Category Archives: ANGELS & DEVILS

ANGELS & DEVILS, SATAN AND HIS POLICY OF EVIL, Why are “the heavens not clean in God’s sight?”, Why are “the heavens not clean in God’s sight?”

Why are “the heavens not clean in God’s sight?”

WHY ARE “THE HEAVENS NOT CLEAN IN GOD’S SIGHT?”

by Shawn Brasseaux

The world’s oldest book, the first Bible book written, already detailed for the nation Israel the following fact: “Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight” (Job 15:15). “Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight” (Job 25:5). But, what do these statements mean? Are stars rational beings capable of sinning? (As one theologian of old claimed.) We will be Berean Bible students and compare some verses.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). This is the Bible’s opening verse. When God created the heaven and the earth, He created ranks of government in each realm. Note Colossians 1:16-17: “[16] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: [17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” By the Lord Jesus Christ, all things were created. The “things” here are offices of government—“thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers.” Furthermore, Ephesians 1:21 talks about “mights” and “every name that is named.” There are various offices of government in Heaven and in Earth. Just as we see offices of government on planet Earth, similar ranks are in Heaven—although, in Heaven, these offices and their occupants are invisible. Heaven is a real place, an organized place, with angelic beings holding jobs and performing various tasks.

God meant mankind to function in Earth’s governments for His glory. We read in Genesis chapter 1: “[26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. [28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

Of course, Adam (the first man) later sinned and lost his place as King of the Earth. But, before man sinned, there was a rebellion in the government of Heaven. We read about this in Isaiah chapter 14: “[12] 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! [13] For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: [14] I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

Ezekiel 28:12-19 is God speaking to the King of Tyrus, but more specifically, He is talking to the evil spirit working behind the King of Tyrus. God is talking to Satan, Lucifer: “[12] Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. [13] Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. [14] 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. [15] Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. [16] By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. [17] Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. [18] Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. [19] All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”

Ezekiel tells us in verse 16 that Lucifer enticed a number of angelic beings to rebel against Jesus Christ with him. These are what we call “fallen angels.” They fell from the third heaven (God’s throne). “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Returning to Job, we read: “Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight” (Job 15:15). And,”Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight” (Job 25:5). In the context, these verses refer to fallen angels. Remember, Satan is persecuting Job, and Job is aware of the angelic conflict, the battle between God and Satan, and the battle between good angels and bad angels.

Hence, the Apostle Paul spoke of “spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). “High places” is synonymous with “heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:6). Outer space is filled with Satan and his minions’ activities. Ephesians 2:2 calls Satan “the prince of the power of the air.” Thankfully, they will be kicked out of heaven one day (Revelation 12:7-11) and we will take their places (Ephesians 1:3,20-23; Ephesians 2:6-7)!

Job 15:15 and Job 25:5 are not talking about literal, physical spheres of burning gas in outer space that have sinned. Rather, it is outer space with respect to evil angelic beings functioning there. Their place will be found no more in heaven by the time we reach Revelation 12:7-11 (future from our day). That means these evil beings still have access to outer space (the second heaven) today. They will not be confined to hell until Jesus Christ returns in power and great glory at His Second Coming.

God will establish His kingdom in the heavenly places first. When we are caught up into heaven at the Rapture, He will remove the evil angelic powers from heaven, and install us the Church the Body of Christ in their places. Once Jesus Christ returns to Earth, He will remove the evil spirits from earth and cast them into hell. Thus, Ephesians 1:10 will be fulfilled: “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.”

SUPPLEMENTAL: “THY KINGDOM COME. THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN”

The so-called “Lord’s Prayer”—or “‘Our Father’ Prayer”—features the phrase, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Should we pray this as Christendom does so often today? No.

Since the heavens are not clean in God’s sight (Job 15:15; cf. Job 25:5), and since Satan will not be removed from outer space until the future (middle of the seven-year Tribulation—Revelation 12:7-12), it makes no sense for us in the Dispensation of Grace to pray that God’s will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven. God’s will is not being done in heaven today. It will be in the future. After our Dispensation of Grace, God’s will shall be accomplished in the heavenly places. Then, Israel can rightfully pray in light of that. As God used us (Body of Christ) to establish His heavenly kingdom, so Israel will pray for God to use them to establish His earthly kingdom. For more information, see our study below, “Should we pray ‘The Lord’s Prayer?’”

Also see:
» What are Satan’s operations today?
» Did God give free will to angels as He gave to mankind?
» Should we pray “The Lord’s Prayer?”

ANGELS & DEVILS, BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS / CONFUSING VERSES SIMPLIFIED, Was the Law of Moses given by the LORD or by angels?, Was the Law of Moses given by the LORD or by angels?

Was the Law of Moses given by the LORD, or by angels?

WAS THE LAW OF MOSES GIVEN BY THE LORD, OR BY ANGELS?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Exodus chapters 19-34—the giving of the Law of Moses so he could give it to the nation Israel—describe the LORD Himself talking with Moses face-to-face on Mount Sinai. Notice these three brief summaries. Exodus 31:18: “And he [the LORD] gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 32:15-16: “[15] And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. [16] And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.” Exodus 34:1: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.”

After reading the above verses, some have experienced great difficulty with the Apostle Paul’s words in Galatians 3:19: “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” I have actually received complaints from people who claim that Paul here contradicted Moses’ words written centuries earlier. They argue that Paul did not know his Old Testament Scriptures. (Some have gone so far as to say Paul lied!) Here, Paul claimed angels, rather than the LORD, had given the Law to Moses. Well, which is it—the LORD, or angels? Is Paul challenging what Moses wrote? In this Bible study, we will ignore the worthless conjecture and just let the Bible speak for itself.

No doubt about, friends, that Exodus is completely silent about angels being on Mount Sinai with Moses during the time he received the Law. That being said, is Galatians 3:19 automatically a mistake? Is this proof that Paul was a false prophet? (This is the conclusion of those who complain about this matter. They are not really interested in letting the Bible speak for itself. In fact, I am going to be so bold as to say that their real purpose is nothing more than to discredit Paul’s apostleship in whatever underhanded way they can. Let me show you how they actually pick on Paul, but never bother to mention other people in the Bible agree with Paul. Angels were most definitely present with Moses on Mount Sinai. Here are the non-Pauline verses to prove it!)

