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Post by Aeliana on Apr 8, 2023 15:29:54 GMT -8
Did you ever think about, “What was there before God made the world?” We know that God was there. He had the angels with him. So God had company, and I’m not talking about the other members of the Trinity.
The biblical answer is that the heavenly host was with God before creation. In fact, they witnessed it. What God says to Job in Job 38:4–7 is clear on that point:
“Where were you at my laying the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you possess understanding.
Who determined its measurement? Yes, you do know.
Or who stretched the measuring line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars were singing together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
So when God laid the foundations of the earth, the “sons of God” were there, shouting for joy. But who are the sons of God? Obviously, they aren’t humans. This is before the creation of the world. We might think of them as angels, but that wouldn’t be quite correct. I think we all have a pretty good understanding about who and what angels are.
What I find fascinating or who are these morning Stars that we're singing together? What's up with that? The unseen world has a hierarchy, something reflected in such terms as archangel versus angel. That hierarchy is sometimes difficult for us to discern in the Old Testament, since we aren’t accustomed in our modern world to viewing the unseen world like God's family. Now an Israelite would have processed certain terms used to describe the hierarchy. In the ancient Semitic world, sons of God (Hebrew: beney elohim) is a phrase used to identify divine beings with higher-level responsibilities or jurisdictions. The term angel (Hebrew: malʾak) describes an important but still lesser task: delivering messages.
But back to In Job 38, and the sons of God being referred to as “morning stars.” I did a little research on it and found that Ancient people thought the stars were living entities. Their reasoning was simple: Many stars moved. That was a sign of life to the ancient mind. Stars were the shining glory of living beings.
The stars also inhabited the divine realm—literally, in the sense that they existed above the earth. The ancients believed that divine beings lived far away from humans, in remote places where human habitation wasn’t possible.
The most remote place of all was the sky, the heavens.
Morning stars are the stars one sees over the horizon just before the sun appears in the morning. They signal new life—a new day. The label works for me. It conveys the right thought. The original morning stars, the sons of God, saw the beginning of life as we know it—the creation of earth.
I can't begin to imagine how much the Earth has changed since then. Since the fall and the flood and having human beings modifying it Over the centuries.
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Post by Redeemed on Apr 8, 2023 16:27:56 GMT -8
Here's like a ton and a half of Bible verses about angels. There will be a test so study them all.
God’s Word on Angels
1. Luke 2:13 “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host
of others—the armies of heaven—praising God…”
2. Psalm 103:20 “Praise the LORD, you angels, you mighty
ones who carry out his plans…”
3. Mark 13:26–27 “Then everyone will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds with great power and glory. And he
will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all
over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and
heaven.”
4. Genesis 19:1, 13 “That evening the two angels came to
the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there,
and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then
he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the
ground…[The angels said,] ‘We are about to destroy this
city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it
has reached the LORD, and he has sent us to destroy it.’”
5. Matthew 13:41–42 “The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that
causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw
them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.”
6. Matthew 1:20 “As he considered this, [divorcing Mary] an
angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph,
son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take
Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived
by the Holy Spirit.’”
7. Matthew 2:13 “After the wise men were gone, an angel of
the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up! Flee to
Egypt with the child and his mother,’ the angel said. ‘Stay
there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to
search for the child to kill him.’”
8. Matthew 2:19–20 “When Herod died, an angel of the Lord
appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. ‘Get up!’ the
angel said. ‘Take the child and his mother back to the land
of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.
9. Luke 1:19 “Then the angel said, ‘I am Gabriel! I stand in the
very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you
this good news!’”
10.2 Kings 1:15 “Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, ‘Go
down with him [the king’s captain], and don’t be afraid of
him.’ So Elijah got up and went with him to the king.”
11.Genesis 24:7b “He will send his angel ahead of you, and
he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.”
12.Acts 8:26 “As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him,
‘Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem
to Gaza.’”
13. Luke 2:10–11 “but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be
afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring
great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the
Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of
David!’”
14. Exodus 23:20 “See, I am sending an angel before you to
protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the
place I have prepared for you.”
15.Psalm 91:1, 11 “Those who live in the shelter of the Most
High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty…For he will
order his angels to protect you wherever you go.”
16.Matthew 18:10, 14 “Beware that you don’t look down on
any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their
angels are always in the presence of my heavenly
Father…In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will
that even one of these little ones should perish.”
17.Genesis 19:11 “Then they [angels] blinded all the men,
young and old, who were at the door of the house
[ready to break down the door], so they gave up trying
to get inside.”
18.1 Kings 19:5–8 “Then he lay down and slept under the
broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him
and told him, ‘Get up and eat!’ He looked around and
there beside his head was some bread baked on hot
stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay
down again. Then the angel of the LORD came again and
touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat some more, or the
journey ahead will be too much for you.’ So he got up
and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough
strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai,
the mountain of God.”
