ANGELS and DEMONS

By Pastor Tom Stiles

I do not wish to use the subject's real name, for her protection. I will call her Jane. This is the true story of an exorcism I performed on Jane. We were the only two people in the house at the time.

I was woken up at three in the morning by a whisper. Through a clenched jaw Jane whispered again -- 'help me' was what she said. She had been trying to choke out the words for an hour. I looked at her, trying to figure out what was wrong. Her expression changed from fear to anger, then back to fear. I could feel the evil manifesting, and I knew it was a demonic presence.

I immediately began praying and ordering the demon away in the name of Jesus. Jane's reaction was shocking. She became furious, angry, violent all at once. She was screeching sometimes words I could not understand, sometimes just sounds. She clawed at me with her nails, tried to kick and bite me. I was forced to hold her down forcefully to protect both of us.

Suddenly, the Holy Spirit came upon me, and I spoke with a more commanding voice and tone than I thought I was capable of. I knew what to say and how to say it -- the knowledge was simply in my head. I ordered the demon out of Jane, in the Name of The Living God -- Father Son and Holy Spirit.

It was suddenly quiet in the room. I noticed how dark it was, the light had gone out. Jane's eyes were tired and full of fear. She grabbed me in a huge bear-hug, tears streaming down her face saying over and over again "Is it gone? Is it over?" I saw the clock -- it now read 3:45 am, almost an hour from when the ordeal began. Jane told me later that she did not see me when the Holy Spirit came over me, she saw an angel, and a shining light blinding her. She remembers very little of the experience to this day, but that is the detail that stands out the most in her mind. I remember something similar, a dark shadow with eyes over her.

Believe me when I say that the movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" got it right. Nearly every detail was absolutely correct.

By Pastor Tom Stiles

As far as qualifications to say I know what I know: I have done literally years of research, as well as had MANY undeniable experiences that seem to prove my research. I am Christian, but, I'm not one of those Christians. I believe in angels AND demons. Many people seem to believe in just one or the other, or even neither! one cannot exist without the other because demons WERE angels, so by acknowledging the existence of one, you acknowledge the existence of both (unless you do not believe in the fall from grace). I have actually SEEN demons, and heard them, and the experiences cannot be explained away as ANYTHING else. I am a firm believer that the Bible is the word of God, though it is misused/ misquoted often enough.

Okay, here is a BRIEF summary of my research. Any ideas that are my original theories, I will state as such.

Section 1: What are angels and Demons?

What are angels? Simply put, angels are divine beings. They are God's messengers and servants; in fact, the Hebrew for angel is 'messenger'. The Greek "Angelos" also means angel or messenger. What they are and their roles are quite a bit more complicated than that, though. What are demons? Demons are angels who, through sin, are no longer divine. They cannot be forgiven, as humans can, because they had an understanding of God and the universe, and sinned anyways. We have no such knowledge, therefore we can make mistakes without fully understanding the consequences, and can be forgiven because of this.

Section 2: What do they do/ look like?

What do angels do/ look like? Angels are the protectors of the faithful and the innocent, as well as the dealers in divine retribution. They have a variety of tasks, which include maintaining order in the universe, and aiding in the worship of God. They have a variety of forms and sizes, but when they appear to us visibly, they tend to look human, with some fantastic quality or striking look, like seeming to glow or even be scary. Angels supposedly number in the millions or billions.

What do demons do/ look like? Demons corrupt, spread lies and hate, dominate, and endeavor to destroy when ever they can. This is like trying to hurt God because he hurt them (even though he was justified in doing so). Hurting us to hurt God: Humans are God's greatest creation, which he loves very dearly. Any corruption or destruction against that which God loves, is for that purpose. Demons have a variety of forms and sizes, just as angels do, but they have no physical forms (those were destroyed when they fell). When they appear they try to take on a pleasing form, usually. They sometimes show their true forms to frighten people. In that form they look like a large, vaguely human shaped shadow, with claws, and glowing eyes. (yes, I have seen them). It is believed that one-third of the angels became demons. (See Revelation)

Section 3: Historical, and specific angels and demons.

There are only two angels mentioned by name in the Bible: Michael, who’s name means ‘Who is like God?’(yes his name is a question); and Gabriel, whose name means ‘Hero of God.’ Michael is the general of the armies of heaven, and fights Lucifer (Satan) at every turn. He showed up on the battlefield a couple of times in the Old Testament, to aid God’s people. He appeared to a catholic monk, and that monk later built St. Michael’s cathedral on that same location.

Michael is also thought to be the angel who appeared with an entire regiment on horseback and helped win a decisive battle against the Nazis in WWII, and vanished after the battle, only leaving the allied troops he rescued. Gabriel is more of a messenger. He is the angel who appeared to Mary to tell her about Jesus, he appeared as the star to guide the wise men to Bethlehem, and he was the one who rolled away the stone from Jesus’ tomb.

He is also considered to be the angel of death, although that is a role shared by many angels. Michael and Gabriel together were the angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. There were others not mentioned by name, but referred to as “the angel of the lord.” Raphiel, who healed Jacob after his fight with the mysterious being or 'dark angel;' and Uriel, who is thought to be an angel of punishment, and may have brought the great flood. He probably was the one guarding Eden with his flaming sword.

There are several demons of note: Lucifer (of course), meaning ‘morning star’ was his name as an angel, when he fell, it became Satan; meaning ‘obstacle.’ This is who we refer to as the devil. He was the most beautiful of angels, and became vain and hateful; he wanted more and more, and he was cast out of heaven. He is known as the lord of lies and deceit. Michael throws him out of heaven in Revelation. Azazel spread forbidden knowledge to corrupt humanity; he spread metallurgy, weapons, cosmetics, and jewellery. It was his influence that caused humans to become so evil, that God destroyed them with the great flood. He was imprisoned in a desert somewhere so could no longer influence humanity, he must remain there until judgment day.