When the Prophet Stephen stood before Israel’s national leadership in Acts chapter 7, he spoke for just over 50 verses. Read this chapter in your time, my friend. It is an extensive “Old Testament” layout of Israel’s history—beginning with her origins in Abraham, all the way up to the time of Christ’s earthly ministry (which had concluded a year prior to Acts chapter 7). In that sermon, Stephen covered about 2,000 years of Jewish history. He stressed something important at the end. Israel’s religious leaders were so infuriated that they stoned him to death! Just before they violently massacred him, he mentioned the Law of Moses (religion is a most dangerous topic to mention!).

Stephen said to Israel’s national leadership, Acts chapter 7: “[51] Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. [52] Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: [53] Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. [54] When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.”

The Holy Spirit speaking through Stephen told Israel about their betrayal and murder of Messiah. Instead of receiving and believing the Lord Jesus, they handed Him over to the Gentiles/Romans for crucifixion (which punishment was reserved for the most wicked criminals). Above all, Israel had failed to keep the Mosaic Law, that which depicted the righteousness of the God-Man they had just sentenced to death! But, my friends, I want you to stop and look closely at verse 53: “Who have received the law by the disposition [instrumentality] of angels, and have not kept it.” Like I said earlier, we let the Bible speak for itself. The Holy Spirit through Stephen thought angels were involved with the giving of the Law. I have no problem believing what the Holy Spirit said here. Do you? (Then, we cannot make an issue of Paul saying the same thing!)

In the Book of Hebrews, chapter 2, we read: “[1] Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. [2] For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; [3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him….”

There is no question that the writer of Hebrews is here referring to the Law of Moses by using the expression, “the word spoken by angels was stedfast.” The phrase “and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward” is a description of those who disobeyed the Law of Moses. The Mosaic Law was at the heart of Israel’s religion, and those who violated it suffered various punishments (from paying fines to death by stoning!). Stop again and think, my friend. Who did the writer of Hebrews assume played a role in Moses’ receiving of the Law? Angels! (Again, I have no problem believing what the Holy Spirit claims here. Do you? Therefore, we cannot make an issue of Paul saying the same thing!)

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

My dear friends, here is what we must understand about this matter. People who complain about Paul’s declaration of angels giving the Law (Galatians 3:19) ignore the fact that Stephen (Acts 7:53) and the writer of Hebrews (2:2) agree with Paul! These ignorant people do not know enough about the Bible to comment on it, and yet they remark about it anyway. Are they actually reading and studying their Bibles before making these shameful, malicious, reckless claims? Of course not! (And they accuse Paul of not knowing the Bible?!?) Having a blind prejudice against the Apostle Paul—which Satan encourages, no doubt!—people will malign him and pick up on the silliest of issues. If they are this busy focusing on such hair-splitting topics, no wonder they do not have time for serious Bible study! They will criticize Paul when he speaks on this matter, but they will not complain about Stephen’s wording or Hebrews’ wording that agrees with Paul’s statement. This is most unfair, and is borderline dishonesty.

What the above faultfinders fail to realize, or just refuse to apply to Paul like they do with the rest of Scripture, is that the Bible is a progressive revelation. (God commonly withholds information in one Bible book only to reveal it many years later in another Bible book. The technical term for this feature is “subsequent narrative.”) While Moses never wrote about such angels in Exodus, it is important to note he did not deny they were there. The Holy Spirit simply did not see fit to reveal that information in Exodus. Historically, the Holy Spirit revealed to Stephen first about angels being present with Moses on Sinai. The Holy Spirit then showed it to Paul when he was writing Galatians 3:19 (years after Stephen and Acts chapter 7). God the Holy Spirit also revealed it to the writer of the Hebrews. If Paul was wrong, we must also toss out Acts and Hebrews!

Exactly what capacity those angels served in giving the Law to Israel, we cannot be sure because the Bible never explicitly shows us. (Those angels were most definitely there as witnesses, to say the least.) Furthermore, it is not bizarre that angels were instrumental in giving the Law to Moses so he could then pass it on to Israel. Many times in Scripture, God sent angels to provide light and understanding to people (Genesis 16:7-13; Exodus 3:1-22; 1 Kings 19:5-7; Daniel 9:20-37; Matthew 2:13; Luke 2:9-15; Revelation 22:8; et cetera). Anyone familiar with the Bible knows that angels, from Genesis through the Revelation, are intricately involved in God’s dealings with Israel.

One more thing, my friends, before we wrap this up. Just because angels were involved in its delivery did not mean the Mosaic Law was less serious. Remember, “…the word spoken by angels was stedfast [firm, of force, sure]…” (Hebrews 2:2). Although angels were instrumental in its ratification, the Mosaic Law was still the Word of God, “the work of God… the writing was the writing of God… written with the finger of God.” Those angels had been given divine authority. When we consider Exodus, Acts, Galatians, and Hebrews as one giant unified testimony, we conclude that angels cooperated with the LORD in giving the Law to Moses so he could give it to Israel. Friends, let us believe the words of the Bible, and let its critics be wrong.

Also see:
» Do Acts 9:7 and Acts 22:9 contradict each other?
» Was the Apostle Paul a false prophet?
» Did Paul quote verses out of context in 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1?

ANGELS & DEVILS, Are angels women?

Are angels women?

ARE ANGELS WOMEN?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Dear friend, we have all seen them in ecclesiastical art. Young women with long hair and feathered wings—supposedly angelic beings. Would this be an accurate description of angels? Is this how the Bible depicts angels, or is this merely superstition and mythology?

In the Bible, God’s angels are always referred to with the pronouns “he” and “him”—never “she” or “her.” Angels take on the form of men rather than women. Notice this sampling of verses:

  • Genesis 31:11-12: “[11] And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. [12] And HIS said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.”
  • Numbers 22:23: “And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and HIS sword drawn in HIS hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.”
  • Judges 6:22: “And when Gideon perceived that HE was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.”
  • 1 Chronicles 21:27: “And the LORD commanded the angel; and HE put up HIS sword again into the sheath thereof.”
  • Zechariah 5:5-8,11: “[5] Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. [6] And I said, What is it? And HE said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. HE said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. [7] And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. [8] And HE said, This is wickedness. And HE cast it into the midst of the ephah; and HE cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof….[11] And HE said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.”
  • Matthew 28:2-4: “[2] 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. [3] HIS countenance was like lightning, and HIS raiment white as snow: [4] And for fear of HIM the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.”
  • Luke 1:11-12: “[11] And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. [12] And when Zacharias saw HIM, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.”
  • Acts 10:3-4: “[3] He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. [4] And when he looked on HIM, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And HE said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.”
  • Revelation 22:8-10: “[8] 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. [9] 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. [10] And HE saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”

DOES THIS REALLY MATTER?

