Angels and the Stars of Heaven

[Robo]

The subject of angels is vast, but here’s a brief summary of a few things I’ve found interesting…

When God created humanity, all the angels saw the beauty and wonder of God's creation (Job 38:7). Their task is to serve humanity (Psalm 91:11, Hebrews 1:14), but a third rebelled (Revelation 12:3–4).

Humanity is guided or influenced by both fallen (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Revelation 12:9) and holy angels (Matthew 18:10, Psalm 91:11), with the ultimate battle taking place in Divine realms (Revelation 12:7-17).

Angels are created beings and were created by God (Nehemiah 9:6). In Christian angelology, there's a hierarchy of angels (Jude 9, Daniel 10:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 12:7–8), and they exert influence over the rulers and governments of nations, as in the case of Persia (Daniel 10:13-14+20).

Unlike God, who’s omnipresent, angels are limited to being in one place at a time. Some are called cherubim (for example, they guard the entrance to the Garden of Eden, and two golden cherubim figures were placed on the Ark of the Covenant), seraphim (the caretakers of God's throne), or archangels, but they’re also referred to as thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities and powers (Colossians 1:16), etc. They’re also called "mighty ones who do his Word" (Psalm 103:20).

When Jesus was born, he became lower than the angels: "But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2:9)

Angels are "greater in might and power" than humans (2 Peter 2:11, Matthew 28:2), and they use their power to battle against demonic forces (Daniel 10:13, Revelation 12:7–8, 20:1–3).

But at Judgement Day, followers of Christ will be raised higher than the angels and will be in a position to judge them (1 Corinthians 6:3). Are the angels, mentioned by Paul, the fallen angels mentioned in 2 Peter 2:4, and; Jude 1:6, or the holy angels who still serve God, or both?

Angels do not get married (Matthew 22:30, Luke 20:34–36).

Angels should not be worshipped (Colossians 2:18, Revelation 19:10).

There's nothing in the Bible to suggest that we may seek the appearance of an angel... they always appear unsought-for, but it wouldn’t be inappropriate to ask God for their help in times of need. This would be in-line with asking God to fulfil his promise of Psalm 91:11 ("For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go. With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone.")

[Robo]

Angels and the Stars of Heaven

Regarding angels being stars (the host of heaven), there are many scriptures that support this. The most obvious example is found in the book of Revelation:

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.” (Revelation 12:3-4)

Any doubt that "the stars of heaven" are angels is cleared up, a few verses later, in the same chapter of Revelation:

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:9)

In verses 3 and 4, of chapter 12, it says a third of the stars of heaven were cast down to earth, and in verse 9, of chapter 12, it says the stars that were cast out were angels.

If a third of the stars are fallen, it follows that the remaining two thirds are holy angels.

The Host of Heaven

There are many references to the Host of Heaven in the Bible, such as in the book of Psalms:

Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars." (Psalms 148:2)

References to the Host of Heaven are often accompanied with warnings not to worship the starts:

And beware, lest you lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven." (Deuteronomy 4:19)

The Israelites, however, did adopt Pagan beliefs and would worship the Host of Heaven:

"And they forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshipped all the host of heaven and served Baal." (2 Kings 17:16)

[Robo]

'The Beginning is Near' is by the 'Imaginary Foundation' (see webpage for artist's statement):

https://www.imaginaryfoundation.com/col ... -art-print

[Robo]

This also touches on the subject of Parsifal and the Holy Grail, an excerpt from chapter 16 (Lucifer’s Emerald) of "Crystal Legends", published in 1990 by Moyra Caldecott. I'm not posting it because I agree with everything in the excerpt or to promote it as truth in any way. I post it merely as a contribution to the topic:

"Moyra Caldecott was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1927, and moved to London in 1951 where she married Oliver Caldecott and raised three children. She earned degrees in English and Philosophy and an M.A. in English Literature. Moyra died in 2015, a few days before her 88th birthday. Moyra Caldecott earned a reputation as a novelist who wrote as vividly about the adventures and experiences to be encountered in the inner realms of the human consciousness as she did about those in the outer physical world. To Moyra, reality is multi-dimensional."

