Before God created mankind, He created angels. They were created for His pleasure and purposes to carry out His will and plans. Within His plan was the creation of the human race.
Angels played a big part in God's plan from the beginning of Adam and Eve and are still very active in Heaven and on Earth today.
Each angel has its own function and role. Let's look at the names and ranks of some of these celestial beings:
Michael, the Archangel
Michael is first in rank among the angels. He is called the Chief Prince (Jude 9, Daniel 10:13).
Gabriel, the Mighty One of God
Gabriel delivers divine messages from God to mankind (Luke 1:11-38, Daniel 8:16, Daniel 9:21).
Cherubims
They are majestic and beautiful. These angels surround God's Throne and guard God's holiness (Ezekiel 1:1-18, Ezekiel 25:18, 20).
Seraphim
The name Seraphim means "Burning Ones". They are forever in God's presence proclaiming His perfect holiness (Isaiah 6:1-5).
Thrones
These are angels who sit on lesser thrones in God's presence, worshipping and pointing to God, who has all authority (Colossians 1:16).
Dominions
These angels exercise authority over certain domains in carrying out the sovereign will of God (Ephesians 1:20-21).
Rulers
These angels exercise rule in different parts of God's Kingdom (Colossians 1:16).
Authorities & Powers
These angels serve under other orders of angels (Colossians 1:16, Colossians 2:10).
1. Before God created the earth, angels were created (Job 38:7).
2. God created all the angels at the same time (Psalms 148:5; John 1:3).
3. Humans don't become angels when they die and leave the Earth. Humans remain human, just as angels remain or stay angels (I Corinthians 6:3; I Corinthians 13:1).
4. Angels are personal beings having a mind (II Samuel 14:20), emotions (Hebrews 12:22) and a will (Revelation 22:8-9).
5. God's holy angels live in Heaven (Daniel 7:10; Isaiah 6:1-6; Hebrews 12:22). Some angels are given short- or long-term assignments. They leave Heaven to do the task that is given to them to do, then they return to Heaven. Some are given to be as long-term Guardian Angels over believers.
6. Angels operate in the realm of the Spirit, and thus are invisible to the human eye (Hebrews 1:14). Rarely do we know of their activities and even more rarely have they been seen (II Kings 6:17).
7. Angels can, when God permits them to, take on the appearance of human beings (Genesis 18:1-8; Hebrews 13:2).
8. Many angels have wings (Isaiah 6:1-5; Ezekiel 1:6), while others appear to not have wings (Hebrews 13:2).
9. Psalms 103:20 describes angels as "Mighty"...for they are extremely powerful beings.
10. God's holy angels are perfectly obedient to God (Psalms 103:20).
11. God can be present everywhere at the same time, whereas angels can only move from place to place (Daniel 9:21-23).
12. God's angels are holy. They are set apart from sin and do God's perfect will (Job 5:1; Psalms 89:7; Jude 14).
13. Angels are immortal beings, for they will never cease to exist (Luke 20:36).
14. God's angels are innumerable (Revelation 5:11). Daniel 7:10 refers to more than 100-million angels.
15. Angels can speak audibly (Acts 1:11).
Here are a few ways God uses angels to minister to believers:
1. God sometimes uses angels in answering the prayers of believers (Acts 12:7).
2. Angels are involved in giving guidance to believers (Acts 8:26).
3. Angels sometimes serve as God's messengers in bringing announcements, warnings and other information to the people of God (Genesis 19; Daniel 9; Luke 1:13; Acts 10:3-33).
4. Angels sometimes give encouragement in times of danger (Acts 27:23-24).
5. Angels are often involved in guarding us against dangers (Psalms 91:9-11). Every believer has a specific Guardian Angel throughout life.
