Angels in the Intertestermental period

I grew up in a society where the doctrine of angelology is reflected in tradition African religion. There are also confusion about the ministry and functions of the angels in Christian gathering. Unfortunately much is not said in the New Testament about the subject. It appears therefore that a proper understanding of the subject will involve the understanding of how the doctrine developed in the intertestamental period. It has therefore been my interest to understand what is said in the Old Testament, intertestament period and New Testament about angels. The purpose of this piece is to explore the meaning of this word in the light of these three periods in history. Philo of Alexandria view about angels will not be neglected. While other periods will be discussed in brief, special attention will be given to the understanding, development, nature, and functions of angels in the intertestamental period. This paper will not discuss demonology, which is another area that might be worked upon in the future. The implication of this subject for today will also be considered.

The word translated in English as angel have various meaning. Literarily it will mean messenger. Sometimes it is applied to human being as herald (1King 19:2; Luke 7:24). Primarily every herald does the will of the sender; they are therefore responsible to God in carrying out His will. The word angel is generally applied in the Scriptures to an order of Spiritual or heavenly being whose function it is to act as God’s messengers to men and as agent who carry out his will. Angels however could be defined in terms of their divine status, their special sanctity, and their functions.

The word angel is commonly translated from the Hebrew word Mal’ak (RCLM). The term Mal’ak is translated anggelos (aggelos) in the Septuagint. The two terms appears to denote functions, and refer equally to human or divine beings. ‘Consequently there are occasional passages in which it remains disputed whether the references is to heavenly being or a human one (Jud 2:1, Mal 3:1). It was only in the vulgate that a systematic distinction was made between angelic emissaries (Lat angelus) and human ones (Lat nuntius)’[1] It must be noted also that other meanings are given to the word in the extra biblical literature. These include watchers, spirits, glorious one, thrones, authorities and powers. Any survey of the concept of Angels has to take into account the growth and development of the idea over the centuries. We will therefore consider the understanding of angels in different dispensations.

Angels in the Old Testament era

It appears everywhere in the Old Testament, the idea of Angel is assumed. Angels are regarded as created beings (Psa 148:2,5). It is however evident, that angels were created before the creation of human being. Some traditions of a Jewish group hold on to the fact that angels assisted God in creation of the world. Does this imply that God could not create the world on his own without the angels? Does it imply God’s limitation? God is not limited in power and authority. The fact that angels are created being show that they are limited in their powers, control and authorities. Angels are not God (Yahweh), though they sometimes exhibit attributes that are exclusively designated for God in the Old Testament era. This is indicated in some passages in the Old Testament. This will probably confirm the fact that angels act according to the authority given to them by Yahweh. “Angels can forgive sins, which only God can do, because God’s name that is, his character and thus authority, are in the angel’[2]. In patriarchal and monarchic narratives, it appears angels are considered to be messengers of Yahweh that conveys his mandates, harbinger special events, protect the faithful individually and collectively and also serve as instrument of divine displeasure against sinners and the disobedient within Israel. The angels of God delivered God’s message to Abraham, It was an angel of God who refrain Abraham from offering his son for sacrifices (Gen 22:11), the angel of God escorted the people of Israel out of Egypt to the promise land (Exo 23:20-23; 33:2), the angels of God was sent for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the angels of God was sent to inflict punishment on the people of Israel as a result of the census conducted by David. The activity of angels is therefore apparent in the Old Testament literature. Sometimes angels are since in human form in the Old Testament. Abraham entertained them as guest without knowing.

Beyond this basic understanding in Israel, in the pre-exilic concept, the underlying conception of the heavenly world was that of a royal court. The king in the court is God and he is surrounded by many counselors, political subordinates, warriors and general agents that serve him. These divine beings were referred to as a collective group and council. As implied in Deut 32:8, the understand of people in the pre-exilic period was that of God organizing the political structure of this world, allocating angels to be in charge of nations and Yahweh himself to be in charge of Israel. God has therefore given the angels specific assignment to be in charge of nations to execute his will. Apart from this understanding, the heavenly court is not only seen as a royal court but also the temple imagery informs the picture of the heavenly world. Consequently the angel could be described as priests who serve in the heavenly temple. The Old Testament era also pictures the angels as constituting the heavenly army of God. These are many in number. The phrase ‘heavenly host’ and ‘heavenly army’ is prominent in the Old Testament. Yahweh is seen as the general commander of the army. An example of the reality of angels as heavenly host is the revelation of Elisha when the army of the enemy besieged him.

Is the subject of angels limited to the Old Testament era? Like other teaching in the Old Testament literature, there are teachings about this subject in the other non-Jewish literatures. Presumably the Israelites were influenced by some of these teachings.

The conception of heavenly messengers has it roots also in the early pagan religion of the Near East.