19.Hebrews 1:14 “Therefore, angels are only servants—
spirits sent to care for people who will inherit
salvation.”
20. Luke 16:22a “Finally, the poor man [Lazarus] died
and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham.”
21.Mark 1:13 “where he [Jesus] was tempted by Satan
for forty days. He was out [in the desert] among the
wild animals, and angels took care of him.”
22.Daniel 9:22 “He explained to me, ‘Daniel, I have
come here to give you insight and understanding.’”
23.Matthew 28:5–6a “Then the angel spoke to the
women. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I know you are
looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He
is risen from the dead, just as he said would
happen.’”
24.Acts 1:9–11 “After saying this, he [Jesus] was taken up
into a cloud while they [the apostles] were watching,
and they could no longer see him. As they strained to
see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men
suddenly stood among them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they
said, ‘why are you standing here staring into heaven?
Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but
someday he will return from heaven in the same way
you saw him go!’”
25.Acts 27:23–24 “For last night an angel of the God to
whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me,
and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely
stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his
goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with
you.’”
26.Numbers 20:16a “But when we [the Israelites] cried
out to the LORD, he heard us and sent an angel who
brought us out of Egypt.”
27.Psalm 34:7 “For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he
surrounds and defends all who fear him.”
28.Acts 1:9–11 “After saying this, he [Jesus] was taken up into
a cloud while they [the apostles] were watching, and they
could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising
into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among
them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why are you standing
here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you
into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in
the same way you saw him go!’”
29.Acts 27:23–24 “For last night an angel of the God to whom
I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said,
‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before
Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted
safety to everyone sailing with you.’”
30.Numbers 20:16a “But when we [the Israelites] cried out to
the LORD, he heard us and sent an angel who brought us
out of Egypt.”
31.Numbers 22:23a “Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the
LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand.”
32.Numbers 22:31a “Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes,
and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the roadway
with a drawn sword in his hand.”
33.Numbers 22:34a “Then Balaam confessed to the angel of
the LORD, ‘I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing
in the road to block my way.’”
34.2 Kings 6:17 “Then Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes
and let him see!’ The LORD opened the young man’s eyes,
and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around
Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.”
35. Judges 13:6 “The woman ran and told her husband, ‘A
man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God’s
angels, terrifying to see. I didn’t ask where he was from,
and he didn’t tell me his name.’”
36.Matthew 28:2–4 “Suddenly there was a great earthquake!
For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled
aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like
lightening, and his clothing was as white as snow. The
guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell
into a dead faint.”
37. Luke 1:11–12 “While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an
angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right
of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaken and
overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.”
38.2 Thessalonians 1:7–8 “And God will provide rest for
you who are being persecuted and also for us when
the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come
with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing
judgment on those who don’t know God and on
those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord
Jesus.”
39.2 Peter 2:11 “But the angels, who are far greater in
power and strength, do not dare to bring from the
Lord a charge of blasphemy against those
supernatural beings.”
40.Revelation 5:2a “And I saw a strong angel, who
shouted with a loud voice…”
41.Hebrews 13:2 “Don’t forget to show hospitality to
strangers, for some who have done this have
entertained angels without realizing it!
42.Genesis 18:1–5a, 19:1a “The LORD appeared again to
Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre...He
looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When
he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them,
bowing low to the ground. ‘My lord,’ he said, ‘if it pleases
you, stop here for a while. Rest in the shade of this tree
while water is brought to wash your feet. And since you’ve
honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some
food to refresh you before you continue on your
journey.’…That evening the two angels came to the
entrance of the city of Sodom.”
43.Genesis 19:1a, 4–5a “That evening the two angels came
to the entrance of the city of Sodom.…But before they
retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old,
came from all over the city and surrounded the house.
They shouted to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to
spend the night with you?’”
44.Genesis 19:6–7, 8b “So Lot stepped outside to talk to them
[the men from Sodom], shutting the door behind him.
‘Please, my brothers,’ he begged, ‘don’t do such a
wicked thing [as hurt them.]’…‘But please, leave these
men alone, for they are my guests and are under
my protection.’”
45.Revelation 5:11–12 “Then I [John] looked again, and I
heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels
around the throne and of the living beings and the
elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus: ‘Worthy is the
Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and
riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory
and blessing.’”
46.2 Chronicles 18:18 “Then Micaiah continued, ‘Listen to
what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne
with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right
and on his left.’”
47.Matthew 25:31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his
glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon
his glorious throne.”
48.Revelation 5:1–2 “Then I saw a scroll in the right hand
of the one [God] who was sitting on the throne. There
was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll,
and it was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong
angel, who shouted with a loud voice: ‘Who is worthy
to break the seals on this scroll and open it?’”
49.Matthew 25:41 “Then the King will turn to those on
the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
demons*.’”
*Greek his angels
50.Revelation 12:7–9 “Then there was war in heaven.
