Theology Series Angelology Study Guide John Pappas Copyright John Pappas, Th.M, Th.D 2019 Table of Contents Introduction to the Study of Angels .............................................................................................................. 1 Creation of Angels ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Nature of Angels ........................................................................................................................................... 8 The Fall of Angels ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Organization of Angels ................................................................................................................................ 13 The Appearance of Angels .......................................................................................................................... 17 Appearance II .............................................................................................................................................. 19 The Angel of the LORD ................................................................................................................................ 22 The Abode of Angels ................................................................................................................................... 24 The Activities of Angels ............................................................................................................................... 27 The Activities of Angels II ............................................................................................................................ 30 The Activities of Angels III ........................................................................................................................... 33 The Activities of Angels IV ........................................................................................................................... 36 The Activities of Angels V ............................................................................................................................ 39 The Activities of Angels VI ........................................................................................................................... 41 The Activities of Angels VII .......................................................................................................................... 44 The Activities of Angels VIII ......................................................................................................................... 48 The limitations of Angels ............................................................................................................................ 50 The Latter Days and the Church .................................................................................................................. 52 The Future Work of Angels II ...................................................................................................................... 54 The Future Work of Angels III ..................................................................................................................... 56 The Future Work of Angels IV ..................................................................................................................... 58 The Future Work of Angels V ...................................................................................................................... 60 The Future Work of Angels VI ..................................................................................................................... 62 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................ 64 Angelology John Pappas, ThD Introduction to the Study of Angels Session 1 I. Angel mal’ak), “messenger, ambassador,” from root meaning “to dispatch as a) מַלְאָ ְך Hebrew .1 deputy.” 2. Greek ἄγγελος (aggelos), “messenger, envoy, one who is sent,” from root, “to bring tidings.” II. Introduction Angels have long served as a fascination for popular culture. What they are has been widely distorted. When the average person is asked to explain angels the answers vary, with such responses as: angels are little children, women, dead people, and even a force for personal use. Early man mixed angelology with mythology. The archeological record finds extra- biblical material as far back as 2250 B.C. One of the oldest accounts on record relates angels flying over the head of the king in prayer on the stele of Ur-Nammus in Mesopotamia1. Worship of angels has long been a cultural phenomenon. The ancient civilizations of mankind: the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Greeks, all believed in a perverted version of angels. Angelic creatures called Aeons by the Greeks, Demi-gods, Genii (Genies), and Lares populate the pop-cultures of the ancient world. The Biblical record records mankind’s fascination with angels in the form of angel worship. In the letter to the Colossian Church, Paul warns against the Gnostics worshipping angels (Col. 2:18). Indeed, Paul equated idolatry with demon worship (1 Cor. 10:20). 1 Merrill Tenney, gen. ed., The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), vol. 1 1 Angelology John Pappas, ThD The middle ages brought western civilization a myriad of mystical speculation concerning angels as Scholasticism speculated as to their various attributes and capabilities. Stories of righteous men turning into angels and bad men turning into evil angels became popular. Selling one’s soul to Satan and such compacts were written with blood.2 Medieval cathedrals perpetuated the mystical superstition by placing gargoyles on the roof to ward off evil and warn people of evil. In modern times, man searches the heavens for “intelligent life,” pointing radio telescopes to the heavens hoping to hear from intelligent “life forms.” With respect to demonic activity and the occult, modern society has embraced dabbling in it with the dark imaginations that create evil computer games, movies, satanic music, and even so far as Satanism and the Church of Satan promoted on the internet and other avenues of popular culture. Within the cults of Christianity, Jesus Christ is reduced from God to a created being. Among these cults, the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormonism reduce Christ to an angel. III. The reality of Angels We know about angels only because Scripture tells us about them. Angels appear in thirty-four of the sixty-six books of the Bible. In fact, the Sadducees did not believe in angels or the resurrection, but Jesus corrected them by saying resurrected people would be like the angels with respect to marriage (Matt. 22:30). It is important to note that the inspired writers of Scripture assume the existence of angels and make no attempt to prove their existence. Biblical knowledge comes through special revelation of God received through dreams, visions, theophanies, and angels. Angels are spirit beings so their existence is not visible and hence cannot be observed or otherwise known outside of Scripture. Scripture does have a great deal to say about them and their activities, so much so, that a complete division in systematic theology can be dedicated to the study of angels. The Bible gives us stories concerning the affairs of angels with mankind, some ministering to man’s well-being (Heb. 1:14), while others wage war against men and other angels (Eph. 6:12). 2 Augustus Strong, Systematic Theology (Valley Forge: Hudson Press, 1907), 443 2 Angelology John Pappas, ThD Angels play a prominent role in some of the greatest stories of the Bible. They include: (1) the rare look into the workings in the throne room of God in Job 1; (2) the angel assisting a confused Daniel to understand his troubled vision concerning the future of Israel (Daniel 10); (3) the angel Gabriel assists with the events of the birth of Jesus (Luke 1); and (4) the events of the Book of Revelation where angels play a dominant role bringing God’s judgment upon the earth during the Great Tribulation. It is the Book of Revelation that reveals some of the most important information about angels. Good angels assist God while evil angels play a dominant role in tormenting mankind and battling against good angels in an all- out effort for the satanic kingdom. The reality of angels and their activities are clearly described in the Bible but we are often unaware of them as mankind can entertain angels unaware (Heb. 13:2). It is also true that today the visible activity of angels in their primary ministry as messengers of God to mankind has been replaced by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who guides Christians into all truth (John 16:13)3. “In addition to the physical world and humankind, God also created spiritual creatures called angels. The universe is material, while angels are immaterial; human beings have both matter (body) and spirit, while angels have only spirit. The hierarchy of beings ranges from God to angels to human beings to animals to inanimate matter. Angels are beneath God, and humans are a little lower than the angels (Heb. 2:7), while all creatures are below them (Ps. 8:4-5).” (Norm Geisler, Systematic Theology) IV. God created the angels (Ps. 148:2,5; Job 38:6-7; Col. 1:16) a. Psalm 148:2,5 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD