angels

Angels and Demons

Posted on April 30, 2026 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

A reader asked about the spiritual realm. She wisely noticed that though the Bible is clear that there is a spiritual realm, she was hesitant to delve into its study because of all the wacky, outlandish and downright bizarre books and posts about it.

It is a huge subject! Angels are interesting, and I am like my reader, wondering why not many preachers preach on the subject. Though, if you are fortunate to be in a church that preaches expositionally (verse by verse through a book of the Bible), then perhaps the preacher will credibly address it when it naturally arises. It IS a legitimate feature of most Systematic Theology divisions, it’s called Angelology.

What ARE Angels?

Angels were created by God before He created the world. We know this from Job, because the angels shouted with joy when God did create the universe and worlds. (Job 38:6). In Genesis 1:31 by the end of creation week they had not fallen and were still holy, because God declared everything at that point, “very good”.

They are spirit beings, but they have a personality and a personal will. Some are named in the Bible- Michael and Gabriel for sure, probably Lucifer (Satan), and possibly Apollyon/Abaddon. The mentions of “The Angel of the LORD” are usually interpreted to be a pre-incarnate Jesus.

Then the 6-day creation happened, including earth and God making man. By the next verse after the 2 humans He made, Genesis 3:1 shows us a cunning serpent, which most take to be satan, questioning God’s goodness with the woman. So, by then, some angels had fallen into sin and rebelled. Satan visited the woman in the garden, and Adam was with her. We do not know exactly how long between the end of creation day 6 and the angels’ fall happened, just we know between Genesis 1:31 and Genesis 3:1 things were not ‘very good’ any more because the serpent duped the woman by questioning God’s standards. Satan (a title meaning Accuser or Adversary) was one of them who fell. Most theologians believe his name is Lucifer. According to most interpretations of Revelation 12:3–4, satan convinced about a third of the created holy angels to follow him into rebellion against God, now becoming unholy, AKA demons.

Lucifer was found to have sin in his heart. (Ezekiel 28:15). This is how we know angels have a personal will. He was discontent, and started up rumors doubting God’s goodness. He was internally filled with violence (Ezekiel v. 16). His desire and intent is mentioned in Isaiah, a section known as the “5 I Wills”. Isaiah 14:12-15 says-

Ezekiel 28:12-16 mentions satan as one of the highest cherubs who became proud and fell.

“How you have fallen from heaven,
You star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who defeated the nations!
13“But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
14‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15“Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit.”

Lucifer/Satan and his cohorts are now unholy angels, or better known as demons. The demons oppose God by attempting to thwart His plans. They incite sin, make war, lay traps for the unwary, foment chaos, hinder God’s holy angels as one of them did to Daniel in Daniel 10:13 by preventing the angel to reach Daniel in answer to Daniel’s prayer, and more. They also have the ability to possess an unsaved person’s body (they cannot possess a Christian, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, (Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 John 4:4).

What do angels do?

What do holy angels do? A LOT! I was surprised when I heard a sermon by John MacArthur and he outlined all the things angels do and I had not known how busy they are! Did you know they execute judgment? They brought the Law? They are priests to God, they minister to God’s people, they bring messages, comfort, and more. They worship God in the temple, they guard things, like the entrance to Eden. John MacArthur preached on what the angels do in a 3-part series I linked below. Once you listen to that and then see in the Bible how much angels do and how much they are around, you can’t unsee it!

Angels: God’s Invisible Army, Part 1 https://www.gty.org/sermons/1361/angels-gods-invisible-army-part-1

Angels: God’s Invisible Army, Part 2 https://www.gty.org/sermons/1362/angels-gods-invisible-army-part-2

Angels: God’s Invisible Army, Part 3 https://www.gty.org/sermons/1363/angels-gods-invisible-army-part-3

More resources:

Satan: What is he like? https://www.gty.org/sermons/1355/satan-what-is-he-like

Satan: How does he operate? https://www.gty.org/sermons/1356/satan-how-does-he-operate

Good Angels: https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/great-biblical-doctrines/good-angels/

“The Devil and the Fallen Angels”: transcript, audio was lost. follow up to Martyn Lloyd Jones’ first part called Good Angels, https://the-end-time.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/fallen-angels-sermon-transcription-lloyd-jones.pdf

Wackiness abounds

Angelology and Demonology are fascinating subjects, but a student of Jesus is wise to be cautious about what is real and what is not. Both those subjects, particularly demonology, have a LOT of crazies preaching wrong stuff. Those subjects seem to invite a lot of extra-biblical speculation, experiential anecdotes, and just plain weird doctrines that have no place in any serious discussion.

John MacArthur preached for nearly 60 years, actively. He said there were only two times he came across a demon-possessed person. John Piper preached for nearly that long, and encountered a demonic possession only once. We cannot see demons, they are spirit beings. If a ministering angel incarnates and walks among us, we most often are unaware of their presence (Hebrews 13:2), but there seem to be rare occasions that a person could detect him. If so, it’s most likely an unholy angel, since the holy angels obey God and as Hebrews says, we are unaware of entertaining them.

There seemed to be a lot of demonic possession in the Bible but you see that the demons intensify their activity when God’s plan is coming to fruition. For example, in Genesis 6, during the time of the Prophets, and especially during Jesus’ earthly ministry. They will again be given opportunity to do their worst during the Tribulation of the last of the last days. But demonic possession is not rampant and most Christians never encounter it.

