Bible Studies

Departed Souls Do Not Become Angels Part 0ne

by Doug Laird 
08/07/24
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There is a popular belief permeating the Christian Community of our day promoting the erroneous concept that human beings become angels after departing this world, and that angels become humans in the here and now.

The idea has the support of the movie and television industry. Some of us would be surprised to learn just how much of what is seen in movies and on television influences the religious convictions of human beings.

Elevating human and or angelic beings to a status greater than what God established can lead to idolatry.

“My people are destroyed for lack of (accurate) knowledge (Hosea 6: 4 NASB parenthesis mine).”

Members of the angelic and the human race do share some things in common.

Both were created to glorify God. Once created, both will live on, throughout all of never-ending eternity. Both were given free will to make moral choices that determines where and how they, as individuals will experience eternity future.

Hell was initially prepared for the devil and the angels (1) that chose to follow him in what would prove to be a failed revolt. In God’s timing (2) this same destination will also become the dwelling place of all unbelieving human souls (3).

Prior to the revolt, the devil, serving in the capacity of a “covering cherub (Ezek. 28: 14, 16 NASB2020),” and all angels, were in Heaven, worshiping and serving God.

Following the failed revolt led by Satan (4), all of the angels were divided into two different groups.

The ones that chose for God are referred to as elect angels, and the ones that chose for Satan are referred to as fallen angels from that time forward.

This failed revolt took place in Eternity past BEFORE the creation of Man. Man was created to glorify God in the midst of this ongoing battle between the forces of good and evil that began with the revolt in Heaven.

Unlike the angels, who experienced the reality of Heaven before their revolt, human souls must believe in the existence of God, and in His one and only means of salvation, in an act of faith.

Elect angels and born-again humans are allies in the realm of spiritual combat, and will coexist in Heaven in Eternity future.

Fallen angels are a part of the Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil that are the spiritual adversaries of Church Age believers.

Fallen angels and the unbelieving human souls will coexist in the lake of fire in Eternity future (5).

The closest that angels can come to becoming human beings is that they have the ability to take on the overt, physical appearance of human beings (6).

Scripture records many such instances, in some cases going as far as referring to them as men.

For example compare John 20: 12 NASB2020 with Mark 16: 5 NASB220).

I believe that the members of the forces of evil have the same transformation capability (7) of taking on human appearance in order to deceive.

Human beings do not have the ability to transform their overt appearance into angelic form.

Elect angels are used by God to minister (serve) to His servants (8) and to become guardians of nations, groups, and individual believers (9).

God equips and empowers both angels and human beings to engage in supernatural activity.

God enables (10) a limited few, born-again believers to engage in miraculous activity (11), but has commissioned (12) ALL Spirit-filled, Church Age believers to evangelize unbelievers; and to tend to the spiritual and logistical needs of fellow believers (13).

God uses both human (14) and angelic beings to impose divine discipline (15), and or to provide deliverance to nations, groups, and individuals.

God uses human prophets (16), advancing disciples (17) , and angels (18) to deliver divine messages.

It is a great honor to “speak” for God, but it is also a great responsibility with accompanying accountability (19).

Angels have the capability of appearing to make announcements and then disappearing until the need arises again.

Humans have the unspoken testimony of their daily choices and lifestyle that does not go unnoticed by friend or foe alike, that either enhances or compromises their “witnessing” for the Lord.

Know that the devil uses members of the forces of evil, false human prophets, and unwitting people that he has deceived (20), to promote things that are “taught (and promoted) by demons (1Tim. 4: 1 NASB2020 parenthesis mine).”

Have you ever had a disturbing, rotten thought cross your mind and wonder where that thought came from?

When initiating contact with human beings, angels can appear in their created form (21) or transformed into the appearance of ordinary people (22), concealing their angelic identity.

They can also speak to us in dreams (23).

How is one to be sure if any of these messengers are from God and not from a ”wolf in sheep’s clothing?” Like “supernatural” activities (miracles), the only way to discern the divine or diabolical connection of these creatures, is to examine the consistency of the accompanying messages with the Word of God, and ask who or what is being glorified.

With the exception of the Lord Jesus Christ, true messengers from God don’t accept any form of homage or worship from the ones with whom he interacts (24) Rev. 22: 9).

Are the recipients being brought closer to God or the things of God, or are they being pointed to someone or something else as their focus of attention?

End of Part One.

(1) Matt. 25: 41 (2) Rev. 20: 10 (3) Rev 20: 15 (4) Ezek. 28: 14, 15/Isa. 14: 13 (5) Rev. 20: 10, 15 (6) Heb. 13: 2 (7) 2Cor. 11: 14-15 (8) Matt. 4: 11/ Acts 12: 7 (9) Matt. 18: 10 (10) John 15: 5 (11) Book of Acts/ 1Cor. 12 (11) Acts 3: 7/Acts 14: 8ff (12) Matt. 28: 19, 20 (13) 1Cor. 12 (14) Book of Judges (15) Genesis 19: 13 (16) 2Chron. 20: 20 (17) Matt. 28: 19, 20 (18) Luke 1: 11-13, 26ff (19) James 3: 1 (20) Matt. 15: 14 (21) Matt. 28: 3, 4 (22) Heb. 13: 2 (23) Matt. 1: 20 (21) Rev. 22:9