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The Origin and Nature of Angels
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Q1-What is the origin of angels?
a) They have always existed
b) They were created by God |
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Praise God, all His angels ... Let them praise the name of the
Lord, For He commanded and they were created. (Ps 148.2a, 148.5) |
| For by Him (Jesus) all
things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through
Him and for Him. (Col 1.16) |
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A1-The Origin of Angels
- The fact that angels were created by God (answer "b")
is clearly stated in the quoted verses of Psalm 148.
- Col 1.16 further supports this statement.
- The meaning of thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers
is discussed further down.
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Q2-When were angels created?
a) Before the creation of the earth
b) After the creation of the earth |
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(God said:) "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the
earth ... and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38.4a, 38.7b) |
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Now there was a day when the sons of God came to
present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. (Job 1.6)
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A2-Another Bible Name for Angels
- Before answering question 2, we need to define the term, "sons
of God," for reasons which will become apparent in a moment.
- For this definition, we turn to Job 1.6-12, which describes a
fascinating incident that took place in heaven at the throne of God.
- On the particular day described by this passage, a group called
"sons of God" presented themselves before God, perhaps to report on their activities.
- Along with this group came a personage whose title is Satan.
- The fact that this scene takes place in heaven makes it clear
that "sons of God" is sometimes (not always) another Bible name for angels.
- Now ... we're ready to deal with question 2.
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| (God said:) "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the
earth ... and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38.4a, 38.7b) |
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A2 (cont'd)-The Angels Were There
The sons of God (angels) were eye-witnesses to God's creation
of the earth. Thus, answer "a" is correct -- the angels were created before the creation of the earth.
They shouted for joy at this event. Don't you wish you could have been there with them? |
Q3-How many angels did God create?
a) A few thousand
b) Several million
c) So many they can't be counted |
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But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels (Heb 12.22) |
A3-Enough Angels
According to Heb 12.22, God created so many angels that it
would be impossible to number them. Thus, answer "c" is correct. |
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Q4-Angels are spirit persons (Heb 1.7).
How many types of spirit persons did God create?
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four or more |
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A4-Spirit Persons
- I will give the answer to question 4 now, but the Biblical proofs
of my answer come further down.
- The correct answer is "d" -- God created at LEAST four
types of spirit persons, perhaps more.
- They are: angels, archangels, seraphim, and cherubim.
- But remember ... there may be more.
- In the following paragraphs, we'll investigate God's word for
clues.
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Q5-What type of spirit person is Michael?
a) Angel
b) Archangel
c) Seraph (plural is "seraphim")
d) Cherub (plural is "cherubim") |
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Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed
about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!''
(Jude 1.9) |
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A5-Israel's Defender
- According to Jude 1.9, answer "b" is correct -- Michael
is an archangel.
- Michael holds the rank of chief prince (Dan 10.13b), and is particularly
responsible for defending Israel (Dan 12.1).
- Since Michael is one of the chief princes (plural), there well may be more than one archangel.
- The book of Revelation tells of an important role that Michael
will play during the future Tribulation which is coming to the world.
- At approximately the mid-point of this dreadful 7-year period,
Satan will personally attempt to destroy the nation Israel.
- This will cause Israel's angelic defender, Michael, together with
his angels, to battle against Satan and his angels.
- The result? Satan and his angels will be cast down to earth, no
longer having access to heaven. And then the earth's
troubles will really begin.
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... behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me ...
(Dan 10.13b)
At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands
watch over the sons of your people (Daniel's people, the people of Israel) (Dan 12.1)
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them
in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives
the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev 12.7-9) |
| While we are on the subject of the archangel Michael, here are two footnotes you might find
interesting... |
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| Footnote #1
In Jude 1.9, notice that Michael does not directly rebuke Satan (the devil) but instead asks the Lord to do so. |
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Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed
about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!''
(Jude 1.9) |
- I can find no Scripture which gives Christians the authority to
personally rebuke Satan, as so many do.
