Introduction The fact that God has created a realm of personal beings other than mankind is a fitting topic for systematic theological studies for it naturally broadens our understanding of God, of what He is doing, and how He works in the universe. We are not to think that man is the highest form of created being. As the distance between man and the lower forms of life is filled with beings of various grades, so it is possible that between man and God there exist creatures of higher than human intelligence and power. Indeed, the existence of lesser deities in all heathen mythologies presumes the existence of a higher order of beings between God and man, superior to man and inferior to God.

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This possibility is turned into certainty by the express and explicit teaching of the Scriptures. It would be sad indeed if we should allow ourselves to be such victims of sense perception and so materialistic that we should refuse to believe in an order of spiritual beings simply because they were beyond our sight and touch. The study of angels or the doctrine of angelology is one of the ten major categories of theology developed in many systematic theological works.

The tendency, however, has been to neglect it. As Ryrie writes, One has only to peruse the amount of space devoted to angelology in standard theologies to demonstrate this. This disregard for the doctrine may simply be neglect or it may indicate a tacit rejection of this area of biblical teaching. Even Calvin was cautious in discussing this subject ( Institutes, I, xiv, 3). Though the doctrine of angels holds an important place in the Word of God, it is often viewed as a difficult subject because, while there is abundant mention of angels in the Bible, the nature of this revelation is without the same kind of explicit description we often find with other subjects developed in the Bible: Every reference to angels is incidental to some other topic. They are not treated in themselves.

God’s revelation never aims at informing us regarding the nature of angels. When they are mentioned, it is always in order to inform us further about God, what he does, and how he does it.

Since details about angels are not significant for that purpose, they tend to be omitted. While many details about angels are omitted, it is important to keep in mind three important elements about the biblical revelation God has given us about angels. (1) The mention of angels is inclusive in Scripture.

In the NASB translation these celestial beings are referred to 196 times, 103 times in the Old Testament and 93 times in the New Testament. (2) Further, these many references are scattered throughout the Bible being found in at least 34 books from the very earliest books (whether Job or Genesis) to the last book of the Bible (Revelation). (3) Finally, there are numerous references to angels by the Lord Jesus, who is declared to be the Creator of all things, which includes the angelic beings. Paul wrote, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities (a reference to angels)—all things have been created by Him and for Him.” So while the mention of angels may seem incidental to some other subject contextually, it is an important element of divine revelation and should not be neglected, especially in view of the present craze and many misconceptions about angels. It is out of this extended body of Scripture, therefore, that the doctrine of angels, as presented in this study, will be developed. The objective is to make the Bible our authority rather than the speculations of men or their experiences or what may sound logical to people. Though theologians have been cautious in their study of angels, in recent years we have been bombarded by what could easily be called Angelmania.

In “Kindred Spirit” Dr. Kenneth Gangel has written an article on the widespread discussion and fascination with angels even by the secular world which he entitled, Angelmania. Gangel writes, In his 1990 book Angels: An Endangered Species, Malcolm Godwin estimates that over the last 30 years one in every ten pop songs mentions an angel. But that was just romantic fun. Now our culture takes angels seriously, if not accurately. In the last two years Time, Newsweek, Ladies’ Home Journal, Redbook, and a host of other popular magazines have carried articles about angels. In mid-1994, ABC aired a two-hour, prime time special titled “Angels: the Mysterious Messengers.” In Newsweek’s November 28, 1994 issue an article titled “In Search of the Sacred” observed that “20% of Americans have had a revelation from God in the last year, and 13% have seen or sensed the presence of an angel” (p.

Newsweek is right; modern society, so seemingly secular and hopelessly materialistic, desperately searches for some spiritual and supernatural meaning. If angels can provide it, then angels it will be. Certainly they are more cheerful and brighter than our long-standing infatuation with movies about demons and evil spirits, along with endless Dracula revivals The bookstores abound with books on angels and many claim encounters with angels. One of the major networks has a popular program entitled “Touched By An Angel.” Certainly, this is just a story to entertain, but it does illustrate our fascination with this topic. In addition, it illustrates a very poor grasp of what the Bible really teaches about angels and about God. By these comments I do not mean to discount all the so-called encounters with angels that we occasionally read or hear about.

Because, as will be discussed in more detail later, angels are servants of God, described by the author of Hebrews as, “ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.” See also Psalm 91:11 and Matthew 4:11. So certainly, due to the inspired and inerrant character of Scripture, we can trust completely in the Bible’s teaching on angels and, “with a perhaps lesser degree of certainty, consider the personal accounts of reputable Christians.” There is an important question that needs to be asked. Why all the fascination of our culture with angels? First, there is always a bent in man for the miraculous or supernatural, for that which lifts him out of the mundane and pain of life, even if for a moment, but there is more to this issue.

The interest in angels is due in part to pendulum swings of society. In the past, society had swung from the gross mystical speculations of the middle ages to the rationalism of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Now, due in part to the failure of rationalism and materialism to give answers and meaning to life, the emptiness of man’s heart along with the futility of his pursuits has given rise to his interest in the mystical, in the supernatural, and in the spiritual. The tragedy is that our culture continues to pursue this independently of God’s revelation, the Bible.

The pendulum has swung back to mysticism as it is seen so prominently in the New Age movement, the occult, and in the cults. So belief in Satan, demons, and angels is more and more common place today and used as a substitute for a relationship with God through Christ. This predisposition is not because people are believing the Bible, but because of the rise of occult phenomena and the futility of life without God (see Eph.

2:12 and 4:17-19). A Simple Definition Angels are spiritual beings created by God to serve Him, though created higher than man. Some, the good angels, have remained obedient to Him and carry out His will, while others, fallen angels, disobeyed, fell from their holy position, and now stand in active opposition to the work and plan of God. The Terms Used of Angels General Terms Angel Though other words are used for these spiritual beings, the primary word used in the Bible is angel. Three other terms undoubtedly referring to angels are seraphim (Isa.

6:2), cherubim (Ezek. 10:1-3), and ministering spirits, which is perhaps more of a description than a name (Heb. More will be said on this later when dealing with the classification of angels. The Hebrew word for angel is mal`ach, and the Greek word is angelos. Both words mean “messenger” and describe one who executes the purpose and will of the one whom they serve. The context must determine if a human messenger is in view, or one of the celestial beings called “angels,” or if it is being used of the second Person of the Trinity as will be discussed below.

The holy angels are messengers of God, serving Him and doing His bidding. The fallen angels serve Satan, the god of this world ( aiwn, “age”) (2 Cor.

Illustrations of uses that do not refer to celestial beings: (1) For human messengers from one human to another (Luke 7:24; Jam. (2) For human messengers bearing a divine message (Hag. (3) For an impersonal agent, Paul’s thorn in the flesh described as “a messenger of Satan” (2 Cor. (4) For the messengers of the seven churches (Rev. It is also used in connection with the seven churches of Asia, “To the angel of the church in ” Some take this to mean a special messenger or delegation to the church as a teaching elder, others take it to refer to a guardian angel.

Thus, the term angelos is not only a generic term, pertaining to a special order of beings (i.e., angels), but it is also descriptive and expressive of their office and service. So when we read the word “angel” we should think of it in this way. Holy Ones The unfallen angels are also spoken of as “holy ones” (Ps. The reason is twofold. First, being the creation of a holy God, they were created perfect without any flaw or sin. Second, they are called holy because of their purpose.

They were “set apart” by God and for God as His servants and as attendants to His holiness (cf. Host “Host” is the Hebrew tsaba, “army, armies, hosts.” It is a military term and carries the idea of warfare. Angels are referred to as the “host,” which calls our attention to two ideas. First, it is used to describe God’s angels as the “armies of heaven” who serve in the army of God engaged in spiritual warfare (Ps. 89:6, 8; 1 Sam. 1:11; 17:45). Second, it calls our attention to angels as a multitude of heavenly beings who surround and serve God as seen in the phrase “Lord of hosts” (Isa.

In addition, tsaba sometimes includes the host of heavenly bodies, the stars of the universe. Difficult Terms Sons of God In their holy state, unfallen angels are called “sons of God” in the sense that they were brought into existence by the creation of God (Job 1:6; 38:7). Though they are never spoken of as created in the image of God, they may also be called “sons of God” because they possess personality like God. This will be demonstrated later in this study. This term is also used in Genesis 6:2 which tells us the “sons of God” took wives from among the “daughters of men.” Some scholars understand “the sons of God” of Genesis 6:2 to refer to the sons of the godly line of Seth and the “daughters of men” to refer to the ungodly line of the Cainites. Others, in keeping with the use of “sons of God” in Job, believe the term refers to fallen angels who mated with the daughters of men to produce an extremely wicked and powerful progeny that led to the extreme wickedness of Noah’s day.

Most who hold to this latter view find further support in 2 Peter 2:4-6 and Jude 6-7. Still others believe they refer to despots, powerful rulers. Ross writes: The incident is one of hubris, the proud overstepping of bounds.

Here it applies to “the sons of God,” a lusty, powerful lot striving for fame and fertility. They were probably powerful rulers who were controlled (indwelt) by fallen angels. It may be that fallen angels left their habitation and inhabited bodies of human despots and warriors, the mighty ones of the earth. The Angel of the Lord The second difficulty concerns the identity of “the angel of the Lord” as it is used in the Old Testament.

A careful study of the many passages using this term suggests that this is no ordinary angel, but a Theophany, or better, a Christophany, a preincarnate appearance of Christ. The angel is identified as God, speaks as God, and claims to exercise the prerogatives of God. Still, in some passages He distinguishes Himself from Yahweh (Gen. 16:7-14; 21:17-18; 22:11-18; 31:11-13, Ex. 2:1-4; 5:23; 6:11-22; 13:3-22; 2 Sam.

1:12; 3:1; 12:8). That the Angel of the Lord is a Christophany is suggested by the fact a clear reference to “the Angel of the Lord” ceases after the incarnation. References to an angel of the Lord in Luke 1:11; and 2:8 and Acts 5:19 lack the Greek article which would suggest an ordinary angel.

The Origin, Nature, and Number of Angels Angels Are Created Beings The Fact of Their Creation That angels are created beings and not the spirits of departed or glorified human beings is brought out in Psalm 148. There the Psalmist calls on all in the celestial heavens, including the angels, to praise God. The reason given is, “For He commanded and they were created” (Ps. The angels as well as the celestial heavens are declared to be created by God. Since God is Spirit (John 4:24) it is natural to assume that there are created beings who more closely resemble God than do the mundane creatures who combine both the material and immaterial. There is a material kingdom, an animal kingdom, and a human kingdom; So it may be assumed, there is an angelic or spirit kingdom.

However, Angelology rests not upon reason or supposition, but upon revelation. The Time of Their Creation Though the exact time of their creation is never stated, we know they were created before the creation of the world. From the book of Job we are told that they were present when the earth was created (Job 38:4-7) so their creation was prior to the creation of the earth as described in Genesis one. The Agent of Their Creation Scripture specifically states that Christ, as the one who created all things, is the creator of angels (cf. John 1:1-3 with Col.

The Son’s Creation includes “all” things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. These indicate the entire universe, both material and immaterial. A highly organized hierarchy of angelic beings is referred to with the word “thrones” ( qronoi), “powers” ( kuriothtes), “rulers” ( arcai), and “authorities” ( exousiai). This not only indicates a highly organized dominion in the spirit world of angels, but shows that Paul was writing to refute an incipient form of Gnosticism that promoted the worship of angels in place of the worship of Christ (cf. In this, Paul demonstrates superiority and rightful place of worship as supreme (cf.

1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Phil. The Nature and Number of Their Creation The angels were created simultaneously as a host or a company. God created man and the animal kingdom in pairs with the responsibility and ability to procreate. Angels, however, were created simultaneously as a company, a countless host of myriads (Col. This is suggested by the fact they are not subject to death or any form of extinction and they do not propagate or multiply themselves as with humans. Hebrews 9:27 says, “ it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” While fallen angels will be judged in the future and permanently confined to the lake of fire (Matt. 25:41; 1 Cor.

2:4; Jude 6), there is never any mention of the death of angels (see Luke 20:36). Nevertheless, they are an innumerable host created before the creation of the earth (cf. Job 38:7; Neh.

