enjoyed those saints that gave the Accuser little ammunition to use in his accusations.
4. He Is Called Enemy: In the explanation of the parable of the tares, Christ called the Devil the enemy. Matthew 13:39 tells us,
"The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are the angels."
This shows the Devil as the enemy of God and His program. Since believers are God's children and are an integrated part of His program, it is safe to say that the Devil counts us as enemies as well.
5. He Can Be An Angel Of Light: 2 Corinthians 11:14,
"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
The context of this passage is false teaching. It is wise to look very carefully at all teaching that you receive and compare it to the Scriptures. You should get yourself into the habit of questioning all commentaries and books — even if they are written by fundamental people. You will find some false teaching if you look. Don't allow the Devil to gain a foothold in your life through false teaching even if it comes from an innocent source.
6. He Is Called The Prince Of Devils: Matthew 9:34, "But the Pharisees said, He casteth out demons through the prince of the demons." Matthew 12:24,
"But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not
cast out demons, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons."
He is in charge of the demons and is very much aware of our weaknesses. He will use his workers in any way that he can to hinder our work for the Lord.
7. He Was Called The Anointed Cherub: Ezekiel 28:11-17 This shows the high position of his past and is a stark contrast to his present position. All because of pride.
8. He Was Called Lucifer: Isaiah 14:12-14 tells us of this fact. The term means "morning star" which is a name given to the Lord Jesus, Himself in the Revelation.
The term morning stars is applied to the Cheribium in Job 38:7, however is a general term, in my opinion. The Revelation passages mention "the" morning star. The term "the" is an article, referring to a specific person. This along with Satan's name indicate that there are two usages of the term. One, a name for a specific being, Christ and Satan, and the other a
general term for a class of the angelic host (Revelation 2:28; 22:16). The term Lucifer is even a nice name if you can get by the stigma of it.
9. He Was The Son Of The Morning: Isaiah 14:12-14
10. He Is Called The Prince Of The Power Of The Air: Ephesians 2:13 He is the prince of the air. He operates within that sphere. Talk About Air Pollution.
11. He Is Called The Prince Of This World: John 12:31, "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out." John 14:30,
"Hereafter I will not talk much with you; for the prince
of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me."
He is behind the world system and it is not hard to see evidences of his influence upon that system. Look at the corruption of our own country and it's people in politics, crime, etc.
In the 1992 presidential elections, it was evident that the American public was more interested in their pocket book than with moral issues. They elected a man that favors homosexuality, abortion, and deception because he promised to fix their money problems. Something is very wrong.
It was encouraging to know that the popular vote was close and that many of the independent votes would have gone to president Bush had Mark Perot not run. America is slipping slowly into a spiritual state which God will judge.
12. He Is Called The God Of This World: 2 Corinthians 4:4,
"In whom the god of this age hath blinded the minds of them who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
He has not only blinded, but they have bought his line completely in our society.
13. He Is Called The Tempter: Matthew 4:3,
"And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of
God, command that these stones be made bread."
1 Thessalonians 3:5 also mentions the term. Have you experienced him?
14. He Is Called The Wicked One: 1 John 5:18,
"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that
is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one
toucheth him not."
Some promise. (see also 1 John 3:12)
15. He Is Called Beelzebub: Matthew 12:24,
"But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not
cast out demons, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons."
The term means Lord of flies or prince of devils. Can you imagine being called the Lord of flies? What an honor.
16. He Is Called A Murderer: John 8:44, "...He was a murderer from the beginning...." He will truly live up to this in a physical sense in the Tribulation and post Millennial times, when he will lead many to their deaths. He is busy leading people to their spiritual death today. He has been in this business, both past, present and will be yet in the future.
17. He Is Called A Liar: John 8:44, "...for he is a liar...." If you are a liar, then you know who you serve. He is called the father of the lie in this same text.
He is called many other names as well. I will just list these for your future study.
Angel Of The Bottomless Pit: Revelation 9:11:
Belial Which Means Good For Nothing: 2 Corinthians 6:15:
Crooked Serpent: Isaiah 27:1:
Deceiver Of The Whole World: Revelation 12:9
Evil One: 1 John 5:19
Great Dragon: Revelation 12:9
Great Red Dragon: Revelation 12:3
Leviathan: Isaiah 27:1
Old Serpent: Revelation 12:9
Piercing Serpent: Isaiah 27:1
Ruler Of Darkness: Ephesians 6:12
A Roaring Lion: 1 Peter 5:8
A Serpent: Revelation 12:9
A Wolf: John 10:12
A Thief: John 10:10
There may be some that I missed as well. And lastly we need to realize that he is a tremendous Fundamentalist of sorts. He believes in Christ being the perfect Son of God. He believes in Christ's ascension. He believes in Christ's coming again. He believes many things that we do. He knows doctrine. And he memorizes Scripture.
Augustine gave him one further name from the Latin, "Simius Dei" (pronounced dai). Simius = imitator and Dei = of God. Imitator of God. "The ape" as Augustine called him.
