Angels: An Apology
Unity! It is one of the benchmarks of the Christian faith. Many Christians believe that it is the perfect will of God for Christians to be perfectly joined. This joining is made of people in Christ seeking and performing the will of God. In the ideal situation, it is commonly desired that all Christians speak the same thing concerning doctrinal statements. In reality, there is a wide spectrum of truth in which Christians stand. There is one point of faith that seems to be commonly accepted among the large majority of Christians. That point of faith expresses the belief that the Devil was kicked out of heaven sometime ago in history. This writer cannot accept this belief as being pure truth. Therefore, I am out of step with a large portion of those who profess the Christian faith. It is never this authors' intentions to be controversial or contentious. For this reason I offer my apology.
The idea that the devil was kicked out of heaven can be traced to a Catholic theologian by the name of Augustine. There is a question that every Christian must ask himself if he believes that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. This question is what does the Bible teach about the Devil being in heaven? Let us consider the words of Jesus in John 8:44.
JOHN 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
What truth can be derived from this passage of scripture? Well, Jesus states here without reservation that the Devil was a liar from the beginning. This lets us know that he was not a perfect being that was later corrupted. He was a liar from the beginning. This is plain and simple. Let us direct our attention to the word beginning. We will find that it is used in the scriptures to connote the start of an age or a system of order. An example is found in St. John 1:1. This verse contains the phrase, "in the beginning was the word..." We must ask ourselves in the beginning of what. John was referring to the very beginning of time. This is the beginning of a system of order. In St. John 2:11, we find this is the very first miracle that Jesus performed during his earthly ministry. In St. John 15:27, the word beginning is used to tell why the apostles would be able to witnesses of him. It was because they were with him from the beginning. Beginning here does not mean the beginning of time. It refers to the beginning of a period. In the context of the first Chapter of John it is the beginning of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Each of the above mentioned examples of the word beginning is translated from the Greek word arche. Arche is a word that expresses the thought of being first. If Jesus states that the devil was a liar from the beginning, we must accept what Jesus said. This means we must refute any belief that he was perfect in the beginning and later was corrupted. What Jesus states about the Devil in our text is truth. It is not possible there is another scripture somewhere else that would contradict this one. Scripture is used to support the belief that the Devil was kicked out of heaven. It is worth our while to study these scriptures briefly in the light that is shed forth by St. John 8:44.
ISAIAH 14:12
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
This verse appears to say that some chap called Lucifer had fell out of heaven. That's right, the verse doesn't say that he was kicked out of heaven! No, he wasn't even thrown out of heaven. He fell! So our understanding can be on the same level, let us consider a few points.
Heaven as it is used in the scriptures doesn’t always refer to God’s abode. In some scriptures heaven refers to the sky and it contents; esp. the stars, moon and the sun. Heaven is also used as an exalted position. This is shown in Eph. 2:6 where it mentions the heavenly that the saints are made to sit in Christ. The heaven that Lucifer felled out of would have to be the exalted heavens. This is seen in Isaiah 14:13 where the phrase I will exalt my throne above the stars of God is found. There is nothing in the Chapter to suggest that this Lucifer fellow was in heaven with God. Isaiah 4:14 shows that the prophet was to take a proverb to the King of Babylon. There is nothing in the Chapter to indicate that the prophet was to take this message to another person. We must assume that Lucifer and the king of Babylon are the same! Lucifer simply means day star. It is a common occurrence in the history of man to refer to rulers as being stars. This was a way of showing respect to the person holding the office. In the dedication of the King James Version of the Bible, Queen Elizabeth is referred to as that bright Occidental Star. This being true, the name of the king is not Lucifer. the fourteenth Chapter of Isaiah and the fourth Chapter of Daniel refers to the same person. this lets us know that the king that Isaiah took his proverb to was Nebuchadnezzar. This can easily be seen by comparing scriptures. Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself in the forth chapter of Daniel. God brought him down to the level of a beast until he humbled himself and repented. We believe what Jesus said in St. John 8:44 is true. We know from all the evidence mentioned here that Lucifer couldn't even be a figure of the devil. Jesus taught that the Devil was the Devil from the beginning.
