1] What are Angels?

What do we mean when we talk about angels? There is a general and a specific use of the word angel. The word used in the Old Testament for angel is the Hebrew word “malak” and in the New Testament it is the Greek word “angelos”. In both languages the word means “messenger” and is used in a general way for anyone who is a messenger, whether the messenger is a man (Job 1:14, 1 Samuel 11:3, Luke 7:24), Jesus Christ (Exodus 3:2) or the spirit beings we call angels.

The specific use of the word “angel” is for one of the powerful spirit beings that God has created and act as servants or messengers for God. The apostle Paul says these things about angels in the book of Hebrews:

“To which of the angels has He ever said: 'Sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool'? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:13-14).

We see here that angels are called ministering spirits. They are spirit beings and they minister or serve God. They have great superhuman power and strength (Luke 8:29). In the book of Psalms we read:

“Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure” (Psalm 103:20-21).

These invisible spirits were created by God. The Apostle Paul tells us this in the book of Colossians:

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers” (Colossians 1:16).

When were the angels created? Let's go to the book of Job for the answer:

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7)

We read here that there were angels at the time that the earth was originally created. Some angels may have been created later but there were many angels who sang for joy when God originally created the earth however many millions or billions of years ago.

How many angels are there? Daniel tells us the following in Daniel 7:9-10:

“I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.”

Now how many is 10 000 x 10 000? If we multiply 10 000 by itself we come up with a figure of at least 100 million angels. John tells us the same thing in Revelation 5:11 where he says that in his vision he saw “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands”. There are well over 100 million angels.

2] What Do Angels Look Like?

Now that we know what angels are, we can now ask what they look like? Do they look like God in appearance? Do they look like men? Do they look like little babies with wings as Cupid is imagined to be? Or do they look completely different?

The prophet Ezekiel had a vision where he saw the portable throne of God and he saw the angels which accompanied it. In this vision he saw what the angels look like in their natural, spirit state, as opposed to what they normally look like when they appear to humans. At the beginning of the book of Ezekiel we read:

“Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures.

“And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves' feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.

“As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning” (Ezekiel 1:4-14).

Can you imagine seeing these angels? They are described as having four faces like the famous clock Big Ben. Their front face is like that of a man and their other three faces are those of a lion, an ox and an eagle. They have one mind that can speak with any of its four faces at a time. These particular angels have four wings with human hands underneath them. As they are not affected by gravity their wings are not needed for flying but are for appearances only. Their body and feet were like that of men but their feet were like the feet of a calf and were a bright bronze colour.

"The description of the four living creatures in Ezekiel 1:10, 10:14 and Revelation 4:7 represent the different aspects of Christ's character as portrayed in the gospels. They had the faces of:

"A Lion        Christ the King in Matthew;
"An Ox        Christ the Servant in Mark;
"A Man        Christ the Son of Man in Luke;
"An Eagle    Christ the Son of God in John"
(The Authority of the Bible, Colin Peckham, p.17).

The prophet Isaiah also had a vision where he saw angels in their natural, spirit appearance. He wrote: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:1-3).

We notice some differences between the angels that these prophets saw. The angels Ezekiel saw had four wings and four faces. The angels Isaiah saw had six wings and there is mention of only one face for each angel. There is also the description of the four living creatures in Revelation 4:7-8 which have six wings and each have a single face with a different look (faces of a lion, calf, man and an eagle).

Just as there is great variety in the different races of mankind, so too is there great variety in the angelic world. Many ancient cultures who worshipped “the host of heaven” included worship of creatures that are similar to these descriptions of angels. There are the famous winged bulls of Assyria in the British Museum that have the heads of men as well as other assorted mixtures of the features of lions, eagles and oxen.

"Today, cherubs are pictured similar to the winged creatures, called 'kurubu,' that have been dug out in Mesopotamia, Palestine and Syria." Some of these 'kurubu' look like creatures with a body of a lion, with wings, and with the head of a man, while others have the appearance of a man, with animal heads" (Angels, Demons and the Spirit World, p. 22).

That's what they look like normally but when they appear to men on occasion they can manifest themselves to look just like normal human beings. The angels that were sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah looked just like men. In Genesis we read:

“Then the men said to Lot, 'Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it'” (Genesis 19:12-13).

They can blend in and appear no different to regular men when they choose to. In Hebrews 13:2 Paul said: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” Often they appear as men in bright white clothing. Another occasion where angels manifested themselves to look like men is seen in the beginning of the book of Acts after Jesus ascended to heaven:
        
“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven'” (Acts 1:9-11).

While it would appear as if most angels in their natural spirit form mostly have the features of animals it appears as if some of the angels in their natural spirit form may indeed look like men.

In Ezekiel 40:3, an angel is described in this way, "…there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze."

When Daniel was describing a vision he had he see Gabriel in the form of a man. In Daniel 9:20-21 we read: "Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering."

In Isaiah 14:14-16 there is the possible indication that Lucifer (now Satan) also has the appearance of a man. We read the following about Lucifer in those verses: "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms."

