On Angels

My friend Patrick Sullivan has been asking about Angels a lot. So I thought I'd post my Bible study on the subject:

I.  Introduction

One could, in many ways, separate Christians into two camps based solely on their attitudes about angels. There are some Christians who think about angels a lot, and whose belief in them is as strong as anything else, while others may not believe in angels at all, or give them very little thought. Often this separation is along denominational lines. Evangelical and catholic faiths have traditionally emphasized the role of angels, while mainline protestants have tended to ignore them. Theologically, the reason for this indifference among the mainline faiths is a desire not to take away from the Oneness of God, nor to reduce the sense that we have a direct relationship with God through Jesus Christ. But Biblically, belief in angels is well founded. The truth of the matter is that the Bible is rife with references to angels both good and bad, and there is no way to have a complete understanding of the Bible without at least considering what one thinks about them. We in the Episcopal Church are in many ways trapped between protestant and catholic approaches to EVERYTHING, and so it isn’t a surprise that there isn’t much of an “official angeology” in our denomination. So we will be spending our next two extreme theology meetings discussing the angels’ place in the Bible, and what we as Christians and human beings can learn from Biblical perspectives on the angels.

Early on in Israel’s history, angels were seen as heavenly beings that were a part of God’s royal court, which mirrored in many ways the royal households of the kingdoms of the near east. They were God’s companions and co-creators, the so-called ‘sons of God’, who were in many ways like minor deities who assisted their Head, Yahweh. These beings were not strict servants, and sometimes they would rebel against God and cause problems here on earth. Over time, this vision of God as the head of semi-divine beings was supplanted by a purer monotheism, one that emphasized God’s Oneness and absolute power. Angels’ roles were de-emphasized and they were turned into mere messengers, God’s postmen who spoke for Him when He decided not to speak directly. In fact, the word ‘angel’ literally means ‘messenger’.

 During this time period, between the formation of the monarchy (David, Solomon and the rest) and the exile to Babylon, the primary way to think about suffering was as deserved punishment. If you did good things good things happen and if you did bad things you suffered. But after the return from exile and ensuing atrocities suffered at the hands of the Greeks, some started to question the standard answers to the problem of suffering. New approaches to this problem developed and the angels’ place in theology became central to many of these attempted solutions. One attempt at a solution came to the conclusion that the people in the world were so evil, that God had abandoned His creation altogether and only interacted with it through intermediaries. People had so often turned their back on God that they could have not direct relationship with God, but had to have a mediated relationship, mediated through beings like the angels. On this view the Will of God is enacted through specific angelic beings, each of which has specific roles and jobs in the world. God Himself never acts, so every act we’d attribute to God is actually undertaken by one of His angelic servants.

Alongside this view, some went back to ancient Hebrew beliefs about God creating the world after a battle with some kind of dragon or serpent, and reacquainted themselves with stories of angelic beings turning against God. The evil in the world, then, was attributed to dark powers that work against God, powers that were eventually identified with angelic beings who had betrayed their King and turned to evil. One angel in particular, Ha-satan was identified with that ancient dragon that God had defeated before the world began, and the common views we normally associate with beliefs about angels and demons developed. Both of these later views influenced early Christianity in a variety of ways, and so it makes sense to take some time and talk about what we as Christians think about them. That is the primary goal of this study. So join us, won’t you, as we attempt to see what God has to tell us about the Heavenly Host.

God’s Companions & Co-Creators

Genesis 3:21-24

The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. ²² And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” ²³ So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. ²⁴ After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

What problem would most Christians have with this Bible passage?

How does belief in angels help with this passage?

What relationship does it seem angels have with God in this passage?

What are some other possible explanations for this issue?

What is the significance of an angel blocking the way to Eden? What does that say about our relationship with them?

Genesis 18:1-6

¹ The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. ² Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

 ³ He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. ⁴ Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. ⁵ Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”
   “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
 ⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”

What role would you say the angels were playing in this passage?
Again, what are some other explanations for this passage other than angels?