Belial is a demon who had a strong following in early parts of the old testament, and his followers were called the sons of Belial. The prophet/ judge, Samson killed many sons of Belial. Belial also means ‘worthless.’ One more of note is Beelzebub: Name means lord of flies. Also called Baal or Baalzebub. The Baal worshipers were the largest opposing religion to Judaism at the time. The prophet Elijah challenged the followers of Baal, saying that their God could work no wonders. For 2 days, prophets of Baal prayed for him to light the altar with his powers. Then Elijah soaked his alter to God with water, prayed one prayer, and fire from heaven consumed the altar, stones and all.

Section 4: Miscellaneous and angelic script/ sigils.

The angelic scripts are a complicated language, very similar to Hebrew. The characters can be translated to Hebrew, and subsequently, to other languages, but we do not know how to pronounce them in angelic. Each angel and demon has its own sigil, and most of them are very complex. Symbols you might know: The ankh, or Egyptian cross is at the center of the sigil of Lucifer. The eye, the Egyptian one called the eye of Horus, also used by the Illuminati, is the eye of Lucifer, it is also a part of his sigil. Many of the Egyptian gods were actually demons. Please note that ‘The Da Vinci Code’ had innumerable errors in it, especially relating to the symbols (they changed the painting so Peter would look like a girl; in the original, he has a beard!)

Where is it in the Bible?

Angels in the Bible have a habit of starting conversations with such phrases as "Do not be afraid ..." (Luke 1:13 & Luke 1:29 to name two...) Angels aren't pretty young motherly looking women or fat little cherubs. They invoke fear or awe. Demons are likewise so, but it is easier to control someone through deception than fear.

Purpose of angels? Primarily to serve in heaven (Revelation 8-9) and to act as spiritual warriors of God (Revelation 12:7-12).

As far as interaction with humans in concerned, they assist people (Genesis 24), protect people (Psalm 91:11-13), execute judgment (Matthew 13:24-50 & Revelation 14:17-16:21), and deliver messages (Isaiah 6, Matthew 1:20-24, Luke 1:26-38, 2:8-25).

A small note: Satan quotes scripture. He quotes Psalm 91:12 when trying to tempt Jesus in Matthew 4:6

Demons

One of the most fearsome abilities is the ability to possess someone. Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-17, Luke 8:26-37, Acts
Some instances of supernatural abilities com from possession (Acts 16:16-19)
And are never to be trusted.(Timothy 4:1-10)
Satan is the so-called father of lies after all.

References of faith...
In other mindsets...

Most the current angelic hierarchies and such are based off concepts of Zoroastrian religion, which is questionable at best, as well as being a practice explicitly forbidden in the Bible. (Hebrews 1-2) One the other hand, several other concepts come from the Tanakh. (Hebrew bible: Torah, Nevim, and Ketuvim) It's pretty much the Old Testament in a different order with a few changes. But in my opinion it is pretty much the most reliable source to look for about angels and demons... so... Let's get cracking...

The ancient understanding of angels is that they were heavenly being created by God, some of them having free will. Upon the advent of (somewhat) modern text based on Judaic principals, angels have no free will, and being only servants of God. (This is a tad questionable being as Lucifer and many other angels went against God. It is more so to say that they are not to be forgiven in way such as humans are, something that is touched on frequently and really seems to give Satan a fit.)

The angels actual named in post-Judaism are Gabriel and Michael (book of Daniel), Raphael (book of Tobit), Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Jerahmeel (book of Enoch). The angel known as Metatron (the one in Revelations 1:10 with one foot on the sea and one on the sand that forbid John to write down what he had heard. (My guess to the actual name of the angel never being stated is that a True Name is important and not to be taken lightly, in most cases a name known only to God and possibly the owner)

As far as demons go

Satan (Mark 1:13), Beelzebub (Mark 3:22), and Abbadon/Apollyon (Revelation 9:11)

Hierarchies and stuff

There are a bunch of established types of angels and demons, as well as different classes... I may touch on that at some later date if the need arises...

Semi-biblical references...

There's plenty of stuff on the topic, like Joanes Weirus's "De praetistigis" hypothesizing that there are 7,451,926 in 111 legions of 6666 demons rules by 72 princes... Interesting, yet questionable at best... More on these later.

Purely fiction references

The Divine Comedy series (Dante Aligheri), most anything by C.S. Lewis (except for the Space Trilogy and Narnia of course...), Paradise Lost/Regained... Things that are fun to read and have good insight, but (as the authors make clear) nothing else. Unfortunately, people have a habit of quoting such things as gospel.

The difference Between Devils and Demons Okay, it can be complicated telling the difference from meeting/ seeing one, though the difference is fairly simple:
Devil = Fallen Angel
Devil = Immortal (has nothing to do with life span, they just cannot be permanently destroyed)
Devil = Very powerful

Demon = Negative energy creature or automaton
Demon = Not immortal (still nothing to do with life span)
Demon = From very weak all the way up to powerful, never as strong as a devil, however.

To be more specific:

Devils comprise one-third of the original population of angels which fell from grace when they choose to follow Lucifer instead of God. Demons can be created with negative energy or with chaos energy. They are like negative energy golems, under the control of their masters, and can show up in VERY LARGE numbers. I would also describe them as 'barely sentient blobs of negative energy.' Devils usually appear alone or in small groups. To actually encounter a large number of devils is extremely rare unless you walk into hell itself. Demons even account for quite a few supposed hauntings. With devils, this is the rarest of the rare and I only know of two modern occurrences of a devilish haunting; paranormal researchers and ghost hunters coined the term 'malevolent inhuman entity' to describe these hauntings.

