The Spirit Beings
And Spiritual Warfare
By
Gerry Watts
In these last days, there is a great revival in the belief of spirits and the world of the supernatural. It comes in various forms and guises, such as Spiritism, the Occult, Naturism, Ufology, Wicca, etc, etc. It is frequently being proclaimed through the medium of television and film, and through numerous books, particularly those aimed at children, such as the Harry Potter series. Even the scientific community is being drawn into the realm of the paranormal. Yet there is nothing new under the sun, as the foundation of all these beliefs has been around since the dawn of history.
It is certainly not mass hysteria or delusion that has given rise to the belief in another world which is spiritual that goes beyond what we know in the material world. The many human experiences throughout history of angels, spirit guides, spirits of the dead, demons, fairies, ghosts, aliens, gods, etc, cannot all be ignored as pure imagination and myth. There has to be an element of truth in these things.
So are there 'aliens' or 'angels' or 'higher masters?' Who are the spirit guides that reveal themselves to those who reach a 'higher state of consciousness' through Transcendental Meditation and other means? And what about the spirit manifestations and exorcisms often experienced in 'charismatic' Christian gatherings? It is certain that some of these 'experiences' are fraudulent, and some psychological, as the mind is a powerful thing and open to many influences, especially for those who are seeking some kind of attention or fleshly indulgence, no matter how painful. But for the majority, these experiences are very real and cannot be ignored. But the fundamental question is 'What is the source of these 'experiences' or visions, and who are they?
This study will provide you with the spiritual evidence needed to answer the above questions, by taking a journey through the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures (i.e. the Bible). For those who are not acquainted with the evidence for believing that the Bible is the Word of God, and therefore is the measuring line for truth, see the article entitled The Purpose of Life.
Before we begin though, it would be good to bear the following in mind concerning the original writings of Scripture. By the time God began to reveal His truth to the Hebrews in written form through Moses in the Pentateuch (i.e. the Torah; Genesis to Deuteronomy) as well as the book of Job, the oral traditions of humanity that had been passed down through the generations from the beginning had become corrupted into various myths and religious beliefs and writings of the nations, with only fragments of the truth remaining.
Even the events surrounding Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had only been passed down orally at that time. So God, through His Son appearing as Yahweh to certain individuals, and also through other selected individuals by special inspiration of His Spirit, began to give us, through Israel, His written Word - the revelation of truth. Of course, it requires faith to believe in the spiritual divine source of the Bible, and I pray that that faith is given to you, the reader.
So let us begin our journey through time and discover the spirit beings.
Satan the Adversary
In the book of Beginnings or Genesis, we are introduced to a prominent spirit being who is clearly the great enemy of God. It is assumed from this account that this Adversary existed long before the creation of humanity, which is confirmed later in Scripture. (For further study, see the article entitled God's Plan of the Ages). He is intimately involved in the 'fall' of the first human pair, bringing sin and death into the human race, and all creation, through his cunning lies (Genesis 3:1-19). This account alone doesn't reveal very much as to who this being is, apart from the fact that he used a creature of the field called a serpent as a disguise to seduce Eve. (See also 2 Corinthians 11:3). Yet the unfolding revelation within Scripture does clearly tell us who this being is.
As a point of interest, the serpent evidently had legs in the beginning and it may have been the nearest creature to the fabled dragon (Gen. 3:14). There is also another instance in scripture where an animal is used to talk to a human, as the serpent did to Eve, and this was when Yahweh used a donkey to rebuke the false prophet Balaam (Numbers 22:21-35). Some animals, like parrots, have the natural vocal ability to talk and it is therefore not a problem for God, or a spirit being like Satan for that matter, to use a creature to talk through.
Anyhow, this spirit being is called Satan, which is the Hebrew for Adversary. The Greek equivalent is diabolos, which can also mean Slanderer, and it is usually mistranslated as devil. He is figuratively referred to as the Dragon and the Serpent (Job 1:6-12; Revelation 12:9; 20:2), and in the following texts he is portrayed as a serpent/dragon-like sea creature, commonly called Leviathan (See also Isaiah 27:1; Job 41; Psalm 74:13-14; 104:26).
A careful study of the Scriptures reveals the following portrait concerning this key figure, Satan the Adversary:
He was originally created by God to be His Enemy (For further reading on the purpose of Satan's existence, see the article entitled Almighty God v Almighty Self). The stars, in Scripture, are often used figuratively for celestial beings (Revelation 1:20 and 9:1). Certain constellations, especially those related to dragons or serpents, are figurative of Satan. See Job 26:13 which reads more accurately
'By His Spirit He makes the heavens fair; His hand formed in travail the fugitive serpent.'
'It is I (Yahweh) who have created the destroyer to work havoc'
(Isaiah 54:16 NIV)
The common passages that are used to teach that Satan was originally created perfect and then 'fell' are Isaiah 14:9-15 and Ezekiel 28:11-19. But a careful reading of these passages in their context will show that Satan is not in view here, only in the sense that he is the invisible enemy of God in the background, empowering certain mortals like the Prince of Tyre and Babylon. Also, the name 'Lucifer' is not in the Hebrew of Isaiah 14:12, which should read
'How you fall from heaven; Howl son of the dawn.'
Revelation 12:7-9 is telling us about Satan's 'fall' from the heavens due to Christ's victory over him, through His death and resurrection, but there isn't any clear evidence that suggests a primeval fall. What we do know though, is that the Slanderer has been sinning from the beginning; he was a murderer from the beginning, a liar and the father of lies. Deception is his native tongue (John 8:44). Christ came to destroy the works of the Adversary, which is sin and death, but without an adversary there would have been no reason to come at all! (Hebrews 2:14-15 and 1 John 3:8).
Satan is called 'the wicked one' because he seems to enjoy afflicting people for no good reason, especially true believers in God, i.e. the saints (meaning 'holy or set-apart ones') of Israel or followers of Christ. Wicked in Greek is literally misery-gushed. Many translations read 'evil' instead of 'wicked,' but there is a big difference though between these two words as used in Scripture. 'Evil' describes a calamity of some kind, and can be attributed to God and His messengers (Isaiah 45:7 and Revelation 16:1-2). But God uses evil for the eventual good of all. 'Wicked' is never used of God and His messengers, but is attributed to Satan and his messengers, as well as humanity. The issue is the intent of the heart. The wicked one seeks to pour misery on someone for sinful reasons. The whole world is under the spell of the wicked one (Matthew 6:13; John 17:15; Ephesians 6:16; 1 John 2:13-14; 5:19).
The events in Job 1:6-12 and 2:1-10, reveals the fact that Satan was once free to roam the earth and enter the throne room of God in the celestials (or heavens; the spiritual dimension) as, and when, he wished. Yet even now, he walks around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). In Luke 10:18-19, Jesus is describing Satan's swift activity between heaven and earth, due to the power of God's Spirit ransacking the kingdom of darkness at that time through Himself and His disciples. Jesus may also have been referring to the time when, as mentioned above, Satan was defeated in a spiritual battle with the chief messenger Michael and consequently he was thrown out of the heavens and confined to the earth (Revelation 12:7-12).
