The Star is Rising: Angels and the Future Move of God
Introduction
This teaching is about the role of angels in God’s present purposes, particularly in Western Australia. I cannot ever recall teaching on angels, have never seen an angel and do not believe that one should directly ask for the help of angels[1]. My hope in writing this is to prepare us through wisdom for a dimension of the supernatural that I believe is coming soon[2]. The practical dimensions of the teaching appear towards the end of the paper, which concludes with a fuller interpretation of the experiences recorded immediately below.
Some Unusual Experiences
1. On the 4th August, the last day of the 2007 Prayer Summit[3], in the middle of the night, I don’t’ know whether I was awake or asleep, I saw a flat topped pyramid structure in my mind. I thought no more of it when I got up the next morning to pray while it was still dark.
As it happened, I found myself walking east down Hay St, towards the WACA. I had a sense that the glory of God was going to come into the city from the east[4]. 2 Peter 1:19 came to mind, “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts”. This morning star is Jesus[5]. I did not realise at the time that Venus, the astronomical “morning star”, was then invisible at night, but very soon due to reappear in the east as the “bright morning star”. Since the natural speaks of the spiritual[7], I believe this signifies a coming radiance of Jesus in our city.
As I progressed along Hay St I suddenly saw the cut off pyramid that had appeared to me in the night, it was the Burswood Casino complex. This shape is connected to a prophetic promise given to me in Argentina years ago, the pyramid speaks of a manifestation of the wisdom of God to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places through the coming of the glory of God to the church[9].
2. On the15th August during the night I had a clear mental image of the constellations and sensed that this related to Daniel 12:3, “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” I set about to search the scriptures as to how these experiences connected with what Jesus was saying to the church today.
Persecuted Saints and Holy Angels[10]
In the context of Daniel, those who “turn many to righteousness” (12:3) are the faithful Israelites persecuted under the tyranny of the paganising Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes (215 – 164 BC)[11]. In Daniel 12 these saints[12] are likened to the stars, but earlier in the book “stars” appear to be heavenly beings. “It[13] grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host, that is, some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them.” (8:10). The expression, “host of heaven” is used in the Old Testament as an expression for angels[14]. There is a parallel between the state of the angelic world in heaven and the condition of the people of God on earth.
This receives confirmation in a much misunderstood passage in Revelation 12. John sees, “in heaven …a great red dragon”, later identified as Satan (v.9), whose “tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth” (v.4). Since in the symbolism of apocalyptic literature stars represents angels[15], it appears that the devil is successful in removing a significant proportion[16] of the holy angelic host from their place of heavenly authority[17]. As in Daniel, there is a connection between angels and saints.
The letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2- 3 are each addressed “to the angel of the church in…”[18]. Yet it is human church members that are to hear and obey Christ’s words. Since angels and Christians are both servants of God[19] they are somehow included in a mutual destiny. It appears heavenly powers exercise a real oversight of churches, and the churches benefit from the ministry position of angels.
Bringing this background (and the data from Daniel) to Revelation 12, it now appears that the timing of the satanic attack on the holy angels coincided with the persecution of Israel[20] on earth. This may be a telescoping of the whole Old Testament period, where from the slaying of Abel to the deliverance under Esther evil powers work to thwart God’s promise of the birth of a final deliverer[21]. Whatever the precise details, it is clear that in the spiritual battle in the heavenly places, angels and believers can rise and fall together. The basis for this is found in the structure of creation.
Angels and the Image of God
Adam was created as a “son of God” (Luke 3:38), in the Old Testament angels also bear this title[22]. The common title suggests a deep affinity between humans and these heavenly beings. This is consolidated by a careful examination[23] of the foundational text on the image of God, “Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” ” (Gen 1:26 -28). Since the same plural “let us”[24] reappears in contexts that clearly involve the angelic host[25], it seems that humans and angels share a common relationship with God[26].
The common denominator seems to be rule. This is the outcome of the image of God in Genesis 1:27, i.e. to “have dominion”, and it is a striking feature of the most outstanding visions of angelic powers in scripture[27]. Made a little lower than the angels who ruled with God in the heavens[28], man was invested with official authority to exercise dominion as priest-king in God’s earthly courts.