In various human mythologies an angel is believed to be an ethereal creature whose duties are to assist and serve the God or gods of many religious traditions. The word originated from the Latin angelus, itself derived from the Greek áããåëïò, ángelos, meaning “messenger” (double gamma "ãã" is pronounced "ng" in Greek). The closest Hebrew word for angel is îìàê, mal'ach Hebrew word #4397

(http://www.biblestudytools.net/Lexicons/Hebrew/heb.cgi?number=4397&version=kjv) in Strong's, also meaning messenger. "Angel" is also used in the English Version for the following three Hebrew words:

* àáéø, abbir Hebrew word #47 (http://www.biblestudytools.net/Lexicons/Hebrew/heb.cgi?number=47&version=kjv) in Strong's, Ps. 78:25 (lit. "mighty")
* àìäéí, Elohim Hebrew word #430 (http://www.biblestudytools.net/Lexicons/Hebrew/heb.cgi?number=430&version=kjv) in Strong's, Ps. 8:5
* the obscure àìäéí, shin'an Hebrew word #8136 (http://www.biblestudytools.net/Lexicons/Hebrew/heb.cgi?number=8136&version=kjv) in Strong's, in Ps. 68:17

GENERAL

The Biblical name for angel, mal'akh (meaning "messenger"), obtained the further signification of "angel" only through the addition of God's name, as "angel of the Lord", or "angel of God" (Zech. xii. 8). Other appellations are "Sons of God", (Gen. vi. 4; Job, i. 6 [R. V. v. 1]) and "the Holy Ones" (Ps. lxxxix. 6, 8).

According to Jewish religious thought in understanding the term, 'Elohim is almost entirely reserved for the one true God; but at times 'Elohim (powers), bnç 'Elohim, bnç Elim (sons of gods, i.e. members of the class of divine beings) were general terms for beings with great power i.e. Judges or alternately, some kind of super powerful human beings. Hence they came to be used collectively of superhuman beings, distinct from Yahweh, and therefore inferior, and ultimately subordinate. (E.g. Gen. 6:2; Job 1:6; Ps. 8:5.)

So, too, the angels are styled "holy ones", (Zech. 14:5) and "watchers", (Dan. 4:13) and are spoken of as the "host of heaven" (Deut. 17:3) or of "Yahweh". (Josh. 5:14) The "hosts", öáàåú Sebaoth in the title Yahweh Sebaoth, Lord of Hosts, were probably at one time identified with the angels. (The identification of the "hosts" with the stars comes to the same thing; the stars were thought of as closely connected with angels. It is probable that the "hosts" were also identified with the armies of Israel.) The New Testament often speaks of "spirits", ðíå?ìáôá. (Rev. 1:4)

In the earlier periods of the religion of Israel, the doctrine of monotheism had not been formally stated (if it indeed existed,) so that the idea of "angel" in the modern sense does not occur, but we find the Mal'akh Yahweh, Angel of the Lord, or Mal'akh Elohim, Angel of God. The Mal'akh Yahweh is an appearance or manifestation of Yahweh in the form of a man, and the term Mal'akh Yahweh is used interchangeably with Yahweh (cf. Exod. 3:2, with 3:4; 13:21 with 14:19). Those who see the Mal'akh Yahweh say they have seen God (Gen. 32:30; Judges 13:22). The Mal'akh Yahweh (or Elohim) appears to Abraham, Hagar, Moses, Gideon, &c., and leads the Israelites in the Pillar of Cloud (Exod. 3:2).

The phrase Mal'akh Yahweh may have been originally a courtly circumlocution for the Divine King; but it readily became a means of avoiding anthropomorphism, and later on, when the angels were classified, the Mal'akh Yahweh came to mean an angel of distinguished rank. The identification of the Mal'akh Yahweh with the Logos, or Second Person of the Trinity, is not indicated by the references in the Hebrew scriptures; but the idea of a Being partly identified with God, and yet in some sense distinct from him, illustrates a tendency of Hebrew religious thought to distinguish persons within the unity of the deity. Chirstians think that this foreshadows the doctrine of the Trinity, while Jews would deny that and might show how it develops into kabbalistic theological thought and imagery.

In the earlier literature the Mal'akh Yahweh or Elohim is almost the only mal'akh ("angel") mentioned. There are, however, a few passages which speak of subordinate superhuman beings other than the Mal'akh Yahweh or Elohim. There are the cherubim who guard Eden. In Gen. 18, 19. (J) the appearance of Yahweh to Abraham and Lot is connected with three, afterwards two, men or messengers; but possibly in the original form of the story Yahweh appeared alone (Cf. 18:1 with 18:2, and note change of number in 19:17). At Bethel, Jacob sees the angels of God on the ladder (Gen. 28:12), and later on they appear to him at Mahanaim (Gen. 32:1). In all these cases the angels, like the Mal'akh Yahweh, are connected with or represent a theophany. Similarly the "man" who wrestles with Jacob at Peniel is identified with God (Gen. 32:24, 30).

In Isaiah 6 the seraphim, superhuman beings with six wings, appear as the attendants of Yahweh. Thus the pre-exilic literature, as we now have it, has little to say about angels or about superhuman beings other than Yahweh and manifestations of Yahweh; the pre-exilic prophets hardly mention angels ("An angel" of I Kings 13:18 might be the Mal'akh Yahweh, as in 19:5, cf. 7, or the passage, at any rate in its present form, may be exilic or post-exilic). Nevertheless we may well suppose that the popular religion of ancient Israel had much to say of superhuman beings other than Yahweh, but that the inspired writers have mostly suppressed references to them as unedifying. Moreover such beings were not strictly angels.