148:2, 5; Heb. 5:11; with Matt. 22:28-30; Luke 20:20-36). Angels Are Spirit Beings Their Abode Statements like, “the angels which are in heaven” (Mark 13:32) and “an angel from heaven” suggest that angels have fixed abodes or centers for their activities. However, due to the ministry and abilities given to them in the service of God, they have access to the entire universe.

They are described as serving in heaven and on earth (cf. Though fallen angels seem to have an abode other than heaven itself, no specific location is given except that Satan will be bound in the “Abyss” for the thousand years after the Second Coming before he is released (Rev.

Likewise the plague which seems to be demonic is spoken of as coming from the Abyss (9:1-30). Fallen angels also have a king who is referred to as “the angel of the Abyss” (vs. The destiny of fallen angels is the lake of fire (Matt. The holy angels will dwell in the new heavens and new earth described in Revelation 21-22. The reference to “the Abyss” brings up another important element regarding the abode of the fallen angels. Ryrie writes: The Scriptures clearly indicate two groups of fallen angels, one consisting of those who have some freedom to carry out Satan’s plans, and the other who are confined. Of those who are confined, some are temporarily so, while others are permanently confined in Tartarus (2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6).

The Greeks thought of Tartarus as a place of punishment lower than hades. Those temporarily confined are in the abyss (Luke 8:31; Rev. 9:1-3, 11), some apparently consigned there to await final judgment while others will be loosed to be active on the earth (vv. 1-3, 11, 14; 16:14).

(emphasis mine) Jude also speaks of an abode for angels: Jude 1:6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. While the meaning of this passage is debated, it does show us that angels not only have a domain or area of authority assigned to them, but a dwelling place. The most likely reference here is to the angels (“sons of God,” cf. 6:4; Job 1:6; 2:1) who came to earth and mingled with women. This interpretation is expounded in the pseudepigraphical Book of Enoch (7, 9.8, 10.11; 12.4), from which Jude quotes in v.

14, and is common in the intertestamental literature and the early church fathers (e.g., Justin Apology 2.5). These angels “did not keep their positions of authority” ( ten heauton archen). The use of the word arche for “rule,” “dominion,” or “sphere” is uncommon but appears to be so intended here (cf. The implication is that God assigned angels stipulated responsibilities ( arche, “dominion”) and a set place ( oiketerion). But because of their rebellion, God has kept or reserved ( tetereken perfect tense) these fallen angels in darkness and in eternal chains awaiting final judgment.

Apparently some fallen angels are in bondage while others are unbound and active among mankind as demons. Their Immaterialness Though at times they have revealed themselves in the form of human bodies (angelophanies) as in Genesis 18:3, they are described as “spirits” in Hebrews 1:14. This suggests they do not have material bodies as humans do.

This is further supported by the fact they do not function as human beings in terms of marriage and procreation (Mark 12:25) nor are they subject to death (Luke 20:36). Mankind, including our incarnate Lord, is “lower than the angels” (Heb. Angels are not subject to the limitations of man, especially since they are incapable of death (Luke 20:36). Angels have greater wisdom than man (2 Sam. 14:20), yet it is limited (Matt. Angels have greater power than man (Matt. 28:2; Acts 5:19; 2 Pet.

2:11), yet they are limited in power (Dan. Angels, however, have limitations compared to man, particularly in future relationships. Angels are not created in the image of God, therefore, they do not share man’s glorious destiny of redemption in Christ. At the consummation of the age, redeemed man will be exalted above angels (1 Cor. Millard Erickson writes: That angels are spirits may also be inferred from the following considerations: Demons (fallen angels) are described as spirits (Matt.

8:16; 12:45; Luke 7:21; 8:2; 11:26; Acts 19:12; Rev. We are told that our struggle is not against “flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places” (Eph. Paul, in Colossians 1:16, seems to identify the heavenly forces as invisible. That angels are spirits seems to follow (although not necessarily from Jesus’ assertions that angels do not marry (Matt. 22:30) and do not die (Luke 20:36). Angels, though spirit beings and very powerful, are not omnipotent, omniscient, nor omnipresent.

They cannot be everywhere at once. Their Appearance Since they are spirit beings, they are usually not seen, unless God gives the ability to see them or unless they manifest themselves. Balaam could not see the angel standing in his way until the Lord opened his eyes (Num.

22:31) and Elisha’s servant could not see the host of angels surrounding him until Elisha prayed for his eyes to be opened (2 Kings 6:17). When angels have been seen as recorded in Scripture, they were often mistaken as men because they were manifested in a man-like appearance (Gen. 18:2, 16, 22; 19:1, 5, 10, 12, 15, 16; Judg. 13:6; Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4). Sometimes, they appear in a way that either manifests God’s glory (Luke 2:9; 9:26) or in some form of brilliant apparel (cf.

28:3; John 20:12; Acts 1:10 with Ezek. Consistently, they have appeared as real men, never as ghosts, or as winged animals (cf.

18:2; 19:1; Mark 16:3; Luke 24:4). They are occasionally pictured in other forms and in other manifestations as with wings, and as a combination of man, beast, and birds as in Ezekiel 1:5f and Isaiah 6:6.

But apparently such manifestations only occurred by way of a vision or special revelation from God. No angel literally appeared in such form. They also seem to always have appeared as youthful or mature men (Mark 16:5), but never as old men, perhaps because they neither age nor die (Luke 20:36). In the present fascination of our culture, previously referred to as angelmania, the common conception of angels is that of winged creatures and most times as female. Some of the commonly held conceptions are not supported by the scriptural witness. There are no indications of angels appearing in female form.

Nor is there explicit reference to them as winged, although Daniel 9:21 and Revelation 14:6 speak of them as flying. The cherubim and seraphim are represented as winged (Exod. 6:2), as are the symbolic creatures of Ezekiel 1:6 (cf. However, we have no assurance that what is true of cherubim and seraphim is true of angels in general. Since there is no explicit reference indicating that angels as a whole are winged, we must regard this as at best an inference, but not a necessary inference, from the biblical passages which describe them as flying. While angels generally appear as men in Scripture, Zechariah 5:9 may suggest this is not always the case. The two women mentioned in this passage are not specifically called angels, but they are clearly agents of God or forces of Satan, like angels, good or evil.

Their Holiness All angels were created holy, without sin, and in a state of perfect holiness. Originally all angelic creatures were created holy.

God pronounced His creation good (Gen. 1:31), and, of course, He could not create sin. Even after sin entered the world, God’s good angels, who did not rebel against Him, are called holy (Mark 8:38).

These are the elect angels (1 Tim. 5:21) in contrast to the evil angels who followed Satan in his rebellion against God (Matt.

Their Creatureliness As created beings, they are of course mere creatures. They are not divine and their worship is explicitly forbidden (see Col. 19:10; 22:9). As a separate order of creatures, they are both distinct from human beings and higher than humans with powers far beyond human abilities in this present age (cf. But as creatures they are limited in their powers, knowledge, and activities (1 Peter 1:11-12; Rev. Like all of creation, angels are under God’s authority and subject to His judgment (1 Cor. Following the revelation given to John, on two occasions the apostle fell on his face in worship, but the angel quickly told John not to worship him and then gave the reason.

Angels are but “fellow servants” and called upon to serve God as all God’s creatures should. So John was told to “worship God.” The worship of angels (as with any other object of worship) distracts from the worship of God and attributes godlike powers to the object of worship.

Angels are powerful and awesome in many ways, but, like us, they are only creatures and servants of the living God who alone deserves our worship. This means we are not to pray to them or trust in them even though God may use them to minister to our needs in various ways. Our trust is to be in God, not angels. They minister to us at His bidding under His authority and power. Though sometimes the instrument of aid or deliverance was an angel, New Testament believers recognized it was the Lord who delivered them (see Acts 12:11). In Acts 27:23-25, Luke recounted Paul’s experience with an angel who brought him a message from the Lord, but there was no worship of the angel.

Instead, Paul’s faith was in the God he served. 23 For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, 24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’ 25 'Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God, that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. Though writing about their invisibility to mankind, Chafer has an interesting comment: One reason angels are rendered invisible to human sight may be that, if they were seen, they would be worhiped. Man, who is so prone to idolatry as to worship the works of his own hands, would hardly be able to resist the worship of angels were they before his eyes. The church at Colossae had been invaded by false teachers who were teaching a false humility and the worship of angels as a part of the means to spirituality. It seems these teachers were claiming special mystic insights by way of visions in connection with their worship of angels. Concerning this, Paul wrote: Colossians 2:18 Do 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 (NIV). The person attempting to make such judgment is described as one “who delights in false humility and the worship of angels.” The context suggests that he seeks to impose these things on the Colossians and that this is the means by which he attempts to disqualify them for their prize. This was demonic because it was an attempt to usurp the preeminent place and sufficiency of Christ as Savior and Lord (cf. It is no wonder, then, that the author of Hebrews, in the most extended passage on angels in the New Testament (Heb. 1:5-29), demonstrates the superiority of Christ to even the mighty angels (Heb. In this he concludes his argument with a question designed to show that Christ, God’s very Son and the radiance of His glory who sits at God’s right hand, is superior to angels for he asked, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb.

Their Personalities There are several qualities common to personality all of which angels possess—personal existence, intellect, emotion, and will. As personalities we see them interacted with over and over again through the Bible.

Ryrie writes: Angels then qualify as personalities because they have these aspects of intelligence, emotions, and will. This is true of both the good and evil angels.

Good angels, Satan, and demons possess intelligence (Matt. 11:3; 1 Peter 1:12). Good angels, Satan, and demons show emotions (Luke 2:13; James 2:19; Rev. Good angels, Satan, and demons demonstrate that they have wills (Luke 8:28-31; 2 Tim. 2:26; Jude 6). Therefore, they can be said to be persons. The fact that they do not have human bodies does not affect their being personalities (any more than it does with God).

The fallen angels are even described by actions of personality like lying and sinning (John 8:44; 1 John 3:8-10). Some have considered angels, including Satan, as merely the abstract personification of good and evil, but such is not at all in keeping with the teaching of Scripture. Their Abilities and Powers Their Knowledge: Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matt. This comment by the Lord suggest two things: (1) The phrase, “not even the angels” implies that angels have superhuman knowledge, but (2) the main statement of this verse shows they are limited in their knowledge, they are not omniscient. That their knowledge is greater is also suggested by the fact they were present at some of the heavenly counsels, were involved in conveying revelation (Gal.

3:19), and were used of God to interpret visions as with Daniel and Zechariah. Ryrie suggests three reasons for their superior knowledge: (1) Angels were created as a higher order of creatures in the universe than humans are. Therefore, innately they possess greater knowledge.

(2) Angels study the Bible more thoroughly than some humans do and gain knowledge from it (James 2:19; Rev. (3) Angels gain knowledge through long observation of human activities. Unlike humans, angels do not have to study the past; they have experienced it. Therefore, they know how others have acted and reacted in situations and can predict with a greater degree of accuracy how we may act in similar circumstances. The experiences of longevity give them greater knowledge.

Their Strength: Since man is created lower than the angels with limitations angels do not have, we would expect them to possess superhuman strength as well. That angels have greater strength than man is evident from at least two considerations: (1) Specific Statements in Scripture: Scripture specifically speaks of their greater power. Psalm 103:20 at least implies their greater strength in the statement, “Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word.” Then, 2 Thessalonians 1:7 refers to the return of the Lord with His mighty angels in flaming fire.

Further, 2 Peter 2:11 reads, “whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.” The only question here is who is being compared? The major subject of the context is that of the false teachers (humans beings), however, due to verse 10, some believe the comparison is being made between the “angelic majesties” of verse 10, good angels and evil angels. If so, then the verse is stating that the good angels are more powerful than the evil ones. (2) Their Activities as Described in Scripture: Though their great power is always a derived power from God, the mighty works they accomplish, as in the execution of God’s judgments, demonstrate their superhuman strength (cf. 32:21; Acts 12:7-11; and the many references to angelic activities in Revelation).

In this regard, Elisha’s confidence and prayer for his servant to see the myriad of angels surrounding them in the face of the human forces, suggests their greater power (2 Kings 6:15-17). His confidence was certainly not simply in their greater numbers. Illustrations of their power are seen in Acts 5:19; 12:7, 23; Matthew 28:2 (the stone rolled away by the angel weighed about 4 tons).

The Psalmist exclaimed, “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders” (Ps. All miraculous power has its source in God. As angelic creatures, they are subject to the limitations of their creatureliness. They are mighty, but not almighty. Even Satan, a fallen angel, with his angelic powers must operate under the permissive will of God (Job 1:12; 2:6).