Satan is also the great Tempter, used by God to test and sift believers (Job 1-2; Luke 22:31-32; 1 Corinthians 7:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:18). Satan was also used in the unique testing of Jesus Himself, before His public ministry began (Luke 4:1-13). This event with Christ also reveals how Satan can misuse scripture for his own ends. Jesus fought him with the sword of the Spirit, which is a declaration of God, and this is how all believers are to defend themselves against the Adversary's assaults (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:16).
He is the Slanderer, who accuses God's children before the court of heaven (Zechariah 3:1-2 and Revelation 12:10). In 1 Peter 5:8, He is called 'your plaintiff the Adversary.' Nevertheless, believers have an Advocate in the court of heaven, Christ Jesus, who defends them before the Father (Romans 8:33-34 and 1 John 2:1).
There are specific individuals whom Satan can possess for a time, like Judas Iscariot (Luke 22:3-4). He can also entice humanity into sin and transgression, and he is the great deceiver (1 Chronicles 21:1; Matthew 16:23; Acts 5:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Timothy 5:15; Revelation 20:7-8).
The Stratagems of the Adversary
The Adversary wouldn't be very effective though without stratagems, involving various traps (Ephesians 6:11; 1 Timothy 3:7; 2 Timothy 2:24-26). One of his key strategies is to promote false teaching and religion through his human dupes, which blinds people to the truth and encourages pride and self-righteousness. Only the truth can set people free (John 8:31-32), so Satan will do his utmost to hide the truth or distract people from it.
In Ephesians 4:11-14, Paul is declaring that the real purpose of apostles and prophets (contained in the writings of the New Testament) and evangelists and shepherd/teachers, is to bring the Body of Christ ecclesia (or Church) to maturity in the truth, revealed through Paul's evangel. Then in verse 14, he clearly refers to Satan's strategy, through human unreliability and craftiness, of literally 'having a method of procedure for deceptive teaching.' That is to say, his deception is empowered by systematising the lies. He will do his utmost to try and prevent believers from maturing in the truth. So the best defence against this tactic is to systematise the truth of the Scriptures, which is the purpose of proper Bible teaching.
"...that we may by no means still be minors, surging hither and thither and being carried about by every wind of teaching, by human caprice, by craftiness with a view to the systematising of the deception."
(Ephesians 4:14)
In relation to this, another one of his traps is to cause believers to think that the common translations of the Bible are virtually infallible, when they are in fact full of the inconsistencies and inaccuracies of man (see The Concordant Version article).
When outright attack isn't effective enough, Satan changes his tactics by transfiguring himself into a messenger of light, and causes his human servants to appear like the real thing, that is, that they appear as servants of God (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Satan and his messengers are the real 'shape-shifters.' Many religions, including many within Christendom, are based on 'visions of messengers of light.' But underneath the façade is a hidden agenda, which is not truly of God, and is therefore not in accord with His revealed will. It is one of the many stratagems of the Adversary set out to deceive humanity.
The true servant of God will seek to walk in love with an honest heart, in the light of the truth, by the Spirit of God, exalting Christ for who He really is and glorifying the Father for who He really is. (See Ephesians 4:1-5, 15-16; 5:1-21; Philippians 2:1-18; 1 John 4).
Satan is also called the 'god of this age' who blinds unbelievers to the truth of who Christ really is (2 Corinthians 4:3-4), and he is also called 'the chief or prince of this world-system' (John 14:30-31 and 16:11). He is the hidden power directly behind the governments of this world (1 Corinthians 2:6-8), the fashion of this world (1 Corinthians 7:31), the spirit of the world (1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 John 2:15-17), and the spiritual atmosphere of darkness surrounding the world of men, in this age of the world. His real goal is to be worshipped as god, and to enslave the human race.
And you, being dead to your offences and sins, in which once you walked, in accord with the eon of this world, in accord with the chief of the jurisdiction of the air, the spirit now operating in the sons of stubbornness...
(Ephesians 2:1)
Only true believers in Christ are, in spirit, rescued out of Satan's jurisdiction of darkness and transported into the kingdom of light under Christ's authority (Colossians 1:12-17; also Luke 22:53; Acts 26:18). We are all born into darkness, but only the chosen ones amongst humanity become children of light during this present age. Then ideally these children of light are to mature into sons of God in preparation to rule with Christ in the coming ages.
The Kingdom of Darkness
It is clear throughout Scripture that Satan does not work on his own. Much that is attributed to Satan is not directly him at all, but is the work of his numerous underlings. Somehow, He caused a rebellion in the spirit realm in the First Age, forming the spiritual kingdom of Darkness (see the article God's Plan of the Ages). The spirit realm, often called the celestials or heavenlies, is populated with myriads of spirit beings termed 'the sons of God' in Hebrew and 'messengers' ('angelos') in Greek, commonly translated as 'angels' (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Matthew 26:53; Revelation 5:11).
The term 'Sons of God' refers to their direct creation by God as those who, ideally, should reflect the character and authority of God. 'Messengers' is a general term describing to us their main role of interacting with humanity, whether as good messengers or as wicked messengers. There are other spirits as well, which may be distinct from messengers, who we shall look at shortly. It is a vast world, as immense as the universe itself. The majority of the angels are called God's chosen (or elect) messengers (1 Timothy 5:21).
But let us take a look for a minute at this special term, Sons of God. This refers to those who have been directly created by God to reflect His character and authority, and therefore they are called His sons. Jesus is The only begotten Son of God, the unique Firstborn Son, through Whom all things were originally created. The spirit beings are also called Sons of God in Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7, and the first human, Adam, is called a Son of God in Luke 3:38 due to his special creation by God.
Also, all true believers in Christ are termed Sons of God because of their special place in the Kingdom, due to the fact that they have been begotten of God and have become part of a New Creation, a New Humanity, all of which is effected by God's Spirit (Galatians 3:26-29; 1 John 3:1; Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:19).
There is a particular, controversial passage in Genesis 6:1-4, which also uses this term, which is worth taking a brief look at.
Genesis 6:1-4
There are two primary interpretations of this text which talks of the 'sons of God' marrying some of the daughters of Adam and having children by them during the time before the Flood, and afterwards. The first view believes that the 'sons of God' were spirit beings who were somehow able to adopt human bodies (or transform into humans) and generate offspring from the daughters of humanity. They were rebellious, fallen angels, spirits who stubbornly disobeyed God's law of created order, choosing to remain on the earth as humans for sinful reasons.
The other view believes that the 'sons of the Elohim' or sons of God are those of the line of Seth, who were God's administrators during the early eras of humanity. Eventually, through an apostasy, they intermarried with the daughters of Adam who were of Cain's line and others.
Whichever view one believes, it is evident from the account in Genesis 6 that the offspring of these unions between the sons of God and the women they married became known as the 'distinguished ones' or 'giants,' often translated as Nephilim. They became the ancient rulers or 'gods' of humanity, men of renown.
Over the years, I have believed both views at one time or another because both views have strengths and weaknesses. Yet I am more inclined to believe that the overall evidence falls in favour of the first view, namely, that these sons of God were spirit beings.
