The myth of fallen angels

A public Bible presentation

London, OntarioSunday, May 17, 2015

The myth of fallen angels

A public Bible presentation

1 Timothy 4Hymns 43, 157, 38

"To the Law and to the Testimony:

if they speak not according to this Word,

it is because there is no light in them"(Isaiah 8:20)

To begin

• Infallibility of the Scriptures start to finish as the only authority we can trust on things about God, His son, and His plans

• Many have been led to believe things about the Bible which simply aren’t true and are not found in its pages

• Upholding the authority of the Word is more important than familiarity or fear attached to traditions that may be wrong

Two popular claims

1. A group of divine angels 'fell' from heaven and became invisible demons who possess others and provoke people to sin

2. The leader of these angels is the devil, a.k.a. Satan, a.k.a. Lucifer, who is the ultimate enemy of God

Two counter-claims

1. The bible nowhere mentions "fallen angels" (in word or in tradition).

2. The true gospel is impossible to understand while holding on to wrong beliefs about angels, which is dangerous.

Where did these ideas come from?• Genesis 6:1-2

• "…the sons of God saw the daughters of men … and they took them wives"

• Post-Babylonian captivity: popular acceptance, Rabbinic rejection• "an old myth in Judaism" (Lester L. Grabbe, 'A History of the Jews and Judaism

in the Second Temple Period.' Continuum, 2004. Page 344)• "Rabbinic Judaism… rejected the tradition" (Annette Y. Reed, 'Fallen angels

and the history of Judaism and Christianity: the reception of Enochic literature.' Cambridge, 2005. Page 1)

• "The concept of fallen angels is first found in Judaism among texts of the Second Temple era" (A. Berlin and M. Grossman, 'The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion.' Oxford, 2011. Page 94)

Where did these ideas come from?• Zoroaster/Zarathustra, Persian religious fanatic

• Taught cosmic battle between armies of good and evil spirit beings

• Apocrypha: Book of Enoch, Book of Giants• Second Temple period• Not accepted as Scripture• 200 angels voluntarily descend to Mt. Hermon• No descriptions of war in heaven, falling, being cast out

"For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in

heaven"(Matthew 22:30)

Where did these ideas come from?• 2 Peter 2:4

• "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell…"

• Jude 1:6• "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation,

he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day"

• Gk. 'aggelos' (messenger) = humans in Matt. 11:10; Luke 7:24-27; Luke 9:52; James 2:25; likely also Revelation 1-3.

• Context of both: false prophets in Israel• Argument: if they're chained, they're not a threat. No demons!

Where did these ideas come from?• Catholic Encyclopedia, under "Devil"

(http://newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm) • "Yet it is remarkable that for an account of the fall of the angels we

must turn to the last book of the Bible. For as such we may regard the vision in the Apocalypse, albeit the picture of the past is blended with prophecies of what shall be in the future"

• Revelation 12:7-9• "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the

dragon … And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan … into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him"

Revelation

• A prophecy (1:3), of “things which must shortly come to pass” (1:1)

• NOT to be taken literally:• 7 headed, 10 horned red dragon• Tail draws 1/3 part of stars of heaven• Mouth gushes flood of water, drowns whole earth• Statue (image) comes alive and demands tribute• Woman wearing the sun (?)

Revelation

• Book of SYMBOL:• “the seven candlesticks are the seven churches” (1:20)• “golden vials full of odors [incense], which are the prayers of

saints” (5:8)• “the seven heads are seven mountains” (17:9)• “the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings” (17:12)• “the woman which thou sawest is that great city, etc…” (17:18)

Where did these ideas come from?Reference False Claim SolutionGenesis 3 The serpent is Satan, or

possessed by SatanThis has to be inferred. Chain of blame ends at serpent.

Isaiah 14 Lucifer is a fallen angel/devil v. 4 says this is about the king of Babylon. Goes to grave.

Ezekiel 28 The anointed cherub is a fallen angel/devil

v. 12 says this is about the king of Tyre. Symbolic language.

Job 1-2 "The satan" is a fallen angel/devil

Why walk? God gives him power. Could be a man.

Noteworthy Admissions

• "The Devil is not ‘Lucifer’• 1. Isa 14:12-15 Refers to king of Babylon not the Devil• 2. V12: "Lucifer" (KJV) "star" (NASB) literally means, "shining one”• 3. Ezek 28:13-19 Refers to king of Tyre not the Devil• 4. This is a very common false teaching."

• (http://www.bible.ca/su-devil.htm)

Noteworthy Admissions

"Two passages in the OT are often suggested as providing a 'biography' of Satan; from thence come other presumptions.

Is this a valid interpretation? To start, here are the passages in question: Isa 14:12-22; Ezek 28:12-19

From the start, a telling sign against an identification with Satan is that the equation here was made in the 3rd and 4th century AD, by church writers -- not by Jews of the OT or NT era."