Their Position In Regard to Man By creation man is lower than the angels (Heb. Angels are higher in intelligence, power, and movement, yet angels serve men as ministering spirits (Heb. 1:14) sent forth to serve the saints regardless of their high position and power. As mentioned, men are warned to never worship angels for they are only creatures.

Today believers are experientially lower than the angels, yet positionally higher because of their union in Christ (cf. Eph 1:20-22; with Eph 2:4-6 and Heb 2:9). Christians share Christ’s seat at God’s right hand. One day, however, believers will be both positionally and experientially higher and will judge angels (1 Cor 6:3). This undoubtedly refers to some kind of governmental direction believers will have over angels. With Reference to Christ By His essential nature and being, Christ is higher because He is God the Creator (cf.

Heb 1:4ff with Col. By Christ’s incarnation He became lower for a little while (Heb 2:9), but this only applied to His humanity. By Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension He became far superior to angels as the last Adam and the second man (cf. 15:45-48; Eph. 1:20-22; 1 Pet.

3:18-22; Col. As the glorified and exalted God-man He became the last Adam.

Adam was the head of the first race of men, but Christ became the head of the second race of regenerated men. He is called last because there will never be another fall, and because He, as the glorified and exalted Savior, is a life-giving Spirit. As the second man from heaven He is viewed as the head and beginning of a new and exalted race of people. The Division of Angels—Good and Evil While all the angels were originally created holy and without sin, there was a rebellion by Satan, who, being lifted up by his own beauty, rebelled and sought to exalt himself above God. In his rebellion, he took with him one-third of the angels (Rev. This rebellion and fall is probably described for us in Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:15 embodied in the kings of Babylon and Tyre.

Prophesying of a future angelic conflict that will occur in the middle of the Tribulation, John wrote, “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war” (Rev. In other words, there are good angels and there are evil angels. Regarding their fall, Bushwell writes: We infer that the angels which sinned did so in full knowledge of all the issues involved. They chose self-corruption, knowing exactly what they were doing. They sinned without remedy, and there is no atonement for them (II Peter 2:4; Jude 6). On the other hand, it seems that the holy angels, being faced with the same ethical choice and possessing the same God-given ability to choose, remained and are confirmed in their state of holiness.

They have never known the experience of sin. As is clear from Revelation 12:7 and many other passages, the leader of these fallen angels, or demons as they are also called, is Satan (cf. As the leader of these unholy angels, Satan is a liar, a murderer, and a thief (John 10:10). As God’s great antagonist, Satan hates God and His people and is constantly on the prowl like a roaring lion in search of those he may devour by his nefarious schemes (1 Peter 5:8). As an angelic being, Satan, along with his demon-like angels, is supernaturally powerfully and brilliant, and uses all his powers against humanity.

Not only is he a liar, a thief, and a distorer, but one of his chief characterizations is deception. John describes him as the one “who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9).

In his cunning, he disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. In view of this, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness ” (2 Cor.

The Organization of Angels The Fact of Angelic Organization While the Bible’s revelation on the organization of angels is rather meager, it says enough to show us there does seem to be organization in the angelic world. They appear to be organized into various ranks and orders and positions.

This is suggested by the fact Michael is called the Archangel or chief angel (Jude 9). Then, in Daniel 10:13 he is called one of the chief princes. Other ranks and orders are suggested by the terms used of angels in Ephesians 3:10; 6:12, and 1 Peter 3:22. Ryrie writes: The Scriptures speak of the “assembly” and “council” of the angels (Ps. 89:5, 7), of their organization for battle (Rev.

12:7), and of a king over the demon-locusts (9:11). They are also given governmental classifications which indicate organization and ranking (Eph.

3:10, good angels; and 6:12, evil angels). Unquestionably God has organized the elect angels and Satan has organized the evil angels.

A very important practical point emerges from this. Angels are organized; demons are organized; yet Christians, individually and in groups, often feel that it is unnecessary that they be organized. This is especially true when it comes to fighting evil. Believers sometimes feel that they can “go it alone” or expect victory without any prior, organized preparation and discipline.

It is also true when it comes to promoting good. Believers sometimes miss the best because they do not plan and organize their good works. This is further supported by Jude’s statement regarding the angels who left their “domain” (NASB) or “positions of authority” (NIV) in Jude 6. “Domain” is the Greek arch, which can mean, “domain, rule, authority,” or “sphere of influence.” The Classifications of Angels Paul Enns provides us with an excellent overview of most of the various rankings or classifications of the organized angelic world. Angels who are governmental rulers. Ephesians 6:12 refers to “ranking of fallen angels”: rulers are “those who are first or high in rank”; powers are “those invested with authority”; world-forces of this darkness “expresses the power or authority which they exercise over the world”; spiritual forces of wickedness describes the wicked spirits, “expressing their character and nature.” Daniel 10:13 refers to the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” opposing Michael.

This was not the king of Persia but rather a fallen angel under Satan’s control; he was a demon “of high rank, assigned by the chief of demons, Satan, to Persia as his special area of activity” (cf. Angels who are highest ranking. Michael is called the archangel in Jude 9 and the great prince in Daniel 12:1. Michael is the only angel designated archangel, and may possibly be the only one of this rank.

The mission of the archangel is protector of Israel. (He is called “Michael your prince” in Dan. 10:21.) There were chief princes (Dan. 10:13), of whom Michael was one, as the highest ranking angels of God. Ruling angels (Eph.

3:10) are also mentioned, but no further details are given. Angels who are prominent individuals. (1) Michael (Dan.

10:13; 12:1; Jude 9). The name Michael means “who is like God?” and identifies the only one classified as an archangel in Scripture. Michael is the defender of Israel who will wage war on behalf of Israel against Satan and his hordes in the Tribulation (Rev. Michael also disputed with Satan about the body of Moses, but Michael refrained from judgment, leaving that to God (Jude 9).

Jehovah’s Witnesses and some Christians identify Michael as Christ; this view, however, would suggest Christ has less authority than Satan, which is untenable. (2) Gabriel (Dan. 9:21; Luke 1:26). His name means “man of God” or “God is strong.” “Gabriel seems to be God’s special messenger of His kingdom program in each of the four times he appears in the Bible record He reveals and interprets God’s purpose and program concerning Messiah and His kingdom to the prophets and people of Israel.” In a highly significant passage, Gabriel explained the events of the seventy weeks for Israel (Dan. In Luke 1:26–27 Gabriel told Mary that the One born to her would be great and rule on the throne of David. In Daniel 8:15–16 Gabriel explained to Daniel the succeeding kingdoms of Medo-Persia and Greece as well as the untimely death of Alexander the Great. Gabriel also announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias (Luke 1:11–20).

(3) Lucifer (Isa. 14:12) means “shining one” or “star of the morning.” He may have been the wisest and most beautiful of all God’s created beings who was originally placed in a position of authority over the cherubim surrounding the throne of God. Angels who are divine attendants.

(1) Cherubim are “of the highest order or class, created with indescribable powers and beauty Their main purpose and activity might be summarized in this way: they are proclaimers and protectors of God’s glorious presence, His sovereignty, and His holiness.” They stood guard at the gate of the Garden of Eden, preventing sinful man from entering (Gen. 3:24); were the golden figures covering the mercy seat above the ark in the Holy of Holies (Exod. 25:17–22); and attended the glory of God in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezek. Cherubim had an extraordinary appearance with four faces—that of a man, lion, ox, and eagle. They had four wings and feet like a calf, gleaming like burnished bronze. In Ezekiel 1 they attended the glory of God preparatory for judgment.

(2) Seraphim, meaning “burning ones,” are pictured surrounding the throne of God in Isaiah 6:2. They are described as each having six wings.

In their threefold proclamation, “holy, holy, holy” (Isa. 6:3), it means “to recognize God as extremely, perfectly holy.

Therefore, they praise and proclaim the perfect holiness of God. The seraphim also express the holiness of God in that they proclaim that man must be cleansed of sin’s moral defilement before he can stand before God and serve Him.” Regarding the governmental rulers in the angelic world, Ryrie described this as follows: 1. Rulers or principalities. These words, used seven times by Paul, indicate an order of angels both good and evil involved in governing the universe (Rom.

1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col. 1:16; 2:10, 15). Authorities or powers. This likely emphasizes the superhuman authority of angels and demons exercised in relation to the affairs of the world (Eph.

1:21; 2:2; 3:10; 6:12; Col. 1:16; 2:10, 15; 1 Peter 3:22). This word underscores the fact that angels and demons have greater power than humans (2 Peter 2:11). See Ephesians 1:21 and 1 Peter 3:22. Place of rule. In one place demons are designated as world rulers of this darkness (Eph.

Thrones or dominions. This designation emphasizes the dignity and authority of angelic rulers in God’s use of them in His government (Eph. 1:16; 2 Peter 2:10; Jude 8). Some question whether the Seraphim and Cherubim are actually angels since they are never clearly identified as angels, but due to the nature of angels and their service as superhuman servants of God, this is the most logical place to classify them. It would be helpful to also consider Ryrie’s explanation of these angelic beings: Cherubim: Cherubim constitute another order of angels, evidently of high rank since Satan was a cherub (Ezek. They seem to function as guardians of the holiness of God, having guarded the way to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Gen.

The use of cherubim in the decoration of the tabernacle and temple may also indicate their guarding function (Ex. 26:1ff.; 36:8ff.; 1 Kings 6:23-29). They also bore the throne-chariot which Ezekiel saw (Ezek. 1:4-5; 10:15-20). Some also identify the four living ones of Revelation 4:6 as cherubim, though others feel these represent the attributes of God. Representations of the cherubim will also be a part of the millennial temple (Ezek.

Seraphim: All we know about this rank of angelic beings is found in Isaiah 6:2, 6. Apparently the seraphim were an order similar to the cherubim. They acted as attendants at the throne of God and agents of cleansing. Their duty also was to praise God. Their description suggests a six-winged humanlike creature. The word may be derived from a root meaning “to burn” or possibly from a root which means “to be noble.” Three other classification of angels remain: 1. Elect Angels: In 1 Timothy 5:21, Paul speaks of “the elect angels.” These are the holy angels who are somehow included in the elect purposes of God.

These are angels who did not follow after Satan in his rebellion. There is little revealed about their election, but apparently there was a probationary period for the angelic world and these, being the elect of God, remained faithful and are confirmed in their holy state in the service of the Lord. As Chafer writes, “The fall of some angels is no more unanticipated by God than the fall of man. It may be implied, also that angels have passed a period of probation.” 2.

The Living Creatures: These are angelic creatures who seem to be involved with revealing the glory of the God of Israel in His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence (Ezek. Ezekiel 10:15, 20 reveal them as cherubim. Through the four faces, they may also anticipate what God would do to bring salvation to man through His Son: (a) The face of the man suggests wisdom, compassion, intelligence and pictures Christ’s humanity as the Son of man, the special focus found in the gospel of Luke; (b) the face of a lion speaks of kingly appearance and pictures Christ as King which is Matthew’s emphasis; (c) the face of a bull or ox portrays a servant, the emphasis seen in Mark; and (d) the face of an eagle speaks of heavenly action and portrays the deity Christ, which is John’s emphasis. Watchers: “Watchers” is an Aramaic word which means, “vigilant, waking, watchful.” Verse 17 may infer this is a special type of angel (if a special class is intended). It seems to describe holy angels who are constantly vigilant to serve the Lord and who watch over the rulers of the world and the affairs of men (Dan.

4:13, 17, 23). The added description, “a holy one” in verse 13 may imply there are unholy watchers, i.e., demonic forces who are watching the affairs of men and seeking to influence and destroy. Special Angels Angels Associated With the Tribulation In Revelation a number of angels are specifically associated with certain judgments that will be poured out on the earth like the seven trumpets and the seven last plagues (Rev. In addition, some angels are related to special functions given to them, at least in these last days.

There is the angel who has power over fire (Rev. 14:18), the angel of the waters (9:11), the angel of the abyss who will bind Satan (20:1-2). Angels Associated With the Church In Revelation 2-3, each of the seven letters to the seven churches is addressed to “the angel of the church of ” In addition, they are each seen to be in the right hand of Christ in the vision of chapter one (Rev. However, since the term for angel means “messenger” and is also used of men, there is debate over whether these references refer to angelic beings or to the human leaders of the seven churches.