Demons ONLY do as much, no more or less, than Jesus orders them to. When God told satan he could harass Job, satan was also told not to take Job’s life. Satan obeyed that command. When the legion of demons in Gadara met Jesus they begged Him not to send them into the pit (which they knew He could.) They didn’t demand, they begged. He sent them into the pigs instead. Demons only do what is in God’s plan. A few early on that disobeyed His orders were locked up in the abyss (Jude 1:6 and 2 Peter 2:4).

So demons are allowed by God to do certain things as part of His desire to push forward His redemptive plan, to test Christians, to sanctify us through trials, to hand over the sinning ungodly to His wrath, and so on.

Angels have incredible power

2 Thessalonians 2:9 says of the Antichrist, that “the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders”

Satan has power to deceive the elect, if that is possible (Matthew 24:24), with his lying signs and wonders. Remember, the magicians of Pharaoh, named in the New Testament as Jannes and Jambres, kept pace with God’s signs done through Moses, until the plague of gnats. There, they failed, their power unable to match the increasing complexity of the signs. They eventually conceded that God is the greater power, but failed to convince Pharaoh.

Here is Randy Alcorn on the topic of why satan keeps opposing God when he obviously knows God’s word and the ending- https://www.epm.org/resources/2025/Jun/25/ultimate-outcome-oppose/

Do demons harass us?

Spiritual battles take place every day, but normally a battle is against our own sin and against the world that wants us to sin. We defeat sin by refusing to sin, praying, relying on the Holy Spirit, and staying in the word of God.

We may at times be influenced directly by a demon, but more likely they influence us in general by formulating false societal constructs (‘love is love’, feminism, liberal theology, etc.), tempting us with porn, putting ungodly television shows on, inserting ungodly ideas into books, and so on.

If someone says they have seen a demon, perhaps they are making it up. Or sometimes it can be seemingly real to the person but they are being influenced by books or movies, or dreams that seem real.

Occasionally we hear of outbreaks of alleged demonic possession. These are called “mass hysteria outbreaks”. They almost affect females of adolescent age. Malaysia is a Muslim country with Islam being the state religion. It’s called the mass hysteria capital of the world. The BBC wrote this article about demonic outbreaks:

An outbreak of mass hysteria usually begins with what experts call an “index case”, the first person to become affected. In this story, that is Siti. “It doesn’t happen overnight,” says Robert Bartholomew. “It starts with one child and then quickly spreads to others because of an exposure to a pressure-cooker environment of stress.” And all it takes is a major spike in anxiety in a group situation, like seeing a fellow classmate faint or have a fit – to trigger a reaction in another person.

In Salem, the location of the famous witch trials of the late 1600s, an indigenous slave who dabbled in sorcery had filled some adolescent girls’ heads heads with stories and showed them how to perform certain magic. One story goes of how the witch hysteria began was that several of the Puritan adolescent girls tried repeating what the slave, traditionally named Tituba, had shown them. When they were caught, they accused Tituba of bewitching them. The events ran from there. As it went along, the girls had to keep up the story and a mass hysteria event spread, all from the girls aged 9-20. They fell down, had fits, barked, and other displays of alleged demonic possession, whether real or imagined,

There are many reasons to be cautious about any tales of the demonic.

Conclusion

There are numerous holy angels and fallen angels. Myriads upon myriads, an uncountable number to the ancients, are said to have been created. The holy angels work for God diligently and worshipfully. The fallen angels will be cast into the lake of fire forever after being judged.

Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? (1 Corinthians 6:3).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary says of the verse: “judge angels—namely, bad angels. We who are now “a spectacle to angels” shall then “judge angels.” The saints shall join in approving the final sentence of the Judge on them.”

What a day that will be!

Are you curious about angels?

Posted on February 6, 2026 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Angels are innumerable, powerful, nonhuman beings created by God to serve His ordered purposes. Scripture portrays them as named, hierarchical spirits who worship, judge, minister, and wage warfare. Some rebelled and became demons. Angelology, the study of angels, is legitimate but requires biblical caution and careful discernment of sources.

Continue reading →

theology

Angels in the nativity, and elsewhere!

Posted on December 22, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

SYNOPSIS

This advent season, we reflect on the miraculous birth of Jesus, highlighting the significant roles of angels. From announcing His birth to guiding the Wise Men, angels were actively involved throughout His life. Their presence serves as a reminder of God’s ongoing engagement in human affairs.

Continue reading →

theology

The Fate of Souls: Heaven vs Hell in Scripture

Posted on January 18, 2025January 18, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

According to several passages in the Bible, it is believed that angels may escort believers to heaven when they die, (Luke 16:22). We read about the poor man Lazarus who was carried to heaven by angels after he died. After all, Hebrews 1:14 says that angels are ministering spirits who serve those who will inherit salvation. It isn’t a stretch to surmise that they might minister to us as our flesh fades away and our spirit ascends to heaven, guided along by gentle zephyrs in the company of angels who tenderly bring us to our eternal place.

It’s a soft, comforting, lovely thought of the care that Jesus has for our souls, even at the end and beyond.

The difference of how the lost’s souls are handled is stark. Far from being guided in love to safely and gently dock in pastures so green in heaven, only the fires await those who are not in Christ. The lost are THROWN away (from the presence of Jesus). They are CAST into hell.

When you blow your nose and wad a tissue do you gently deposit it into the wastebasket? No, likely you toss it. A wadded up piece of paper? Throw it…score! When you deem something trash or waste, you don’t handle it gently. It is of nothing to you. Toss without care.

The word ‘cast’ or ‘thrown’ is used repeatedly in the Bible referring to those whose destination is hell. Every time. Sin and Hades itself are also thrown or cast into the Lake of Fire.