(Tekton: http://www.tektonics.org/gk/heylucy.html)

Where did these ideas come from?• Catholic Encyclopedia (cont'd)• "Mention is made of the Devil in many passages of the Old and New

Testaments, but there is no full account given in any one place, and the Scripture teaching on this topic can only be ascertained by combining a number of scattered notices from Genesis to Apocalypse, and reading them in the light of patristic and theological tradition. The authoritative teaching of the Church on this topic is set forth in the decrees of the Fourth Lateran Council …"

Where did these ideas come from?• Catholic Encyclopedia (cont'd) • "Here it is clearly taught that the Devil and the other demons are

spiritual or angelic creatures created by God in a state of innocence, and that they became evil by their own act. It is added that man sinned by the suggestion of the Devil, and that in the next world the wicked shall suffer perpetual punishment with the Devil. The doctrine which may thus be set forth in a few words has furnished a fruitful theme for theological speculation for the Fathers and Schoolmen, as well as later theologians … it has been borrowed by Judaism and Christianity from external systems of religion wherein it was a natural development of primitive Animism."

Where did these ideas come from?• Taoism – Two balanced forces, Yin & Yang, one controlling all things

good, pure, bright; The other controlling all things evil, corrupt, dark• Greek & Roman – Superhuman being punishes the unjust dead in a

subterranean realm of eternal suffering… hades.

• Persian – Evil god, Ahriman, red dragon, continually at war with good. Has dragon minions. Invaded heaven out of jealousy, fought against white winged spirits, was cast out. Lives in Kingdom of Darkness

Noteworthy Admissions

“People portray him [i.e. “the devil”] as an ugly, red, bat-winged creature that is part-man and part-beast, having split hooves and a long, pointed tail, or carrying a pitchfork and stoking the fires of hell. Nothing could be further from the truth. Such concepts come from Greek mythology. No such nonsense can be found in Scripture.”

(Hell Truth: http://www.helltruth.com/history/red-horned-devil-.aspx)

"Thus saith the Lord,Learn not the way of the

heathen"(Jeremiah 10:2)

Noteworthy Admissions

"To be sure, the very notion of a living devil is not only absurd to secular thought; it is also strange to many Christians."

"This mixture of folklore, Greek, and biblical ideas of evil produced in the Middle Ages a contradictory and confusing figure of the devil, at once humorous and monstrous."

"The crux is: the devil of Scripture must be separated from the devil of myth and tradition."

(Adventist Review: http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=31)

What does the Bible say?

“Devil”• Greek: diabolos• ‘false accuser’• ‘calumniator’• ‘slanderer’• Nowhere used of

superhuman being tempting to sin

“Satan”• Hebrew: (ha-)satan(as)• ‘the adversary’• ‘to oppose’• ‘resist’• ‘withstand’• Used to describe God, angels,

apostles, thoughts, government

What does the Bible say?

diabolos• Translated as the following:

• “slanderers” (1Tim 3:11)• “false accusers” (2Tim 3:3; Titus 2:3)

• Used to describe:• Slanderous women (1Tim 3:11)• A person, Judas, one of the twelve (John 6:70)• Sin (Heb 2:14)• The flesh (Acts 13:10)• The antagonistic world (Eph 4:27)• Persecuting civil authorities (Eph 6:11; Rev 2:10,13)

What does the Bible say?

ha-satan; satan; satanas• Translated as the following:

• “(the) adversary”(Num 22:22; 1Sam 29:4; 2Sam 19:22; 1Kings 5:4; 1Kings 11:14,23,25; Psa 38:20; Psa 71:13; Psa 109:4,20,29)

• “withstand” (Num 22:32)• “resist” (Zech 3:1)

• Used to describe:• “The Lord” in 2Sam 24:1 = “Satan” in 1Chron 21:1• The apostle Peter (Matt 16:23; Mark 8:33)• Evil thoughts (Luke 22:3; John 13:27; Acts 5:3)• The world as adverse to God’s ways (1Cor 5:5; 1Tim 1:20)

What does the Bible say?

• "Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all"(1 Chronicles 29:10-12)

• "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God"(Psalm 62:11)

• "To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? … To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One."(Psalm 62:11)

What does the Bible say?

• “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3)• “Thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is

there any God beside thee” (2 Sam. 7:22)• “There is no god like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath”

(1 Kings 8:23)

• “I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things” (Isaiah 45:6-7)

• “Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?” (Amos 3:6)

Noteworthy Admissions

"Satan possesses no real demonic qualities in the Old Testament writings. In the Torah, the word Satan indicates ‘accuser’ or ‘tempter.’ Satan is an obstacle in people’s way"

"Throughout the Old Testament, God is presented as all powerful, without equal and in no competition with any other force. The Old Testament makes it very clear that any adversary to God’s people was ultimately under the control of God Himself. All angels are spoken of as being decent and the servants of God. Even angels of evil , who may bring destruction upon sinners, are still God’s angels carrying out his will and judgments."

