Very warm greetings from Texas!

In this segment I would like to touch on the topic of angels. It can be fascinating to get to know more about angelic beings and why God created them, and some of their actions, both good and bad. This subject is near to my heart because I have encountered good angels that saved me and my wife and two friends from certain death. Because of space and time limitation, you can read my account of encounter with angels by going to “About Me” in the directory banner at the top of this page.

Angels Encircled in Bright Light  Saved the Writer from Certain Death (Pic: Wiki Commons)

The word “angel” comes from the Greek word “angelos” which means messenger. The study of angels is called the doctrine of angelology and is a part of many systematic theological works. The tendency, however, has been to neglect it. Perhaps, it is not considered important enough. But as we shall see, different order of the angelic hosts play vital roles in God’s Kingdom, and in the salvation of man.

Angels are created beings. Angels are intelligent beings (Matt.8:29; 2 Cor.11:3; 1 Pet. 1:12) , they are emotional beings (Luk.2:13; Jam.2:19; Rev.12:17), and each has an individual personality and will (Luk.8:28-31; 2 Tim.2:26; Jude 6). Angels are spirit beings (Heb.1:14) and do not have physical bodies. They are much more powerful than human beings and possess greater knowledge.

Order of Angelic Hosts

Seraphim are the highest angelic class and they serve as the caretakers of God’s throne and continuously shout praises: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”  (Isa. 6:1-6) Cherubim guard the way to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24) and the throne of God (Eze. 28:14–16). Archangels, of which there are seven, are said to be the guardian angels of nations and countries. There are other orders that are defined by their roles: Thrones, Dominions and Lordships, Virtues and Strongholds, Power and Authorities, Principalities and Rulers. Then there are Angels or malakhim, i.e. the “plain” angels (ἄγγελοι, pl. of ἄγγελος, angelos, i.e. messenger or envoy), are the lowest order of the angels, and the most recognized. They are the ones most concerned with the affairs of living things. Within the category of the angels, there are many different kinds, with different functions. The angels are sent as messengers to mankind. (wikipedia.org)

All of the above should tell us that angels of various orders play vital roles in the dispensation of God’s Kingdom in the universe, on this earth, and in the affairs of men. For example, consider that God has assigned angels over nations and their most specified task seems to be influencing the affairs of men so that justice and the purpose of God’s Kingdom is carried out. That should tell us they are vital in the conduct of human affairs. The following passage seem to confirm this,

“When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.” (Deut. 32:8-9).

The Hebrew text for the above passage reads, “When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.” However, in place of “children of Israel” the Greek reads “ἀγγέλων θεοῦ”, “angels of God.”

According to the Greek text, God divided the nations of mankind according to the number of the angels of God. This is said to have occurred when God divided all mankind right after the tower of Babel incident, which was not long after the Flood. (Gen.11:1-9) Every nation had an angel responsible in some capacity, and this was how things were arranged by God. Michael was the angel for Israel, and the nations of Persia and Greece also had angels that they belonged to in some way. We have been taught from childhood that God has assigned guardian angels under the auspices of His divine Kingdom. That ought to give credence to the role of angels in our lives, not only individually, but more so in areas we may not yet fully understand.

Man’s Relationship with Angels

What we read above tells us there is a relationship between mankind and angels, and God. Angels are not to be worshiped by man, only God the Creator is worthy of worship. Angels are created beings, so is man. The created worships the uncreated Creator. The Psalms make a very interesting observation in regard to man and angels, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is mankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them?You have made them a little lower than the angelsand crowned themwith glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of Your hands; You put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth!” (Psa.8:4-9).

Angels in Jacob’s Dream (Gen.28:10-22) (Paul Gustave Doré, 1832-1883, Wiki Commons)

