“DO YOU THINK THAT MANKIND IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF INTELLIGENCE? IF SO YOU ARE WRONG! THE TRUTH IS, THERE REALLY ARE EXTRATERRESTRIAL HIGHLY INTELLIGENT BEINGS OTHER THAN US OUT THERE”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about intelligent life that exists out in the universe and beyond, that you should know about…

…Throughout mankind’s long history, human beings have often wondered whether we are indeed the only intelligent beings in the universe and whether life as we know it, is confined to the earth alone. Are we to think that mankind is the highest form of being? As the distance between man and the lower forms of life is filled with life of varying grades, it is possible and more, probable that between us and God there exist creatures of higher than human intelligence and power. Today we call these beings “angels.” Angels are a very popular subject these days.  In fact, “Angelmania” has swept popular culture and is the latest spiritual trend today. Now where do we find information about these creatures? The answer is – in the Bible of course. Yes, in the Scriptures, we find that angels are described for us many times and by different names and titles. Some of them are:

1.      “sons of the mighty” (Psalm 89:6)

2.      “sons of God” (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7) 

3.      “holy ones” (Ps. 89:5 NAS)

4.      “morning stars” (Job 38:7)

5.      “princes” (Dan. 10:13 )

6.      “principalities and powers” (Eph. 3:10 ).

Now where do we find these angel beings living? Well, they’re always described as being in the presence of God, in a place outside the universe called Heaven where they worship the Lord God “night and day.” We also find them habiting the starry universe, still serving God and carrying out His divine will. But most of all, you will find angels in and around the atmosphere of the earth, often intervening in affairs of men.

Today on the broadcast I want to take an interesting refresher course on this popular but often perverted subject, by presenting a “LESSON ON ANGELOLOGY.” But first, let’s listen to this…

…Are there such beings as angels? If so, who are they? Where did they come from and whom do they serve or follow? These are questions many people are asking as they hear so many stories about angelic beings and their existence. Now in the Bible, there are a number of different words used to define these extraterrestrial beings. The first and most common word is…

Angel – In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for angel is“malak” found 103 times means “one who is sent.” As a divine messenger, an angel is a “heavenly being charged by God with some commission.” In the New Testament the Greek word “angelos” which occurs 175 times. This word is similar to the Hebrew word meaning “one who is sent.” Angels therefore are the messengers of God, powerful beings that inhabit the creation. The question we have is where did they come from? Well, like ourselves Scripture informs us they are created beings. The Bible says,

Neh 9:6 (NIV)  You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Heb 1:6 (NIV)  “… God says… “Let all God’s angels worship Him.”

In these verses of Scripture, we are told much about angels. First they are created beings; second they inhabit the universe; and third they live in God’s Heaven and exist for the purpose of glorifying and worshiping God. Angels, like everything else in this universe, were made by God the Father through Jesus Christ in the energy of the Holy Spirit. Thus, Scripture continues and tells us,

John 1:1-3 (NIV)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Col 1:16 (NIV)  For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

Now, each angel is similar to human beings,  a direct creation from God. This is perhaps why they are referred to as “sons of God” (Gen. 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1) as are God’s children by the new birth in Christ.  Since they do exist, one might ask: “How many are there, and how long do they live?” Well their number, once completed at creation, was forever fixed. This is conclusive because we never read of God creating more of them, and Jesus said they do not reproduce themselves. Furthermore, they are immortal and exist forever and can never die. The Bible says,

Mat 22:30 (NIV)  At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

Luke 20:36 (NIV)  and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.

We therefore conclude the original number of angels will never increase or decrease in size. For these reasons they must be considered a “company of beings,” and not a “race” as mankind exists.

Another question we ask is, “when did they originate?”  Well, the Bible answers,

Job 38:1 (NIV)  “Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said… 4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand…7  while the ‘morning stars’ sang together and all the’ angels’ shouted for joy?”

In poetic words of unsurpassed beauty God’s gives us a startling revelation. The term “morning stars” here may reference Mercury and Venus, visible on the horizon in the early morning. The “angels” or literally “the sons of God,” is clear reference to the angelic world. We are told they shouted for joy witnessing God’s creation of the earth. I believe this places the creation of the angelic world in the indeterminate past. So before any human beings existed eternity was populated with these highly intelligent beings called angels.

