Introduction
There appears to have been an increase in angels lately, not that I have seen them and counted them, but I have found myself bombarded with questions and information concerning a number of apparent angelic practices. What seems peculiar to me is that no one who gets involved appears to give any consideration to the fact that angels could be ‘bad’; they are always accepted as good and helpful. This of course ignores the clear biblical warning:
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. – 2 Cor 11:13-14.
There are indeed fallen angels who would try to trick and deceive you and would certainly not be for your good. What is worse is that the Bible tells us that these ‘bad’ angels could, at first glance, appear to be ‘good’ and so we can find ourselves tricked into believing the opposite about them
BIBLICAL POSITION
As already mentioned above, the Bible shows that there are evil angels who rebelled against God and became the messengers of Satan rather than God. However, what does the Bible teach about the positive side of ‘good’ angels.
Angels are part of the heavenly supernatural creation and are in God’s presence serving Him – the very name ‘angel’ means messenger. (See Psalm 148:2-5)
They are not as great as God because they are created and are therefore subservient to Him. (See Colossians 1:16)
• Angels are therefore mighty creatures and are able to do things that seem miraculous to man but they are not Almighty. (Psalm 103:20 and 2 Peter 2:9-11)
There is clear evidence in Scripture that angels do protect man and they can minister to and defend God’s servants. (See Hebrews 1:14, Acts 8:26 and 12:7.)
In all this, one thing is clear, these angels are servants of God and therefore what they do will be in accordance with the will of God and for His glory. This seems to me, to sum up the two crucial tests for the many different groups that are advocating angelic involvement:
1. Is what is being taught in accordance with the revealed will of God within Scripture?
2. Does the outcome bring glory to Almighty God or lift up the angelic being in the eyes of the user? <
If the answer to question 1 and the first part of question 2 is ‘no’ then any angelic involvement must be from fallen angels who seek to bring in the doctrine of their master, Satan, and divert any glory away from the Living God.
ANGEL CARDS
Members invited to a local Diet and Fitness Club Christmas Party – held in a Church hall – had the opportunity to receive “angel readings” at the special price of £5 for 15 minutes. The person offering the readings was said to run, “monthly workshops to connect people to their angels”.
The information about these readings included the following description:
“Angels are messengers to and from the divine. They are pure spirit and are created from the ‘love’ energy of God. When we pray to God he sends his angels. We all have a guardian angel who lovingly watches over us as well as many other angels close by depending on our life and circumstances.
“By asking our angels for help and following their guidance our lives can start to be transformed. Guidance may come in dreams, intuitive thoughts, a chance meeting, a book, a radio, a magical meeting with your angel or through using angel cards.
“Angel cards are a divination tool which allow the seeker to receive messages from their angels. Whether you need help on work, health, relationships or other personal issues the angels will guide and support you to make the best choices.”
Any Christian, knowing their Scriptures, reading the above, should have one or two alarm bells ringing. Let’s look at what was said in a little closer detail.
“Angels are messengers to and from the divine.” Notice first, the definition of God is not the almighty, all-powerful personal God of the Bible but simply, ‘the divine’. You can make of God what you want, indeed you can have any belief you like as long as it involves accepting some divine power, higher than you. This, by very definition, is not the true God of Christianity. <
“They are pure spirit and are created from the ‘love’ energy of God.”
The angelic realms that come from God were not created by any ‘love energy’, that is the description of a new age type “impersonal force God”. God created the angelic realm by His word.
“When we pray to God he sends his angels.”
The Bible does not say this. Angels are not shown in Scripture to bring answers to our prayers, that is the job of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
“We all have a guardian angel who lovingly watches over us…” This again is the new age pantheistic view that God is in everyone. What the Scripture actually says is:
“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” – Hebrews 1:14.
In other words, it is not the inheritance of all, but for those who know true salvation in Christ.
“Angel cards are a divination tool…” This makes the clearest possible statement to show that angel cards have nothing to do with the true God.
According to Greek Scholar W.E.Vine, in the New Testament, the Greek word for divination is puthon, which in English is Python. In Greek mythology this was the python guarding the oracle of Delphi that was slain by Apollo. The word was applied to diviners and soothsayers regarded as inspired by Apollo. (See Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Vol.1., p.328.)
This was the spirit in the slave-girl that Paul met, as recorded in Acts 16:16. This same spirit, Paul commanded to come out in the name of Jesus Christ; obviously then a spirit that was not for Christ but against Him.
These cards are to be used in that same type of divination. The deck that we have is entitled “Messages from Angels” and indeed is called ‘Oracle Cards’ (see Delphi above). When you read the instructions, you discover that they are nothing more than Tarot cards with different pictures on. People will use them and believe that what is being said comes from an angel, where at best, it simply comes from their own imagination, and at worst from a puthon.
We read in the instructions to these cards:
“Every card that you draw out of the deck comes to you for a reason… since your future stems from what you think and do, these cards accurately predict your future.”
How dangerous to build your future on the turn of a card, that could easily come from a malevolent angel.
There is much more that could be said to reinforce this position, such as the belief that other people’s energy can affect the readings and burning herbs to clear the cards after someone else has touched them.
Whichever way you look at these cards, they are a divination practice that Christians are told to have nothing to do with, and those that do allow the cards to ‘speak’ to them are in danger of listening to puthon.
ANGEL FAMILY TREE
I received a letter from the “Angel Life Guild”, informing me that I could get to know 11 of my angels, and that they would, among other things, protect me and bring me health, riches and power.
There follows two ‘testimonials’ of satisfied customers and then I am told that the writer has started the research into my very own personal ‘Angel Family Tree Revelations’. I am assured that no one else has the same angels, as they were determined at the moment of birth, and it applies only to me. However, there must have been others born at the same time as me in this world!
All I have to do is to send, at no risk, £22.25 and I’ll receive the personal messages from my angels. Angels that have been waiting since the very moment I was born. At that moment Destiny planted my angel tree in heaven.
Once again we are back to divination, using angels instead of anything else. However, it is not even very good divination because I gave a false name and birth date but still my angels would reveal all my secrets. (See footnote)
Just because you receive one of these types of letters and it mentions angels – do not be fooled – it is divination by a different name.
ANCIENT SECRETS OF ANGELS
This 12-page book also comes from the”Angel Life Guild”. It is full of ‘helpful’ information as to how to get to know your angels. Again we see that it is the angels that are the centre of attention; they are the ones who will tell you the future; they are the ones you need to get to know. This immediately shows that this is divination, using angels, and has nothing to do with the glorious angelic creation of the Living God.
This free book is actually to sell the larger book, “The Celestial Magic of Angels”. It, however, shows again the basis of the book; there is no mention of Scripture of the Living God. Rather it tells you about;
Chants and actions to get your angel’s attention.
Creating a space in your home where your angel can rest.
How to write letters to your angels to get results.
Page 9 reveals the true nature of this book, astrology. Because certain astrological houses are in conjunction with each other until September 3 2007 now is my time to get good luck – after that the door closes. I wonder what the booklet sent out in October 2007 will say?
Do not be fooled, there is only one way to be certain about the future and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. Do not settle for the creation when you can know the Creator. Do not be taken up with divination which comes from ‘bad’ angels in disguise, rather come to the One who created the angelic realm and who loves and cares for you greatly.
FOOTNOTE
What is interesting is that I only used this name to obtain information on the ‘angels’ but I have also received to the same name and address a very similar offer, but this time using Tarot Cards. The price is the same and the offer boils down to the same information of having a successful future – one using angels and the other the Tarot. Coincidence? I think not.