"We saw that angels commonly appear with man-like features, and some of them looked like young men. In addition, there is one Scripture that might perhaps indicate that some angels may look like women.

"Notice Zechariah 5:9-11: 'Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. So I said to the angel who talked with me, 'Where are they carrying the basket?' And he said to me, 'To build a house for it in the land of Shinar [Babylon, Genesis 11:2, 9]; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base'…

"We find a…description of angels as horses in several places in the book of Zechariah. Let's review some of these accounts:

"In Zechariah 1:8-11, we are told, 'I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel [reddish-brown], and white. Then I said, My lord, what are these?' So the angel who talked with me said to me, 'I will show you what they are.' And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, 'These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth'…

"We are specifically told in this passage that God sent 'red, sorrel and white horses' to walk to and fro throughout the earth. These horses are angelic beings. Zechariah 6:1-8 confirms this conclusion: These spirit beings that look like horses are called 'the eyes of God,' or 'watchers,' as they 'keep watch on the evil and the good'…

"In Daniel 4:13-14, 17, Nebuchadnezzar told the prophet Daniel one of his dreams, stating, "I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He cried aloud and said thus: '…This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones…" (Angels, Demons and the Spirit World, p. 15, 17-19).

This term "watchers" appears in ancient extra-Biblical texts such as the Book of Enoch, the Book of Jubilees and in Sumerian writings. In the Bible it refers to those beings who report to God about happenings on the earth. In those extra-Biblical texts it indicates that some of those angelic beings who had the job of being watchers became fallen angels and rebelled with Lucifer (now Satan).

They are called “sons of God” in Job 1:6 and Job 38:7 only in the sense that they were creations of God. In Hebrews 1:5 Paul says: “For to which of the angels did He ever say: 'You are My son, today I have begotten You'? And again: 'I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a son'?”

They are not sons of God in the same way Jesus Christ is and the way those in the church are – conceived or begotten now by God's spirit at baptism and later born as spirit beings at the resurrection to be fully composed of God's Holy Spirit.

Though some appear to be, most of them in their natural spirit state were not created in the image of God as man has been.

"The Spirit world is not limited to God and His angels. Revelation 3:5 speaks of a 'Book of Life.' Revelation 4:2 mentions a 'throne set in heaven.' Revelation 4:4 describes several thrones in heaven. Revelation 4:6 speaks of a 'sea of glass' before the throne in heaven.

"In addition, Revelation 5:1 mentions a spiritual scroll, sealed with seven spiritual seals. Revelation 5:8 talks about a spiritual harp and golden bowls. Revelation 8:2-5 reveals the existence of a spiritual golden censer, a spiritual golden altar, and even spiritual fire. "We are informed in the book of Hebrews that all of these spiritual objects were used as a pattern for the creation of physical objects at the time of Moses.

"We read in Hebrews 9:23-24, in the Living Bible: 'That is why the sacred tent down here on earth, and everything in it-all copied from things in heaven-all had to be made pure by Moses in this way…But the REAL things in heaven, of which these down here are copies, were made pure with far more precious offerings…It was not in the earthly place of worship that He did this, for that was merely a copy of the REAL TEMPLE IN HEAVEN'…

"We read about a city in heaven, the spiritual or heavenly Jerusalem (compare Hebrews 11:9-10; Revelation 3:12). It will come down to this earth in the future (Revelation 21:2-3, 10-21; 22:1-2).

"Revelation 2:7 says that the tree of life is in the Paradise of God…The physical garden of Eden, which God later created for Adam and Eve, was patterned after the spiritual garden that exists in heaven, and in which is a spiritual tree of life. When the heavenly Jerusalem comes down to this earth, the heavenly garden, with the tree of life in it, will come down to this earth as well" (Angels, Demons and the Spirit World, p. 57-58).

3] What Do Angels Do?

Herbert W. Armstrong in “Mystery of the Ages” provides us with this very good summary of what angels actually do:

“God has had angels specifically assigned to su e and protect his Church throughout all of its history (Revelation 1:4, 16, 20; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14). He has angels who continually walk through the earth to observe and report back to him the overall conditions on earth (Revelation 5:6; Zechariah 4:10; 2 Chronicles 16:9). And God has angels specifically assigned to look after his begotten human children (Acts 12:15; Matthew 18:10). God promises: "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psalm 91:11).

“Twelve of God's angels will be the gatekeepers in the new city of Jerusalem (Revelation 21:12), one for each tribe of Israel. These 12 may be assisting the archangel Michael now. Angels are messengers. They appeared to Abraham, Lot, Hagar, Moses, Manoah, Gideon, Elijah and many of the prophets and apostles.

“When these angels manifest themselves to human beings, they generally do so in the form of men. The Bible mentions three angels of high rank: Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12), now Satan the devil; Gabriel, who appeared to Daniel on two occasions (Daniel 8:16; 9:21), to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19), and later Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26); and third, Michael, called one of the chief princes (Daniel 10:13), and whom Jude identifies as an archangel (Jude 9). Michael is the archangel specifically assigned to protect and minister to the 12 tribes of Israel (Daniel 12:1; 10:2-13, 21) and to the true Church of God today (Revelation 12:7)” (p.57-58).