It could refer to a guardian angel over these churches or to those men who function in the capacity of teachers of the Word, like the human pastors or elders. The Ministry of Angels The most basic characteristic of the good angels is seen in the way they are described in Hebrews 1:14 as ministering spirits and in the accounts of their many and varied activities of ministry as described in Scripture. Essentially, they function as priestly messengers ( leitourgika pneumatata) in the temple-universe of God. From the account of their activities in the Bible, their service can be summarized as that of (1) the worship of God (Isa. 4:8), (2) as messengers of God (Dan.

9:22; Luke 1:11, 26; 2:9; Rev. 1:1), (3) as soldiers in spiritual combat (Dan.

12:7), and (4) as ministers to God’s people (Heb. Regarding their activity as ministering spirits, Bushwell comments: The question may be asked, if we are not to worship the angels, or in any way pray to them, what is the value of the doctrine that they are “ministering spirits”? In answer we can say at least that the Scriptural teaching in regard to the ministry of the angels is a beautiful enrichment of our conception of God’s government of the world.

As God’s celestial servants who carry out His purposes, we may observe that their ministry falls into several different relationships: In Relation to God: In their service to God, they are seen as attendants around His throne, waiting to serve Him and do His bidding (Ps. 6:1f; Job 1:6; 2:1; Rev. 5:11; 8:1f), as worshippers in praise of Him (Isa. 148:1-2; Heb. 5:12), as observers who rejoice over what He does (Job 38:6-7; Luke 2:12-13; 15:10), as soldiers in battle with Satan (Rev. 12:7), and as instruments of His judgments (Rev. In Relation to the Nations: In relation to the nation of Israel, Michael, the archangel, seems to have a very important ministry as their guardian (Dan.

10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9). In relation to other nations, they watch over rulers and nations (Dan. 4:17) and seek to influence their human leaders (Dan. 10:21; 11:1). In the Tribulation they will be the agents God uses to pour out His judgments (see Rev.

In Relation to Christ: with the plan of God centering in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, they naturally perform many services for the Savior. • In relation to His birth, they predicted it (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:26-28) and then announced his birth (Luke 2:8-15).

An angel warned Joseph to take Mary and the baby Jesus and flee into Egypt (Matt. 2:13-15), and an angel directed the family to return to Israel after Herod died (vv. • In relation to His suffering, angels ministered to Him after His temptation (4:11), in His stress in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43), and Jesus said He could have called a legion of angels who stood ready to come to His defense if He so desired (Matt. • In relation to His resurrection, an angel rolled away the stone from the tomb (28:1-2), angels announced His resurrection to the women on Easter morning (vv.

5-6; Luke 24:5-7), and angels were present at His ascension and gave instruction to the disciples (Acts 1:10-11). • In relation to His coming again, the voice of the archangel will be heard at the translation of the church (1 Thess. 4:16), they will accompany Him in His glorious return to earth (Matt. 25:31; 2 Thess. 1:7) and they will separate the wheat from the tares at Christ’s second coming (Matt. In Relation to the Unrighteous: Angels not only announce and inflict judgment (Gen. 14:6-7; Acts 12:23; Rev.

16:1), but they will separate the righteous from the unrighteous (Matt. In Relation to the Church: Hebrews 1:14 describes their ministry as “ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.” In this, however, Scripture points to a number of specific ministries: they bring answers to prayer (Acts 12:5-10), they help in bringing people to the Savior (Acts 8:26; 10:3), they may encourage in times of danger (Acts 27:23-24), and they care for God’s people at the time of death (Luke 16:22). In Relation to New Epochs: Ryrie points out that angels appear to be unusually active when God institutes a new epoch in the sweep of history and then outlines this for us: A. They Joined in Praise When the Earth Was Created (Job 38:6-7) B. They Were Involved in the Giving of the Mosaic Law (Gal. They Were Active at the First Advent of Christ (Matt.

1:20; 4:11) D. They Were Active During the Early Years of the Church (Acts 8:26; 10:3, 7; 12:11) E. They Will Be Involved in Events Surrounding the Second Advent of Christ (Matt. 25:31; 1 Thes. 4:1) Of course, the ministry of angels occurred at other times, but the question naturally arises, especially in view of our present day fascination with angels, is there biblical evidence these varied ministries of angels continue to function in the present age of the church? Whether angels continue to function in all these ways throughout the present age is uncertain. But they did perform these ministries and may well continue to do so even though we are not aware of them.

Of course, God is not obliged to use angels; He can do all these things directly. But seemingly He chooses to employ the intermediate ministry of angels on many occasions. Nevertheless, the believer recognizes that it is the Lord who does these things whether directly through using angels (notice Peter’s testimony that the Lord delivered him from the prison though God actually used an angel to accomplish it, Acts 12:7-10 compared with vv.

Perhaps an inscription I once saw in an old church in Scotland states the balance well. “Though God’s Power Be Sufficient to Govern Us, Yet for Man’s Infirmity He appointed His Angels to Watch over Us.” Hebrews 13:2 reads, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it” (NIV). Entertaining angels unawares brings to mind Abraham (Gen. 18:1ff.) and Lot (Gen. 19:1ff.), but even this statement does not prove angels function today as in Old and New Testament times. As Ryrie points out, ‘The word “angel” may refer to superhuman beings (see Gen. 18:1-8 for an example of such entertaining) or it may refer to a human being who is a messenger from God (see James 2:25 for an example of such entertaining).’ Perhaps no aspect of their ministry to man is more talked about than the idea of “a guardian angel.” People often ask, “Does everyone have a guardian angel?” The concept that every person has a specific guardian angel is only by implication from the statement that angels do guard or protect as Psalm 91:11 declares.

But this passage is directed to those who make the Lord their refuge. The psalmist explained that no harm or disaster can befall those who have made the Lord their refuge ( mahseh, “shelter from danger”; ) because He has commissioned angels to care for them. Angels protect from physical harm and give believers strength to overcome difficulties, pictured here as wild lions and dangerous snakes. Satan, in tempting Christ, quoted 91:11-12 (Matt. 4:6), which shows that even God’s most marvelous promises can be foolishly applied. Some would claim that this Old Testament passage should not be applied in modern times, but in Hebrews 1:14 the author of Hebrews does not seem to draw that distinction. That they are ministering spirits who minister to the saints is presented as a general truth of the Bible and should not be restricted to Bible times.

Surely it is comforting to know that God may protect, provide, and encourage us through His angels, but this fact does not always guarantee such deliverance, and certainly we should never presume on this provision of God. So having considered the various ways angels minister, we should keep in mind that God does not always deliver us from danger or supply our needs in miraculous ways whether by angels or by His direct intervention. For His own sovereign and wise purposes, the opposite is sometimes His will as life clearly illustrates and Scripture declares (see Heb. But there is another truth regarding angels that needs to be kept in view.

Just as people usually do not think of the punitive ministry of angels, so people, in their popular ideas about angels, often ignore the Scripture’s teaching about the deception of Satan’s evil angels (2 Cor. That society is ignorant of this is not without reason. The reason lies in Satan’s deception and in the vacuum of man’s heart as he continues to seek answers apart from God and Scripture’s revelation of God and His plan of salvation in Christ. As the arch deceiver and antagonist to God, to the church, and to mankind as whole, Satan is the master of disguise. Much of how society thinks today in its enchantment with angels is clearly a product of his masquerade as an angel of light with his angels who also disguise themselves in keeping with his purposes. Investigate what is being written in books and said in seminars and you will find numerous publications and teaching filled with what is nothing less than pure demonic deception.

For more on this whole issue as it applies to today’s fascination with angels, see the study, “Angels, God’s Ministering Spirits” on our web page in the theology section. The Watchfulness of Angels The Fact of Their Watchfulness Significantly, a number of passages speak of the angels as observers. Some are surprised by this truth, but the Bible teaches us that angels are spectators of God’s activities in the world and that they are especially keen on observing the unfolding of His plan of redemption. Since a number of passages specifically address the fact angels are spectators of what God does, we would be remiss to ignore this biblical truth for there is certainly a reason and a lesson to be learned from this (Job 38:7; Luke 15:10; 1 Cor. 4:9; 11:10; Eph. The Objects of Their Watchfulness As indicated previously, they observed God’s creation and rejoiced (Ps. At seeing the birth of Christ, the angels rejoiced in praise to God (Luke 2:13-14) and they witnessed the entirety of Jesus’ life on earth (1 Tim.

They also observe God’s joy when a sinner repents (Luke 15:10). Angels are keenly interested in man’s salvation in Christ and carefully observe God’s manifold wisdom in the unfolding of His redemptive plan (1 Pet. In the statement, “things into which the angels long to look,” “things” are those things that belong to our salvation (vs. 10), and “long to look” is the same word used of the actions of John and Peter and Mary when they stooped down to peer into the empty tomb (Luke 24:12; John 20:5, 11). The verb, parakuptw, “to bend over,” conveys the idea of bending over to see something more clearly or to look intently (see also Jam. The Reasons for Their Watchfulness The Two Kingdoms and the Angelic Conflict A question that naturally arises is why are angels so deeply interested and observant of what is happening on this earth? First, as holy creatures they are concerned for the worship and glory of God that is His due as the holy and infinite Creator.

This is clearly evident in Isaiah 6:3 where, in antiphonal chorus, seraphim sing of God’s holiness, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” John states that in their devotion to God’s worship the living creatures never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (NIV). Their devotion to God’s glory becomes exceedingly prominent and specific in Revelation.

In Revelation 4:8-11, their continuous praise evokes the praise of the twenty-four elders which is aimed at God’s worthiness as the Sovereign Creator. Then in chapter 5:8-14, angels, accompanied by the twenty-four elders (representatives of the church), direct their praise toward God’s gracious work of salvation through the Lamb in view of His worthiness to open the seven seals.

He alone is found worthy to open the seven-sealed book and break its seals (cf. 5:1 with 5:9f). Though we are not told the exact contents of the seven-sealed book, written inside and on the back, it undoubtedly contains the story of man’s loss of his lordship over the earth (Gen.

1:26) to Satan, the usurper, and its recovery through the God-man Savior, the Lion who is also the Lamb. This Lamb is alone able to accomplish what no one else in the universe is qualified and able to do. The following three truths form an important element of God’s revelation: (1) God’s Purpose Declared: It was God’s intention that man would rule over this earth under God’s authority (Gen. (2) God’s Purpose Delayed: Because of the fall, as recorded in Genesis 3, Satan wrested the rule away from man (cf.

2:5 with 2:8b). God’s intention was for man to rule over this earth, never angels, much less the fallen angels. (3) God’s Purpose Fulfilled: But as promised in Genesis 3:15, the Lamb breaks Satan’s hold by means of His incarnation, sinless life, death, resurrection, ascension (see Heb. 2:9-14) and will one day recover that which was lost through the judgments of the seven seals as described in Revelation 6-19. One of the key features of Revelation concerns the two kingdoms: the kingdom of the world (Satan’s kingdom) and the kingdom of God.

The words “king, kings, kingdom,” etc., occur thirty times in twenty-five verses in this book. In view of the struggle between the two kingdoms, there is a joyous celebration of voices raised in heaven at the sounding of the seventh trumpet in anticipation of what the seventh trumpet would accomplish. This surely includes the holy angels: Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” The issue of Satan’s rebellion to God’s authority may well explain Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 11:10 that a woman is to have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels. This suggests that one of the areas angels observe is that of submission to authority. Submission glorifies God while rebellion dishonors God and promotes Satan’s goals. At the root of the angels’ keen interest in what God is doing today is the rebellion and fall of Satan.

As observers, all the angels were present when Satan, in his quest to be like the Most High, sought to usurp God’s sovereign rule (see Isa. This was an offense to the glory of God. It appears from Revelation 12:3-4 that one-third of the angelic hosts chose to follow Satan. Because of Satan’s sin, he was thrust out of his exalted place and became the great adversary of God and God’s people (see Ezek.

In addition, the Lord also explicitly tells us that the lake of fire was prepared for Satan and his angels (Matt. Though a defeated foe (cf. 2:15), Satan is not confined there now, but he and his fallen angels will be and this is a great point of anticipation in the Bible (cf. Satan’s Characterization as the Slanderer An understanding of one of Satan’s names is helpful here and is loaded with implications. The term, devil, as used so often of Satan, means, “slanderer, defamer, one who accuses falsely.” This name reveals him in one of his key characterizations in Scripture. As “the slanderer,” he is one who defames the character of God and one of the ways he seeks to do this is by accusing believers (Rev.

