ANGELS
INTERACTIVE BIBLE STUDY
Are they real? Study what the Scriptures teach about the existence, activities and characteristics of good and evil angels.
"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:31).
To begin, click on the "Start" button. Use the "Next" and "Back" buttons to navigate through the study.
Are they real? Study what the Scriptures teach about the existence, activities and characteristics of good and evil angels.
"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:31).
To begin, click on the "Start" button. Use the "Next" and "Back" buttons to navigate through the study. Are Angels Real?
The following answers present several popular opinions:- A. Angels do not exist.
- B. Good and evil angels exist and were created by God.
- C. Good angels exist but evil angels are a myth.
- D. Angels are humans who have died.
A Great Battle Between Good & Evil
1
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephes. 6:12).
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Tim. 2:3-4).
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When considering the existence of angels, it is important to study the bigger picture revealed in the Bible of the battle between good and evil. Each person plays a part in this battle and each decision made is a victory for one side or the other. The texts on the following screens examine the roles angels play on both sides in this great battle.
Angels Were Created and They Were Created Perfect
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"Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee" (Ezekiel 28:14-15).
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The covering cherub (Lucifer) was created perfect. Before he sinned, he was on the mountain of God.
Angels Existed Before the Earth Was Created
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"Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7)
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When God created this earth, the morning stars were already there. The word "stars" is often used in the Bible to represent angels. They were present at the creation of this earth, along with other created beings in the universe ("sons of God") who rejoiced over the creation of the earth.
Some Angels Have Become Well-Known
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"And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings" (Luke 1:19).
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Gabriel announced the birth of Christ and also told Daniel the meaning of his vision.
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"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" (Isaiah 14:12).
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Lucifer tried to exalt himself to become like God. The Hebrew word translated to "Lucifer" means the morning star and brightness.
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"Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee" (Jude 1:9).
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Michael is also described as the the "Great Prince" and is Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus is not a created angel, but is the chief of the angels (archangel). The word translated to "angel" in the Bible is "angelos", which means messenger and can refer to actual angels from heaven or to anyone who brings a message, such as Christ or a church. John the Baptist is referred to as an "angelos" (Mark 1:2, Luke 7:27). (See more info about Michael the Archangel.)
Lucifer Became Satan
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"And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" (Luke 10:18).
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Lucifer fell from his position in heaven.
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"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Rev. 12:7-9).
2
When Lucifer fell from heaven, he became Satan, or the devil. He is also called the serpent in reference to his disguise used in the Garden of Eden to tempt Eve. The dragon (Satan) fought against Michael (Jesus) and lost. Satan was cast out of heaven.
Other Angels Joined Satan In His Rebellion
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"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment" (2 Pet. 2:4).
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There were other angels in addition to Satan who sinned. They followed Satan in his rebellion against God.
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"And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born" (Rev. 12:4).
2
A third of the angels fought against Jesus and were cast out of heaven with Satan.
Satan's Forces Came to Earth
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12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
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Satan is angry and takes it out on those who live on the earth.
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"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: and to resist the cruel adversary the devil Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (1 Peter 5:8-9).
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Peter admonishes believers to be aware of Satan, watchful of him and to resist his efforts to devour us.
Heavenly Angels Help Protect People Against Satan's Forces
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"For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psalm 91:11).
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God has told His angels to take care of His people.
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"But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:13-14)
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God sends the angels to help humans, those who will inherit salvation.
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"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 18:10).
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Children have angels that are directly in contact with God.
Heavenly Angels Carry Out the Commands of God
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"Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word" (Psalm 103:20).
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Angels are powerful and do what God wants them to do.
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"Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53).
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One legion of soldiers was from 4,000 to 6,000. Many angels are ever ready to help us at God's command.
Heavenly Angles Bring People Messages
1
"And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done" (Rev. 22:6).
"And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women" (Luke 1:28).
1
Angels are often sent to help people prepare for future events and to announce important events, such as the births of Jesus and John the Baptist.
Heavenly Angels Relay God's Words
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"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John" (Rev. 1:1).
"Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it" (Acts 7:53).
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God imparts His word to prophets through angels.
Angels Should Not Be Worshipped
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"And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God" (Rev. 22:8-9).
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Angels worship God. They were created by God and are considered fellow servants with humans.
There Are Many Heavenly Angels
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"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" (Rev. 5:11).
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:13-14).
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There are innumerable heavenly angels, ready to carry out God's commands at any moment.
10,000 X 10,000 = 100,000,000
+ thousands of thousands!
Humans Can Have Power Over Angels
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"Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us" (Hosea 12:4).
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Through repentance and whole-hearted seeking of God, humans can prevail over supernatural forces.
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"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia" (Dan. 10:13).
2
By resisting the message of an angel, humans can hinder or delay the angel from other work needing to be accomplished.
Angels Excel in Strength and Speed
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"And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it" (Matt. 28:2).
"And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses" (2 Kings 19:35).
"Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding" (Dan. 9:21-23).
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Angels can do amazing things.
Angels Can Disguise Themselves to Appear As Humans
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"And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD" (Judges 13:16).
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Manoah didn't recognize the angel, who must have looked like a human.
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"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2).
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Angels can be present at any time without being detected by humans.
Angels' Appearance is Like Light
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"His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men" (Matthew 28:3-4).
"And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:9-10).
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The brightness and awesome appearance of angels can strike fear in humans.
Satan's Deceptions
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"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14).
"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:4-5).
1
Satan is capable of transforming his appearance and even impersonating a heavenly angel or Christ.
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"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live" (Rev. 13:13-14).
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There are forces not of God that can deceive people with amazing acts that look like miracles.
Evil Angels Can Possess People
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"And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God" (Mark 1:23-24).
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When humans allow evil in their lives, it is possible that evil angels can possess them as in these Bible stories. This is the same as what is called demon possession.
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"And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father" (Luke 9:42).
"And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep" (Luke 8:30-31).
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Only Jesus provides the power necessary to expel devils / unclean spirits out of people.
Satan and Evil Angels Will Be Destroyed
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"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" (Jude 1:6).
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Like evil humans, the evil angels will also face executive judgment.
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"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever... And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:10, 14-15).
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In the end, Satan, evil angels and all evil will be destroyed.
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"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:41-42).
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Heavenly angels help God cleanse the earth of evil.
Humans Will Become Like the Heavenly Angels
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"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 20:36).
"For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven" (Matthew 22:30).
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Humans will live forever and be like the angels! They do not become angels, but are awarded similarities and privileges like the angels.
Humans Will Dwell With Angels and God
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"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels" (Hebrews 12:22).
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The city that God has prepared for those who follow Him, contains many angels.
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"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Rev. 21:2-3).
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God Himself will dwell with humans!
How Can a Person Help Bring This Great Battle to an End?
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"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil... Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephes. 6:11,14-18).
1
God provides weapons against evil angels:
- Truth
- Righteousness
- Gospel
- Faith
- Salvation
- Word of God
- Prayer
Review the Original Question: Are Angels Real?
The following answers present several popular opinions:
- Angels do not exist.
- Good and evil angels exist and were created by God.
- Good angels exist but evil angels are a myth.
- Angels are humans who have died.
Answer B: Good AND evil angels exist and were created by God before humans.
End of Study
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The "NIV" and "New International Version" are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The "NIV" and "New International Version" are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™