Who Are the Angels?

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resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#1
Dec 19, 2009
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#1
Who are the angels? I sometimes wonder if they are human beings who obey all of the Lord’s commandments. I don’t have proof of this, though there is a Bible verse that seems to me to be consistent with this idea:

Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
hearkening to the voice of his word! Psalms 103:20

What do you think? Maybe you have some Bible verses that shed light on this. I’ll come back Saturday to see if any of you have opinions about this.
 
phil36

phil36

Senior Member
#2
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
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#2
Certainly not human beings... but they created beings
 
D

Donkeyfish07

Guest
#3
#3
I've heard it argued that technically, the only thing the word angel literally translates to is messenger......if this the only definition you go by, some humans could fit the bill.

I tend to think they are created beings but definitely not men for a lot of reasons........the bible makes a lot more sense if that's the case.....There is a verse that says God made men a little lower than the angels for example, that's just one of many places that suggest they are a different kind of created being.
 
S

Sanashankar

Guest
#4
#4
Angels are "spirits" (Hebrews 1:7) but none is a "Son of God" as is Jesus (Hebrews 1:5) or like human beings are called "Children of God" (I John 3:1, Greek, not "sons"). Hebrews said that angels (though they are "spirits") are not in the same classification of possessing the divine nature as is Christ Jesus and also human beings such as ourselves.

Angels can be used for both good and bad purposes. We have read a lot about good angels doing good like the one coming to Mary, Moses, and other prophets..Some of the evil spirits used by God

Jdg 9:23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
1Sa 16:14 . But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Ki 22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets
 
4enlightment

4enlightment

Banned
#5
May 15, 2013
4,307
27
0
#5
resurrection33 said:
Who are the angels? I sometimes wonder if they are human beings who obey all of the Lord’s commandments. I don’t have proof of this, though there is a Bible verse that seems to me to be consistent with this idea:

Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
hearkening to the voice of his word! Psalms 103:20

What do you think? Maybe you have some Bible verses that shed light on this. I’ll come back Saturday to see if any of you have opinions about this.
Click to expand...
Luke 7:22So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

John 13:16Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

2 Corinthians 12:7or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

1 Chronicles 21:15And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Philippians 2:25But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.

Matthew 4:11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
 
N

nathan3

Guest
#6
#6
Matthew 22:30

King James Version (KJV)

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



They are no different then you and I. They are God's children . Your bothers and sisters ;

Angel in the Hebrew and Greek simply means messenger .

It's just a different body as Paul made so clear in 1st Corinthians 15 .
 
notuptome

notuptome

Senior Member
#7
May 17, 2013
15,050
2,538
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#7
While man may receive some angelic qualities men do not become angels especially through good works. Angels were not created from the dust of the earth like man. Angels are spiritual beings created by God to worship Him. Angels if they fall cannot be redeemed.

For the cause of Christ
Roger
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#8
Dec 19, 2009
27,513
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#8
Donkeyfish07 said:
I've heard it argued that technically, the only thing the word angel literally translates to is messenger......if this the only definition you go by, some humans could fit the bill.

I tend to think they are created beings but definitely not men for a lot of reasons........the bible makes a lot more sense if that's the case.....There is a verse that says God made men a little lower than the angels for example, that's just one of many places that suggest they are a different kind of created being.
Click to expand...
Which verse says God made men a little lower than angels?
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#9
Dec 19, 2009
27,513
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#9
Sanashankar said:
Angels are "spirits" (Hebrews 1:7) but none is a "Son of God" as is Jesus (Hebrews 1:5) or like human beings are called "Children of God" (I John 3:1, Greek, not "sons"). Hebrews said that angels (though they are "spirits") are not in the same classification of possessing the divine nature as is Christ Jesus and also human beings such as ourselves.

Angels can be used for both good and bad purposes. We have read a lot about good angels doing good like the one coming to Mary, Moses, and other prophets..Some of the evil spirits used by God

Jdg 9:23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
1Sa 16:14 . But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Ki 22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets
Click to expand...
My version of the Bible (Revised Standard Version) does not say that angels are spirits. It says this:

Of the angels he says, "Who makes his angels winds,
and his servants flames of fire." Hebrews 1:7 RSV
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#10
Dec 19, 2009
27,513
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#10
notuptome said:
While man may receive some angelic qualities men do not become angels especially through good works. Angels were not created from the dust of the earth like man. Angels are spiritual beings created by God to worship Him. Angels if they fall cannot be redeemed.

For the cause of Christ
Roger
Click to expand...
Is this Scriptural?
 
R

reject-tech

Guest
#11
#11
A human can be called an angel.

"To the angel of the church in ... write ..."

John had no reason to be instructed to write to a non-human.
 
T

Tzadi

Guest
#13
#13
Although the actual word angel means messenger
The beings referred to as angels have different roles
You have those that:
guard
go to war
bring messengers
destroy
encourage
guide
protect and more
They are similar to us in that they have free will
It seems their abilities are greater then ours, though we have similar abilities but don't know how to activate them
They're not all good, as we know Lucifer was the angel responsible for music in heaven (he still uses music both gospel and worldly so be mindful)
Angels are premium members of the heaven club
Salvation is our opportunity to upgrade
 
S

Sanashankar

Guest
#14
#14
resurrection33 said:
My version of the Bible (Revised Standard Version) does not say that angels are spirits. It says this:

Of the angels he says, "Who makes his angels winds,
and his servants flames of fire." Hebrews 1:7 RSV
Click to expand...
Yeah, some versions have translated it as winds. But see the Greek word

G4151 pneuma pnyoo'-mah

from G4154;

a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit.

the same word used in:

"pneuma" used for holy "spirit"
blessed are the poor in spirit (Matt 5:3)
evil spirit (Matt 8:16)
unclean spirit (Matt 10:1)
spirit of the Father (Matt 10: 20)
try the spirits (1 John 4:1)
etc......
 
C

Cino

Guest
#15
#15
We human beings are not angels. But the Bible states that angels can come in the form of a human, and tells us in Hebrews 13:2 that we may "entertain angels unawares". I believe that God send angels in the form of people to help us, and teach us lesion, and help instruct us. We know that the 2 men who visited Lot were angels sent from God to destroy the land, but they came in the form of men. And then, when you get to the angels in Heaven, there are various types... the seraphim and cherubim, and different angelic beings. We also know we have guardian angels encamping round about us.
 
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