Why does it really matter that we refer to angels as men instead of women? Should we dogmatic, or are we making something out of nothing? We will let the Bible speak for itself.

Go back to Zechariah chapter 5 and read the full context of the verses we quoted earlier: “[5] Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. [6] And I said, What is it? And HE said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. HE said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. [7] And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. [8] And HE said, This is wickedness. And HE cast it into the midst of the ephah; and HE cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. [9] Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. [10] Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? [11] And HE said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.”

There are two types of spirit creatures in this passage. Firstly, we see an angel, appearing as a man, giving instruction to the Prophet Zechariah. Secondly, we see two spirit creatures that are women, they have wings like the wings of a stork, and they are associated with “wickedness” (verses 7-9). They are associated with “Shinar,” the site of the Tower of Babel, man’s first rebellion against God; Zechariah is mentioning them as they relate to man’s final rebellion against God in prophecy to be fulfilled beyond our day. These women creatures with wings are not God’s servants but rather fallen angelic beings. When you see pictures of women with flowing blond hair and wings, you know they are not God’s angels but evil beings serving Satan!

Also see:
» Do angels really watch us?
» What is the “angels’ food” of Psalm 78?
» Do we have guardian angels?

ANGELS & DEVILS, BIBLE VERSIONS AND MANUSCRIPTS, Should we use the word “demons?”, Should we use the word “demons?”

Should we use the word “demons?”

SHOULD WE USE THE WORD “DEMONS?” ARE THEY THE SAME AS DEVILS?

by Shawn Brasseaux

One of the most frequent charges laid against the King James Bible is its usage of the word “devils” instead of “demons.” It is argued that there is only one devil, so we should not call his associates “devils.” This argument is used to “beat up” the King James Bible and those who use it. As always, before we glibly believe what the Bible critics tell us, we will investigate the matter for ourselves. Are our King James translators wrong, or are the King James critics wrong?

Vine’s Concise Dictionary of Bible Words says the following under the entry for “Devil, Devilish:”

“diabolos (1228), ‘an accuser; a slanderer’ (from diaballo, ‘to accuse, to malign’), is one of the names of Satan. From it the English word ‘Devil’ is derived, and should be applied only to Satan, as a proper name. daimon, ‘a demon,’ is frequently, but wrongly translated ‘devil;’ it should always be translated ‘demon,’ as in the RV margin. There is one ‘Devil,’ there are many demons.”

As you can see, in the realm of Bible “scholarship,” the King James Bible is heavily frowned upon for using “devils” instead of “demons.” Did you notice how Vine’s referred to the “RV?” It is the perverted Revised Version of 1881 that apostates Westcott and Hort produced in England to “de-throne” the King James Bible. The corrupt Greek New Testament and textual concepts of Westcott and Hort have dominated Bible “scholarship” for over 100 years. As you can see, the works of Westcott and Hort are often used to challenge—“correct”—the Authorized Version King James Bible. Whenever you hear or read someone offering a “better reading” or “better translation” than what is found in the King James Bible, just remember they are repeating the worthless speculations of unbelievers!

The word “demon” is not a translation but rather a transliteration of the Greek term daimon (δαίμων). Since the modern English versions use “demon” and “demons” throughout their texts, no one teaching from them will use the term “devils.” Consequently, the audiences will rarely hear the term “devils.” All these people have become accustomed to using and hearing “demons,” but that does not necessarily make it right. For years, I operated under the influence of modern English versions. I used “demon” and “demons” throughout my early Bible studies. Several years ago, however, someone drew this to my attention and I quit using such non-biblical terms. The correct word is “devil/s” not “demon/s.” Let me explain why we should note this.

In mythology, a “demon” is defined as “a god, or a subordinate deity, as the genius of a place or a person’s attendant spirit.” According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, daimon is defined as: “in Grk. auth. a god, a goddess; an inferior deity, whether good or bad.”

Vine’s Concise Dictionary of Bible Words has the following under the entry for “Demon, Demoniac:”

“A. Nouns. 1. daimon (1142), ‘a demon,’ signified, among pagan Greeks, an inferior deity, whether good or bad. In the NT it denotes ‘ an evil spirit.’ It is used in Matt. 8:31, mistranslated ‘devils.’
2. daimonion (1140), not a diminutive of daimon, No. 1, but the neuter of the adjective daimonios, pertaining to a demon, is also mistranslated ‘devil,’ ‘devils.’ In Acts 17:18, it denotes an inferior pagan deity.”

As these Bible scholars freely confess, a “demon” can be bad or good. If someone is new to the English language, especially small children, “demon” is a difficult word to define. However, if we just leave “devil” in our King James Bible, it will be quite easy to see that a devil in the Bible is always bad, always evil—notice the letters D-E–V–I–L. To do as the modern translators have done (including NKJV), and change the King James “devils” to “demons” some six-dozen or seven-dozen times, is to water down the Bible. God’s Word is made less clear. So, in effect, when the modern versions say the “King James is so hard to read,” they have to admit the King James is actually much easier than they allege! Their “pet” modern English versions reader harder in the case of “demons” and “devils!”

Enjoy our Bible Q&A studies? You can support us by donating securely here: https://www.paypal.me/ShawnBrasseaux. Thanks!

Also see:
» How does Satan operate today?
» Can you explain Genesis 6:1-4?
» Can you explain 1 Peter 3:18-21?

ANGELS & DEVILS, Can you explain Jude 9?, Can you explain Jude 9?, SATAN AND HIS POLICY OF EVIL

Can you explain Jude 9?

CAN YOU EXPLAIN JUDE 9—SATAN FIGHTING ARCHANGEL MICHAEL FOR THE BODY OF MOSES?

by Shawn Brasseaux

The Bible says in Jude 9: “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.” This is one of the strangest verses found in the “New Testament” Scriptures. There are several unanswered questions. Firstly, what was “the body of Moses?” Secondly, why was Satan so interested in it? Thirdly, what was Jude’s purpose in mentioning this odd scenario? This Bible study will attempt to answer all three inquiries.

What makes Jude 9 challenging is the fact that it lacks a direct (historical) “Old Testament” parallel passage. It is something God the Holy Spirit kept secret until He revealed it in Jude’s little epistle; still, Israel is benefited by God mentioning the account precisely in the book of Jude. We “unlock” Jude 9 by recalling related verses and concepts.