(http://blog.eteacherbiblical.com/2009/05/10/satan-and-the-old-testament/)

What does the Bible say?

• Angels are real, physical, material• Jacob wrestled with one in Genesis 32:24-30• One smote Peter in Acts 12:7• Other instances of angels touching men• One ate with Abraham in Genesis 18• Psalms 78:25 says they have food of their own

• “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares”(Hebrews 13:2)

What does the Bible say?

Angels are…• Powerful

• 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Psalm 103:20; 2 Kings 19:35

• Immortal [therefore incorruptible]• Luke 20:36

• Obedient, i.e. sinless• Matthew 6:10 & Luke 11:2; Psalm 97:7; Psalm 103:20-21; Hebrew 1:14… and

Romans 6:23 [immortal=sinless]

• Spirit body – i.e. alive by God’s Spirit• Hebrews 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:35-50

What does the Bible say?

• Angels are guides and guardians over God’s children• “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways”

(Psalm 91:11).• “Are they no all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall

be heirs of salvation?”(Hebrews 1:14)

• “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 34:7)

• Genesis 32:1-2; 2 Kings 6:17; Psalm 71:3; Proverbs 3:6; Daniel 6:22; Isaiah 37:36; Matthew 18:10; Acts 12:7-15… and many others!

What does the Bible say?

• Angels are messengers of God• Hebrew “malak” = ‘to dispatch as a deputy, messenger, ambassador, delegate’• Greek “aggelos” = ‘to bring tidings, messenger’

• Angels are God’s operatives / instruments• See all references quoted previously for proof

• Angels act on God’s behalf, for His purposes, with His power, in His nature (i.e. immortality, Spirit nature), and in His name

• “Behold I send an angel before thee…My name is in him” (Exodus 23:20-21).

Where does temptation come from?• “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust,

and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”(James 1:14-15)

• Drawn away of what? A fallen angel? A serpent?• “his own lust” does it! From within!

What does the Bible say?

Sin punished with death and destruction:• “For evil-doers shall be cut off” (Psalm 37:9)• “the wicked shall not be” (Psa 37:10)• “the wicked shall perish” (Psa 37:20)• “they that be cursed of him shall be cut off” (Psa 37:22)• SEE ALSO: Psa 37: 28, 34, 36• “the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of

the wicked shall be cut off” (Psa 37:38)

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also

himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of

death, that is, the devil"(Hebrews 2:14)

Jesus' great mission: defeat the flesh natureChrist came to destroy:• Hebrews 9:26• 1Corinthians 15:13• 1Peter 2:24• 1John 3:5

… “sin”

Has the power of death:• Romans 6:23• Romans 5:12, 17, 21• 1Corinthians 15:56• James 1:15

… “sin”

Jesus' great mission: defeat the flesh natureThe right kind of sacrifice

1. Sin in the flesh destroyed = mortal human nature put to death2. Sin impulse destroyed = sinless character, spotless record

Summary: mortal man capable of sin, but strong enough to overcome

Jesus' great mission: defeat the flesh nature• 2Corinthians 5:21

"made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin"

• Ephesians 2:14-16"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity"

• Romans 6:10"For in that he died, he died unto sin once"

"…but now once in the end of the world hath he [Christ] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;

and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin

unto salvation"(Hebrews 9:26-28)

Jesus' great mission: defeat the flesh nature• "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh"

(1Peter 4:1)• "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with

the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15)

• "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows … the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:3-6)

Jesus' great mission: defeat the flesh nature• "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto

his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted" (Hebrews 2:17-18)

Jesus' great mission: defeat the flesh nature• "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are

of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God" (1 John 4:1-3)

• "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God" (1 John 4:14-15)

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed … unto another gospel: Which is not

another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of

Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached

unto you, let him be accursed"(Galatians 1:6-9)

The true Bible hope

• "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself a ransom for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:11-14)

• "Behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be" (Revelation 22:12)

The true Bible hope

• "For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (Psalm 37:9-11)

• "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever" (Daniel 2:44)

• "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)

Summary

• The Bible does not condone or support "fallen angel" traditions.• No such being as a literal, personal, supernatural agent of evil• Only in the Bible can we find the truth about God’s offer of salvation.• True gospel message: salvation from death (eternal life) possible for

those who believe truth about sin, mortality, Christ's nature & sacrifice… and obey unwaveringly to the end.

• Bible hope is resurrection and glorification when Jesus returns to establish God's literal, physical Kingdom on earth.

"But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of

the resurrection."(Luke 20:35-36)

Thank you for your time!

The myth of fallen angels

A public Bible presentation

London, OntarioSunday, May 17, 2015