1. What's in a name? Lot's if you are talking about Lucifer. There is nothing for us to fear from him, however if we will only resist him. We have the power of God to resist with, if we only will.
2. The more that you know the enemy the easier it is to defeat him. We need to study and know the Devil so that we can counter his attacks upon us.
I trust that these introductory thoughts to the Devil will spur some on to even greater study. There is little written on the Devil, his effect on believers, and his control over the lost. Check your local Bible college
library to see how many books you can find on the Devil. You will probably find few.
DEMONS
INTRODUCTION
Satan the father of the lie has fostered a lie that is the lie that won't lie down until he lies down in the lake of fire and that lie is this; Satan is a lie. Many religions today do not believe in Satan. Indeed, some of our mainline denominational ministers deny the reality of hell and Satan.
Theosophy: "There is no personal devil. That which is mystically called the devil is the negation and opposite of God. The devil is not to be confounded with Satan, though they are sometimes spoken of in Scripture as if they were identical. In such cases Scripture presents the popular belief." (Taken from: "Satan Is No Myth"; Sanders, J. Oswald; Copyright 1965, Moody Bible Institute of Chicago; Moody Press. Used by permission. p 75-76)
Theosophy is a movement that was started by Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky in 1875. It contains reincarnation, and is somewhat similar to Hinduism and Buddhism.
Unity School Of Christianity: "There is no personal devil." (Taken from: "Satan Is No Myth"; Sanders, J. Oswald; Copyright 1965, Moody Bible Institute of Chicago; Moody Press. Used by permission. p 75-76) Unity was founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in 1889. Their headquarters is in Lee's Summit, Missouri. They believe in positive thinking and feel that prayer and thought can lead to health and prosperity.
Spiritism: "There is no devil and no evil spirits. All spirit people of wisdom know that there is no fearful devil. All spirits in the other world are nothing else but the souls of those who have lived here." (Taken from: "Satan Is No Myth"; Sanders, J. Oswald; Copyright 1965, Moody Bible Institute of Chicago; Moody Press. Used by permission. p 75-76)
Such blind people, these must be, to avoid and overlook such a large number of Scriptures. I have a series of sermons and studies on Satan and have not dealt with the subject in great detail. All of this Scripture that has
been presented in previous studies on Satan must be over looked if you are to believe Satan doesn't exist.
Even within our mainline denominations there are many that will not accept a literal hell and Devil. God is a God of love, so how could he create a place like hell, or let a being like Satan roam the earth. Most feel that information about hell and Satan are figurative and not literal, thus allowing them to assign some generic, less gruesome interpretation to the references.
We will be dealing primarily with demons in this section; so let's see what demons are like.
DEMONS
Scofield has a note page 1003, of his reference Bible concerning demons. If you have this available, take time to read through it. He assumes that the creatures mentioned in 2 Peter 2:4; Jude six are not part of the created angelic host. If these creatures are not the fallen angels, then you must believe that there is a created host of demonic creatures. The fact that the demons Christ dealt with did not want to be bound, would indicate that they were the same as the creatures Peter and Jude referred to. (Luke 8:31 "And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.") One is left to wonder from the terminology if the demons are out only at the good pleasure of God for His own purposes. The fact that the fallen angels are in bounds in the abyss would move one to observe that the demons must be fallen angels.
If they are fallen angels then it would also follow that the fallen angels are enjoying their freedom, only in that they are limiting themselves to that which is allowed.
Demons Are Spirits: Matthew 12:43,45 Mentions unclean spirits. A part of the spirit world — angelic host if you see the whole. They are, it would seem, fallen angels. They are spirit beings but the term spirit is used of the Holy Spirit as well as man's spirit — both saved and lost, so this is little help in knowing what the demons are. They are similar in nature to the Spirit and man in that they are immaterial and nonphysical.
Demons Vary In Wickedness: Matthew 12:45
"Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself"
This shouldn't surprise us. Man, in the spiritual realm, varies in wickedness. We have in our race riots the people that are killing, looting, and burning, while people of their own neighborhood are helping the police. We observe also in murder cases the person that murders, and then there are those that kill, and mutilate.
Demons Are Satan's Emissaries: Matthew 12:26-27
"And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I, by Beelzebub, cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges."
The Jewish leadership believed in demons, partly because of the nature of demon possession in their time, but there must have been some knowledge of it from other sources. What a research project. How did the Jew of Christ's time know of Satan and demons? Send me a copy if you make such a study.
Demons Are Numerous: Mark 5:9 "My name is Legion; for we are many." Legion in the Roman army meant three to six thousand soldiers. In this case there were "about two thousand" swine that ran into the sea. The term can also indicate "many". (legion is the Greek "legeon" (Strong's number 3003) always translated legion and only appears four times in the New Testament.
Needless to say, there are more than enough of them around to allow the Devil to do the work that he desires to do. He is not limited in work to do, nor helpers to do it.
Demons Can Enter And Control Man And Beast: This point is shown in one passage where the Lord cast demons out of a man and they requested to enter into swine. (Mark 5:2-5; Mark 5:11-13; see also Acts 8:6-7; Acts 16:16-18)
Mark White, a missionary to China for 25 years, tells of over three hundred cases of demon possession with which he himself was connected. He details the conversation with demons.