QUESTION #1: WHAT WAS “THE BODY OF MOSES?”

Some have suggested “the body of Moses” was the nation Israel. They claim just as we are “the Body of Christ,” the nation Israel is the “body of Moses.” Is this a wise interpretation of the term? For some time, before I researched it, I considered it a possibility. Since studying the matter for myself, I do not believe “the body of Moses” refers to Israel. Never once does the “Old Testament” Scriptures call Israel “the body of Moses.” While Moses was an important figure in Jewish history, the nation Israel existed centuries before Moses was even born. For God to call Israel “the body of Moses” would not make much sense. The nation began with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s 12 sons.

The definition of “the body of Moses” that makes most sense to me is the literal, flesh-and-blood, physical body that Moses lived in while he walked on the Earth. Let me share with you what verses led me to that conclusion.

QUESTION #2: WHY DID SATAN DESIRE THE BODY OF MOSES?

There was something unique about Moses’ physical body in the Old Testament economy. Can you recall what it was? Deuteronomy 34:5-6 says: “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.” In this the last chapter of Deuteronomy, we read that God Himself buried Moses.

Moses’ special burial was twofold. Firstly, it prevented the Jews from knowing the exact location of his grave. They would have undoubtedly made it a shrine, a place of idolatrous worship. Remember, religion revels in recovering “relics!!” Secondly, God had a very unique purpose to fulfill with that corpse (which we will mention in our third section). Satan evidently recognized this, for, as Jude reported, Satan contended with Michael the Archangel concerning Moses’ body. Michael the Archangel and Satan himself were apparently present at Moses’ burial.

QUESTION #3: WHY DID THE HOLY SPIRIT INCLUDE JUDE 9?

What is the purpose of Jude 9? This is where we must recognize the context of the whole book of Jude. We also have to note the surrounding verses in the book of Jude. Furthermore, we must be mindful of what the “Old Testament” already said about Moses’ body (our earlier comments).

Jude sits in the section of the Bible we will conveniently call “Hebrews through Revelation.” Hebrews is the first Israeli book that follows Paul’s epistles in the canon of Scripture. The book of Hebrews marks the beginning of Israel’s program once our Dispensation of Grace ends with the Rapture (us, the Body of Christ, being caught up to meet the Lord in the air). Hebrews loops back to early Acts, early Acts loops back to the Four Gospels, and the Four Gospels loop back to the books of Genesis through Malachi (what we call “the Old Testament” by convenience). Moreover, what starts in Hebrews continues in James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1 & 2 & 3 John, and Jude. It all culminates in the book of the Revelation.

The book of Hebrews speaks of “the world to come” (Hebrews 2:5). Everything that needs to occur before Jesus Christ can return to Earth, or everything that will occur when Jesus Christ returns to Earth, we can find glimpses and summaries in Hebrews through Revelation. Before Jesus Christ’s Second Coming, there will be a time we call “the seven-year Tribulation. The Bible calls it “Daniel’s 70th Week” (Daniel 9:24-27), or “the Time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). It is the last seven years of Satan ruling over the Earth.

Jude’s overall purpose is to encourage believing Israelites to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (verse 4). They are living among Bible mockers and unbelievers (see verse 18-19). Jude uses some very unflattering language to describe these followers of Satan. He also makes several Old Testament allusions to highlight who these people really are and what they are really doing. The imagery is quite horrific. Friend, you will not understand every little thing in the tiny book of Jude, but read it sometime. Only 25 verses long, Jude is a book of correction for Israel’s Little Flock as they endure the seven-year Tribulation. They need to think about their circumstances as God thinks about them, and not fall into Satanic deception.

The best way to handle Jude 9 is to get the thought-flow starting with verse 8: “[8] Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. [9] 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.” In light of verse 9, verse 8’s “dignities”—Greek word is doxa, as in “doxology,” or “praises, glories, honors”—must be angelic beings. The unbelievers whom Jude is denouncing tend to “speak evil of” (blaspheme) angelic beings. Yet, as Jude points out, even the powerful Archangel Michael did not speak evil of Satan when he disputed with Satan over Moses’ body. Rather than dare fight Satan himself, or slander Satan, Michael depended upon the Lord Jesus Christ to deal with Satan. Jude’s purpose is not so much to deal with the subject of Moses’ body being buried, but rather Michael’s method/attitude when dealing with Satan concerning Moses’ body. “The Lord rebuke thee,” Michael told Satan, echoes the words of the Angel of the LORD recorded in Zechariah 3:2: “The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan.”

To further understand Jude 9, we appeal to 2 Peter 2:10-11, which reads very similar: “[10] But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. [11] Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.” Verse 11 seems to indicate that verse 10 and Jude 8 are referring to people who rail against evil angels. Unlike Michael the Archangel who dared not bring railing accusation against Satan, these unbelievers fail to understand the immense strength of angels (especially fallen angels).

Jude proceeds to say the unbelieving neighbors of his audience not only “speak evil of dignities [angels]” (verse 8)—foolishly forgetting they are weak compared to angels, and not even mighty Michael the Archangel railed against Satan (verse 9)—but these unbelievers also “speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves” (verse 10). They are completely clueless as to what they are doing. They have no insight into spiritual matters because the Spirit of God is not leading them (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). In fact, Jude says they are “as brute beasts” (the dumbest of the most unintelligent animals!). Had these blasphemers been led by God’s Spirit, they would have reacted the way Michael the Archangel responded. They would have let Almighty God take care of them rather than speak evil of these angels.

Remember our comments about Moses’ special burial recorded at the end of Deuteronomy? During “Daniel’s 70th Week,” the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble, commonly called the “Seven-Year Tribulation,” God will have two witnesses stand before the Antichrist (the world political leader). See Revelation 11:1-12. There is strong Scriptural evidence that Moses is one of these two witnesses. Notice verse 6—this is very similar to Moses’ previous ministry when Israel was in Egypt. Evidently, God will resurrect Moses’ hidden body, have Moses stand to oppose the Antichrist, and then permit the Antichrist to kill Moses. But, we must stop here, and save that for another study!

Also see:
» Can you explain 1 Peter 3:18-21?
» Can you explain Genesis 6:1-4?
» Did God give angels free will as He gave to mankind?