Genesis 28:10-12

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. ¹¹ When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

What kinds of thoughts are evoked when you think about angels moving up and down a ladder to heaven? What does this say about them?

What effect would a dream like this have on you?

Do you know what kind of effect it had on Jacob?

What does this kind of vision does this remind you of? Where else have we seen this?

What does it say about angels that every time someone sees behind the veil of the senses much of what they see concerns angels?

What does that say bout their role in our theology?

Exodus 23:20-22

“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. ²¹ Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. ²² If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.

What do we learn about angels from this passage?

What do you think it means for God to say His “Name” is in the angel?

How significant is it that Moses and the Israelites were led, for a time, by an angel?

Joshua 5:13-15

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

 ¹⁴ “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
 ¹⁵ The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
What does it say that God has an army commander?
Does this bother you? Why or why not?
What significance will this have later on in our lessons, do you think? What does this point to?
What do you think it means to Joshua to learn that the commander of the Lord’s Army is fighting for him?
What would it mean to you to learn this?

Job 1:6-11

One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. ⁷ The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
   Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
 ⁸ Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
 ⁹ “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. ¹⁰ “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. ¹¹ But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

What do you think it means to say the angels ‘presented themselves’ before the Lord? What is going on here?

Concluding Questions

How have these passages exemplified the earliest beliefs about angels?

Does the possibility that the angels were at one time like lesser gods bother you? Why or why not?

Do you think some people still treat angels this way?

What is the danger here?

But given the importance of angels in heavenly visions, what is the opposite danger?

How do we make sure we commit neither of these mistakes?

God’s Messengers

Judges 13:2-6

A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. ³ The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. ⁴ Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. ⁵ You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
 ⁶ Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. ⁷ But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’”

1 Kings 19:3-6

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴ while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
   All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
What kinds of messages are the angels sending in these passages?
Does it strike you as strange that God would send angels to send such mundane messages?
What does this say about their function in these passages? What are they in relation to God?
Why do you think God would choose to talk to some people directly and at other times use angels?

What does the vision of angels-as-messengers mean for our relationship with God and our calling as Christians?

1 Kings 22:19-23
¹⁹ Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. ²⁰ And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’
   “One suggested this, and another that. ²¹ Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’
 ²² “‘By what means?’ the LORD asked.
   “‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.
   “‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
 ²³ “So now the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you.”
What do we learn about angels from this Bible passage?
Does it bother you that God would send an angel to lie?
Why might God send an angel for this task rather than undertake it Himself?
What do you think of this?
What are the angels called in this passage?
What might the significance of this be? Why are they called ‘spirits’ rather than ‘angels’?

Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:

   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
   the whole earth is full of his glory.”
 ⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
 ⁵ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
 ⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
 ⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
   And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Ezekiel 1
Look over the last two passages. Are there any verses or words that stand out to you? Are there any that you don’t particularly like?
What kind of jobs do we see the angels doing in these passages? What is their relationship with God like?
How does this compare with their relationship with Him in other passages?
How do we see the image of angels-as-messengers preserved in these passages?
1 Kings 19:35-36
That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! ³⁶ So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.
1 Chronicles 21:14-15
So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. ¹⁵ And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
What do we learn about angels from these passages?
How does this contrast with other passages we’ve studied from this period?
Why do you think angels continued to be God’s ‘hit men’ along with being His messengers?
Concluding Questions
How do these passages exemplify the period when angels were seen as messengers?
In the earlier time of more active angelic beings, angels were known as ‘watchers’. At this time they are known as ‘messengers’. What do you think accounts for the shift?
Why do you think we use the ‘messenger’ word to talk about heavenly beings? Why do we call them ‘angels’ (which means ‘messengers’)?
Does it bother you that God seems to use angels to do His ‘dirty work’?
How can we as Christians deal with these passages?

The Paradigm Shift: Angels As God’s Hands

Daniel 12:1-3

¹ “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

What is Michael the Archangel’s role in this passage?

Who is the central figure in The Book of Revelation? Who is the one who leads God’s armies?

How do we account for the discrepancy?

What is the significance of an angel playing this role in Daniel? What does this tell us about angels?

Zechariah 6:1-8

¹ I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. ² The first chariot had red horses, the second black, ³ the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. ⁴ I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”

 ⁵ The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. ⁶ The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”
 ⁷ When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.
 ⁸ Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north.”
What role do we see the angel playing in this passage?
What is the significance of this?
Who undertakes God’s wrath in these passages?
What figures are at the center of all the action in Daniel and Zechariah? What role are angels playing?

Tobit 3:16-17

Tobit 8:1-3

Tobit 12:11-21

What do we learn about angels from these passages?

What roles does Raphael play here?

What is the significance of this?

What do you think the importance is of Raphael’s fight with Asmodeus?

What point does Raphael make about his relationship with God in the Tobit 12 passage? Why do you think he makes this point?

Matthew 18:10

See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

How can the Tobit passages help us understand this passage?

What would it mean to you to have a ‘guardian angel’?

What is the significance of us having a ‘guardian angel’, Biblically speaking? What does this tell us about angels and their relationships to God and us?

Do you believe you have a ‘guardian angel’? Why or why not?

2 Maccabees 3:22-26
How does this text create problems for the standard understanding of angels during this period?
How do we account for the contradiction?
What kind of role are angels taking in this passage? What does this remind you of?

Concluding Questions

How do these passages exemplify the period when angels were seen as God’s Hands reaching into a dark place where God would no longer go?

Why do you think people came to see the world this way?

How did a negative view of the world change people’s views on angels?

How do we see ‘echoes’ of earlier periods in these passages? How do some of these passages differ from these earlier periods?

Which of the various ‘visions’ of angels’ roles do you find most attractive and why?

Types of Heavenly Beings

Introduction

            In modern times the word ‘angels’ is a catch-all phrase that is generally used for any non-divine celestial being. Angels are, in common times, cosmic powers other than Yahweh. That is how we’ve been using the term so far, and that is right to do. But we must recognize that in scripture, many different kinds of cosmic beings are identified specifically. Some of those different types of beings we’ve already touched upon, like the Son of Man in Daniel. Others we’ve spoken of at great length elsewhere, like the figure of Wisdom in Proverbs. Here we will talk about the different beings and what roles they play in scripture.

Sons of God/Watchers

Job 38:6-7

On what were its footings set,
   or who laid its cornerstone—
⁷ while the morning stars sang together
   and all the sons of god shouted for joy?

Daniel 3:24-25

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
   They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
 ²⁵ He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of god”.

Think about the various angelic positions we’ve talked about. Which one does this exemplify?

What is the significance of the term ‘sons of god’? Why do you think this term is rarely used?

Why do you think the ‘sons of god’ in this passage are also called ‘watchers’?

What do we learn about the sons of god from the Job passage?

How does Daniel differ from the Job passage?

How would you account for the difference?

Angels/Messengers

Genesis 16:8-9
And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
   “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
 ⁹ Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.”

Isaiah 63:7-10

⁷ I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD,
   the deeds for which he is to be praised,
   according to all the LORD has done for us—
yes, the many good things
   he has done for Israel,
   according to his compassion and many kindnesses.
⁸ He said, “Surely they are my people,
   children who will be true to me”;
   and so he became their Savior.
⁹ In all their distress he too was distressed,
   and the angel of his presence saved them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them;
   he lifted them up and carried them
   all the days of old.
¹⁰ Yet they rebelled
   and grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he turned and became their enemy
   and he himself fought against them.

What periods do you think these passages come from?

What is the significance of the term ‘the angel of the presence’?

What other Being is spoken about in these passages?

Why do you think some have identified the Holy Spirit with an angel?

Archangels

Jude 1:9

But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

What do you think the term ‘archangel’ means?

What would be the significance of calling a being an ‘archangel’?

