Working, being a full-time student, raising two children and blogging is not always as easy as I make it look. Still, things have been especially slow around here for the last couple weeks and for that I apologize. Now that summer semester finals are finally over, blogging should resume at its regular pace.We've been learning about angels.
Spiritual Beings. It has always been disputed whether angels are primarily spiritual or physical beings. The Bible spells out in so many words that angels, at least some angels, are primarily spiritual beings. Hebrews 1:13-14, for example, refers to angels as spirits:
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"? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
This passage calls angels ministering spirits, which is interesting because when Jesus was on earth He told his disciples that “a spirit does not have flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39). I don't want to take the Lord's words out of context. When He said that spirits do not have flesh and bones he was not at that moment specifically referring to angels. But it does make sense that if angels are spirits, and spirits do not have flesh and bones, then angels (who are spirits) do not have flesh and bones. This is consistent with what we know about evil, fallen angels:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
- Ephesians 6:12
Spiritual Eyes. The message seems clear. Angels are spiritual beings, not physical. That is to say, when angels are ministering to us (Heb. 1:14), protecting us (Ps. 34:7), guarding us (Ps. 91:11), and gathering with us (Heb. 12:22) they are completely invisible to the naked eye. In order to account for those rare occasions when people have actually seen these spiritual creatures (in both Biblical and extra-Biblical examples) I submit that God gave these people a special ability to see them.
In Numbers 22 Balak, the king of Moab, summons Balaam, a great magician, to put a curse on the people of Israel. When Balaam finally agrees to go and starts on his way his donkey sees an angel blocking the road ahead with a drawn sword and decides against taking Balaam any further. Oblivious to the angel's presence, Balaam starts hitting his donkey and even converses with it attempting to get the beast moving:
Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face.
- Numbers 22:31
The angel was there the whole time, but it wasn't until the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam that he became able to see the angel there. In 2 Kings 6 the Bible gives another example I believe illustrates this point.
Elisha was a prophet of God during a time when Syria and Israel were at war. On more than one occasion Elisha was able to inform the king of Israel what the king of Syria's next strategic move was going to be. Eventually, the king of Syria got fed up with Elisha and sent a small army to surround Dothan, the city where Elisha was living. Elisha's servant was the first to wake up and notice that they were surrounded by Syrian soldiers and chariots. He was very afraid and rushed to awake his master. He cried to Elisha, “what shall we do?”
He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Lord , please open his eyes that he may see." So 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.
- 2 Kings 6:16, 17
This verse further indicates that the horses and chariots of fire were there the entire time if only they had the ability to see them. The Lord opened the eyes of Elisha's servant just as He had opened the eyes of Balaam. I'm assuming that their two physical eyes were already opened and the eyes that God opened were spiritual. You can call them spiritual eyes, the third eye, the inner eye or whatever you want to call it but, in both cases, when God enabled them, the men could see a realm, a spiritual realm of some sort, that cannot ordinarily be seen . . . and with eyes not ordinarily used.
Editor's Note: Click Here to view this entire series.
I have to say, although I roll my eyes at Bible passages, I'm drawn to read your series. I think that the way your mind works is a testimate to your faith and intelligence both. I like how you've broken down passages and used logic within the confines of your religious beliefs. It's refreshing.
ReplyDeleteAs I work to explain people's encounters with the paranormal and figuring out why some have encounters and others do not, I find the correlation with God letting people see Angels when He wishes an interesting concept.
Of course, were He to do such a thing nowadays (does anyone really report that anymore?) no one would believe the viewer. There doesn't seem to be any real reason for God to show Angels to anyone. Those with faith, believe they're there. Those without faith might be turned to believe, but there's way too many athiests to be turning them one at a time by scaring them into faith. Isn't faith supposed to be without evidence?
As a logic-minded person, I can't help but use the same methods applied to religions as to ghost hunting or anything else, a careful and logical set of questions to define the parameters of the phenomenon and its possible logical causes. I see you doing this in your explanations of Angels and I can respect that. Heck, I'm trying to explain ghost phenomenon and really that falls into the same spectrum as proving religious doctrines, so I really get what it's like to be logical and chasing something illogical.
Keep up the series. It's very well written and thought out.
Good stuff... ;->
ReplyDeleteI once listened to a published author/theology enthusiast who contends our modern notion of spiritual vs. the physical was heavily influenced by the ancient Greeks, and quite different from what Jesus is likely to have believed. It was fascinating stuff.
ReplyDeleteHe proffered that when Jesus refers to the body, he is often talking about the whole person--body and soul alike. You're definitely hitting on the topic of spirituual and "flesh and bones" with this post, I'll try to find something that contributes to the discussion within the next few days.
And as a total aside; but curiously enough, a new survey of children around the world shows that in many parts, more believe in angels and ghosts than that Jesus was a historical person. This holds true even in some Christian nations. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/pompano-beach/sfl-children-survey-l080909sbaug09,0,225425.story
Hi, well be sensible, well-all described
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