Introduction to Angels

Many people hold numerous misconceptions concerning angels.  These misconceptions range from the mere appearance of angels to their true purpose.  Angels never existed as God, nor do they possess any of His three main attributes—omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.  Angels cannot exist as the Holy Spirit because Scripture depicts angels as separate from the Holy Spirit. 

I Timothy 3:16 states, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”  What does it mean to be “justified?”  A lot of preachers and teachers simplify it to mean “just as if I never sinned,” which contains truth. A more technical definition involves taking a sinner and placing him/ her in right standing with God.  However, if one were to view this in another light, he or she could conclude that the word “justified” could mean “delivered or vindicated of hostile powers.”  Who or what are these hostile powers?  These “hostile powers” include demons and/or man.  The word “justified” involves deliverance from hostile powers in the areas of the political realm, spiritual realm, and the religious realm.  Christ was justified of all hostile powers on earth, above the earth, and under the earth and the angels bore witness.  Thus, how can angels exist as the Holy Spirit when they saw God in the flesh and the Spirit justified Him?  Angels did not perform the action of justifying Christ, the Holy Spirit did.  Therefore, angels are distinctly different from the Holy Spirit.  Scripture also teaches that the angels and the Father exist as separate entities.[1]

Scripture distinguished angels from the Father.  Christ stated in Matthew 18:10, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”  If angels exist as the Father, than they reside in heaven constantly beholding their own face. This is a contradictory statement.  Scripture clearly states that angels exist separately from the Father.  Finally, angels exist apart from the Son of God, Jesus Christ. 

Angels and the Son exist as two separate entities. The Jehovah Witnesses disagree and claim that Christ resided as the Archangel Michael prior to the virgin birth.[2]  This belief contradicts Scripture.  John 1:1 & 2 informs the reader that “the Word” existed as God in the beginning.[3]  Scripture interprets Who “the Word” was in John 1:14.  Scripture states, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.”  John the Baptist verified the fact that Christ was God by admitting that Christ was God in the passage of John 1:15, which states, “This was he [the Messiah] of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.” 

Hebrews 2:16 testified to the distinction between Christ and the angels.  It states, “For verily he [Jesus] took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.”  If angels existed as the Son of God, then this verse causes confusion because it would read that Jesus neglected to take His own nature upon himself but rather that He took on the nature of man.   However, that is not the case.  Based upon these conclusions, angels exist as separate entities apart from any member of the Godhead and in a lower position than God.[4]  Furthermore, God never created angels in His image[5] or with any of His attributes—omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. 

Angels fail to exist with the abilities of knowing everything (omniscience), existing everywhere at one time (omnipresent),[6] and/or possessing all power (omnipotent).[7]  They desire to look into the salvation experience because God never allowed them that option.[8]  God denied the angels the right to know when Christ shall return for His Church.[9]  God limited the angels in their knowledge.  God revealed that to us through the book of Job.  Satan believed that Job would sin if God allowed him to take away all of Job’s blessings and he soon discovered how wrong he really was.[10]

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[1] Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”

Mark 13:32 “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”

[2] Walter R. Martin, The Rise of the Cults (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961), 28.

[3] John 1:1 & 2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.”

[4] Job 2:1 “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.”

[5] Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

[6] Job 1:7 “And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

 Job 2:2 “And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

[7] Luke 9:1 “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.”

Psalm 103:20 “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.”

II Peter 2:11 “Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.”

II Thessalonians 1:7 “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,”

Jude 1:9 “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”

[8] I Peter 1:12 ”Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

[9] Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

[10] Job 2:3-4  “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.  4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.”