What period would you think this passage comes from?

What do we learn about angels from this passage?

Seraphim

Isaiah 6:1-6

¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:

   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
   the whole earth is full of his glory.”
 ⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
 ⁵ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
 ⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
Look over this passage. Is there anything that sticks out to you or that you particularly like? Is there any that you particularly dislike?
Seraphim have often been thought of as the highest order of heavenly beings, after God. Why do you think this is?
Why do you think Seraphim cover their faces?
What role do Seraphim play in heaven?
How do Seraphim compare and contrast to watchers, angels, and archangels?

Cherubim

Genesis 3:24

After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side^[a] of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Exodus 25:19-21

Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. ²⁰ The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. ²¹ Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you.

Ezekiel 10:1-14

¹ I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne of lapis lazuli above the vault that was over the heads of the cherubim. ² The LORD said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

 ³ Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. ⁴ Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the LORD. ⁵ The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
 ⁶ When the LORD commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. ⁷ Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. ⁸ (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)
 ⁹ I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz. ¹⁰ As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. ¹¹ As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. ¹² Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels. ¹³ I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” ¹⁴ Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
Compare and contrast the images used in association with Cherubim in the various passages.
How do the roles of Cherubim change in these passages?
What do you think accounts for this change?
Why do you think statues of Cherubim were put on the ark?
Look at the Ezekiel passage in detail. What do you think of it?
What is the significance of the Cherubim generating burning coals? Why do you think Ezekiel has to pick them up and spread them around?
Why do you think images of heavenly beings are so often so strange?
Compare and contrast Cherubim with Seraphim, Angels, Archangels, and Watchers.
Powers
Isaiah 24:20-22
In that day the LORD will punish
   the powers in the heavens above
   and the kings on the earth below.
²² They will be herded together
   like prisoners bound in a dungeon;
they will be shut up in prison
   and be punished after many days

Daniel 4:35

All the peoples of the earth
   are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
   with the powers of heaven
   and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
   or say to him: “What have you done?”

Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

1 Peter 3:21-22

and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

What does the word ‘powers’ say to you?

What stands out to you concerning these passages about ‘powers’?

Why do you think powers are so often associated with evil angels?

What do the Daniel and Peter passages tell us about God and His relationship with angelic beings?

Why is it important to remember that Christ is supreme over all heavenly beings?

Specific Heavenly Beings (Other Than God)

Wisdom

Proverbs 8:12-31

“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
   I possess knowledge and discretion.
¹³ To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
   I hate pride and arrogance,
   evil behavior and perverse speech.
¹⁴ Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
   I have insight, I have power.
¹⁵ By me kings reign
   and rulers issue decrees that are just;
¹⁶ by me princes govern,
   and nobles—all who rule on earth.
¹⁷ I love those who love me,
   and those who seek me find me.
¹⁸ With me are riches and honor,
   enduring wealth and prosperity.
¹⁹ My fruit is better than fine gold;
   what I yield surpasses choice silver.
²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness,
   along the paths of justice,
²¹ bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
   and making their treasuries full.
 ²² “The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works,
   before his deeds of old;
²³ I was formed long ages ago,
   at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
²⁴ When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
   when there were no springs overflowing with water;
²⁵ before the mountains were settled in place,
   before the hills, I was given birth,
²⁶ before he made the world or its fields
   or any of the dust of the earth.
²⁷ I was there when he set the heavens in place,
   when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
²⁸ when he established the clouds above
   and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
²⁹ when he gave the sea its boundary
   so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
 ³⁰ Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
   rejoicing always in his presence,
³¹ rejoicing in his whole world
   and delighting in mankind.
Why do you think some identify Wisdom with an angel?
What else might Wisdom be?
Which do you agree with and why?
Assuming for the moment Wisdom was an angel, what ‘type’ of angel would you think she would be? What period would this passage probably be from?
What gender does the Book of Proverbs indicate Wisdom is (Note: this is found earlier in Proverbs 8).
Why might a Christian have a problem with a gendered angel?
How might we resolve this conflict?
What do we know about Wisdom from these passages?