- Christians are instructed to resist the devil (Jam 4.7) but I
think rebuking him exceeds our authority.
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Therefore submit to God. Resist
the devil and he will flee from you. (Jam 4.7) |
| Footnote #2
During the time period recorded in the book of Daniel, the prophet Daniel and most of Israel's people were in captivity
by the Persian empire... |
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- Chapter 10 of Daniel reports that Daniel was fasting and praying
for God to release them. Daniel continued doing so for three full weeks.
- Finally, God's messenger came to him. This messenger was an angel,
perhaps Gabriel who had visited Daniel earlier (see Dan 8.16).
- It took three weeks for God's angel to arrive (Dan 10.13). Why?
Because God's angel had been delayed by a lengthy battle with the prince of Persia.
- The context of this Bible passage makes it evident that it was
no human prince who battled the messenger of God. No, this "prince of Persia" was an angel, no doubt
a follower of Satan.
- It would seem from Daniel 10 that certain nations are under the
guardianship of God's angels, as in the case of Israel.
- Conversely, certain nations are defended by [or *ruled* by] Satan's
angels, as is the case with the nation of Persia.
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Then, suddenly, a hand touched me (Daniel), which made me tremble
on my knees and on the palms of my hands.
And he (an angelic visitor) said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak
to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.''
Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and
to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one
days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help
me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia." (Dan 10.10-13) |
- Parenthetical note -- Daniel and his people (the nation Israel)
were originally taken captive by Babylon, which was in turn conquered by Persia.
- The modern day name for Babylon? Iraq!
- Today's name for Persia? Iran!
- As Mr. Spock would say, "Fascinating!"
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Q6-Do angels have wings?
a) Yes
b) No |
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In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne,
high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
Above it stood seraphim;
each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His
glory!'' (Isa 6.1-3) |
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A6-Angels, no. Seraphim, yes.
- There is no Bible verse that says angels have wings. Thus, the
answer to Q6 is NO.
- Those spirit persons known as Seraphim, on the other hand, DO
have wings. In fact they have six of them, but only two are used for flying.
- Why wings? And why so many? The Bible doesn't say, but remember
-- God is a creative and artistic person. Perhaps He gave the seraphim all those wings simply as an adornment for
the sake of beauty.
- In any event, the seraphim form another type of spirit person,
distinct from angels. From the context of Isa 6.1-7, it would seem that one of their functions is to proclaim God's
holiness and judgments.
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Q7-Rev 4 describes four living creatures
at the throne of God. Were they seraphim?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Maybe? |
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Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the
midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living
creatures full
of eyes in front and in back.
The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had
a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
And the four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!'' (Rev 4.6-8) |
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A7-The Zoon
- In Rev 4, the term "living creatures" translates the
Greek word "zoon."
- These four Zoon resemble the seraphim of Isa 6 from the standpoints
that (1) they have six wings, and (2) they also proclaim the threefold holiness of God.
- On the other hand the four Zoon of Rev 4 also bear a marked similarity
to the cherubim described in Ezek 1.5-14 and 10.1. We'll discuss the cherubim further down.
- In my opinion, the Zoon are a separate type of spirit person.
However, the Biblically correct answer to question 7 is "c" -- "maybe?".
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Q8-What type of spirit person is Satan?
a) Angel
b) Archangel
c) Cherub
d) Seraph |
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A8-The person of Satan
Satan has a name. His name is Lucifer, which means shining star...
- His *title* is Satan, which means enemy
- His *name* is Lucifer
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How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you
are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! Isa 14.12
Jesus said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Lk 10.18 |
Ezekiel 28.14-15 shows that Satan is a cherub -- answer "c"
is correct.
To read an in-depth study of Satan...click HERE |
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[God said..] You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect
in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. Ezek 28.14-15 |
Side Trip- WHAT are *cherubs*?
As long as we're on the subject of cherubs, let's learn a bit more about them.
