Angelology, Part 1

By Lewis Sperry Chafer

[Author’s note: Beginning with this issue of Bibliotheca Sacra and continuing throughout the year 1942, a series of articles are proposed in this department of Systematic Theology on Angelology, Satanology, and Demonology. The theme is as important as are the issues of Christian life and conduct.]

General Facts about the Angels.

The truth that there is an order of celestial beings quite distinct from humanity and from the Godhead who occupy an exalted estate above the present position of fallen man, is the teaching of much Scripture. These celestial beings are mentioned at least 180 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the New Testament, and out of this extended body of Scripture the student may construct his doctrine of the angels.

The designation angel—whether מלאך of the Old Testament Hebrew or ἄγγελος of the New Testament Greek—means messenger. These beings execute the purpose of the One whom they serve. The holy angels are the messengers of their Creator, while the fallen angels are the messengers of Satan—“The god of this world”—, whom they elect to serve. Men, too, are sometimes styled messengers, as they seem to be addressed in Revelation 1:20; though certain expositors, as well represented by Alford, contend that spirit beings are the messengers of the seven churches of Asia. The term angel is not only generic, in that it is applied to all orders of created spirits, but it is expressive, also, of their office or service.

When considering the angels, as in other doctrines, there is some field for the exercise of reason. Since God is spirit (John 4:24) partaking in no way of material elements, it is natural to assume that there are created beings who more closely resemble God than do the mundane creatures who combine both the material and the immaterial. There is a material kingdom, an animal kingdom, and a human kingdom; so, it may be assumed, there is an angelic or spirit kingdom. However, Angelology rests not upon reason or supposition, but upon revelation.

As the universe has been ordered, it has not pleased God to give to man any intercourse with the angels, or any consciousness of their presence; yet the Bible states that angels not only observe the affairs of men, but that good angels minister to man’s well being (Heb 1:14) and evil angels wage a warfare against that in man which is wrought of God (Eph 6:12). The reality of angelic influence in human affairs is not restricted to a limited portion of human history. The angels are reported to be present from creation and on into the eternity to come. Under a comprehensive five-fold division of God’s finite creatures, as they now exist, the angels comprise two divisions, namely, the holy angels and the fallen angels. To these are added the Gentiles, the Jews, and the Christians. However, all classes of beings, regardless of the order or time of beginning, being originated and constituted as they are, go on in their group distinctions into eternity to come. There is no evidence that other orders of finite beings will be introduced in this or future ages.

In the middle ages, unprofitable and often grotesque speculation so characterized the discussion of the doctrine of the angels that a depreciation of this body of truth is abroad today. Of these discussions Dr. Augustus Strong writes: “The scholastics debated the questions, how many angels could stand at once on the point of a needle (relation of angels to space); whether an angel could be in two places at the same time; how great was the interval between the creation of angels and their fall; whether the sin of the first angel caused the sin of the rest; whether as many retained their integrity as fell; whether our atmosphere is the place of punishment for fallen angels; whether guardian—angels have charge of children from baptism, from birth, or while the infant is yet in the womb of its mother.”[1] Thus, also, Rossetti in his Shadow of Dante (pp. 14, 15), says of Dante: “The fall of the rebel angels he considers to have taken place within twenty seconds of their creation, and to have originated in the pride which made Lucifer unwilling to await the time prefixed by his maker for enlightening him with perfect knowledge.”

The presence of spirit beings has been recognized in almost all systems of religion. On this fact, Dr. Cooke makes this comment: “Indeed, in nearly all the systems of religion, ancient or modern, we trace such beings; in the Aeons of the Gnostics, the Demons, the Demi-gods, the Genii, and the Lares, which figure so largely in the theogonies, poems, and general literature of heathen antiquity, we have abundant evidence of almost universal belief in the existence of spiritual intelligences, ranging in different orders between man and his Maker. Here, however, we often find truth draped in fiction, and facts distorted by the wildest fancies of mythology. The doctrine of the heathen, respecting spiritual beings, may be thus briefly stated. They believe the souls of departed heroes and good men were exalted to dignity and happiness; these were called demons, and were supposed to be employed as mediators between the supreme divinity and man. There was, however, another class of demons, who were supposed never to have inhabited mortal bodies at all; and of these, there were two sorts: the good, who were employed as the guardians of good men; and evil ones, who were said to envy human happiness, and sought to hinder their virtue and effect their ruin. In these notions we see a substratum of truth; but in the Scriptures we have the truth itself in its original purity, free from the corruptions of superstition and the licentious imagery of the poet; and truth the more majestic from its unadorned simplicity.

“Heathen philosophers and poets often spoke of the ministry of spiritual beings. Socrates spoke of a good demon attending him, and directing and guiding him by his admonitions. Plato taught that the higher kind of demons, such as had never dwelt in mortal bodies, were appointed guardians unto men. But old Hesiod ascribes a ministering agency to the spirits that had once inhabited mortal bodies during the golden age, and speaks of them as

‘Aerial spirits, by great Jove design’d
To be on earth the guardians of mankind.
Invisible to mortal eye they go,
And mark our actions good or bad below;
The immortal spies with watchful care preside,
And twice ten thousand round their charges glide;
They can reward with glory or with gold,
A power they by divine permission hold.’

“We have here a brief representation of that general sentiment on the offices of these superior beings which we find so abundantly amplified in the speculations of philosophers, and the dreamy fictions of the poets. But with what steadfast foot we tread when, leaving the flitting theories and amusing dramas of the heathen, we come to the substantial verities of revelation, and in the narrative of simple truth hear what God has said and saints have seen of the angel world.”[2]

The doctrine of the angels lends itself to twelve general divisions, which are now to be attended.

1. Angelic Spheres.

In approaching the Biblical revelation relative to angelic beings, it is necessary to consider the broader sphere of the whole universe and not to restrict this contemplation to the limited boundaries of the earth. Modern astronomy has presented evidence as to the vastness of material creation. Solar systems greater than this extend on beyond the range of human power to comprehend. Other suns with all that surround them removed from this earth and its sun by thirty to sixty billion miles, are known to exist. Camille Flammarion states: “Then I understand that all the stars which have ever been observed in the sky, the millions of luminous points which constitute the Milky Way, the innumerable celestial bodies, suns of every magnitude and of every degree of brightness, solar systems, planets and satellites, which by millions and hundreds of millions succeed each other in the void around us, that whatever human tongues have designated by the name of universe, do not in the infinite represent more than an archipelago of celestial islands and not more than a city in a grand total of population, a town of greater or lesser importance. In this city of the limitless empire, in this town of a land without frontiers, our Sun and its system represents a single point, a single house among millions of other habitations. Is our solar system a palace or a hovel in this great city? Probably a hovel. And the earth? The Earth is a room in the solar mansion—a small dwelling, miserably small.”