God gave Israel some of the laws and judgments through the hand of angels. We read in Acts 7:52-53: "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it."

Angels are spirit beings and are not dependent on physical things, including food. Nevertheless, angels do enjoy eating (presumably when they are manifested physically). Psalm 78:24-25 speaks of the manna as angel's food. Angels have feelings. In Job 38:7, angels sang together and shouted for joy when they saw God's beautiful creation of the earth.

The angels rejoice when each of us repents and turns to God, “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). The angels are interested and desire to look into the truths of God that we learn from God (1 Peter 1:12).

Angels speak their own language, a language that is different from the languages of man. In 1 Corinthians 13:1, Paul says: "Though I speak with the tongues [languages] of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become [as] sounding brass or a clanging cymbal."

In Matthew 18:10 we read: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” God's people do have guardian angels who are sent (Daniel 6:22) to protect us but does that mean we each have one angel per person? This one-on-one guardian angel concept is not what the Bible teaches.

In Psalm 91:11 we read, “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.” In this instance multiple angels can protect one person while in other situations one angel might be sent to protect more than one person.

We read this in Daniel 3:28 when Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were cast into the fiery furnace: “Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him”.

"In addition, Paul makes an interesting comment in 1 Corinthians 11:10. The context is the wearing of long hair for women. We read, 'For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority [i.e., long hair, compare verse 15] on her head, because of the angels.' Paul's point is this: A woman is to submit to the authority of her husband (compare verse 3), and her wearing long hair is an outward symbol of such willingness. Paul went on to say that a woman should do so 'because of the angels,' implying that in such case, the woman can be assured of angelic protection. Here, angels are referred to in the plural, showing that God may sometimes assign several guardian angels to one person" (Angels, Demons and the Spirit World, p. 28).

"To illustrate the primary activity of God's angels today, we might consider the status of the young son of a wealthy man. While still a child, he may be under the care of an adult servant or guardian designated by his father. The servant is older, farther advanced in knowledge, much more developed physically and mentally-but far lower potentially. For when the son is mature, he will inherit his father's wealth and power. Therefore the servant, older and more mature, is only a servant 'ministering' to the young 'heir.' Likewise, angels are ministering to spirit-begotten humans today" (Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course - Lesson 14, p.13).

There are different ranks of angels mentioned in the Bible. Michael is called an archangel in Jude 9 and one of the chief princes in Daniel 10:13. In Ezekiel 28:13-14 we read that Lucifer was created as a cherub. Gabriel is the only other angel mentioned by name in the Bible. His rank is not specifically mentioned.

The church has traditionally believed that the terms archangel, cherub (plural – cherubim) and chief prince all mean the same high rank since only three angels are mentioned by name in the Bible. When God gave Moses instructions on how to make the Ark of the Covenant he told him to make two cherubim on each side of the mercy seat with the wings touching each other (Exodus 25:17-20) which represented the throne of God in heaven.

In 2 Kings 19:15 we read: “Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: “O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim”. The Bible is silent on exactly how many cherubim there are. The visions of Ezekiel 1 and 10 seem to indicate more than just two and the twenty four elders mentioned in Revelation 4:4 may also be cherubs.

The only other rank of angel specifically mentioned in the Bible are the seraphim. We read about them before in the book of Isaiah. “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew” (Isaiah 6:1-2).

In the Church of the Eternal God's comprehensive booklet entitled "Angels, Demons and the Spirit World" they write the following about the diferrent types and ranks of angels:

"DIFFERENT ORDERS OF ANGELS. There seem to exist different orders, categories or ranks of angels, with varying degrees of power and authority. When describing the angelic world, Colossians 1:16 speaks about '…thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.' Ephesians 1:20-21 refers to angels as '…principality and power and might and dominion.' In Ephesians 3:10, angels are identified as '…principalities and powers in the heavenly places,' and 1 Peter 3:22 describes the created world of spirit beings as '…angels and authorities and powers.'

"In light of these Scriptures, the Swiss Zürcher Bible does refer to ranks among the angels. The Ryrie Study Bible states in an annotation to Ephesians 1:21: 'These words (i.e., principality, and power, and might, and dominion) in rabbinical thought of the time, described different orders of angels.' As will become clearer in the remainder of this booklet, angels have been given varying degrees of power and glory. All of them are powerful and glorious, but not to the same extent. Revelation 5:2 speaks about a 'strong angel.' Revelation 10:1 and 18:21 describe 'mighty' angels. Revelation 18:1 introduces an angel '…coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.' Other Scriptures imply that specific angels were given special powers over fire (Revelation 14:18) and water (Revelation 16:5).

