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| Demons and fallen angels are two different entities. |
3 Subtle Distinctions Between Demons and Fallen Angels
Through my observation and study of
Scripture, I have come to believe, quite confidently, that demons cannot be
fallen angels.
Now, I know that idea will be rather
jarring for some people. It may seem that I am not only challenging a widely
held traditional view but also contradicting very clear teachings of the Bible.
Well, the idea that demons are not
fallen angels certainly contradicts tradition. But in no way does it contradict
Scripture.
The Bible speaks of demons, and it
speaks of the fall of Lucifer and the co-rebellion of a third of the angels,
but no verses actually link the two and define demons as fallen angels. The
idea that demons are fallen angels is simply a long-held tradition.
The Bible actually gives three
subtle distinctions between demons and fallen angels, and I want to explore
each one here.
Demons Need Bodies
Demons seek to possess bodies and
seem rather uncomfortable being outside of them. Take for instance the story of
a man possessed by an entire legion of demons. While being cast out, the demons
in that story begged Jesus to send them into a herd of pigs:
There happened to be a large herd of
pigs feeding in the distance. So the demons begged, "If
you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine" (Matthew
8:30–31, MEV).
Fallen angels, however, can appear
in physical form and even interact with mankind.
In Genesis fallen angels even
procreated with women. The bizarre procreation resulted in the birth of giants.
"There
were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of
God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same
became mighty men which were of old, men of renown"
(Genesis 6:4, KJV).
For that procreation, God punished
the "sons of God" by
binding them in "everlasting
chains" until the day of judgment (Jude 6).
Keep in mind that every reference to
"sons of God" in the Old
Testament was a reference to supernatural beings or angels.
Only in the New Testament does "sons of God" refer to the
redeemed children of God. So we know that it was not ordinary men, as some
might suggest, who procreated with the "daughters
of men." Had those referred to in Genesis 6:4 been mere ordinary men,
there would be no clear reason their procreation would produce giants.
Some also suggest that perhaps "sons of God" referred to a
select group of people who were forbidden to procreate with a certain other
group. Still, that would not explain why their union produced giants or why God
punished their actions so harshly.
There are others still who say
angels cannot breed, citing Matthew 22:30: "For
in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like
the angels of God in heaven" (MEV). But that verse
tells us only that angels do not marry.
Angels can still have a gender and
appear to mankind in earthly bodies. The book of Hebrews tells us that angels
can actually walk around among us without being noticed.
"Do not forget to
entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unknowingly" (Hebrews
13:2, MEV).
Consider also the angels at Christ's
empty tomb.
"While they were greatly
perplexed concerning this, suddenly two men stood by them in shining
garments" (Luke
24:4, MEV).
Also, the men of Sodom desired to
have sex with the angels that appeared to Lot. How could that be unless the
angels had bodies and looked like human beings?
"Now the two angels came
to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw
them he rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the
ground. ... Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both
old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the
house. 5 They then called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the
men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may have
relations with them" (Genesis
19:1, 4-5, MEV).
From Scripture, we see that both
fallen angels and holy angels have bodies.
In contrast, demons greatly desire bodies
because they do not have them. Demons are clingy, needy, angry, tormented
creatures. That is the first distinction between fallen angels and demons.
Demons Wander the Earth
Demons are cursed to wander the
earth while fallen angels still have the ability to stand before God in heavenly
places. Though they were banished from heaven, the fallen angels still gave an
account of their doings.
"Now there was a day
when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and the
Adversary also came among them" (Job
1:6, MEV).
I'll give you a few good reasons to
believe fallen angels, and not just heavenly angels, were among those who stood
before God in the story recorded in the Book of Job.
First,
the devil was no longer Lucifer, for the Book of Job refers to him as
"Satan."
Second,
we also know that Satan was in his fallen state because later in the story of
Job he sought to steal from, kill and destroy Job. As Jesus said, "The
thief's does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy ... " (John
10:10, MEV).
Third,
we know from the following verse that Job's story took place after the
great flood, which means it definitely took place after the fall of both man
and Satan.
"Will you keep to the old
way, that wicked men have trod? They were cut down before their
time; their foundations were swept away by a flood" (Job
22:15–16, MEV).
So if Satan in his fallen state was
among the angels who had to give an account in Job, it is consistent to believe
that other fallen angels were called upon as well.
Fallen angels can appear in heavenly
places. Therefore, fallen angels are not completely bound to earth. Demons,
however, can only wander the earth or live in a body, as Jesus explained:
"When an unclean spirit
goes out of a man, it passes through dry places seeking rest, but finds none" (Matthew
12:43, MEV).
Nowhere in Scripture do we see
demons moving from the earth to God's presence. Those accounts are always
referring to fallen angels.
Demons Are Called 'Devils' and
'Unclean Spirits'
When referring to fallen angels, New
Testament scriptures do not use the terms demons, devils or unclean
spirits. Instead, the Bible makes reference
to fallen angels by simply using a negative description or context. For
example, these verses clearly describe fallen angels:
For if God did not spare the
angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains
of darkness to be kept for judgment ..." (2
Peter 2:4, MEV).
"Likewise, the angels who did
not keep to their first domain, but forsook their own dwelling, He has kept in
everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day" (Jude
1:6, MEV).
"Then He will say to those at
the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire, prepared for
the devil and his angels'" (Matthew
25:41, MEV).
In these verses there is no mention
of demons or devils. Instead, to make a distinction between God's holy angels
and fallen angels, the New Testament simply calls them the angels "that sinned" or "which kept not their first
estate."
Apart from the simple use of
negative descriptions, the New Testament also uses context to draw distinctions
between fallen angels and holy angels.
An example of this is when, in
Matthew 25:41, hell is described as a place prepared for the devil and his
angels. The angels in that verse were said to belong to the devil, so it is
obvious that they were fallen.
Furthermore, in the following verse,
while making a strong point about the need to avoid false gospels, Paul the
Apostle mentions angels "from heaven."
"Although if we or an
angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than the one we have preached
to you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8, MEV).
Of course, it is obvious that one
should reject the gospel of a fallen angel, but it might not have been as
obvious to the Galatians that they should reject a different gospel from even a holy angel.
To drive his point home, Paul
essentially warns, "Even if one of
the angels from
heaven should preach to you another
gospel, do not be deceived."
In other words, "Do not be
swayed even if one of the good guys starts to preach a different gospel."
Paul's warning is an example of how
the New Testament contrasts both fallen and holy angels.
No special term is used to describe
fallen angels; they are simply described in a negative way and/or placed in a
negative context.
Demons, on the other hand, are
referred to as "devils,"
"unclean spirits" and "demons."
Related
Posts:
Excerpted
from Truths About Demons and Spiritual
Warfare by David Diga Hernandez (Charisma House, 2016).
David
Diga Hernandez (author of Carriers of the Glory)
is an evangelist, healing minister, author and TV host. He heads an
international healing ministry based in Southern California. David travels both
domestically and internationally and his TV show, Encounter
TV, is available in millions of home globally. His ministry is marked
by a distinctive presence of the Holy Spirit, miracles, healing and salvation.
David is a unique and emerging spiritual leader, called to take God's saving
and healing power to this generation.
3
Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit.
2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
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http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/58898-3-subtle-distinctions-between-demons-and-fallen-angels
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