From earliest times men have considered the question as to whether this earth is the only inhabited planet. Science ventures guesses, but the Bible speaks with authority on this age-old problem. It is disclosed that the angels dwell in the heavenly spheres and in numbers beyond human computation. They are gathered in groups which are identified as ”Thrones and Dominions,” ”Principalities and Powers,” ”Authorities,” and ”The Hosts of Heaven.” Yet all these are wholly subject to the Lord Jesus Christ who created this universe and all it contains, including angelic beings. He created “things visible and invisible” (Col 1:16). Peter declares that these beings are subject to Christ (1 Pet 3:22). No intimation is ever given that these beings are limited to the sphere of this earth or to any restricted part of the universe. Christ said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions” (John 14:2). The “Father’s house” is no less than the universe in which there are many abodes. Jude asserts (1:6) that angels have their own dwelling places. On this passage Dr. A. C. Gaebelein writes: “In the epistle of Jude we find this significant statement: ‘And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day’ (Jude 6).... The one thing we wish to consider is the fact, the outstanding fact, that these angels had ‘their own habitation.’ They had an estate given to them. This seems to us conclusive that angels have in the heavens habitations, places where they dwell, which they can leave as the unseen ministers of God.”[3] Hooker states: “Angels are linked into a kind of corporation amongst themselves...Consider the angels of God associated, and their law is that which disposeth them as an army, one in order and degree above another.” Luke ii.13; Matt. xxvi.53; Heb. xii.22).[4] This consideration is important since it is natural for men to suppose that the human sphere forms a center about which other orders of beings are gathered. Angelic existence antedates that of humanity by countless ages, and what is germane to the united, interrelated commonwealth and accomplishments of angels, for which they were created, has been continuously executed without reference to, or dependence upon, the lower and later order of human subsistence. The meaning of the above cited designations—Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Authorities—is little related to or dependent on mundane things. These terms betoken the cooperation amongst the angels themselves. Another sphere of relationships is reflected which is itself as vast as the universe wherein it resides and wherein it functions. The angelic beings are declared to have interest in the things of earth and some service in this direction; but no revelation is given as to the extent and nature of the facts and forces which constitute the reality in which the angels live, which reality was in action ages before the creation of man. The Bible is not addressed to the angels, nor does it enter upon an exhaustive description of their estate or interrelationships. It is implied, however, that a vast universe which the human eye but feebly penetrates is inhabited by unnumbered spirit beings, and that, upon release from the limitations of this sphere, the dwellers of earth are inducted into those extended domains—not to be angels, but to enter the sphere which divine teleology has designed for them.

The natural human vision is not able to discern the presence of angels, but that fact does not impugn the truth that the angels are about us on every hand. Milton has written by poetic fancy and not by inspiration: “Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.” When the natural vision of the young man of 2 Kings 6:17 was augmented, he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. One reason angels are rendered invisible to human sight may be that, if they were seen, they would be worshipped. Man who is so prone to idolatry as to worship the works of his own hands would hardly be able to resist the worship of angels were they before his eyes. The Apostle admonishes against the “worshipping of angels” (Col 2:18), and John testifies: “And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God” (Rev 22:8, 9).

2. The Reality of the Angels.

In the light of so much revelation, the speculations of gnosticism regarding angels must be rejected. The angels are living beings of the highest position and greatest consequence in the universe. They are more than mere powers emanating from God. Though in no way independent in the sense that they are self-originating, self-sustaining, or capable of self-annihilation, they are free moral beings and have, in past ages at least, held their own destiny within the power of their own choice. It is revealed that some of the angels “sinned” and that they “kept not their first estate” (2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6). Of the tremendous issues involved and the far-flung epochs of history embraced in these brief declarations, no complete disclosure is proffered. Whatever occurred, there could be no breaking away from the creature’s relation to the Creator, and, as stated in the Scriptures, these fallen angels must in the end account to the One whom they repudiated (Ezek 28:16, 17; Matt 25:41). The sufficiency of the angels, like that of all created beings, is of God alone. They live and move by virtue of divine enablement. Even Michael the archangel when in controversy with Satan asserted his dependence on God (Jude 9).

3. Relative Importance of Angels and Men.

The Scriptures maintain that man was “made a little lower than the angels” (Ps 8:4, 5; Heb 2:6, 7). Whether this refers to estate, or to essential, inherent qualities, is not determined. It is probable that the angels are superior to man in both respects. Much dispute has arisen in earlier days over this question. Among more recent writers, Martensen, with many others, argues that the angels are inferior to men while Dorner, with even a larger group, contends that the angels are superior. The Bible avers that man was made in the image of God; no such word is spoken of angels. Man possesses a material body with its experiences; no such experience is reported of the angels, though it is evident that demons seek embodiment whenever that is possible. Discoursing on the angels, Dr. Gerhart writes on the relative importance of angels and men: “Man is a physico-spiritual being, organically uniting in his constitution body and soul. The body is not, as has frequently been taught, a clog to the soul or a degradation of manhood, or the infliction of a penalty. It is an element of dignity, a condition of spiritual vitality. Conjoining body and soul in indissoluble unity, man is connected with two worlds. On the one side, bodily organization binds human life, human personality, with matter, with all the forces and processes of nature backward to its beginnings. On the other side, spiritual life allies man to the premundane dominion of Spirit. Connected with the heavenly realm and with the economy of earth, his constitution qualifies him to be the mediator between the infinite and the finite, between the heavenly and the earthly, the material and the spiritual, the representative of God in His relations to the world, the organ of the world in its relations to God. Revelation does not accord this position of dignity to any order of angelic spirits.”[5] Martensen in his Dogmatics (pp. 132,133), states: “Although the angel, in relation to man, is the more powerful spirit, man’s spirit is nevertheless the richer and the more comprehensive. For the angel in all his power is only the expression of a single one of all those phases which man in the inward nature of his soul, and the richness of his own individuality, is intended to combine into a complete and perfect microcosm.... It is precisely because the angels are only spirits, not souls, that they cannot possess the same rich existence as man, whose soul is the point of union in which spirit and nature meet.” No consideration of the relative importance of angels as compared to man will be complete which fails to observe that man, though now sunken to “an horrible pit” and “miry clay,” is, when redeemed, lifted up to a place of secure standing on the Rock (Ps 40:2) and destined to be conformed to the image of Christ; which final estate is far above that of the angels. There is a marked discrepancy in much of the effort to draw a contrast between these two orders of divine creation. The Bible is the only source of trustworthy information and is primarily a revelation to man of his own relation to God. Beyond the mere part that angels have in the affairs of men, there is little intimation as to those larger spheres of activity into which the angels enter. The discussion reaches no satisfactory conclusion for want of even elementary knowledge regarding the angels.

