Geography Lesson
As soon as you can recognize there is a God and you read His Word, you come to grips with the fact that we aren’t the only players on this field. Mankind is not the first of God’s creations and we’re told that angels do indeed exist because God created them to serve Him. Nor is the earth the only plane of existence.
There is a place called Heaven, which is God’s home. There is a place called Hell, a place of eternal torment which is reserved for the punishment of those who are condemned by God to punishment. Hell is the place of eternal death and separation from God. One cannot accept that Heaven exists without the accepting that Hell exists. There is (or was) a place called Sheol, the place of the dead. All of these places are mentioned in the Bible.
There is also earth, which is the home of mankind. According to the final chapters in the book, we learn that Heaven is not our home- Heaven is God’s home. Christians will not spend eternity in Heaven because there will be a new earth and a new city of Jerusalem. That is the eternal home of those who have eternal life.
Others…
Satan (also called Lucifer) was one of the greatest of the angels, one of the Cherubim, one of the angels who covered and guarded the Throne of God. He rebelled against God. When he did, about a third of the angels rebelled with him. These are known as demons and Lucifer is known as the “Prince of the Power of the Air” and the “Prince of Demons.” We don’t know that much about him other than a few references here and there. The dialogue in the beginning of the book of Job raises as many questions as it answers, as well as the statement of Jesus that He saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven.
The Bible tells us very little about Angels and Demons, but does tell us just enough for history to be filled with speculation of what people imagine Angels and Demons are like. One interesting aspect of this is to sexualize everything related to angels, often casting them as female.
Three points can be seen as to the sexuality of angels. First, the Bible describes angels (and by the same token, demons) as male. They are always described as male and there are no examples of female angels. Three Angles are mentioned by name, Michael, Gabriel and Satan. No others are named. This does not mean there are no female angels, although the implications of female angels is enough to drive most Churchians quite mad.
Second, when the Sadducees questioned Jesus about the Levirate marriage in the resurrection, He responded saying that in the resurrection people will be like angels and there will be no giving or taking in marriage. That does not say what many might think it says because we know nothing of Heaven and the way Angels are there. Not only that, but very few today understand the relationship between sex and marriage.
The popular interpretation is there’s no sex in heaven because Angels don’t have sex. That is an assumption because Angels could just as easily not be able to reproduce. Without children there is no purpose for marriage. As for men and women in the resurrection, if there is no marriage there can be no adultery and any male could have sex with any female. And we still know very little about Angels, so IF there are female Angels the implication is Angels were created male and female for a reason, which might include sex.
This returns us to the original question of the Sadducees, which of the woman’s husbands would have authority over her? The answer Jesus gave was that it won’t be that way in the resurrection, there will be no giving and taking in marriage. Which says absolutely nothing about sex.
Third, the record is clear that rather than being neuters (and in support of the previous point), male Angels of one variety or another (Son’s of God) found the daughters of man to be attractive and the children of such unions were the Nepthalim- powerful and mighty men of renown. Male Angels can definitely procreate with the daughters of man.
I will admit that Zechariah 5 might describe two angels who were female, but it’s the sort of passage that an imaginative person can interpret any way they want. I will also admit that I have had my own speculation as to angels and demons. It is an intriguing subject.
Later we will be covering issues of the Christian’s power over demons and spirits, but at this point I mention the fact that Angels and Demons are real and must be recognized as real by the same authority that recognizes that Heaven and Hell are real. Both of them have an impact on our world in ways we can seldom comprehend.
Lesson #5: There cannot be Heaven without the presence of Hell. There is a Heaven, which is the home of God. There is a Hell, which is the place of eternal punishment. There is earth, which is the home of mankind and will be renewed one day.
Lesson #6: Satan is real, Angels are real and Demons are real… They are just as real as the Lord God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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