6. Angels escort believers into Heaven at the moment of death (Luke 16:22; Jude 9).
Look up the verses listed below to see Biblical examples of when angels moved among people:
Job 38:7 -- Genesis Chapters 1 & 2 -- Daniel 8:15 -- Daniel 9:21-27 -- Daniel 12:5-7 -- Luke 1:13-17 -- Lule 1:26-38 -- Luke 2:9-15 -- Luke 15:10 -- I Corinthians 4:9 -- I Corinthians 11:10 -- I Timothy 5:21 -- Matthew 28:5 -- Mark 16:6 -- Matthew 26:53 -- I Timothy 3:16 -- Matthew 28:5-7 -- Mark 16:6-7 -- Acts 1:11 -- Psalms 68:17-18 -- Ephesians 1:20-21
1. In the beginning God created angels and humankind, and all that God made was pronounced "good" (Genesis 1:31; Genesis 2:3; Jude 6).
2. God's angels had a probation period to prove their faithfulness to God, for God's Word says that some angels kept their first estate (state of Holiness and obedience), while others did not (Jude 6).
3. Satan (meaning "Adversary" or "Accuser"), formerly named Lucifer (meaning "Morning Star" or "A Sense of Brightness" - Luke 10:18; II Corinthians 11:14) headed an angelic rebellion against God. Because of his pride, he wanted to take God's place. Satan's angelic rebellion consisted of one-third of all the angels that God had created (Ezekiel 28:11-19; Isaiah 14:12-17; Revelation 12:10).
4. Satan, or Lucifer, before his fall is believed to have been the highest ranking Cherubim and was stripped of his position in Heaven and cursed by God (Genesis 3:14).
5. God's Word shows us Satan's character.... He is:
A) The accuser of the believers (Rev. 12:10)
B) The devil (Matthew 4:1)
C) Our enemy (Matthew 13:39)
D) The tempter (Matthew 4:3)
E) The father of lies (John 8:44)
F) Our adversary (I Peter 5:8)
G) A murderer (John 8:44)
H) The Evil One (I John 5:19)
I) A Roaring Lion who seeks to devour (I Peter 5:8-9)
1. Satan tempts believers to sin (I Thesselonians 3:5).
2. Satan tempts believers to lie (Acts 5:3).
3. Satan seeks to plant doubt in the minds of believers (Genesis 3:1-5).
4. Satan tempts believers to commit sexually immoral acts (I Corinthians 7:5).
5. Satan and demons seek to wage war against and defeat believers (Ephesians 6:11-12).
6. Satan hinders the work of believers (I Thesselonians 2:18).
7. Satan accuses and slanders believers (Revelation 12:10).
8. Satan is said to oppose Christians and to devour them as a "hungry lion" (I Peter 5:8).
9. Satan sows tares among believers (Matthew 13:38-39).
10. Satan brings persecutions against believers (Revelation 2:10).
11. Satan seeks to lead believers away from a pure and sincere devotion to Christ (II Corinthians 11:3).
12. Satan seeks to instill spiritual pride in the hearts of Christians (I Timothy 3:6).
13. Demons co-operate with Satan in working against believers (Matthew 25:41; Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 12:7-12).
14. Demons hinder answers to prayers of believers (Daniel 10:12-20).
15. Demons make every attempt to separate the believer from Christ (Romans 8:38).
16. Demons strive to bring jealousy and division between believers (James 3:13-16).
New Age: Angels are here to help us through present into a New Age of enlightenment.
The Bible: Angels minister (Hebrews 1:14) sent by God to accomplish His will among believers (Psalms 103:20).
New Age: Angels have come to bring the message: We are God on earth.
The Bible: The word "Angel" means "messenger". But their messages are from the one true God to humans who are distinct from God (Luke 1:13; Acts 10:3-33).
New Age: All people, regardless of their religious beliefs, have a guardian angel to watch over them.
The Bible: God's angels are guardians for Christians (Hebrews 1:14). "Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psalm 91:9-11).
New Age: Angels are here to help us encounter new religious experiences. Michael, the Archangel, encourages humans to come up with their own religions.
The Bible: Michael, the Archangel, is always doing the perfect will of God (Daniel 10:13-21; 12:1; Jude 9).
New Age: Angels can appear to us through the lyrics of songs, newspaper stories, or human words.
