John Lawrence: Angelology Part 1 of 3

OUTLINE: from notes on a systematic theology syllabus by pastor-teacher John Lawrence
Part 1
The Importance of the Subject.
Existence of Angels
Creation of Angels
Part 2
Nature of Angels
Appearance (Outward) of Angels
Abode of Angels
Position of Angels
Scriptural Appearances of Angels
Part 3
Ministry of Angels
I. The Importance of the Subject in a Systematic Theology
A. It is typical that a lack of consideration and space is devoted to the subject in most Systematic Theologies. Yet, this is typically one entire division out of a total of nine in systematic theology. Examples:
Hodge, Presbyterian Calvinist 12 pgs 0.7%
Miley, 20th Century Methodist 14 0.1%
Wiley, Nazarene 0 0
Oosterzee, Dutch Reformed 10 1.2%
Shedd, Union Theo. Sem. 1888 0 0
Valentine, Lutheran 0 0
Strong, Baptist 22 2%
Bancroft, Calvinist 28 7.5%
L. S. Chafer, Calvinist 123 5.2% (I have Chafer in library)
Thiessen, Calvinist 22 4.2%
The average pulpit ministry even today has assigned this doctrine to the realm of superstition and myth.
But for the existence of angels, demons and a personal Devil, we have precisely the same evidence that convinces us of the birth, the life, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Word of God is not any more explicit in its testimony upon the one truth than it is upon the other.
Nevertheless, the Word of God stands or falls as a unit. No honest person can read the Bible without coming to the conclusion that its teaching on Angelology is unmistakably clear for both existence and activity of the spirit world.
It is often true today as it was in the first century – the denial of spirit beings. Today modernism, and modern thinking have denied the existence of the supernatural. See Acts 23:8.
Edward Bickersteth has well written:
"No part of divine truth can be neglected without
spiritual loss; and it is too evident that the deep and
mysterious doctrine of Revelation, respecting evil spirits
and good angels, has been far too much disregarded in our
age. This has arisen, on the one hand, from the wide spread
of infidel principles; and on the other, from the unscrip-
tural, idolatrous and extravagant attention paid to this
subject in the Church of Rome, in which the good angels are
worshipped, and the evil spirits brought forward to foster
delusions. But we gain no solid victory over Popery by
omitting the truths which have been corrupted and abused.
Our duty is rather to take forth the precious from the vile,
and hold fast the single and plain truth revealed for us and
our children."
B. It is seen in the lack of space devoted to it in the teaching of the church. Few have taught this subject to their people. As a result most professing Christians are deplorably ignorant.
They do not realize the ministry of good angels given them from God to meet their needs. Nor do they realize the ministry of evil angels from Satan to thwart their every step in spiritual things.
To them Ephesians 6 is only a chapter to read, not a chapter to live. The wrestling is something Paul had; not something we have.
What little knowledge believers do have on this subject is usually a distorted picture from the truth of revelation. Nevertheless, ignorance of this branch of divine revelation is inexcusable seeing the Scriptures speak in clear terms on this subject.
C. It is seen in the misconceptions of this doctrine apart from Divine Revelation.
We will be going in detail into the beliefs of the ancients when we treat the subject of Demonology. But suffice it to say that the presence of spirit beings has been recognized in almost all systems of religions and parts of the world.
Dr. William Cooke comments:
"Indeed, in nearly all the systems of religion, ancient or modern, we trace such beings; in the Aeons of the Gnostics, the Demons, the Demi-gods, the Genii, and the Lares, which figure so largely in the theogonies, poems, and general literature of heathen antiquity, we have abundant evidence of almost universal belief in the existence of spiritual intelligences, ranging in different orders between man and his Maker. Here, however, we often find truth draped in fiction, and facts distorted by the wildest fancies of mythology. The doctrine of the heathen, respecting spiritual beings, may be thus briefly stated. They believe the souls of departed heroes and good men were exalted to dignity and happiness; these were called demons, and were supposed to be employed as mediators between the supreme divinity and man. There was, however, another class of demons, who were supposed never to have inhabited mortal bodies at all; and of these, there were two sorts: the good, who were employed as the guardians of good men; and evil ones, who were said to envy human happiness, and sought to hinder their virtue and effect their ruin. In these notions we see a substratum of truth; but in the Scriptures we have the truth itself in its original purity, free from the corruption of superstition and the licentious imagery of the poet; and truth the more majestic from its unadorned simplicity". … Christian theology, 5th Ed. pp 610-611.