When God ejected Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, He placed cherubs to guard the Garden's entrance, to ensure
they could not return. |
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So God drove out the man; and He placed cherubs at the east of the garden of
Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Gen 3.24) |
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Later on, in Exod 25.8-22, God gave the nation Israel detailed
instructions for building the Ark of the Covenant.
- This Ark was a representation or "shadow" of God's throne
in heaven (Heb 8.1-5, 9.1-5, 9.24).
- God commanded that two images of cherubim be placed above the
ark. And it was there -- between the two cherubim -- that God would speak to the nation Israel.
- From these and related Bible passages, I conclude that the job of real cherubim (not images) is to guard God's presence.
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(God said:) "And there (in the holy of holies) I will meet with
you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the
Testimony ..." (Exod 25.22a) |
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The Description of Cherubim
Cherubim will be amazing to see, as one day you shall.
- In classical art cherubim are usually depicted as naked, chubby
infants with wings. But in reality cherubim are far from being cute.
- They are incredibly powerful (more on that further down) and totally
awesome in appearance.
- A cherub has four wings and four faces. Why did God make them
thus? Perhaps He did it so they would be living monuments to the incarnate Jesus Christ.
- The following table is my speculation so don't
bet your life on it.
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Each one (cherub) had four faces, and each one had four wings ...
As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man, each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the
four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. (Ezek 1.6, 1.10) |
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The faces are: man, lion, ox, eagle
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The four Gospels of the New Testament
follow a similar pattern
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| The face of a lion -- the lion symbolizes kingship. |
Matthew -- presents Jesus as son and heir of King David. Jesus is
King of kings. |
| The face of an ox -- the ox symbolizes a sacrificial offering. |
Mark -- presents Jesus as God's sacrificial offering. Jesus is the
atonement for our sins. |
| The face of a man -- the man's face symbolizes humanity. |
Luke -- presents Jesus as son of Adam, therefore fully human. |
| The face of an eagle -- the eagle represents that which is on high;
namely, God. |
John -- presents Jesus as Son of God, therefore fully God. |
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Q9-Why are certain angels kept in chains?
a) They rebelled against God
b) They committed sexual sins
c) They are vicious killers who would go on killing rampages if freed
d) Satan is angry with them |
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God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell
and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment (2 Pet 2.4) |
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A9-Three Categories of Angels
To answer question 9, we must first identify the three main categories
of angels as follows:
- (1) God's angels (Mk 8.38, 1 Tim 5.21), sometimes called "elect."
- (2) Satan's angels who are free to roam heaven and earth ( Mt
25.41, Rev 12.9).
- (3) Satan's angels who are in chains (2 Pet 2.4, Jude 1.6-7, Rev
9.15).
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God's angels: When Satan rebelled against God, one-third of all the
angels followed him. The remaining two-thirds of the angels remained loyal to God.
An in-depth discussion of this rebellion is provided under a series of studies about Satan. To read that study...click HERE |
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Satan's angels: Most of Satan's angels remain free, but some of
them have been cast into chains. Why? Jude 1.6-7 indicates that these angels were put into chains because:
- (1) They left their own habitation. That is, they left their proper
domain of the spirit world and entered into the earthly domain of flesh and blood.
- (2) Once these sinful angels had manifested themselves in human
form, they sinned in a manner similar to the manner in which the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had sinned. That
is, these angels engaged in sexual immorality and went after "strange flesh."
- In summary, these verses make it sound very much like these angels
took on human form and engaged in sexual relations with humans.
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And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their
own habitation, God has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.
As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to
sexual immorality
and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 1.6-7) |
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Gen 6.4 gives us further information on the sexual sin of these
angels.
- In this verse, these angels are referred to as "sons of god,"
a term which is another Bible name for angels, as shown in the discussion following question 2.
- Gen 6.4 tells us that these angels "came in" to human
females, and these females bore children to them.