There are three passages in the New Testament that seem to be strongly related to each other and to Genesis 6. In 1 Peter 3:18-20, 2 Peter 2:4-5 and Jude 6, we are told about a group of stubborn spirits or sinning messengers who are bound in a spiritual place called Tartarus (commonly mistranslated as Hell) awaiting the Judgment because of their involvement in the early downfall of humanity. It was to these spirits in jail that Christ, in His glorified body, went sometime after His resurrection to proclaim to them His victory and exaltation. We are not told exactly what they did, but we are given some clues. The first clue is that Peter links this ancient rebellion with the Great Flood of Noah's day. And notice that these spirits are contrasted with human souls.
"...seeing that Christ also, for our sakes, once died concerning sins, the just for the sake of the unjust, that He may be leading us to God; being put to death, indeed, in flesh, yet vivified in spirit, in which, being gone to the spirits in jail also, He heralds to those once stubborn, when the patience of God awaited in the days of Noah while the ark was being constructed, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were brought safely through water..."
(1 Peter 3:18-20)
"For if God spares not sinning messengers, but thrusting them into the gloomy caverns of Tartarus, gives them up to be kept for chastening judging; and spares not the ancient world, but guards Noah, an eighth, a herald of righteousness, bringing a deluge on the world of the irreverent..."
(2 Peter 2:4-5)
Yet Jude 6 is the most revealing:
'Besides, messengers who keep not their own sovereignty, but leave their own habitation, He has kept in imperceptible bonds under gloom for the judging of the great day.'
This passage is clearly stating that some rebellious spirits abandoned their God-given position of sovereignty and left behind their God-given home in the celestials, or their heavenly bodies. This of course is an abomination to God, so they are confined in a spiritual prison of darkness (Tartarus) until the Day of the Great White Throne Judgment when they will receive chastening judging. But this is all we are told. It is clearly evident from a number of instances in Scripture that angels can, and do, appear as men, as the rest of this study will show. Hebrews 13:2 also says that some have entertained angels without knowing it, implying that they appear as men!
Having said that, I do not believe that they actually become human, or if they do, it is only temporary. If they attempt to abuse this power by disobeying God's rightful order and they remain human, they are rebels and sinners who will be judged accordingly. It is true that Jesus said that spirits do not have flesh and bones, and that messengers do not marry (Luke 24:39 & Matthew 22:30), but He appears to be talking about the rightful God-given place of spirits in the spirit world, revealing the distinction between the glorified spiritual body of the new humanity, and that of spirits.
So therefore, in light of the above, some spirits have chosen to rebel against this law and the natural order in creation to become human so that they can experience fleshly lusts and seek to dominate humanity by generating powerful offspring.
Humans do the same kind of lawless acts in reversing or perverting God's rightful order, by homosexuality, paedophilia, sexual acts with animals, and the like of these.
The pagan myths about gods, supermen and giants are clearly referring to the ancient distinguished ones or Nephilim of Genesis 6:4 who were the mighty heroes of old, part of which was due to the great stature of some of them. There were others after the Flood who were also called 'distinguished ones.' Among these were the Anakites and the Rephaites (See Numbers 13:33; Deuteronomy 2:10-11; 3:11) and the giant Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, whom David killed, was evidently descended from this race also (2 Samuel 21:15-22; 1 Samuel 17:4-7). All of this evidence seems to suggest that the sons of God in Genesis 6 are angels or spirit beings who became human.
It is also extremely fascinating that Jesus likens the days of Noah to the last days before His return (Luke 17:26). In view of the obsession of some in these days with 'alien abductions and sexual experiments,' only God knows what further deceptive abominations lie ahead.....and they clearly involve fallen angels and deceiving spirits who belong to the kingdom of darkness!
The Celestials or Heavens
The kingdom of darkness is under the authority of their chief or prince, Satan, and there are numerous sovereignties, powers, lordships and authorities within this spiritual kingdom. Ephesians 6:12 calls them
'...the sovereignties, the authorities, the world-mights of this darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.'
In many respects, the human sovereignties and governing powers on this earth are a shadow of the true order in the celestials, including those who serve Christ, and those who are enslaved under Satan. All, though, were originally created in Christ. (See also Colossians 1:16-17 and John 1:1-3).
Let us just pause a minute to consider this important and interesting phrase 'among the celestials.' The Greek word usually translated as 'heaven' in the singular or plural is ouranos which basically has the meaning 'to look up.' It is describing what we see when we look up. It is often used to refer to the sky, the atmosphere surrounding the earth. But it is also used numerous times in Scripture to refer to the spiritual dimension, that is, the dwelling place of God, and His kingdom of the heavens, which is a spiritual kingdom as opposed to a worldly kingdom.
"Repent! for the kingdom of the heavens is near." (Matthew 4:17)
"...glorify your Father Who is in the heavens." (Matthew 5:16)
In many instances, spiritual or supernatural things are said to occur in the heavens, which is referring to the sky above us, as well as the spiritual dimension itself. Jesus ascended up into the sky and into heaven in a cloud of glory that hid Him from the sight of the apostles as He disappeared into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). He shall also return from the direction of the sky or heaven. But the sky is a figure for that which belongs to the spiritual dimension, in which we look up as opposed to looking down into the earth. But the actual atmosphere of the earth is not necessarily the actual location of heaven, the spiritual dimension. It may be the place where heaven is opened at a particular time, almost like a wormhole or spiritual gateway, but the spirit realm exists all around us, or next to us.
Even modern theories of Physics suggests that there are other dimensions that lie next to our own. We can enter it via a curtain if we have the capability. This is why Jesus, after His resurrection, could appear and disappear at will, because His human body is now adapted to the spiritual dimension. It is a spiritual human body. This is the Order of the New Humanity, that is, immortality. And all of His followers in the Bride/Body of Christ shall one day share this same spiritual portion of immortality, being freed from the confines of this soilish creation (1 Corinthians 15:35-54).
A good example of the above is in the account of Stephen's assassination in Acts 7. At the end of his speech to the Elders of Israel in the Sanhedrin, Stephen sees heaven opened up.
Now possessing the fullness of faith and Holy Spirit, looking intently into heaven, he perceived the glory of God, and Jesus, standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Lo! I am beholding the heavens opened up, and the Son of Mankind standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:55-56)
Notice that the word heaven is used in the singular and the plural - and that Stephen was indoors! It doesn't state here that he looked up into the sky. It just says that he looked intently into heaven and saw the heavens opened up, that is, to his sight, the curtain to the spiritual dimension was drawn aside and he saw Jesus standing in the Holy of Holies of the Celestial Temple surrounded by the Glory of God.
So the sky or atmosphere of the earth is ultimately a symbol for the spiritual dimension, heaven or the heavens.
The Greek word epouranion is also used to describe the spiritual dimension. The word itself is describing that which is 'on the heavens.' It is describing the celestial bodies of the stars and planets that appear to be resting ON the sky as we look up. Here again, the natural, soulish meaning comes first, as a symbol of the spiritual. This word is used the most in the letter to the Hebrews and Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Paul particularly uses the expression 'among the celestials' in his Ephesian letter. It is describing those things or beings that are in the spiritual dimension. Christ is said to be seated among the celestials, up over all the sovereignties and authorities that exist in the heavens (Ephesians 1:20-23). His position at God's right hand in the Holy of Holies of the Celestial Temple, the celestial City New Jerusalem, is Supreme. He is Sovereign of the whole universe.