Not only did the heathen world have a misconception of the doctrine, but also even those who had divine revelation became contaminated by superstition. This shows the need all the more to know what the Word teaches and to stay as close as possible to "Thus saith the Lord" on this subject as well as all others.
Jewish angelology, in spite of the O.T. Scriptures, had degenerated by the time of our Lord, into a system of almost incredible and fanciful superstition.
The rabbis taught:
"Every man has his angel who speaks for him, and prays for him; as it is said, "0 thou that hearest prayer", Psa. 65:2; that is the prayer of the angel, who is the Marshal, or guardian of men".
It is to this Marshal that all flesh must come. Angels are not allowed to say their hymns above, till the Israelites have said them here below: for all that a man does is imitated by his Marshal, who performs it above in the manner in which it is performed here below.
Herbert Lockyer, p.11.
John Gill, that old and godly Calvinist (yes, hyper-Calvinist in some things) in his commentary on Colossians says:
"The Jews did and do worship angels and make use of them as mediators and intercessors. From their liturgy or prayer-books we have the prayer, "O, ye angels of mercies, or ye merciful angels of the most high, entreat now the face of God for good." (sic)
This worship of angels had early crept into the Christian church and therefore, Paul’s injunction in Col. 1:18:
"Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels". Refer to several translations at end of paper.
That is: in the pretext of humility they do not go directly to God or Christ, but invoke angels…"
This injunction did not stem the practice however. In the fourth century the Council of Laodicea issued a canon against those who "left the church of God to invoke angels".
Theodoret of the next century speaks of those who offered "oratories to St. Michael, prince of the Jewish people." Rome gets around the Word by stating that certain angels are to be adored as lesser gods and are rendered ‘dulia’ – a worship inferior to that which is divine, God alone receiving ‘latria’, which is the highest worship of adoration.
By the time of the Reformation, perversion of the truth concerning the doctrine of Angelology was almost total. Cf. Pictures of the middle ages – monsters with horns, gargoyles, many kinds of awful demons. This is one reason it was called the dark ages – truth was too often unknown.
The lighting of sacred candles was universal. The precise significance to be attached to this rite, which harks back to ancient modes for keeping evil spirits in check by fire, is that "in whatsoever places these candles are lit or place, the powers of darkness may depart in trembling and flee in terror."
The present day situation may be classified into three main categories:
1. Those who know about Angels, Demons and Satan by personal contact.
This is no little group (a la Pete Peterson):
In France – Black Masses – Masses said to the Devil.
In Germany – Those who have sealed their blood to devote themselves to the devil.
In far missionary corners of the world where witchcraft is very real.
The entire practice of spiritism which is growing even today, perhaps including much of the tongues movement.
All over the world today, there appear to be Satanic churches (mostly small and not often advertised as such), witch’s covens, etc., in many large cities and in some small cities.
2. Those who know about Angels, Demons and Satan by the teaching of the Word of God and by the faith and practice of that Word in their daily lives.
3. Those who reject all such as tommyrot and superstition.
They have never seen an angel! Never seen a demon! Never seen the Devil! Neither have I!
What about the Devil??????
Men don't believe in a devil now
as their fathers used to do;
They've forced the door of the broadest creed
To let his majesty through;
There isn't a print of his cloven foot
Or a fiery dart from his bow
To be found in the earth or the air today,
For the world has voted so.
They say he doesn’t go round about
As a roaring lion now,
But whom shall we hold responsible
For the everlasting row
To be held in home and church and state
To the earth’s remotest bound,
If the devil by a unanimous vote
is nowhere to be found?
