Angels and Demons (part 1)

I am going to write a few blogs on the topic of 'angels and demons' (not the Dan Brown book but the spiritual beings). In truth the research for this simply involves seeing what Grudem has written about these topics in his Systematic Theology.

Grudem defines angels as follows, Angels are created, spiritual beings with moral judgement and high intelligence, but without physical bodies. With regards to their bodies he writes, 'Since angels are "spirits" (Heb.1:14) or spiritual creatures, they do not ordinarily have physical bodies (Luke 24:39). Therefore they cannot usu sally be seen by us unless God gives us a special ability to see them (Num. 22:31. . .). In their ordinary activities . . . they are invisible. However, from time to time angels took on a bodily form to appear to various people in Scripture.'

There are three other types of created spiritual beings who serve and worship God (we might thing of these as being special types of angels, in the broadest sense of the word, or being heavenly creatures that are distinct from angels. These are 1) the Cherubim, 2) the Seraphim and 3) the Living Creatures.

Scripture indicates that there is a rank and order among the angels. One angel, Michael, is called an "archangel" in Jude 9. Micheal and Gabriel are the only two angels that are specifically named in Scripture. It seems that angels can only be in one place at a time (see Dan. 10:12-14). The appears to be innumerable angels (Heb. 12:22 and Rev. 5:11).

Scripture clearly tells us that God sends angels for our protection (Ps. 91:11-12). However Grudem suggests that there is no convincing support for the idea of a 'guardian angel.

Angels apparently have very great power. Though the power of angels is great it is not infinite. It is used to battle against the evil demonic powers under the control of Satan (Dan. 10:13, Rev. 12:7-8).

Who is 'the Angel of the Lord'? Several passages of Scripture, especially in the Old Testament, speak of one who is referred to as 'the angel of the Lord' in such a way as to suggest that he is God himself taking on human form to appear briefly to various people. When 'the angel of the Lord' appears to Hagar (Genesis 16), Abraham (at the time of being tested over Isaac, Genesis 22) and Jacob (in a dream, Gen. 31) it seems to be a cases of the angel of the Lord appearing as God himself, or more specifically of God the Son taking on a human body for a short time in order to appear to human beings. At other times the angel of the Lord seems to be distinguished from God (see 2 Sam. 24:16), and passages that mention 'an angel of the Lord' usually indicate an angel sent by God.

I'll say more about angels in my next blog!