Are angels real? who made them?

        My next articles will be on “How it all began: the making of a worldview.”  Before going into that, however, there is just one more slot we need to look at.  We saw in previous articles the reliability of the Bible; we looked at the historical Jesus and at the prophecies that confirm the authenticity of both the Bible and of the life of Jesus Christ.  However, there is one bit of information that we must look at before exploring how it all began and the making of a worldview. This final topic has to do with the existence of the supernatural.  Is the supernatural real, do non-human beings possessing great power and ‘magical’ powers really exist?  If so, what explanation do we have for their existence?  Is it possible that their existence strongly proves the existence of God and the credibility of the Bible?  Let us look at that in this article.

        For those who have travelled around our world, especially, but not exclusively,  into the ‘back’ areas among tribes and where isolated people live, and where Protestant Christianity is not the dominant guiding force, many can attest to the existence of beings, forces, or supernatural beings that are not human.  While we find these anomalies in every society without respect to colour, ethnicity, or status, they seemed used to exist more among the non-Christian groups.  The situation is of course different in Europe, China, and Russia; according to John R. Shook, China, Russia, and much of Europe are largely skeptical about a supernatural deity.[i]  However, skepticism or disbelief does not invalidate an entity.  If God and angels are real, no amount of denial can invalidate this fact. 

        As a pastor I have come face to face with supernatural beings whom although I could not see, but could see their abuse of the individual, I have cast out (exorcised, the modern word) on a few occasions.  In our Western world many social scientists reject the idea of the paranormal;[ii] they tend to categorize people who experience such phenomena as  not normal and should be hospitalized and treated.[iii]  To be sure there seems to be a thin line between a devil possessed person and a mentally ill one.  The question is, is devil possession real, does it really happen?  That begs the question, are devils real, do they really exist?  While neuroscientists and many others, like the Norwegians, may deny that the devil and evil exist,[iv] there is every evidence that supernatural beings exist whether our military admits it or not. My own involvement in casting out devils, mentioned above, is added evidence to the existence of devils. 

        Since many in our world today reject an immanent God or His outright existence, are we obligated to use the opinions of men for our assessment of whether or not devils exist?  In previous articles [https://hangonthebestisyettocome.com/links-to-articles-page-6/, select January-October, 2020] we have shown the creditability of the Bible; we have shown how the prophecies of the Bible testify to its veracity; we have seen how history testifies to the historical Jesus and have shown how His prophecies have so far not failed.  Please bear in mind that we are dealing with historical documents that can be verified.  If the biblical source describes the origin and existence of devils (renegade angels) and good angels then we would be doing ourselves and humanity a major disservice by not consulting the Bible for its views on the supernatural.  There are many phenomena today that baffle human explanation.  They seem to be outside of human reasoning and understanding; these so-called best men of science are at a loss to explain what humans see, witness, and experience. These misfits or ‘other worldly’ experiences are therefor, by many, swept under the carpet.  We can say with all certainty that all the information we need to have concerning devils and good angels can be found in God’s Word, the Manual for man’s successful life.  So, let us then check it out.

        In the Apocalypse we read that God has thousands upon thousands of angels round about his throne Rev. 5:11; we read that they are His messengers or ministers that do his biddings, Ps. 104:4.  Mark 8:36 tells us that these angels are holy.  How were angels made?  John 1:3 tells us that God through Jesus created the angels, it says: “All things were made by Him and without Him was nothing made that was made.”  In these texts the Bible reveals to us the existence of good angels created by Jesus Christ; but are there bad angels and did Jesus make them too?  Here is what the Bible says about bad angels.  In Revelation 12:7-9 we read that there was war in heaven.  The dragon (the devil or satan) and his angels made war against God and fought against God and His angels but satan and his angels lost and were cast out of heaven.  How come satan could rebel against God in heaven? Isaiah 14:12-15 explains this unfortunate event, it says:

“How have you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!

how are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!

For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:

I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Yet you shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”

        We also read some more chronicles as to how satan or Lucifer became alienated from God in Ezekiel 28:11-19. A synopsis of the passage is as follows: because of the power, exalted position, and wisdom that God made Lucifer with he became proud and envious of God and wanted to be in His position.  This way he developed a strange rebellion against his Maker.  This constituted evil, called sin. Notice in Isaiah 12-15 the one absorbing element that Lucifer had was his ego. He said, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the highest seat where God should sit; I will ascend above all, I will be like the Most High!  Lucifer was on a terrible ego trip, but in both Isaiah and Ezekiel God affirmed that Lucifer will eventually be destroyed forever. 