ANGELS & DEVILS, BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS / CONFUSING VERSES SIMPLIFIED, Can you explain Genesis 6:1-4?, Can you explain Genesis 6:1-4?, Can you explain Genesis 6:1-4?, Can you explain Genesis 6:1-4?, CREATION AND EARLY MAN, SATAN AND HIS POLICY OF EVIL

Can you explain Genesis 6:1-4?

CAN YOU EXPLAIN GENESIS 6:1-4?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Genesis 6:1-4 is the most mysterious passage in the Bible’s first book. Friend, we will get right to it and hopefully shed some light on it.

“[1] And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, [2] That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. [3] And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. [4] There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”

What makes this passage a great point of contention is trying to identify “the sons of God.” Just for the record, Dr. C. I. Scofield has the following note at Genesis 6:4 in his study Bible:

“Some hold that these ‘sons of God’ were the ‘angels which kept not their first estate’ (Jude 6). It is asserted that the title is in the O. T. exclusively used of angels. But this is an error (Isa. 43. 6). Angels are spoken of in a sexless way. No female angels are mentioned in Scripture, and we are expressly told that marriage is unknown among angels (Mt. 22. 30). The uniform Hebrew and Christian interpretation has been that verse 2 marks the breaking down of the separation between the godly line of Seth and the godless line of Cain, and so the failure of the testimony to Jehovah committed to the line of Seth (Gen. 4. 26).”

With that said, which of the following two scenarios do the Scriptures support?

  1. Seth’s descendants (“the sons of God”) intermarried with Cain’s descendants (“the daughters of men”) and had children with them. OR
  2. Angels (“the sons of God”) intermarried with Adam’s descendants (“the daughters of men”) and had children with them.

If you study the verses carefully, you see that number 1 can be ruled out. Verse 1 says “daughters were born unto men.” This would not be a reference to just Seth’s descendants, but all female descendants of Adam. The phrases “sons of God” and “daughters of men” contrast two different sets of creatures—non-humans and humans, respectively. In the book of Job, “sons of God” refers to angelic beings (Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Job 38:7). Angels is the only acceptable sense of the term “sons of God” in Genesis 6:1-4.

Now will be presented some tangential explanations people have developed. “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose” (verse 2). Some have suggested the word “took” implies alien abductions and human-alien hybrids. If they want to believe that then that is their prerogative. However, I personally think that they are using Hollywood and science fiction to interpret the Bible. There exists a much simpler and more plausible explanation.

“Alien abductions” does not seem to me to be a valid interpretation of that term “took them wives” (Genesis 6:2). The Hebrew word translated “take” in Genesis 6:2 is rendered elsewhere as “take” in marriage (Leviticus 18:17,18; Leviticus 20:14,17,21; Leviticus 21:7,13,14). These instances had absolutely nothing to do with kidnapping/abducting. They describe selecting a spouse from a population of people. In the book of Leviticus, God instructed the Levites to “take” wives only from their tribe. Did that mean the Levites were to abduct (kidnap) women and make wives out of them? We would have to conclude this if we said that “taking” a wife meant abduction, forcing a woman against her will. The word “took” in Genesis 6:2 simply means they “chose” wives and as men “choose” wives today.

WHY DID THESE WOMEN GET INVOLVED WITH SATAN’S MINIONS?

Exactly which women would want to get involved in such strange unions with devilish creatures? My explanation is that the women did not know the true identity of the men they married and had sexual relations with. We know that angels assume the form of men when they enter our dimension. From all outward appearance, a devil-possessed person looks normal. These devil-possessed men appeared ordinary, and the women were oblivious to what they really were. We want to also answer Dr. Scofield on his point about angels not marrying (Matthew 22:30). While it is true that angels do not marry one another (the meaning of Matthew 22:30), Genesis chapter 6 was fallen angels marrying human women. Fallen angels indwelt men, and through these men, they were able to marry and have children with human women.

Second Peter chapter 2, verses 4-5, seem to be the best commentary on the events of the first verses of Genesis chapter 6: “[4] 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; [5] And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly….” These “angels” are connected to Noah’s preaching and the Great Flood—the most likely explanation of Genesis chapter 6:1-4 is found here (with Jude 6 supplementing).

SATAN’S PURPOSE IN GENESIS 6:1-4

Why did Satan want to create a perverted race of people? The Devil knew God’s promise in Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” God told Satan that He (God) would one day send a man who would defeat him (Satan). The “seed of the woman” turned out to be Jesus Christ many, many centuries later (Galatians 3:16). Before Jesus was born, Satan attempted to pervert the entire bloodline of the human race. With the genome of the human race polluted by sin and Satan, no pure bloodline would be available for God’s “seed of the woman” to be born. This evidently was Satan’s goal in Genesis 6:1-4.

Nevertheless, Genesis 6:9 says: “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” Noah was separated from that perverted bloodline that Satan had begun to form in the opening verses of the chapter. That is, Noah had not descended from these satanic unions and generation of giants. He was not an emissary of Satan. Thus, God had Noah and his (pure) descendants enter the ark, and begin the human race anew and untainted by Satan. The giants, not on the ark, lost their lives in the Great Flood. God took the evil angels that indwelt them and put them in everlasting chains of darkness in hell (refer back to 2 Peter 2:4-5 and Jude 6).

MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PASSAGE

Having provided you with the verses that govern my thinking on this subject, I will offer the best explanation I can provide.

The greatest challenge to interpreting Genesis 6:1-4 is that, as far as Scripture is concerned, such events never occurred again in human history. Since it is unparalleled, Scriptural explanation is greatly limited. However, we do know in other places in Scripture that devil possession is possible.

In Genesis 6:1-4, Satan’s fallen angels indwelt men sometime between Adam’s creation and the Great Flood of Noah’s Day. These men, because of their devil possession, had their DNA drastically altered. When they married unsuspecting women, and the women bore children, those children turned out to be “super-humans.” They were “giants,” “mighty men which were of old, men of renown” (Genesis 6:4). Whether physically and/or mentally “gigantic” the Bible does not provide detail. The point is that these offspring were not ordinary humans. They were very useful to Satan in corrupting society and preventing God’s will from coming to pass on Earth. God brought about the Great Flood to exterminate these evil creatures, and confine the angels to hell.

One final remark. Perhaps you have seen emails circulating online, or posts circulating via social media, containing pictures of giant human skeletons being excavated. People use this as proof that Genesis 6:1-4 really happened. I am very skeptical about such pictures. If the Bible says it happened, then it happened, but it is quite easy today in this technologically advanced world to manipulate photographs and video footage. Such pictures of giant human skeletons may in fact be doctored or exaggerated. I do not concern myself with these images.