Who is mixing the fatal draught
That palsies heart and brain,
And loads the bier of each passing year
With ten hundred thousand slain?
Who blights the bloom of the land today
With the fiery breath of hell,
If the devil isn’t and never was?
Won’t somebody rise and tell?
Who dogs the steps of the toiling saint,
And digs the pits for this feet?
Who sows the tares in the fields of time
Where ever God sows His wheat?
The devil was voted not to be,
And of course the thing is true,
But who is doing the kind of work
The devil used to do?
Won’t somebody step to the front forthwith,
And make his bow and show
How the frauds and crimes of a single day
Spring up? We want to know.
The devil was fairly voted out,
And of course the devil’s gone,
But we simple people want to know
Who carries the business on.
--Selected (provided by John Lawrence)
II. The Existence of Angels.
A. The Scientific Consideration.
What can man physically see? The natural human vision is not able to discern the presence of angels, but this does not impugn the truth that the angels are about us on every hand. Man sees only a small portion of the total radiant wavelengths. See 2 Kings 6.
Scripture states that there have been times when the natural vision of men has been changed so that man was able to see that which was otherwise invisible. 2 Kings 6:17. How is this done? God knows.
Cf. John 4:24 and 1 Tim. 6:16, with John 5:18, 5:37 and 1 John 4:12.
Further, angels are "responsible" for all visions that are stated in the Word of God.
["Another consideration from the scientific point of view is that two entirely different worlds could be occupying the same place at the same time if they were phased differently. Therefore, another world of beings is not out of harmony with science". – Lawrence]. Besides, God works supernaturally.
B. The Rational Argument.
In all nature we see both a diversity and a great gradation from lower to higher forms of life. In man we have, to all appearances, the lowest of rational creatures. That we should be the only creature of this order is entirely out of harmony with the analogy of all nature.
There is every reason to presume that the scale of beings among rational creatures is as extensive as that in the animal world.
However, there are two modern concepts which leave no room for any order of beings above man: (1) Evolution theory which makes mankind the highest form of a long process; and (2) Modern philosophy which deifies man.
But as the distance between man and the lower forms of life is filled with beings of various grades, so it is reasonable to conclude that between man and God there exists creatures of higher than human intelligence and power. However, this is a suppositional argument.
C. The Ethnological Argument.
The belief in spirit beings is universally held among peoples of antiquity. ALL heathen mythologies have an order of beings between God and man, superior to man and inferior to God. Townsend wrote concerning the existence or evil spirits and states that such a conviction has been as "persistent and widespread as belief in God, in good angels, or in the soul's immortality."
The question to be answered is: How is the practical universality of such a conviction to be accounted for?
To dismiss it because it has been abused by both unbelieving and believing men is folly, for beneath the extravagances of almost every belief system there lies hidden some important truth.
There are three possibilities for an explanation of such a universal belief in spirit beings:
1. It is a mere chance occurrence
2. It is only an invention perpetuated by superstition.
3. It is a phenomenon built upon the facts of an original revelation of truth, preserved by human instinct, and nurtured by the facts of experience and observation.
In reply:
1. A causeless effect is bad logic – and worse theology.
2. The notion that it is "an invention perpetuated by superstition" is far worse. It leaves totally unexplained how a race of sane men has almost universally seized upon an "insane idea".
3. The only valid conclusion is that the belief in the spirit world is not an invention at all, nor the fancy of insane men, but is to be traced to its ultimate source in a primitive divine revelation, and supported by human experience and observation.
While the belief in the existence of creatures superior to man in intelligence is not irrational, yet we are dependent wholly upon Scripture for our actual knowledge base concerning them. Although personal experience has occurred (e.g., Heb. 13:2), I have not talked with Daniel or the other prophets of old about their experiences with Gabriel. I am dependent on the Word(I have heard many missionaries’ experience on the field).
The denial of the existence of angels, as with demons and a personal Devil stems from a materialistic, unbelieving spirit which will often deny the existence of God also.
D. The Scriptural Argument
1. The Old Testament.
(1) Hebrew angel = malak, transl. 110 times in 17 books as angel, and some 100 times as messenger. (I use NASB)...more below on ‘messenger’.