There is a school of thought that teaches God was addressing Satan through the King of Babylon. To support this position Matt. 16:23, Gen 3:14-15,and Eze.28:12-14 are used to show how God address the devil through someone else. We will readily agree that Satan is a spirit that makes himself known through physical beings. However, when God wants to address Satan, he talks directly to him. We can use the man that was possessed by legion as an example. Jesus did not start telling the man the judgment that he was going to put on him. he just simply told the legion to come out of the man. The language of Matt.16:23 will not allow us to believe that God was addressing the Devil through someone else. This is also true in Gen. 3:14-15. Let us consider Gen. 3:14-15 as proof of this.
GENESIS 3:14-15
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
We believe that Satan used the serpent to work his work of deception on Eve. I don't believe God used this situation to tell the Devil that he would go on his belly. the Devil is a spirit! When God cursed the serpent he was not trying to get some message over to Satan. The enmity between snakes and women as well as mankind is quite evident. When God cursed the Devil, He was showing anything the Devil uses is cursed. The serpent was established as a figure of the Devil when enmity was announced between his seed and the seed of the woman.
MATTHEW 16:23
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Peter received this rebuke from our Lord because of the opposition he gave to Jesus concerning his death on the cross. Peter's opposition to Jesus’ death was only his way of expressing love and concern. It is only natural to resist accepting the death of a loved one. In this case, Peter was out of the will of God. He was only called Satan because he was expressing the hope and desire of the Devil. Peter’s ignorance concerning the will of God did not change anything. By rebuking Peter, Jesus was not addressing Satan, but using the opportunity to expose Peter to the perfect will of God.
This brings us to Ezekiel chapter 28. After reading through the twenty-eighth Chapter of Ezekiel, the question once again arises as to whom was God addressing? Was it Satan or the King of Tyre? Let us consider these verses.
Ezekiel twenty-eight
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:...With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:...Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.... Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? But thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.... Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
The text above shows that this message was addressed to the prince of Tyrus. The prince of Tyrus was only a man. God knew this. He wouldn't have his messenger call the Devil a man. We know that God is a God of truth. He wouldn't be addressing the Devil as a man if his message was to the Devil. However, if the messenger was addressing the Prince of Tyrus, he would address him as a man. The prince of Tyrus is not the only person in the scriptures to be given credit for being wise. Solomon is a perfect example of Godly wisdom. The divine judgment pronounced in our text is to be executed by the nations of the earth. Could God use the nations of the earth to punish the Devil? Do you think this message would cause the Devil to tremble in his boots? Do you honestly think that the Devil is afraid of the nations? We should stop a moment and think about it. God could only be addressing the one to whom the message was sent. He was addressing the prince of Tyrus! There are other questions to be answered. What did God mean when he told the prince of Tyrus that he was created? What does it mean that he was in Eden the garden of God? Why was he called a cherub? Was he really on the mountain of God? The word created as used here means to bring into existence. It gives the understanding that God was the one that allowed the kingdom of Tyrus to be established with its king. The word created is used the same way in Ezekiel 28:13,15 as it is used in Isaiah 43:1 and Ezekiel 21:30. In Isaiah 43:1, God uses the prophet to let Jacob know that it was God that created him or made him what he was. The same is true in Ezekiel 21:30. God is using the prophet to let the Ammonites know that god will judge them. This judgment will take place in the land where they were created. This is another way of saying I will judge you in the land where you were established. Ezekiel 28:13 is only acknowledging that God was the one that established the authority of the King of Tyrus! God uses several expressions to show the righteous nature that the Kings of Tyrus once had. These expressions include being in Eden and on the holy mountain of God. The scriptures go so far as to even call the king of Tyrus a cherub. King Hiram of Tyrus is an example of the piety of the Kings of Tyrus. 1Kings 5:1-12 reveals how Hiram rejoiced over the news that Solomon was going to build a house unto the Lord. We can read there how he willingly aided Solomon in his endeavor. The king of Tyrus used his wisdom to make himself rich with the jewels of this world. the Devil is a spirit. Spirits don't need this world's jewels. This message was not intended for the personal Devil. There are far to many inconsistencies. We must take Ezekiel's word for it. He was sent to the King of Tyrus with a message. God was not using the King of Tyrus to get a message over to the devil. We must believe Jesus when he stated that the Devil was the Devil from the beginning!