Matthew 5:29, Now if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Matthew 7:19, Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 8:12, but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 18:9, And if your eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.

Luke 13:28, In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.

John 15:6, If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Revelation 20:10, and the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Revelation 20:15, And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The word used here is ballo with an ek in front. Ek means out. The definition is To cast out, to drive out, to send out, to expel. Expel is to remove something by force.

We are so used to the notion put forth by false teachers that Jesus is a boyfriend romantically pursuing us, or that He is a ‘gentleman’ who wouldn’t not force Himself on us. Neither of these characterizations are accurate. He is meek, yes. He is compassionate, yes. He is never soft on sin. He is angry at sin. He has no use for those who did evil in His sight and there is no need to gently lay into the fire those who rejected His gospel. They are tossed.

Yes, He has compassion on those who are without a shepherd, but when it comes time for the judgment, it will be rough, hard, and a display of the ultimate rejection, them against Jesus and Jesus against them.

Why write this? To awaken a renewed sense of wonder at Jesus’ gospel. To spark a deeper gratitude that He saved us from this. We who are in Him will be witnesses to it. During the Tribulation there will be silence in heaven for ‘half an hour’. (Revelation 8:1). It is a solemn silence of profound expectation of the final and decisive catastrophe- wrath unknown and unexperienced until now.

And yet, the final judgment of casting souls inside fitted bodies into the fires will be worse. Isaiah 66:24 says

“All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the LORD. “Then they will go out and look At the corpses of the people Who have rebelled against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be extinguished; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”

Most commenters take this as figurative language, of those viewing the bodies of the Jews who had rejected Jesus and lay rotting in abundance in their deaths in the aftermath of the battle at Gehenna. I personally think it is literal, that there is a literal lake of fire with literal bodies of the lost in a literal fire. It will be literally somewhere and occasionally the saved will view them and remember as a testimony to God’s mercy that there but for the grace of God, go I.

Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need says Hebrews 4:16. As we approach that throne of grace, let gratitude flow that He has dealt gently with us.

theology

Angels, angels, and more angels!

Posted on December 17, 2024December 17, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

This is a great sermon during this Advent season about angels called “The Ministry of Angels”. The pastor began by saying how many times angels are sung about in our traditional Christmas Carols. If you stop to think about it, they really are mentioned a lot.

Hark, the herald angels sing:
Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King

All is Well:
All is well, all is well, Angels and men rejoice

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:

The First Noel
The first Noel the angel did say
was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,

Silent night
with the angels let us sing
“Alleluia” to our King:
“Christ the Savior is born!

O come all ye faithful
Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation;
sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above!

O holy night
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!

Angels, we have heard on high
Angels we have heard on high, Sweetly singing o’er the plains,

Angels from the realms of glory
Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o’er all the earth;
ye who sang creation’s story now proclaim Messiah’s birth:

The study of angels in formal doctrine studies is called Angelology. It is one of the fundamental doctrines usually listed by most theologians in systematic theology. These doctrines are-

Theology Proper. Doctrine of God the Father.
Christology. Doctrine of Christ.
Pneumatology. The study of the Holy Spirit
Bibliology. Doctrine of the Bible.
Anthropology. Doctrine of Man.
Angelology. Doctrine of Angels.
Hamartiology. Doctrine of sin.
Soteriology. Doctrine of salvation.
Ecclesiology. Doctrine of the Church.
Eschatology. Doctrine of Last Things.
Soteriology. The study of salvation.
Cosmology – The study of creation

Angelology is a fascinating study, and there is much in the Bible about angels. But like most doctrines, it can and often is twisted by the unstable. It is a target for fringe theologians who spout fanciful theories and supposed visions. As Phil Johnson has said, “Few biblical topics have provoked more wild speculation and fruitless debate than the topic of angels.”

Because of this I am providing what I have found to be safe and solid material on angels for further study. After listening to the sermon I linked above, there are other great resources that explore the facts about these incredible beings.

By Gustave Doré, Elijah nourished by an angel, 1866

John MacArthur has several pieces about the different ministries of angels, including angel armies, (Angels: God’s Invisible Army, Part 1 with other parts after this), entertaining angels (Ever Met an Angel?), Angelic Messengers, and others. Search for angels at gty.org.

Phil Johnson wrote an essay at Ligonier called Angels: Messengers and Ministers of God.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached two sermons on angels in his Great Doctrines series. One is called Good Angels. Sadly, there is no recording of his subsequent lecture titled “The Devil and the Fallen Angels” but there is a transcript you can read which I uploaded for the public. Here is the link to the transcribed sermon The Devil and the Fallen Angels by Lloyd-Jones.

Randy Alcorn, author of the book ‘Heaven’, has several articles about angels at his website. How Do We Know That Seraphim and Cherubim Are Angels? He also answered this question In Their Own Realm, Do Angels Have Physicality?

“The Last Angel,” painted by Nicholas Roerich in 1912, is a powerful, symbolic artwork depicting the Archangel Michael, often interpreted as a premonition of impending war and destruction, with imagery inspired by the Book of Revelation, where the “last angel” is described as a fearsome figure heralding the end times; it showcases Michael as a warrior angel with a spear and shield, surrounded by flames, echoing Byzantine artistic traditions.