(2) Son of God, Gen. 6:2,4; Job 1:6; 2:1.
Sons of God, Ps. 29:1; 89:6.
(3) God, Ps. 8:5 (Cf. Heb. 2:7,9).
(4) Holy Ones, Ps. 89:5,7.
(5) Watcher(s), Dan. 4:13, 17, 23.
(6) Council, Ps. 89:7.
(7) Congregation, Ps. 82:1.
(8) Congregation, Ps. 89:5.
(9) Host(s), Gen. 32:l-2; Neh. 9:6.
Cf.(Lord of Hosts)
(10) Armies, Job 25:3; Josh. 25:11
(11) Chariots of God, Ps. 68:17
(12) Saints, Dan. 8:13
(13) Princes, Dan. 8:25
2. The New Testament.
(1) Greek aggelos or angel = messenger, transl. 169X as angel and 7X as messenger in 17 books in my NASB.
(2) The Angels of Heaven, Matt. 24:36.
The elect angels, 1 Tim 5:21
(3) Heavenly host, Luke 2:13.
(4) Spirits, Heb.1:14.
(5) Principalities, See Col. 1:15; Eph. 6:12; Col. 2:15, Rom. 8:37; Eph. 1:21; 3:10
(6) Powers, used 8 times together with principalities in NT.
Also see Matt. 24:29 etc., 1 Pet. 3:22
(7) Thrones
Col. 1:16, Rev. 4:4, 11:16, 20:4
(8) Dominions
(Col. 1:16)
(9) Authorities 1 Pet. 3:22, Col. 1:16, 2:15
3. Both testaments refer to the Cherubim and ‘living creatures’, with Isaiah 6 speaking of the Seraphim. Both testaments mention Gabriel and Michael by name.
There are but few books of the Bible, such as Ruth, Esther, and the epistles of John and James that make no mention of angels either directly or indirectly. And we must not forget the KJV translation of Lucifer in Isa. 14:12.
Note: Both the Hebrew and the Greek words mean "messenger", and as such it is used in various ways.
(1) They may denote human messengers.
(a) With any message. 2 Sam. 2:5, Luke 7:4, James 2:25.
(b) With a divine message, Hag. 1:13,Gal. 4:14.
(c) With a spiritual leadership capacity, Rev. 2:1; 3:14.
(2) They may denote impersonal providence’s, 2 Cor. 12:7.
(3) They may denote spirit beings
(a) Of the Devil's workers or messengers.
Matt. 25:4 (Cf. 12:24)
Rev. 12:4,9.
(Cf. Job 4:18, 2 ?et. 2:4; Jude 6)
(b) Of God's workers or messengers. (Majority of references)
Gen. 32:1,2.
(4) It may denote the Lord Jesus Christ.
(a) The Pre-incarnate Christ.
" The Angel of Jehovah" - used only in 0.T.
Ex. 3:2.
(b) The incarnate Lord Jesus Christ.
Mal. 3:1, "The messenger of the covenant." (Cf. Heb. 2:16).
4. The Statements of Christ.
Christ gave abundant testimony concerning angels – both good and bad.
Casting out of demons, Matt. 5
Parables, Matt. 13
Garden of Gethsemane, could call 12 legions of angels, Matt. 26:53 (The Roman legion was roughly equivalent to our regiment, but much larger, from 3000 to 6000 or more soldiers at the time of Christ)
2nd Coming with His holy angels, Matt. 25:31
Lake of Fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels, Matt. 25:41
Those who do not believe in angels say:
(1) The references of the Scripture and the future are mistakes of what the writer thought or was "thinking".
(2) The references to casting out of demons, etc, that Christ did, (they say) are accommodations. But to what?
(3)Christ went through the motions because the people thought angels existed.
What is wrong:
You must say either
(a) Christ was deceived in thinking there were angels and demons, or
(b) Christ was deceiving.
This may be defeated on its own ground: Matt. 10:3 - Here He privately commissions his disciples. Why should He accommodate Himself when
it was completely unnecessary?