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon
and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and
he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This
great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil,
or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was
thrown down to the earth with all his angels.”
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Post by Aeliana on Apr 9, 2023 7:38:16 GMT -8
RedeemedSo we know for a fact that angels are mentioned in the Bible at least 50 times. Do I get an A on my test? But more on the sons of God. Right from the start, then, God has company—other divine beings, the sons of God. Most discussions of what’s around before creation omit the members of the heavenly host. That’s unfortunate, because God and the sons of God, the divine family, are the first pieces of the mosaic. We’ve barely made it to creation so far, and already we’ve uncovered some important truths from Scripture that have the potential to affect our theology in simple but profound ways. Their importance, if it isn’t clear to me yet, becomes quickly apparent: 1. The sons of God are divine, not human. The sons of God witnessed creation long before there were people. They are intelligent nonhuman beings. The reference to the sons of God as stars also makes it clear that they are divine. While the language is metaphorical, it is also more than metaphorical. 2. The label “sons” is a familial term—and that’s neither coincidental nor inconsequential. God has an unseen family—in fact, it’s his original family. The logic is the same as that behind Paul’s words in Acts at Mars Hill (the Areopagus) that all humans are indeed God’s offspring (Acts 17:28). God has created a host of nonhuman divine beings whose domain is (to human eyes) an unseen realm. And because he created them, he claims them as his sons, in the same way you claim your children as your sons and daughters because you played a part in their creation. While it’s clear that the sons of God were with God before creation, there’s a lot about them that isn’t clear. Who are they? What did they do? They’re divine, but what does that really mean? How should we think of them in relation to God? If you’re interested in a closer look, check out the post Who Are the Elohim? It's next.
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Post by Aeliana on Apr 9, 2023 8:13:12 GMT -8
So who exactly are the Elohim? God [elohim] stands in the divine assembly; he administers judgment in the midst of the gods [elohim].Tehillim (Psalms) - Chapter 82:1 The word elohim occurs twice in this short verse. Other than the covenant name, Yahweh, it’s the most common word in the Old Testament for God. The first use of the word in this verse worked fine. But since I had to look up Hebrew grammar, I saw immediately that the second instance needed to be translated as plural. There it was, plain as day: The God of the Old Testament was part of an assembly—a pantheon—of other gods. So after 43 years of Bible study I had to ask myself, How does this work? Other gods I thought there was only one God. This was quite a shock to my theology. I’d always thought—and been taught that any other “gods” referenced in the Bible were just idols. As easy and comfortable as that explanation was, it didn’t make sense here. The God of Israel isn’t part of a group of idols. But I couldn’t picture him running around with other real gods, either. I'm talking Bible theology here, not Greek mythology. But there it was in black and white. It definitely had my attention. So I immediately set to work trying to find answers. I soon discovered that the ground I was exploring was a place where few evangelicals had feared to tread. The explanations I found in books from evangelical scholars were disturbingly weak, mostly maintaining that the gods (elohim) in the verse were just man—Jewish elders—or that the verse was about the Trinity. I knew neither of those could be correct. Back I went to Psalm 82, can't go wrong with the Bible right? Psalm 82 states that the gods were being condemned as corrupt in their administration of the nations of the earth. The Bible nowhere teaches that God appointed a council of Jewish elders to rule over foreign nations, and God certainly wouldn’t be railing against the rest of the Trinity, Jesus and the Spirit, for being corrupt. Frankly, the answers just weren’t honest with the straightforward words in the text of Psalm 82. When I looked beyond the world of evangelical scholarship, I discovered that other scholars had churned out dozens of articles and books on Psalm 82 and Israelite religion. They’d left no stone unturned in ferreting out parallels between the psalm and its ideas and the literature of other civilizations of the biblical world—in some cases, matching the psalm’s phrases word for word. Their research brought to light other biblical passages that echoed the content of Psalm 82. So I got a hold of all of Michael Heiser's books on the Unseen Realm, which were quite informative. But they did leave me with a lot more questions. Next Digging Deeper for more answers: www.gotquestions.org/hierarchy-of-angels.html |
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Post by Svetlhkw on Apr 27, 2023 6:21:31 GMT -8
Genesis 6:1-4 refers to the sons of God and the daughters of men. There have been several suggestions as to who the sons of God were and why the children they had with daughters of men grew into a race of giants (that is what the word Nephilim seems to indicate).
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Post by Svetlhkw on Apr 27, 2023 6:23:35 GMT -8
The three primary views on the identity of the sons of God are 1) they were fallen angels, 2) they were powerful human rulers, or 3) they were godly descendants of Seth intermarrying with wicked descendants of Cain. Giving weight to the first theory is the fact that in the Old Testament the phrase “sons of God” always refers to angels (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). A potential problem with this is in Matthew 22:30, which indicates that angels do not marry. The Bible gives us no reason to believe that angels have a gender or are able to reproduce. The other two views do not present this problem.
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