And believers in the Body of Christ are said to be partners of a celestial calling and allotment, and are seated together with Him among the celestials with spiritual blessings (Hebrews3:1; Ephesians 1:2; 2:6). More on this later. Yet what is really interesting in this regard is that Satan and his spiritual forces of darkness are situated among the celestials as well!
'...the sovereignties, the authorities, the world-mights of this darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.'
(Ephesians 6:12)
So contrary to what many believe, Satan and his forces are presently in heaven, among the celestials! And heaven or the heavens or the celestials, as well as anything that is heavenly, are terms used to describe the spiritual dimension or spirit world, that which is not a part of this creation (this creation being the natural, material, soulish, terrestrial world of humanity that we presently know). The actual physical location of the spirit world is not the thought that is being conveyed through these terms. It is not literally in the sky (or air or atmosphere) or on another planet (the celestial bodies), but the gateway to seeing or entering this world may be opened up anywhere really - in accordance with God's will.
Demons and Unclean Spirits
Apart from messengers, there are spirit beings that are termed demons and unclean spirits. These are often mistranslated as 'familiar spirits,' 'devils' or 'evil spirits.' Whether demons are actually distinct from messengers is debatable though. But what is clear is that demons are one and the same as unclean spirits, and all spirits that are under Satan's rule, including messengers, are wicked and unclean. So in fact all these descriptive terms could be referring to the whole kingdom of darkness, whatever their position or office in their kingdom.
Satan is clearly the Chief of the demons, and in this regard, is also called Beelzebub or Beezeboul, identifying him with a Philistine idol (2 Kings 1). In Matthew 12:22-30, Jesus is being accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons with the power and authority of Satan! But Jesus refutes this by stating that a kingdom divided against itself will not stand. He then challenges them to ask the Jewish exorcists by whose power do they cast out demons?
It was evident that Jesus' power was greater than any of the exorcists, who were probably being tricked by the demons into thinking they had exorcised their victims! This most certainly happens today through many so-called Christian exorcisms! It is the teachings of demons causing people to focus on demons and the corruptions of the flesh, and to keep them coming back for more (1 Timothy 4:1).
Jesus is the One who binds the strong one, Satan, so He is therefore stronger than the kingdom of darkness! See also Acts 19:13-17. It was also clear to many of the people then that Jesus' power was of God, as demons have limited power (John 10:20-21; See also Exodus 8:18-19).
In God's Law, given to Israel through Moses, mediums, who were often possessed by demons, were forbidden.
'There shall not be found among you one causing his son or his daughter to pass through fire, or one divining divinations, or consulting clouds, auguring or enchanting or charming with charms, one asking of a medium or wizard or inquiring after the dead... For these nations in whose place you are tenanting, they hearken to cloud consulters and diviners.'
(Deuteronomy 18:10-14)
(See also Leviticus 20:6, 27 and Isaiah 8:19).
The reason why God hates these things and warns against them is because He knows that the source of all these practises within the idolatrous religions of the nations, which includes prostitution and all manner of uncleanness, are demons. It is within these beliefs that one is led into 'the deep things of Satan,' which breeds darkness, uncleanness and insanity (1 Corinthians 10:20-22 and Revelation 2:20-24).
In Acts 16:16-18, we have the account of Paul casting out a 'python spirit' from a woman who practised divination. He certainly didn't want a demon of idolatry testifying to their ministry and following them about. So he cast it out as a sign of the apostolic authority he had in Christ. It is evident that women are more commonly used by Satan as mediums etc, rather than men. It appears that women are more sensitive to the spirit realm, and therefore more easily deceived, which is why Paul was so adamant that believers should observe the God-given order of the sexes (1 Timothy 2:11-14 and 1 Corinthians 11:3,8-12,14-16. See also 1 Peter 3:1-7). In most religions of the nations, the female is raised to the height of a goddess, seeking to reverse God's ordained order.
It is evident that unclean spirits seek to seduce their hosts into sensuality of all kinds, especially through orgies and the like, which was, and is, often manifested in idolatrous worship. Even though the flesh of itself is sinful and capable of many degrading acts (Galatians 5:19-21), unclean spirits can influence humans in the lusts of the flesh, and can even possess a human if they are unwittingly invited. It is certainly not healthy to go 'demon-hunting' whereby you see a demon round every corner! Demons are not necessarily directly involved with all sinful activities, wicked acts and infirmities.
But as the following scriptures will show, demons are very real and dangerous, particularly to those who are not under Christ's authority. They tend to hide and remain disguised, but when the Son of God came to earth as the man Jesus, to proclaim the kingdom of God to Israel, His power and authority through the full anointing of God's Holy Spirit, caused demons to pop out all over the place!
He also deputised His disciples to do the same damage to the kingdom of darkness, but the power faded due to increasing apostasy, and an era of abundant grace was introduced. Since that time believers are to be Ambassadors for Christ, fighting an invisible war of truth, wrestling with the dark forces in the celestials (Ephesians 6:10-11, 15, 19-29 and 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Yet a time is coming, and now is, when the powers of the coming age will be manifest again before Christ returns.
The main battle is exposing the teachings of demons, particularly that which exalts the flesh through vain rituals that deceive and trap believers in darkness (1 Timothy 4:1-8; 2 Timothy 2:22-26; Colossians 2:16-23). (For further reading, see the article entitled The Evangel of God and its Secrets). We must remember: the demons believe in one God - and shudder, because they do not worship or obey Him (James 2:19).
Satan's Messengers in the Hebrew Scriptures
Let us now take a look at some actual events contained in the Old Testament, which will reveal to us many details about Satan's messengers.
Job 1 & 2 - Satan is given permission by Yahweh to afflict Job's possessions as a test. Evidently, Satan sent out evil spirits to cause the Sabeans to attack Job's servants and steal his livestock; then to cause fire, possibly lightening, to destroy more of his servants and sheep; then to cause the Chaldeans to attack more of his servants and camels; and then to cause a mighty sand storm to wreck one of his son's houses, killing his sons and daughters.
As a further test, Satan is allowed to afflict Job's body, but is forbidden to take his life (showing that he could have killed him, if allowed). Evidently, Satan sent an evil spirit to afflict Job with sores all over his body.
As we shall see, there are some passages of scripture that state that the evil spirits come from God! Even today, disasters caused by nature are termed 'acts of God.' The reason for this is made clear in this account of Job. Satan and his demons need God's permission to attack His saints. Even everything else is under God's sway - He is Supreme. All is in accordance with His wise plan, contrary to what it may look like to us (Ephesians 1:11).
Judges 9:22-24 - An evil spirit is sent by God (Elohim) to cause the evil usurper Abimelech and the people of Shechem to rise up against each other in battle.
1 Samuel 16:14-23; 18:10-11; 19:9-10 - After God's Spirit had left King Saul to rest on David, an evil spirit from Yahweh frequently tormented Saul, causing him to suffer depression and fits of rage. David became Saul's armour-bearer, and whenever Saul was tormented by the spirit, David would play his harp and evidently sing his psalms, and the spirit would leave Saul. This shows that anointed music can be very powerful (1 Chronicles 13:8; 25:1-7). It is equally clear that music can be used of Satan as well, especially in idolatrous feasts and revelries (Daniel 3:1-7 and Revelation 18:21-22).