4. The Personality of the Angels.

Truth bearing on the personality of angels is also attended with difficulties. Agreement cannot be accorded the following vague statement by Martensen: “There are many sorts of spirits under the heavens, and for this very reason also many degrees of spirituality and spiritual independence; and we may therefore very properly assert that the angels are divided into classes... If we contemplate the angels in their relation to the conception of personality, we may say: there are powers whose spirituality is so far from being independent, that they possess only a represented personality; in short, are only personification. Of such a character are the tempests and flames, which execute the commands of the Lord.... There exist other powers in the creation which possess a higher degree of spirituality, an intermediate state of existence between personification and personality. Under this category may be classed the spiritual powers, in history, as for instance the spirits of nations and the deities of mythology.... But if in this matter we find powers in history, which hover in the region lying between personality and personification, it is no less certain that revelation recognizes a third class of cosmical powers which constitute a free and personal spiritual kingdom.”[6] Though their service or dignity may vary, there is no implication in the Bible that some of the angels are more intelligent than others. Every feature of personality is predicated of the angels. They are individual beings, and, though spirits, experience emotions; they render intelligent worship (Ps 148:2); they behold with due understanding the face of the Father (Matt 18:10); they know their limitations (Matt 24:36); their inferiority to the Son of God (Heb 1:4–14); and, in the case of the fallen angels, they know their ability to do evil. The angels are individuals, yet, though sometimes appearing in a separate capacity, they are subject to classifications and varying ranks of importance.

5. The Creation and Mode of Existence of the Angels.

It is assumed from Colossians 1:16, 17 that all angels were created simultaneously. In like manner, it is assumed that the creation of angels was completed at that time and that none will be added to their number. They are not subject to death nor any form of extinction; therefore they do not decrease as they do not increase. The plan by which the human family is secured through propagation has no counterpart among the angels. Each angel, being a direct creation of God, stands in immediate and personal relation to the Creator. Of certain of the human family, as they appear in the next world, it is said by Christ, “They neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven” (Matt 22:29, 30). Thus it is concluded that there is no decrease nor increase among these heavenly beings.

The existence of angels is assumed in the Scriptures, and the Scriptures form the only source of worthy information bearing on those beings, who, aside from supernatural appearances, are not allowed to come into the sphere of human consciousness. As man is the highest creation of earthly spheres, so the angels are the highest creation of larger spheres described in Colossians 1:16, 17 where it is written: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” As the angels, in common with all other moral beings, were created by Christ and for Christ, so they abide forever unto the praise of His glory. Though some human beings and certain angels now withhold their worship of God, the greater part of the angels are before His throne in ceaseless adoration. It can be no small issue in the divine counsels that certain creatures fallen in sin withhold their note of praise unto the One to whom all honor is due. This repudiation could not go on forever. It is gratifying to read that, in His kingdom reign, Christ will put down all rule and authority, and that, at the close of this present age, He will, by the ministry of angels, gather out of human spheres all things that offend. Of the disposition of enmity in higher spheres it is said: “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Cor 15:25, 26), while of the disposition of enmity in the lower spheres it is written: “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt 13:41–43).

As compared with human and animal existence, the angels may be said to be incorporeal; but only in the sense that they do not sustain a mortal organization. The Scriptures imply that the angels do have embodiment. God is a Spirit, yet, when addressing the Jews, Christ said of the Father, “Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape” (John 5:37; cf. Exod 33:23; Ezek 1:1–28; Ps 104:1, 2). It is essential to a spirit that it have localized, determinate, spiritual form. Too often the problem is confused by imposing upon spiritual beings those limitations which belong to humanity. For the saints in heaven there is promised a “spiritual body”—a body adapted to the spirit of man (1 Cor 15:44). Such, indeed, is the body of the glorified Lord (Phil 3:21). There are many kinds of bodies even on the earth, the Apostle points out (1 Cor 15:39, 40), and goes on to say: ”There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestial.” It is small evidence that there are no celestial bodies if the issue rests on no more than the truth that man has no power to discern such bodies. Spirits have a definite form of organization which is adapted to the law of their being. They are both finite and spacial. All this may be true though they are far removed from this mundane economy. They are able to approach the sphere of human life, but that fact in no way imposes upon them the conformity to human existence. The appearance of angels may be, as occasion demands, so like to men that they pass as men. How else could some “entertain angels unawares” (Heb 13:2)? On the other hand, their appearance is sometimes in dazzling white and blazing glory (Matt 28:2–4). When Christ declared, “A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:37–39), He does not imply that a spirit has no body at all, but rather, that they do have bodies which in constitution are different from those of men. In a discreet and prudent manner Dr. William Cooke has canvassed the complicated field of truth relative to the nature and corporality of the angels thus: “In the Old Testament the Psalmist calls them spirits-’Who maketh his angels spirits,’ civ.4. And in the New Testament they are designated by the same term—’Are they not all ministering spirits?’ Heb i.14. Here, however, a question arises—are angels so spiritual as to be absolutely immaterial like God? or are they enshrined in a refined material fabric? Opinions both ancient and modern are much divided on this subject. Athanasius, Basil, Gregory Nicene, Cyril, and Chrysostom held that angels are absolutely immaterial; but Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, Caesarius, and Tertullian, among the earlier fathers, thought those blessed beings were enshrined in a refined material fabric. The term spirit, applied to them, does not of itself absolutely decide the question; for as that word in both Hebrew and Greek is primarily a material term, indicating wind, air, or breath, it may without violence be applied either to a pure spirit or to a refined material nature. It is true that, on the appearance of angels to man, they assumed a visible human form. This fact, however, does not prove their materiality; for human spirits in the intermediate state, though disembodied, have in their intercourse with man appeared in a material human form: on the Mount of Transfiguration Moses, as well as Elias, was recognized as a man; and the Elders who appeared to and conversed with John, in the Apocalypse, had also the human form—Rev. v.5, and vii.13. Yet such appearances cannot absolutely decide the question. Theologically, there is nothing incongruous or improbable in the supposition that angels are invested with a refined material nature. Heaven is undoubtedly suitable as a habitat for such. Enoch and Elijah were exalted body and soul to heaven by translation; the glorified humanity of our Lord is there enthroned; and angels, though enshrined in a material fabric, may dwell in the splendours of the Divine presence... Yet, as it is a law of adaptation, that no such gross materiality as ‘flesh and blood’ can enter that region of blessedness, it follows that if angels are enshrined in a material frame, it must be so refined in its nature as to exclude all that involves the possibility of decay, and any organization with animal appetites and wants. Our Lord himself has decided this, by affirming that human beings in heaven neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God (Matt. xxii.30). In this comparison between the final state of the righteous and the present state of angels, we have a glimpse of the conditions of both. It invests our theme with augmented interest to know that the exalted beings with whom we are to live forever, have a nature so much in common with our own; it is still more interesting to know that in the higher attributes of both, angels and men so much resemble the human nature of Christ.”[7]