There was once an archangel called Lucifer, Light Bringer, Star of the Morning. He walked in the City of Heaven as a prince, a favourite of the King of Kings, God of Gods. He was the fairest of the archangels, his raiment fine and rich, the diadem around his forehead studded with precious gems. In the centre was an emerald of the same substance as the emerald rainbow that spanned the sky above the throne of the King of Kings and reflected in the sea of crystal beneath the throne.

It was through this emerald, as through a window in the mind that Lucifer saw the full glory of God, and we, many regions and realms below the Heavenly City, catching the faint glimmer of it, were, in those days encouraged to seek such a glory.

The City of Heaven is beyond our imagining, but it has been said that it is built of gold as transparent as crystal, that its walls arc of fine jasper, that it has twelve foundations, each of a different precious stone. From the first to the last they arc as follows: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolyte. beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. The city's twelve gates arc each of a separate pearl from the Ocean of Consciousness that has been since before the Word was first spoken.

Beside a river as clear as crystal, flowing with the Waters of Life from the throne of the Most High, the Tree of Life grows, bearing twelve different fruits for the healing of all the realms of Heaven and Hell.

In this city are many different orders of being, among them nine different orders of angels, the highest being the Seraphim who draw the hearts of mortals towards the Divine Love, the Kerubim, who pour forth wisdom, and the highest order of all, nameless ones, all-seeing, who occupy thrones close to the Throne of the Most High. ...

Below these arc other orders of angels, each created for a specific purpose, each with a fixed role to play and a fixed relationship with the Most High.

All were satisfied with this rigid hierarchy, until the Lord of All Himself decided to introduce an interesting maverick into the situation. He created Man in his own image, different from the angels, independent, free.

Pleased with his new creation and knowing that the very freedom he had given Man enabled him, potentially, to rise as high as the greatest angels - though at the same time it was possible for him to sink lower than the lowest - God demanded that the angels should bow down before Man. Some say it was Lucifer led the rebellion of those who, from jealousy of the freedom Man had, refused to bow down to him. Some say it was not, but, in the confusion and the fighting that followed among them the loyal angels and the disloyal ones, many fell from the Heavenly City to earth and there made mischief among men, determined that they, the new created would never, no matter how hard they tried, aspire to Heaven to sit on the angelic thrones. In the Fall damage was done to Lucifer's diadem, and the Great Emerald was loosened and fell like a green meteor in a shower of light to earth.

Ever since that time Man has sought it, for with its recovery it is believed will come the power to see the Glory of God, and by seeing, to reach towards it beyond the influence of the fallen angels.

Heroic Landscape with Rainbow (detail) by Joseph Anton Koch (1824)

[Lexi]

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares Hebrews 13:2.

Meaning angels are able to transform themselves to appear like us, & I believe I have encoutered one such being.

Genesis 19:1
Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed facedown.

Angels are messengers for God to which I am a great believer in angels and God.

The stars are the angels which are in the firmament along with the sun and the moon & the firmament rotates above us each night to give us this wondrous arrays of the consolations.

Polaris is the only star that never moves & IMO the emerald Aurora Borealis is a show of God's magnificent throne.

[Robo]

God's throne sits above the firmament towards the North and Revelation describes a rainbow that has the appearance of an emerald, surrounding His Throne, so yes, it's possible that the emerald Aurora is an echo of the radiance of His Throne.

[Robo]

The Angel

In the early days of childhood
I often heard it said that angels
exchange heaven's pure bliss
For earth's sun,

So that, when a sorrowful heart
Hides its cares from the world
And would silently bleed away
And expire in streams of tears,

And when its fervent prayer
Pleads only for deliverance,
Then that angel will fly down
And gently raise the heart to heaven.

Yes, an angel descended to me also,
And now on radiant wings
Leads my spirit, far from every torment,
Towards heaven!

[Robo]

Angels and the their role on the Day of Judgement

"And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven." (Mark 13:25-27)

"The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness." (Matthew 13:41)

"So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just." (Matthew 13:49)

[Robo]

Is Lucifer really God?

Is God more powerful than Lucifer?

Excerpt from Dr Stan Monteith's radio show (clip length, approx. 2 minutes)...

Radio Liberty
16th September, 2010

Dr Stanley Monteith (1929-2014)

https://yewtu.be/watch?v=jWpHnVYhQm4

[Felix]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1hCMKav3LE