REVELATION 12:7-9
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
On the surface this text is a strong argument for the teaching that the Devil was cast out of heaven. However a closer look will reveal that this scripture does not contradict what Jesus taught us about the Devil in St. John 8:44. Most students of the Bible will readily accept that the book of Revelation is written in symbols. One must understand the interpretation of symbols to get its message. There is much disagreement among Christians concerning the interpretation of the symbols of Revelation. Let us approach the truth contained in our text by two avenues. First let us examine how the word heaven is used in the Bible. Afterwards we will examine the facts found in Revelation twelve. In Genesis 1:1, the reader is introduced to the aerial heavens. This heaven includes the sun, moon, and stars, etc. In Ephesians 2:6 the reader is introduced to ecclesiastical or spiritual heavens. in 2Cor. 12:14 the Bible speaks of a third heaven or paradise. this is where God dwells. We believe that the sign that John saw in the twelfth chapter of Revelation was in the aerial heavens. I will let the facts speak.
The twelfth chapter of Revelation starts by describing a scene in heaven. This scene tells of a woman standing on the moon and cloth in the sun. It also reveals a red dragon having seven heads and ten horns. it is impossible for a literal woman to be clothed in the sun while standing on the moon. There is no such animal as a seven head dragon with ten horns. w can establish as fact that the woman and the dragon were in the same heaven. the dragon was cast out of heaven to the earth. There is no mention of the woman being cast out of heaven to the earth. If she was not cast out of heaven to earth, are we to believe there is a wilderness in heaven where God is? A red dragon was waiting to devour the child while the women was in travail. Are we to believe there will be pain in the heaven where God lives? Will we be under the attack of such vicious things as seven head dragons? The scripture text tells us that when the child was born it was caught up to God and his throne. Doesn’t this seem to suggest that the heaven where this scene takes place is in a different heaven then where God is? w read about a war in heaven in which the dragon is the loser. in verse eleven, the dragon was overcome by people who used the blood of the lamb as a weapon. They also were successful because of the word of their testimony and that they loved not their lives until the death. This seems to suggest that the war was not physical but spiritual in nature. Besides, just when was the dragon kicked out of heaven? Was it before or after the blood of the lamb was shed? We know from John 4:24 that God is a spirit. We find in ICor. 15:50 that flesh and blood can not inherit the kingdom of heaven. If this is true, one must explain how people in God's heaven can lose their lives. We must also consider that when the dragon was cast down unto the earth, he persecuted the woman. Was the woman in heaven where God is? If so, where do we find that she was ever cast down unto earth? We read in the text where the Devil was cast out. If the woman was still in heaven, how did the dragon get at her to persecute her? in Rev. 13:2, we find the dragoon gave up his power and seat and authority to a beast that rose out of the sea. Does this mean that it is not the Devil that tempts us? Is it a beast that is really tempting us to do wrong? If not, when did the dragon take his power, seat and authority back? Returning to Revelation twelve we find that the dragon was only called the Devil. In life we are called many things that we really are not. in Matthew 16:23, Jesus took the liberty to call the Apostle Peter, Satan. I have yet to find the Bible student that teaches that Peter was the Devil. Jesus called Peter Satan at that instance because Peter was resisting the will of God. Herod was called a fox. w know that didn't make him a literal fox. The dragoon is called the Devil and Satan because he was a resister to the perfect will of god! A careful reading of the twelfth chapter of Revelation makes it impossible for us to believe that the devil was in heaven.
The Devil could not reside in heaven with an all knowing God whom can tell the end from the beginning!
LUKE 10:17,18
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
This passage of scripture is often used to prove that the Devil's origin was in heaven. A careful examination of the text will show that this scripture does not teach contrary to John 8:44.
In the tenth chapter of Luke, Jesus sent his disciples before him into the cities that he would come. While out on this mission, they found that the devils were subject to them. When they related this new found power to Jesus, he advised them that he already knew about their success. He let the disciples know that he saw them cast devils out of the possessed. He likened the devil being cast out of people as lightning when it flashes across the sky. the statement Jesus made about Satan as lightning fall from heaven must be read in its content. Jesus was referring to current events and not some event that had happened in the pass. His statement was in response to what the disciples reported to him about the devils being subject unto them. This being the case it would be improper to use this text to prove that the devil was cast out of heaven.