Medieval art has seized upon the account (Dan 9:21) that an angel “flew swiftly” as the ground of their imposition of wings upon all angelic beings. It is true, however, that the Cherubim, Seraphim, or Living Creatures, are said to have wings. And thus the Cherubim appear in golden images above the ark of the mercy seat. Angels pass from one locality to another with incredible speed.

6. The Abode of the Angels.

The abode of the angels is likewise a matter of definite revelation. An intimation has been recorded earlier of the truth that the whole universe is inhabited by the innumerable hosts of spirit beings. This vast order of beings with all their classifications have fixed abodes and centers for their activities. By the use of the phrase, “The angels which are in heaven” (Mark 13:32), Christ definitely asserts that angels inhabit heavenly spheres. The Apostle writes, “though an angel from heaven” (Gal 1:8); and, “the whole family in heaven and earth” (Eph 3:15). Likewise, in the prayer which Christ taught His disciples, they were instructed to say: “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). Dr. A. C. Gaebelein has written of the abode of the angels, saying, “In Hebrew, heaven is plural, ‘the heavens.’ The Bible speaks of three heavens, the third heaven is the heaven of heavens, the dwelling place of God, where His throne has always been. The tabernacle possessed by His earthly people, Israel, was a pattern of the heavens. Moses upon the mountain had looked into the vast heavens and saw the three heavens. He had no telescope. But God Himself showed to him the mysteries of the heavens. Then God admonished him when he was about to make the tabernacle and said to His servant, ‘See that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mountain’ (Heb. viii.5). The tabernacle had three compartments, the outer court, the Holy part and the Holiest. Once a year the high priest entered this earthly place of worship to pass through the outer court, into the Holy part, and, finally, carrying the sacrificial blood, he entered the Holiest to sprinkle the blood in Jehovah’s holy presence. But Aaron was only a type of Him who is greater than Aaron, the true High Priest. Of Him, the true High Priest, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, it is written that He passed through the heavens (Heb. iv.14). ‘For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us’ (Heb. ix.24). He passed through the heavens, the outer court, the heaven surrounding the earth; the holy part, the immense universes, with their immeasurable distance, and finally He entered the third heaven, that heaven astronomy knows exists, but which no telescope can ever reach. In the heavenlies, according to the Epistle to the Ephesians, are the principalities and the powers, the innumerable company of angels. Their dwelling places are in these heavens. God who created them, who made them spirits and clothes them with bodies suited to their spirit nature, must have also assigned to them habitations.... It is also significant and not without meaning that the phrase ‘the host of heavens’ means both the stars and the angelic hosts; the ‘Lord of Hosts’ has also the same double meaning, for He is the Lord of the stars and the Lord of the angels.”[8]

7. The Number of the Angels.

Its allusion to the number of the angels is one of the superlatives of the Bible. They are there described in multitudes “which no man can number.” It is reasonable to conclude that there are as many spirit beings in existence as there will have been human beings in all their history on the earth. It is significant that as the phrase “the host of heavens” describes both the material stars and the angels, the latter may be as much beyond number as the former (Gen 15:5). To quote Dr. Cooke, again, wherein he gathers Biblical testimony as to the number of the angels: “Hear what Micaiah says, ‘I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him, on his right hand and on his left.’—I Kings xxii.19. Hear what David says, ‘The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels.’—Psa. lxviii.17. Elisha saw one detachment of these celestial beings sent to be his bodyguard, when ‘the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about him.’—2 Kings vi.17. Hear what Daniel says, ‘Thousand thousands were ministering unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand were standing before him.’—Dan. vii.10. Behold what the watchful shepherds saw and heard on the morn of the Redeemer’s birth, ‘A multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest.’—Luke ii.13. Hear what Jesus says, ‘Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?’—Matt. xxvi.53. Look again at the magnificent spectacle which John saw and heard as he gazed into the heavenly world, ‘And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living ones and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,’ etc.—Rev. v.11, 12. If these numbers be taken literally, they indicate 202 millions, yet they were only a part of the celestial host. It is probable, however, these figures were not intended to indicate any precise number, but that the multitude was immense, beyond what usually enters into human computation. Hence in Hebrews xii.22, we read not of any definite or limited number, however great, but of ‘an innumerable company of angels.’”[9]