Once the doctrine of monotheism was formally expressed in the period immediately before and during the Exile (in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Isaiah 43:10) we find angels prominent in Ezekiel. He, as a prophet of the Exile, may have been influenced by the hierarchy of supernatural beings in the Babylonian religion, and perhaps even by the angelology of Zoroastrianism (It is not however certain that these doctrines of Zoroastrianism were developed at so early a date).

Ezekiel 9 gives elaborate descriptions of cherubim; and in one of his visions he sees seven angels execute the judgment of God upon Jerusalem. As in Genesis they are styled "men", mal'akh for "angel" does not occur in Ezekiel. Somewhat later, in the visions of Zechariah, angels play a great part; they are sometimes spoken of as "men", sometimes as mal'akh, and the Mal'akh Yahweh seems to hold a certain primacy among them (Zech. 1:11).

The Satan also appears to prosecute (so to speak) the High Priest before the divine tribunal (Zech. 3:1). Similarly in Job the bne Elohim, sons of God, appear as attendants of God, and amongst them the Satan (Heb. ha satan), again in the role of public prosecutor, the defendant being Job (Job 1, 2. Cf. I Chron 21:1). Occasional references to "angels" occur in the Psalter (Pss. 91:11, 103:20 &c.); they appear as ministers of God.

In Ps. 78:49 the "evil angels" of the Authorized Version conveys a false impression; it should be "angels of evil", i.e. angels who inflict chastisement as ministers of God.

The seven angels of Ezekiel may be compared with the seven eyes of Yahweh in Zech. 3:9, 4:10. The latter have been connected by Ewald and others with the later doctrine of seven chief angels (Tobit 12:15; Rev. 8:2), parallel to and influenced by the Ameshaspentas (Amesha Spenta), or seven great spirits of the Persian mythology, but the connexion is doubtful.

In the Priestly Code, c. 400 B.C., there is no reference to angels apart from the possible suggestion in the plural in Genesis 1:26.

During the Persian and Greek periods the doctrine of angels underwent a great development, partly, at any rate, under foreign influences. In Daniel, c. 160 B.C., angels, usually spoken of as "men" or "princes", appear as guardians or champions of the nations; grades are implied, there are "princes" and "chief" or "great princes"; and the names of some angels are known, Gabriel, Michael; the latter is pre-eminent (Dan. 8:16; 10:13, 20-21), he is the guardian of Judah. Again in Tobit a leading part is played by Raphael, "one of the seven holy angels". (Tob. 12:15.)

In Tobit, too, we find the idea of the demon or evil angel. In the canonical Hebrew/Aramaic scriptures, angels may inflict suffering as ministers of God and Satan may act as accuser or tempter; but they appear as subordinate to God, fulfilling his will and not as independent morally evil agents. The statement (Job 4:18) that God "charged his angels with folly" applies to all angels. In Daniel the princes or guardian angels of the heathen nations oppose Michael the guardian angel of Judah. But in Tobit we find Asmodaeus the evil demon, ô? ðïíçñ?í äáéì?íéïí, who strangles Sarah's husbands, and also a general reference to "a devil or evil spirit", ðíå?ìá (Tobit 3:8, 17; 6:7).

The Fall of the Angels is not properly a scriptural doctrine, though it is based on Gen. 6:2, as interpreted by the Book of Enoch. It is true that the bnç Elohim of that chapter are subordinate superhuman beings (cf. above), but they belong to a different order of thought from the angels of Judaism and of Christian doctrine; and the passage in no way suggests that the bne Elohim suffered any loss of status through their act.

The guardian angels of the nations in Daniel probably represent the gods of the heathen, and we have there the first step of the process by which these gods became evil angels, an idea expanded by Milton in Paradise Lost. The development of the doctrine of an organized hierarchy of angels belongs to the Jewish literature of the period 200 B.C. to A.D. 100. In Jewish apocalypses especially, the imagination ran riot on the rank, classes and names of angels; and such works as the various books of Enoch and the Ascension of Isaiah supply much information on this subject.

APPEARANCE OF ANGELS

In the Hebrew Bible, angels often appear to people in the shape of humans of extraordinary beauty, and often are not immediately recognized as angels (Gen. xviii. 2, xix. 5; Judges, vi. 17, xiii. 6; II Sam. xxix. 9); some fly through the air; some become invisible; sacrifices touched by them are consumed by fire; and they may disappear in sacrificial fire, like Elijah, who rode to heaven in a fiery chariot. Angels appeared in the flames of the thorn bush (Gen. xvi. 13; Judges, vi. 21, 22; II Kings, ii. 11; Ex. iii. 2). They are described as pure and bright as heaven; consequently they are said to be formed of fire and encompassed by light (Job, xv. 15), as the Psalmist said (Ps. civ. 4, R. V.): "Who makes winds his messengers; his ministers a flaming fire."

Though superhuman, angels assume human form; this is the earliest conception. Gradually, and especially in post-Biblical times, angels came to be bodied forth in a form corresponding to the nature of the mission to be fulfilled—generally, however, the human form. They bear drawn swords or destroying weapons in their hands—one carries an ink-horn by his side—and ride on horses (Num. xxii. 23, Josh. v. 13, Ezek. ix. 2, Zech. i. 8 et seq.). A terrible angel is the one mentioned in I Chron. xxi. 16, 30, as standing "between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand."

In the Book of Daniel reference is made to an angel "clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude" (Dan. x. 5, 6). Angels are thought to possess wings (Dan. ix. 21) as they are described in the Bible, and depicted in Christian, Jewish and Zoroastrian art. They are commonly depicted with halos.

Images of angels in Christian art are identical to prior depiction of gods such as Zeus and Nike, in pre-Christian classical art, and some divine beings in Mesopotamian art. The use of wings suggests an original artistic convention merely intended to denote the figure as a spirit.

