The angels are very close to us and protect us and other creatures of God at his command. To be able to protect us they have long arms, and so they can easily chase Satan away when he tries to harm us. They stand before the face of the Father, next to the sun, but without effort they swiftly come to our aid.
The devils, too, are very near to us. Every moment they are plotting against our life and welfare, but the angels prevent them from harming us. Hence it is that they don’t always harm us although they always want to harm us.
Dr. Martin Luther, 1532
Luther’s Works ,Vol. 54
Originally titled, Biblical Angelology in New Age of Angles, this is a study of the angels as presented in Holy Scripture and a critique of the modern use of angels both in the church and what passes for spirituality.While I hope that some one may find this work useful, this work remains the property of its author. No rights are surrendered by it appearance here.
Original publish in 1995 as the MDiv under the supervision of Prof. Kurt Marquart, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN. It was published in October, 2004 on Blog My Soul-writings (now defunct) when the blog was hosted on blogspot.com. It continues to be corrected, now here on scotkinnaman.com.
Preface
Few realms of Biblical thought have been so resolutely ignored by the main streams of theology as that which is the subject of this paper. Angels are seldom regarded as proper objects of theological discussion.
Over the centuries self-serving human interest in the exact number and nature of the spirits accumulated much irrelevant nonsense. A theologian who ventured to write about them was perceived as lacking in seriousness. Therefore, theologians were seemingly silent on the subject of angels in order to address matters of more substantial theological import.
Luther writes: “There is a ministry of the angels for our benefit, and this must always be preached. If we did not have their help, things would be different” (LW; v. 17, p 357). People of this age are apt to think of extra terrestrials and U.F.O.’s as valid super-terrestrial beings on par with the angels, while psychic guidance and after death experiences are thought of as being ‘touched’ by an angel.
Orthodox theologians failed to allow that the angels somehow mattered, let alone consider that they were intimately involved with the work of Christ and the life of the church. Even today, when forced to acknowledge the Biblical witness of God’s heavenly host, theologians find themselves unprepared. and therefore embarrassed by the Bible’s clear statements on the “powers,” “the heavenly hosts,” and the true super terrestrial beings of God’s creative Word.
After the repression of angelology for centuries, the average Christian and working theologian have little more understanding of God’s plan for, or use of, the heavenly host than does the culturally aware non-Christian. Popular culture’s theology and its proponents are using heretofore-Christian terminology and quasi-Christian doctrine to advance their claims in a ‘Christian’ society.
We are, in fact, being bombarded in our culture with heretical and satanic influence hiding in the garb of a popular angelology. Stripped of a Biblical background, modern Christians have no defense against the prevalence of perverted teachings and beliefs concerning the angels.
Over the past decade or two, more attention has been given to the angels then has been witnessed since the turn of the century. However, very little of it is based in the reality of Scripture and what God has to say about his ministering spirits.
This paper is intended as a Biblical angelology to further the awareness of the Biblical reality of angels. As a result, the first portion of what follows will explore the instances of grammar and the phenomenology of angels in Scripture.
The second section explores the purpose, character, role and ministry of these “holy ones.” This second section is presented in the format of a text for a multi-session Bible study based upon this writer’s belief that theology for theologians alone does nothing to advance the whole people of God.
We must not only study the topic and identify the issue, but rather put solid Biblical information into the hands and into the hearts of the people of God for their defense. It is the layperson that confronts the Devil in sheep’s clothing—societies current trends and teachings on angels.
While the overview of the history and character of popular angelology in the third section is not exhaustive, this study will establish how menacing, insidious and hostile the popular angelology is to Christianity.
Most properly the topic of the Devil and the evil angels belongs to a study of demonology, and the critical biblical work it deserves is beyond the scope of this paper. Yet, in as much as Satan is identified as a fallen angel, he is discussed in Section Two.
Introduction
Historically, church tradition has taught the existence of angels, and for centuries this has been sufficient. Not so today. We need to return to the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, which proves the reality of angels.
Currently, it is impossible to embark on a study of the invisible world without admitting that such a study is no longer the strictly the purview of the theologian.
Speculation on the invisible has become a mark of the culture we live in. A problem of a special kind is involved for the theologian. Not only does he need to realize the difference between Christian beliefs and the world’s beliefs, he must recognize that the words and terms that are used often make that “difference” indiscernible.
Perceptions of the spirit world have very recently and all too often become clouded over or atrophied. Thus, the Christian theologian must communicate Scripture’s clear word on the doctrine of angels.
One point overrides all others in the writing of this thesis. The angels help us understand Jesus and God’s plan for us as continuing, continual, care. Reflection on what can be learned and understood about the holy spirits of God may perhaps strengthen our own spiritual life.
The whole realm of faith may, thereby, become more real and immediate as we experience God’s personal care through their immediate presence.