"The following brief overview will summarize the varying orders or categories of angels, as revealed in Scripture:

(1) Archangels

"The Bible talks at times about certain 'archangels.' The meaning of this word is, 'chief messenger.' Only Michael is specifically referred to in Scripture as an 'archangel.' The name 'Michael' means, 'Who is like God?' Jude 9 identifies him as an 'archangel.' He is also referred to as 'one of the chief princes,' (Daniel 10:13) showing that there must be additional 'chief princes.' He is also described as 'the great prince' (Daniel 12:1). He is clearly in charge of other angels, as Revelation 12:7 explains ('Michael and his angels fought…').

"Whether the second named angel in the Bible, Gabriel, is an archangel, is not clearly revealed. The name 'Gabriel' means, 'God is mighty.' While the Bible nowhere describes the appearance of Michael, the angel Gabriel has the 'appearance of a man' (Daniel 8:15; 9:21). He 'stands in the presence of God' (Luke 1:19) and is sent oftentimes by God to man with positive and important news (Luke 1:26, 31). He was sent several times to , nd he was sent to Zacharias (Luke 1:11-13), and to Mary. Since the meaning of 'archangel' is 'chief messenger,' and since Gabriel is sent by God with important messages, the assumption is compelling that Gabriel is an archangel. He has been traditionally viewed as one of the other archangels and one of the chief princes.

"1 Thessalonians 4:16 speaks of an 'archangel' without specifically explaining his identity. We read, 'For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.' This wording indicates, too, the existence of more than one archangel; otherwise, it would just say, 'the archangel.'

(2) Seraphim

"The Bible specifically refers to angelic beings as 'seraphim' in one place. The word 'seraphim' means 'burning' or 'noble.' These beings are depicted as standing above God's throne, each having '…six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew' (Isaiah 6:2). The voice of a seraphim is so powerful that '…the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out' (Isaiah 6:4). Isaiah 6:6 describes one of the seraphim as touching a burning coal with his hand.

"Whether this passage makes clear that seraphim look like men, is uncertain. The reference to 'face,' 'feet' and 'hand' might suggest this. On the other hand, the Hebrew word for 'seraphim,' 'saraph,' (compare Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, under 'Seraphims' and 'Serpent', Number 8314) is also used in other passages, describing dragons or serpents.

"We read in Isaiah 14:29, 'Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For out of the serpent's roots will come forth a viper, And its offspring will be a fiery flying serpent.' The Hebrew word for 'fiery serpent' is 'saraph.' The New Jerusalem Bible gives the rendering, 'a flying dragon.' An additional passage can be found in Isaiah 30:6: 'The burden against the beasts of the South. Through a land of trouble and anguish, From which came the lioness and lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent ('saraph' in Hebrew)…' The Hebrew word 'saraph' is also used in Numbers 21:8-9, when God instructed Moses to 'Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole...'

"Rienecker's Commentary to the Bible states the following: 'Passages such as Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6, describing flying seraphim (plural of saraph, translated by Luther as 'flying dragon'), as well as Isaiah 6:2, 6, using the word to describe six-winged beings above the throne of God, go beyond the idea of a ary snake or serpent, and impress on the reader the concept of dragon-like creatures…'

(3) Cherubim

"Perhaps the best-known angelic beings mentioned in the Bible are the 'cherubim.' As we will explain in more detail later in this booklet, the common idea as to what cherubim are, or how they look, is totally false. The meaning of 'cherub' or 'cherubim' is 'those grasped, held fast.' God '…placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life' (Genesis 3:24). God 'dwells between the cherubim' (Psalm 99:1; 2 Samuel 6:2), riding 'upon a cherub' (Psalm 18:10; 2 Samuel 22:11). Moses was instructed to '…make two cherubim of gold… at the two ends of the mercy seat… And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another… and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony' (Exodus 25:18, 20, 22).

"We also read that the veil of the tabernacle '…shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim' (Exodus 26:31); that the walls of Solomon's temple were carved with '…figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers' (1 Kings 6:29); and that '…on the panels [of the carts] that were between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim' (1 Kings 7:29).

"A mighty and powerful angel is described in Ezekiel 28:14-16 as the 'anointed cherub who covers…You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you… And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones.' Other passages, such as Isaiah 14:12, tell us that this cherub was 'Lucifer,' who sinned against God and became Satan the devil (much more on this later).

"The Bible does not tell us how many cherubs exist. Ezekiel, chapters 1 and 10, mention at least four cherubs, in addition to the former cherub Lucifer, who is now Satan. Some have speculated whether Michael and Gabriel are not only archangels, but also cherubs. The Bible nowhere identifies these two angels as cherubs.

(4) Four Living Creatures

"The Bible speaks about 'four living creatures' in the book of Revelation that appear before the throne of God. Although their description is, to an extent, similar to that of seraphim, there are nevertheless distinctions, implying that these angelic beings belong to a separate category or order. Revelation 4:6-9 explains that they have six wings, and that all of them look different. One looks like a lion, one looks like a calf, one looks like a flying eagle, and one has the face of a man. In addition, they have voices of thunder (Revelation 6:1) and they carry out God's Will by directing other angels (compare Revelation 15:7).

(5) The Twenty-Four Elders

"The book of Revelation also speaks about twenty-four high-ranking spirit beings within the angelic realm, called the 'twenty-four elders.' They are in heaven, clothed in white robes, wearing crowns of gold on their heads and sitting on twenty-four thrones before the throne of God, whom they worship and serve (Revelation 4:4, 10-11). The high rank of the 'four living creatures' and the 'twenty-four elders' is expressed in Revelation 5:11: 'Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne [of God and the Lamb, Jesus Christ], the living creatures, and the elders…' (Compare, too, Revelation 7:11.)

(6) The Seven Spirits of God

"As will be discussed later in more detail, the Bible reveals to us the existence of seven special angels of God, referred to as the 'Seven Spirits of God,' (Revelation 5:6) whose responsibility it is to walk through the earth to report their observations to God. It is possible that these seven spirit beings are identical with '…the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given [the] seven [last] trumpets… So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound' (Revelation 8:2, 6). These seven spirit beings are perhaps also identical with the 'seven thunders' mentioned in Revelation 10:3-4, and with the seven angels of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 1:20, as well as in Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, and 14.

(7) The Remaining Angels

"Many times, the Bible speaks in general terms of angels. We read of the archangel 'Michael and his angels' (Revelation 12:7). 1 Peter 3:22 speaks of 'angels and authorities and powers.' Angels are also referred to as 'sons of God' (compare Job 1:6; 38:7) or as 'stars' (compare Isaiah 14:13; Revelation 12:4; Revelation 9:1-2; Revelation 1:20). As each physical star has a name given by God (Isaiah 40:26; Psalm 147:4), so it appears, as mentioned before, that God gave each angel his name, too, since 'angels' are many times figuratively described as 'stars.' High-ranking angels are sometimes referred to as 'morning stars,' compare Job 38:7…

"Paul instructed and charged Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:21: '…before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.' "Paul does not specifically explain who these 'elect angels' are, but it is possible that they are chosen angels, specifically assigned in a special way to look after individual Christians, and even entire Church organizations or Church eras. In Revelation 1:20, we read about seven angels of the seven churches, in other words, individual angels assigned to particular churches.

"The involvement of God's angels in the lives of Christians who are to inherit salvation will find its climax at the time of Christ's return, when He comes to reward the faithful. We are told in Matthew 24:30-31: 'Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.' The angels of God will have the privilege and honor to bring the faithful to Christ so that they may receive from Him their reward.

"Christ used military language to describe the angels at His disposal, referring to them as more than twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53). Jesus Christ appeared to Joshua as the 'Commander' of His many warrior angels to give Joshua encouragement for the upcoming battle with Jericho: 'And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, 'Are You for us or for our adversaries?' So He said, 'No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.' And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped' (Joshua 5:13-14)" (pages 6-10, 31, 37).

God's angels serve us by punishing the unrighteous (Exodus 12:23, Matthew 13:41-42, 49-50; Acts 12:21-24) and sometimes God uses them to punish us that we might repent and turn back to Him (2 Samuel 24:15-17).

A rather interesting passage of scripture is found in Daniel 10:12-14 where we read: “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.”

Daniel has just been given a lot of prophecies which he wanted to know the meaning of. He prayed and fasted to God asking Him for understanding. Now God could have whispered in Daniel's ear or the angel could simply have materialised in Daniel's room.

Gabriel had spoken to Daniel twice before this event. The angel here in this chapter is not specifically identified as Gabriel. Why did God allow this angel to battle these demons for three weeks before he got his message through? Was it to test this angel? It is possible that some of the angels were created at a later time than those original angels who were there at the beginning of the creation of the earth (Job 38:4-7) and, as a result, their character may not be set yet. Another point that we pick up with this story is that many of the demons are territorial, controlling people in particular places of the world.

What this story reveals to us, almost as an aside, is that there is a spiritual world alongside our world, invisible to us, but real, vibrant, alive and dangerous. We get another glimpse of this unseen spirit world in 2 Kings 6:15-17 where we read: “And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, 'Alas, my master! What shall we do?' So he answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, and said, 'Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.' Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

"Does God allow spiritual battles between angels and demons to go on in order to allow character-building, either good or bad? Actions prove where one's heart is. An angel who consistently and tenaciously fights for God, and against demons, will not be easily persuaded to deny God and to sin, while a demon who consistently and tenaciously fights against God will not easily repent and accept God and His way of life.

"God is concerned for all of His created beings, including His angels, both those who stayed loyal to Him and those who fell away from Him. Maybe God lets them continue to do what they want to do-be it good or bad-so that their final judgment will be manifestly righteous without any shadow of doubt. Perhaps God is still testing His angels and the demons to see which of the angels might not yet have made a final commitment never to sin, and which of the demons might not yet have made a final commitment to never repent. God might want us to participate in that process in the future, when we will be called upon to 'judge angels' [1 Corinthians 6:3]" (Angels, Demons and the Spirit World, p. 54-55).

4] Did God Create a Devil?

We've all heard of the Devil but where did he come from? Did God create him and, if so, was he evil when God created him?

