In addition to my posts regarding my weekly sermon development I am going to post articles on topics. They will eventually be catalogued under a subject line in the right hand navigation of this page.
Currently I am performing research into determining a Biblical understanding of angels and demons. We live in a society which which seems enamored with the 'other world.'
Before We Start...
Here are some things we need to understand before we begin and just in case you are in a hurry do not keep up with the series.
- When we die, WE DO NOT BECOME ANGELS! This is what some cartoons and movies have taught and I am shocked at how many Christians actually believe this nonsense.
- When we see "Angel of the Lord" in the Bible, that is actually Jesus. Whether it is in the Old Testament or new. These are called Christophanies which are Angelic appearances of the Lord Jesus.
- Angels are not "ALIENS FROM ANOTHER PLANET!" Stop watching "Ancient Aliens" and start reading your Bible!
- It's complicated, but the word Angel is not the correct word. 'Angel' should have been translated 'messenger.' We will explore this concept in detail later. In any event, Angel is a term introduced by the translators many years ago as a result of literature and cultural influences. Much of what we believe about Angels is the result of 'syncretism.' Syncretism is the absorption of cultural and other religious beliefs into Christianity. That is why you often hear me say that what many Christians think is 'Christian' is actually pagan. Much of the 'how we do things' and the 'why we do things' is actually pagan.
- This is complicated but Angels don't have wings. The only angel wings mentioned in the Bible are on the handcrafted Cherubim and Seraphim that sit on top of the Ark of the Covenant.
- This is also a complicated discussion, but we probably DO NOT HAVE GUARDIAN ANGELS. Sorry! However, we have something better, WE HAVE JESUS! First Timothy 2:5 says...
Now I am sure you are reading this and perhaps are arming yourself with Scriptures to challenge me... I HOPE SO! I want you to be Berean Christians who double-checked the great Apostle Paul against the Word of God.
In any event, as indicated, we humans tend to anthropomorphise things we don't understand to make them more approachable. This is why I name my dog Lance and read into Lance a human personality. Reading a human personality into something, even a deity is called anthropomorphism. This is good and bad. Good in the sense we want to have a closer relationship, but bad in the sense we are limiting God, Jesus, and perhaps angels to our human understanding.
In any event, as indicated, we humans tend to anthropomorphise things we don't understand to make them more approachable. This is why I name my dog Lance and read into Lance a human personality. Reading a human personality into something, even a deity is called anthropomorphism. This is good and bad. Good in the sense we want to have a closer relationship, but bad in the sense we are limiting God, Jesus, and perhaps angels to our human understanding.
Check back later...
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