- These human/angel children grew up to be giants (Nephilim), mighty
in strength, and famous among the people. The Nephilim are mentioned again in Num 13.33.
- Thus, after much discussion, my vote is cast for answer "b"
-- they were put in chains because of sexual sins. However, Rev 9.15 may give some credence to answer "c"
as well -- not instead of answer "b," but in addition to answer "b."
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There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward,
when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them.
Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. (Gen 6.4) |
Q10-Can angels die?
a) Yes
b) No |
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(Concerning people who are resurrected to eternal life, Jesus said:)
"... nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels ..." (Lk 20.36a) |
A10
Per Lk 20.36, angels cannot die. Answer "b" is correct. |
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Q11-Do angels have their own language?
a) Yes
b) No |
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Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not
love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. (1 Cor 13.1) |
A11
The word tongues translates the Greek glossa which means languages. Per 1 Cor 13.1, there are languages of humans
and languages of angels. I conclude the answer to be "a" -- YES |
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Q12-Do angels have their own food?
a) Yes
b) No |
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Men ate angels' food
God sent them food to the full. (Ps 78.25) |
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A12
Ps 78.25 refers to angels' food, so I conclude the answer is "a."
- Since angels are spirits, a person might wonder why an angel would
need food. The Bible doesn't say.
- Perhaps God gave the angels food because eating is simply fun,
and God loves for His creatures to enjoy life.
- On the other hand, God may have designed angels under the same
principle as He designed us, in which case they need food as an energy source.
- Some people might say that I shouldn't take the Psalm so literally.
After all, Psalms are poems/hymns, and there is such a thing as poetic license. I grant them this point. However,
I stick to my literal interpretation, hard-head that I am.
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| Q13-Do angels have emotions? |
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A13
Yes, angels have emotions. Examples are joy (Lk 15.10), lust (Gen 6.4), anger (Rev 12.12), curiosity (1 Pet 1.12),
and pride (Ezek 28.17). |
Q14-Are demons the same thing as Satan's
angels?
a) Definitely yes
b) Possibly yes
c) Possibly not
d) Definitely not |
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When evening had come, they brought to Jesus many who were demon-possessed.
And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, (Mt 8.16)
Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes who were of the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying, "We
find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.'' (Acts 23.9) |
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A14-The demons in Satan's army
- Many, if not most, Christian teachers say YES -- the word "demons"
is just another name for Satan's angels. That's fine, just as long as they make it clear that such is merely their
opinion.
- So far as I have been able to find, the Bible doesn't specifically
answer the question of whether demons are or aren't fallen angels.
- Having said that, here goes my opinion --I start with the verses
that are quoted alongside.
- Mt 8.16 establishes that, in some contexts, "spirits"
is another word for "demons."
- In Acts 23.9, the Jews make a distinction between angels and spirits.
This can lead to the conclusion that angels are distinct from demons.
- However, Acts 23.9 is God's accurate quotation of what some Jews
said. What these Jews said may, of course, be utter hogwash, even though God's Bible has quoted them correctly.
However, I find another Bible passage which is very significant on this matter.
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In Mt 8.28-31, notice that demons desire to inhabit the bodies
of pigs (swine).
- Demons prefer to inhabit human bodies but, as in this case, will
use animal bodies in a pinch.
- Angels, on the other hand, have spiritual bodies. [Whoops! I just
gave away the answer to Q19.]
- Since angels have bodies of their own, they have no need to inhabit
another's body, human or otherwise.
- Throughout the Bible, demons are called by many names -- unclean
spirits, familiar spirits, seducing spirits, wicked spirits -- but they are NEVER equated to angels.
- So my vote on question 14 is answer "c" -- possibly
NOT the same as Satan's angels.
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- When Jesus had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes,
there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that
way.
- And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do
with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?''
- Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.
So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.'' (Mt
8.28-31)
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| Q15-What are some of the activities of God's angels relative
to Christians? |
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- A15-God's
angels observe Christians as we worship God (1 Cor 11.10).