In Ezekiel 28:12-15 we read: “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God: 'You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.'”

This anointed cherub was created by God perfect, full of wisdom and having great beauty. He was perfect in all his ways until iniquity or sin was found in him. God created this anointed cherub perfect and he was until he chose to disobey God and sin.

Who was this anointed cherub? We see in these verses that he was in the Garden of Eden. We read of the serpent who deceived Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. In Revelation 12:9 we read: “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world”.

The anointed cherub who was in the Garden of Eden and made himself to look like a serpent was Satan the Devil. The word Satan means prosecutor as in one who brings accusations against someone in a court It can also mean enemy or adversary.

The word devil means accuser. He was created perfect but by the time God created Adam and Eve he had rebelled against God and become Satan.

Isaiah wrote this about him: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High'” (Isaiah 14:12-14).

His original name was Lucifer which means Light-bringer. He was very intelligent and powerful and this power and intelligence went to his head. He became full of pride and vanity. He thought he could run the universe better than God and tried to take over God's throne and rule the universe. His rebellion failed and he was cast back down to earth. In Luke 10:18 Jesus said: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

Notice that he said “I will exalt my throne”. God had given him authority and where did God give him that authority? Notice that he also said “I will ascend above the clouds”. God had given him rule on this earth for a particular reason. The angels on earth he was over in authority became known as the fallen angels or demons (Matthew 9:32-33).

5] What were Lucifer (Satan) and his angels doing on earth before God created Adam and Eve?

Why were Lucifer and his angels put over the earth before Adam and Eve and what were they doing all that time? First of all, we need to understand how it was possible for these great powerful angels to sin. Herbert W. Armstrong in “Mystery of the Ages” gives us the answer:

“God assigns angels responsibilities, but God created within them MINDS -- WITH POWER TO THINK, TO REASON, TO MAKE CHOICES AND DECISIONS! But there was one super-important quality that even God's creative powers could not create instantly by fiat -- the same perfect, holy, righteous CHARACTER inherent in both God and the Word! This kind of character must be DEVELOPED, by the CHOICE and the INTENT of the one in whom it comes to exist…

“But what do we mean by righteous character? Perfect, holy and righteous character is the ability in such separate entity to come to discern the true and right way from the false, to make voluntarily a full and unconditional surrender to God and his perfect way -- to yield to be conquered by God -- to determine even against temptation or self-desire, to live and to do the right. And even then such holy character is the gift of God. It comes by yielding to God to instill HIS LAW (God's right way of life) within the entity who so decides and wills” (p.58).

As a training ground to help them develop this character and learn to co-operate with God and His plans and co-operate with each other, Lucifer and a great number of the angels were put on earth. Herbert W. Armstrong in “Mystery of the Ages” put it this way:

“God creates in a principle of duality. I have compared it to a woman baking a cake. When she takes the cake out of the oven, it is not yet a finished production until she puts the icing on the cake. When God created the earth and other planets this system of duality was involved. What had been created was perfect as far as it existed up to that point. But it was not yet a finished or completed creation. God intended the angels to add their own workmanship to the earth's surface. He intended them to work over the surface of the earth, to improve it, to embellish it, beautify it -- in other words 'put the icing on the cake'" (p.64-65).

Herman Hoeh in a series of sermons that he presented on the world before Adam around 1978 gives us these thoughts about what he believes Lucifer and his angels were doing on earth before Adam and Eve and how they ended up rebelling. These are his own thoughts based on inferences in the Bible and the record of nature. This is probably the most sound explanation as to what the angels were doing prior to Adam and Eve that we can come up with until God chooses to reveal it all after Christ's return.

“We have taught that angels were on earth before Adam, being trained. What was their primary function? To rule trees and rocks and streams? What were they given experience in? More than merely ruling over each other. We should expand our former concepts and see that they were on earth to govern in a small way (as an opportunity to learn and to prove they could be trusted) before being sent out further into the universe. Their role on earth should be seen as equipping or qualifying them to rule in the universe. This means they were governing nature in great detail…This is what they were asked to govern--not a barren world, but a world full of life forms throughout geologic history. The Church has a responsibility to teach the role of angels in the world before Adam...

“We do not see a world of which we could say that God was 'experimenting'--that term has overtones that could be misunderstood. I would prefer the concept that God was 'developing' a creation in which angels were being challenged and tested on how they would carry out God's government in guiding that nature, and in ruling over ever more complex forms of life....

“The world today from nature is not a reflection of the kind of government God intended to be exercised by the angels throughout nature. It is, in fact, a reflection of the Devil's idea of competition, of devouring, and keeping in balance by each thing competing with something else.

“Now Mr Armstrong long ago conceived of the idea of competition as being the lifeblood both of our economy and business and society and government. He said this is, as far as he is concerned, the fundamental characteristic of the Devil's philosophy...