Pastor at First Baptist Church of Jackson in Jackson, Alabama, Philip McDuffie said, “Christians should have a healthy fascination with angels. These disembodied, spiritual beings are remarkable. They have extraordinary power and amazing intelligence. They are so radiant with the glory of God that godly men foolishly feel the need to bow down and worship them (Rev. 22:8-9). They appear all throughout the Bible, especially at major redemptive events. You will find them in the Garden of Eden, with the Patriarchs, with Moses, Joshua, and David, at Mount Sinai, all throughout the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Acts of the Apostles, and at the consummation of all things.”

McDuffie says that Spurgeon was also fascinated with angels, and had a few thoughts on these beings grounded in scripture but launching from there into the mildly speculative. His and Spurgeon’s thoughts are here: Spurgeon’s Angelology: A Speculative Thought.

In this sermon, Charles Spurgeon discusses the angels who ministered to Jesus after His temptation in the wilderness. Satan departing, angels ministering

RC Sproul preached a two-part series simply called Angels.

Now here’s a little debate for you: do angels sing? I wrote about this a few years ago. Despite the hymns and carols noting that angels sing this or that, there is very little scriptural evidence that they do sing. But no scriptural evidence claiming they unequivocally do not sing. Hmmm.

GotQuestions: Do Angels Sing?

The End Time: Do Angels Sing? In which I look at the stances of some theologians who believe they do or do not, as well as offer some food for thought.

In the end, lest we fall guilty of what Phil Johnson said above, that we engage in wild speculation or fruitless debate, let me end here with a link to a page listing scriptures in which angels are mentioned, and it says there are 499 scriptures (but 25 are noted here).

Enjoy! Angels are fascinating and never forget, we will meet them one day!

theology

Spurgeon tackles the weird angel creature wheel within a wheel

Posted on July 11, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I’ve been posting about angels lately. Here are some of the essays I’ve posted:

Great Biblical Doctrines: The Good Angels

Back to Basics: All about Angels

About entertaining angels unawares

A study of angels is called Angelology, and it is a legitimate field of study in theology. See link below for more on what angelology is. Angels are powerful created beings with God-given powers to be used for God’s glory and within limits. The angels that fell into sin and followed Lucifer are the demons, and their powers are used for ill and evil, but also within God’s limits.

But there are two weird areas of study within this fascinating field. As if studying the ‘normal’ angels isn’t deep enough, we have two scenarios in the Bible that are perplexing and amazing. In Genesis 6:2 we have a short verse telling us that some fallen angels did not keep their estate and took human wives, all they wanted. Peter and Jude tell us these particular beings are locked up now. (2 Peter 2:4-7, Jude 1:6). These are somehow tied to the Nephilim, some say, and defining the Nephilim has been a controversial and unsettled fringe branch of angelology for a long time.

The other scenario are the living beings with four faces (Ezekiel 1:4-14, which may or may not be the same as the ones described in Revelation 4:6–9), the creatures called seraphim with 6 wings, (Isaiah 6:2) and these wheels within wheels with eyes all around that Spurgeon tells about.

As Shakespeare said in the play Hamlet, ‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’

Certainly, God is above our ways and His mind is incredible, and ‘wondrous strange’ to our way of thinking. But let’s turn to Spurgeon’s fascination of the beings that are wheels within wheels with eyes all around. Spurgeon sees these creatures as angels of a sort, and the very visible mechanism of the Providence of God. Ezekiel 1:15-19-

As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16 This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. 18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. 19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.

Ezekiel 3:12, crucifixus, the revealer, Throne Room Imagery. source fullofeyes.com, free Visual-Exegetical Art

Sermon- God’s Providence, October 15, 1908, Scripture: Ezekiel 1:15-19, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

I like Spurgeon’s transparency here:

The meaning of the passage, “In heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven,” surely is that every Christian has a guardian angel, who flies about him, and holds the shield of God over his brow, keeps his foot lest he should dash it against a stone, guards him, controls him, manages him, injects thoughts into his mind, restrains his evil desire and is the minister and servant of the Holy Ghost, to keep him from sin, and lead him to righteousness. Whether I am right or wrong, I leave you to judge; but perhaps I have more angelology in me than most people have. I know my imagination has sometimes been so powerful that, when I have been alone at night, I could almost fancy that I saw an angel fly by me, when I have been out preaching the Word. However, I take it that the text teaches us that angels have very much to do with God’s Providence, for it says,

“And when the living creatures went the wheels went by them, and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.” Let us bless God that he has made angels ministering spirits to minister unto them that are heirs of salvation.

Yes, we praise God for His messengering-ministering agents.

He has several points in his sermon. Firstly Spurgeon explains why he sees providence as a wheel. Next he points out that The Providence of God is in some mysterious way connected with angels. Third, the creatures with four faces indicate that Providence is universal (north, south, east, west). Fourth, Providence is uniform (the creatures had four faces but one likeness). next, Providence is intricate.

Here, I stopped reading the sermon for a moment so as to ponder this truth. I often muse about God in his Infinite, creative, and powerful mind. His creation is amazing. His creatures are tremendously varied and adapted to the many habitats He created. He forms each person in the womb and gives them a unique blend of personality, talents, appearance. Then uses each person, each creature, each circumstance on earth among all 8 billion people simultaneously to bring about His will. He does this every minute of every day. His providence is intricate, yet powerful. Delicate, yet inflexible. He is God.

Spurgeon preaches a while on how Providence is always correct, and concludes that Providence is AMAZING.

“These living creatures I believe to be angels, and the text teaches us that there is a connection between Providence and angelic agency. I do not know how to explain it, I cannot tell how it is; but I believe angels have a great deal to do with the affairs of this world. An angel cut off the hosts of Sennacherib, and it is still my firm belief that angels are sent forth, somehow or other, to accomplish the everlasting purpose of God.”