But there were the two occasions where even the music of David didn't help, and Saul attempted to murder David with his spear, after the evil spirit came forcefully upon him. Saul became envious and paranoid of David, and sought to hunt him down and kill him for many years after this.
1 Samuel 28 - Saul visits a medium at Endor to enquire of the dead. This episode reveals that many mediums and the like are charlatans and tricksters. When God causes a vision of Samuel to appear to the medium, she shrieks with fear. But in many cases, demons masquerade as spirits of the dead or 'spirit guides,' manipulating the mind of the medium or 'channeller' and even causing objects to move as a sign of the 'spirits' presence. This 'Samuel' spirit could well have been a demon in disguise, so to speak.
1 Kings 22:17-23 and 2 Chronicles 18:18-22 - The prophet Michaiah sees a vision of the throne-room of heaven, where Yahweh sends out a lying spirit to deceive the wicked king Ahab, by giving false instructions to him through the 400 false prophets.
Daniel 10:10-11:1 - Here we have a fascinating passage which draws back the curtain and gives us a glimpse of the activities in the celestials, which in turn are effected in the earth. A messenger of God was despatched to Daniel in response to Daniel's prayer concerning the future of Judah and the coming kingdom. We must bear in mind that Daniel was a representative of God, holding a high rank in the kingdom of Persia. But the chief or prince of the kingdom of Persia detained this messenger for 21 days! Michael, one of the first chiefs, who we shall look at later, came to his aid so he could be released to come to Daniel with his message.
This messenger also reveals that later he was going back to fight with the Persian chief, and then prophesies that the chief of Greece would appear on the scene as well. Then in parenthesis he says, 'Verily, I am telling you what is signified in the writing of truth' (v 21). From this statement, and from the prophetic message he subsequently gives to Daniel, he clearly reveals that the events in the celestials are mirrored on the earth. What is occurring on the earth are signs of what is occurring in the celestials.
Evidently, there are chief messengers of Satan's kingdom who are in control of the countries and kingdoms of the nations. These appear to be the sovereignties, often translated principalities. They are powerful enough to withstand some messengers of God. How they do battle is not clear, but they certainly do not wage war in the same way that flesh and blood humans do! Spirit beings cannot die or be injured! (See Hebrews 2:16, where it states that death 'is not taking hold of messengers' - Concordant Version. Compare also Matthew 22:29-30). They can be restricted by imprisonment, in what appears to be places with severe lack of light, like Tartarus. The Abyss or submerged chaos is another similar place, which we shall look at shortly.
We can have some idea of how these spirits do battle from the following passages written by Paul.
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, Paul continues to defend his ministry and apostolic authority to the ecclesia at Corinth, due to the fact that some of them there were challenging him. He states that, even though he and his team have the right to exercise their authority, by the power of God, they do not do it in accordance with flesh, but spirit. The kingdom of God will need to be fully established by Christ and His saints using spiritual power with destructive force to subdue the wicked. Even beforehand, the apostles had the authority to proclaim the evangel of the kingdom and to rule the ecclesias, with spiritual power (Matthew 16:19; Luke 10:19-20; Acts 5:1-13; 13:6-12; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; 1 Timothy 1:20).
The same will be apparent in the near future, when the kingdom draws near again (Matthew 10:18-23; Revelation 7:2-8; 11:3-13).
But Paul is now beginning to reveal the celestial side of his evangel.
'For, walking in flesh, we are not warring according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful to God toward the pulling down of bulwarks; pulling down reckonings and every height elevating itself against the knowledge of God, and leading into captivity every apprehension into the obedience of Christ, and having all in readiness to avenge every disobedience...'
(2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
It is a battle in spirit, which is primarily invisible, taking place in the celestials. It is a battle of the mind and heart concerning the truth about God and His Christ. Paul had unique spiritual authority to effect much in the celestials, and on the earth. But as we shall now see, this celestial authority can also be used by all mature believers in the Body of Christ.
In Ephesians 6:10-17 we have the most detailed account of our spiritual warfare, and the figurative armour or panoply. All spiritual believers in the Body of Christ ecclesia have access to a complete suit of spiritual armour that provides adequate defence from the stratagems and attacks of the Adversary. But notice what Paul says here,
'...for it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.' (v 12)
The keyword is 'wrestle'. That's the real warfare - spiritual wrestling! In the spirit realm, among the messengers, this may include actual bodily contact, but it is primarily a battle of the heart and mind, which for believers at present is one of faith.
Briefly, the panoply consists of
Truth
- especially the truth for the present administration of grace, revealed only through Paul's evangel or gospel - Colossians 1:3-8; Ephesians 1:13
Righteousness - particularly practical righteousness, based on our justification by faith, and the
New Humanity - Ephesians 4:20-25; 2 Timothy 2:20-22
The
Evangel of Peace
- the truth of the Conciliation of the world, based on our reconciliation with God - 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Colossians 1:18-20
Faith - especially the One faith of the Body of Christ, revealed through Paul's ideal teaching - Ephesians 4:5; 1 Timothy 4:6
Salvation - this is a present spiritual deliverance from the attacks of the Adversary, which can only be received by those who apply the rest of the panoply - Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13-14
Spiritual power
- this is also received by those who know how to use the Words of God maturely. His words are
Spirit and are Life - John 6:63; Hebrews 4:12-13; Ephesians 3:16
Although the contexts are different, compare also 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10; 2 Corinthians 6:7; Romans 6:13; 13:12; 1 Timothy 1:18-19.
Take note that this warfare in the Lord, whereby we stand and withstand Satan's attacks, is not to be confused with the fact that all believers are secure in Christ, concerning our future deliverance and destiny (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:1-10). But with regard to our walk, our service and warfare, there can be loss of present blessing, and of future rewards and ranking in the kingdom (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 9:24-27; 1 Timothy 3:13; 4:15-16; 2 Timothy 2:3-7,11-13). Yet even in this, it is God who is working all within us for His own glory and purpose (Philippians 2:13). (For further study of rewards and judgment, see The Conciliation of the World and Is There Really a Hell?).
The sovereignties and authorities, and the whole kingdom of darkness, have already been stripped of their power - they just don't realise it yet! Through Christ's sacrificial death on the cross, the dark powers, including Satan himself, have been conquered. (Even the celestials needed to be cleansed of sin through Christ's sacrifice - Hebrews 9:23-26). Christ Jesus has already triumphed! But the outworking of this victory is only presently taking effect within those who truly believe. The time will soon come when Christ will reign in fullness, so that, as it is in the heavens now, so it will be on the earth. The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ (Colossians 2:10 and 15; Romans 8:37-39; 16:20; Ephesians 1:20-22; 1 Peter 3:22; Revelation 20:1-10).
God's ultimate goal and purpose is to subject the universe to Himself through Christ, so that He may be All in All (1 Corinthians 15:24-28 and Ephesians 1:8-10).
Colossians 1:18-20 states that all those in the heavens and all those on the earth will eventually be reconciled to God, through the sacrifice of Christ. This is universal reconciliation! This must mean Satan and all his demons too! Now that's victory! Now that's real power!