“As God started out He said: 'I want to make sure the creation reflects the spirit of love, and it's going to be a beautiful world. We are not going to have competition. Therefore the pattern of nutrition and the pattern of birth will not need to have competition to keep everything in that order we see it in' [We could also add diseases and viruses and so on]. Can you imagine a World Tomorrow in which mice reproduce at the present rate with no cats to catch the mouse? What would happen in Africa if we took away competition and left the birth rate the same? [In the World Tomorrow (Isaiah 11:6)] we see the whole of nature is going to change, both in terms of what an animal eats and in terms of the reproductive systems, because they are all tied together....

“The Devil may have gone so far with certain things, and he may have wanted to change certain things, but then God also may have said 'Well look, I want a change. I want certain new life forms to be produced. I will see what you will do with them'…Now presumably not more than a third of the angels followed the Devil. The other two thirds profited by the experience and took no part in the spirit of competition as developed in the biological world...

“It does take some time for some people to poison other peoples minds and it takes time, as Mr Armstrong said, for the Devil to persuade angels, who were greater in knowledge by far than human beings. And the Devil was going back and forth, and he kept arguing with God over the necessity of the creation being patterned after a different philosophy than God's. But God never listened, and the Devil always came back and told the angels that 'God never listened', just as 'Mr Armstrong never listened' - you've heard that. Well God never listened to the Devil either...

“Apparently all this time God allowed the Devil the chance to see whether after he had examined the nature that he was governing (or abusing - whatever term you want to use), whether he would change or whether he would not. They finally he came to the point, as Mr Armstrong said, where spirits apparently do set their character, and you can go only so far in the realm of spirit until your attitude so poisons you that it can never be altered” [Mr Armstrong used the analogy of the angels' character being like concrete which can be changed for a time while it's wet before it sets permanently].

In a seminar that author Stephen Collins participated in, he made this interesting comment: “I believe that we see in the progression of the dinosaurs a gradual testimony to Lucifer's degeneration. It goes from peaceful herbivores [in the Triassic era] then bringing in smaller predators [in the Jurassic era]. Then in the Cretaceous you have large, armoured herbivores and predators who could fight each other followed by the dinosaurs extinction.”

How true all of this is we will only really find out when God chooses to inform us of what happened back then. For the most part, God chooses to reveal information to us on the spirit world on a need to know basis so there is still a lot about the spirit world that remains a mystery to us.

6] Did other angels follow Satan when he rebelled?

How many of the angels went with Satan and rebelled against God? In Revelation 12:3-4 we read: “And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.”

Now stars is a word sometimes used for angels (Revelation 1:20). Satan apparently took a third of angels with him in his rebellion against God. Now if Satan persuaded a third of all the angels to join the Dark Side, do the maths to figure out just how many demons there are here on earth. We saw before that there were at least 100 million angels. That means there could be well over 30 million demons!

In 2 Peter 2:4-5 we read about some of these fallen angels: “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly”.

The word hell here is translated from the Greek word “tartaros” and means a place of restraint like a prison. Certain of the fallen angels were locked up in a prison or place of restraint while others still roam free about the earth and have even approached God's throne at times such as Satan (Job 1:6-2:7, Luke 22:31) and an unnamed lying spirit (1 Kings 22:19-22). We see another reference to the imprisoned fallen angels in 1 Peter 3:18-20:

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.”

We read here about fallen angels that were disobedient and Christ preached to around the time of the Flood. Jude also spoke about these particular fallen angels who are held in restraint until the time of judgment:

“And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6).

7] What are Satan and the demons like?

We read of a fascinating story in the first chapter of the book of Job. We see that not only does Satan roam freely about on the earth we also read about God allowing Satan to come before Him at His throne in heaven:

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' So Satan answered the Lord and said, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.'

“Then the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?' So Satan answered the Lord and said, 'Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!' And the Lord said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.' So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord” (Job 1:6-12).

The important thing that we learn from these verses is the fact that Satan can only do what God allows him to do. God always controls the amount of power that he has. For the time being God stills allows Satan a good deal of latitude with the power that he has.

Satan's power is mostly in his power to deceive people into living against God's ways, but he and his demons can sometimes possess people when God allows it. Some enter the bodies of people to afflict them with diseases (Luke 8:30-32, Matthew 9:33, 17:18, Luke 5:35). Some people become insane due to the influence of demons (1 Sam. 16:16, Matthew 11:18, Luke 7:33, John 7:20). The demons have no power over God's people so we don't need to fear them (1 John 5:18, Acts 8:6-7, 16:16-18).

In Ephesians 2:2 Satan is called, “The prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” That's an interesting phrase “the power of the air”. Just as radio waves are broadcast through the air, so too does Satan broadcast his thoughts and moods of selfishness and hatred through the air.

The spirit in man in each of us is automatically tuned in to his broadcasts. It's up to us whether we flow along with it or reject those impulses and stick with God's ways. When it comes to this battle of the mind that all of us face, James tells us to “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

We are told that Satan is the “god of this age” in 2 Corinthians 4:4. The apostle Peter tells us to, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The apostle Paul tells in Ephesians 6:12 that that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

We are told to take care "lest Satan should take advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Corinthians 2:11). Some of the most powerful weapons in Satan's arsenal are psychological. Some of those include pride, greed, fear, doubt, anger, worry, guilt as well as discouragement and low self-esteem.