John MacArthur preached about angels in his 2-part series God’s Invisible Army. In part 2, MacArthur noted that angels were a part of the giving of the Law. They can control natural elements. (Revelation 8 and 9). They can physically restrain evildoers (Genesis 19).

Angels are part of the creation of God, they are created beings. They do His will, even the fallen ones. Providence IS amazing, yet the God OF Providence is even more so. Worship Him today.

Further Resources

God’s Providence – Spurgeon sermon

Providence IS Remarkable – Phil Johnson

What is Angelology? – GotQuestions article

Angels – 2 part teaching series by RC Sproul

Angels: Messengers and Ministers of God – Phil Johnson at Ligonier, article

angels, gabriel, Michael, tribulation

Back to Basics: All about Angels

Posted on July 2, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Angels are mentioned almost three hundred times in the Bible. Let’s look at who these created beings are and what they do for God. This essay will be divided into three sections. First, we’ll have a very brief overview in looking at what angels do and who they are, from scripture. I say very brief because the subject is so deep that one essay, or even a dozen essays, can’t do it justice.

In the second section there will be some fast facts and trivia.

In the third section at the end I’ll look at some weighty matters concerning angels.

Section 1: Overview

The Bible says that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Since God has always existed, ‘the beginning means’ the beginning of what He wants to reveal to us. Job 38:4-7 says that when God did that work, the angels praised Him by shouting with joy. So the angels already were created by God when God created the worlds. We do not know how long before, but they were blessed spectators to the Creation.

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7)

“Sons of God” is a term sometimes used to describe angels. (Job 1:6, Genesis 6:2). Angels then, were created before the foundation of the world was laid, but the point is, they are created beings. They have intellect, will, and emotions. They are a higher order than humans. (Hebrews 2:7). They are spirit beings that sometimes take on a body likeness when they come to earth. And they do come to earth. (Genesis 32:24, Hebrews 13:2).

In Genesis 18:2, Abraham saw three ‘men’ approaching him but in the next verse Abraham immediately bowed and called one of them Lord. Though they were in the form of men, Abraham knew they were not of this world. One of them was a pre-incarnate visitation of Jesus, of course. Sometimes an angel appears and they do not look like men but they do look like they are from glory. (Matthew 28:2-4). Usually in those cases where even their full stature and countenance is hidden, the men and women viewing them still fall down.

They serve us by obeying God. They praise and honor God in His temple (Revelation 4:8; Hebrews 12:22) bring messages, (Luke 1:19, Daniel 10:11), minister to us, (Hebrews 1:14), fight for God against the forces of evil, (2 Kings 6:17).

Or not, as the case may be. Angels rebelled in heaven and a third of the angels sided with satan. (Revelation 12:4). These became the demons. They attempt to thwart God and His people. They may seem to be temporarily successful but of course they are not in any sense victorious over God. His plan reigns supreme. All that happens to those who love God He turns to the good for His glory.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary explains more eloquently. Click on the link FMI

“But its distinctive application is to certain heavenly intelligences whom God employs in carrying on his government of the world. The name does not denote their nature but their office as messengers.

(1.) The existence and orders of angelic beings can only be discovered from the Scriptures. Although the Bible does not treat of this subject specially, yet there are numerous incidental details that furnish us with ample information. Their personal existence is plainly implied in such passages as Genesis 16:7, 10, 11; Judges 13:1-21; Matthew 28:2-5; Hebrews 1:4, etc.

These superior beings are very numerous. “Thousand thousands,” etc. (Dan. 7:10; Matthew 26:53; Luke 2:13; Hebrews 12:22, 23). They are also spoken of as of different ranks in dignity and power (Zechariah 1:9, 11; Dan. 10:13; 12:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 1:9; Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 1:16).

(2.) As to their nature, they are spirits (Hebrews 1:14), like the soul of man, but not incorporeal. Such expressions as “like the angels” (Luke 20:36), and the fact that whenever angels appeared to man it was always in a human form (Genesis 18:2; 19:1, 10; Luke 24:4; Acts 1:10), and the titles that are applied to them (“sons of God, ” Job 1:6; 38:7; Dan. 3:25; Comp. 28) and to men (Luke 3:38), seem all to indicate some resemblance between them and the human race. Imperfection is ascribed to them as creatures (Job 4:18; Matthew 24:36; 1 Peter 1:12). As finite creatures they may fall under temptation; and accordingly we read of “fallen angels.”

FMI: Sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Common and Special Grace, Ephesians 6:10-13, “examples of special grace in Scripture; the ministry of angels.“

FMI: Sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Good Angels

Note: Even though the audio to MLJ’s part 2 on angels is lost, for now at least, the companion lecture to Good Angels, titled “‘The Devil and the Fallen Angels'” can be read at this link. (start on p 78).

Trivia question: Who are the only named angels in the Bible? Answer below.

Fast Fact: Angels that rebelled will not be redeemed. Their condemnation is fixed. (Matthew 25:41)

Fast Fact: Humans do not turn into angels when we get to heaven. Angels and humans are separate orders of beings in creation. Angels are angels and humans are humans. Forever.