For us this argument does not stand because whether Christ was deceived or deceiving, He ceases to be The Truth.
Many say angels, demons, and Satan exist only because they exist in the mind. Because they exist in thought, they exist only as "brain waves". This is not the Biblical concept at all. The Word states that they are real, substantial, objective creatures that would exist whether man existed or not. And further it says that they did exist when man was not yet created!
E. Any of the additional arguments for the existence of demons and Satan also are valid proof of the existence of angels as spirit beings.
Reason: if the negative exists, it becomes proof for the positive to exist to make the former negative!
III. The Creation of Angels,
A. They are distinct Created Beings.
Angels did not exist from eternity past. Cf. 1 Tim. 6:16. "God only hath immortality."
They are said to have been created by God. Ps. 148:2, Praise ye Him all His angels. Psa. 148:5, "For He commanded and they were created." Neh. 9:6, "Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts." ...read whole verse.
Also Col. 1:16.
Scripture clearly shows that the created angels are not the spirits of the departed dead, nor are they glorified human beings.
Heb. 12:22,23
Matt. 22:30, 1 Cor. 6:3
B. The Creation of Angels was before the creation of the Earth.
Job 38:4-7.
Angels are referred to as ‘stars’ in the Word. Rev. 9:1,12:4,Isa. 14:12
The angels were then the morning stars of creation. Cf. Isa. 14:12
The Sons of God in the book of Job, without contradiction, refer to angels. Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6.
Since this is a Hebrew parallelism it definitely shows that the angels were created prior to the creation of the earth. This, however, may have followed the creation of the heavens, or occurred in connection with it. Cf. Gen. 1:1
The rest of the creation record of Genesis was not designed to include a history of angelic beings, but only deals with the reconstruction of the earth after the fall of Satan and the chaotic result that probably took place with that fail.
Thus the time, order, place or manner of the creation of these exalted creatures is not explicitly revealed in Scripture. But the fact of their priority to man makes them for one point superior to mankind.
Other facts that make angels superior are:
Greater knowledge,
Greater intimacy with God's Presence,
Greater power and strength,
Greater freedom,
Greater beauty and glory,
Greater speed,
Greater work.
Even though man is inferior to the angels, yet "in Christ" redeemed man is brought to a position infinitely superior to the angels.
C. The Creation of the Angels was simultaneous, i.e., it was
one event, not a series.
This does not mean that all were created in one instant,
but that there was a period in which they were created and
they are not being created today.
Col. 1:16, 17, "were created" ...Aorist tense
Many false views are corrected by understanding this point.
For instance, Rabbi Jachanan inferred that there is an
angel created by every word that proceeds out of God's
mouth. (they get their wings with good works in "It’s a Wonderful Life"!)
D. Each angel is a Direct Immediate Creation of God.
There is no mediate, indirect creation; there are no baby angels. Matt. 22:28-30. Five times in OT the angels are "directly" called the Sons of God: Gen 6:2,4; Job 1:6,2:1,38:7. Never are they called "Sons of Angels".
Each angel, being a direct creation of God, stands in immediate and personal relation to the Creator. This may give a clue as to why Satan comes before God with the other Sons of God (Job 1:6-7),
The creation is completed and none will be added to their
number. Since they are not subject to death or to any
form of extinction they do not decrease or increase in
number.
E. The Angels were all created in the same moral state.
When created by God, all the angels were good. They all knew only holiness and goodness which is required for fellowship with God.
They were not created evil: Ezek. 28:15, Luke 10:18, Rev. 12:4.
F. Angels are Created in Various Classes and in Rank, and thus
have organization
1. Various Classes of Angels (I have taken some liberty here for this ranking):
a. Cherubim.
Gen. 3:24
Ex. 25:l8
Ezek. 28:14
They are usually connected with God's Holiness.
b. Seraphim, Isa. 6
The only specific reference in Scripture to Seraphim. They have to do with cleanliness & purification.
Cherubim - with God's Holiness and Justice as Guardians.
Seraphim - With Man's Holiness and Worship.