In the coming ages, this subjection will be achieved on the earth and in the heavens by the Bride/Body of Christ Ecclesia! Let's read what Paul reveals about this awesome fact,
'To me, less than the least of all saints, was granted this grace: to bring the evangel of the untraceable riches of Christ to the nations, and to enlighten all as to what is the administration of the secret, which has been concealed from the eons in God, Who creates all, that now may be made known to the sovereignties and authorities among the celestials, through the ecclesia, the multifarious wisdom of God, in accord with the purpose of the eons, which He makes in Christ Jesus, our Lord;'
(Ephesians 3:8-11)
'And gives Him (Christ), as Head over all, to the ecclesia which is His body, the complement of the One completing the all in all.'
(Ephesians 1:22-23)
Only Paul reveals the fullness of the truth related to this Body of Christ and the secret administration of grace in his letters to the Colossians and Ephesians. (For further reading, see The Evangel of God and its Secrets).
So a chosen portion of humanity will be raised up as immortal beings, ruling the earth and the heavens with Christ. We will display to all the spirit beings the transcendent riches of God's kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Now that's grace! (Ephesians 2:7-8 and 1 Corinthians 6:3).
Demons in the Greek Scriptures
Now let's continue by taking a look at what is revealed in the New Testament concerning unclean spirits. Due to the fact that there are so many references to demons and unclean spirits in the New Testament, the following is just a selection of passages, revealing the primary characteristics and facts about demons.
They can cause:
Muteness - Matthew 9:32-33;
Blindness - Matthew 12:22;
Suicidal tendencies, self-inflicting injuries, deafness and epilepsy - Mark 9:18-22; Matthew 17:14-21;
And other sicknesses and deformities - Luke 13:11-17.
They are no respecter of persons and will even afflict children - Mark 9:21 and Matthew 15:21-28.
They can be loud and disorderly - Mark 1:23-27 and 9:26.
They can cause upheavals in nature - Matthew 8:23-27. The fact that Jesus rebuked the wind and waves here, indicates that spirits were behind that particular storm.
They can perform apparent miracles and signs to deceive humanity - 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10. In Revelation 16:13-14, we are told of three unclean spirits that perform signs of some kind to mobilise the leaders of the nations for the final spiritual battle of this age.
Secret Babylon (which also symbolises the world system) is the home of demons and the jail of every unclean spirit (Revelation 18:2).
In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul tells us about the messenger of Satan, a splinter in the flesh, given to him to buffet him and keep him humble, due to the transcendent revelations he was receiving. He petitioned the Lord three times to take it away - but the answer was basically 'No.' Paul needed it to experience a deeper walk of grace. There has been much speculation as to what this 'splinter' was. It would appear from Galatians 4:12-16 and 6:11 that Paul suffered from some kind of eye disease, possibly from his earlier blindness on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:8-9, 18).
Considering that he was a renowned apostle, and had been performing miracles and healings by God's Spirit, his eye condition would have been quite a test for him, and those he ministered to, like the Galatians. Through Paul's ministry in particular, the present emphasis is not on outward power, but the grace of God working through infirmities and weakness! His grace is sufficient.
There is a passage in Luke 8:27-39 that reveals some interesting facts about demons. This man who confronts Jesus in the country of the Gergesenes was possessed by many demons, not just one (see also Mark 16:9). He was naked and lived in the tombs, that is, he was unclean and dwelling in the place of death. He was insane and kept in chains and fetters, but was often given the strength by the demons to break free and then be driven into the wilderness. The demons used him like a ventriloquist's dummy to speak to Jesus, giving their name as 'Legion.' In fact, verse 29 suggests that there was a chief demon that controlled the rest.
(A legion was a division of the Roman army, at one time apparently numbering 6100 foot soldiers and 726 horsemen, as it states in the CV Keyword Concordance. See also Matthew 26:53 where Jesus refers to 12 legions of messengers whom He could have called to His aid at that time. So this name Legion indicates that there were numerous demons controlling this man!).
When Jesus cast the demons out, they entered a herd of hogs which promptly rushed off the cliff into the lake and drowned. It is interesting to note that the demons begged Jesus not to send them into the submerged chaos or Abyss. They asked instead for permission to enter the hogs!
We have this same event told in Matthew 8:28-34. It is evident from this account that there were actually two demoniacs, but Luke focuses on only one. In verse 29 of Matthew's account, the demons say to Jesus,
'Didst Thou come here to torment us before the season?'
And in Luke's account, in verse 31 it says
'And they begged Him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss' (NIV).
So let's take a brief look at the Abyss.
The Abyss or Submerged Chaos
From the above statements, the Abyss seems to be a place of torment for wicked spirits, a spiritual prison. The Greek word abussos commonly translated as 'bottomless pit,' 'abyss' or 'the deep' is describing the state of the underworld of the earth or the submerged chaos. It does not necessarily refer to water. The picture becomes clearer in the book of Revelation. It is essentially a symbol for the source of the dark powers, associated with the depths of the earth. The subterranean depths of the oceans and the earth are black due to lack of light!
In Revelation 9:1-11, we are given the most detail concerning this spiritual place. Along with these other scriptures - Revelation 11:7 and 20:1&3 - we have the following picture.
It is some kind of spiritual jail for wicked spirits. It's location is not physical or earthly. It represents the source of the dark powers ruled by Satan, though they are bound (or their power is limited) by the kingdom of Light. Christ's authority over them is supreme!
Without going into too much detail here, the judgment of the fifth trumpet in Revelation 9:1-11 involves demons being released from the Abyss to become the power behind a massive army of horse riders coming from the East who are referred to in the sixth trumpet that follows. The Abyss is opened by 'a star fallen out of heaven into the earth' who is given the key for this purpose. He is described as the king of these demons, and the messenger of the Abyss. His name is Abaddon in Hebrew, and Apollyon in Greek - both mean the Destroyer! This is none other than Satan himself!
It is clear that Satan doesn't own the key to the Abyss - he is given it temporarily during this era, to release his demons when necessary. Christ, as the Chief Messenger of God, has bound Satan with a spiritual chain and locked him and his demons in the Abyss for a mystical 1000 years. Yet even now, Satan has been set loose for a short while for humanity's final test before Christ returns. (See the section The Great Prophetic Plan Revealed for further study of these things).
Returning to our subject on unclean spirits, Jesus tells us that unclean spirits can leave a host, and if they don't find rest somewhere else, they can return to their previous home, if it's unoccupied, and take many other spirits with it (Luke 11:24-26). He was using this as a kind of parable, to describe the state of that generation of Israel. After exorcism, the 'house' needs to be occupied by God's Spirit, otherwise the final condition will be worse than the first. But evidently He was describing a reality concerning the movement and control of demons.
There are many things that are hard to understand concerning unclean spirits, especially their control of their hosts. Why they do this is not quite clear. Why they had to enter the herd of hogs in the above example is also not clear. But we are given enough information, so that, by faith, we can understand something of the invisible things we are up against, which seek to interact with our visible world.
God's Messengers
One of the first of God's spirit beings that we encounter at the very beginning of scripture, in Genesis 3:24, is the Cherubim. This word is the plural of the Hebrew 'cherub,' which means 'as-many.' At least two of these beings were stationed around the area in Eden, that contained the tree of life, so as to guard it and prevent humanity from gaining access to it, in the early eras of that Age. The fruit of the tree would have given humanity increased longevity, in their dying condition. The original blessing of this special tree needed to be kept from humanity, until the tree was destroyed sometime later. As well as the Cherubim, there was also a turning, flaming sword, figuring the holiness and justice of God. The Paradise of Eden represents the dwelling place of God.
