GOOD AND EVIL ANGELS

By Gary Ray Branscome

Although all angels were created good, there are now both good and evil angels. The words, “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,” tell us that invisible creatures [angels] were created by God (Colossians 1:16). And, the words, “God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good” tell us that all of the invisible creatures [angels] were good when they were created (Genesis 1:31). However, the words, “The angels who did not keep their first estate, but went outside their bounds, have been kept by Him in darkness” tell us that some of the angels sinned (Jude 1:6).

While the dream or vision that John describes in the book of Revelation is highly figurative, the words, “The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan,” tell us that the red dragon in John’s vision signified Satan (Revelation 12:9). And, if the dragon is Satan, then the fact that, “his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven” can be understood as telling us that Satan led one third of the angels into sin (Revelation 12:3-4).

The words, “Be careful that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I am telling you, That in heaven their angels continually behold the face of my Father who is in heaven,” tell us that the angels who did not sin “continually behold the face” of God (Matthew 18:10). Now, the fact that they “continually behold the face” of God tells us that they are no longer in danger of falling. And, the words, “When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory,” tell us that all of those angels will be with Christ when He returns (Matthew 25:31).

The words, “I charge you before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels,” speak of some of the angels as being chosen [elect] (1Timothy 5:21). Since Christ, “did not take on the nature of angels” or make atonement for them, the election of certain angels seems to lie in the fact that God choose to keep them from being deceived or overpowered by Satan (Hebrews 2:16). While the words, “You believe that there is one God; you do well: even the demons believe, and tremble,” tell us that the angels who sinned have no hope of salvation, but live in fear and dread (James 2:19).

While the Bible does not tell us when the angels sinned, we know that Satan sinned before he tempted Adam and Eve, because it is evil to want others to do evil. Moreover, because angels are spirits any place where they are incarcerated will be a spiritual place, not a physical place. That being understood, a comparison of 2Peter 2:4, “God did not spare the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them to be kept in chains of darkness, until judgment,” with Matthew 8:29, “They cried out, saying, What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? have you come here to torment us before the time?” tell us that, even though the angels who sinned have been cast “down to hell,” their active torment will be greater after the final judgment. Of that torment Revelation 20:10 says, “The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever”.