Also see:
» Can you explain 1 Peter 3:18-21?
» What are Satan’s current operations?
» Did God give angels free will as He gave to mankind?

ANGELS & DEVILS, Do people become angels when they die?

Do people become angels when they die?

DO PEOPLE BECOME ANGELS WHEN THEY DIE?

by Shawn Brasseaux

There are many misconceptions about angels—especially what they look like and their role in this the Dispensation of Grace. One idea that pervades the minds of religious people involves people dying and going to heaven to become angels. Is this a true view of angels, or just any one of the many misunderstandings of angels? To the Bible, the only authoritative Book on the subject!

One portion of Scripture that helps us with this topic is Nehemiah 9:6: “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.” God created angelic beings, and these angels are separate and distinct from people. Read Job 38:7: “…the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” When God created the heaven and the earth, the angels were there to see it and they got excited. Angels existed before the first man (Adam) was ever made.

The Bible says that God made man in His image (Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 9:6). It never says that angels were made in God’s image. This is a second indication that angels and people are two separate species of creatures in God’s universe.

Another passage that sheds light is Hebrews 2:16-17, which describes what Jesus Christ experienced when He became a Man in order to suffer our eternal death on Calvary and pay for our sins: “[16] For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. [17] Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

When Jesus Christ became a Jew, a descendant of Abraham, Scripture says that He did not become an angel. He became a Man, the perfect Man. There is “the nature of angels,” as Hebrews 2:16 says above, and there is “the seed of Abraham.” Thus, we see another clear distinction between angels and humans in God’s Holy Word. This difference is delineated in verse 9: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Angels cannot die, but people can.

Finally, another difference between angels and humans—yea, the main difference between angels and people—is that we can have a personal relationship with God Almighty. Angels were created individually, while God made people through the process of natural reproduction. Thus, fallen angels can never be redeemed—they would each need a saviour. One Saviour, however, can redeem all people, for Adam represented all people (see Romans chapter 5, verses 12 through 21). Consequently, angels really do not know what soul salvation is like, they do not really understand God’s grace to us, and they learn God’s Word by watching His saints go about their daily lives.

Friends, let it be perfectly clear in your minds. Angels will always be angels and humans will always be humans. The two will never mix. Our human nature does not change when we reach heaven. We will always be humans. They will always be angels. The Bible screams that people and angels are two different classes of creatures. We would have to want to embrace church tradition to ignore these simple Bible verses.

SUPPLEMENTAL: WHERE DID THE CONFUSION ORIGINATE?

Where did the notion that people become angels when they die, come from? It is possible that it originated from a misreading of Matthew 22:30: “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” This verse is not saying that people become angels in heaven. It is actually teaching that, just as angels do not marry or give each other in marriage, resurrected individuals will not marry or give in marriage. They already lived their lives on Earth, they already reproduced, and, once God resurrects all believers, they will not re-marry their former spouses and they will not have any more offspring. In fact, there will not be “husbands” and “wives” and “children” in heaven. There are no such relationships in heaven—those are earthly conditions and only last a short time. Strange indeed, but that is what the Bible teaches, and I will believe it than anyone or anything else any day!

Also see:
» How is mankind “lower than the angels?”
» Do we have guardian angels?
» How does Satan operate today?

ANGELS & DEVILS, Do we have guardian angels?

Do we have guardian angels?

DO WE HAVE GUARDIAN ANGELS?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Christian people frequently talk about “guardian angels.” These spirit beings supposedly keep us safe. Popular “Christian” songs refer to angels watching over us. Sometimes, angels are said to appear to relay God’s messages to us. Others say that we can pray for angels to intervene and heal our sick bodies. Some are silly enough to suggest that their guardian angels move vehicles out of the way so they can get a nice parking space close to the store building! What are we to believe? Friends, we need to allow God’s Spirit to take His Word and teach us, rather than letting some church tradition or human philosophy guide us concerning spiritual matters. To the Bible rightly divided—that is what we need to believe!

There is no question that angels exist. The Bible makes reference to them over 250 times. There is no question that God sends angels to aid believers. Here are some more of the well known verses that talk about them:

  • “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 34:7).
  • “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11-12).
  • “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).
  • “And they said unto her, Thou art mad [crazy]. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel” (Acts 12:15).
  • “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).

Throughout the Old Testament, angels protected and guided the nation Israel (Exodus 23:20,23; Exodus 33:2; Judges 6:11,12; 2 Kings 19:35; et al.). There are scores of verses that speak of “guardian angels.” But do we have guardian angels today, in our Dispensation of Grace?

Angels ministered to Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry (Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:43). Angels rescued the imprisoned apostles (Acts 5:18-26) and delivered the Apostle Peter from prison (Acts 12:1-11). Yet, when we come to our Apostle Paul (Romans 11:13), God uses an earthquake—not an angel—to free him from prison (Acts 16:23-28). Why? Notice what Paul writes about angels today. They should not be worshipped (Colossians 2:18) and that, if a supposed “angel” appears to us today, it would do so only to deceive by preaching to us a false gospel (Galatians 1:8; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:14). But, Paul’s epistles are silent about guardian angels in our Dispensation of Grace. This is why right division (2 Timothy 2:15), dispensational Bible study, is so important. We are not guaranteed physical protection with angels like God promised Israel, but we Christians have some better: we have eternal spiritual protection because the indwelling Holy Spirit is guarding our souls (Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30; cf. Romans 8:35-39). Think of all the Christians who died in automobile accidents, shootings, stabbings, executions—where were their guardian angels? They did not have any, friend! Save yourself from the disappointment, believing in something that God is not doing today. If we have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ exclusively as our personal Saviour, no matter what happens to our physical bodies, our souls are in Jesus Christ and they will go to heaven.

Furthermore, Paul writes that, while angels have no ministry to us today, we have a ministry to them! The angels are curious about what God is doing, so they learn this by watching us, the Church the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:9; 1 Corinthians 11:10; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Timothy 5:21). Smile, they are watching! (For more info, see our study linked at the end of this article.)

By the way, as mentioned earlier, Hebrews 1:14 is a common “proof text” for guardian angels in our dispensation. However, this verse has a context, and it is the book of Hebrews—this is speaking of future Israel. Again, Paul’s epistles are clear. We do not need angels today—they need us.