Now curiously what are angels like? Do they exist like us? Do they have physical bodies, with two hands, feet and eyes? Well the Bible tells us all about the nature of angels. To begin, they are not like earthly human beings at all. We are told,

I. The ANGELS ARE spirit beings (Ps. 104:4; Heb. 1:7, 14.) - 

Christ himself and other New Testament writers tells us that these spiritual beings do not possess flesh and bone as we mortals do. Moreover, their spiritual bodies are fashioned with many wings (Is 6:2).

Luke 24:39 (NIV)  “… a spirit does not have flesh and bones…."

Heb 1:14 (NIV)  Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Isa 6:2 (NIV)  Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

So not having material bodies, they are capable of transporting themselves anywhere in the universe as God wills.  Secondly we see,

II.  The ANGELS are invisible beings (Num. 22:22 -31) 

They are incorporeal having the ability to materialize at will (Acts 12:7,10). While on occasion they do manifest themselves, their normal practice is to remain invisible, working behind the scenes of human life. Certainly one basic reason for this is to prevent both unsaved and saved from worshiping them (Rom. 1:18 -32; Col. 2:18; Rev. 19:10; 22:9).  Now, how many angels are there in this vast company? Scripture says,

III. The ANGELS are innumerable  

God, of course, knows their number, but they are presented to us as uncountable! There may be as many angels as there are stars in the heavens, for angels are associated with the stars (Job 38:7; Ps. 148:1-3; Rev. 9:1, 2; 12:3, 4, 7-9). If this be so, there would exist untold billions of trillions of these heavenly beings. As to their vast number we read,

Psa 68:17  “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels”

Rev 5:11 (NIV)  Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.

With this unbelievable number of angelic beings, it should sober us up to learn that,

IV. THEY ARE POWERFUL, INTELLIGENT & SUPERIOR BEINGS (Psa. 103:20; 2 Pet. 2:11 )  

Scripture tells us God’s angels are endowed with superhuman strength, but thankfully they are not omnipotent as God is. Nonetheless, they are vastly superior to all mankind that is for the present. But while we are here and they are there, we also find in scripture,

V. THEY HAVE PERSONALITIES & GENDER (Gen. 18:1-2; Rev. 10:1-3; Mat. 22:30 )  

Now contrary to illustrators and writers, the masculine gender, alone is ascribed to angels. This does not mean they are men, for they are essentially sexless. However the masculine gender is always how they appear and are described. Additionally, angels are real persons. That is, they are beings with all the attributes of personality. They have: intelligence (1 Pet. 1:12 ), intellect, feelings and emotions (Luke 2:13 ), volition or will (Jude 1:6). Remember that they “shouted for joy” at the creation of the earth (Job 38:7). We also read in,

Luke 15:10 (NIV)  In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

There is every reason to believe they are able to express themselves with the same emotions as we do. Now in additional to this, there are some negative aspect we need to know about, such as the fact that angels,

VI. THE ANGELS ARE UNREDEEMABLE & SOME ARE FALLEN  

There is absolutely no Scriptural evidence that Christ’s death on the cross can be applied to the angelic world of sinning angels. The Bible tells us that before man was created, a vast host of angels rebelled against God by their free wills, led by a chief angel, named Lucifer. Evidently Satan aspired to usurp God’s very throne, and as a result was cast out of heaven. When Lucifer fell, the Bible tells us he took a third of the angels of heaven  with him (Rev. 12:3–4). These angels that sinned, became fallen angels or demonic beings. Being created highly organized and of varying strengths and power. They maintained this, but now with wicked and corrupt personalities, some trouble the earth to this very day—and will continue to do so until they are destroyed by the hand of God’s judgment (Rev. 20:10). This company of angels that left God’s Heaven in order to form their own kingdom; well, upon doing this God judged them, and fashioned “Hell” for their permanent residence. Indeed, they are all unredeemable, and cannot change. They live and work to thwart God’s program of redemption for mankind, and insanely attempt to continue to overthrow God’s dominion. God, the Bible says, tolerates and permits their continued existence outside of Hell, while He works to save many of the fallen human race. Thus, there is war in the heavens, and the battles do involve mankind and our earthly realm. In addition to all this, we learn of the angelic world, that

VII. THE ANGELS EXIST IN VARIOUS CLASSES & ORDER  

Yes, the angelic world is highly organized and structured one. Scripture shows us that angels fall into two categories, the “elect “angels, and the “fallen” ones. Both are highly organized and were created in a highly structured order. For instance we list them from the highest rank down. There are:

1.      archangels – These are the highest ranking angels in power and place. Scripture seems to indicate there is only one at present and that is Michael, the chief angel (Dan. 10:13 ;21:1). Some believe Gabriel is one too but the Bible doesn’t state this. Next in order are,

2.      The cherubim (Gen. 3:24; Ex. 25:18-20; Ezek. 1:4-28; 10:1-22).The description of the cherubim tells us they are at God’s side as guardians of the holiness of God. These creatures are the highest order of angels created and have indescribable power and beauty. Satan we are told was most likely created as a “Cherubim: class of angel (Ezek 28:14; 2 Kings 19:15 ). Next we have, 

3.      The seraphim (Isa. 6:1-7; Rev 4:8). The Hebrew word for seraphim means “burning ones,” and probably speaks of the burning devotion to God on the part of these angelic beings. These beings are mentioned only once in the Bible. These angels also guard God’s throne, but their main service is involved in proclaiming the glory and holiness of God, and worshiping and praising God. The next class of angels we find in Scripture are called,

4.      THE Living creatures (Rev. 4:6-9; 5:8; 6:1, 3, 5, 7). These special heavenly beings are in some ways similar to both the cherubim and the seraphim, but seem to be in a separate class by themselves. Their number appears to be limited to four. It has been suggested that they now hold those privileges and responsibilities once assigned to Lucifer, before he sinned. The Bible also says that each of these four living creatures will announce one of the first four Great Tribulation judgments of the seven-sealed book in (Rev. 6:1, 3, 5, 7). Moving one we find yet another class of angels called,

5.      Ruling angels (Eph. 1:21 ; 3:10 ; Col. 1:16; 2:10 ; 1 Pet. 3:22 ). These are the bulk of the angelic world. Their work is to organize, rule and maintain God’s universe on His behalf. They too have varying ranks such as: principalities, powers, thrones, authorities, dominions and might. While it is impossible to distinguish clearly among them, it is nevertheless evident that they describe various levels of managerial positions assigned to angels. Lastly the Bible does speak of,

6.      Guardian angels (Mat 18:10 ; Heb 1:14 ) – the fact that God has assigned certain angels to watch over His elect people is of great comfort. If you are a believer today, God has assigned an angel(s) to care for and watch over you. Nothing will happen to you, or be permitted to come into the life of a believer, except what God permits and ordains for His glory and our good. These guardian angels make it so.

Mat 18:10 (NIV)  "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

Heb 1:14 (NIV)  Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Now knowledge of angelology is important to a believer, for it tells us that we must be careful about attempting to have contact with the spirit world about us. There are indeed many “fallen” angels who became demons who try to impersonate God’s holy elect angels. They appear mainly to the unsaved world of humanity as good spirits, masquerading as God’s angels of light. Today the NEW AGE movement is filled with demonic appearances of these spirits who claim to be ascended masters, extraterrestrial evolved beings. Watch out, for these are demons working to destroy mankind. Even much of the so-called extraterrestrial sightings and UFO encounters are demonic impersonations of alien beings with spacecrafts to fool our sinful imaginations.

We need to understand and believe there are spirits all around us, who can appear in physical form, or spirit form. They have immense power, and depending on their place with God can bring God’s blessings or bring nightmare holocausts. Stay away from the NEW AGE movement’s involvement in the demon world! Now if today you are not saved from your sins, take Jesus Christ the Creator Himself as your Savior and God. The Bible says,

John 3:16 (NIV)  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Acts 16:31 (NIV)  "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

Rom 5:10 (NIV)  For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Those whom God elects, He saves. Those who are saved, have the promise of God to be kept from the devil and his hoards of demons, that is unless we toy with seek contact with this spirit world. It is my prayer that these thoughts I shared with you have encouraged you if you are a Christian today, or more if not, it has given you sober advice how to avoid the onslaught of demonic influence. This world we live in is fast moving to more and more demonic controls as mankind turns away from God and His truth for life and living. Having religion, without Christ, will not save anyone from demonic influence, rather the opposite. It will open you up to it as Satan wills, for all faiths outside of Christianity are actually demon inspired and draw worship to Satan and his fallen angels unbeknownst to the worshiper. Peter the apostle said it well,

Acts 4:12 (NIV)  Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

So today while you have life and breath, be sure you are a child of God rather than a child of the devil. Trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, and receive eternal life, and the full forgiveness of all your sins. Then, you will be one of His protected ones, who one day will have all the elect angels of heaven to be our ministering servants for the glory of God our Father.