"Who are You? The reply came in the Maori tongue: Offspring of the serpent. There proved to be nine demons and they gave their names as they came out. The last was an English speaking demon though the woman herself could not speak English. It resisted, begged to be allowed to go into a child present in the room threatening to injure the patient's body if compelled to come out. At last it meekly said "Yes, I will come out.' The woman was thrown bodily off her seat into the middle of the room. This woman then lived a normal life for many years."
The majority of fundamentalists believe that demons cannot indwell a believer. Merril Unger and Charles Ryrie are the only current writers that I have run across that would disagree with this. Unger writes strictly from an experience level, and Ryrie is illogical in his presentation if you think seriously at all about what he presents.
Demons Seek Embodiment: They not only seek it but may well require it for any peace of existence. Scofield mentions that they seek embodiment, and indicates that he believes that they are powerless if not (p 1003). I think I would make it even more than this — it seems to me that they are in misery when outside of a body.
Matthew 12:43-44
"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through
dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none."
There seems to be something undesirable in their existence.
Mark 5:7-12 vs. 7 "I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not." This was in the context of being cast out.
Luke 8:31 "And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep." This would indicate that they had the possibility of being cast into the pit with the rest.
Other references that you might want to study in relation to possession: Matthew 4:24; Matthew 8:16,28,33; Matthew 9:32; Matthew 12:22; Mark 5:15-16; Acts 8:7; Acts 16:16.
Christ seemingly had power over their geographical location:
Mark 5:10 "And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country." It is evident that the Lord controlled their destination. The question that might arise is whether Christ had this control because of His being God, or if all believers can control the destination of demons. I suspect personally that it was the Lord's deity that was in play.
Demons Are Unclean, Sullen, Violent And Malicious: They are not beings that one should desire to have for friends. They cause trouble and suffering for those that have a relationship to them. Matthew 8:28; Matthew 9:33; Matthew 10:1; Matthew 12:43; Mark 1:23; Mark 5:3-5; Mark 9:17,20; Luke 6:18; Luke 9:39.
Demons Recognized Christ As God: The demons are wiser and more knowledgeable than the lost of the generations since Christ walked the earth. They knew who He was. Matthew 8:31-32; Mark 1:23-24; Acts 19:11-20; also James 2:19.
Demons Are Powerful: Acts 19:11-20 shows that the demons have power over the lost even in the outward physical realm. Their power is great enough to overpower men.
It is also interesting that there is never an attack of this sort recorded in scripture toward a believer. Indeed, in all of the reading I have done I have not found any case of it in the personal stories that have been related.
Demons Fear Being Out Of A Body: They seem to know they will be tormented, indeed it would seem that they could have been cast into the abyss by the Lord. Matthew 8:29
"And, behold, they cried out, saying, what have we
to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come here to torment us before the time?"
The time is to be understood as the day of judgment of the demons. Luke 8:31 "And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep." "Deep" would indicate the pit.
Demons Affect People Physically: They can cause mental and physical problems for those that they indwell. Matthew 12:22; Matthew 17:15-18; Luke 13:16.
Demons May Find Manifestation In Asceticism/Forbidding To Marry Etc: 1 Timothy 4:1-3 speaks to the fact that forbidding to marry is a doctrine of the devils.
Demons Can Influence By Causing Departure From The Faith In The Believer: This is done via the false doctrine and teaching that is brought forth upon the world. The believer listens to, and accepts this false teaching and is drawn away from the truth 1 Timothy 4:1.
Demons Are In Conflict With Spiritual Christians:
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Ephesians 6:12
We find that 1 Timothy 4:1-3 mentions some will be drawn away by "seducing spirits, and doctrines of demons,"
A CHRISTIANS RESOURCES ARE
Prayer And Fasting: Matthew 17:21 "Howbeit, this kind goeth not out except by prayer and fasting."
The Whole Armor Of God: Ephesians 6:13ff
Exorcism In The Name Of Jesus Christ: Acts 16:18 Paul cast the demon out of the maid that had disturbed the work of Paul.
There are some theologians that believe the demons will rise from the abyss in the end time and quote Revelation 9:1-11,20 which describes the locust from the bottomless pit. This may indeed be the demons that have been bound, even though the text does not state this. What a thought. Even more demons to assist in the work of the Devil.
OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING DEMONS
By observation we can see that the demon activity has vastly decreased after the cross. Indeed, after the book of Acts there is little mention of evil spirits or demons. We might also observe that there is no record of strong demon activity before the Gospel accounts either.
These two observations would lead one to think that the demon activity of the Bible may have been directly linked to the fact that Christ was here on earth preparing to reconcile man to His Father.
Note might be taken in the New Testament, that nowhere are Christians told to cast out demons, nor are they given specific power over the demons. Matthew 28:18ff and Acts 1:8 would indicate that we have all the power that is needed for the life we are to live in this age. If we ever come up against demons I believe it is evident that if we need power we have it. We have the victory over the demons, in that Christ has died on the cross and they are subject to the judgment that is upon them.
They have no power over the Christian that I can see, indeed the opposite is strongly indicated. The worst that they can do for the Christian is to hinder his ministry, or oppress them. Oppression usually comes when the believer is not walking with God however at times he oppresses those that are really doing a good work for the Lord.
The main spiritual battles are not waged with demon possessed people but with the temptations that we lay upon ourselves by responding to the environment that God allows us to enter into. The people we are with etc. The devil will make those situations as neat and innocent as possible yet our lusts can carry us into great sin. This is not to say that we might not one day come up against demon possession.
Oppression: I would like to talk for a few moments about the oppression of believers. Oppression is the pushing down or burdening of a person by some power or authority. Dictators oppress their people.
Oppression can be illustrated by a car. If you are a car and you are a believer, then the Holy Spirit is the one controlling you. He is the driver. At times the devil finds you and puts you in the middle of a demolition derby. The Holy Spirit is within, and the devil, nor the demons can ever get in, but they can really bounce you around with the other cars in the derby.
We are the temple of God 2 Corinthians 6:16 so we cannot be possessed by an evil spirit.
Someone has said, "The devil loves to fish in troubled waters." Let him find a floundering or slipping Christian and he will be at work quickly. A loose living Christian is a prime candidate for oppression.
I would like to give you some examples of oppression that I have seen in recent years. One is a young girl in high school that was given the lead in the school play entitled "Rosemary's Baby." The play was a story of a girl having a baby by the devil.
Her parents and the girl were all "Christians" but they thought little about the part. As the girl progressed through the practice etc. she starting becoming depressed. As time went on the depression deepened very quickly and she ultimately tried to commit suicide. Oppression is not to be toyed with. It is serious business for the lax believer.
I once heard an account from a missionary in South America that had reached a tribe with the Gospel, and some had been saved. The missionary lived a little distance away. One night an empty hut became alive with voices and activities. The Indians could see no one in the hut, but things came flying out the door and vile swearing was to be heard. The Indians called the missionary and he came. They all sat around the hut singing hymns and praying. Soon all was quiet and nothing more ever happened.
One further account and I will move on. This account is not unlike many I've heard and read about. It indicates that the Devil has power to oppress even Christians that are walking with the Lord closely. The oppression is great as you will see.
A young Christian who went home one night after visiting friends, was bothered by a spiritual situation he and his friends were in. He had a surprise confrontation with the devil that evening.
He set about to pray that God would send two people burdened for the same thing, to pray with him. As he started to pray a sudden fear came over him. He had the feeling that if he asked for the men something would happen. He hesitated for a long time then began to pray — again the fear came. He asked God's help in this and finally asked God for the two men and as he finished the fear began to intensify. He continued asking God's help and soon the fear went away and he fell asleep.
As you can see Satan didn't want these three to pray, as he knew it meant problems for him. The story doesn't end here with the devil in defeat, as he tries once again. The man awoke later that evening shaking and crying in fear. In fear of what? Nothing. He could see in the room, there was nothing there. He got out of bed and turned the lights on and sat at his desk still shaking and crying. He knew now it was the devil and he wanted to pick up his Bible, but as he tried the fear intensified. He tried several times. Finally he began to pray, again asking that God would step in, and very soon after, the terror passed. This was Satan's second try to stop the prayer group. The following evening the man received the answer to his prayer. Two friends had been talking about the same thing and the following day they met for prayer.
Demons can be dealt with in the same way you deal with Satan. If they begin to bother you, get on your knees and pray — claim the victory that the blood of Christ provided.
As I have mentioned, don't go looking for them, but if they show up, don't run. Stand your ground and seek the help of the one that can put them running, God.
Remember that song we sang as kids. One door and only one and yet the sides are two. I'm on the inside on which side are you? If you are on the inside of the door of salvation then you cannot be possessed. If you are on the outside then beware.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS FOR FUTURE STUDY
Demons are spirits: Matthew 8:16
Demons are intelligent: Matthew 8:29; Luke 4:41; Mark 3:11
Demons are unclean: Matthew 10:1; Mark 3:11; Acts 8:7
Demons have no fellowship with Christ: Mark 5:7
Demons can cause blindness: Matthew 12:22
Demons can cause illness: Luke 13:11-17; Matthew 9:33
Demons can cause insanity: Luke 8:26-36
Demons can control the mind: Luke 8:35
Demons can control speech: Matthew 8:29
Demons can cause dumbness: Matthew 12:22
Demons can control at any age: Mark 9:21
Demons can carry out God's plan: 1 Samuel 16:14; Revelation 9:1ff; 16:1ff
Demons are many: Mark 5:9
Demons are a kingdom: Matthew 12:26
Demons are vicious: Acts 19:11-20; Matthew 8:28
Demons are wicked: Matthew 12:45
Demons can cause suicidal tendencies: Mark 9:22
Demons have supernatural strength: Luke 8:29
Demons need a body to indwell: Matthew 12:43
Demons believe in Christ: Luke 8:28
They are, they can do, and they may be many things, but they are nomatch for the Lord and Savior that we have as a personal friend and helper. Trust in Him and they will not sidetrack you.
