SBS Sermon Notes

SBS     Sermon Notes     Note 02/04

Fallen Angels

1. MAN'S INTEREST IN EXTRA-TERESTRIAL BEINGS
Man's age old interest in the supernatural is very much alive. In days gone by it was in fairies, elves, hobgoblins and little men. Today it's visitors from outer space, extra-terrestrial (ET) creatures who visit earth in craft of awesome sophistication. Most UFO sightings have an understandable explanation: but a small percentage do not: and even if there were one genuine case in a hundred, that would be enough to take the matter seriously. Who are these space travellers? From which corner of the sprawling universe do they come? Why do they visit earth? And for how long have they been visiting earth?

Looking through the pages of the Bible we find many stories of superhuman visitors to earth whose dealings with mankind go back to the dawn of human history. We ought to know something about these beings in order to properly understand the universe in which we live. Millions of people want to know. Hence the current upsurge in unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Are they ancient and modern manifestations of:

People want to know. Some government authorities, who were once sceptical about the supernatural, are now investigating the matter. What does the Bible say about visitors from outer space?

2. MULTIPLIED MILLIONS OF ANGELS
The Bible quite plainly teaches that there are other beings in the universe besides man. They are called 'angels.' Angels are spirit beings made a little higher in dignity and power than man. (Heb.2:7) There are literally millions upon millions of angels - some good and others evil.
Revelation 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.
Daniel 7:10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
Matthew 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Yes, there are many supernatural beings in the universe besides Yahweh and Satan. One may quite correctly say that they are numberless; and they have been visiting mankind for many thousands of years!

2. ANGELS ARE EXTREMELY POWERFUL BEINGS
Man, though made in the image of the Most High (Gen.1:27), is a weak creature. By comparison angels are extremely powerful. Consider the might of angels in these instances:
Isaiah 37:36 185,000 Syrian soldiers were slain by one of God's angels.
2 Samuel 24:15 Some 70,000 Judeans were killed because of David's sin.
Revelation 7:1 Hold back the four (symbolic) winds from destroying earth.

3. NOT ALL THE ANGELS ARE HOLY
Sad to say not all the heavenly host are holy. About a third are evil.
Revelation 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth...
v 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8: And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9: And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Here we are told that Satan, the symbolic 'dragon' led a third of the mighty angelic host in a revolution against the government of God. In other words multiplied millions of evil angels sided with Satan.

4. SATAN ... THE SYMBOLIC DRAGON
Satan the Devil was once a high ranking angel in the presence of Yahweh. But he corrupted himself and was cast out of heaven. His position, beauty, pride, ambition and ultimate destiny are described in Ezekiel chapter 28.
v 2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
v 12 Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13: Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14: Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

v 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
v 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
v 18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19: All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

5. OVERCOMING SATAN
Though Satan's end is certain, at the moment he is very much alive: and still heads the rebellion against Yahweh. We humans are involved.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13: Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

James 4:7 Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Yahweh's Word In Matthew 4:1-10 we notice that the Saviour overcame Satan with pure truth taken from the Scriptures - the Sword of the Spirit! In the final analysis the Holy Bible is the most reliable evidence in identifying evil. Those who ignore Scripture, especially the Real Word of God, leave themselves wide open to satanic deception.

Prayer
Another powerful weapon against evil is Prayer. Second to Bible study, prayer is the most neglected - even amongst professed believers. It has been said that 'Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his/her knees.' The Bible says: 'Pray without ceasing.' In other words never give up the habit of prayer. Make it a constant attitude of mind.
Follows these links to further information about Prayer and man's arch-enemy Satan the Devil.

SBS     Sermon Notes


Elder: David B Loughran
Stewarton Bible School, Stewarton, Scotland
June 1999
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