8. The Power of the Angels.

What is true of all creatures relative to the power they exert, is equally true of the angels; their power is derived from God. Their power, however great, is restricted. They are unable to do those things which are peculiar to Deity—create, act without means, or search the human heart. They may influence the human mind as one creature may influence another. The knowledge of this truth is of great importance when, as later, contemplation will be given to the ascendancy evil spirits may assume over human beings. It will be found that human beings are able to thwart the influence of evil spirits only by divine enablement (Eph 6:10–12; 1 John 4:4). Even an angel may claim divine assistance when in conflict with another angel (Jude 9). Continuing in his same comprehensive manner, Dr. Cooke writes of angelic power: ”‘Strong angel’ and ‘mighty angel,’ are terms we read in the Apocalypse. The name Gabriel means the mighty one of God; and among the designations of angelic orders we find that of powers (dunameis). The attribute of extraordinary power pertains to angelic natures in general, as we learn from David, who exclaims, ‘Bless the Lord, ye his angels, who excel in strength.’ It is impossible to form any comparison between the power of a spiritual being, such as an angel, and the physical power of man, which is limited by his organization. If, however, the power of man be estimated by the wondrous effects he can produce by his superior knowledge, and the appliances he can use, we have then displays which may give us some faint idea of the resources of angelic power, for probably their superior knowledge of nature would enable them to employ in a far higher degree than ourselves the resources of the universe, to fulfill any commission which God might give them to perform. Whatever be the mode or media by which their powers are exerted, the effects thereof are astounding. Milton describes them as plucking the seated hills from their foundations and hurling them on their antagonists. This is poetry; but in the records of Scripture we have truth without the colour of fiction; and here we find one angel, as a minister of vengeance, destroying 70 thousand persons of the kingdom of David in three days; another destroying in one night 185 thousand stout warriors in the mail-clad army of Assyria’s proud monarch; and another destroying all the first-born of Egypt in one single night. In the Apocalypse we see angels holding the four winds of heaven, discharging the vials, and wielding the thunders of Jehovah’s wrath upon the guilty nations; the old earth trembles under the displays of their mighty power as the ministers of a sin-avenging God. But angels are equally powerful for good; and while their holy nature makes them the faithful executors of justice, their benevolence, as well as their holiness, makes them delight to employ their energies in the service of mercy.”[10]

9. The Classification of the Angels.

a. Governmental Rulers.

Revelation specifies certain groups as well as various important individuals amongst the angels. Mention has been made of five major representations of supremacy among these beings, namely, Thrones (Thronoi), Dominions (Kurioteetes), Principalities (Archai), Authorities (Exousiai), and Powers (Dunameis). Since the Bible does not indulge in useless tautology, it may be believed that there is a specific meaning to each of these denominations, which meaning no doubt corresponds to earthly realities which bear these appellations. The revealed truth regarding the angels is not sufficiently complete for a full analogy to be set up. The term Thrones refers to those who sit upon them; Dominions to those who rule; Principalities to those who govern; Powers to those who exercise supremacy; and Authorities to those invested with empirical responsibility. Though there is seeming similarity in these denominations, it may be assumed that representation is made by these titles to incomprehensible dignity and varying degrees of rank. Heavenly spheres of rule exceed human empires as the universe exceeds the earth.

b. Elect Angels.

Reference in 1 Timothy 5:21 to “elect angels” at once opens an interesting field of inquiry as to what extent the doctrine of sovereign election is to be traced in the relation of angels to their Creator. It will be conceded that angels are created for a purpose and that in their realm, as with man, the designs of the Creator are to be executed to infinity. The fall of some angels is no more unanticipated by God than the fall of man. It may be implied, also, that angels have passed a period of probation.

c. Cherubim, Seraphim, and Living Creatures.

Interpretations bearing on this three-fold classification of the angels vary greatly. Dr. Strong contends that they are “artificial, temporary, symbolic figures” which have “no personal existence.” He seeks to sustain this idea by the assertion that these specific designations are not coupled with the angels in any Scripture passage. Smith and Alford maintain that these are only attributes of God. The great proportion of expositors salute these as exalted angels of the highest station; quite apart, perhaps, from governments. Some expositors seek to discover distinctions as to position and rank between those to whom these appellations are assigned. It is more satisfactory to accord to them not only the highest station, but one and the same general grouping. The different terms used seem to indicate a distinction in service rendered rather than in essential position. Because of the exalted state of these angels, the service they render should be considered with due attention.

(1) Cherubim.

The Cherubim title speaks of their high and holy position and their responsibility as such is closely related to the throne of God as defenders of His holy character and presence. In a note under Ezekiel 1:5, Dr. C. I. Scofield, in his Reference Bible, makes the following statement: “The ‘living creatures’ are identical with the Cherubim. The subject is somewhat obscure, but from the position of the Cherubim at the gate of Eden, upon the cover of the ark of the covenant, and in Rev 4, it is clearly gathered that they have to do with the vindication of the holiness of God as against the presumptuous pride of sinful man who, despite his sin, would ‘put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life’ (Gen 3:22–24). Upon the ark of the covenant, of one substance with the mercy-seat, they saw the sprinkled blood which, in type, spake of the perfect maintenance of the divine righteousness by the sacrifice of Christ (Exod 25:17–20; Rom 3:24–26, notes). The living creatures (or Cherubim) appear to be actual beings of the angelic order. Cf. Isa 6:2, note. The Cherubim or living creatures are not identical with the Seraphim (Isa 6:2–7). They appear to have to do with the holiness of God as outraged by sin; the Seraphim with uncleanness in the people of God. The passage in Ezekiel is highly figurative, but the effect was the revelation to the prophet of the Shekinah glory of the LORD. Such revelations are connected invariably with new blessing and service. Cf. Exod 3:2–10; Isa 6:1–10; Dan 10:5–14; Rev 1:12–19.”

The Cherubim first appear at the gate of the Garden of Eden after man has been expelled and as protectors lest man return to pollute the holy presence of God. They appear again as protectors, though in golden images, over the ark of the covenant where God was pleased to dwell. The curtain of the tabernacle, which separated between the divine presence and the unholy people, was embroidered with figures of Cherubim (Exod 26:1). Ezekiel refers to these beings under this title nineteen times and the truth concerning them is to be derived from these passages. He presents them as having four appearances-the face of a lion, the face of an ox, the face of a man, and the face of an eagle (Ezek 1:3–28; 10:1–22). This symbolism relates them at once to the Living Creatures of John’s vision (Rev 4:6 to 5:14, etc.-the translation of zōon by beast is unsatisfactory).

(2) Seraphim.