Every major Mesopotamian and Hittite deity likewise possess his subordinate minister (sukkallu) and throne bearer (guzalu); while in the Canannite mythological poem from ras Shamra-Ugarit (fourteen century BC) such prominent members of the pantheon as El, the supreme overlord; Baal, the controller of the rains; and Mot, the genius of death and aridity, communicate with one another by means of divine messengers (ml’km), and the goddess Anat has at her service a special courier and henchman’[3]

The Bible has shown us that a belief in angels, or spirits as intermediate between God and man, is a characteristic of the Semitic people. It is therefore interesting to trace this belief in the Semites of Babylonia. According to Sayce (The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia, Gifford Lectures, 1901),

The engrafting of Semitic beliefs on the earliest Sumerian religion of Babylonia is marked by the entrance of angels or sukallin in their theosophy. Thus we find an interesting parallel to "the angels of the Lord" in Nebo, "the minister of Merodach" (ibid., 355). He is also termed the "angel" or interpreter of the will of Merodach. The Biblical conflict between the kingdoms of good and evil finds its parallel in the "spirits of heaven" or the Igigi--who constituted the "host" of which Ninip was the champion (and from who he received the title of "chief of the angels") and the "spirits of the earth", or Annuna-Ki, who dwelt in Hades (ibid. 355). The Babylonian sukalli corresponded to the spirit-messengers of the Bible; they declared their Lord's will and executed his behests (ibid., 361). Some of them appear to have been more than messengers; they were the interpreters and vicegerents of the supreme deity, thus Nebo is "the prophet of Borsippa". These angels are even termed "the sons" of the deity whose vicegerents they are; thus Ninip, at one time the messenger of En-lil, is transformed into his son just as Merodach becomes the son of Ea " Recent explorations in the Arab district about Petra have revealed certain precincts marked off with stones as the abiding-laces of angels, and the nomad tribes frequent them for prayer and sacrifice[4].

If this is the potrait of angels in the Babylonian literature, did these views influence the authors of the apocrypha? Are the people of this generation influenced by the views of the external world or did they keep to the Old Testament views?

Philo, a Jew and a great synthesizer of biblical doctrine and classical philosophy accepted the reality of angels and their appearance to the Patriarchs. As a student of Plato, he included angel in the larger framework of the world of ideas. To Philo angelology belongs in the primer of the theological beginner. He dismisses the pagan myths of the gods as products of human artifice and hence false. As for myths like passages in the Old Testament where angels appear, Philo treats them as allegories, which expresses his philosophy. For instant in the story in Gen 6:1-4, Philo finds a reference to three human types: philosophical ‘sons of God’ who dwell in the realm of ideas, earth bound sensualists, and learners struggling to overcome their earthly passions.

Philo’s cosmos was shaped like the ladder Jacob saw in his dream at Bethel. God stands at the top and the angels fill in the ranks between heaven and earth. Angels are part of the genius of ‘souls’. Some souls become embodied in human flesh, while others remain ethereal. The pure spirits God calls angels, and they are free to serve as his messengers. By this explanation Philo affirms a basic affinity and fellowship between angels and humans. In one respect angels have distinct advantages over us because they are spiritual and not material being, but in another way they are our servants, who play an intermediary role as fellow travelers of soul that is seeking, but has not achieved, an unmeditated knowledge of God. Philo also claims it is not the activities of angels or demons that make one good or bad but it is the influence of worldly passion that corrupts the soul.

It appears the understanding about angels undergoes a profound change during and after the Babylonian exile. Evidently some of these changes were as a result of influence of the society on the Jewish people and culture. The broad picture of the Angels is tricked by a number of extra touches derived from popular legend, customs and stories. These traditional folklores are drawn upon in the intertestamental literature too. The conception of angels in the intertestamental period was influenced by the infiltration of the Iranian ideas. Some of these developments presumably laid the foundation for the New Testament understanding of the subject. These development and understanding are:

Angels were no longer seen as mere messengers or as agents of particular situation but controlling spirit of natural phenomena. This natural phenomenon includes healing, death, test and weather. ‘They are actually called spirits or spirits of knowledge and in one of the dead sea hymns, it is said explicitly that it was only sometime after the creation of the world that these sprits were turned into angels’[5] They are further believed to be endowed with cosmic power and authorities. Example of this believe is expressed in Tobit 3” 17 where Raphel was not only sent to Sarah and Tobit but he also healed, delivered and gave divine intervention.

The dual link of angel is also emphasized in this period. They not only serve as deliverer of God’s message to man, they also deliver human messages to God. They carry people’s prayer to the presence of God. Tobit 10:12 declared angelic involvement in the prayer of Tobit and Sarah ‘So now when you and Sarah prayed, it was I who brought and read the record of your prayer before the glory of the Lord…’ This also strengthens the view that is earlier developed in the Old Testament about Angelic priestly work. It appears therefore that Angels are seen in the intertestamental period as record keepers. They keep record of prayer of the saints and present them to God. As it is further amplified in 11Mac. 6:18, Bel and The dragon 34-39, special emphasis is place on their role as guardians of the righteous, both individually and collectively.