Also see:
» Are angels really watching us?
» Did God give angels free will as He gave to mankind?
» How is mankind “lower than the angels?”

ANGELS & DEVILS, What is the “angels’ food” of Psalm 78:24-25?

What is the “angels’ food” of Psalm 78:24-25?

WHAT IS THE “ANGELS’ FOOD” OF PSALM 78:24-25?

by Shawn Brasseaux

“What is the angels’ food of Psalm 78:24-25? Was it manna, and what exactly was manna? Is that some kind of corn ‘the corn from heaven’, or bread as on earth (Exodus 16:4; Numbers 11:6-9)? Or, was it the meat of verse 25? Is there any other reference to angels needing or wanting to eat?”

Thank you for the submission. You have a fascinating set of questions here. Let us search the Scriptures for answers!

Okay, Psalm 78:24-25: “[24] And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. [25] Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.” “Manna,” “the corn of heaven,” “angels’ food,” and “meat” are all different ways of describing the same food. It might be best to answer your question by analyzing each of these four terms.

1. “MANNA” (Psalm 78:24a)

You probably recall that, after God delivered the nation Israel from Egyptian bondage, she was in the wilderness under Moses’ leadership. Throughout Exodus chapters 15-17, on several occasions, Israel complained and murmured against God. The Jews wanted water and food. In chapter 16, God promised to rain down “bread from heaven” (verse 4). The LORD informed Moses that He would provide Israel with quail in the evening and bread in the morning (verse 12). That evening, quails covered Israel’s camp, but the following morning they collected the manna.

When God rained down the manna, the children of Israel saw it on the ground and asked in verse 15, “What is it?” “Manna” is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew, man, literally meaning, “What is it?” Moses responded, “This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat” (verse 15). Moses defined “manna” as “bread.”

In John chapter 6, notice the discussion that the Jews and Jesus had: “[31] Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to me. [32] Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.” Jesus affirmed Moses’ words that “manna” was a type of bread.

Now, please understand, manna was a bread similar to but not entirely like our earthly bread. Remember, the Jews did not recognize it as bread (hence the question about it and their title for it). Manna did not resemble earthly bread in appearance. In fact, it tasted much better than any bread they had (or we ever have) ever eaten! Manna was “like the coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:31). Another verse says that manna tasted like “fresh oil” (Numbers 11:8)—that is, olive oil.

2. “THE CORN OF HEAVEN” (Psalm 78:24b)

Since manna is a type of “bread” (see point #1), it naturally follows that manna would be made of “corn.” Please make note of this term. “Corn,” in older English (as in the King James), is used to refer to any type of grain, not necessarily “corn” (“Indian corn”) as we commonly think of it. Strangely, there are evidently crops growing in heaven! After all, we read of people in heaven holding palm branches in their hands (Revelation 7:9). There are palm trees in heaven as well. Surely, in order to have manna (bread) coming from heaven, there must be raw ingredients (grain fields) in heaven to harvest and process into a finished product (bread).

When God says He gave Israel “the corn of heaven,” He is talking about the grains from which the bread was made. They were the pure grains of heaven, highly nutritional, untainted by fallible human bakers. The Jews could do with it what they wanted in terms of preparing it, but the manna was already grains and other ingredients formed into a bread-like substance. The Bible says that the Israelites ground it, or beat it, or baked it, or made cakes with it (Exodus 16:35; Numbers 11:8).

The angels harvested heavenly grains and used them to make the manna. This brings us to our third point.

3. “ANGELS’ FOOD” (Psalm 78:25a)

Yes, brother, it is strange but it is true. Angels eat! Save this verse, there is no other reference in the Bible to angels eating. Still, this single verse is sufficient to prove that they eat just like us. They consume different foods from us, but they eat. They eat special types of bread (and maybe other foods as well, but the Bible does not say).

While “scholars” may reduce “manna” to being nothing more than some gum resin from certain trees, their naturalistic explanation is unnecessary. We do not have to explain away something in the Bible simply because the human mind cannot understand it. We just need to believe the Bible and stop taking away from its miracles. Would angels really need to come to Earth and eat tree gum resin?! It is highly unlikely! “Manna” was not some earthly substance, but a heavenly substance. When the manna rained down, Israel saw “a small round thing,” tiny flakes covering the wilderness landscape (Exodus 16:14). Would gum resin from trees form into “small round things?” I doubt it! The fact that Moses and Jesus called manna “bread” is proof enough for me that it was not a gum resin.

A related, interesting Bible account can help to better understand this topic. When the Prophet Elijah was hiding from wicked Queen Jezebel who had threatened to take his life, an angel cooked for him out in the wilderness. Do you want to guess what type of food the angel prepared? We read in 1 Kings 19:4-8: “[4] But he [Elijah] himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. [5] And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. [6] And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. [7] And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. [8] And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.”

This angel baked a cake for Elijah—yes, angels can cook food! They make their own food in heaven (they certainly made food for Israel in the wilderness for 40 years)! While the Bible does not say that Elijah ate manna, he may have eaten it or something very similar. Note that that single meal of one cake was so highly nutritional that Elijah was able to live off of it for 40 days and 40 nights! Like we commented earlier, the food from heaven is drastically different from the earthly food we know. Angels know how to cook food properly and they are using some amazing ingredients!

4. “MEAT” (Psalm 78:25b)

Similar to our comments in point #2 concerning the term “corn,” “meat” is a general term for any type of food (flesh or vegetation). Even today, we use the word “meat,” not just to apply to animal flesh, but also in reference to the edible parts of fruits or nuts (vegetation). In the case of the 1611 translators, they are using older English, and in older English, “meat” is a general term for any type of food (animal flesh as well as vegetation). For example, Colossians 2:16 talks about, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:” This word “meat” would not only apply to animal meat but to all foods; “meat or drink” encompasses all foods and all drinks.

Psalm 78:24-25: “[24] And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. [25] Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.” Concerning Psalm 78:24-25, “meat” and “manna” are interchangeable—it is not “meat” as in flesh but “meat” as in “manna.” Verses 24-45 are one thought. “Man did eat angels’ food (colon, an explanation follows) he sent them meat to the full.” “Meat” would apply to all the comments of verses 24-25.

We know that “meat” in Psalm 78:25 is not talking about flesh in the sense of the quail, because Psalm 78:27-30 says: “[27] He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: [28] And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. [29] So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; [30] They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, [31] The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.”