The Cherubim became an integral part of the furniture and carved imagery of the Tabernacle and the Temple. They were especially associated with the Coffer or Ark of the Covenant, where Yahweh's Presence of Glory was manifested. The idea of 'angels' having wings stems primarily from the descriptions of the Cherubim. (See Exodus 25:18-22; 1 Chronicles 28:18b; Psalm 18:10; Ezekiel 41:17-20; Hebrews 9:5).
In Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10, there is the description of four animals, which are called Cherubim, which Ezekiel saw in some awesome visions. These visions are full of vivid spiritual imagery, but whether these are actual beings or not is hard to tell. The four faces that each one has is symbolic of the primary divisions of land life on earth - a human, a lion, a vulture and a bull. In the later vision of chapter 10, the bull becomes the face of a cherub, which shows that these are not regular cherubs, because cherubs have their own faces!
These four faces are also symbolic of Jesus' character and ministry, represented in the four accounts or 'gospels' of His life on earth:
Matthew = the Lion
Mark = the Bull
Luke = the Human
John = the Vulture/Cherub, symbolising the Celestials.
These four creatures also represented the four main divisions of the camp of Israel:
Lion = Judah
Bull or Ox = Ephraim
Man = Reuben
Eagle (with snake) = Dan (see Numbers 2-3)
These four animals or Cherubim appear again in the awesome vision given to the apostle John in the book of Revelation. They are described in chapter 4. This time they don't have four faces each, but they do have the likeness of a lion, a calf, a human and a vulture. One thing is clear, and that is, that the Cherubim are associated with the Glory and Majesty of the throne of God.
In Isaiah 6, we have another vision of Yahweh's throne of Glory. But this time we have the brief description of Seraphim, which in Hebrew means 'Burning ones.' They appear to be very much like Cherubim, especially concerning their relation to God's throne, and the fact that they also have wings of some kind. This is the only passage in which they are mentioned. In fact, it would seem as though these 'burning ones' are Cherubim!
The Messenger of Yahweh
The most prominent spirit being in scripture (as well as Satan) is the Messenger of Yahweh or commonly called the Angel of the Lord. Most of the references in the Hebrew Scriptures of celestial messengers visiting earth, have to do with this special Messenger of God. So who is it? Let us take a look.
He is first mentioned in Genesis 16:7-13, where He appears and speaks to Hagar in the desert. But there is an intimation that this messenger is Yahweh Himself, for He says to her concerning Ishmael, 'Verily, I am increasing your seed.'
Then in Genesis 18:1 - 19:26, we have an enlightening account of three messengers who appear to Abraham and Sarah. It clearly states that one of them is Yahweh Elohim (commonly translated as LORD God) in 18:1,13-14. It is extremely interesting to note that the three messengers, including the Messenger of Yahweh, Yahweh Himself, appeared as men. They also ate and spoke as men. Although God's celestial messengers usually appear in a glorious light, they can and do appear as ordinary men!
It is clear from the following scriptures that messengers of God are primarily sent as servants to the saints of God, especially those of Israel in the past, and also those of the Body of Christ. They are particularly interested in God's redemptive plan in the Messiah, who they know as the Son of God.
(See Hebrews 1:7,14; 2:5; 12:22; 13:2; Genesis 24:7; 1 Kings 19:3-8; Daniel 6:21-22; Matthew 18:10; 24:31; Luke 15:10; John 5:4; 1 Corinthians 4:9; 11:10; 1 Peter 1:12; Revelation 1:1; 19:10; 22:16).
While the Messenger of Yahweh talked with Abraham, the other two messengers go on to Sodom. They lodge with Lot, but the inhabitants of Sodom try to break in to Lot's home, to rape the messengers. The messengers dazzle their sight so they cannot find the door. Then after escaping with Lot and his family, the two messengers, along with Yahweh, destroy the whole plain of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and sulphur. Lot's wife makes the mistake of stopping to take a look at the spectacle, wanting to return, and she becomes a pillar of salt due to the fire and sulphur landing on her, and the high content of mineral salt in the area. It is obviously evident that messengers have supernatural power to inflict severe judgment on humanity through various means.
Here are some other scriptures concerning the appearing of the Messenger of Yahweh, which includes appearances in dreams and visions as well. Some of the visitations were only audible, with other supernatural manifestations, particularly the visit to Moses in the burning thorn-bush. Also, in view of what we observed earlier, concerning celestial warfare, Genesis 32:24-30 is very significant. The Messenger of Yahweh wrestles with Jacob, as a man, then, when Jacob wouldn't give in, He touches his thigh-bone, causing Jacob's sinew to strain. (See Jacob's Wrestle with God).
See also Genesis 21:17-19; 22:11-18; 31:11-13; Exodus 3:2-4:17; 14:19.
In Numbers 22:21-35 and Joshua 5:13-6:5, He appears with a sword in His hand!
Judges 2:1-5; 6:11-26; 13:2-23; 2 Kings 1:2-4,15; Zechariah 1:8-21; 3:1-10.
So who is this Messenger, who is also Yahweh Himself? Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 - it is Christ Jesus, the Son of God! (Compare Exodus 17:5-6 and 14:19). But there were also many other appearances of Yahweh Elohim, but not as a Messenger! All of these appearances were the Son of God, who is the visible Image of the invisible God, and the audible Word of the inaudible God - who also became the only-begotten God, when He was born as the man, Jesus the Messiah.
See John 1:2-3, 14-18; 5:46-47; 8:56-58; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:1-4; Revelation 1:12-18.
Christ Jesus, the Man, is the Mediator of God and mankind (1 Timothy 2:5). He is neither absolutely God nor just a man, but is a unique combination of the two! As the Son of God, who's right it is to appear in the form of God, as equal to God, He nevertheless emptied Himself of all His glory, and came in the form of a slave, as a human, to die the sacrificial death of the cross! This is true humility, love and grace! And because of this, God has highly exalted Him as Head of the entire universe! (Philippians 2:5-11).
So in a relative sense, Christ is God to all of creation, but because He serves Another, His God and Father, He is the Channel not the Source. There is only ONE GOD, but He has a Son who is His Complement! (1 Corinthians 8:4-7; John 8:28-29,42; 10:29-30; Colossians 2:9). For further study of this relationship between the Father and the Son, see The Sacred Golden Calf and The Spiritual Rock.
The Chief Messengers - Michael and Gabriel
There are two Messengers of God who are actually named in Scripture - Michael and Gabriel. Let us take a look at Michael first.
We are first introduced to him by name in Daniel 10:13. His name in Hebrew means 'who is like the Deity.' This is the account that we looked at earlier. He is described here as one of the Chief Messengers, so there are evidently others, one of whom is Gabriel. It is my belief that Michael and Gabriel are two of the seven angels or spirits that are before the Throne of God. These seven spirits are mentioned a number of times in Revelation (Revelation 1:4, 20; 4:5; 8:2; also Zechariah 3:9).