The apostle Paul also said the following in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”

Satan can transform himself into an angel of light. He can make himself look good when he wants to and the false ministers who push his false ideas and beliefs can also make themselves look good as well. Satan can change his appearance at will like any of the other angels as we saw before. As Lucifer he would, in his natural, spirit state, have had an appearance like that of the angels we saw before. He may have changed his preferred appearance since turning to the Dark Side and may have some resemblance to the red dragon-like appearance he's usually made out to look like but that is just pure speculation. We have no way of knowing for sure what Satan and the demons look like now.

Satan will give the great false prophet, soon to appear in Europe, great miracle-working powers (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Satan and the demons are the power behind many supernatural phenomena (including ghosts and alien sightings) which they use to deceive man and get him to believe things which are not taught in the Bible (1 Samuel 28).

In his book “The Ultimate Source of All Supernatural Phenomena” Ronald Wlodyga writes:

“Satan has tried his best to be like God, and in effect has counterfeited or substituted everything God has revealed to him. But everything Satan has changed is inferior, perverted and twisted-just like him. The following are some of the Great Counterfeiter's accomplishments:

“1) He counterfeited the Messiah for mankind through Nimrod and the Messiah's mother through Semiramis.
2) He counterfeited Christ's birthday for Nimrod's.
3) He counterfeited God's plan in the stars with astrology.
4) He counterfeited God's throne with UFO's.
5) He counterfeited God's church with a false church that masquerades as the true church.
6) He counterfeited God's ministers with his false ministers.
7) He counterfeited God's doctrines by changing: a) The Sabbath for Sunday. b) Easter for Passover.
c) God's family with a trinity. d) The truth about heaven and hell and instituted the concept of purgatory.
8) He counterfeited God's millennial reign on the earth through Hitler.
9) He counterfeited good music and replaced it with perverted music.
10) He counterfeited good purposes for sex for evil uses, and instituted the false concept of celibacy.
11) He counterfeited God's Holy Spirit with his spirit that works through "the spirit in man." He can produce similar fruits of the Holy Spirit such as healing, dreams, visions and superhuman powers as witnessed by occult phenomena.
12) He will counterfeit God's prophets in the end time (the two witnesses) with a false prophet.

“Satan has deceived ALL NATIONS - the whole world into worshipping false gods. The Nations of India, Japan, China and Africa are following beliefs of false gods...The western world is deceived by a counterfeit system of doctrines of false religion and paganistic beliefs in the "occult" which God emphatically condemns. Make no mistake, Satan is a masterful deceiver. But note this and note it well. Satan always mixes a little bit of truth with a lot of lies and...copies, duplicates, impersonates, - imitates COUNTERFEITS God's truth!” (p.334-335).

If I were the Devil I would convince people that I didn't exist so people would not be on guard against the attitudes and moods I would be broadcasting. Columnist Paul Harvey in an article entitled "If I Were The Devil" wrote: "I would convice them that man created God and not the other way around. I'd peddle narcotics to whom I could…If I were the Devil I soon have families, nations and churches at war with themselves until each, in turn, was consumed.

"If I were the Devil I would encourage schools to refine intellect but fail to discipline emotions - just let them run riot until before you knew it you'd have to have drug-sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every school house door. Within a decade I'd have prisons overflowing and judges promoting pornography so I soon would then have God evicted from the courthouse and the schoolhouse and then from houses of Congress.

"In the churches I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I would lure priests and pastors into misusing children and church money…I would convince young people that marriage is old-fashioned and that what you see on TV is the way to be. That way I could undress you in public and lure you to bed with diseases you could not cure. In other words if I were the Devil I would continue doing what he is already doing."

8] What is the Future for Satan and the Demons?

What's ahead for Satan and the demons? The Book of Revelation tells us what will happen to them:

“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him…

“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time. Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent…But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:7-14).

Knowing his time left is short he will once again launch another attack on God's throne in heaven for one last desperate takeover bid. Michael and the righteous angels will win and Satan will be cast back down to earth. This appears to occur just before the Great Tribulation. In his rage he will go after the Church of God as it flees to a place of safety but fail to stop them. He will then turn his fury on those who don't make it to the place of safety and on the world at large stirring up the Great Tribulation which will bring man close to the point of complete annihilation before Jesus Christ returns to rule the earth. What will happen to Satan when Christ does return?

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while” (Revelation 20:1-3).

Satan and the demons will be cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years when Christ returns. When Satan is released for a little while he stirs up many people to once again rebel against God:

“They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone” (Revelation 20:9-10).

After all the terrible things that he has done, the good news is that finally, at the end of the millennium, he and the other demons will be cast into the lake of fire and they will influence mankind no more! From there on, those born into God's family will help God to rule and continue the creation of the universe for the rest of eternity, ably assisted by the two-thirds of the angels who stayed faithful to God and His way of life!