ANGELS
Before we begin, let us take care of some of the more theological questions that have come up from time to time concerning the angelic host.
How do you spell angels? ANGLES OR ANGELS? IT IS SPELLED ANGELS. I don't know how many times I have seen teachers and pastors spell this word incorrectly. It is similar to the word that describes the book of Psalms. Each individual section is a Psalm, not the plural Psalms. Often I hear pastors asking their congregation to turn to Psalms 15. It is the 15th Psalm in the book of Psalms.
Now, to answer some of the great theological questions of our time:
1. How many angels can rest on the point of a needle? The entire host — stacked on top of one another.
2. Can two angels occupy the same space at the same time? Sure — spirit's don't occupy space.
3. How many angels walking side by side can walk through the eye of a needle? None, any angelic being big enough to roll the stone from the grave is to big to fit through the eye of a needle.
That out of the way, we can move on to other things. In relation to the angels, if you accept the Biblical record, you will have ample proof of angels existence. If you don't, you won't.
They are mentioned from Job and Genesis to Revelation. They are in 34 books of the Bible. They are mentioned over 300 times in the Scriptures. There seems to be ample evidence of their existence, even though we cannot see them.
"Angel" means messenger.
1. Angels Are Created Beings: Psalm 148:2-5 Verse 5 mentions of angels and the heavens, "...for he commanded, and they were created." Colossians 1:16, mentions that all things were created by Christ. The creation included principalities and powers of the air. The angelic host and demonic contingent are all within this classification of beings. (see John 1:1-3 also)
It might cross one's mind as to the method of their creation. Man was created and then woman was created. Did God create the lower angels first, then move on to the Archangels, or begin with the higher and work to the lower. We will not get into which He did when creating man and woman. (Some womens libers suggest that God created man and then corrected his mistake and created woman. Others suggest that when God created, She created woman first and then man. If you reject the Scripture, you can come up with all sorts of false teaching can't you.)
We might assume since there is no marriage among the angels, and that the angels are masculine, that ALL of the angels were created at the same time. There may have been time intervals between the angels but all at one occasion.
Psalm 148: 2,5 mentions the following concerning their creation. Verse two, "Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts." Verse five, "Let them praise the name of the Lord; for he commanded, and they were created."
There is some discussion as to when they were created. Refer to the notes on Lucifer for more on this question. Chafer mentions, "According to Scripture, long before the creation of man God created an innumerable company of beings described as angels." (Taken from the book, Major Bible Themes by Lewis Sperry Chafer and John F. Walvoord. First edition copyright 1926, 1953 by Dallas Theological Seminary. Revised edition copyright 1974 by Dallas Theological Seminary. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. p 151f) Others are just as plain that the creation of angels was at another time.
Ryrie mentions, "The Bible does not undebatably state the time of their creation. They were present when the earth was created (Job 38:7, NIV) so their creation had to be prior to the Creation of the earth." (Ryrie, Charles C.; "Basic Theology"; Wheaton: Victor Books, 1986, p 124)
2. Angels Are Everlasting, But Not Eternal: They are like man, in that all of us were created beings, not having eternal presence in the past. We began at a point in time. We will, both angels and mankind, continue to exist into eternity future so are everlasting, but only God is eternal (Luke
20:36 mentions that the angels never die). It is good that the Lord defeated the Devil or he would continue as he is for eternity future.
3. Angels Are Spirit Beings: Hebrews 1:13, 14 tells us that they are ministering spirits, yet they do seem to appear in human form at times. Genesis 19:1 mentions the two angels that came to take Lot away from Sodom and Gomorrah. John 20:12 tells of the angels present when Christ arose. It is to be assumed that these appearances are similar to the theophanies of the Old Testament when God appeared to man in the form of men. It is a manifestation of a spirit being as man.
Whether they take on actual physical characteristics or not is not clear in Scripture. There is some indication that they do take on physical form, rather than being an image. The angels that came to Abraham, just before Sodom and Gomorrah partook of food and drink. This would indicate the physical form. Also the same beings performed physical activity with man when attempting to protect and then remove Lot from Sodom (Genesis 1819).
4. Angels Are Powerful: 2 Thessalonians 1:7 tells us that Christ will appear with "mighty angels". This term translated mighty is the term from which we gain our term dynamite. 2 Peter 2:11 tells that some have "power and might". Psalm 103:20, "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word."
Later we will consider the thought that they are ministering spirits. They have some relationship to us. We should remember that they are powerful and strong. This will help us relax and trust in the Lord's protection.
5. They Are Personal Beings: They have the traits of personality.
They Are Intelligent: 1 Peter 1:12 mentions that they "...desire to look into...." certain things which would indicate intelligence.
They Have Emotion: Luke 2:13 tells us that they can praise God which indicates feelings.
They Have A Will: Jude 6 tells us that some fell, thus they have a will with which they can chose. They can reject God's authority.
They Are Wise: 2 Samuel 14:20 mentions that angels are wise. "...and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God...."
