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Angels in the Bible
By Randall J. Runions
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How many angels are there? The
Bible never gives a set number but declares their number to be countless.
Angels were created by God and
divided into classes, orders and ranks. Michael (the archangel) is one of
the chief princes (Daniel 10:13 & Daniel 12:1). There are cherubim (Genesis
3:24); Satan being an anointed Cherub (Ezekiel 28:14) and there are seraphs
(Isaiah 6:2; compare with Ezekiel 1:5-10 & Revelation 4:6-8), which are
beast/living creatures. These beings also are part of God's powerful army
that oppose Satan and his evil angels in the heavens, before God, and on the
earth; (Psalm 103:20; Matthew 26:53; Revelation 12:7; Daniel 10:5-21).
Angels exhibit individual
personalities. They have names (Luke 1:19), they rejoice when a person is
saved (Luke 15;10), and they desire to understand and learn of man's
salvation (1 Peter 1:12). On the other hand, evil angels lie (John 8:44),
have faith (James 2:19, "believe there is one God") and they sin (1 John
3:8). |
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Men and angels differ from each other in
certain ways. They are: |
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1. |
Man has a body, soul, and spirit
(1 Thessalonians 5:23); this being one unit that is created in the image of
God (Genesis 1;27). All three of these must be present for man to be
complete. Angels, are spirits only that are complete in this creative act;
they can, however, take on the form of a human (Hebrews 13:2). |
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2. |
Angels do not have female
counter-parts; They do not exist and relate to one another as a "family"
unit. Angels do not have families, they do not marry (Matthew 22:30), are
immortal (Luke 20:35-36), are invisible (Colossians 1:16), but strangely
enough they do eat manna (Psalm 78:24-25). Man through the human family
forms humanity; angels do not form this type of institution on earth, their
job is to be involved in ministering to the humanity of man (Daniel
10:5-21). |
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3. |
Man was created and formed from
the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7), was crowned with honor and glory to
rule over the earth (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 8:5-8; Hebrews 2:7-8), but man lost
this glory. Angels are created spirits and should minister to and serve man
(Hebrews 1:7, 14). Evil angels have fallen with Satan; he is the god of this
world and owns the kingdoms of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4; Matthew
4:8-9). |
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4. |
Adam, the first MAN, fell
into sin; the second Adam (God becoming flesh) redeemed him (Romans 5:12,
19; 1 Corinthians 15:45). The fallen angels that followed in Satan's
rebellion and sin can NOT be redeemed by Jesus Christ (Hebrews
2:16-17; Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10). |
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5. |
Men are created in the image of
God, and not angels. |
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6. |
Lastly, one final warning about
angels. They are NOT to be our focus in this life. We are not to
worship them in any way (Colossians 2;18; Revelation 22:8-9), but rather we
are to worship and serve Jesus Christ by faith. We are to look to the Author
and finisher of our faith; to the only wise God who liveth forever and ever,
and not to some angel. Jesus is the Head of the body to which we look and
live. |
| 7. |
The saints of God, at an
appointed time, will also judge the angels (1 Corinthians 6:3); these being
the angels that sinned (2 Peter 2:4). |
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