The book of Job gives us a good illustration of his defaming accusations against believers and how, at the same time, he seeks to malign the character of God. When you read the first two chapters of Job, the true purpose of Satan’s accusations become quickly evident. Satan’s claim was that Job only worshipped God because of all God had given to him; it was not because Job loved God for who He was or because God deserved to be worshipped as the Holy and Sovereign Creator. Just take away all that he has and he will curse you, was the essence of Satan’s accusation (cf.

Job 1:6-11; 2:1-6). Satan’s Characterization of God From the Bible’s characterization of Satan as “adversary” (1 Pet.

5:8) and “the devil,” and from his activities as seen in Scripture, it seems only logical that Satan may have argued that God was unloving and that His judgment of Satan and his angels to the lake of fire was unfair and unjust. Shortly after the creation of Adam and Eve, the devil’s attack on the character of God as unfair becomes immediately evident in the slanderous nature of his questions and statements to Eve in the temptation (Gen. So today, from a world that lies under his deception (see John 12:31; 16:11; Eph. 4:3-4), there is a common sentiment echoed among many who, rejecting God’s Word, may say, “The God of the Bible is vengeful. How could a loving God send people to hell? I refuse to believe in a God like that.” A Reason for Man Part of the reason for man’s creation and for God’s plan of salvation in Christ is to demonstrate the truth of God’s character as wise, holy, just, loving, gracious, merciful, and good.

In His holiness and justice, God had no other choice but to judge Satan and his angels to the lake of fire. The same is true with sinful man. But God is also merciful, gracious, and loving, so He provided a solution through the cross so that man could have eternal life. This gracious plan of love was not only anticipated in the Old Testament, but was actually first announced to the serpent (the devil in disguise) in Genesis 3:16, which is significant in view of the angelic conflict and the slanderous accusations of Satan.

Man’s redemption and the recovery of paradise lost has always been based on what God would do through the seed of the woman, the Messiah Savior who would die as man’s substitute, but also defeat Satan and, by implication, demonstrate Satan’s slander as false (cf. 3:21-26; Col.

2:10-15; Heb. The Scriptures disclose the truth that the angels learn much about God from His activities through the person and work of Christ and through the church, especially in the unfolding of God’s plan of redemption. Concerning the sufferings of Christ, the glories that will follow, and the things announced to believers through those who preached the gospel by the Holy Spirit, Peter declared, “things into which angels long to look” (see 1 Pet. Then, along a similar line Paul wrote, Ephesians 3:8-11 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10 in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Consequently, the church becomes a means of unveiling both the manifold wisdom and grace of God to angels, for in Ephesians 2:4-7 Paul wrote: But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Chafer quotes Otto Von Gerlach who pointed out: By the revelation of Himself in Christ, by the institution of the Christian Church on earth, God after a manner hitherto unknown glorifies Himself before the heavenly principalities. They who until now had, filled with awe, been praising Him for the wonder of creation, now see His wisdom glorified in a new form in the Christian communion through the manifold ways by which lost men are saved. Entirely new and inexhaustible wealth of divine wisdom was manifested in redemption. Victory Anticipated Revelation 4-5 sets forth heaven’s perspective in preparation for the judgments that will follow on earth as described in chapters 6-19. It is these judgments that defeat Satan and his world system and establish God’s Son on His throne on earth. In these two chapters, however, there is a strong emphasis on the holiness of God, His worthiness to receive glory and honor, and on the worthiness of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus, to open and pour out the seals and to reign and receive glory and honor.

And who are also prominent in these two chapters? In view of this scenario, we can see why God’s holy angels are so keenly interested in our salvation because in it they observe the manifold wisdom, love, grace, and holiness of God (Eph. This becomes even more of an issue when one considers the rebellion and accusations of Satan in light of the condescension of Christ whose entire life they witnessed (1 Tim. To witness the submission and condescension of God incarnate, even to the death of the cross, was an awesome declaration of God’s character as holy and immutable. What amazing condescension! Obeying his own law as if he were a mere creature, and in the attitude of a servant!

This was new. They had seen him as the governor of the universe; but never till now as a subject! Encountering Satan in conflict and prolonged temptation! This was new. Think of this! They had seen Satan cast down from his exalted position and sentenced to the lake of fire because of his pride and rebellion, but in Christ’s incarnation and submissive life, even to the cross, they have the ultimate example of God’s holiness, love, grace, and mercy and the justness of Satan’s sentence.

But what about the fallen angels? Evidently, there was a time of grace and testing for the angels before Satan’s fall, but they now remain confirmed in their fallen state just as those who die without Christ will remain in their fallen state to face the Great White Throne Judgment and eternal separation from God. The Angelic Conflict and the Moral Problem of Evil Understanding the above scenario provides us with part of the answer to the age old question of how a God who is good could permit evil, especially if He is omniscient and omnipotent. Contrary to Scripture, which declares the omnipotence and omniscience of God, some have sought to answer the problem by claiming that though God is good, He was helpless to stop evil from happening. Though it is only by implication, the Bible alone gives us an answer to the problem of evil, which lies, in part at least, in the angelic conflict briefly described in the preceding paragraphs. Certain things are basic to a discussion of this issue.

Scripture reveals God to be perfect in holiness, love, benevolence, grace, and mercy. This means God cannot do evil because evil is contrary to His Holy character. For instance, God cannot lie (Tit. Further, He cannot tempt the creature to sin (Jam. He cannot be the author of sin because He has judged all evil and to author sin would be contrary to His perfect justice and righteousness. God could not judge sin in the creature if He was the author of the creature’s sin.

Therefore, though allowed by God, evil did not originate from God. It originated from something outside of God.

According to the Bible, the original human sin as recorded in Genesis 3 is not the first sin in the universe. The Bible reveals the moral problem is related to: (1) the fall of Satan and his angels into sin; (2) Satan’s characterization as the slandering adversary of God; (3) God’s purpose for man to rule on the earth with the loss of that rule through man’s temptation and fall into sin; and (4) man’s redemption and the recovery of that rule through the sinless God-man Savior who bore the penalty for our sin. In the study of this moral problem certain facts emerge. It is clear that God in creating angels and men created them as moral creatures with the power of choice. The sin problem is present when a moral creature chooses sin instead of righteousness. This is the explanation for the fall of angels and the fall of men.

Scripture’s revelation of Satan’s fall, man’s fall, and the ensuing angelic conflict envelops us in things far beyond our comprehension. Nevertheless, the Bible teaches that God created the angels and man. As suggested by the fellowship that can be observed in the Trinity between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God’s very being necessitated that He bring forth creatures for fellowship, but He did not create these creatures as robots who have no choice. There would be no fellowship or glory with a mechanical robot that had no choice. God gave both angels and human beings personalities with intellect, emotion, and volition.

By the exercise of this personality, both mankind and angels could have fellowship with God and bring glory to Him. But, though created perfect and without sin, freedom of choice also meant the possibility, known from eternity by God, that Satan and mankind could choose against God, which both did. So why did God allow it?

Perhaps the answer lies in the aftermath of sin since God’s glory is displayed even more. Just as nothing displays the splendor of a diamond in the light more than a backdrop of black velvet, so nothing could display the glory of God’s mercy, goodness, grace, and love as much as the blackness of man’s sin. Because this perplexes the human mind, many reject the whole idea of God or postulate weakness to God or in some way find fault with God. But the Bible has some important words of warning regarding such a response and the story of Job, his trials, the activity of Satan and the good angels as mentioned in Job are instructive here. The book of Job is significant to questions regarding the moral problem of evil and the presence of suffering because of the insight it gives us into the adversarial activity of Satan and the activities of angels called “sons of God” (see Job 1:6-13; 2:1-7; 38:4-6).

Angels are mentioned as present and giving praise to God when God created the earth (Job 38:7), but in Job 1:6 and 2:1, the “sons of God” appear before God, undoubtedly as His attendants and submissive servants in adoration and praise of the Almighty. But then Satan is suddenly introduced into the picture as the slandering accuser. Though the specific reason for Satan’s appearance is not stated, the questions God asks of Satan makes the reason clear.

He is there to carry on his slanderous activity in his ongoing conflict against the character of God. Briefly, then, what the Bible teaches us about Satan and sin and suffering provides us with an answer to this moral dilemma.

The book of Job with its revelation about Satan, the angels, Job’s trials and his responses to his suffering add important insight to our understanding and response to the moral problem of evil. Job was a man who suffered tremendously.

His losses and pain were awful. So along came three friends who sought to counsel him, but with friends like these, who needs enemies? In essence, their counsel was that his suffering was caused by sin. And, of course, sometimes that is the cause of suffering, but personal sin is only one of the reasons Scripture gives for suffering. In the process of Job’s dialogue with his three friends, Job sought to vindicate himself against their accusations. He sought to show he was innocent of any wrong that had caused his pain. And in essence, he was.

But as this dialogue and Job’s suffering continued over a prolonged period, Job began to become angry with God and he developed a demanding spirit. This seems evident by God’s words to Job seen in chapters 38-40, but especially in the following verses: Job 38:2-4 Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? 3 Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! 4 Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, In other words, how absurd to think that a creature should become the critic of the Creator or of what He is doing as the Sovereign Lord of the universe.

The next two chapters, then, develop this theme of God’s wisdom and power. Job 40:1-2 Then the LORD said to Job, “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it.” Job then answered and said, Job 40:4-5 Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth.

5 Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add no more. Though this was a start in the right direction, it is clear from what followed that Job was humbled but not yet repentant so God questioned him further. May I suggest that when Job criticized God’s ways or became demanding toward God he was in effect following in the footsteps of Satan in both finding fault and usurping God’s position as governor of the world. In the next paragraph (vss.

6-14), one full of irony, God asks if Job can really perform those things that only God is able to do. Note verses 7-9: Job 40:7-9. Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm, and said, 7 “Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. 8 Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified? 9 Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His?” Though the problem of evil and Satan baffles the human mind, only God’s Word gives us a reasonable explanation as to the cause, course, and ultimate destiny of evil. Our need is to recognize that God is not only sovereign and infinitely wise, but submit in faith to the plan of God.

The book of Revelation, a book filled with references to angels, gives us the end result—the final defeat of sin, death, and Satan with his fallen angels, and with paradise regained. Then God will wipe away every tear and the universe will know permanent joy and peace beyond our wildest dreams. The very nature of the complexity of creation not only demands an adequate cause, a Creator, but it demonstrates His infinite wisdom and power (Ps. God is infinitely wise. He is the omniscient One in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And though God has revealed some things to us, He has obviously left much that is not revealed.

We would simply not have the ability to grasp it in our present state (cf. Regardless, it is vital for faith and practice that we come to the point where we not only recognize our thoughts and ways are far different from His, but that in faith we accept what He has revealed.

Note the focus in the passage below. Isaiah 55:6-9 Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Does this mean we should not ask questions and look for answers to the mysteries of the universe? Of course not. But where God has given us revelation or where we find God’s answers in the Bible, whether by explicit statement or by strong implicit arguments, our need is to humbly submit to what it teaches and put the things that still perplex us on the top shelf for later understanding. This, of course, is the crucial issue.

What does the Bible really teach on any of these questions? Our tendency is to look at the Bible’s answers through human reason and logic.

Then, when it seems contrary to human reason, our tendency is to reject it or at least question it or twist the truth to suit our human logic. For instance, the doctrine of the trinity is not explicitly taught in the Bible, but it is clearly taught implicitly in Scripture.

Other doctrines, like the incarnation, are beyond our ability to grasp but it is a doctrine explicitly stated in the Bible. So Isaiah wrote, “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isa. Lessons From the Angels A study of the angels, both good and bad, furnishes us with a number of lessons as to how we should and should not live both negatively and positively. The apostle Paul provides a precedent for this in his warning regarding selecting novices for elders in 1 Timothy 3:6-7. Negative Lessons Satan, as the anointed cherub, was not only created perfect, but he was exceedingly beautiful. His high position and beauty, of course, were the products of God’s grace and creative powers, not Satan’s. Nevertheless, he became puffed up with pride over his own beauty and power.

He forgot his creatureliness and wanted to become like God (cf. 28:11-15; Isa. For his pride and rebellion, he was judged and cast from his exalted position as the anointed cherub and sentenced to the lake of fire, the place of his eventual doom.