In verse 21of Daniel 10, Michael is called 'your chief or prince' referring to Daniel. Then in chapter 12:1, he is called 'the great chief, standing over the sons of your people.' This clearly shows that Michael is the Chief Messenger of the nation of Israel and the Body of Christ. This prophecy concerns the end of the Old Covenant era, when Michael fought with Satan and his messengers, ousting them from the heavens. He will watch over God's chosen ones in their great affliction before the fullness of the kingdom arrives (see also Revelation 12:7-13).
It would also seem that the messenger whom Yahweh sent in front of ancient Israel, when they were journeying towards the Promised Land, was Michael their Chief. He was at the head of the invisible celestial army of God (Exodus 23:20-23; 32:34 and 33:2).
See also the account in 2 Kings 6:15-17, where the Arameans were about to attack Israel. The prophet Elisha says to his frightened servant
'Don't be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them' (NIV)
And after Elisha prayed, his servant's eyes were opened to see the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around them! This was a celestial battle on the earth, invisible to all except Elisha and his servant. (It's very interesting that it mentions horses, so there must be celestial horses!). The battle was won without any physical contact, because the Arameans were blinded and then led like sheep to Samaria! And it is extremely probable that Michael was at the head of the army.
There is one other passage that mentions Michael, and that is Jude v 9. Again, he is called the chief messenger, often translated as 'archangel.' Here we are told of an argument that Michael had with Satan, concerning the body of Moses. This appears to be the only place in Scripture that mentions this incident. As a suggestion, it may have had something to do with the burial of Moses' body, whereby Satan would have wanted it to be made known, so that people may enshrine it. But it was clearly God's will to hide the body (Deuteronomy 34:5-6).
The main point that Jude is making here though is that even Michael did not slander Satan, but said 'May the Lord rebuke you.' Likewise, spiritual believers in Christ need to respect the Adversary, and not become arrogant and slanderous in the celestial warfare (see also 2 Peter 2:10b-11). Due to the closeness and similarity of Michael's role as a chief messenger to that of the Angel of the Lord, some believe that Michael is, in fact, Christ Himself. At the present time, I'm not convinced that this is true, but it is possible.
Now let's take a look at Gabriel. His name in Hebrew means 'master-disposer' or 'master of God.' We are first introduced to Gabriel in Daniel 8:15-19 and 9:20-23. In both these instances, he is sent to Daniel to explain to him the meaning of the prophetic visions concerning the era of the end. In 9:21, Daniel describes Gabriel as a man, flying swiftly to him, while he was in prayer at his window.
Gabriel is mentioned only twice more, in the New Testament, when he appears to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:5-25 and 26-38). Both these visitations were to give the good news of the conception of the Messiah and His Forerunner. It is evident that Gabriel appeared as a man, without any glorious light. In verse 19-20, he says that he stands before God, and was dispatched with this message. But because of Zechariah's unbelief, Gabriel causes him to become mute for a season.
Gabriel is evidently a Chief Messenger like Michael. He appears to be intimately associated with God's plan of redemption through Israel.
It is clear from a study of God's messengers in scripture, that they are sometimes called upon to inflict plagues and other calamities upon humanity, for various reasons, especially in relation to Israel. For instance, in 2 Samuel 24:15-17 (also 1 Chronicles 21), a messenger of Yahweh is sent to destroy Israel with a plague, due to David's disobedience. 70,000 died from the plague, though we are not told what the plague was. It is interesting to note that David saw this messenger standing over Jerusalem with a drawn sword, above what would become the future site of the temple. It was here that the plague was stopped (2 Chronicles 3:1). This foreshadowed the era when the Son of God entered the Holy of Holies in the heavenly temple to put an end to the plague of sin and death for all humanity once and for all time. In fact, this angel may well have been Christ.
See also 2 Kings 19:35, where a messenger of Yahweh kills 185,000 Assyrians. See also Acts 12:21-23.
There are numerous references to messengers and celestial activity in the visions of the prophet Zechariah, and particularly the vision of the Day of the Lord, given to John in Revelation. Much of the celestial activity is destructive, while the earth is being cleansed for the establishing of the kingdom of God, at the return of Jesus Christ. Even the judgments of God's Law in the past were effected by messengers (Acts 7:53; Hebrews 2:2-3; Galatians 3:19 and Colossians 2:18).
Surrounding the events of Christ's first coming to the earth as the man Jesus, there were many visitations of celestial messengers.
The events of His birth - Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:8-20.
During His ministry - Matthew 4:11 and Luke 22:43.
And at His resurrection, where one messenger rolls away the stone of His tomb - Matthew 28:2-7; John 20:10-14; Acts 1:9-11.
Celestial messengers of God will also play a major role at the Second Coming of Christ to this earth - Matthew 13:40-43,49-50; 24:30-31; 25:31; Luke 12:8-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 19:14.
There were also visitations of messengers during the ministry of the apostles, particularly the one where Peter is freed from prison - Acts 12:6-11; also 8:26; 10:1-8 and 27:23-25.
Before the conclusion of this study, it is worth mentioning that spirit beings can obviously speak in earthly languages, because they communicate with humans. It is also clear, from 1 Corinthians 13:1, that the spirit world has its own plethora of languages as well!
"If I should be speaking in the languages of men and of the messengers..."
Conclusion
Well, much ground has been covered in this study (although, considering the subject matter, it is quite brief), which may have been hard for many to grasp, but it is the intent of the writer that this study has provided you with plenty of scriptural material, so you can believe and understand what is necessary to see that which is invisible, and contend the ideal contest! Yet this was just a taster of that which is not of this world!
There is a spiritual dimension (possibly the fifth dimension?!) and a heavenly warfare, and everyone on earth is involved in it whether they realise it or not! There are numerous science-fiction movies and TV shows today that, when seen through the eyes of the spirit of truth, are revealing much concerning the spirit beings and their world. To the pure, all things are pure. It may be veiled in 'Alien' terminology or as blatant spiritism and the Occult, but one thing is clear - the world is under a powerful, demonic delusion. Paul makes it clear that there shall be a strong delusion over the world in the last days (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). There truly is 'a Battle for Middle Earth coming,' and it is already here, and there shall be 'The Return of the King.' Even the Lord of the Rings movies are prophetic!
For those who are true believers in Christ, these are exciting and revealing times, but there is also much trial and suffering in the world to keep us all humble. The day is soon coming when Christ shall return and the Body of Christ ecclesia will be snatched away to meet with Him to fulfill its true calling of ruling and reconciling the universe to God, through His Son, our Lord, Christ Jesus! May we walk worthily of this calling, in all humility and meekness, patience and love, for the glory of God the Father.
The apostle Paul's warning to the Galatians continues to be relevant today,
'I am marvelling that thus, swiftly, you are transferred from that which calls you in the grace of Christ, to a different evangel, which is not another, except it be that some who are disturbing you want also to distort the good news of Christ. But if ever we also, or a messenger out of heaven, should be bringing an evangel to you beside that which we bring to you, let him be anathema! ...if anyone is bringing you an evangel beside that which you accepted, let him be anathema (anathema was originally an accursed sacrifice to appease the 'gods' - not a good thing!)
(Galatians 1:6-9)
All Scripture quotations taken from the Concordant Version, unless stated otherwise.
Copyright © G Watts 2001; revised and expanded 2003; 2005; 2007