Role of Angels

The passage begins with humility where man observes the mighty hand of God as he sees the wonder of His creation around him, even in the spirit world of angelic hosts, and inquires, ‘why do You take the time to even bother about man?’ The Psalmists asks in effect, why the holy Creator should even spare a thought for sinful, unworthy, and insignificant, man? Yet, here is the nub of the answer, when man was created as the Genesis account show, God gave him a lofty vision and mission of himself. A mission which still baffles man which he grapples into coming to terms with in its magnitude – man was made to take on the very image of God Himself and the likeness of His Son. (Gen.1:26-27; Rom.8:29) Man’s mind seems too small to comprehend it fully to truly appreciate it in its complete scale. It has to take God’s Spirit entering the human mind to open and reveal what fallen man can’t begin to imagine. As Paul said, “However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him–these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (! Cor.2:9-10)  Its enormity is beyond human consciousness were it not for the move of the Spirit who gives us eyes to see what normal human can’t do. But He did not say the same thing of angels. The Bible shows the role angels is to be servants of God’s Kingdom and to ensure the rule and sovereignty of God’s Kingdom remains their prime objective and pursuit. And one of those roles is to help bring about the will of God in reproducing Himself in mankind. (Gen. 1:26-27) God’s Kingdom is a family affair, so His desire is to have more children with whom He can share everything and have a relationship like He does with Jesus His Son from eternity. This Love relationship existed even before the creation of angels and mankind. (John 17:23-24) Thus, the government of God (Kingdom of God) is entrenched in the hearts of angels and humanity forever.

Fallen Angels

Not all angels are good. There are rebellious angels who have turned against God’s Kingdom. They are commonly referred to as “fallen angels.” The term “fallen angels” does not appear in the Bible, but most likely taken from the following passage, “How have you fallen from heaven, O star of the morning,” which refers to Lucifer the archangel who turned against God and became His adversary. (Isa. 14:12). ‘Star’ is symbolic of angels as Job 38:7 show. Fallen angels are those who rebelled against God along with Lucifer who became the devil, Satan. The following verses are often quoted in reference to their rebellion, “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 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; ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ ” (Isa.14:12-14). Lucifer wanted to be God. His name means “morning star” or “light bringer.” However, he changed from being one who brings light, to become the bringer of darkness. (Eph.6:12; 2 Cor.11:14).

Most commentaries agree that one-third of the angels fell into sin and became “fallen angels,” and the following passage is used to support this, “And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.  And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth…” (Rev. 12:3-4). In the future, there will be a judgment upon these fallen angels, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Rev. 12:9). 

Lucifer, Now Satan, Cast Out of Heaven by God in John Milton’s Paradise Lost (Wiki Commons)

Fallen Angels and the Flood of Noah

Because angels were created to be the army of God’s Kingdom and support the Kingdom’s purpose in creation, which includes helping mankind become part of His Kingdom, they were created shortly before man to witness creation and go before mankind and reveal the Kingdom’s purpose for each. God asked Job, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7).

The fallen angels had wreaked havoc on the earth beginning with Adam, when Lucifer, now Satan the adversary, deceived Adam to turn against God. Adam and his wife Eve were expelled from Eden. (Gen. 3) By the time Noah appeared on the scene as the tenth generation from Adam, people have multiplied on the earth and Satan and his fallen angels had taken every opportunity to turn them against God. (Gen.5) And they had done a thorough job of their evil schemes, so much so that God found there were now only eight upright people of all mankind on the face of the earth. It seems hard to comprehend, but the Bible quotes God as saying, “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.  So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them” (Gen 6:5-7).

“Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time” – it was for this reason that God decided and said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created,” not to mention every living creature. How can this be? How did man deteriorate to such a level of depravity that God saw no other option? God told Noah to build an ark to save the eight in his family and the animals, birds, and creatures, for future posterity. It seems hard to imagine that God has run out of options but to destroy the earth and all living creatures. Unless, unless of course, there is another side other than what we have not been told about story of Noah and the flood.

Noah’s Ark in the Philippines (Wiki Commons)

Many of us have not been taught the factual story of the flood, or refuse to believe what actually the Bible says happened. The story of Noah from Sunday school has always been presented like a fairy story. But it’s reality is beyond what one could have ever imagine, and stranger than fiction. For God to be left with no other option but to send a worldwide flood to destroy all living things including humans, ought to make us ask what was it that prompted God to go to such a drastic measure. Think of the things you have been told why God had to go to this extreme to exterminate life by a worldwide deluge. You may have been told your version, others have been told theirs, I have been told what I believe. But nothing will prepare you for this version I am about to tell you. And when you think about it, you will understand why God had no other option but to “wipe from the face of the earth the human race.” You may have thought God was cruel and heartless, but nothing could be further from the truth – not anymore when you hear this story. You will agree with God, there was no other option.

I will share this with you in Part 2, titled, “The Fallen Angel’s Role in Noah’s Flood”

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Blessing:

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you always. May the Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible in Triune Living as a Bulamanriver.*  May you be strong in the Lord’s joy.

Kiang,  

* Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bulamanriver, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

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