The Seraphim title speaks of unceasing worship, their ministry of purification, and their humility. They appear in Scripture but once under this designation (Isa 6:1–3). Their threefold ascription of worship as recorded by Isaiah is again restated by John (Rev 4:8) and under the title of the Living Creatures, which fact goes far to establish the identity of this group. Dr. Scofield writes as a note under Isaiah 6:1–3: “Heb. Burners. The word occurs only here. Cf. Ezk. 1.5, note. The Seraphim are, in many respects, in contrast with the Cherubim, though both are expressive of the divine holiness, which demands that the sinner shall have access to the divine presence only through a sacrifice which really vindicates the righteousness of God (Rom 3:24–26, notes), and that the saint shall be cleansed before serving. Gen 3:22–24 illustrates the first; Isa 6:1–8 the second. The Cherubim may be said to have to do with the altar, the Seraphim with the laver.”

(3) Living Creatures.

The Living Creatures is a title which represents these angels as manifesting the fullness of divine life, unceasing activity, and abiding participation in the worship of God.

Uncertainty, at best, must characterize human understanding regarding the angels. Of their majesty and worship of God and of the surpassing glory of the Object of their adoration, Bishop Bull (1634–1710), as quoted by Dr. Gaebelein in The Angels of God, pp. 46, 47, wrote: “When we consider what glorious beings the angels are, and yet that they are but creatures of, and servants to, the God whom we serve, waiting before His Throne, and humbly attending His commands; this consideration, if we let it sink deeply into our hearts, must needs possess us with most awful apprehensions of the glorious majesty of our God at all times, but especially in our approaches to Him in His worship, and fill us with the greatest reverence and humility. We should do well often to call to mind Daniel’s vision, to whom was represented the ‘Ancient of Days sitting upon His throne, a thousand thousand ministering unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before Him.’ With what reverence should we behave ourselves in our addresses to the Divine Majesty, before whom the Seraphim themselves hide their faces: And if they cover their feet, are conscious to themselves of their natural imperfection, compared to the infinitely glorious God; how should we clods of earth, we vile sinners, blush and be ashamed in His presence, assuming no confidence to ourselves, but what is founded on the mercies of God and the merits of our blessed Redeemer and Advocate, Jesus Christ! And when we find ourselves inclined to pride and vanity, to think highly of ourselves and of our services to God, let us reflect at what a vast distance we come behind the holy angels; how far short our poor, lame, imperfect services are of their holy and excellent ministry. Yet, when we think of the ministry which the Holy angels perform towards God, and for us; let us at the same time propound them to ourselves, as patterns and examples for our imitation.”

d. Individual Angels.

(1) Lucifer, Son of the Morning (Isa 14:12).

This, the most exalted of the angels—both by creation and by appointment, occupies a place in the text of Scripture next to the Persons of the Godhead. By his sin—the first in the universe, so far as revelation discloses—he became Satan and appears in the Word of God under about forty different titles. As he is the theme of the following section on Satanology, further examination of the truth bearing on this mighty angel will be deferred at this point.

(2) Michael (Dan 12:1).

The meaning of this name is, ”Who is like god,” which meaning is significant. In what respect he is like God is not disclosed, but from the three passages wherein he is directly mentioned it is to be seen that he is in great authority.

According to Daniel 12:1, he is said to be the one who “standeth” for Daniel’s people, Israel; doubtless in some form of defence. In Jude 9, he is seen to be in controversy with Satan over the body of Moses; but in such a situation and in spite of all his greatness, he dare not take up “a railing accusation” against Satan, but, falling back on a dependence upon God, he declares, “The Lord rebuke thee.” In this text he is given the added title of “archangel”; and there is but one archangel. Michael is again seen in prediction recorded in Revelation 12:7–12. He, as head of the armies of heaven, fights a victorious battle in heaven against Satan and his angels. It is further revealed that the “voice of the archangel” will be heard when Christ returns for the Church (1 Thess 4:16, 17).

(3) Gabriel (Dan 9:21).

The meaning of this designation is ”The mighty one,” and he is evidently all that the name implies. He is never said in the Bible to be an archangel, though often so styled by man. He appears four times, as the Scriptures record, and always as a messenger or revealer of the divine purpose. He spoke to Daniel concerning the end time (Dan 8:15–27). Similarly, he brought to Daniel the almost incomparable prediction of Daniel 9:20–27. The prophet had discovered from the writings of Jeremiah (Jer 25:11, 12) that the allotted period for Israel in Babylon was seventy years, and at the time when these years were about completed. He therefore gave himself to prayer for his people. The prayer, as recorded, could have occupied but a few moments, yet in that time Gabriel passed with incredible swiftness from the throne of God to the praying prophet on earth. It was then this angel unfolded the purpose of Jehovah concerning the future of Israel. It was Gabriel who brought the message to Zacharias of the birth of John, and he it was who came with the greatest of all messages to the Virgin Mary regarding the birth of Christ and of His ministry as King on David’s throne (Luke 1:26–38).

e. Angels Especially Designated.

Certain angels are known only by the service they render. Of these, there are those that serve as angels of judgment (Gen 19:13; 2 Sam 24:16; 2 Kings 19:35; Ezek 9:1, 5, 7; Ps 78:49). Account is made of the “watcher” (Dan 4:13, 23); “angel of the abyss” (Rev 9:11); “angel of fire” (Rev 14:18); “angel of the waters” (Rev 16:5); and of “seven angels” (Rev 8:2). In the apocryphal writings mention is made of three angels—not spoken of in the Bible, namely, Raphael, Uriel, and Jeremiel.

Properly, no reference is made in this enumeration to the Angel of Jehovah since that Being is none other than the preincarnate Christ—the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Being in no way related to created angels, He should not be classed with them.

