Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


1 posted on 08/05/2012 11:20:40 AM PDT by John Leland 1789
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies ]


To: John Leland 1789
Link to Part I of this for those who may have missed it.
2 posted on 08/05/2012 11:28:42 AM PDT by Rashputin (Only Newt can defeat both the Fascist democrats and the Vichy GOP)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

To: John Leland 1789
Is it possible for God to create a flawed creature?

Nice article.

But of course God creates creatures capable of error (i.e. with free will)...otherwise it would not be love freely given that He receives from us as a matter of free choice but merely robotic programming.

And from our point of view, how wonderful it is to serve God because we love Him rather than because He merely gives us no choice in the matter.

As He says, He is Love personified...not a dictator.

4 posted on 08/05/2012 11:54:31 AM PDT by RoosterRedux (Obama: "If you've got a business -- you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

To: John Leland 1789

While I would not part company with anyone over their disagreement with me on the subject, I have come to believe some slightly alternate views on the theology of angels:

“One-third of the angels followed Lucifer (now Satan) in his rebellion against God and were cast out of Heaven (Rev. 12:9) and have since done the bidding of their nefarious leader.”

1. The one-third mentioned here have not yet been cast out from Heaven. There are fallen angels who sinned (in a sexual way) in the days of Noah which were subsequently sequestered to Tartarus. (See 2 Peter 2:4.) The “fall” of Satan from Heaven is prophetic and future.

2. Our current spiritual enemies are in high places (not Tartarus). They must get permission from God to do their evil works. (See 2 Chronicles 18; Job 1; Ephesians 6:12; and Revelation 12:10.)

3. God called mankind, and particularly the church, into existence as both a gift to His Son and as an object lesson to the angels as to His wisdom and the fallacies of Satanic logic. (See Ephesians 3:10 and again, the story of Job.)

4. If the angels who sinned in Noah’s day are in Tartarus, and the third (of remaining angels) that follow Satan are still in Heavenly places, where do the demons come from? My opinion is that these spirits that attach themselves to people and places are the offspring of angels and humans during the rebellion in Noah’s day. These are hybrid angel/human spirits whose bodies were destroyed in Noah’s flood but whose spirits have not been finally judged. (See Luke 8:31; Revelation 9:2; and 2 Peter 2:4 again.)

5. Angels are sometimes referred to as heavenly hosts much the same as stars. One of the Lord’s names is the Lord of Hosts. It is well supposed that the cherubim and seraphim are of an angelic order of creature. Many suppose these to have been created before the world or before time, yet the scriptures say that God created the Heavens, earth and all in them in six days. When were these created? I think Job answers this in regard to their connection to the stars. This incidentally also resolves the question as to whether angels sing. Most have simply inferred the angelic singing. We do see connections to musical instruments such as harps and trumpets. The one verse in the Bible which supports angels singing is Job 38:7. This verse, to me, also supports their creation being on the fourth day at the same time as the stars.

6. Because Jesus took human form, becoming a man, He redeemed mankind by His substitutionary death. He at know time became an angel, nor redeemed the fallen angels. (See Hebrews 2:16.)

7. Some have speculated that enough people will be saved to replace the angles who fell in order to fulfill their roles. There may be some truth here, but it is also important to remember that, in Christ, believers have a superior position above angels, and we will judge angels in the next life. (See Hebrews 2 again; and Ephesians 1:21.) By extension of this thought, the Septuagint seems to have the best rendering of Deuteronomy 32:8 - “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.” That is, the principalities are princes of palities (i.e. places). The spiritual warfare of believers is first over the mind, then over geographic areas which align human governments with angelic jurisdictions. God has promised to save some out of every nation; and it may be that this relates to the replacing of angels that are to be removed.

My two cents.


5 posted on 08/05/2012 3:16:01 PM PDT by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

To: John Leland 1789
Two more points...

Obviously some angels that contact humans are not fallen. We are told that we might entertain angels unawares (good angels). Good angels went to Lott.

And then there is the question as to whether demons are fallen angels or the spirits of the nephilim. And, of course, we are told to test spirits. Why test them if they are all bad?

If you need Scriptural reference, let me know.

This analysis (your analysis?) is, after review, kind of shallow.

God calls us to deepness...not to preachy shallowness.

6 posted on 08/05/2012 4:18:21 PM PDT by RoosterRedux (Obama: "If you've got a business -- you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson