The Bible gives us a stunning look at the creation of the heavens and earth in Genesis 1 and 2. Because the heavenly host of supernatural beings is not mentioned directly, we may wonder: when did God create angels?
Does the Bible Say Angels Are Created Beings?
Genesis 1:1 assures us that God created the heavens and the earth. God makes everything within His creation; therefore, angels are created beings. The Bible says angels belong to God (Hebrews 1:7), verifying that angels are created beings with a definite beginning point. Don Stewart adds angels "have not existed eternally."
Other Scriptural verification angels are created beings include:
Psalms 148:2 and 148:5, which state, “Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts…Let them praise the name of the LORD! For He commanded and they were created."
Nehemiah 9:6 tells us God created the heavens "and all their host." (The heavenly host is primarily comprised of angels.)
Colossians 1:16 explains Jesus Christ created all things "visible and invisible," which includes angels.
We must consider, however, Christophanies in the Old Testament, usually written as "the Angel of the LORD" (the capitalization of "angel" is found in the New King James Version, and many Bible translations put "Lord" in all capitals when it's part of a proper title). In these instances, of course, the angel the biblical writer refers to is a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is portrayed as worthy of worship and is identified with God Himself.
Why is Jesus called "the Angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament? In the Trinity, the Son (Jesus Christ) is the revelation of God to man; He reveals God in creation to man (John 1:14). The Angel of the Lord is wholly other and distinct from created spiritual beings—angels. A few of the key passages that depict Jesus Christ as the Angel of the Lord appear in Genesis 12:7, Genesis 16:7, Genesis 17:1, Genesis 18:1, Genesis 22:11, Exodus 3:2, Judges 13:3, Isaiah 6:1-4 (cf. John 12:40-41), Ezekiel 1:1, Daniel 3:25, 4:31, and 6:22.
Easton's Bible Dictionary declares the word angel's primary meaning (in Hebrew and Greek) is messenger. In the references where Christ is titled the Angel of the Lord, He is a Messenger with divine status, unlike the order of created beings (see also Hebrews 14 for a look at Jesus Christ, "having become as much superior to angels as the name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs").
Does the Bible Directly Answer When God Created Angels?
As we saw above, the Bible is explicit in that God created everything (Colossians 1:16). Answers in Genesis (AiG) states, "In the Colossians verse, principalities or powers refers to angelic beings." We can go further by looking at Genesis 1:1-5, where the Bible says the heavens and the earth were created on the first day. AiG also points to Job 38:4-7, where the terms "sons of God" and "morning stars" may indicate angels, and they "shouted for joy." The timeframe could be either Day 1 or Day 3. But angels were assuredly created before Day 4. Genesis 2:1 further reveals angels were created within the first six days of creation.
R.C. Sproul says we can deduce angels were created earlier in the six days of God's Creative work because of Satan's presence in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-15; Revelation 20:2). Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12) would have to have been created and fallen before God created man. Scripture is not clear on when He created angels. While the Bible does not clearly state when God created angels; what's important is He did.
What Makes Angels Different Created Beings than Humans?
Angels, because of their fundamental nature as spiritual beings, differ from humans, animals, and others of God's living creation who are physical or material. Therefore, unless God directs a circumstance where they are seen, angels are invisible to the naked eye (Genesis 18; 28:12; 2 Kings 6:8-16).
Angels are of a different dimension; they normally inhabit the heavenly realm. Some of their duties include (but are not limited to) direct access to and use by the Lord in their role as His messengers, glorifying God in non-stop worship in His presence (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8), being servant-warriors of God (2 Kings 6:14-18; Daniel 10), and they are His ministering spirits as seen in Matthew 4:11, where Jesus in human form was "a little lower than angels" (Hebrews 2:7).
Scripture does not indicate whether angels are male or female, but each use of the word in Hebrew or Greek angel is in masculine form.
Stewart gives us some of their attributes: holy (unfallen) angels as obedient (Psalm 103:20), holy (Isaiah 6:3), communicative (Revelation14:6), intelligent (Psalm 89:5,7), reverent (Nehemiah 9:6), discerning (2 Samuel 14:17), and restricted in their knowledge (1 Peter 1:12), etc. God created them for His service and our good as a natural outflow of God's purposes for us (Romans 8:28).