        Folks, this is how angles became rebellious and sinful.  From then onwards we humans have been witnessing and participating in the Great Controversy Between Christ and satan.  Notice, from the day that satan managed to cause Adam and Eve to sin God intervened and made a pronouncement upon satan, who is called the ‘old serpent, the devil, and satan, God said in Genesis 3:15, speaking to satan: “I will put enmity (hatred) between you and the woman, between your seed (those who follow sin and reject God) and her seed (Christ, and those accept God’s provision for restoration), and you (satan) shall bruise His heal (satan will cause the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, see Gal. 3:16), but He (Christ) shall bruise your head (a mortal blow).  This friends is how we got renegade angels whose only job concerning humans beings is to tempt, cause to continue sinning, and cause humans to ultimately reject God as their saviour and be lost like he, satan, is lost.  Always remember my dear friend, that “through divine strength the weakest saint is more than a match for him [satan] and all his angels.”[v]  The Bible tells us that satan and his angels will be destroyed by fire, Mat. 25:41, Rev. 20:10. Their punishment will be everlasting, that means simply that they will be destroyed. When someone is punished by the electric chair he is punished forever-dead forever.

        It is almost impossible to accept the creation of earth, animals and humans and not believe in angels.  As we have seen angels, good and bad do exist and one day the wicked angels will be burnt up like all evil men and women.  In His ministry Jesus confronted many evil angels who had possessed the bodies of humans and He casted them out.  Here are just a few occasions:

 In Mat. 8:28-32 it says that Jesus cast out devils from those humans who had possessed by them. 

In Mark 1:34 we read where Jesus “healed many that were sick of many diseases, and cast out many devils; and did not allow the devils to speak because they knew Him.

In Mark 6:13 Jesus gave his disciples the authority to cast out devils from possessed people and they did so.

In Mark 16:17 Jesus said that those who believe in Him shall also have the authority to cast out devils.

In Acts 16:16-18 Paul also cast out the devil from a young lady who had been possessed of evil spirit.

        While evil spirits or devils have the power to hurt individuals, those who follow God have the authority to resist the devil and cast him out of any person he may possess.  Of course when a person is free of the devil he has to put his house in order and follow Jesus so that the devil will not re-possess him.  In Luke 11:22-26 we read where Jesus said that an unclean spirit can re-possess an individual if he does not stay with Jesus.  However, we read in 1 Peter 5:8, 9 Peter tells us that the devil will like to lead us astray so we can lose eternal life, but that we must resist  steadfast in the faith.  In James 4:7 we are counseled to submit ourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from us.  As we humble ourselves before God He will protect us. Remember, folks, we have nothing to fear now or for the future for God will be with us to take us through this life’s journey until we arrive in His home which He has gone to prepare for us, John 14:1-3.  And after a thousand years with Him in heaven we will return to live on this renewed earth without sin in us or in the earth.  All things will be made new, and we will live here with Him forever and ever.

        This my friends, is the simple story of angels.  They are real; God made them as His messengers and as companions of those other sinless beings including our own earth.  Unfortunately, some rebelled against God and became sinful and evil.  And sadly, our first parents, Adam and Eve were deceived by satan into rebellion against the commandments of God and thus the entire earth became a race of rebels.  Fortunately, God took the initiative in restoring humans to the cosmic family with such an outpouring of divine love that we will be eternally grateful and indebted to Him.  I want to encourage you, my friends, that in spite of the hardships, the disappointments, and frustration you may have, even apparently with God’s leading in your life, remember His promise, “all things work together for good (which now we cannot see or understand fully) to those that love God and who are the called according to His purpose.  May the Almighty be your stay and your comfort my dear friends.  Hang on! The best is yet to come!

[i] John R. Shook, The God Debates: A 21^st Century Guide for Atheists and Believers (and everyone in Between), (Pub. Malden, MA, Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), p. 2

[ii] Contributors: Thalbourne, Michael A; Delin, Peter S., The Journal of Parapsychology, A Common Thread Belief in the Paranormal, Creative Personality, Mystical Experience and Psychopathology, Vol. 58, No.1, (March, 1994;)

[iii] Ibid

[iv] https://slate.com/technology/2011/09/does-evil-exist-neuroscientists-say-no.html

[v] Ellen G White, Maranatha, Review & Herald Publishing (Aug. 2, 2014), Chap. 52

If you have any comments or questions please contact Pr. Ron Henderson at ronhende@outlook.com.