Angels are portrayed as powerful and dreadful, endowed with wisdom and with knowledge of all earthly events, correct in their judgment, holy, but not infallible: they strive against each other, and God has to make peace between them. When their duties are not punitive, angels are beneficent to man (Ps. ciii. 20, lxxviii. 25; II Sam. xiv. 17, 20, xix. 28; Zech. xiv. 5; Job, iv. 18, xxv. 2).

The number of angels is enormous. Jacob meets a host of angels; Joshua sees the "captain of the host of the Lord"; God sits on His throne, "all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left"; the sons of God come "to present themselves before the Lord" (Gen. xxxii. 2; Josh. v. 14, 15; I Kings, xxii. 19; Job, i. 6, ii. 1; Ps. lxxxix. 6; Job, xxxiii. 23). The general conception is the one of Job (xxv. 3): "Is there any number of his armies?"

Though the older writings usually mention one angel of the Lord, embassies to men as a rule comprised several messengers. The inference, however, is not to be drawn that God Himself or one particular angel was designated: the expression was given simply to God's power to accomplish through but one angel any deed, however wonderful.

Angels are referred to in connection with their special missions as, for instance, the "angel which hath redeemed", "an interpreter", "the angel that destroyed", "messenger of the covenant", "angel of his presence", and "a band of angels of evil" (Gen. xlviii. 16; Job, xxxiii. 23; II Sam. xxiv. 16; Mal. iii. 1; Isa. lxiii. 9; Ps. lxxviii. 49, R. V.). When, however, the heavenly host is regarded in its most comprehensive aspect, a distinction may be made between cherubim, seraphim, ?ayyot ("living creatures"), ofanim ("wheels"), and arelim (the meaning of which term is unknown). God is described as riding on the cherubim and as "the Lord of hosts, who dwelleth between the cherubim"; while the latter guard the way of the Tree of Life (I Sam. iv. 4, Ps. lxxx. 2, Gen. iii. 24). The seraphim are described by Isaiah (vi. 2) as having six wings; and Ezekiel describes the ?ayyot (Ezek. i. 5 et seq.) and ofanim as heavenly beings who carry God's throne.

In post-Biblical times the heavenly hosts became more highly organized (possibly as early as Zechariah [iii. 9, iv. 10]; certainly in Daniel), and there came to be various kinds of angels; some even being provided with names, as will be shown below.

PURPOSE In the Bible, angels are the medium of God's power; they exist to execute God's will. Angels reveal themselves to individuals as well as to the whole nation, in order to announce events, either good or bad, affecting them. Angels foretold to Abraham the birth of Isaac, to Manoah the birth of Samson, and to Abraham the destruction of Sodom. Guardian angels were mentioned, but not, as was later the case, as guardian spirits of individuals and nations. God sent an angel to protect the Hebrew people after their exodus from Egypt, to lead them to the promised land, and to destroy the hostile tribes in their way (Ex. xxiii. 20, Num. xx. 16).

In Judges (ii. 1) an angel of the Lord—unless here and in the preceding instances (compare Isa. xlii. 19, ?ag. i. 13, Mal. iii. 1) a human messenger of God is meant—addressed the whole people, swearing to bring them to the promised land. An angel brought Elijah meat and drink (I Kings, xix. 5); and as God watched over Jacob, so is every pious person protected by an angel who cares for him in all his ways (Ps. xxxiv. 7, xci. 11). There are angels militant, one of whom smites in one night the whole Assyrian army of 185,000 men (II Kings, xix. 35); messengers go forth from God "in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid" (Ezek. xxx. 9); the enemy is scattered before the angel like chaff (Ps. xxxv. 5, 6).

Avenging angels are mentioned, such as the one in II Sam. xxiv. 15, who annihilates thousands. It would seem that the pestilence was personified, and that the "evil angels" mentioned in Ps. lxxviii. 49 are to be regarded as personifications of this kind. "Evil" is here to be taken in the causative sense, as "producing evil"; for, as stated above, angels are generally considered to be by nature beneficent to man. They glorify God, whence the term "glorifying angels" (Ps. xxix. 1, ciii. 20, cxlviii. 2; compare Isa. vi. 2 et seq.).

They constitute God's court, sitting in council with him (I Kings, xxii. 19; Job, i. 6, ii. 1); hence they are called His "council of the holy ones" (Ps. lxxxix. 7, R. V.; A. V. "assembly of the saints"). They accompany God as His attendants when He appears to man (Deut. xxxiii. 2; Job, xxxviii. 7). This conception was developed after the Exile; and in Zechariah angels of various shapes are delegated "to walk to and fro through the earth" in order to find out and report what happens (Zech. vi. 7).

In the prophetic books angels appear as representatives of the prophetic spirit, and bring to the prophets God's word. Thus the prophet Haggai was called God's messenger (angel); and it is known that "Malachi" is not a real name, but means "messenger" or "angel". It is noteworthy that in I Kings, xiii. 18, an angel brought the divine word to the prophet.

In some places it is implied that angels existed before the Creation (Gen. i. 26; Job, xxxviii. 7). The earlier Biblical writings did not speculate about them; simply regarding them, in their relations to man, as God's agents. Consequently, they did not individualize or denominate them; and in Judges, xiii. 18, and Gen. xxxii. 30, the angels, when questioned, refuse to give their names. In Daniel, however, there occur the names Michael and Gabriel. Michael is Israel's representative in heaven, where other nations—the Persians, for instance—were also represented by angelic princes. More than three hundred years before the Book of Daniel was written, Zechariah graded the angels according to their rank, but did not name them. The notion of the seven eyes (Zech. iii. 9, iv. 10) may have been affected by the representation of the seven archangels and also possibly by the seven amshaspands of Zoroastrianism (compare Ezek. ix. 2).