Cherubim is a class of angel who guarded the way back to the tree of life with a flaming sword. (Genesis 3:24)

Peter was freed from prison by an angel. Even locks and prison bars cannot stop angels from ministering to us, when God sends them! (Acts 12:4-8)

An angel announced the birth of Samson. (Judges 13:1-7,24)

Food for thought: If sometimes we entertain angels unaware, and a third of them sided with Lucifer and turned into unholy demons, then there is a 1-in-3 chance that when an angel visits us he is an unholy demon. (Genesis 6:1-2). However the good news is that they obey God and do His bidding within limits. (Job 1:12, 2 Chronicles 18:21)

Do angels marry? Not in heaven. (Mark 12:25). But the rebellious ones did on earth. (Genesis 6:1). That’s why they are in chains awaiting judgment. (Jude 1:6; 2 Peter 2:4)

Trivia answer: The named angels in the Bible are Gabriel, Michael, Lucifer, and perhaps also Apollyon/Abaddon of Revelation 9:11.

Angels in the Bible are potent beings with incredible power. Did you know that the Law was given to Moses by angels?

“you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” (Acts 7:53),

“Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.“(Galatians 3:19)

Deuteronomy 33:2 mentions that He came to give the Law with myriads and ten thousands of His holy ones. Angels by the side of God as He delivered the Law! Incredible!

How powerful are angels? This was astounding to me when I read it. I studied the book of Revelation. It becomes terribly obvious that angels are the means that God uses to deliver judgment.

Begin with Chapter 5:2,

“Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”

The word loud in this verse is from megas, meaning ‘in the widest sense’, large, great. It’s where we get ‘mega’ from. Mighty is from a word meaning powerful in the physical sense.

“Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:11-12)

Angels hold back the wind and rise with the sun. They proclaim praise, render judgment, and fulfill God’s wishes.

“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” (Revelation 7:1-3)

How about this powerful scene with angels from Revelation 8:1-5

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings,a flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”

Cherubs? NO! Flying babies? Never! They are holy and powerful! Skim through Revelation to see the massive amount of angelic intercession in the affairs of men during the Tribulation. I could quote many more instances but if I did, I’d essentially be repeating the entire book of Revelation. John MacArthur sums it up

“Angels, you know, have played very prominent roles already in Revelation. The four horsemen that we saw in chapter 6 were called by angels, the seven trumpets were blown by angels, Satan and demons were defeated by angels, the seven bowls will be poured out by angels, Armageddon is announced by an angel, Satan and demons are bound by an angel, and here is another angel. And this angel comes out of the temple in heaven and he also has a sharp sickle.” This is the angel that reaps the earth.

Matthew 13:39 says that angels reap at the end of the age:

“and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.” (Matthew 13:39)

Once you’ve read through, then ask the Spirit to heighten your awareness of the holy work of angels in the Bible. They are mentioned quite often, and as you read through the book you’re reading through, you will notice their works. Even the demons are powerful. The fallen ones are still called majesties and those false teachers who unwisely mock and deride them are themselves awaiting judgment. (2 Peter 2:10-11). Even Archangel Michael dare not bring an accusation against satan but instead said simply, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 1:9).

Not that we worship angels, (Revelation 22:9) but be aware of their powerful work for our Holy God. Just as we are instruments of His plan used to bring Him glory, so are angels. Yet they have supernatural powers and dwell in the very temple of heaven.

Further Reading:

Angels, a 2-part free lecture series from RC Sproul

What does the Bible say about angels?

Martyn Lloyd Jones, A sermon on the doctrine of Good Angels

Other entries in Back to Basics Series:

Back to Basics: What is a miracle?

Back to Basics: Who is Satan?

Back to Basics: What is Justification?

Back to Basics: What does it mean to be born again?

angel, end time, entertain angels unaware, prophecy, satan

About entertaining angels unawares

Posted on July 1, 2024July 1, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

It’s High Summer here in the US now. It’s vacation week for many people, and there’s a holiday coming up. I’m going to re-post some angel essays I’ve done in the past. So, it’s Angel week here on the blog!

Chris Koelle, illustrator The Angel speaking with John on Patmos

Angels figure very, very prominently in the NT. People don’t really know this, or they overlook angels in the Bible. But once you see how often they are out and about, you can’t unsee it. At the other end of the scale, some are so preoccupied with angels they nearly fall into angel worship.

Once you start studying angels, you realize how frequently they are mentioned in the New Testament. And as for the nativity story, make many appearances! So let’s get to know these incredible beings better.

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:2 KJV)

From the Bible, we know that God created angels. (Colossians 1:16-17). We know that angels interact with humans at the behest of God. (Luke 1:26-38). They deliver messages. (Daniel 9:20-23). They fight for territory. (Daniel 10:20). They guard humans (Matthew 18:10) and report to God on the actions of children, anyway (Matt. 18:1-14) and perhaps to individually minister to adult Christians also (Hebrews 1:14).

cherubim, mosaic, Mont Sainte-Odile, Alsace, France

Angels are divided into hierarchies and troops, including both good and evil angels, and special categories such as cherubim, seraphim, and the archangel. They are invisible. (2 Kings 6:17). They look like men sometimes, (Genesis 18:1-2) and other times they look like glory (Matthew 28:2-4) and other times they look like metal and lightning (Daniel 10:5-6) and still there are other angels who look completely unusual and beyond description (Revelation 4:6-8). [For the record, with one debatable exception, angels are not biblically described as having any wings]

Surely, it is a blessing that there is a class of created being whom God uses for His glory and for our help. It is a blessing also to think that we may entertain one of them at some point in our lives!