10. The Ministry of the Angels.

The 273 references in the Bible to the angels are largely accounts of their activities, and by these a very wide field of achievement is disclosed. However, that which is most important is not their relation to the inhabitants of earth, but rather their service to God. This is primarily a service of worship and suggests the ineffable majesty and glory of God, which unfallen angels understand, and which, because of the infinity of the worthiness of God, continues without ceasing forever. John states that in their worship the Living Creatures “rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Rev 4:8). Isaiah asserts that they “cried one to another, and said Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa 6:3). To the same end the Psalmist writes: “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word” (Ps 103:20); “Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts” (Ps 148:1, 2). Their humility, suggested by the covering of their feet (Isa 6:2), is natural since they are ever before Him whose majesty and glory is transcendent. The birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ was to the angels a stupendous reality. It is of no small consequence that, as stated by the Apostle, Christ, while here on the earth, “was seen of angels” (1 Tim 3:16). Their interest in, and devotion to, the Lord of Glory is measured to some degree by the worship they have offered Him from their creation to the present hour. Only feebly does the most spiritual of saints anticipate what it will be to look directly and unendingly upon the face of the Lord of Glory. The response that will be awakened in the heart of man—enlarged as to its capacity beyond measure—as he views his Creator and Redeemer cannot be foreseen; but such has ever been the experience of the angels. They behold the Lord without a veil between. Their consideration of Him while here on earth is befittingly presented by Dr. Cooke: “How constant their attendance on the Incarnate Saviour during his mysterious life amongst men! At his birth they are his heralds, and with songs exultant announce the glad tidings to mankind. In his temptation they minister to him; in his agonies they succour him; on his resurrection they are the first to proclaim his triumph; on his ascension they come to escort him to the mediatorial throne; in his glorified state they render him supreme homage as their Lord; and when he returns to judge the world they will form his retinue! What sublime thoughts would be suggested, what emotions of wonder and joy would be excited, by the scenes they witnessed on earth and still witness in heaven, in reference to Christ, his two-fold nature, and his great redeeming work. God incarnate! This was new to them. They had seen the Son in his Deity; but never till now enshrined in humanity. What amazing condescension! Obeying his own law as if he were a mere creature, and in the attitude of a servant! This was new. They had seen him as the governor of the universe; but never till now as a subject! Encountering Satan in conflict and prolonged temptation! This was new. They had seen him frown the arch-rebel from his presence and hurl him to perdition; but never till now submitting to be tempted by him whose subtilty and power had seduced myriads to eternal ruin. Suffering the scorn and reproach of sinful men! This was new. They had seen myriads of happy spirits worship, adore, and love him; but never till now had they seen him personally insulted, reproached, and maltreated by his creatures. Groaning in Gethsemane, and crucified between two thieves, and dying as a sacrificial victim! This was new. They had seen him supremely happy and glorious; but to see him agonize, to hear that dying wail, and to behold him a bloody corpse, and all this to save the world which had revolted from him! What mysterious love! To see him, after all this, enthroned and glorified in human nature. This was a new fact in the moral history of the universe. The whole scenes were full of interest, wonder, and mystery; a gradation of wonders rising in succession, until they culminated in the permanent presence of the God-man, resplendent with a glory that fills the heaven of heavens. Here were chapters of instruction for angelic minds to ponder; here were developments of hidden truths; here were discoveries of the Divine perfection, never known before; and still unfolding in brighter effulgence as ages roll on!”[11]

The faithful service of angels to mankind cannot be explained on the ground of their own love for humanity. They are interested in that which concerns their God. If He would give His Son to die for a lost race of men, they would follow Him as far as possible and at least give instant service, for His sake, wherever it is appointed unto them. It is not imagination, but reality, that the angels are servants of men in a thousand ways. No truth is more established by Scripture than that stated in Hebrews 1:14: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

As to the specific ministries of the angels in the earth and in behalf of mankind—especially the saints—, the details form a very extensive field of investigation such as cannot be undertaken here to any extent. Though angels were present at creation, no reference is made to their ministries on earth until the days of Abraham. In company with the Lord, they visited the patriarch at Mamre (Gen 18:1), and from there went to deliver Lot. The angels appeared to Jacob and were familiar to Moses. It is written that the Law “was ordained by angels” (Gal 3:19), and it was administered by the “disposition of angels” (Acts 7:53). Their care of God’s elect people is asserted in both Testaments. In Psalm 91:11, 12 it is written: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone”; and in Hebrews 1:14: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” It is an angel with the three men in the furnace of fire (Dan 3:25), and with Daniel in the den of lions (Dan 6:22).

In the Old Testament terminology, angels are sons of God while men are servants of God. In the New Testament this is reversed. Angels are servants, and Christians are sons of God. This peculiar order may be due to the fact that, in the Old Testament, men are seen as related to this sphere over which angels are superior; while in the New Testament, saints are seen as related to their final exaltation into the likeness of Christ, compared to which estate the angels are inferior.

Turning to the New Testament, it is to be observed that the majority of references to the angels are found in the Gospels and the Acts. In view of the truth that it was their Creator, the Lord of Glory, whom they worship and adore, that was laying aside His glory and descending to a sphere “lower than the angels,” it is not strange that one from the heavenly hosts should announce the birth of the forerunner to his father; the birth of the Savior to Mary; that the angels should announce His birth to the world; that they should direct the flight into Egypt; that they ministered to Him in the wilderness; that they succored Him in the garden; that they were ready in legions to defend Him should He call; that they saw Him die and His body placed in the tomb; that they were present to announce His resurrection; and that they gave counsel to His disciples at the moment of His ascension back to heaven. Thus it is seen that the relation of the angels to the incarnate Son of God is one of the major features of revelation, and upon these disclosures the devout mind may dwell with profit. In the plan of God, the present age is evidently void of angelic manifestations. This could easily be due to the fact that, as in no other age, the saints of God are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are subject to His leading, which leading is more constant, vital, and exalting than angelic visitations could possibly be. However, the angels are prominent at the close of this age. It is then that the Lord returns with the shout of the archangel. At His second advent, “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 13:41–42; cf. vs. 30). It is then, also, that Christ shall “send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect [Israel] from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matt 24:31). The presence of angels in the scenes of the second advent is emphasized generally. It is written: “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Matt 16:27); “Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8, 9). To these may be added Jude 14, 15, in which context the word saints is better rendered holy myriads, and may refer to the angels.

Following the kingdom age in which no angelic ministrations are predicted and when the King is present in His visible glory to rule and the Holy Spirit is poured out on all flesh (Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:16–21), the angels are again seen and finally and eternally related to the City which comes down from God out of heaven (Heb 12:22–24; Rev 21:12). Certain New Testament passages indicate specific angelic ministrations. Luke 16:22 asserts that the angels transported at death a soul into another sphere; whether this is always the case is a pure conjecture. Acts 5:19 and 12:7 relate the deliverance of apostles from prison. Acts 8:26; 10:3; 27:23 recount messages which angels bore.