6. They Do Not Marry: This is stated in Mark 12:25, and is indicated in the fact that they are mentioned in the Masculine gender in Scripture (Genesis 18:1-2) However Zechariah 5:9 mentions two women with wind in their wings. You can do a research paper on whether they are angels or not. Send me a copy.
7. They Can Fly: Zechariah 5:9, "...for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven." Isaiah 6:2 describes the Seraphim and their six wings ending with the phrase, "...with two he did fly." Indeed, they fly swiftly according to Daniel 9:21.
It is indicated in Daniel that they use their ability to fly for the purpose of transportation from one point to another. The ability to fly may or may not be a literal flapping of the wings type flight. In their appearance to man, it probably is, yet as spirit beings, they can move from place to place without a source of motivation. Some might suggest that it may be the wings that are described in their physical appearance is merely for man's understanding — that they really don't have wings. This is a possibility, yet the descriptions of Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1, and Revelation 4, of the throne scene seem quite literal.
8. They Are Innumerable: Hebrews 12:22 mentions, "...an innumerable company of angels." Q. How many is that? Daniel 7:10 mentions 10,000 times 10,000 which would be 100 million. Plus there must be more.
9. They Are Organized: No they don't have a union. There is a level of "archangels mentioned" which indicates this organization. Jude 9, "Yet Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses...."
There Seem To Be Other Archangels: Daniel 10:13 mentions Michael as one of the "chief princes". There seems to be an organizational structure under the archangels from Ephesians 3:10,
"To the intent that now, unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,"
Gabriel is mentioned and seems to be of a messenger. Luke 1:19 mentions,
"...I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and am sent to
speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings."
This was to Zacharias in the announcement of the coming of John The Baptist. Luke 1:26 tells us "...Gabriel, was sent from God...." to tell Mary of the Lord's coming. Daniel 8:16 shows Gabriel as one that could explain something to Daniel. Again in Daniel 9:21ff Gabriel is shown as revealing things to Daniel. It could well be that the angel that Michael helped in Daniel 10 was also Gabriel.
Acts 8:26 mentions that an angel directed Phillip to go to the area where he found the Ethiopian Eunuch. Since Gabriel is a directing and message bearing angel this may have been him.
Michael seems to be a warrior for the Lord (Dan 10 and Jude 9).
10. They Rejoice Over The Salvation Of Man: Luke 15:10,
"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels
of god over one sinner that repenteth."
Whether they are happy because God is happy, or whether they are so involved with mankind that they rejoice, is not mentioned in Scripture. Since they are ministering spirits, and they seem very involved with the activities of man, it would seem logical that they are joyful due to their involvement with man.
We are left to wonder at the relationship between angels and mankind in the eternal state. We are told from Scripture that mankind will not have a marital relationship in the eternal state, so we will be in a sense, very similar to the angelic host. We will be spirit beings as they. What the relationship will be will be of great interest.
11. Angels Learn From Man: 1 Corinthians 4:9 indicates that we are examples to them in some way. That is scary if you think about it. Just when are you teaching them something? Are they watching when you step
into sin? I assume that they can be watching at any time. This should move us to more righteous living.
12. Angels Are Superior To Man In Some Ways: 2 Samuel 14:20 indicates that their wisdom is greater than man's. 2 Samuel 24:15,16 shows an angel destroying men quite effectively. (70,000 men) Psalm 8:5,
"For thou hast made him [man] a little lower than the angels, and
hast crowned him with glory and honor."
13. Angels Are Inferior To Man In Some Ways: 1 Corinthians 6:3 mentions that man will judge the angels. It is quite possible that this speaks of man judging the fallen angels, for there is no indication in the Word that the unfallen angels have a judgment, nor even a need to be judged. Ephesians 3:10 tells us that men have knowledge that the angels do not have. It would seem that both classes have their strengths and weaknesses.
14. They Will Accompany Christ At His Coming: Matthew 25:31,
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory." (Mark 8:38 also)
They will accompany Christ, however they do not know the time of that coming. Mark 13:32,
"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no,
not the angels who are in heaven...."
Since the Devil was discussed at length we can gain much insight into the angels. Everything that is true of Satan's characteristics — personality — spirit etc. would also be true of the cherubim, indeed all angels.
MINISTRIES OF THE ANGELS
1. They Seem To Guard, Or Minister To Believers: Hebrews 1:14,
"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"
"them who shall be heirs of salvation?" would indicate believers.
Matthew also mentions something that the Lord told them. Matthew 18:10, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father, who is in heaven."
2. They Serve Or Watch Over God: Isaiah 6:1-3 shows the throne scene of God. Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4 also mention this same scene. It is the throne of God and is depicted as being protected by four angelic beings. The beings are described in great detail. Most feel that these beings are cherubium. Just why God needs watching over, is not known. I surmise that it is more of a serving, rather than protecting ministry.
3. They Serve As Guards: Not to guard God, but rather to guard something for God. Genesis 3:22-24 tells that the Lord stationed them at the entrance to the Garden of Eden to bar Adam and Eve from reentering it.
