Don’t let the “amen” in Amenadiel fool you. If this spirit exists, it’s likely of the demonic sort. Although we may be familiar with dark names such as Lucifer, Satan, or even spirits such as the Leviathan and Jezebel spirit, Amenadiel likely doesn’t ring a bell. Unless you’ve binged some pop culture shows like Lucifer (more on this in a moment).
And it likely doesn’t sound familiar because Amenadiel never once receives a mention in the Bible. So we apply more than a grain if we come across any text which mentions him. In today’s article, we’ll explore the character of Amenadiel, the texts that mention him, and more.
What Angels are Mentioned in the Bible?
You’d be surprised how few angels receive explicit mentions in the Bible. We only see a handful—which are detailed below.
Gabriel: You likely have heard of him. He delivers a message to Mary that she will give birth to Christ. He also makes appearances in the book of Daniel during the more prophetic ends of that book (Daniel 7-12). He is a messenger angel and an archangel, the highest class of angels.
Michael: He appears in several places but is most known for his appearance in the book of Daniel, where he speaks to the prophet about arriving after fighting “the prince of Persia.” He also gets mentioned in Jude, where Jude describes Michael rebuking Satan as they dispute over Moses’ body. Like Gabriel, he is also an archangel. Archangels often seem to be warrior angels battling the spiritual forces surrounding us.
Angel of the Lord: This angel tells Abraham about Sodom and Gomorrah. He also might be the man who wrestled with Jacob (Hosea 12:3-5). Christology maintains this angel is Jesus showing up in the Old Testament, but he’s referred to as “the angel of the Lord” in these contexts.
Lucifer: He goes by another name now: Satan. Lucifer used to be an angel of light (and potentially an angel who made music). As the Bible states, he swelled up with pride. He wanted the worship in heaven to be directed toward himself. So he managed to get one-third of the angels to turn away from God. Now that one-third are demons. He will do anything to drag as many people to his fiery fate as possible.
Apollyon: Part of the judgment of the end times, these beastlike demons will torment those who do not follow Christ and don’t have Christ’s mark on them. They will go after those who have the mark of the beast.
Legion: This isn’t technically the name of one demon. There’s a man whom Jesus encounters with so many demons inside of him that he goes by the name “Legion” (meaning “we are many”). Jesus casts the demons out of the man.
And that’s it. Nowhere in the Bible can we find a mention of a demon named Amenadiel.
What Extrabiblical Texts Mention Amenadiel?
Since we can’t find it in the Bible, we have to find him outside of the Bible. And forewarning, readers, he’s often associated with the occult.
In The Lesser Key of Solomon, he appears in a section called Ars Theurgia Goetia—a book used for occult practices. In this book, Amenadiel is supposedly a spirit, and an emperor tied to the west. Each region (north, south, east, and west) has one spirit-emperor. He is described as having several spirits under him (angels and demons are described as having hierarchies, both in the Bible and in various occult texts perverting its ideas).
The Ars Theurgia Goetia describes in detail how to summon Amenadiel and his “dukes” (the demons under him).
He is supposedly a brother of Satan himself. And besides that, readers don’t learn much else about him. I’d suggest not reading about him at all, as followers of Christ shouldn’t go near anything about the occult.
How Has Amenadiel Become Part of Pop Culture?
Obscure or not, Amenadiel has become a part of pop culture. He’s shown up in the DC comic book series Lucifer and the TV adaptation of the same name. The comic book spun off from another comic book called The Sandman, which you’ve probably also heard about recently thanks to the Netflix TV show.
In the DC comics, he’s portrayed as a good angel from heaven who hates Satan. He seems to be always battling against Satan in the comics.
In the TV show Lucifer, Amenadiel initially seems at odds with the character Lucifer. The show’s main plot involves Lucifer quitting his job supervising Hell to live a regular life on Earth. Amenadiel tries to convince Lucifer to return to Hell, but they team up and work together after the show’s first season.
It’s unclear why Amenadiel has become a big conversation topic in pop culture, seeing that there isn’t much about him, even in occult texts. Perhaps a writer looked up “famous demons related to Satan” and decided the character sounded like they would make for an interesting character in the comic book. Perhaps people have latched onto the fact occult texts describe him as Lucifer’s brother, which could make for interesting dynamics in a TV show.
What Does the Bible Tell Us about Angels’ Function?
Angels have various functions in the Bible—and because demons went against some of these primary functions, they were cast out of heaven. If Amenadiel truly exists—which is not something we should explore since it would require using demonic practices—he is not fulfilling the angelic functions he was created for.
Based on what we see of the angels mentioned in the Bible, we know angels were created to do the following. For each function, we see how demons pervert their original function and do the opposite:
Angels were made for worship. Before demons were cast out of heaven, an angel’s primary function was to worship. Just as Adam and Eve communed with God in the Garden of Eden, we can imagine the angels had a similar relationship with God in heaven. We see many passages in the Bible where angels worship God without ceasing (Revelation 4).
Angels were made for battle or to protect – Unfortunately, demons seek to kill and destroy. Angels will fight against evil forces and often protect us from them.
Angels were made to be messengers. Often, angels serve as messengers. They’ll deliver hope, encouragement, prophecy, or warning throughout Scripture. An example of this is the angel speaking to Joseph, the father of Jesus, telling him not to divorce Mary.
What Warnings Does the Bible Give about Beings Claiming to be Angels?
The Bible warns demons may appear to appear people in the guise of angels of light (2 Corinthians 11). As a result, John warns the early Christians to “test the spirits” (1 John 4).
The fact some sectors of the media and pop culture have deemed demons and the occult are “cool” means it’s not unusual to meet people who claim they talk to angels or demons. Many people in the occult will have claimed to have talked with familiar spirits, saying that demons really “aren’t all that bad” and “want to help.” Scripture gives several warnings about familiar spirits (Leviticus 19). These spirits will try to convince people that Satan really is a “good guy” who “wants you to be who you are.”
If we think about it, this deceptive approach makes sense. If we were the enemy, we would want to manipulate the narrative. To make ourselves seem like we are good and helpful and loving.
Because Satan has one objective: to send as many people to hell as possible. If he can convince someone that he and his followers are good, hip, and cool, people won’t see the trap lying in wait. They won’t see through the manipulation tactics.
This means that even if a spirit appears who claims to be Amenadiel, that spirit is not trustworthy.
As far as media mentioning Amenadiel as a character, Christians should remember to have discernment before partaking in it. Some forms of media may sneak in occult names and practices—either because they seem entertaining or for more sinister purposes. Either use can desensitize people to the occult if they’re not careful.
Whether he exists or not, he’s dangerous. Be believers to take up your daily spiritual armor and be prepared for deceitful demons.
Further Reading:
Are There Angels Among Us Today?
How Do We Know That Angels Are Real?
What Are Angel Numbers and Are They Biblical?
What Are Archangels in the Bible, and How Many Are There?
Photo Credit: Getty Images/sqback
Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.