As such, Satan not only becomes the classic illustration of the temptation and foolishness of pride in the creature, but pride becomes one of his chief snares by which he seeks to cause trouble among the people of God who are so prone to become puffed up over their own abilities or roles or over the abilities and roles of others, all of which are gifts of God. In view of this ever present danger, Paul warned against selecting a new convert to a position of authority, “lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim. Satan and his fallen angels also warn us against the evil nature and the dangers of rebellion in contrast with submission and obedience. Perhaps there is no place where this is more clearly stated than in 1 Samuel 15:22-23. Here the seriousness of disobedience (vs.

22), which is essentially defined as rebellion (vs. 23), is underscored by the comparisons made to divination and idolatry. Samuel compares it to divination (Hebrew, qesem, a general term for various occult practices or spiritism.

For some of the various forms of divination see Deuteronomy 18:10-11.). Divination like idolatry is demonic (see 1 Cor. Behind the occult and idolatry is the work of Satan, the rebel of rebels.

Ultimately, Satan and his evil angels, the demons, furnish examples of all that is evil along with the hideous consequences of evil. Satan is a rebel, a liar, a murderer, a deceiver, a slanderer, a tempter, a distorter, and one who opposes all that is good, righteous, and holy.

As a murderer from the beginning and the father of lies (John 8:44) who tempted Eve in Eden, he ultimately becomes the father of all that is evil. This, of course, does not abdicate man from his responsibility to choose what is good nor can we blame Satan for our own sin, though he is always on the prowl to promote sin and to deceive and tempt us. Though Satan tempts us constantly, our temptation to sin ultimately stems from our own lusts that wage war in our souls (Jam. Positive Lessons The many references to God’s holy angels in the Bible are chiefly records of their many activities, but two things quickly standout. They are constantly seen in the activities of worshipful adoration of God and in humble service, totally submissive to the will of God.

If these celestial beings, with all their strength, holiness, and knowledge of God are so committed, should they not be a motivation and an example to us? It was after Isaiah saw the holy seraphim in worship and humility (suggested by the covering of their feet) exalting the Lord, that he then saw and confessed his own sinfulness and became a willing servant. It was then, in answer to the Lord’s question, “Whom shall I send?” that the prophet said, “Here am I, send me” (see Isa. Following the joyous news of Messiah’s birth, the experience of seeing Jesus in Bethlehem, and hearing the heavenly hosts of angels praising God, it was the shepherds who, following the example of the angels, went back “glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them” (Luke 2:20). A consciousness of the reality of the vast hosts of angelic being—the benefit derived from the good, and the opposition of the bad—can be gained only through meditation upon the Scriptures that record these truths, and through prayer.

1 William Evans, The Great Doctrines of the Bible, Moody Press, Chicago, 1912, p. Ryrie, Basic Theology, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1987, chapter 17, electronic media. Erickson, Christian Theology, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1983, p. 4 “Kindred Spirit,” a quarterly publication of Dallas Theological Seminary, Summer 1995, pp. 7 For an excellent discussion and support for this view, see Deffinbaugh’s study on Genesis 6 in his study of the book of Genesis on our web site. 8 The Bible Knowledge Commentary, OT, John F.

Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck, Editors, Victor Books, Electronic Media. 9 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, Kregel Publications, 1993, p.

10 The Bible Knowledge Commentary, NT, John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Editors, Victor Books, 1983, electronic media.

11 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, Part 3, Abridged Edition, John F.

Walvoord, Editor, Donald K. Campbell, Roy B. Zuck, Consulting Editors, Victor Books, Wheaton, Ill., 1988, p.

Gaebelein, General Editor, The Expositors’ Bible Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, electronic media, 1997. 14 Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, Moody Press, Chicago, 1996, electronic media. 15 Erickson, p. 16 Erickson, p. 18 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol.

2, Kregel Publications, 1993, p. 19 Gabelein, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, electronic media.

22 The terms and descriptions given there certainly go far beyond that of any human monarch. Further, other passages clearly teach us that there are often angelic or demonic forces behind the reign of human kings or kingdoms (cf. 23 James Oliver Bushwell Jr., A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion, Vol. 1, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1962, p. 25 Walter Bauer, Wilbur F. Gingrich, and Frederick W. Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979, electronic media.

26 Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press, 1996. 28 Ryrie, pp.

29 Chafer, p. 31 James Oliver Bushwell Jr., A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion, Vol. 1, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1962, p. 32 The material covering the ministry of angels in their various relationships is adapted from Ryries, Basic Theology, pp. 35 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible, Expanded Edition, Moody Press, Chicago, 1995, p.

36 The Bible Knowledge Commentary, OT, John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck, Editors, Victor Books, 1983, 1985, electronic media. 37 The main point of verse 10 is that there is great joy in heaven (cf. 7) when a sinner repents. Some would argue that the text does not say that angels rejoice, only that there is joy in their presence.

They observe God’s joy, but surely, angels who are devoted to God’s will, also rejoice as we see them praising God in Luke 2 at the birth of Christ. 38 The seven trumpets proceed out of the seven seals and immediately following this final trumpet are the seven bowl judgments that result in Christ’s return to earth, defeat of Satan’s kingdom, and the establishment of Christ’s rule on earth. 39 “This section, with its superhuman references, apparently describes someone other than the human king of Tyre, namely, Satan. If so, Satan's unique privileges before his fall are described in verses 12-15 and the judgment on him in verses 16-19. You had the seal of perfection (v. I.e., Satan was the consummation of perfection in his original wisdom and beauty.” (Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible, Expanded Edition, Moody Press, Chicago, 1995, p.

40 Greek, diabolos, “an accuser, a slanderer,” from diabollw, “to accuse, malign.” 41 “Adversary,” the Greek antidikos, was used of a legal adversary, “an opponent in a lawsuit.” 42 For more details on Satan, his origin, titles, etc., see the doctrine of Satanology on our web site. Revit Furniture Family Download Free here. 43 Chafer, p.

44 Chafer, p. 22, cites Dr. William Cooke, Christian Theology, pp. 45 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, Abridged Edition, John F.

Walvoord, Editor, Donald K. Campbell, Roy B. Zuck, Consulting Editors, Victor Books, Wheaton, Ill., 1988, p. 46 Chafer, p. Related Topics: •.

“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, you who have been borne by Me from birth, and have been carried from the womb; even to your old age, I shall be the same, and even to your graying years I shall bear you! I have done it, and I shall carry you; and I shall bear you, and I shall deliver you. To whom would you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike?

Those who lavish gold from the purse and weigh silver on the scale hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; they bow down, indeed they worship it. They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it; they set it in its place and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer; it cannot deliver him from his distress. Remember this, and be assured; recall it to mind, you transgressors. Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.

I have planned it, surely I will do it” (Isaiah 46:3-11). Introduction I remember reading of a man who thought he had a fool-proof plan for sneaking into a drive-in movie without paying. He would crawl into the trunk of the car, and his wife would pay only for herself. Once inside the drive-in, she would let him out of the trunk. The plan sounded good, but it failed. The man did crawl into the trunk, and his wife drove into the theater just as they planned.

Only when she attempted to release him did they realize the problem with the plan--the husband had the keys to the trunk in his pocket. After firemen cut through the trunk, the man was released, but neither he nor his wife saw the movie. Some plans may sound good, but they do not work. Even if this plan had worked, it could hardly be called good, for the intent was to deceive and enjoy a movie at another’s expense. God’s plan for creation is a good plan. The goal for which it was instituted is of the highest good. It is good in a functional sense, because the plan is certain to work, producing the ends for which it was ordained.

Ultimately, it is good because it is God’s plan. Our first lesson considered God as the Planner, concentrating on some aspects of His nature and attributes. Because God is the Planner, we are assured that the plan is both certain and good. In this lesson we will consider the plan, focusing on the general characteristics of God’s plan as a prelude to our study of the unfolding of the plan in history. There is a Plan Scripture makes it abundantly clear that there is a plan.

A number of evidences could be used for the existence of God’s plan for creation, but the most compelling evidence is that which is recorded in Scripture: The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation (Psalm 33:11). Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord, it will stand (Proverbs 19:21). “This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:26-27). The statements of the Second Person of the Trinity, our Lord Jesus Christ, are consistent with the words of Scripture concerning God’s plan. The Old Testament prophets laid out God’s plan for Messiah, which included both His suffering and His glory: Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired, but a body Thou hast prepared for Me; in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast taken no pleasure.

“Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the roll of the book it is written of Me) to do Thy will, O God.’” After saying the above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast not desired, nor hast Thou taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Thy will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:5-10). At the time of His birth, some of God’s plan for Christ were described (see Luke 1:26-38, 67-79; 2:8-14, 25-35). Repeatedly our Lord indicated He was not pursuing His own plan but fulfilling the plan of the Father: And it came about that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions.

And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. And when they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” And they did not understand the statement which He had made to them (Luke 2:46-50).

The disciples therefore were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work” (John 4:33, 34). And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? (Matthew 26:39-40). A Definition of the Plan Before emphasizing some of the characteristics of God’s plan for creation, we must have a definition of God’s plan. The most concise and accurate definition of God’s eternal plan is found in the Westminister Confession of Faith, which reads: “God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.” With this brief definition, let us now seek to expand our definition by identifying some of the plan’s important characteristics.

Characteristics of the Plan (1) The plan is God’s plan. “Remember this, and be assured; recall it to mind, you transgressors. Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it” (Isaiah 46:3-11).

Our first lesson focused on God as the Planner. In this lesson, we are studying the plan--God’s plan. The plan reflects the attributes of God, the Planner. (2) The plan of God encompasses all that He has predestined to occur. When our Lord spoke of the Father’s plan for all eternity, He spoke of it as the Father’s will. Likewise, when we speak of “God’s plan for creation” or of “God’s plan for the ages” we will sometimes refer to this as God’s will, and rightly so.

But this “will” of God must be carefully distinguished from several other “wills.” Broadly speaking, the expression, the “will of God” can summarized in this way: THE PURPOSED WILL OF GOD: God’s eternal decree THE PREFERENTIAL WILL OF GOD: God’s desire THE PRESCRIPTIVE WILL OF GOD: God’s standards for men THE PERMISSIVE WILL OF GOD: God’s overriding will The “ purposed will of God” refers to God’s eternal decree, the plan which will surely come to pass. It encompasses all of the other “wills.” The “ preferential will of God” refers to that which gives God pleasure or displeasure. Our Lord’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane reveals that the cross of Calvary was not our Lord’s desire, but it was His purpose. “ God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

He “ desires all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4). In spite of this desire, God has purposed that some will be eternally saved, while others will be eternally damned (see Romans 9). Just as we may spank a disobedient child when it is not our desire or delight, God’s decree includes some things in which he does not delight, like the punishment of the wicked.

The “ prescriptive will of God” is God’s will expressed as a standard for man’s conduct. It is God’s will set down in the Scriptures as commands, standards, or principles which govern what we do or do not do. It is God’s prescriptive will that we do not steal, lie, or worship idols. It is likewise His (prescriptive) will that we love Him and love our neighbor.

God’s “ permissive will” includes those events or actions of men which are, in and of themselves, sinful. They are contrary to God’s preference and to His prescriptive will. Nevertheless God uses sin to accomplish His will. God used the sinful actions of Joseph’s brothers to bring the entire family of Jacob (Israel) to Egypt, thus fulfilling His will (see Genesis 15:12-16).

He used the opposition of the scribes and Pharisees, the treachery of Judas, and the political cowardice of Herod and Pilate to bring about the sacrificial death of our Lord: “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-- this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. “And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:22-24). God’s purposed will incorporates all of His subordinate wills.

In His Word, God reveals both His preferential and prescriptive will. When men trust and obey Him, God employs their obedience to fulfill a portion of His plan. When men rebel and disobey Him, God sovereignly uses their sin to further His plan. In this way God causes all things to work together for good, to those who are the called according to His plan and purpose (see Romans 8:28). (3) The plan of God is eternal. God is eternal, and so is His plan. The plan was established in eternity past, long before God created the heavens and the earth.

It extends to eternity future when God’s kingdom will be established on the earth, and men will enjoy the eternal blessings of being in His presence, or the agony of eternal separation. The revelation of God’s plan in the Bible does not begin at the beginning of eternity (if we can speak in these terms) but at man’s beginning, since the Bible is about man and for man. The foundation of the world is a point of reference in the Bible: “Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him (Ephesians 1:4). Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you (1 Peter 1:18-20). And it was given to him [the beast] to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain (Revelation 13:7-8).

