Real Angels

[Naga Kisaki]

After looking up a bunch of the fictions written by humans about angels, I was kind of unhappy by how they can be portrayed, By Romantizicing them, Ect....


I think the lord has made a calling to me to write a fictions for teenagers that will clear up some common misconceptions about angels.

So...

What are some common misconceptions about angels? In your opinon?

[Mr. SmartyPants]

they are fat naked babies who play harps?

I think thats a misconception

[meboeck]

I think a big misconception is that angels are dead people, essensially holy ghosts. There's nothing at all like that in the bible.

[Slater]

That they are weaker than demons. That's a nono. In the Bible, it is recorded that a single angel killed several thousand armed men in a single round of combat.

[Puguni]

Well, judging from what other people write/draw:

- they smoke
- they have disagreeable personalities
- angels die.

XD

[Puguni]

they are fat naked babies who play harps?

I think thats a misconception

Aren't those Cherubs?

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Aren't those Cherubs?

do today's teens know the difference?

[Slater]

Cherubs? lol, someone's been playing a little too much Doom3

[Wakarimashta!]

Well, judging from what other people write/draw:

- they smoke
- they have disagreeable personalities
- angels die.

XD

Sounds like a snippet of Haibane Renmei.

[Puguni]

Cherubs? lol, someone's been playing a little too much Doom3

More like...reading into random facts. ^^

[K. Ayato]

Another (possible) misconception is that they're all male.

[Nate]

Well, the Bible never really says. All we know is every single angel in the Bible is given a male name, but that doesn't mean that they're all male...in fact, they may be genderless, or they may have genders and there might be some female ones. No one really knows.

I'd say a misconception is that angels can't sin. Obviously, this is false since a third of the angels followed Satan. They can remain sinless if they choose to, but they are capable of sin.

[Yojimbo]

I'm Pretty sure angels don't have any gender. They're portrayed as men probably for the same reason Jesus came in the form of a man and not a woman. No one would of really listened to a woman in that era.

[K. Ayato]

Hey, there was Deborah. A judge.

[Slater]

noone said that God wouldn't use women... It's just that there's a time-long simbolism that goes with males that made Jesus have to be male...

Still, I'm pretty sure that angels are genderless. Jesus made it clear that angels and other spiritual beings (including our spirits) do not engage in sexual acts, so it seems pointless for there to be genders. Still, that doesn't rule the possibility of them having genders out, but I don't think that it raises the plausibility of it above the other conclusion.

[Stephen]

Jesus made it clear that angels and other spiritual beings (including our spirits) do not engage in sexual acts

Perhaps I am being lazy not looking it up...but werent there cases in the OT of angels and women having children together?

Erm yeah. Gen 6:4

[Arnobius]

Perhaps I am being lazy not looking it up...but werent there cases in the OT of angels and women having children together?

I guess you mean Gen 6: 1-4. I guess it depends on what they mean by "Sons of Heaven."

I've read some commentaries on what that means but some might be controversial on how the Bible is viewed so I'll pass to avoid starting a flame war on that.

[Stephen]

Ok yeah. I just did a little reading around on various sites and it seems there is quite a debate on that point. Ignore my first post lol. Carry on.

Edit:

How interesting. The more I read about this stuff, the more I want to know more. Jude 6:7 says

"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 Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh..."

[Scribs]

Oh, angels... I have witnessed many a heated debate about angels... Some people believe that they can be seen everywhere, and phisically help people in their everyday life, while others are inclined to think that they are rarely if ever involved in human life today. I lean closer to the latter, but who am I to say? I have not had any revelation from God on the subject, and I have not as of yet seen a place in the bible that would tell me what role they play in our lives today. Basically I dont think that we can know for sure the whole truth about angels, and that by trying to paint a true picture of them we ourselves would probably just be adding another misconception to the list. I am content knowing that God has a plan for me, and that I will find out about angels when I am with him in heavan.

[~Natsumi Lam~]

i think of them as large guys who look shiny and kinda scary or intimidating when you first look at them.. but after are just so handsome...


~NL~

[Kat Walker]

Fat naked babies....LOL XD

Cherubim are actually quite frightening creatures, or at least awe-inspiring.

I think people are mostly confused on what angels DO rather than what they look like. We should post some Biblical examples of Angels' duties on here.

[Arnobius]

angelos (the Greek) means Messenger IIRC

They also have played roles as protectors.

[Slater]

Perhaps I am being lazy not looking it up...but werent there cases in the OT of angels and women having children together?