- Angels are filled with wonder at the Gospel (1 Pet 1.12), possibly
amazed that God would die for folks such as we.
- Angels rejoice when a person receives Christ as his or her Savior
(Lk 15.7).
- Angels minister to us during our lives here on earth (Heb 1.14,
13.2; 2 Ki 6.13-17; Acts 12.7-11, 27.23-24).
- When we die, angels escort us home to our Father in heaven (Lk
16.22).
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| Q16-Are spirit persons "organized"? |
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A16-Yes.
They are organized into thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers (Col 1.16; Rom 8.38; Eph 1.21, 3.10, 6.12).
These may roughly correspond to our earthly levels of government (world, national, state, county, city, borough,
etc.) However, spiritual dominions extend across the celestial heavens, not just earth. |
| Q17-Does God "hold court" among spirit persons? |
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- A17-There
are, it seems, periodic assemblies of spirit persons before God's throne (Job 1.6, 2.1, 38.7; Ps 89.5-6).
- At such times, Christians are identified (confessed) by our advocate,
Jesus Christ (Lk 12.8, 1 John 2.1).
- Throughout their lifetimes, Christians are closely observed by
angels, both elect and evil (1 Cor 4.9, 11.10; 1 Tim 5.21).
- One of the main purposes of these assemblies is to discuss the
spiritual walk of individual Christians, both PRO (Job 1.8, 1 John 2.1) and CON (Job 1.9-11, Rev 12.10).
- By such discussions, the host of heaven learns of God's infinite
wisdom and grace, as manifested in His church (Eph 3.9-10).
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Q18-Are the "wheels" of Ezek
1.16 flying saucers?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Duh......??? |
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The appearance of the wheels and their works was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness.
The appearance of their works was, as it were, a
wheel in the middle of a wheel ...
As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims
were full of eyes, all around the four of them. (Ezek 1.16, 1.18) |
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A18-Wheels Within Wheels
- "A wheel in the middle of a wheel" -- hmmm. Perhaps
it looked something like a gyroscope, maybe?
- "Their rims were full of eyes" -- maybe the wheels'
rims had lights all around them? Or lighted windows? Or were they literal eyes?
- In any event, the wheels would sure look like flying saucers to
me, I think. How about you?
- At my wit's end, I have no choice but to select answer "c."
(I do, however, feel fairly
certain that these wheels are yet another type of spirit person that God made.)
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Q19-Do spirit persons have bodies?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Bible doesn't say |
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There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (1 Cor 15.44b) |
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A19-Wisps or Not?
- Spirit persons can be described as to their appearance (Ezek 1.5-13,
Isa 6.2).
- They can struggle and battle with one another (Dan 10.13).
- Thus it seems clear that spirit persons are not merely wisps with
no substance. They do, in fact, have bodies, so answer "a" is correct.
- Spirit persons have spiritual bodies (1 Cor 15.44b).
- They can freely move between the earthly realm and the spiritual
realm, as did Lord Jesus after His resurrection (Lk 24.15, 24.31).
- When they are in the spiritual realm, we can neither see nor touch
them. When they move into the earthly realm, they can be both seen (Lk 2.9) and touched (Acts 12.7).
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Q20-Do spirit persons have gender (male/female)?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Bible doesn't say |
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(A married woman's husband died. She re-married. Her next husband
died, and she remarried yet again. This went on until the woman had married and buried seven husbands. A group
called the Sadducees told Jesus of this situation and asked Him:)
"Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.''
Jesus answered, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection
they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven." (Mt 22.28-30) |
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A20-Mt 22.30 makes
it clear that angels do not marry. It does NOT say angels have no gender.
- In fact, the Bible is silent on the matter; therefore answer "c"
is correct.
- Angels obviously do not need to procreate. They are immortal.
Hence there are no dead angels that need replacement by means of procreation.
- So my GUESS would be that they have no gender as we humans understand
gender.