JEWISH VIEWS

Angels appear in several Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) stories, in addition to the ones previously mentioned above. These include the warning to Lot of the imminent destruction of Sodom. Many Bible chapters mention an "angry God" who sends His angel to smite the enemies of the Israelites. Traditional Jewish biblical commentators have a variety of ways of explaining what an angel is. The earliest Biblical books present angels as heavenly beings created by God, some of whom apparently are endowed with free will. Later biblical books in the Tanakh present a stunningly different view of angels, as Jewish thought and understanding of such things developed over the many years covered in the Bible. Such a differing perspective on angels is discovered in the Book of Ezekiel, where these angels bear no relation whatsoever to the former understanding of what an angel was.

The archangels named in post-exile Judaism are Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Jerahmeel. Gabriel and Michael are mentioned in the book of Daniel, Raphael in the book of Tobit (from the Protestant Apocrypha or Catholic and Orthodox Deuterocanon) and the remaining four in the book of Enoch from the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox).

MONIDES and RATIONALISM

In the Middle Ages, some Jews developed a rationalist view of angels that is still accepted by many Jews today. The rationalist view of angels, as held by Maimonides, Gersonides, Samuel Ibn Tibbon, etc., states that God's actions are never mediated by a violation of the laws of nature. Rather, all such interactions are by way of angels. Even this can be highly misleading: Maimonides harshly states that the average person's understanding of the term "angel" is ignorant in the extreme. Instead, he says, the wise man sees that what the Bible and Talmud refer to as "angels" are actually metaphors for the various laws of nature, or the principles by which the physical universe operates, or kinds of platonic eternal forms. This is explained in his Guide of the Perplexed II:4 and II:6.

II:4 "...This leads Aristotle in turn to the demonstrated fact that God, glory and majesty to Him, does not do things by direct contact. God burns things by means of fire; fire is moved by the motion of the sphere; the sphere is moved by means of a disembodied intellect, these intellects being the 'angels which are near to Him', through whose mediation the spheres [planets] move....thus totally disembodied minds exist which emanate from God and are the intermediaries between God and all the bodies [objects] here in this world."

II:6 ...Aristotle's doctrine that these disembodied spheres serve as the nexus between God and existence, by whose mediation the sphere are brought into motion, which is the cause of all becoming, is the express import of all the Scriptures. For you will never in Scripture any activity done by God except through an angel. And "angel", as you know, means messenger. Thus anything which executes a command is an angel. So the motions of living beings, even those that are inarticulate, are said explicitly by Scripture to be due to angels.

Our argument here is concerned solely with those "angels" which are disembodied intellects. For our Bible is not unaware that God governs this existence through the mediation of angels...(Maimonides then quotes discussions of angels from Genesis, Plato, and MidrashBereshit Rabbah)...the import in all these texts is not—as a primitive mentality would suppose—to suggest any discussion or planning or seeking of advice on God's part. How could the Creator receive aid from the object of his creation? The real import of all is to proclaim that existence—including particular individuals and even the formation of the parts of animals such as they are—is brought about entirely through the mediation of angels.

For all forces are angels! How blind, how perniciously blind are the naïve?! If you told someone who purports to be a sage of Israel that the Deity sends an angel who enters a woman's womb and there forms an embryo, he would think this a miracle and accept it as a mark of the majesty and power of the Deity—despite the fact that he believes an angel to be a body of fire one third the size of the entire world. All this, he thinks, is possible for God. But if you tell him that God placed in the sperm the power of forming and demarcating these organs, and that this is the angel, or that all forms are produced by the Active Intellect—that here is the angel, the "vice-regent of the world" constantly mentioned by the sages—then he will recoil. For he [the naïve person] does not understand that the true majesty and power are in the bringing into being of forces which are active in a thing although they cannot be perceived by the senses.

The sages of blessed memory state clearly—to those who are wise themselves—that every bodily power (not to mention forces at large in the world) is an angel and that a given power has one effect and no more. It says in Midrash Bereshit Rabbah "We are given to understand that no angel performs two missions, nor do two angels perform one mission."—which is just the case with all forces. To confirm the conclusion that individual physical and psychological forces are called "angels", there is the dictum of the sages, in a number of places, ultimately derived from Bereshit Rabbah, "Each day the Holy One creates a band of angels who sing their song before him and go their way." Midrash Bereshit Rabbah, LXXVIII.

This idrash was countered with another which suggests that angels are permanent...the answer given was that some are permanent and other perish. And this is in fact the case. Particular forces come to be and pass away in constant succession; the species of such forces, however, are stable and enduring....[Giving a few more examples of the mention of angels in rabbinic writings, Maimonides says] Thus the Sages reveal to the aware that the imaginative faculty is also called an angel; and the mind is called a cherub. How beautiful this will appear to the sophisticated mind—and how disturbing to the primitive."

One can perhaps say that Maimonides thus presents a virtual rejection of the "classical" Jewish view of miracles; he and others substitute a rationalism that seems more appropriate for 20th and 21st century religious rationalists. Oters might perhaps view Maimonides's statements as being perfectly in keeping with the continued evolvement of Jewish thought over a period of several millennia.

ISLAMIC VIEWS

A belief in angels is central to the religion of Islam, beginning with the belief that the Qur'an was dictated to the Prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel.In Islam, angels are beings created from light. They are completely devoted to the worship of God, their creator.

The chief of all the archangels is Gabriel (Jibril); Michael (Mikal) comes next; Sarafiel (Israfil) sounds the trumpet of the resurrection; and Azrael (Izra'il) is the angel of death (the etymology of the last name is obscure). Instead of four, there are eight angels that support the throne of God (sura lxix. § 17). Some angels have two, some three, others four wings (sura xxxv. § 2). "They celebrate the praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those that are on earth" (sura xlii. § 2). "Each man hath a succession of angels before and behind him" (sura xiii. § 12). The angel who has charge of hell is Malik. Hell has seven doors (sura xv. § 44).