Erm yeah. Gen 6:4

No. Sons of God is a term that more than likely refers to Sethites (desendants of Seth who were considered to be the most righteous people living in those days). Daughters of Men refers to the "more sinful" groups living in the world at that time. Think of it today as the following case: a Christian man marrying a non-Christian woman. Today, us Christians can call ourselves (adopted) Sons and Daughters of God because He adopted us]
Bible scholars such as H.C. Leupold believe that the "sons of God" were descendants of Seth, the godly line who are detailed in the preceding chapter (Gen. 4:25 - 5:32). Leupold wrote, "But who were these 'sons of God'? Without a shadow of a doubt, the Sethites..."(H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Genesis, Vol. 1 (Ann Arbor, MI: Wartburg Press, 1942), p. 250.) In this view, the descendants of Seth became wayward and married the "daughters of men" indiscriminately, basing their choice only on appearance, without concern for godliness, and the nephilim were their offspring.
[/quote] (Ham, Sarfati, and Wieland, The Revised & Expanded Answers book (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, Inc., 2004), pps. 143, 144)

There is another possibility...

"Sons of God" is clearly used of angels in Job 38:7. The Septuagint (LXX) here translates "sons of God" as "angels of God." This need not mean that evil angels, or demons, actually cohabited with women--Jesus made it clear that angels do not engage in sexual activities, at least not angels in heaven (Matt. 22:30). Nevertheless, evil angels on earth could have used the bodies of ungodly men, by demonic possession, to achieve their evil purpose of producing an evil generation of people (Gen. 6:22).(H.M. Morris, The Genesis Record (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1976), p. 169)
...
Furthermore, "sons of God" is not used exclusively of angels--the children of Israel are called "the sons of the living God" in Hosea 1:10 (see also Ps. 73:15; 80:17).

(Ham 143)

So... yeah, I think that sums that up.

[Momo-P]

Another (possible) misconception is that they're all male.

For Christians? Yes. For everyone else? Most likely no.

In fact to be perfectly honest, I actually think most people seem to look upon angels as usually being female. After all, how many beautiful pictures have you seen of a female angel? It's like the idea of a beautiful and helpful male just doesn't work well in the mind of a human. That such a description fits a female better.

[Ashley]

I think another misconception would be that they are...hmm...better than us? I don't know, it's like we revere angels on such a great level...but all their power comes from the same God we serve. And we are heirs to God's kingdom, not angels (see Ephesians 1). So, it's not like angels are mini-gods zooming around zapping people simply because they can; they are simply messengers of God and not to be worshipped.

[Stephen]

Slater. The issue had been dropped. Do not make me lock this thread because of your inability to pass up any debate you feel the need to jump on like a twinkie at a waist watchers meeting.

[Slater]

Very well, Shatterheart. I was only defending what I am obligated to.

As for human/angel rankings... maybe they are not better than us. Maybe they are though... The unfallen angels have not sinned... yet...

Yet I don't think that may be why. It is written that Jesus stepped down from heaven and became "a little lower than the angels." I guess it's like the husband/wife chain-of-command thing. While the husband is no better than the wife, there is clearly that chain of command. I suppose that what I'm saying is that God has endowed angels with more power and wisdom than he does to mankind... although the wisdom part is clearly a point to be contested in the case of fallen angels.
It is something hard to explain with words...

[Stephen]

Very well, Shatterheart. I was only defending what I am obligated to.

Stop right there. You are not obligated to argue theology. God does not have the family of Christ tear each other part over theology. So don't use that as a crutch to want to argue. Trust me on that, nobody loves to debate more then I do. But there comes a point...when you just gotta say to yourself...there not gonna see it my way...etc. If a staff member here says, whoops I made a mistake (like I said about ignoring my post) Be mature enough to let the debate go. If you cannot abide by the rules on this site, without claiming to be obligated to argue....we might have a problem. Please do not force the issue.

[SonicRose]

Regarding the Status of Angels and Man...

Psalm 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Second, all Angels in the Bible are represented as Male.

- Forget victorian art or Touched by an Angel. God is a Man, and made Man first, if there's any preference, it's toward that. (Not to say that Angels can't appear as female or in other forms, but as far as the Biblical representation, that's a fact)

Third. Angels in the bible can take on physical Form.

Fourth. Satan's fallen angels also have power God allots them.

Fifth. That means they could possibly take on physical forms as well.

2 Corinthians 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Heavy man.

You are not obligated to argue theology.

If Someone feels Compelled by the Holy Spirit within them to speak, let them speak. I leave with quotes from the Holy Bible.

Proverbs 23:9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

[Stephen]

I litteraly, was counting the moments till you would post Rose. You always do whenever your mans in trouble. I could write a lengthy post on authority, about Biblical standpoints on leadership...but lets be blunt. You coulden't give a crap about the staff on this site. Your logic is, hey....I have everything figured out. These poor fools don't have any idea what there doing (the staff) So I will correct them. Newsflash. We are the staff here...if you don't like how we run things. Leave. End of story. Further posts like this will result in strikes, and locked threads. If doing this makes you a martyr in your mind, more power to you.