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Q21-Can a Christian be possessed by demon spirits?
a) Yes
b) No |
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- Or do you (Christians) not know that your body
is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you
- whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
- For you were bought at a price;
- therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are
God's. (1 Cor 6.19-20)
- You (Christians) are of God, little children, and have overcome
them (unclean spirits),
- because He (Holy Spirit) who is in you is greater than he who
is in the world. (1 John 4.4)
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A21-A Matter of Prior Possession
Can a Christian be possessed? Before dealing with this question,
let's first define what "possessed" means.
- To be possessed by a spirit is to have that spirit enter one's
physical body and assume a degree of control over one's thoughts and actions.
- Moreover, possession connotes ownership.
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In becoming a Christian, a person surrendered himself or herself
to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Rom 10.9-10). In essence, a Christian has turned over ownership of his or her
life to God.
- 1 Cor 6.19-20 makes it clear that such a "transfer of title"
is just exactly what takes place when a person is saved.
- These verses tell the Christian, "You are not your own. You
were bought at a price. Holy Spirit now indwells your body, which is His temple. Your body and spirit are now God's
property."
- Thus, a Christian is ALREADY possessed in every sense of that
word.
- If a demon spirit seeks to enter a Christian, that spirit is knocking
at the door of a dwelling which already is occupied by God. 1 John 4.4 states in no uncertain terms that God will
NOT accept house guests!
- Therefore, the answer to question 16 is "b" -- resoundingly
NO!
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- Or do you (Christians) not know that your body is the temple of
the Holy Spirit who is in you
- whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
- For you were bought at a price;
- therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are
God's. (1 Cor 6.19-20)
- You (Christians) are of God, little children, and have overcome
them (unclean spirits),
- because He (Holy Spirit) who is in you is greater than he who
is in the world. (1 John 4.4)
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On the other hand-
Can a Christian be *attacked* by demon spirits?
- Christians cannot be possessed by demons but yes, they can be
subjected to demonic attacks.
- That is why the Bible commands Christians to be aware we have
an enemy (2 Cor 2.11-13). Be vigilent and sober (1 Pet 5.8, 1 John 4.1). Wear the whole armor of God (Eph 6.10-18).
Resist and the devil will flee (Jam 1.14, 4.7).
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| Q22-Can a NON-Christian be possessed by a demon? |
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A22-Yes
(Lev 20.27; 1 Sam 28.27; Isa 29.4; Mt 8.28-31, 9.32 & fol, 12.22, 17.15 & fol; Mk 9.17, 9.25; Lk 11.14-26,
13.11 & fol; Acts 10.38; 1 Tim 4.1; plus many other Bible passages.) It appears that demons are especially
drawn to people who are involved with:
- (1) Occult devices and symbols such as ouija boards, pentagrams,
symbols of death and demons.
- (2) Reading literature and viewing movies or TV which stress occult
activities, pornography, unnatural sex, ghosts, and excessive brutality, such as in "splatter" movies.
- (3) Spiritism activities such as seances, witchcraft, and astrology.
- (4) Mind-altering drugs.
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| 23) Who is the Angel of the Lord? |
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1. Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the
priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2. And the Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was
not consumed.
3. Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.''
4. So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the
midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!'' And he said,
"Here I am.'' (Ex 3.1-4) |
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A23-In Ex 3.2,
the Angel of the Lord calls to Moses from the midst of a bush.
- Ex 3.4 reveals that the One who spoke to Moses from the bush was
the Lord God.
- Therefore, "the Angel of the Lord" is another name for
God.
Does this mean God is one of those spirit persons which the Bible
calls "angels"? No!
- In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for angel is malak.
- In New Testament Greek, angel is angelos.
- Both words mean "messenger."
- The term "the Angel of the Lord" merely denotes that
God in Ex 3 was performing the function of a messenger.
(Note: the term "an angel of the Lord," as in Mt 1.20,
refers to a regular angel, not God. Only "THE Angel of the Lord" is God.)
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