4. They Intercede In Spiritual Battles: In Daniel there is an angel that had appeared to Daniel and mentioned that he had been delayed. Daniel 10:13,
"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to
help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia."
How many of these battles go on in the spirit world is unknown to us. Since these beings were linked with countries, it is assumed that when any empire rises and falls, that there is a spirit world battle as well.
5. They Ministered To Christ:
Before His Birth: Luke 1:26-33 is the announcement of Christ's coming birth to Mary.
After His Birth: Luke 2:8-13 is the announcement of the Lord's birth to the shepherds.
After His Temptation: Matthew 4:11,
"Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold,
angels came and ministered unto him."
They Were Available For His Protection: Matthew 26:53,
"Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall
presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?"
Also, the thought is shown in the temptation of the Lord in Matthew 4:6.
Before The Cross: Luke 22:43 mentions that an angel appeared and strengthened him in the garden just before his arrest.
After Being Raised: Matthew 28:2 tells that an angel rolled the stone from the grave entrance.
6. They Minister To Believers: Hebrews 1:14,
"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them
who shall be heirs of salvation?"
Acts 12:7 tells of Peter's release from prison via an angel. Acts 17:23-24 shows that they ministered in time of trouble for Paul. They are involved in ministering to saints after their death. Luke 16:22 mentions that the beggar Lazarus was carried away by angels. Jude nine mentions that Michael was involved with the body of Moses after Moses died.
7. They Minister To The Nations: Daniel 12:1 mentions Michael as one that stands for Israel. Revelation is quite specific in the fact that the angels are involved in the closing out of the end time activities.
8. They Minister To The Unbelievers: If you can call it ministry. Herod was struck by worms, Acts 12:23,
"And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave
not God the glory; and he was eaten of worms, and died."
1 Chronicles 21:15 is the account of the angel destroying people due to the sin of David.
This shows a real down side to the angelic host, where man is involved. God deals with man via the angels, and it is not pleasant. The angels are involved in the separation of righteous and unrighteous in the judgment.
I am reminded of Michelangelo's painting that depicts the angels escorting the lost to their judgment. The terror pictured on the lost men is indication that the painter knew well the horribleness of God's judgment.
9. They Minister To God:
Worship: Hebrews 1:6, "...And let all the angels of God worship him." Revelation 5:8-13 pictures the living creatures and the 24 elders Worshiping.
Praise: Psalm 148:2, "Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts." (Also Isaiah 6:3) Can you imagine a praise service in heaven? Must be quite a scene.
Rejoice: Job. 38:7,
"When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"
Serve: Psalm 103:20,
"Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his
commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word."
This seems to be a class of beings that enjoy serving their God. It is curious that others of the same class chose not to serve God. Why did the demons desire to rebel. It must have been linked to the pride of the Devil and their overall desire to be out from under God's dominion. It is similar in man. There are believers that desire to serve Him, and believers the desire to be rid of Him.
SOME LOGICAL CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING ANGELS
1. They can operate outside the laws of nature. This is due to the fact that they are spirit, not physical beings.
2. They were created with free choice as is demonstrated by Satan and those angels that fell with him.
3. There is no salvation provided for the angelic host. This is demonstrated in that the fallen angels in the pit are to be preserved till the end. Jude six
4. Matthew 25:31 mentions the "holy angels", which might lead one to conclude that the unfallen angels have been in some way confirmed in their good nature. Be this an act of their own will, or more to the logical end, an act of the Lord.
1 Timothy 5:21, "I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels...." This term elect has puzzled some for years. There are two answers that fit.
a. The angels that did not chose to follow Lucifer were confirmed or elected to be retained as good angels for the Lord's service.
b. There were some that were elect before any angels fell. The nonelect fell and the elect remained in the Lord's service.
Either position would fit, but don't ask for a verse for either.
5. Since they have no mater, they would be immutable [unchangeable], save the fact that some fell.
6. They are all ultimately subject to God, even Lucifer and the fallen angels.
1. The angels are an important class of beings to us, even though we do not realize their presence. They are involved in the rising and falling of nations. They are involved in our own safety evidently.
2. A text that I have not mentioned that is of interest to us is Hebrews 13:1,2,
"Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
This text indicates some items that we need to consider. First of all, the angels are active now in the church age. Secondly, angels may appear as normal people. And finally, the Lord may be allowing us, from time to time, to have contact with these heavenly beings.
Many years ago we had the habit of stopping to help people having trouble on the road. We still do at times if it seems safe. One night very late we were returning from Colorado Springs and the snow was heavy plus plus. It was a very wet, driving snow and almost big drops of rain. A night when no sane person would be out.
We happened onto an old jalopy of a pickup with the hood raised. I stopped and walked back to find an old bearded scuzzy looking guy that should have been in the mountains panning gold, sitting on the radiator with a foot on each side of the engine with a book of paper matches trying to fix his truck. The matches would not stay lit and he was having a terrible time. I went back to our car for a flashlight and some tools and fixed the truck for him. As I was working, he kept saying over and over how much he appreciated me stopping and that he didn't even think of anyone stopping to help him. He was really shocked that anyone would stop.
