THE TRUTH
ABOUT ANGELS
Angels
have become very popular in our culture.
The common picture of an angel is usually a beautiful female, dressed in
lovely robes and of course having wings.
People rely on their “Guardian Angel” for protection. Some even worship them and pray to them. But what does the bible say about
angels? Some people may be disappointed when
they learn the truth about angels. Here
are a few myths busted by using a KJV bible – God’s holy word. And since He created them, I guess He knows
the truth about them.
Myth 1
All angels are “good”. Not so.
Evil angels exist and are at work in the world today. Satan was the most beautiful of the angles
and took 1/3 of them from heaven.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
King
James Version (KJV)
13 For such are
false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of
Christ.
14 And no marvel;
for Satan himself is transformed into an
angel of light.
15 Therefore it
is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
He
cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and
trouble, by sending evil angels
among them.
Then
shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels:
Myth 2
Angels are female. Not so.
Every reference to an angel in the Bible refers to angels as a man. They appear as men to most people and have
male names. (angels can also appear as other items too)
Luke
1:10-12
King
James Version (KJV)
10 And the whole
multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there
appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar
of incense.
12 And when
Zacharias saw him, he was
troubled, and fear fell upon him.
Luke
1:27-29
King
James Version (KJV)
27 To a virgin
espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the
virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel
came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is
with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she
saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind
what manner of salutation this should be.
Acts
12:6-8
King
James Version (KJV)
6 And when Herod
would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two
soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the
prison.
7 And, behold,
the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and
raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his
hands.
8 And the angel
said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy
garment about thee, and follow me.
Genesis
16
7 And the angel
of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain
in the way to Shur.
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid,
whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the
face of my mistress Sarai.
Genesis
22:10-12 (King James Version)
Genesis
11 And the angel
of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he
said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon
the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest
God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
And
the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned
aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to
turn her into the way.
Myth 3
Angels
have wings. No mention of this at
all. They just suddenly appear. Seraphim and Cherubs have wings-not angels.
Seraphim
mentioned
in Isa. 6:2,
3, 6, 7. This word means fiery ones, in allusion, as is supposed, to their
burning love. They are represented as "standing" above the King as he
sat upon his throne, ready at once to minister unto him. Their form appears to
have been human, with the addition of wings.
Angel
a
word signifying, both in the Hebrew and Greek, a "messenger," and
hence employed to denote any agent God sends forth to execute his purposes.
But
its distinctive application is to certain heavenly intelligences whom God
employs in carrying on his government of the world. The name does not denote
their nature but their office as messenger
These superior beings are very numerous.
As to their nature, they are spirits (Heb. 1:14),
like the soul of man, but not incorporeal.
As finite creatures they may fall under temptation; and accordingly we
read of "fallen angels." Of the cause and manner of their
"fall" we are wholly ignorant. We know only that "they left
their first estate" They are
possessed of superhuman intelligence and power
They are not to be worshipped
Cherub
plural
cherubim, the name of certain symbolical figures frequently mentioned in
Scripture.
And
the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the
mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another;
toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
And
he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of
the wind.
And
the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full
of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord
God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Above
it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered
his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
Myth 4
Angels come to us today. Evil angels may be but God’s angels do not. They cannot be told apart. We just have to use scripture to know God
does not use angels today. They are His messengers
to the Jews. We do not need them. We can go boldly to the throne through Jesus
to the Father. Romans through Philemon
are the books directly to believers today-the church the body of Christ. Few references to angels at all in Paul’s epistles.
Paul, who is the Apostle to us, gives a warning:
But
though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.