If the Devil was not cast out of heaven, what about the angels that sinned? Can it be argued according to the scriptures that spiritual beings lost their home in heaven? If angels were cast out of heaven, can this prove that the devil was cast out of heaven? There are those in the Christian world that believe that the angels that sinned were not spiritual beings. They believe that these angels were men in the ministry that lost favor with god and were expelled from their ministry. Let us examine that belief according to the scriptures.
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; IPet.2:4
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
Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: Job 4:18
There does not seem to be a matter of disagreement among the followers of the Christian faith about whether or not angels sinned. there is controversy over whether the angels that sinned were human or spiritual. The emotions on this subject has a tendency to run pretty high. A person eternal salvation does not depend on what stand he takes on this subject. We present this discussion only for the truth sake. If I am wrong, those of a different opinion can use my arguments to correct me. I believe in the instruction that Paul gave to Timothy in 2Tim. 2:7. These instructions were, "consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." Surely the honest heart can consider the opinions of a beloved brother in the Lord. let us begin by taking the position that the angels Peter and Jude referred to were human beings.
Those who believe that the angels that sinned were human, believe that these humans were members of a fallen ministry. If this is true then we should be able to identify the ministry that these men felled from. w can only find two ministries in the Bible that was established by God. The first was the Levitical Priesthood. The second was the New Testament Ministry. We are able to find Bible qualifications for both of these ministries. the law of Moses reveals who could be a priest and under what conditions they could serve. The New Testament does the same for the New Testament ministry. Judas fell from the New Testament ministry. What ministry did the angels that sinned fall from? Was it the New Testament ministry? The answer has to be an unqualified no! we know this to be a fact because Job made mention of some angels that were charged with folly. this helps us to pinpoint the time of the angel's transgression. It had to be an incident that happened before Job’s time. Let us take a minute and consider the time frame in which Job lived.
In the book of Job, we find that Job lived one hundred and forty years after his trial concluded. At the time of his trial he was already considered to be an old man. According to the narration, he died being old and full of days. Job offered up his own sacrifices without the benefit of the Levitical priesthood. This forces us to conclude that Job lived before the Old Testament ministry was established. Abraham's father Terah, lived to be two hundred and five years old. Abraham lived to be one hundred and seventy-five years old. His grandson Jacob, lived to be one hundred and forty-seven years old. That would put Job in the same time frame as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
In the Bible, we can read about different men that served as priest before the establishing of the Levitical Priesthood. No one will read of any priesthood that was established by law before the Levitical priesthood. Priest like Melchisedec does not have any Bible authorization or foundation. we are only told that they were the priest of the most high God. We are not given standards that they had to subscribe to that they might perform their priestly functions. We are not given what their qualifications were nor who ordained them for their office. Without a standard how can we judge whether these men felled or not? We can not judge those that are without law with the same standards that we with law are judged. Abraham’s lie is an example of the difference of standards. The fact remains however there was no established ministry before the law of Moses. It should be quite evident that Job lived before the Levitical priesthood was established. The angels that Job mentioned could not have been part of a fallen human ministry. Such a ministry would need a definition of its mission and purpose on earth. We can find a purpose and mission for both the Old and New Testament ministries. The Old and New Testament ministries are represented in the book of Revelation by the twenty-four elders. This does not leave room for another ministry. Let us consider some scriptures!
Job 4:18,19
Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
The fourth chapter of Job contains the words that were spoken by Eliphaz in his answer to Job. Eliphaz sought to convince Job that mortal man was not more perfect than God. His purpose was to show Job that no one can claim to be without fault before God. Eliphaz was convinced that Job’s suffering was the result of some sin that Job had committed and refused to acknowledge. Eliphaz used the angels to show that all who sin must answer to God. Eliphaz point was if God would punish angels, how much more would he punish those that dwell in houses of clay! When Eliphaz spoke of houses of clay, he was referring to man. if these angels were dwellers in houses of clay, Eliphaz had no point to make. Eliphaz was showing that if God did not spare angels that sinned, the dwellers in houses of clay would not escape the divine judgments of God!