As I got back into my car fairly well soaked, this passage came across my mind. Who knows? I have no idea. The situation was so very out of the ordinary that I had to wonder. The man was so nice, and friendly that I felt that he could have been more than just an old man in trouble.
3. We have assumed something in this study. We have assumed that there is one class of being and that general class is angels. We assume also that there are no other beings.
There are cherubim, seraphim, angels and then there is Lucifer. Are they all the same beings with varying offices or are they slightly different types of beings created for the Lord's purposes?
I feel that our study would apply equally well if either were true. It seems that they are all angelic beings with some differences. Their qualities and characteristics would be similar.
I personally feel that there may be different classes of angels. There would be the typical angel, then the archangels, and the cherubim. Again, don't ask for a verse, however the logic of what we know of the angels would indicate classes rather than just offices or levels.
4. There seems to be a lack of real study on the subject of the angels in the practical aspect. Much detail is to be had in the specifics of the angels, but the practical application is limited. This is partially due to the fact that the angels are operating in another sphere, and the Scriptures are silent as to what goes on when they operate in our sphere.
Example: Why do they come so that we can minister to them as Hebrews mentions? Is this for the purpose of testing us? Is it a learning experience for the angel? Some very good questions for a research paper. (As usual, send me a copy.)
ARCHANGELS
A fun study is to compare the following accounts and list the similarities as well as the differences that are listed. Ezekiel one; Ezekiel 10; Isaiah 59; and Revelation 4:6ff. There are some questions that should come up. Why the differences? Why the similarities? Are these the same scene? Where is this scene? Etc.?
I think that most feel that these are the same scene with different men's perceptions of that scene. The perception of the men gives us the differences, while the similarities come from the fact that they viewed the same scene. There is also a possibility that the scene was viewed from different distances and angles of view, which could also cause the differences.
We will see in this study that there is warfare being waged in heaven. Consider for a while why there would be warfare in the heavenlies. Might it be related to the fact that the Devil is still attempting to usurp God? Yes, this is the case. He accomplishes this by causing doubt in believers, by ensnaring the lost, and blocking, or slowing God's work here on earth.
We will also see that there is organization in the heavenly scene. Again, take some time to consider why. There are several possibilities. First, there is chaos without some organization. Secondly, God is an organized Being. This can be seen in the creation. The warfare dictates the need for organization. What army in history ever functioned without organization. The American Indians often lost battles, according to the movie version of history, because the white man knew they all followed what the chief said, and if the chief was killed, chaos usually followed.
Within this organizational system there are different levels of angels. We want to look at these classes of angels as well as the angels that are mentioned by name.
ARCHANGEL
The term Archangel is Strong's 743 and is the Greek term "arkangelos." It is used of Michael in the New Testament, but the term is not used of him
in the Old Testament. Michael is mentioned in the Old Testament, however and the term prince is used of him there. Vine mentions that Romans 8:38 and Ephesians 1:21 use the term "arche" as principalities. This is the prefix placed with angel to form archangel.
Funk in his word origins book mentions that the term "arche" means "beginning" or "origin". From this we use the term before other terms to show the preeminence. Archbishop, archenemy, archeology, etc. (Funk, Wilfred; "Word Origins And Their Romantic Stories"; New York: Bell Publishing Co., MCML)
The term is used of one coming with the Lord for God's people. The verse states, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first;" 1 Thessalonians 4:16 The indications are that the archangel will be with the Lord when He comes.
Jude nine names the archangel Michael.
1. Michael means "Who is like God?" according to Dickason. He mentions that this is quite a contrast with what Lucifer mentions, "I will be like the most High" (Isaiah 14:14).
He is mentioned inDaniel 10:13. Michael came to assist a messenger sent to give Daniel some information. They struggled with the Devil, or his emissaries.
Michael is mentioned as "one of the chief princes" which would indicate more than one "chief prince." This could be one other or many others, there is no way to know from this text.
Daniel 10:21 mentions "Michael, your prince" speaking to Daniel. Michael was in some way Daniel's prince. ("prince" = Strong's 8269 = "sar." Strong states, "a head person (of any rank or class)" The term is a general term that is used 381 times in the Old Testament. It is used of many things all of which show a headship of the person. It is used for things such as princes of Israel, princes of other nations, religious leaders, political leaders, the Messiah and as we know the angelic host.)
The princes of Persia that Daniel mentions would give the thought that there may well be a hierarchy within Satans forces as well.
Daniel 12:1 mentions Michael as the prince of the children of Israel. In some manner Michael stood for the nation Israel. This would indicate that he was a special angel of protection for the nation.
Jude nine mentions that Michael contended with the Devil over the body of Moses after Moses died. The contention is not what we want to observe. We want to see the fact that Michael had a battle with the Devil and that he won the battle.
In this text Michael is entitled the archangel. It might be observed that Michael had two terms used of him. There are two terms for this class of angel. The terms used are "prince" and "archangel", one being in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. It would seem that the two are both descriptive of a position or office within the structure of the angelic host.