Sproul states, ". . . Hebrews sets forth the contrast between the person and function of angels to Jesus. No angel rises to the level of the only begotten Son of God. Angels are not to be worshiped—yet the angels are commanded to worship Christ. The Kingdom is not given to angels; it is given to Christ who alone is seated at the right hand of God the Father in the position of cosmic authority. In every way Christ has supremacy over the angels and is not to be confused as being one of them."
Despite the myriad artful and benign depictions of angels, angels must present a frightful manifestation when given a bodily form in the presence of humans. No fanciful, childlike, cherubic rendition would garner fear. Each time Scripture records an angelic being in communication with a mortal, the angel utters, "Fear not."
The narrative from Daniel 10:5-12 gives us a stark illustration of an angel:
"I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. . . So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground . . . And he said to me, 'O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.' And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, 'Fear not, Daniel'. . ."
When the angel Gabriel came to Zechariah to tell him of his coming son, John, Zechariah was troubled and fearful (Luke 1:11-13).
Mary was greatly troubled upon seeing and hearing Gabriel. Gabriel told her, "Do not be afraid."
An angel greeted shepherds in the field near Bethlehem, astounding them as more angels appeared:
"And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear" (Luke 2:9-10, 13-14, emphasis added).
At Jesus' empty tomb, Mary Magdalene and other women found two "men" (angels) standing beside them, "in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground" (Luke 24:4-5, emphasis added).
Perhaps regarding the account of Moses in Exodus 34:29-35 will help us understand peoples' reactions to angels. Remembering angels stand in the presence of God (Luke 1:19), they must reflect a spectacular radiance from being in God's glorious presence. Scripture gives us an account of one man who stood in God's presence:
"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him" (Exodus 34:19-30)
Each passage mentioned above describes a being with a dazzling appearance, who shone with the glory of the Lord and, as Daniel described, one whose face had had the "appearance of lightning." It's no wonder the appearance of an angel evokes fear.
Does Angels Being Created Beings Explain Lucifer's Rebellion?
As created beings, angels are subject to some of the same temptations and flaws that found their mark in Lucifer and fallen humans (Genesis 3). Angels, while given an approach to God, are not perfect beings, for only God is perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:31; Job 37:16; Psalm 18:30). Angels do not share in God's incommunicable attributes, and God will not share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8). Pride is a character trait one will never find in our holy God, only in created, imperfect beings who have intelligence.
Pride is what affected Lucifer, a created and imperfect being. And so, because he couldn't be God, he rebelled and took "a third of the angels with him." Pride infected Lucifer according to his own will, and he fell, as described in Isaiah 14.
Historical analysis of Isaiah 14:12-14 often points to Lucifer as the passage's subject (KJV, Darby, Vulgate, and NKJV). Other versions (including the ESV) translate Lucifer as "Day Star, son of Dawn." What does this title denote? Most modern scholars agree a human ruler is spoken of in this passage in Isaiah, but the parallel to Lucifer's fall is, while not explicit, implied. Ligonier Ministries says, "Even we might draw an indirect analogy between the fall of the prideful ruler of Babylon and the fall of Satan from grace."
Biblical scholar Ron Rhodes cites a key passage in Ezekiel that describes the fall of Lucifer (Ezekiel 28:11-19). Verse 17 reveals his pride, "Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor."
What of the angels following Lucifer's path to becoming the devil? Christian Apologetics Ministry states that Jewish literature symbolically uses stars to refer to angels, and they refer to Revelation 12:4 as the passage that possibly says when Lucifer fell, he took a third of the angels with him. This is a suggestion and not a widely held belief. Yet we know fallen angels (demons) exist (Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:17; Matthew 8:28; Luke 4:41). We just don't know their numbers. The demons recognize Jesus Christ (Acts 19:15) and know He is sovereign (Luke 8:28).
A final word about angels: as holy and unfallen ones, an angel's message or actions will never contradict God's Word or character. Angels fall into one of two camps- holy or fallen, and Satan is fallen, as are the angels who followed him in rebellious pride.
Lucifer fell due to the "mother of all sins," pride. He wanted control and tried to enact it in the Garden of Eden, and he still seeks control, now as in seeking someone to devour out of the hand of Christ (1 Peter 5:8), as if that were possible. But every true Christian can never be snatched from our Lord's hands (John 10:29)!
Believe in the devil and his minions, but never give them credit for any power Christ has not given them. They are limited and defeated already; they flail in defeat as we remain victorious in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14).
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