Cole Against the Darkness

The Doctrine of Angels, Satan, and Demons
1. Auflage 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4335-3318-1
Verlag: Crossway
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 272 Seiten

Reihe: Foundations of Evangelical Theology

Many Christians live as though they are effectively alone in the world. However, there is another realm of intelligent life that plays a role in the world-angelic beings. This book explores the doctrine of angels and demons, answering key questions about their nature and the implications for Christians' beliefs and behavior, helping readers see their place in the larger biblical plotline that includes supernatural beings. An understanding of the reality of angels and demons encourages believers to be vigilant in the light of spiritual warfare and to be confident in Christ's victory on the cross.

Graham A. Cole (ThD, Australian College of Theology) is emeritus dean and emeritus professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. An ordained Anglican minister, he has served in two parishes and was formerly the principal of Ridley College. Graham lives in Australia with his wife, Jules.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Cole, Graham A.

Leseproben

Chapter
Two

Angels, Their Kinds, and Heavenly Activity

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet there is a celebrated scene involving Hamlet, the ghost of Hamlet’s father, and Hamlet’s friend Horatio. Horatio, like Hamlet, is a student at the University of Wittenberg. He is skeptical about ghosts and finds the idea of Hamlet conversing with the ghost of his father “wondrous strange.” To which Hamlet responds, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”1 How right Hamlet was. In this chapter we consider not ghosts but those wondrous strange creatures the Bible calls angels.2 To do so we need to frame our study in the broadest of terms. So first we consider angels in the scheme of created things. Next, we consider the angelic realm and its inhabitants, ranging from angels to seraphim. Then we explore questions concerning the nature of angels as created beings. We also canvas the provocative thesis of Amos Yong on angelic nature. To be practical, we consider the implications of our findings for belief and practice, before drawing the threads together by way of a conclusion. An excursus on the nature of angels as spirits then follows.

Angels in the Scheme of Created Things

The basic metaphysical distinction in Scripture is that between the Creator and the creature (Gen. 1:1), not that between being and becoming, or between the infinite and the finite. These latter two distinctions have their place in theological discourse, but not first place.3 Angels stand on the creature side of the ledger, as we do. Their origin, like our own, lies in the creative action of God.4 In Psalm 148:1–5, angels are commanded along with other creatures to praise the name of their God, who “commanded and they [the angels] were created.”5 Angels are of heaven and we are of the earth. The heavens and the earth encompass the creaturely domain in biblical perspective.

Creatures are of different kinds and values. The testimony of Genesis 1 provides evidence for a myriad of creaturely kinds (Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25). Regarding creaturely value, Jesus argued, for example, that human beings are of more value than many sparrows or sheep (Matt. 10:31 and 12:12, respectively). In the hierarchy of creaturely value, humanity stands higher than other terrestrial life forms. But what of angels? Are they superior to human beings? Like human beings, angels bear personal names (e.g., Gabriel, as in Luke 1:19), they are speech agents (again Gabriel in Luke 1:19), intelligent, and are held morally accountable by the Creator (e.g., Satan, as in Rev. 20:1–4). Kevin J. Vanhoozer describes angels as “[a] third species of communicative agents.”6 Like us they belong in the realm of the person.7 However, they are nowhere described as the images of God, and in fact they are to be judged by believers (1 Cor. 6:3). Interestingly, we are called upon to love God, the people of God, our neighbors, and even our enemies (cf. Matt. 22:34–40; Rom. 13:8; and Matt. 5:43–44), but nowhere in Scripture are we commanded to love angels. Moreover, the second person of the triune Godhead became human, not angelic (Heb. 2:14). In the light of this, Peter Kreeft’s suggestion is baffling in places. He argues, “Humans are the lowest (least intelligent) of spirits and the highest (most intelligent) of animals. We are rational animals, incarnate minds, the smartest of animals and the stupidest of spirits.”8 How this fits with a Chalcedonian Christology, which posits that one person is perfectly God and perfectly human, is not clear.9

The Angelic Realm

As Stephen F. Noll rightly points out, “The term ‘angel’ itself (Hebrew: mal'ak; Greek: angelos) is functional, denoting a messenger, whether human or divine.”10 He is right, but in relation to “divine” messengers, confusion may arise. Millard J. Erickson, for example, would not describe angels as “divine beings” but instead as “superhuman.”11 There is some merit in this proposal. However, it might be better to describe these celestial beings as “suprahuman” (i.e., “supra,” beyond the human) to reflect something of their celestial origins or habitat.

Even more nuance is in order. Let me stipulate for the purposes of this study that “angels” broadly considered covers all sorts of spiritual beings, from seraphim to archangels to Satan and demons. Hence we have the theological topic of angelology, which covers both unfallen and fallen spiritual beings of heavenly origin. Narrowly considered, however, “angels” might refer to only some of the heavenly agents (archangels and angels).

N. T. Wright offers a helpful analogy when it comes to understanding a doctrine, which I will tweak in my own way.12 A doctrine is like a suitcase. In it are packed all the relevant biblical testimonies, organized in a useful way. The suitcase labeled “Atonement” might contain not only relevant biblical passages such as Romans 3:21–26 but also some key theories generated through Christian history, such as penal substitution or Christus Victor, to name just two. “Angelology” labels a particular doctrinal suitcase, and a variety of articles of clothing, such as seraphim or archangel, are to be found in it, together with their relevant biblical testimonies and, in addition, theories promulgated in the course of theological discussion and debate over time.

We begin broadly and positively with the unfallen angels (broad definition). “Angel” as the label for the consideration of fallen angels will come in later chapters. But as we do, we need to recognize that, when it comes to the heavenly angels (the broad definition), the Scriptures offer a plethora of terms that are not easy to systematize, and it is to the main terms that we now turn.13

Archangels

There are only two references to an archangel per se in Scripture (1 Thess. 4:16 and Jude 9). Jude 9 is of particular interest: “But when the archangel [archangelos] Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you.’” It is a fascinating text for a number of reasons. For a start, there is Jude’s use of a story referring to Michael that is probably drawn from a pseudepigraphal work known as the Assumption of Moses, which is also possibly behind Jude 6. Was he writing ad hominem in using such a source, or was this extracanonical tradition an authority for him?14 For our purposes what is significant is that Michael is of such a stature that he can confront the devil himself. Indeed in Revelation 12:7 he is named as the leader of the good angels in the war in heaven against the dragon and its angelic forces. Moreover, he bears a personal name. Angels are therefore not impersonal heavenly forces or influences. Gabriel is another angel who is named in Scripture (Luke 1:19), and he is traditionally identified as an archangel, although Scripture does not go that far.15

Angels

Angels are God’s messengers and appear to be the most numerous of the celestial spiritual beings.16 A good biblical example of angels as messengers is found in the Lukan story of the shepherds, in Luke 2:8–15. We read in verses 10–11, “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” The content of the message is both Christological and soteriological, set within the Davidic promises of old. As for the number of these angels, verses 13–14 are eloquent: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’” Angels do other tasks besides communicating the divine will, as we shall see anon.

Seraphim

Only one passage of Scripture refers to seraphim per se, but it is a magnificent one. In Isaiah 6:1–4 we find this description:

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!”

These creatures along with the cherubim (more anon) are well described by Noll as “throne angels.”17 They seem to be associated with the glorious presence of God and with purifying fire.18

Cherubim

Cherubim come into view...