God is said to be seated above the Cherubim. 1 Sam. 4:4; Ps. 8:1; 99:1.
But the Seraphim stand or ‘fly’ above Him, Isa. 6:1.
Living Creatures. Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4-5.
These seem to be the same as cherubim. The term by which they are designated describes the unwearied activity of their nature and their
surpassing intelligence.
c. Angels.
The rest of the angelic host. The Cherubim, Seraphim, and living creatures all have "wings", but the rest of the angels are never seen with "wings".
2. Various Ranks of Angels.
a. Lucifer.
Isa. 14:12-15.
Ezek. 28:12-19
Jude 9.
b. Archangel - Michael
Jude 9
1 Thess. 4:16.
c. Princes
Dan. 1O:13, 20, 21
Dan. 12:1.
d. Thrones.
e. Dominions.
f. Principalities.
g. Powers.
3. They have organization.
Lord of Hosts. Ps. 24:10
Isa. 6:3,5.
Cf. Gen. 32:1-2
1 Kings 22:19
Matt. 25:53 suggests the organization of the Roman Army.

G. The Ange1s created were innumerable.
Ps. 68:17, Dan. 7:10, Rev. 5:12, Heb. 12:22
(The Number of the Angels)
Scripture is silent as to the exact number of angels, or of the various classes of angels, but the language used implies that there is a vast contingent of them.
1. The same language is used of the angels as is used of the stars.
Passages referring to the stars.
Deut. 4:19.
Isa. 34:4
Passages referring to angels.
1 Kings 22:l9.
Luke 2:13
Passages referring to both stars and angels.
Job. 38:7.
Ps. 148:1-6.
Isa. 24:21-23.
Isa. 40:26.
2. Angels are designated as the Lord's host.
Gen. 32:2,
Jacob saw two hosts or armies.
Josh. 5:14, "Captain of the host of the Lord
Job. 25:3
Ps. 68:7, 89:6-8
2 Kings 6:17
3. The Lord spoke of "twelve legions", Matt. 26:53
A legion was the largest division of the Roman army of which it was in order and armaments, a miniature. It was typically composed of 6200 foot soldiers, and 300 horse soldiers. Because of the impressive size of a legion, the term came to represent a large number of persons
in orderly combination. The demon-possessed said, 'My name is legion, for we are many, Mark 5:9." ...Herbert Lockyer.
4. Many speak of angels in terms of "thousands."
Deut. 33:2, Jude 14, Ps 68:17, Dan. 7:10, Rev. 5:11
The Hebrew language had no word for "million" but instead expressed a million as "a thousand thousands" (which is a million), and "ten thousand times ten thousand" which would be a hundred million.
5. Finally, Scripture states that they are "an innumerable
company of angels." Heb. 12:22.
Remember that regardless of the number of angels there are 2/3 of all angels on God's side, 1/3 of them are on the side of the opposition.
Lord of hosts is special reference to warfare or service - Ps. 24:10
Isa. 6:3, 5.
Cf. Gen. 32:1-2
1 Kings 22:19
Matt. 26:53.
Suggests the organization of the Roman army.
Darby transl. on Col. 2:18 18Let no one fraudulently deprive you of your prize, doing his own will in humility and worship of angels, entering into things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh,
NASB: 18Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,
KJV: 18Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
NKJV: 18Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, …MacArthur: warned about luring them into irrational mysticism; worship of angels: the beginning of a heresy that was to plague the region around Colosse for centuries and beyond – a practice the Bible clearly prohibits (Matt. 4:10); like virtually all cults and false religions, the Colossian false teachers based their teaching on visions and revelations they had supposedly received. Their claims were false, since Jesus Christ is God’s final and complete revelation to mankind.
ISV: 18Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels cheat you out of the prize by boasting about what he has seen
NIV: 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.
Berkeley Version: Let no one defraud you of salvation’s victory prize, no one who indulges in assumed humility and the cult of angel worship, who brags of visions and, though empty, is inflated by his worldly mind. Margin note: On angel worship: = false humility, they would approach God only through angel intermediaries.