11. The Progressive Discipline of the Angels.

The Scriptures disclose the truth that the angels are learning much from their observations of men on earth—especially in the out-working of redemption. Incidentally, this indicates that the angels are not omniscient. However, it should not be concluded that the angels know less than men. What, indeed, would be the field of discovery and interest to men were it given to them to see all that transpires in angelic spheres? Peter’s declaration, “which things the angels desire to look into” (1 Pet 1:12), divulges the truth relative to their interest in the affairs of men. It is significant that these “things” referred to relate to God’s program in the first and second advents of Christ and the gospel of divine grace now to be preached to the whole world. To the same end, the Church on earth is an unveiling to the angels of the wisdom of God. It is written: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God” (Eph 3:10). Thus, also, the Church will yet be an unveiling to angels of divine grace; for it is said: “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7). Writing on this theme, Otto Von Gerlach pointed out: “by the revelation of Himself in Christ, by the institution of the Christian Church on earth, God after a manner hitherto unknown glorifies Himself before the heavenly principalities. They who until now had, filled with awe, been praising Him for the wonder of creation, now see His wisdom glorified in a new form in the Christian communion through the manifold ways by which lost men are saved. Entirely new and inexhaustible wealth of divine wisdom was manifested in redemption.”

There is no basis for a belief that redemption through Christ’s death is extended to the fallen angels (cf. Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10). The holy angels evidently are benefited and pass into higher spheres of knowledge and consequent spirituality through what they see of redeeming love in Christ. Thus Christ becomes to them a Mediator. No writer has stated this with more clarity than Dr. Gerhart; to quote: “Emphasis is put by the apostle on the fact that unto principalities God’s wisdom is made known through the Church. The existence of the Church, and the preaching of the unsearchable riches by the Church, condition the growth of the angels in spiritual knowledge. How much more of Christian truth will not the ‘principalities’ know when the Church, now imperfect, shall attain to perfection; now militant, warring against enemies both human and diabolical, shall become the Church triumphant? The final consummation of the Second Coming will affect not only the relative position and the spiritual knowledge of the angels, but Scripture suggests that the final consummation will likewise affect the life of the angels. Indirectly at least, they will participate in the spiritual benefits which come to the Church from the Son of Man. Paul teaches that God the Father made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in the Beloved unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth. Both the human race upon the earth and the angelic orders in the heavens are embraced in ‘all things’ to be summed up in Christ. Angelic spirits will then bear a relation to the Head of the Church which they do not bear to Him now, and which they will not realize before the ‘fulness of the time.’ Of similar import is the prophetic vision of Paul in Colossians 1:20. It was the good pleasure of the Father through the Son to reconcile all things unto Himself, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heaven. Things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through the Son, and unto the Son. Accordingly all angelic orders exist for the Son; He is their end. In the Son these orders of spirits consist, hold together; He is the law by which they are upheld and governed. Having made peace between God and men, between Gentiles and Jews through the blood of His cross, He becomes also for the angels a Mediation through whom their life passes from its present plane to a higher plane of spiritual perfection and glory. The kingdom of the Son of Man comprehends all orders of angelic spirits no less than all races of mankind. When the impending transcendent eon now in process of ripening shall supersede the current eon, angels as a consequence of the glorification of the body mystical will rise into more intimate fellowship with the fontal Source of life, of light, and love. But though as to their life and knowledge advanced to a higher status of spiritual perfection through the Church, yet in the final glory of the kingdom the position and office of the angels will be subordinate to the authority and office of the saints.”[12]

12. The Angels as Spectators.

In four instances angels are said to be observing. In Luke 15:10 they are seen beholding the joy of the Lord over one sinner who repents. It is not the joy of the angels, as too often supposed (cf. Jude 24). In Luke 12:8, 9, the word of Christ is written, “Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: but he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” So, also, the whole earth-life of Christ was “seen of angels” (1 Tim 3:16), and in Revelation 14:10, 11, the angels are said to observe the eternal woes of those who “worship the beast and his image.” Over against this, the Church, it is predicted, shall judge angels (1 Cor 6:3), as illy prepared as they are at present to judge in the least of matters on the earth.

A consciousness of the reality of the vast host of angelic beings—the benefit derived from the good, and the opposition of the bad—can be gained only through meditation upon the Scriptures that record these truths, and through prayer.

Dallas, Texas

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“The question has not unfrequently been asked: Of what importance can the doctrine respecting good or evil angels be to us? We owe them, it is said, no duty of homage or worship; and as they are invisible beings, if they exist at all, we can never decide with any certainty, whether or when they interpose in our behalf, or interfere for the sake of injuring us. We have, therefore, no practical interest in this matter. If it be worth an inquiry, it belongs rather to the province of speculative than to that of practical theology.

“I cannot accede to such a view of this subject. The Scriptures have taught us, that the original holy and happy condition of our race was essentially changed by the interference and crafty malignity of Satan. The necessity of redemption by the Son of God stands inseparably connected with this. The atonement—the nucleus and centre of Christianity proper—is in some important respects a consequence of Satan’s interference; or, in other words, it was rendered necessary by the success of the tempter, when he assailed our first parents.

“Nor is this all which may be truly and properly said, in regard to this subject. If there are good angels, the voluntary ministers of God’s will; or evil ones, who are either the executioners of his justice or examples in their sufferings of the proper desert of sin; then these facts are important to us, inasmuch as they cast light upon God’s providential government of the world,-a subject of deep interest to all moral and accountable beings.”—Bibliotheca Sacra, February, 1843.

Notes

1. Systematic Theology, sixth edition, p. 221.
2. Christian Theology, by William Cooke, D.D., pp. 610, 611, 621, 622.
3. The Angels of God, pp. 39, 40.
4. Ecc. Polity, Book I, iv. 2.
5. Institutes of the Christian Religion, Vol. I, pp. 648, 649.
6. Christian Dogmatics, p. 131.
7. Christian Theology, pp. 613, 614.
8. The Angels of God, pp. 34, 35.
9. Christian Theology, pp. 614, 615.
10. Ibid., pp. 620, 621.
11. Christian Theology, pp. 622, 623.
12. Institutes of the Christian Religion, Vol. I., pp. 664, 665.