We must not worship Angels because we worship God and Him alone
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
13 To which of the angels did God ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Angels (both fallen and elect) do not procreate because God created a specific number of them as ministering spirits. Unlike humans, they do not need to reproduce because they can never die. Therefore, fallen angels will remain in the lake of fire forever while the elect in the new heaven and earth for all time
30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
There are a set number of elect and fallen angels that exist. Two-thirds of all God created reside in the third heaven as elect, while one-third roam the earth as fallen. This “one-third” rebelled against God during the satanic rebellion before our Lord blacked out the world and universe to refurbish and recreate them (the Genesis gap). The passages below have dual applications that refer to Satan (the satanic rebellion) and the antichrist (the great apostasy during the tribulation) deceiving both angels and believers. Just as how one-third of angels committed apostasy during the rebellion, so too one-third of believers will do so during the tribulation. Therefore, angels were created at a set number and do not reproduce.
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
Scholars have debated whether Genesis 6:1-4 (the Nephilim) proves that angels can procreate. However, this is not the same as angels reproducing with other angels but with humans. This terrible act that resulted in highly talented half-human, half angelic offspring resulted in the imprisonment of all the angels involved because they violated God’s ground rules. Passages that demonstrate this are Jude 1:6, 2 Peter 2:4-5, 1 Peter 3:19-20.
Fallen angels pro-created with humans until God ended this practice during and after the flood. But I believe it possible that genetic manipulation resulting in genetic mutations with animals continued after the flood up to today. This tampering with genetics would be something that only fallen and not elect angels practice. And many of the world’s rulers during the tribulation will likely be half-human/ half demonic beings. There is little doubt that demonic offspring (both human and animal) exists in our world today.
For more information on the fall of Satan and his followers, please see Part 1 of the Satanic Rebellion series on Ichthys.
There is rank among fallen and elect Angels
There is a ranking order that exists among demons and heavenly angels. The highest-ranking of the elect are the cherubim, followed by the angelic elders and then archangels. There most likely exists a hierarchy among Satan’s followers as well.
Fallen angels cannot read our minds or possess believers, only unbelievers
See Demon Possession Past and Present - Satanic Attacks for more information.
Elect and fallen angels have access to God’s throne
Both elect and fallen angels are not omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent. Instead, they are limited by time and space. However, Genesis 28:10-12 and 2 Kings 6:15-19 prove that they (the elect angels) take advantage of chariots and stairways.
10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.
Revelation 12:7-12 shows us that Satan and his followers also have access to God’s throne, whether they come and go with impunity or can only approach it only when God summons them. We also know from this passage that Satan does this to accuse believers before the Father to discredit their salvation. Thankfully, our Lord is perfectly fair and just and intercedes on our behalf.
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world**; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.** 10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
Satan was the original cherub that encircled God’s throne before His fall. Since that time, the four cherubs or living creatures covered with many eyes have replaced him
The king of Tyre in Ezekiel 28:12-19 represents Satan, so I encourage the reader to read through that passage. Verse fourteen states, “You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.” Isaiah 14:12-21 describes Lucifer’s fall for us.
We contrast the above with the passage below.
6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
Elect angels minister to both God and man. Scripture shows us that they can teach and give instructions, escort believers to heaven and other locations, and rescue God’s own from danger. That is far from a complete list of the tasks and capabilities of angels, and the Bible gives us more than that
14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Instances of angels ministering to and supporting Christ include Luke 22:42-44, Psalm 91:10-12, and Matthew 4:11,
Angels (both fallen and elect) are more powerful, knowledgeable, and authoritative than humans. However, they are not all-powerful as God is. None of them are omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent. Their rule has limits. God is self-sufficient and has always existed before any of His creation (John 1:1-3; Isaiah 40:21-26). God doesn’t need the angels or us, but we need Him. But He created angels and humans for His glory
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:
All resurrected believers will judge fallen angels in the future. We have no reason to evaluate the elect because they never sinned or rebelled against God
3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
God created angels to bring glory to Himself share eternity with Him. But because Satan rebelled and led millions of them into rebellion, our Lord created man to replace what was lost and demonstrate the mercy, justice, and perfectly righteous character of Himself in how He treats those whom He gave the ability to respond to Him. Thus, all of Satan’s false and negative charges and challenges against the Almighty will be refuted and defeated at the end of human history. However, Christ has already won the victory at the cross
Adam forfeited his control of the earth to Satan, who now has a broader range of rulership over the planet. However, God is the ultimate ruler and authority in total control
5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.