For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, “As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest,” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world (Hebrews 4:3). God’s plan was established long before creation. His program for mankind began at creation. Because the Bible is addressed to men, the story of creation is the starting point. Satan’s origin and fall are given little attention in the Bible. In the texts dealing with his fall, reference to him is somewhat veiled, intertwined with an indictment of kings (see Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:11-19).

(4) The plan of God is all-encompassing. When human plans fail, it is often because the planner has overlooked some detail. Something unforeseen arises, and suddenly plans collapse. This is because every detail was not taken into account. God’s plan is all-inclusive. It is based on God’s omniscience (knowing all), so that everything past, present, and future is taken into account.

God’s omniscience, as we have seen, includes all things which will actually occur, as well as all things which could possibly occur. Every contingency is taken into account in God’s plan. God’s plan is for all creation, things in heaven and on earth, things visible and invisible, thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities (Colossians 1:16). God’s plan includes seemingly insignificant details.

It excludes “good luck” or coincidences. When Joseph wandered about in a field looking for his brothers, he did not just happen to be found and told where his brothers had gone (Genesis 37:14-17). The fact that the pit into which Joseph was thrown was empty was no coincidence (37:24).

The passing caravan, which was headed toward Egypt, was no accident either (37:25-28). The fact that Ruth would “happen” upon the field of Boaz, a near kinsman of Naomi, was not mere chance but a matter of God’s providential control (Ruth 2:3). God’s plan includes the sovereign election of individuals to salvation and to destruction. As difficult as this may be for some to accept, it is the clear and consistent teaching of Scripture (John 1:12-13; 6:37, 44, 65; Acts 13:48; 16:14; Romans 9; Ephesians 1:4; Revelation 13:8; 17:8). Apart from the sovereign intervention of God, through His Spirit, no man seeks God, and no man will ever find Him (see Romans 3:10-18; John 6:44). Because salvation is God’s work, and not our own, God should receive the glory.

This fact also makes our salvation and sanctification secure (Philippian 1:6). This is no way minimizes our responsibility to proclaim the gospel or man’s responsibility to receive or reject it (see Romans 10; Matthew 28:18-20, etc.). God’s plan also includes the creation of life, the design, and the destiny of men (see Psalm 127; 139). It includes the calling of individuals to specific service (see Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:15). The plan has precise timing as well (Jeremiah 25:11-12; Daniel 9:2, 24-27; 12:11-12; Mark 1:15; 13:32-33; Luke 1:20; John 7:6). (5) The goal of God’s plan is to bring glory to Himself. “But indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Numbers 14:21).

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands (Psalm 19:1). “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can my name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another” (Isaiah 48:11). “Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created” (Revelation 4:11). For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36).

The demonstration of God’s glory is offensive to the unbeliever who would rather seek his own glory (see Romans 1:18-25). So it was with Satan as well (see Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12-15). Charles Hodge aptly points out the error of making man’s happiness the goal of God’s plan: “If we make the good of the creature the ultimate object of all God’s works, then we subordinate God to the creature, and endless confusion and unavoidable error are the consequences.” To the Christian, the glory of God is our hope: Through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2). (6) God’s plan does not change, and it cannot be thwarted--it is an efficacious (certain) plan. This characteristic of God’s plan is frequently and dogmatically affirmed in the Scriptures. God’s plan does not change: In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil (Hebrews 6:17-19).

The plan of God is absolutely certain: The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation (Psalm 33:11). Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord, it will stand (Proverbs 19:21). “This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. “For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:26-27). “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:28-29). The assuring truth that God’s plan is efficacious (certain) is because it is God’s plan. This is based on the truth that God is all-knowing and all-powerful, that He is faithful to His promises, and that His glory is at stake. It is also based on the fact that God’s plan is eternal and all-inclusive. Nothing is more certain than the plan of God. Having this clearly in mind, let us also take note of some other characteristics of God’s plan.

(7) God’s plan is partially and progressively being revealed. The plan of God is complete, fully developed, and as good as done, from God’s point of view: “His works were finished from the foundation of the world” (Hebrews 4:3). From a human point of view, the plan is being unfolded progressively through history and is only partially revealed. The Old Testament Law laid out the broad outline of God’s plan.

God’s plan could be seen in its initial outworking through the history of Israel. The Old Testament prophets persisted in calling Israel’s attention to the fundamentals God had laid out in the Law. They also added more detail to the plan which God had outlined in the Law. If the Law foretold of a Savior through the “seed” of Eve (Genesis 3:15), it was later revealed that this seed would be the offspring of David (2 Samuel 7) and also of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). The suffering of the Messiah is hinted at in Genesis 3;15 and is foreshadowed in the offering up of Isaac (Genesis 22) and in the rejection and suffering of Joseph (Genesis 37-50), as well as in the Passover (Exodus 12). It is further explained in the Psalms (16, 22) and the prophets (Isaiah 53). The coming Messiah, who was at first understood to be a “son of man” is later described as the “Son of God” (see Isaiah 9:6-7; Micah 5:2).

And so the Messiah was progressively revealed as the God-man. When the Lord Jesus came to the earth, suffered, died, and rose again, God’s plan for the Messiah’s first coming was fulfilled. The Gospels, along with the Epistles, thoroughly explain the plan of God for Messiah’s first coming. Our Lord, followed by His apostles, gave further insight into God’s plan for His second coming.

In its outworking, God’s plan is progressive in yet another way. God’s plan is divided into separate, but related, programs which might be called administrations. Some call them dispensations. Even those who reject dispensationalism admit to one degree or another that there are differences in the way in which God has exercised His rule over men. At each point of change, there are some principles and precepts which remain constant, while other aspects change significantly. While God has revealed all that we need to know about His plan for creation, there is much He has purposed not to reveal to us.

We are instructed not to seek to fill these gaps (see Deuteronomy 29:29; Revelation 22:18-19). Some prophecies are deliberately “veiled” by highly symbolic imagery, and others are “sealed:” “And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Preset Viewer Breeze Serial Key here. “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase....

As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. “Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. “And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. “How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! “But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age” (Daniel 12:3-4, 8-13). At times of sin and rebellion against God, the prophetic lamp is extinguished, so to speak. This is because God does not wish to inform nor to comfort sinners.

The source of man’s confidence and comfort is God. When men turn from God, they turn also from His comfort and the enjoyment of peace and hope: Be delayed and wait. Blind yourselves and be blind.

They become drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your eyes, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, the seers. And the entire vision shall be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, “ Please read this, “he will say,” I cannot, for it is sealed.

“ Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, “ Please read this. “And he will say,” I cannot read. “ Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be concealed. “ Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?” (Isaiah 29:9-15). (8) God’s plan is a mystery. To the degree that God has not revealed His plan, it is a mystery.

But even that which He does reveal is a mystery. For this reason, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him (Ephesians 3:1-12). God’s plan is a mystery because it is the product of the divine mind of God and not the finite mind of man: Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:6-9). It is a mystery because of the mysterious way in which God works, using sin to accomplish His good will, suffering to produce glory, death to bring about life. It is a mystery which fallen man cannot fathom apart from the illumination of the Holy Spirit: But just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him?

Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). (9) The outcome of God’s plan for the Christian is his good. You and I do not set up insurance programs, savings accounts, or college education funds for every child in the neighborhood.

We make provisions for the good of our children. God’s plan is not only for His glory, but for the good of “those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). His plan is not for the “good” of those who rebel against Him and reject His plan. God’s plan has a purpose for both the saved and the lost, but the destiny of each is vastly different: What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles (Romans 9:22-24). (10) God’s plan employs means which the human mind would see as incompatible with the end God has purposed. While the outcome of God’s plan is certain to be for the good of the Christian, the process which God uses may appear otherwise. God allows sin to be committed for evil purposes when it produces the good He has purposed. It is very difficult in the midst of the process to see the “good” God is producing as the final product.

A cake in the making is quite different from the finished product. The process includes beating and heating, but the final product is good eating. God’s children must therefore live by faith, trusting in God’s promises even when present circumstances seem to contradict them. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us this was the case with all of the Old Testament saints: All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16). We must come to see suffering not just as the result of sin but the process for producing saints: And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives. “It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:5-11). (11) If the goal of God’s plan is to demonstrate the glory of God, the means is the establishment of God’s rule or dominion on the earth. In short, God’s plan for creation is all about the establishment of the “Kingdom of God.” Every dispensation, or administration, found in the Bible concerns God’s rule on earth.

Satan was the most powerful angel, the most powerful of all the creatures God brought into existence. But he did not wish to be subordinate to God’s rule. He wished rather to have the preeminence, to rule himself (see Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28). Adam and Eve were created to rule over God’s creation in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). Satan persuaded Eve and then Adam to rebel against God and against His one rule.

God created the nation Israel to serve as a kingdom of priests, the instrument through which the rule of God over the earth could be implemented (see Exodus 19:5-6). They too rebelled against God, His rule, and His rules (His law).

When Jesus came to the earth, He presented Himself as the Messiah, the God-man whom God appointed to rule, seated on the throne of His father David. Israel did not want God’s kind of kingdom, and thus they rejected and crucified their King, insisting that Caesar alone was their king (John 19:15). Now, the church rules, but not by physical force (see John 18:36). We rule in Israel’s place for the time being as a “holy priesthood,” a “chosen race,” and a “holy nation” (1 Peter 2:5, 9-10). The history of the church (see Revelation 2 and 3) will demonstrate that we too will not rule as God would have us do, and thus He Himself must come to the earth to establish the kingdom of God.

God’s plan for creation is to rule over His creation in a way that demonstrates His glory. Until that day, when our hope of glory is realized, we must live in a world that suffers the effects of man’s fall, a world in which there is suffering and groaning. We shall find that we ourselves groan, waiting for His perfect rule (see Romans 8:18-25). While the heated debate among Christians over the “lordship salvation” controversy seems to have abated for a time, the issue is still very much alive. I find that God’s plan for creation involves both--lordship (God’s rule) and salvation (through Christ’s sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection). Why do we try so hard to remove the issue of our Lord’s rule (lordship) and salvation?

The Messiah came to save men from their sins, and He will come again to establish His rule over a fallen world. When we repent and turn to Christ in faith, we should understand that we receive Him as Savior and Lord. To whatever excesses this truth may have been carried, let us not reject the truth. Nebuchadnezzar learned about lordship the hard way, but he indeed learned: “This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: that you be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever He wishes....

“But at the end of that period I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His Kingdom endures from generation to generation. “And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What hast Thou done?’” (Daniel 4:24-25, 34-35). Throughout human history, men have demonstrated their faith in God by submitting to His rule.

They, like saints today, understood that one must trust and obey. If we love Him, our Lord Jesus said, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). This is why Moses set the law before the people of Israel as a matter of life and death (see Deuteronomy 30:15-20). It is not because law-keeping saves us, but because reverence for God will be reflected by respect for His laws. Conclusion There is a plan for creation. It is God’s plan. It is an eternal plan, one which encompasses all of creation, and every detail.

It is a plan which is certain to be fulfilled, for the glory of God and for the good of those who love Him. The plan is a mystery, which we would not have known apart from its partial and progressive revelation in the Bible. It is one we cannot understand, apart from the illumination of the Holy Spirit. It is a plan which employs means we would naturally think are inconsistent with its end--its goal. God uses suffering to produce holiness, faith, and His glory. He uses the rebellion of men to establish His eternal rule. To the degree that God’s plan has been revealed to us, it has been given for a purpose.

What is the purpose of knowing God’s plan? Let us conclude our overview of God’s plan by considering some of its practical implications. (1) What God has joined together, let not man separate. God has a way of joining things which men want to separate. We, for example, want to separate “love” and “our enemy.” We also want to separate suffering and glory. No wonder Peter tells us (1 Peter 1:10-12) the Old Testament prophets were so puzzled by the prophecies which spoke both of Messiah’s suffering (like Isaiah 53) and of His glory (like Psalm 2 or 110).

God’s plan for the ages informs us that suffering is compatible with God’s glory. Let us not seek to separate these two, since God in His plan, has joined them. Saints of old struggled with this tension of suffering and glory. Job could not understand his suffering. Asaph, in Psalm 73, struggled with the success of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous. God’s program reveals that suffering in the will of God leads to glory (see 2 Timothy 2:10-12).

