Angels online
Truths About Angels, Part 2, The New Testament
In part 1 we explored some Old Testament background about angels. In the New Testament, angels continue to appear to do God's work and to bring revelation to prophets.
The first instance of angelic work in the New Testament is the annunciation, when the angel Gabriel revealed to Mary that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. Angels are also prominent at Jesus' resurrection, and during the Apocalypse.
Many of the concepts about angels carry over. Jude restates the information about bnei Elohim marrying human women. Jesus talks about angels who look down from heaven. In the OT, an angel brought the first covenant to Moses, who is then responsible for bringing it to God's people. In the NT an angel brings news of the new covenant to Mary, who is then responsible for bringing Jesus into the world. Angels play a role in OT battles, and will play a role in the battle of the Apocalypse.
Differences Between Old and New
The New Testament doesn't really get into a hierarchy of angels, and it doesn't say much about the various types of angels. To Biblical scholars, the New Testament is written in such a way that it implies understanding the hierarchy of angels. Furthermore, the concept of cherubs and seraphs is found in the NT.
The key difference is the distinction between good and bad angels. In the OT, the evil angels are simply doing their jobs in "opposition" to good angels, and all of it is according to what God allows. In the NT, the bad guys are definitely bad guys -- and writers like Paul spell out that the spirit in the Serpent is the same ancient spirit in Satan, who is now called the Tempter. An angel named Beelzebub is described as the ruler of all the demons.
One of the few NT angels not mentioned in the OT is Apollyon, the angel that guards the gates to hell. It isn't clear whether he's a good angel or a bad angel. I hope I never find out!
Although there are these subtle differences between the two texts, they aren't in opposition. If anything, they support each other. While both books suggest that angels are superior intellectually and in terms of power, the OT suggest that God cares more about his people. In the NT, Jesus tells us that we're more important, through his words and his deeds.
Some final thoughts about Angels in the New Testament...
Some believe that Romans 8:38 describes an order of angels, but I don't know -- I've always found that to be one of the most comforting verses in the Bible! If it is about a hierarchy of angels, what the verse says is quite important: All the angels, all the types of spirits, good and bad, cannot separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus. That's an important promise to remember...no matter what, no matter how powerful some angels might be, and even the most evil "fallen" angels cannot separate us from God. Why not? Because Jesus paid the price.
to go back to Truths part 1, please click here