Note how “meat” in verse 30 is general—it is the bread and the quail in their mouths.

SUPPLEMENTAL: “GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD” (MATTHEW 6:11)

Although God raining down manna (bread) for Israel to eat is very well known, the prophetic aspect is seldom realized: God will feed Israel again with manna during the seven-year Tribulation. The following Scriptures have a dual application—they are history and prophecy. “[14] Feed thy people with thy rod,… [15] as in the days of old. According to the days of [Israel’s] coming out of the land of Egypt…” (Micah 7:14-15). The psalmist recounted God giving manna to stubborn, ungrateful Israel under Moses’s leadership (Psalm 78:19-20): “[19]Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? [20] Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?” The psalmist David wrote, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies” (Psalm 23:5).

When the Jews in the area of Judaea hear the news of the Antichrist desecrating the newly-rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, God through the Scriptures will instruct them to flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:15-22; Mark 13:14-20). Their evacuation is urgent, and they are not to waste time gathering their material possessions. These Jews will escape into the wilderness, lacking food, shelter, and extra clothes. God will miraculously provide for them, just as He did for Israel in Moses’s day. Revelation 12:6 supplements: “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”

God will take care of this believing remnant of Israel or the last three-and-one-half years of the Tribulation (the 1,260 days referenced). This “hidden manna” of Revelation 2:17 will rain down for the last 42 months of the seven years. As Jesus Christ taught in the so-called “Lord’s Prayer,” Israel’s believing remnant will literally rely on God for their daily food; thus, their third petition is, “Give us this day, our daily bread,” reminding themselves that He will meet all their physical needs as He promised (Matthew 6:24-34; Luke 12:22-32). Again, manna was a type of bread.

CONCLUSION

  1. “What is the angels’ food of Psalm 78:24-25? Was it manna?” Yes, the angels’ food was indeed manna. The “meat” of verse 25 is another title for the same food.
  2. “What exactly was manna? Is that some kind of corn ‘the corn from heaven’, or bread as on earth (Exodus 16:4; Numbers 11:6-9)?” Yes, manna, according to Moses and Jesus Christ, was bread, but not exactly like what we have on earth. It could be baked, formed into cakes, ground up, et cetera; it was round and white and tasted like honey or olive oil.
  3. “Is there any other reference to angels needing or wanting to eat?” No, but this one reference indicates angels do eat and they eat exactly what God gave the Jews under Moses, to eat out in the wilderness. Angels can also prepare food.

Also see:
» Do angels really watch us?
» Do we have guardian angels? (COMING SOON!)
» Do people become angels when they die? (COMING SOON!)

ANGELS & DEVILS, Do angels really watch us?

Do angels really watch us?

DO ANGELS REALLY WATCH US?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Yes, the Bible confirms that angelic beings watch us Christians as we carry out our day-to-day activities. We will look at these verses in this study.

The Apostle Paul and Sosthenes wrote to the Corinthian church: “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men” (1 Corinthians 4:9). Angels watched Paul and his companions conduct their ministries. The idea of “spectacle” is one of an arena or a theater: we are center-stage and the angels are sitting in the stands! Angels observe our activities—they see our sufferings for the Gospel’s sake, they hear our voices when we read God’s Word aloud, they see our sinful acts, they see us do the work of the ministry, and so on. We cannot see them but they can see us. By watching us and listening to us, the angels better understand God’s Word, especially how this the Dispensation of Grace operates (or, if our lives are inconsistent with grace living, they become confused). They are watching me write this and they are watching you read this!

When Paul gave Timothy a strict command in his first epistle to the young man, he wrote: “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality” (1 Timothy 5:21). The angels watched as Paul wrote this epistle to Timothy. They witnessed him giving Timothy instruction.

Concerning one of the many problems in Corinth (this problem being women usurping places of authority in the local church), Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:10: “For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.” Female Christians are to behave with the doctrine of headship in mind. They should not be behaving like men with respect to church leadership. Why? The angels are watching and they need to see God’s order of the sexes being followed instead of ignored. (For more information, you can see our study linked at the end of this article, “Must Christian women wear head coverings?”)

We read in 1 Timothy 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” While it is common to view this verse as referring to Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ being God was no “mystery” (for example, see Isaiah 9:6-7). The “mystery of godliness,” or secret of godliness, is that God would manifest Himself in human form with respect to the Church the Body of Christ. The Church the Body of Christ is the visible manifestation of Jesus Christ, the one true God. By means of Christians (the members, body-parts), the thoughts of the Head (Jesus Christ) are carried out. This doctrine was unheard of prior to Paul’s apostleship and epistles. We will discuss this more fully in a few moments.

Finally, Ephesians 3:8-10: “[8] Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; [9] And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: [10] To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” This passage will take some explaining.

In the Old Testament, the Four Gospels, and the first eight chapters of Acts, God spoke of His purpose and plan for the earth. That prophetic program focused on the nation Israel and an earthly kingdom (Matthew 25:34) “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). But, during that time, God kept a secret, “the mystery,” “the hidden wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). When the ascended Lord Jesus Christ saved Saul of Tarsus and made him Paul the Apostle in Acts chapter 9, the Lord revealed that information to Paul: “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest…” (Romans 16:25,26a). Paul’s epistles alone reveal this mystery (secret) program (Ephesians 3:1-9; Colossians 1:24-27). Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon speak of God’s purpose and program for the heaven, which encompasses our present-day Dispensation of Grace, a heavenly kingdom, and the Church the Body of Christ (Ephesians 2:6-7).

According to Ephesians 3:9, we members of the Body of Christ share the goal of the Apostle Paul: “to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery….” Our goal is not only to proclaim to people this now-revealed information in Paul’s epistles, but also to make it known to the angels, “the principalities and powers in heavenly places.” We do so not only by preaching and teaching the Holy Bible rightly divided, but by letting Jesus Christ live His life in and through us. The angels and people will thus see that grace doctrine on display in our lives.

CONCLUSION

Angels observe us Christians in order to gain God’s wisdom. They understand what God is doing today by listening to us teach and preach God’s Word rightly divided. While most church members care not to listen to the rightly divided King James Bible, and the denominationalists dislike us for exposing their church tradition, at least the angels are watching us and they are listening to us. This knowledge will certainly cause us to think differently about committing sin—not only God and people, but angels, are watching us too! 🙂

Also see:
» What is “the Dispensation of Grace?”
» What is “the fellowship of the mystery?”
» Must Christian women wear head coverings?