The Bible: Angels can visibly take on the appearance of humans beings (Hebrews 13:2), and they speak audibly (Acts 1:11). Most, however, they are an invisible spirit (Hebrews 1:14).
New Age: We can communicate with angels through channeling (spiritism), visualization or meditation.
The Bible: Man can not make contact with angels. "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee" (Deut. 18:10-12).
New Age: We can pray directly to the angels; or angels make sure our prayers actually reach God.
The Bible: Prayer is to be done only to God (Matthew 6:9). God needs no help in hearing the prayers of His people (Psalms 34:15; 65:2).
New Age: Humans can "charge" crystals with energy, and use those crystals to attract angels.
The Bible: Crystals are no more than a rock which God created (John 1:3). Using crystals involves the occult and is condemned by God (Deut. 18:10-12).
New Age: We can write letters to angels and "mail" them by burning them on a family altar.
The Bible: Letters to angels have no Biblical foundation. It is the angels who always initiate contact (Luke 2:9-10)
New Age: Angels write letters to us using our mind and our own hands.
The Bible: "Automatic handwriting" is again part of the occult and condemned by God (Deut. 18:10-12).
New Age: We attract angels by color-coordinating our clothes. Guardian angels like pink; cherubim like blue; Michael likes gold.
The Bible: Angels involve themselves among Christians only as God directs, not because of what any human has done (Psalms 103:20).
New Age: We do not have a commitment to a judgmental God; angels are always compassionate.
The Bible: Angel worship is condemned (Colossians 2:18). While angels do act compassionately, they also execute God's judgments on sinful humans (Acts 12:23; Rev. 8:5-13).
New Age: We obtain help from angels without having to deal with God.
The Bible: Under no circumstances do angels act as mediators between man and God. Jesus Christ is the only mediator (I Timothy 2:5).
New Age: Angels can bring purpose into our lives.
The Bible: True purpose is found only through a personal relationship with God through Jesus (John 10:10).
New Age: We can use angels as intermediaries in communicating with the dead.
The Bible: God forbids contact with the dead (Deut. 18:11).
New Age: Angels help us to become perfect humans.
The Bible: God sanctifies us (I Thessalonians 5:23). No one becomes perfect in this life (I John 1:8).
New Age: Angels have special gifts of healing.
The Bible: Angels have no healing powers. God is the only true source of healing (Exodus 15:26; Numbers 12:13; Deut. 32:39; Psalms 103:3).
New Age: Angels are the "higher power" that 12-step programs call for.
The Bible: There is only one "higher power" for Christians, and that is God (Exodus 20:4-5).
New Age: Angels are "copilots" in our lives when we surrender ourselves to them.
The Bible: Christians are to surrender themselves only to God (Romans 12:1), not to the angels of God. Angels are ministering spirits (Hebrews 1:14), not controlling spirits.
1. Believers should never dabble in the occult, for this gives the devil an opportunity to work in their lives (Deuteronomy 18:10-11; Romans 16:19)
2. Never give the devil a foothold in our lives by letter the sun set with us having unrighteous anger in our hearts toward anyone (Ephesians 4:27).
3. Take a decisive stand against Satan. James 4:7 says,"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you". We must resist the devil daily.
4. We must daily put on the spiritual armor that God has provided for our defense (Ephesians 6:11-18).
5. Using the Word of God is vital for our spiritual victory. Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness temptations by using the Word of God (Matthew 4), and we are to follow His example.
6. Each believer must be informed and alert to the attacks of Satan (I Peter 5:8). You must first "know" your enemy before you can defeat him (II Corinthians 2:11).
7. Jesus is in Heaven making intercession for us (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). Jesus is praying for us!!
8. We are to totally rely on the Holy Spirit. "... Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world"(I John 4:4).
9. We must pray for ourselves and for other believers. As instructed by Jesus in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:13), "Deliver us from the evil one".
10. Jesus gave His church authority over all the power of Satan and his demons (Mark 18:17-18).
11. We must remember that Satan is on a "leash"! He cannot go beyond what God allows (read the Book of Job).