Nineteen angels are set over the fire (sura lxxiv. §§ 30-31). Munkar and Nakir are the angels that interrogate the dead; and another angel, Ruman, makes each man write down his deeds.

OTHER RELIGIONS

Angels are also a part of Zoroastrianism and New Age beliefs. In Hindu pantheology and some New Age beliefs, they can be interpreted as gandharvas, apsaras, dakini or, in general, devas.

THELEMA

Aleister Crowley, who some call the Prophet of the New Aeon, tried to teach people to attain what he called "the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel". Within the system of Thelema, the Holy Guardian Angel is representitive of one’s truest divine nature. The term is equivilent with the Genius of the Golden Dawn, the Augoeides of Iamblichus, the Atman of Hinduism, and the Daemon of the gnostics.[1] (http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php/Holy_Guardian_Angel)

According to most Thelemites, the single most important goal is to consciously connect with one’s HGA, a process termed “Knowledge and Conversation.” By doing so, the magician becomes fully aware of his own True Will. For Crowley, this event was the single most important goal of any adept.

It should never be forgotten for a single moment that the central and essential work of the Magician is the attainment of the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. Once he has achieved this he must of course be left entirely in the hands of that Angel, who can be invariably and inevitably relied upon to lead him to the further great step—crossing of the Abyss and the attainment of the grade of Master of the Temple. (Magick Without Tears, Ch.83)

Crowley felt that attaining Knowledge and Conversation was so important, that he staked the claim that any other magical operation was, in a sense, evil. [wikipedia]

By Pastor Tom Stiles

DISCLAIMER: Do NOT attempt if you are an amateur. You could become physically or spiritually injured. DO NOT DABBLE! If you enter into spiritual warfare or astral combat unprepared you could become possessed or otherwise cause serious harm to yourself or others.

Spiritual warfare:

Spiritual warfare is a blanket term used to describe any dealings or encounters with spiritual beings of a less than friendly nature. It includes such things as: Baptism, deliverance, exorcism, prayer, and so on. The general spiritual warfare that we deal with everyday could be as minor as resisting the temptation to spend money that you could donate to charity on candy; it could also be as major as commanding an evil spirit out of a house or out of a person... complete with power failures and projectile vomiting. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to blame everything bad on demons, its just that they are often involved in the situations that I am discussing.

In the case of baptism, sins are removed from a person, sometimes including minor negative energy entities, and the holy spirit fills in the space left so they cannot come back.

Deliverance is the same except that it is on a larger scale: it often happens soon after baptism, if there are larger and more powerful demons that must be removed to make room for the Holy Spirit.

An exorcism is similar to deliverance, but is not absolutely tied to baptism. It is very much more forceful removal of evil spirits, and the subject must consent and then agree to make life changes and/ or get baptized; otherwise the demons will come back and bring along friends, making the original situation worse.

In prayer, we often pray against bad things happening or against the actions of demons. We ask God to intervene on our behalf. This type of prayer, or a prayer for someone to get well when an illness is caused by a demon, is also spiritual warfare.

There are several books on spiritual warfare, if you like:
”A Divine Revelation of Spiritual Warfare” by Mary k. Baxter
”The Bondage Breaker” by Anderson
”The Spirit World” by Rev. Clarence Larkin

Specifics of types of spiritual warfare and examples of their uses:

Baptism: A baptism happens when someone makes a personal commitment to change their life for the better and accept the salvation offered to us through Jesus' sacrifice. It is performed on new Christians and old ones alike. One might convert without being baptized, but do it later on when they want to make a more definite commitment. It can be done with the sprinkling of water on the forehead or being submerged in a pool or a river. The symbolism is that we are buried with Jesus and, based on this, many believe that it must be a full submersion to be effective. Some people *coughcatholicscough* believe that you must be baptized to go to heaven. I believe that it is going to help, but not absolutely needed. Since it removes sins that you could also remove by repenting for each and every one of them, it makes the spiritual journey a much easier one.

Deliverance: As I stated before, deliverance is related to baptism. Deliverance will happen when someone capable of performing the deliverance is present and:

A: The subject has a lot of negative energy that is not their own
B: The subject has been baptized or otherwise made a commitment against the dark side
C: The subject is possessed and has asked for the Holy Spirit in one way or another, such as praying for a spiritual gift like tongues.

Not all of these factors need to be in effect, but at least one should be for a deliverance to happen. One does not usually choose to be delivered as they would with an exorcism or a baptism. It may just happen. This is because it happens when we invite the Holy Spirit into us in one way or another, without knowing if there is space for it or not. If there is not, then God will make the space by kicking out demonic energies. Someone qualified to perform a deliverance will be there most of the time; because it is such a person who assists in spiritual growth in a Christian sense, and it almost always happens at times when we want to grow spiritually. Such a person is needed because they can prevent the demonic energy from attacking someone else, re-entering the subject, or otherwise making a nuisance of itself.

Exorcism: A forced removal of spirits and/or devils, including demons and ghosts from a living host who is possessed or otherwise being harassed by said spirits. A good case is seen in the movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose". That movie is based on a true story, and well put together. In the ritual itself, a priest or other qualified person will read scripture, pray, and speak to the spirit to be exorcised. Holy water, anointing oil, and religious talismans and symbols will be used. The exorcist will command the spirit out of the subject, and God willing, it will leave. Any observers will become potential targets for the spirit's wrath if they have not been blessed and/or anointed in advance.

When the spirit comes out, a physical reaction will happen. For example, the subject may scream or cry and the spirit come out with the tears or sound. Vomiting the spirit out is not uncommon as well. The spirit, now angry, must be sent away; removed from this world back to its own. A second stage of exorcism is performed, where the spirit is commanded out of our world. Failing this, it is usually possible to command it from the house or property, and bind it from harming the subject ever again.