It is not well for us to miss the opportunity of the presence, the conversation, and the prayers of the good. The influence of such guests in a family is worth more than it costs to entertain them. ~Barnes’ Notes

But do not forget, there is another class of angels. There was a rebellion in heaven, and the highest angel, one created to guard the throne itself, tried to vault himself above God and was kicked out of heaven for it. His name is Lucifer, whose title is now the devil, adversary, satan. And even though a third of the multitudes of angels lived with God, and saw His glory and knew His heart, Lucifer was apparently so convincing that they sided with him against God, and so they were kicked out too. (Revelation 12:3-4,9)

Not everything supernatural is from God! If you entertain angels unawares, it may be a good angel sent to minister to you. Or it may be a fallen angel, sent by satan to thwart you, deceive you, or hinder you. (also 1 Tim 4:1-3; 2 Cor.11:13-15) “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).

In this we must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Barnes’ Notes again:

If there is danger that we may sometimes receive those of an opposite character. yet it is not wise on account of such possible danger, to lose the opportunity of entertaining those whose presence would be a blessing.

If you are reading this whether you are a Christian or a non-believer, be aware that deceit comes in a guise wrapped in a beautiful package. Fallen angels would look just like the glorious angels, as stated above in the Corinthians verse. If you are a Christian, you should be praying daily to receive wisdom, and it will be given to you without reproach.

You should be in the Word daily so that you will know the truth from a lie. Without His help, you are at the mercy of an adversary who can and does ‘appear to us unawares’ and always for the purpose of destroying us!

NOT EVERYTHING SUPERNATURAL IS FROM GOD!

Angels might surround you unawares, and it surely would be a blessing to discover in the hereafter that you’d entertained a Holy Angel!

angels, gabriel, Michael, tribulation

Back to Basics: All about Angels

Posted on April 25, 2024April 25, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In the second section there will be some fast facts and trivia.

In the third section at the end I’ll look at some weighty matters concerning angels.

Section 1: Overview

Easton’s Bible Dictionary explains more eloquently. Click on the link FMI

FMI: Sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Common and Special Grace, Ephesians 6:10-13, “examples of special grace in Scripture; the ministry of angels.“

FMI: Sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Good Angels

Trivia question: Who are the only named angels in the Bible? Answer below.

Fast Fact: Angels that rebelled will not be redeemed. Their condemnation is fixed. (Matthew 25:41)

Fast Fact: Humans do not turn into angels when we get to heaven. Angels and humans are separate orders of beings in creation. Angels are angels and humans are humans. Forever.

Cherubim is a class of angel who guarded the way back to the tree of life with a flaming sword. (Genesis 3:24)

Peter was freed from prison by an angel. Even locks and prison bars cannot stop angels from ministering to us, when God sends them! (Acts 12:4-8)

An angel announced the birth of Samson. (Judges 13:1-7,24)

Do angels marry? Not in heaven. (Mark 12:25). But the rebellious ones did on earth. (Genesis 6:1). That’s why they are in chains awaiting judgment. (Jude 1:6; 2 Peter 2:4)

Trivia answer: The named angels in the Bible are Gabriel, Michael, Lucifer, and perhaps also Apollyon/Abaddon of Revelation 9:11.

The Renaissance was a period of renewal and discovery. So much beautiful art, architecture, and advanced thought came out of that period between the 14th and 17th century that we have much to be grateful for. However, not all that came from the Renaissance was good. We have our current view of angels as chubby munchkins with tiny wings shooting love darts into people insidiously placed in our minds thanks to the Italian painters.

Wikipedia explains the difference between putti and cherubs (as opposed to the biblical cherubim).

“A putto (plural putti) is a figure in a work of art depicted as a chubby male child, usually nude and sometimes winged. Putti are commonly confused with, yet are completely unrelated to, cherubim. In the plural, “the Cherubim” refers to the biblical angels, which have four heads of different species and several pairs of wings. While “cherubs” represent the second order of angels, putti are secular and present a non-religious passion. However, in the Baroque period of art, the putto came to represent the omnipresence of God. A putto representing a cupid is also called an amorino (plural amorini). During the Middle Ages, the putto disappeared and was revived during the 15th century. The revival of the figure of the putto is generally attributed to Donatello, in Florence in the 1420s”

At least at the end of the Gothic age as the Renaissance dawned, Giotto, the era’s most famous painter, was depicting angels as full grown men. Below is his “Nativity” from the Arena Chapel, Late Gothic/Early Italian Renaissance 1305-1306. The angels are engaged in full-blown worship of God. They had wings, unfortunately, but at least they were fully grown. By the beginning of the Renaissance around 1420, they had been reduced to putti/cherubs.

Here is an example. Though the putti were meant to be secular, their similarity to cherubs in vastly reduced in size and position contributed to the false imagery about angels that persists to this day. They are constantly shown as mischievous sprites chasing love and napping, not full the grown, powerful created holy beings who serve Almighty God that they are. I’m harping on this for a reason.

Here is a piece of art called “The Cherub Harvesters,” Francis Boucher, ca. 1733-34

Angels in the Bible are potent beings with incredible power. Did you know that the Law was given to Moses by angels?

“you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” (Acts 7:53),

Deuteronomy 33:2 mentions that He came to give the Law with myriads and ten thousands of His holy ones. Angels by the side of God as He delivered the Law! Incredible!

How powerful are angels? This was astounding to me when I read it. I studied the book of Revelation. It becomes terribly obvious that angels are the means that God uses to deliver judgment.

Begin with Chapter 5:2,

The word loud in this verse is from megas, meaning ‘in the widest sense’, large, great. It’s where we get ‘mega’ from. Mighty is from a word meaning powerful in the physical sense.

Angels hold back the wind and rise with the sun. They proclaim praise, render judgment, and fulfill God’s wishes.

