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Bible Studies

written and led by Evonne Bishop
United Methodist Church, Joy, IL

Angels


Angels are mentioned many times in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. However, no one passage tells specifically what they are, what they look like, or what they all do. I've used many Bible references which, together, help us understand a little about angels; and, we can make some deductions as to what they are not and what they do not do.

There are many misconceptions about angels. Some people have become overly superstitious about angels and the supernatural, while other people do not believe angels exist at all. Some people who believe in God do not believe in angels. Some people who do not believe in God, do believe in "angels" . Some people have seen angels and did not know it. Some people have thought they saw angels and did not. Mythology, legends, fairy tales, fictional stories, and human imagination have added to the false or unbiblical view of angels and unseen beings.

This study looks at four groups of angelic beings: Angels which serve God, Satan and the ‘fallen' angels which do not serve God, and The Angel of the Lord.

  1. PART ONE: ANGELS WHO SERVE GOD
    1. What are angels?
      1. They are created by God and Christ. Ps.148:1-6, Col.1:16
      2. They are different, distinct, individual.
        1. Archangels: 1 Thess.4;16
        2. Chief Princes: Dan.10:13
        3. angels, authorities, powers: 1Peter 3:22
      3. They are not restricted by physical bodies. Psalm. 68:17, 104:4, 2Kings 2:11, 6:16-17, Heb.1:7, 14
      4. They are innumerable (can not be counted). Dan.7:10, Heb.12:22
      5. They can be hindered. Dan 10:12-14
      6. They are emotional. Job 38:7, Luke 15:10
      7. They have names.
        1. Gabriel: Luke 1:19, 26-38
        2. Michael: 1Thess.4:16
        3. Lucifer: Is.14:12
    2. What do they do?
      1. They worship God and Christ. Neh.9:6, Rev.5:11-14,
      2. They declare, serve, obey God's will. Ps.103:20-21, Matt.6;10
      3. They make announcements. Luke 1:5-25, 2:10-12, Matt.28:1-8, Acts.1:9-11
      4. They guard the tree of life, and God's throne. Gen.3:24, Rev.4
      5. They minister, assist, protect, and deliver God's people. Dan.6:22, 1King 19:5-7, Matt.4:11, Heb.1:14, Lk 16:22, Act.12:5-11
    3. What are the other created, unseen, angelic beings?
      1. They are flames of fire, spirits, Heb.1:7,14, Ps.104:4,
      2. Cherubim (guards), Gen.3:24, Ex.25:18-22
      3. Seraphim, Isaiah 6:1-8
      4. Principalities, Eph.3:8-10, Col.1:16
    4. What they are not:
      1. To be worshiped or prayed to. Ex.20:3-5, Matt.6:6-9, Rev.19:10
      2. Mediators. 1 Tim.2;5
      3. Glorified human beings. 1Cor.6:3, Matt.22:30, Heb.2:16
      4. Personal guardian angels. Ps.91:11-12, Acts 12:5-11 (There is not just one personal guardian angel for each person)
    5. Conclusion: Angels do exist. They were created by God before the world was created. There are too many angels for us to count. They serve God, and in obedience to God they serve us. Angles guard us, but there is no Biblical evidence of one particular guardian angel per person. We are to worship and pray to God alone, not angles or any other created beings. Christ is our only Mediator. Angels do not mediate or act as go-between for us. Angels are not human beings. When people die, they do not become angels; a person in heaven does not come back to us as our guardian angel. On earth, and in eternity, humans and angels are completely different beings, with completely different purposes.
  2. PART TWO: SATAN AND HIS FALLEN ANGELS (ANGELS WHO DO NOT SERVE GOD)
    1. What are they?
      1. One is named Lucifer: Isaiah 14:12-14, Ezekiel 28:12-19 (also called Satan, the opponent, the adversary, the devil, Abaddon (Hebrew), Apollyon (Greek), Beelzebub (Philistine), Satan is ruler of his own kingdom. Matt.12:24, 25:41, Eph.2:2 Described as murderer, liar, ruler: Jn.8:44, 12:31, 14:30
      2. Others are called demons, fallen angels, evil spirits. Matt.17:18, Luke 9:1, James 2:19, Isaiah 14:12, Luke7:21,8:2, Acts19:12
      3. They sinned, are kept in chains: 2 Peter 2:4
      4. They fell because of pride. 1Tim.3;6
      5. Did not keep their place. Jude 6,
    2. What do they do?
      1. Oppose God. 2Thess.2:3,4
      2. Fight in spiritual battle. Ephes.6:10-18,
      3. Meet and talk with God. Job chap.1 and 2
      4. Try to tempt, coerce, destroy, and influence. Job 1:6-22, 2:1-10, Gen.3:1-7, Matt.4:1-11, Luke22:31-34, Acts 5:3,4, 2Cor.11:3
      5. They sow evil seed. Matt.13:25, 38-39
      6. Throw away the word. Luke 8:12
      7. Oppress and deceive. 2Cor.11:13-15, 1 Tim.4:1-3, 1 Jn.4:1-3,
      8. Blind people's ‘understanding'. 2Cor.11:14-15
      9. Inflict illness. Luke 13:10-16, Act10:38, 2 Cor.12:7-9
      10. Possess people. Matt.4:24, 8:16,10:1, Mark 1:21-26, Luke22:3,31
      11. Transform into angels of light. 2Cor.4:3-4
    3. What Satan and the fallen angels can not do.
      1. Separate us from God's love. Rom.8:38-39
      2. Anything without God's permission. Job.42:2,11
      3. Force us to do anything. James 1:13-15, Rom.7:17, 1 Cor.10:13, 1 Jn.4:4, Eph.4:25-27, 32
    4. We have power over spirits: James 4:7, 2 Tim.1:7, Mark 16:18
    5. Other terms in connection with Satan:
      1. Sheol: A shadowy existence beyond the grave
      2. Hades: An unseen realm, a place of confinement. (Like Sheol)
      3. Hell: A place of the wicked dead. A condition of retribution for unredeemed man. (souls who reject God, His Redemption, and truth.)
      4. Gehenna: A place of suffering (also Hell)
      5. The place of the wicked: Psalm 9:17
      6. "He can destroy both the body and soul in Hell." Matt.10:28
      7. Eternal fire and punishment. Matt.18:8-9, 25:46, Jude 7
      8. Eternal destruction from God's face and glory. 2Thess.1:9
      9. Death and Hades deliver up their dead. Rev.20:13-14
      10. Death and Hades cast into the lake of fire. Rev.21:8
  3. PART THREE. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
    1. Believed by some to be Jesus, before His incarnation as a man.
    2. All references to the Angel of the Lord appear in the Old Testament. These are all distinctive from references to ‘angels' or an ‘angel of the Lord'. The Angel of the Lord is always written with capital letters, is referred to with reference to God and receives worship. Presented are passages where the Angel of the Lord appeared to people: (most important verses marked with *)
      1. Hagar: Gen.*16:7-13, 21:17-18
      2. Abraham: Gen.12:7, 17:1,22, 18:1-23, 19:1, *22:1-2, 9-18
      3. Isaac: Gen.26:2,24
      4. Jacob: Gen.28:12-16, *31:3-13, 32:24-32, 35:7-9, *48:3,4,15,16
      5. Moses: *Exodus 3:1-6,
        • Ex.3:13-15 with John 8:51-53,58-59
        • Ex.13:21, 14:19, 31:15 (the Angel of God in the cloud)
        • Ex.16:6-13 (the glory of the Lord in the cloud)
        • Ex.3:9-11, 33:20-23, Num.12:8 (seen God face to face)
      6. All of Israel: Ex.14:19, *Judges 2:1-5 Ex.23:20-23
      7. Joshua: Josh.5:13-15, 6:1-5
      8. Gedeon: *Judges 6:11-24
      9. Manoah's wife: *Judges 13:3-33 (Compare - Isaiah 9:6 "His name is Wonderful")
      10. Elijah: 2King 1:3,15
      11. David: 1Chron.21:12-30, 2Chron.3:1 (the Lord, the destroying angel)
      12. Solomon: 2Chron.7:12
      13. Isaiah: Isaiah 63:7-9 (Angel of His presence)
      14. Daniel: Dan.3:25,28
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