This indirectly brings me to another form of exorcism, in which the second stage is the only one performed. It is a casting out of evil spirits from a home or property. There is no possession of a person in these cases. It most closely resembles a mild to severe haunting by evil spirits, and is actually easier to perform than a body exorcism. As I mentioned before, you need to be possessed to have an exorcism.

There are more ways to become possessed than most people realize. Here are some examples: In voodoo rituals, the participants deliberately allow themselves to become possessed; any form of channelling allows a person to become possessed, because the spirit must enter you for it to work, and there is no guarantee that it will leave afterwards; ouija or spirit boards are a form of channelling, and participants regularly become possessed; Tarot can cause possession in certain cases (please do not jump my case for this, its actually a rare one, but it DOES happen); Practicing any witchcraft, druidic, wiccan, new age, pagan, or satanic religions can attract unwanted spiritual attention as well (I am not trying to disrespect those of you who may be a part of these faiths, and I am sorry if I have).

Symptoms of possession:

A possessed person usually will exhibit a dramatic personality shift 'overnight' they could become hostile towards family and friends; sometimes violently so. Their taste in music and food will change as well. Keep in mind that there are little or no medical problems caused by this change save, perhaps, malnutrition after a prolonged period of time. This is why I prefer to interview the family. Religious symbols, particularly Hebrew and Christian symbols can cause anywhere from disgust to physical pain.

Pain would only be exhibited from direct contact with the skin. The one possessed will develop a sudden distaste for church, sometimes to the point of becoming violent when presented with a suggestion to attend. The music in particular causes discomfort, disgust, and even pain to the possessed. I have found that Christian music or, to a lesser degree, any uplifting music can cause physical reactions in possessed individuals. The reactions range from demanding irrationally that the music be changed, to fleeing the sound, to becoming violent. There will usually be a physical reaction to holy water, and a stronger reaction to anointing oil. I only use the oil failing to get a reaction from the water, but with other signs of possession present. The subject may react in pain, as if the substance were hot or somehow repulsive; like it had a hideous odour. The sensation may last for hours or days, depending on the severity of the possession.

Astral combat:

This refers to actually fighting evil spirits on their own plane of existence. It can happen while meditating in a dream like state, while asleep, or otherwise astral projecting or having an out of body experience. There are several types of astral combat, and I will try to cover them all.

Energy contests:

An energy contest can happen between humans or human vs spirit. It involves focusing your energy to overcome your opponent. If you can focus the energy of your own soul and aura, you can then project that energy and attempt to engulf an enemy in it. In these contests whomever has the strongest combination of energy, knowledge, and force of will is most likely to win. Keep in mind that since spirits live astrally 24/7 they always have a greater knowledge with extremely few minor exceptions.

Projected weapon:

This works similarly to the energy contest, but the combatants form their spirit energy into weapons and weapon-like forms and battle each other after the fashion of the physical world. Energy, knowledge, and force of will are again the main determining factors, but skill plays a larger role than it does in a basic energy contest. Typical weapons are swords and dagger-like bladed weapons.

Realistic battles:

These appear to be normal battles as one would have in the physical realm, with some dream-like qualities to it. It takes place in a pocket dimension in the spirit world that is constructed by thoughts, emotions and memories of the combatants. It could appear to be in any time frame, but in my experience medieval settings are most common. Opponents look human, though they are often spirits. In fact it is very rare for two human souls to battle this way. These can be so realistic, that upon waking, one might suffer physical symptoms similar to those experienced during a panic attack: rapid pulse, irrational fear, shaking, inability to speak, and others. These are almost always temporary; in fact, I have only heard of one case where permanent physical damage was done.

Supernatural battles:

These can appear almost exactly the same and have the same effects as the realistic battles. The difference is that there are more than just minor dream-like qualities to it. Spirits may appear in their true forms, one might battle against monsters. Otherworldly weapons may be involved. These can be extremely strange, scary, and possibly dangerous. It is the most dangerous form of astral combat; for example, a demon in its true form could cause lasting damage; damage it would not do if it was in a realistic battle in human form. You could expect to fight shadow monsters, wizards, dragons, or any number of other bizarre and deadly creatures here. AVOID if at all possible. If you realize you are in an astral battle, you can easily flee to your body. It’s just like waking up from a lucid dream.

Specifics of types of astral combat and examples of their uses

Energy contests:

These are very basic and happen all the time. Ever fight off an urge to do something you would not normally do? If so then you have fought and won an energy contest. It helps to picture your own energy aura, then try to find the energy trying to get through it. Picture how your aura moves, and try to see the opposing one if you can. You can, by concentrating, control how your aura moves, and focus it upon the area being attacked. Concentrate your aura in any weak points. It will seem to become thicker or darker, less likely to let anything in. Shielding will be exceptionally useful in this battle, so use it if you know how. (A shielding tutorial will be coming soon after this one). Once you determine where the attack is coming from, focus your aura in that direction, sending your energy to overcome it. If the other combatant does not give up and leave, your energy will strike it, causing it to weaken until it is forced away. Maintaining concentration is a key factor in successful energy contests.

Projected weapon:

As I stated above, this is almost the same as an energy contest. A key difference is that it happens astrally or in a meditative state more often than not. You will often see your opponent, and even seem to fight them as you might fight someone in the physical realm. The weapons used will be spiritual ones. Often, energy balls will be used as weapons, and shielding can be key to success. Someone's spiritual weapon will likely be the same colour as their aura, and translucent (like a light-saber). This is almost always going to be a one on one battle. There can be physical reactions to the battle, such as shaking; or flinching as if physically hit. There will be no physical damage from the battle, unless a twitch of the body causes you to strike an object in the physical.