1Peter 2:4
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
This passage of scripture should be studied in its proper context. Peter closes out the first Chapter by informing the saints that they have not followed a cunningly devised fable. The saints have a more sure word of prophesy. He opens up the second chapter with a warning. Peter advises his readers there were false prophets among the children of Israel in the Old Testament. there would also be false teachers in New Testament times. The rest of the second Chapter is one big warning against these teachers of error. In the second verse of the Chapter Peter warns us that many would follow their pernicious ways. In verse three Peter tells us that God was surely going to punish these leaders of error. Peter offers verse four to us as proof that God is going to punish these false teachers. His first example of judgment against evil, are the angels that sinned. Whether these angels were human or spiritual, the fact remains that they sinned. As a result of their sin, they were cast into hell. The word hell, as translated here is from the Greek word, tartaroo. This is the only place in the Bible were this word is found! Tartaroo is a word that signifies to incarcerate. The term is from Greek mythology. Tartaroo was the place where Zeus, the Greeks chief god, put the rebellious Titans. (The Titans being equal to the Greek gods but superior to man). It was a place of fiery punishment. In other places of the New Testament, when speaking of the future home of the wicked, the Bible uses the Greek words Hades or Geenna. These words describe the temporary home of the dead and the permanent home of the wicked. When Peter mentions the angels that sinned, he uses the word Tartaroo to describe their home. If they were men waiting for the judgment, the proper Greek word would have been Hades. It must also be noted that the first three verses were describing human ministers. Peter brings in the angels to show the sureness of the judgment of God. This is the same thing that Eliphaz did in the Old Testament. Nowhere in this text does Peter use the word angel to describe the false teachers. However, in verse eleven, he uses the word angels to describe a superior group of beings. the scriptures are plain. it is very hard for me to see how these angels in 1Peter 2:4 could be anything else but spiritual beings!
JUDE 6
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.
2Peter the second Chapter and Jude are parallel Chapters. Both writers were inspired to used angels to show the righteous judgments of God. they both show that God did not let the angels escape his divine judgments. Neither would He allow the false teachers to escape. To get a better understanding of Judes' message, let us consider the words first estate and habitation.
The phrase first estate is translated from the Greek word arche. In the King James Version of the Bible, we find the word principality in the margin. this lets us know that both words could have been used effectively. a quick check of the scriptures will show that the word arche is translated principality in several places in the New Testament. In most of these cases the word principality has reference to spiritual beings. In Rom. 8:38, Paul lets us know that principalities are one of the things that cannot separate us from the love of Christ. Eph. 3:1-10 lets us know that God used the Church to show principalities and powers, the mystery of Christ. In Eph. 6:12, Paul lets us know that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities...,esp. spiritual beings. Further examples of how the word principalities is used to show spiritual beings, can be found in Col.1:16 and Col.2:15. By examining these scriptures in their context, we must conclude that Jude had reference to spiritual beings. These beings used their own will to leave their habitation.
The word habitation is translated from the Greek word oiketerion. This word is found in only one other place in the Greek New Testament. In 2Cor. 5:2 we find these words, "For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven." In this text of scripture the word house is also translated from the Greek word oiketerion. Oiketerion is a word that describes the house that will be home to our souls in eternity. This same word is used to describe the heavenly home that the angels left in Jude. The Bible teaches in no uncertain terms that in eternity we, the saved, shall be like the angels (Matt.22:30). It also teaches in the 2Cor. 5:1-4, that in eternity the saints will lose their earthly body and receive a heavenly body to replace it. This truth is plain. There can be no denying that the angels in Jude left the heavenly bodies that the saints on earth hope to have one day! There is no man alive, past, or present that can make this claim. It would be error to say that these angels Jude refers to were human ministers of the gospel.
Many questions arise whenever people discuss the devil being kicked out of heaven. It is not the attempt of this study to answer these questions. I had only two purposes. I sought to answer the question, was the Devil kicked out of heaven? To this I say no. I also sought to answer the question, were the angels that sinned human? To this I also say no. The author hoped that he has provided enough evidence to support this position. If not, I hope enough evidence have been presented to encourage further study. God bless!