The climactic Old Testament passage on this subject is Daniel 7. At the centre of the scene is the “the Ancient of Days” on his throne (v.9), he is surrounded by “ten thousand times ten thousand” (v.10), this is the heavenly army. Finally, “with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him;” (v.13- 14). This rule of the son of man is shared with “the saints of the most high” (7:27). This leaves us with a picture of concentric circles around the throne of God, the son of man, the angels and the saints rule the universe in unison. Whilst details of this picture are unclear in the Old Testament, they are fulfilled in the new.The “Son of Man” is Jesus, who not only uses this expression of himself repeatedly[29], but identifies himself with the one who shall rule all peoples, “And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.””(Mark 14:62). The rest of the New Testament shares this perspective, for example, angelic testify accompanies Jesus leaving and returning on heavenly clouds (Acts 1:9- 11), Paul speaks of Jesus being revealed from heaven with “his mighty angels” (2 Thess 1:7).
Most lucid is the visionary section of the book of Revelation[30]. The throne room of God is full of mysterious heavenly beings[31], but the one who has access to the scroll of the world’s destiny is not an angelic being but “a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain” (5:6), a clear picture of the crucified and risen Christ[32]. God rules through the humanity of Christ in the midst of and with the service[33] of angelic powers.
Angels and Humans Rise and Fall Together
This perspective explains how angelic and demonic powers are interconnected with human history. All things were created to manifest the glory of God[34], this finds its focus in those creatures most like God, angels and humans. In some special way, like lenses or magnifying glasses, angels and humans were to function together in the interrelationship between heaven and earth under divine sovereignty to magnify God’s glory in the universe[35]. When there was a oneness of cooperation between angels and humans in the image of God, everything was to be irradiated with God’s glory[36].
Something of the shape of God’s intentions can be drawn from scripture. Paul teaches, “he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place” (Acts 17:26). This means that nations[37] are not random entities but have a distinct place or space within the purposes of God. Furthermore in Deuteronomy 32:8[38], we read, “When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.” This indicates each people group has a supervising angel[39].
Material from Daniel fills out this picture. The elect nation of Israelhas a “prince” over it, the angel Michael (10:13, 21; 12:1). He is however opposed by “the prince of Persia”, evidently a demonic being[40]. Doubtless, these latter beings are the principalities and powers of the New Testament[41]. It is evident that the spiritual state of things in the heavenly places and on the earth (amongst identifiable people groups) somehow mirror one another. Since in Jesus “are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3), and we are seated in the heavenly places “with him” (Eph 2:6), it is to the testimony of Jesus that we must time for surer insight.
Jesus is Restoring All Things
In becoming flesh (John 1:14) the Son of God “for a little while was made lower than the angels” (Heb 2:9)[42]. The result of the creator of the entire angelic world[43]becoming of lower rank than heavenly beings was that of “having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs” (Heb 1:4). In other words, a human being, the mediator, “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5), is now exalted above all angelic beings[44].
The consistent biblical testimony is that the humanity of Jesus is ranked above angels, neither because of his deity[45] nor through some sort of supernatural evolution[46], but through voluntary suffering and death.
“we see…Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death” (Heb 2:9). “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”” (Luke 24:26). “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Phil 2:8 -9).
Because he has once for all dealt with the problem that broke the unity within the heavenly and earthly image of God, guilt, Jesus Christ “has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (1 Pet 3:22). On the cross, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Col2:15), he did this by taking away the sting of death and the power of sin[47]. In Jesus we now have a “man of heaven” (1 Cor 15:48- 49). The previously unthinkable gulf between God and man and between heavenly purity and human fallenness has been overcome in Christ[48].
The heavens once belonged to God and the earth to man (Ps 115:16), but now “all authority in heaven and earth” belongs to Jesus (Matt 28:18). Previously, “will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you” (2 Chron 6:18), but now “in him (Jesus) the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col 2:9).
If the glory of angels and humans working together was always to be a distributed glory, the glory of reflecting the divine nature[49], then since the fullness of this glory has been communicated to the humanity of Jesus, whatever was lost to men or angels can be returned to them through him[50].
[1] I accept the testimony of others that they have had angelic encounters; and see angels being sent by God many times in scripture, e.g. Matt 4:11; Luke 22:43.
[2] This is the “soon” of the prophetic scriptures, e.g. “the things that must soon take place”, ““Surely I am coming soon.”” (Rev 1:1;22:20 )
[3] PrayerSummit is a three day prayer retreat for Christian leaders, this year held at King’s Hotel Perth.
[4] There is a biblical connection here, the glory of God departed the Jerusalem temple eastwards before it was destroyed, and will return to the end –time city via the east gate (Ezek 10:1, 9; 11:23; 43:1 -4).
[5] ““I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant ofDavid, the bright morning star.”” (Rev 22:16).
[6] not used
[7] “But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.” (1 Cor15:46)
[8] not used
[9] “through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph3:10)
[10] Space forbids a consideration of the origin of Satan and demons, scripture indicates they are “fallen angels”; see Matt 25:41; Rev 12:9, “the devil and his angels”.
