Today was quite an adventure building upon last week's study on angels, both holy in heaven, and unholy who followed Lucifer in his failed attempted overthrow of God's throne. We know that all angels were originally created with certain responsibilities as we saw last week, and Satan and his minions merely copied God's design of powers, principalities, etc..
Today, we spent some time discussing the difference between angels and demons / devils.
Angels are spirit beings who can become flesh and seen by humans as needed. The Old Testament has many examples of angelic encounters with mankind. They were always described as men. Even the fallen angels have this ability except for those who did not keep their “first estate,” but pursued the “strange flesh” of human women. Those “sons of God” who had children with the daughters of men gave up their eternal angelic state and are currently in everlasting chains under darkness.
Jude 1:6-7: And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
2 Corinthians 11:14-15: And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Demons, on the other hand, are not angels, but are spirit beings who must have a host in order to accomplish their evil master's will. They must indwell. That is why the demoniac of Gadara, when confronted by Jesus was torn and the demonic force within “Legion” begged Jesus to send them into a herd of swine. When Jesus gave them permission, they rushed into the swine and immediately destroyed them by drowning them in the sea. Please see Mark 5 as a reference point. We are warned that demons have a specific role in the confusion of the truth in this dispensation of the grace of God. Satan has dispatched them into religious circles to destroy the simplicity that is in Christ.
1 Timothy 4:1-3: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
Reading Zechariah 5:1-11 helps us see how the last half of Daniel's 70th week is truly going to be the most dangerous time in the history of the world. The two winged women described are wicked devilish creatures! The Babylon Mystery Religion (Revelation 17-18) will be on full display, and all who follow the Antichrist will feel the full force of God's wrath upon them. As Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, all who follow the Antichrist will be damned who had pleasure in unrighteousness.
We will get more into the days of Noah next Sunday!