Let us never forget that no one will ever experience suffering and glory more than our Lord. Whatever suffering God may call us to endure, to enter into His glory, it will never begin to compare with that our Lord Himself experienced (see Romans 5, 8; Hebrews 12). (2) God’s plan should shape our plans. God’s plan suggests that we should plan. But His plan is also instructive as to the kind of plans we make. Some see planning as inconsistent with our faith in God, directing us to such texts as: “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on” (Matthew 6:25a, KJV). “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34, KJV). I have cited the King James Version’s rendering of these verses because the archaic wording is misleading.

It seems to prohibit any thought, any consideration of the future. If so, this would surely prohibit planning for the future. In the context, however, it is clear that Jesus is teaching us not to worry about the future; He is not telling us to refrain from planning for the future. Worry is the opposite of faith. Our worries concerning the future are hypothetical, based upon our fears and not upon God’s promises. They focus on what we fear might happen, and they neglect God’s plan which assures us of what is certain to happen.

Jesus never discouraged plans. He exposed the foolishness of poor planning, especially planning which failed to count the cost (Luke 14:28). He urged potential followers to count the cost of discipleship (Luke 9:57-62). Early in His ministry, when our Lord was popular, He instructed His disciples to take no provisions for their journey (Luke 9:3-5), but when opposition to our Lord intensified, Jesus told His disciples to make provisions for their future needs as they went about proclaiming the gospel (Luke 22:35-38). Planning is not condemned in Scripture; it is commended (see Proverbs 31:10-22). As Christians, the kind of plans we should make ought to be subordinate to and guided by God’s plan. God has not revealed His entire plan to us, and thus we do not know the specific dates and timing of promised future events (see Matthew 24:34-36).

Because God’s plan is a mystery, understood fully only after its fulfillment, we dare not be presumptuous in our plans for the future. All of our plans must be subordinate to God’s plan and must take into account God’s rearranging of our plans: Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil (James 4:13-16). We must not take our plans too seriously.

In the Book of Acts, the apostles devised a plan to replace Judas (see Acts 1:12-26). From what we can tell, the action taken by the apostles did not have much of an impact on the church. When, on the other hand, God raised up Paul as an apostle, completely independent of the apostles, the world was turned upside-down. The apostolic church had not planned to evangelize the world and probably would have opposed it (see Acts 10 and 11). Nevertheless, God sovereignly sent out witnesses (Acts 8:1; 11:19-21) so that churches began to spring up in the Gentile world.

In my estimation, the apostle Paul’s plans serve as a model for our plans. They were inspired by and consistent with God’s plan for him and for his ministry, as well as for the world (see Acts 9:15-16; Romans 1:1-15). Because God’s plan included the salvation of all nations, Paul kept pressing toward those places which were unevangelized (Romans 15:18-21).

He drew tentative conclusions concerning God’s plan for his life, and then set himself to carrying out God’s purpose (see Philippians 1:19-26; 2:19-24). Paul’s plans were often modified by divine intervention. Paul and others were alert to God’s leading (see Acts 13:1-4; 16:4-10; Romans 15:22). Sometimes human and/or satanic opposition played a part in the changes in Paul’s plans, but all of this was in the providence of God (see 1 Thessalonians 2:14-18). The important lesson for us to learn is that we should plan for the future.

Our plans should be governed and guided by what we know of God’s overall plan for His creation. Our plans should also be tentative, knowing that God often accomplishes His will in ways which we would never have imagined and for which we would never have planned. In these cases, our plans must change as the hand of God becomes evident. (3) God’s plan has not been revealed to stifle our sense of responsibility but rather to reinforce it.

The expression, “What will be, will be” does not go far enough. The Bible teaches us that “Whatever God wills, will be.” This truth is taught in the Bible to encourage and motivate us to live godly lives. It is not intended to cause us to become careless as though nothing we do matters. God’s kingdom is certain, but whether His purposes are realized through a Moses (who obeyed God) or a Pharaoh (who opposed Him) makes a great deal of difference to Moses and Pharaoh. Our Lord and His apostles taught that God’s plan was the basis for godly living. Peter, in his last epistle, puts it this way: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you (2 Peter 3:10-15). This lesson brought a text to mind which I have not taken seriously enough before: “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

‘Give us this day our daily bread. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen’ (Matthew 6:9-15). “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” One might conclude from these words that God’s will is not being done on the earth, but that it is in heaven. Our study of God’s plan for creation teaches us that God’s will is being done on the earth. How then can Jesus instruct us to pray in this way?

“As it is” is the critical phrase which provides the solution to our dilemma. God’s will is being done in heaven. God’s will is also being done on the earth.

But God’s will is being accomplished in heaven in a way that is different from the way it is achieved on earth. The Lord instructed us to pray that His will would be done on earth in the same way ( “as it is”) being done in heaven. What is the difference between the way God’s will is being done here on earth now and the way His will is presently being done in heaven? On earth, God’s purposed will is accomplished by means of man’s obedience as well as man’s disobedience. In heaven, God’s will is done differently. There, His will is written on the hearts of men.

Men will do His will, joyfully, consistently, and without exception. There will be no permissive will in heaven. There will be no sin, no rebellion, no need to employ evil to achieve good or suffering to bring glory. On earth at present, God’s will is being accomplished, but not in the way which most delights the heart of God. In heaven, it will be different.

We are instructed by our Lord to set our hearts on heaven and to pray for the kingdom of God to come so that God’s will indeed will be done on earth as it is in heaven. For this to be true, you and I who know and love God must delight in the thought of man’s complete submission to God and to His will. Knowing God’s plan should produce such desires and such prayers. May our continued study of God’s plan serve this purpose, to instill within our hearts faith and hope, and to motivate us to live godly lives in this present evil age to the glory of God. May we be used in His plan as obedient servants, and not as stubborn sons kicking and screaming at every turn. May we be a Moses and not a Pharaoh.

Either way, God will be glorified, and His will accomplished. It is a choice we have been given. It is a choice which determines not only our eternal destiny, but our peace, joy, and hope in the present. May we choose to praise God, the Planner, for His perfect plan. For Further Study and Meditation (1) How do you know there is a plan? Plans are necessary in order to pursue and fulfill a purpose. They give structure and order to one’s pursuit of that purpose.

God is a God of order and purpose. Most importantly, God’s Word frequently speaks of God’s plan, counsel, or purpose (see attached Scripture references). (2) Why does it matter whether or not there is a plan? If there is no plan, then there is no purpose--no goal--for creation. There is, in this case, no guiding purpose to which we may subordinate our lives and by which we can gain perspective, priorities, and direction. If there is no plan, God has no purpose, and if God has no purpose for us, we are adrift in life. (3) Why would anyone conclude there is no plan or Planner (e.g.

“God is dead”)? If one sees no purpose for life, then he would conclude there is no plan or Planner. When life seems chaotic, random, and senseless, the same conclusion seems logical. For those who deny the existence of sin and the trials and tribulations which result from it, logic would conclude that there is no plan. When men reason that suffering is incompatible with glory and that God could not and would not employ sin and evil to achieve His plan, they reason that a plan and a planner are non-existent.

(4) If there is a plan, why do we need to know it? Knowing God’s plan enables us to know and relate to the Planner more intimately (Genesis 18:17-19; John 15:15). It informs and inspires our prayers (Daniel 9). It puts before us a destiny so glorious that we are encouraged to endure the groanings of this life, and indeed, to endure suffering and rejection for the sake of Christ (Romans 8:18-25; Hebrews 11:24-26). It assures us that God’s ends are often accomplished through means which seem contradictory. It teaches us that groaning leads to glory. It reminds us that what we see in the present is often deceptive and quickly passes away while the kingdom of God is eternal (Psalm 73:17-28), and that the future which may appear certain to the human eye is illusive and deceptive (James 4:13-17).

Knowing God’s plan suggests that we too should plan, but that our plans should be tentative, subject to divine veto or revision. Those parts of God’s plan which have already been fulfilled assure us of God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promises on time, literally, and exactly, as promised. They also instruct us that we can never fully grasp the plan until it is fulfilled.

(5) What does not (or cannot) God’s plan do for us? The revelation of God’s plan will always be partial and incomplete. We are not to understand the details of God’s program but the main outline.

We are to discern the “camels” and not speculate on the “gnats” (see Matthew 23:24). Knowledge of God’s plan does not reduce our need for faith, but increases the need for faith. This is because what we “see” now often appears to contradict what God’s plan says about His kingdom. The more we know of the plan and see of our present circumstances, the more faith is required (see Hebrews 11).

(6) How can we go about understanding God’s plan as clearly as He intended? What method should we employ in studying the plan? The method our Lord employed in teaching the two men on the road to Emmaus, and later on the 11 apostles (Luke 24:25-27, 44-48), seems best. Our study will seek to trace the major elements in God’s plan through the Scriptures. We should limit our study to what the Scriptures say, and avoid speculation about what is not said (see Deuteronomy 29:29; 1 Timothy 1:4-7; 2 Timothy 2:23).

We should give emphasis to that which is said emphatically, clearly, and repeatedly. (7) Overall, what is God’s plan like? God’s plan is God’s plan.

It is a perfect plan, because it is based upon the infinite knowledge and wisdom of God and on His character. It is a plan to demonstrate the glory of God and to produce what is for the Christian’s good by establishing the righteous rule of God on earth. The plan is eternal, all-encompassing, and certain. (8) What makes God’s plan perfect? The plan is perfect because the Planner is perfect and not to be compared with any other (see Isaiah 46:5-7).

(9) What does God’s plan suggest to us about planning? It suggests that we, like God, should plan. We should have a purpose and a plan to achieve that purpose. God’s plan should be adopted as our plan and thus guide and govern all our planning. Our plans should be subordinate to God’s plan and made in a way which anticipates God’s overriding of our plan.

(10) Why does God not reveal any more of His plan than He has? We do not really need to know what He chooses to conceal.

Often, such knowledge would only prove to be detrimental to our motivation. (If, for example, we know the exact day of His return, we might be slack in our service until just before His return. This would be something like parents leaving their children home with instructions to clean the house before they return. If the children know when the parents are coming, the house may be a pig pen until seconds before they come through the door.) Leaving some details out forces us to put our trust in God, the Planner, and not just in the plan. (11) Will any more of God’s plan be revealed? The Bible indicates that while God has spoken at various times in the past, revealing His plan, He spoke finally and fully when our Lord appeared (see Hebrews 1:1-3). The teaching of our Lord and His apostles appears to be sufficient.

We know more of God’s plan because of Scriptural revelation and the record of fulfilled prophecy in history than any saint of old ever dreamed of knowing. (12) Does knowing God’s plan explain what is happening in our lives at the moment? God’s plan seldom explains exactly what God is doing at the moment. Job, for example, was not informed that his trials were a part of a heavenly object lesson to Satan, as well as a faith-strengthening exercise for him.

What God’s plan does explain is that God is in control, whatever may be happening at the moment, and that this is being orchestrated by God to produce what is for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28). (13) What in God’s plan would man have never included? Suffering (divine or human); a sovereign God; delay (waiting); faith.

(14) What is there about God’s plan which gives the Christian comfort? God is in control. (15) What is there about God’s plan which men find distasteful, even unacceptable? God is in control. (16) Is God in control of everything that happens in my life?

(17) Is God ever the author or the cause of sin or evil? (18) Is God in control of who is saved and who is not? This is not what men want to hear.

Men do not want to admit they are not in control. They rebel against God’s control. This is the expression of our sin, just as submission and obedience to God evidences our faith. Apart from divine intervention and enablement, no one would or could be saved (see John 1:12-13; Romans 3:10-18; John 6:44; Ephesians 2:1-3). If God were not in control of salvation, no one would ever be saved, for sinful men would never turn to God to be delivered from their sins. And since it is God who began the work of salvation, we are assured He will finish what He started (Philippians 1:6).

The doctrine of divine sovereignty flies in the face of all that sinful men want to believe about God and themselves. One must take the Scriptures seriously so that doctrine is based upon God’s Word and not on our wishes or preferences. Idols are the gods which men make as they want them.

God made us as He wanted us. False worship wants a “god” man can control; the Bible portrays a God who is in control of all creation, including man. Who would you rather have in complete control, a gracious and compassionate God who is righteous and all-knowing, or sinful man, enslaved by Satan and the flesh?