[11] “And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. 34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, 35 and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.” (Dan11:33 -35). This was the persecution of the Maccabees.
[12] The term “saint” is used throughout this article in the biblical sense of God’s faithful ones
[13] In context this refers to “the little horn”, Antiochus Epiphanes, who is a type of antichrist.
[14] 1 Kings 22:19; 2 Chronicles 18:18; Nehemiah 9:6 ; Daniel 4:35 ( See also Pss 103:21;148:2 )
[15] “the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches” (Rev 1:20)
[16] The use of “a third” indicates a large but limited number e.g. Revelation 8:7- 9 etc.
[17] That this is not a description of the fall of Satan from heaven before the creation of humans, taking a third of the angels with him, is clear from the timing of the event. It occurs in historical time before the pregnant woman “gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron” (v.5). This is a reference to the birth of Jesus (Rev 2:27;19:15).
[18] Some have tried to interpret this expression as referring to church leaders or the prevailing character of each church. These interpretations fail because “angel” everywhere else in Revelation is a heavenly being.
[19] The angels say, “I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus.” (Rev 19:10, 22:9).
[20] The use of “a crown of twelve stars” in Revelation 12:1 makes this point.
[21] First given in Genesis3:15, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.””. Paul picks this up of Jesus in Romans 16:20.
[22] Genesis 6:2, 4 (?); Deuteronomy 32:8 (?); Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7. The question marks indicate disputed references, which however I believe refer to angels.
[23] Space forbids a wider examination of the material, which I can send on request.
[24] An implicit reference to the trinity cannot have been in the mind of the human author of Genesis, as Christ had not yet been revealed.
[25] Genesis 3:22 – 24, “the man has become like one of us…. he placed the cherubim”; Isaiah 6:3, 8, “I saw the Lord…above him stood the seraphim…who will go for us” .
[26] See also Ephesians3:14- 15, “I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven (angelic) and on earth (human) is named”.
[27] Besides Isaiah 6, the visions in Ezekiel 1are relevant. Consider the heavenly scenes of Revelation 4 – 6 etc. where there are concentric circles of angelic beings surrounding the throne of God who go forth to bring his kingship on the earth. Other passages have to do with rule (1 Ki22:19; Ps 103:21; Heb1:14).
[28] Psalm 8:5 says humanity was created “a little lower than the elohim …crowned with glory and honour.” Elohim can refer to God, gods, or heavenly powers. There are grammatical reasons for thinking it refers to heavenly beings. The Greek translation of the OT has angeloi for elohim , so too in Hebrews 2:7.
[29] For example, Matthew8:17, 20; 9:6.
[30] Beginning at 4:1, “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, …said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.””.
[31] “many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,” (Rev 5:11).
[32] The Greek word for resurrection, anastasis, simply means “to stand up again”.
[33] “And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (Heb1:13- 14).
[34] Isa 43:7;Rev 4:11
[35] In the sense that the psalmist means when he says, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” (Ps 34:3). God’s own glory cannot alter, but the revelation of it can rise and fall.
[36] Since in the time line of Genesis 1- 3, the fall of Satan precedes the creation of humans, creation has never been one in its fullest potential.
[37] Best understood in a social rather than political sense, what missiologists call “people groups”.
[38] English translations handle this in different ways. Some, following the dominant Hebrew text, have “the number of the sons ofIsrael”, others have “the number of the gods”. The ancient Greek translation has “sons of God”, in the sense of angels, this is supported by the Dead Sea Scrolls.
[39] These are not “territorial spirits”, but spirits associated with peoples.Israel, for example, maintains its angel Michael, even when being in exile it has no “territory” (Dan10:13, 21).
[40] Daniel 10:13. The “prince ofGreece” (10:20) is another celestial being.
[41] Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:16; 1 Peter 3:22.
[42] In humility he received ministry from angels (Matt4:11; Luke22:43).
[43] Both those angels who were to remain holy and those who were later to fall, “by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities” (Col1:16).
[44] Jesus’ name is now exalted above all others, Ephesians 1:21; Philippians 2:9.
[45] If the deity of Jesus was the key to his exaltation this could not help us as humans.
[46] Whereby the Master ascends to God through advanced spiritual knowledge, as in Gnosticism and Eastern mysticism.
[47] See 1 Corinthians15:55- 56 and Hebrews2:14 – 15.
[48] This is a major theme in Hebrews, “Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.” (9:23).
[49] 2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:7; 2 Peter 1:4
[50] I am not advocating universal salvation here, the communication of glory requires a will receptive to God, fallen angels never aspire to this.
Cross Connect