The Son of Man

Daniel 7:6-14

“After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
 ⁷ “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
 ⁸ “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
 ⁹ “As I looked,
   “thrones were set in place,
   and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
   the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
   and its wheels were all ablaze.
¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing,
   coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
   ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
   and the books were opened.
 ¹¹ “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. ¹² (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
 ¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
What are the evil forces like in this Daniel passage? What do they look like?
What does the ‘hero’ of the passage look like?
How do we account for this contrast?
Who do Christians generally identify the ‘Son of Man’ with?
Why do you think some people think the ‘Son of Man’ in Daniel is an angel?
Who do you agree with and why?
What period do you think this is from?
What do we know about the Son of Man from these passages?

Michael

Daniel 10:12-20

Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. ¹³ But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
 ¹⁵ While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. ¹⁶ Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. ¹⁷ How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.”
 ¹⁸ Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. ¹⁹ “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.”
   When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”
 ²⁰ So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; ²¹ but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.

Jude 1:9

But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Daniel 12:1-3

¹ “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

What do we know about Michael from these passages?

Why do you think says to Daniel that Michael is his ‘prince’?

What is the significance of identifying Michael with royalty?

Because of these passages Michael the Archangel has been identified with Jesus Christ by Jehovah’s Witnesses. What do you think of this?

How might we counteract this view?

What do you make of Michael’s name, which means ‘who is like God?’

Raphael

Tobit 6:2-9

Tobit 12:11-21

What do we know about Raphael from these passages?

Why do you think Raphael is usually thought of as an archangel?

How do Raphael’s actions exemplify his name, which means “God’s healer”?

Where else in the Bible does the term ‘rapha’ come into play?

How does Raphael compare to Michael? How does he compare to the other beings we’ve named in this study?

Gabriel

Daniel 8:15-18

While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. ¹⁶ And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”

 ¹⁷ As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
 ¹⁸ While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.

Daniel 9:20-23

While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill— ²¹ while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. ²² He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. ²³ As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:

Luke 1:26-32

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

 ²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

What do we learn about Gabriel from these passages?

What kind of angel does Gabriel exemplify?

Why do you think Gabriel is often called an archangel?

How does Gabriel compare with Raphael and Michael?

What do you think of Gabriel’s name which means “God’s strong one”?

What does it say about Gabriel that he announced to Mary the coming of Jesus?

Why do you think Gabriel did this, and not God?

A Brief History of Spiritual Warfare

Genesis 6:1-8

¹ When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, ² the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. ³ Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

 ⁴ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
 ⁵ 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. ⁶ The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ 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.” ⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
Read over this passage. Is there any part that you particularly like? Is there any you don’t like?
What types of ‘angels’ does this passage deal with?
Why might ‘watchers’ be susceptible to lust?
What were the Nephilim?
How does this version of the ‘fall’ match up to what you have always thought?
What period does this story come from, do you think?

Joshua 5:13-15

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

 ¹⁴ “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
 ¹⁵ The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
What is the significance of the Lord having an army commander in heaven?
Does this idea bother you? Why or why not?
Some identify this angel as a particular angel, from the group we studied before. Who do you think this angel is identified with? Why?
Isaiah 24:20-22
In that day the LORD will punish
   the powers in the heavens above
   and the kings on the earth below.
²² They will be herded together
   like prisoners bound in a dungeon;
they will be shut up in prison
   and be punished after many days
Many think this passage was edited into Isaiah later than it was originally written. Why do you think this is?
What is the significance of identifying the powers of heaven with the authorities or kings of earth?
What is the significance of both being God’s enemies?
What is missing from this Bible passage and the Genesis 6 passage?
How do you account for this?