How about this powerful scene with angels from Revelation 8:1-5

Matthew 13:39 says that angels reap at the end of the age:

“and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.” (Matthew 13:39)

and instead remember that even this image won’t do them justice.

They are majestic, intelligent, powerful and we are not to revile even the fallen ones. Our God is amazing in His creation of all the universe, the worlds, the animals, stars, humans … and angels.

Further Reading:

Angels, a 2-part free lecture series from RC Sproul

What does the Bible say about angels?

Martyn Lloyd Jones, A sermon on the doctrine of Good Angels

Other entries in Back to Basics Series:

Back to Basics: What is a miracle?

Back to Basics: Who is Satan?

Back to Basics: What is Justification?

Back to Basics: What does it mean to be born again?

gnosticism, gnostics, neo-gnosticism

When our worship gets misdirected

Posted on January 31, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Paul spoke against the worship of angels in Colossians 2.

There are 6 main elements that Paul refutes in Colossians-
1. secret knowledge, (refuted in Col 1:27; 2:3)
2. asceticism, (Col 2:18)
3. depreciation of Christ (lowering Him in name and in glory), (Col 2:18b)
4. strict rule-keeping, ceremonies, or rituals (Col 2:23)
5. worship of angels, (Col 2:18)
6. and reliance on human wisdom and traditions (Col 2:20b-22)

One way to depreciate Jesus, the SOLE arbiter and dispenser of Truth, is to encourage people to shift their gaze to angels instead. (Like the Catholics want you to look at Mary, not Jesus). Anything to move Him to second place.

There is a reason that “voluntary humility” is followed by “worship of angels.” Here is a comment on Colossians 2:18 from Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers:

Worshipping of angels.—This is closely connected with the “voluntary humility” above “that we must be brought near by angels and not by Christ, for that were too high a thing for us” (Chrysostom).

Everything old is new again, and elements of it are infiltrating everywhere today. It is a practice/philosophy that wants the adherent to look within herself for truth. “Follow your heart”, “The truth is in you”, “Be true to yourself” and something we hear a lot today, “MY truth”, and so on.

In refuting the false doctrines that had infiltrated the church at Colossae, Paul wrote:

“Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize.” (Colossians 2:18a).

“At the core of Gnosticism is the belief that knowledge, typically secret knowledge – knowledge from angels, from the stars and planets, from the ancients – was the path to holiness and salvation,” David Grabbe wrote in Forerunner Commentary.

Paul warned about this again in Galatians 1:8, writing, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.“

How many false religions were started by or are perpetuated by a fallen angel? Most. Mormonism, Islam, Seventh Day Adventists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses were started via “angels”, and Catholicism and New Age Mysticism make heavy use of angelic visits though angelic-seeming spirit guides, saint worship, and Marian apparitions. Many New Age sects began through the contact of “Spirit Guides”.

Why be so (falsely) humble? Because that way, neo-Gnostics can appear to be pious and make up their own rules at the same time. They say, “I’m too humble to know God’s word for sure, but THIS I know for sure, I was visited by an angel who showed me … And I know it’s true because it happened to me!” This aspect of neo-Gnosticism is re-emerging today in increasing amounts. Many are straying away from God’s word and substituting mystical experiences and intuition for truth.

Mike Ratliffe wrote, “These reactions are rooted in the “Hermeneutic of Humility,” which is a way of looking at our faith and interpreting the very Word of God through a filter that sees certainty as a product of pride and uncertainty as a virtue. … people contend that to be certain divides people while uncertainty creates an environment of unity. I contend that the “Hermeneutic of Humility” is that decaying point from which the godlessness in these days has become so manifest in the visible church in our time.”

Now, angels are not divine and worship of them is explicitly prohibited (as in Col. 2:18; Rev. 19:10; 22:9).

Heresy doesn’t always mean that a sect or a doctrine denies Jesus outright. The most successful sects and heretics preach Jesus, but they preach a different Jesus. They say that more must be done to attain salvation, that Jesus isn’t sufficient. They chip away at His sovereignty and slowly build man up as a partner on the sanctification process. Did you ever wonder why the verse in Acts 1:11 says, “Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Paul referred to a Gnostic’s false humility. A false humility goes something like this: “‘so humble unworthy me can’t think of worshiping a Holy God. I’ll worship this angel instead.” But what is true humility? One can find a definition at Christian Research and Apologetics Ministry (CARM):

“Humility is the right understanding of who you are before God. Notice, I did not say it means that you have to hate yourself, or call yourself names, or say you aren’t worth anything, etc. Humility is that quality of a Christian that demonstrates a right relationship and position before God. This demonstration is manifested in attitude, words, and deeds.”

Paul referred to real humility in Colossians 3:12- “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” and the word for humility is translated “lowliness of mind.” Quite the opposite of the Gnostic’s puffed up sense of self and the high importance he places on his visions and experiences and knowledge!

——————

Gnostic buzzwords to watch out for,
–“received” as in ‘received a text’, ‘received a revelation’,
–ascend, higher, elevation
–spirit guide, spirit being, ascended masters (other terms for false angels and their worship),
–mystery, alchemy, altered states of consciousness,
–elementals (Paul refuted the necessity of seeking elemental forces in Col 2:8)
–new, as in new revelation, new light, new approach, new interpretation. Also, ‘fresh’.

Always look to Jesus. He is the sole source of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. It all begins and ends with Him. Angels are His servants. Angels are not bringing any further revelation to anyone these days, because the canon is closed. If you think you have been visited by an angel who told you secret things, new things, fresh things, things outside of the Bible, you were visited by a demon.