Daniel 10:12-20

Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. ¹³ But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
 ¹⁵ While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. ¹⁶ Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. ¹⁷ How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.”
 ¹⁸ Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. ¹⁹ “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.”
   When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”
 ²⁰ So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; ²¹ but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.
Who does Michael fight in these passages?
What is the significance of knowing that fights with earthly powers involves us in a cosmic struggle?
What do you think of the idea that only Michael supports God against Persia?
Tobit 8:1-3
How does this spiritual fight differ from the others?
What do you think of the use of medicines to ward away demons?
Why do you think Raphael chains Asmodeus up in the desert?
Do you believe stuff like this really goes on? Why or why not?

Ephesians 6:10-17
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Why do you think it is important to know that our fight is against ‘spiritual’ powers?
How do we fight those powers?
Why do you think Paul uses the parts of armor to talk about our fight against evil powers?
Look at each part of our spiritual armor. What do they mean to you?
What is a time in your life when you felt like you were being assaulted by spiritual forces?
What can this tell us about the importance of angelology.

Jude 1:5-9
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord^[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. ⁷ In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
 ⁸ In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. ⁹ But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
How does this compare to other versions of the ‘fall from heaven’ that we’ve read so far?
Why do you think Michael handled the argument with the devil the way he did?
What are we supposed to learn from this?

Revelation 12:7-12
⁷ Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
 ¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
   “Now have come the salvation and the power
   and the kingdom of our God,
   and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
   who accuses them before our God day and night,
   has been hurled down.
¹¹ They triumphed over him
   by the blood of the Lamb
   and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
   as to shrink from death.
¹² Therefore rejoice, you heavens
   and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
   because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
   because he knows that his time is short.”
How does this compare to the other versions of the fall from heaven that we have read?
How do the angels defeat satan?
What does this tell us about our own fight against evil.
There is something problematic with this version of events. Can you tell what it is?
What does the Blood of Jesus mean to you?
How do we access its power?
What is the significance of Michael leading the battle against satan?

The Strange Story of Satan

1 Chronicles 21:1-8

Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. ² So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”

 ³ But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”
 ⁴ The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. ⁵ Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.
 ⁶ But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him. ⁷ This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.
 ⁸ Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

Job 1:1-12

¹ In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. ² He had seven sons and three daughters, ³ and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

 ⁴ His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
 ⁶ One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. ⁷ The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
   Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
 ⁸ Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
 ⁹ “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. ¹⁰ “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. ¹¹ But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
 ¹² The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

What does God’s relationship with satan seem to be like in these passages?

What is satan’s job here?

What is the significance of God having a ‘stress tester’ of creation?

What do you think of this idea?

Is David responsible for what he does if satan ‘incites’ him to evil?

Is Job responsible for being angry at God if satan tortures him?

Job 3:8-10

May those who curse days curse that day,
   those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.
⁹ May its morning stars become dark;
   may it wait for daylight in vain
   and not see the first rays of dawn,
¹⁰ for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
   to hide trouble from my eyes.

Daniel 7:1-5

 ¹ In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.

 ² Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. ³ Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
 ⁴ “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.
 ⁵ “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’

What was the symbol of evil during Job’s time?

What was Leviathan?

What is the significance of the beasts coming out of the sea?

What is missing from the Book of Daniel?

Romans 16:20

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
   The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Luke 10:18-19

He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Who is the enemy of God in the Gospels?

Why is it important to remember that God will crush satan, and that in Christ we have power over satan?

Why do you think the main force of evil in the Bible changed from Leviathan to satan?

What do you think of this change?

Revelation 12:1-17

¹ A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. ² She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. ³ Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. ⁴ Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. ⁵ She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. ⁶ The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

 ⁷ Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
 ¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
   “Now have come the salvation and the power
   and the kingdom of our God,
   and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
   who accuses them before our God day and night,
   has been hurled down.
¹¹ They triumphed over him
   by the blood of the Lamb
   and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
   as to shrink from death.
¹² Therefore rejoice, you heavens
   and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
   because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
   because he knows that his time is short.”
 ¹³ When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. ¹⁴ The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. ¹⁵ Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. ¹⁷ Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

What elements of the satan story has Revelation 12 brought together?

What do you think of this account?