The idea of Angelic army was further developed. Angels are now considered to be militant army that defends the interest of the saints and are also going to be involved in the final war against the wicked. If the Babylonian have militant army to conquer Israel, God will deliver his people by his militant army. The idea is further developed by the phrase ‘the host of heaven’. Heaven is the camp of the host that constitutes the army. It is also said that ‘this idea was partly developed based on a mythopoeic projection into the celestial sphere of a common Hellenistic notion that the earthly congregation of the saints constitutes a kind of salvation army.’[6]

A clearer distinction was made for classification of Angels in this period. This classification includes angelic hierarchy, the operation of hostile angels and a clearer understanding of Satan as a distinct figure. The hostile agents are either rebels against the purpose of God or his agents in executing his punishment on the disobedient. Angels are also designated by specific names. Some of these angels are designated with these names based on their functions or responsibility. Example are Raphel the angel of healing, Uriel the angel who is over the lights. ‘In the Talmud, names of Angels are often evolved out of fanciful exegesis of scriptural text- e.g., lailah, the angel of conception’[7]

Angels are perceived to be above human and therefore have multiple knowledge. This is shown in the reply of the angel to Tobit chapter 5:6.

The belief that angels were not to be worshipped was also present in this age. ‘But he (angel) said to them, ”Do not be afraid; peace be with you. Bless God forevermore. As for me, when I was with you I was not acting on my own will but by the will of God. Bless him each and every day; sing his praises’ (Tobit 12:17)

Other views about angels in this era include the association of angels with the spirits of the sainted dead. They are conceived as forming same or single congregation, which stands forever in the presence of God. In fact some of the Angelological folklore, which are casually introduced in the Old Testament were further expanded in the Pseudepigraphic literature in details. It must however be noted also that the older ideas persists with remarkable tenacity.

It could therefore be concluded that the development of angelology in the intertestamental period was due largely to the influence of their society.

Since these are the various conception about angels. What then are their functions?

It is believed in all ages especially in the Old Testament and intertestamental period that angels have specific functions. The general functions of angels are well attested to widely. In the intertestament period the retelling of Old Testament stories tends to introduce angels where they did not occur in the Old Testament. Sometimes they (angels) perform functions, which the Old Testament attributes exclusively to God.

Angels are also saddled with the responsibility of helping and protecting the righteous, bring their prayers before God and decree

and execute punishment in accordance with the will of God. The idea of protecting angel is dramatized in the book of Tobit.

Angels also serve as Scribes that keep records that are opened at the time of judgment. They also serve as teachers and mediators of revelations in both apocalyptic and non-apocalyptic texts. In apocalyptic texts, the revealer, heavenly guide and interpreter of mysteries and visions became a standard feature. Their presence, nature and appearances also bring about emotional reaction from the seers. Usually their garments are white linen or white with golden sashes (2Macc 3:26). Their appearances also portray the holiness of God to human, which is part of their duties.

Angels In the New Testament

As stated earlier this piece is not focused on the tracing angelology in the New Testament however it will not be complete without a mention of the subject. The New Testament conception of angel is derived from that of the Old Testament, Intertestamental period and Judaism and does not make any important modifications or innovations of its own. There is limited systematic discussion of angels in the New Testament. It could be said that angels are incidental characters. They are not as frequent as seen in the Old Testament. The New Testament however shows the evidence of angelic operations and their ministry to the saints today.

CONCLUSION

What does angelic ministry mean for us today? What are some conclusions that we should glean from this quick look at teaching on angels? First, we should focus more on God than on angels. The Lord sends the messenger and the message and also performs the action. Angels come from God and should direct us back to God. It is unfortunate to still see people that pray in the name of angels today. This is completely missing in the New Testament literature.

The Holy Spirit performs some of the actions performed by angels in the Old Testament today. Believers in Christ therefore need to trust in the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

We need to place great trust in God's active presence in our lives. God's angels remind us that we are not alone. Wherever we are and whatever we are doing, God is with us.

The action of the angels manifests God's desire to free us and to protect us from oppression and death. This is shown in the manner in which God delivers the poor, the weak, and the needy.

We can see Jesus as God's messenger and servant. Though not called an angel, Jesus is the one sent by God into our world. He is the presence of God in our daily life, and expresses God's concern for the lowly and the needy. In Jesus, God "has visited and redeemed his people" (Lk 1:68).

‘In the past God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets but in these last days he has spoken to us by a son whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds…… having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more superior than theirs’

Believers in Christ therefore need to acknowledge the ministry of angels today but also see them as ministering sprits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation. We must not forget also what Paul said in 1Cor 6:3 ‘Do you not know that we are to judge angels..’ Angelic ministry is true today but they must be understood in the light of the Scriptures.

Keith R Crim & Co (Ed), Interpreter’s Bible dictionary Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1971

[1] David Noel Keith, Anchor Bible dictionary, New York, Vol 1 p 249

[2] Geoffrey W Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Vol one, Grand Rapids p 125

[3] Keith R. Crim, Interpreters Bible Dictionary, Nashville p129

[4] Kelvin Knight The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume1, Online Edition 1999

[5] Keith R. Crim, Interpreters Bible Dictionary, Nashville, p132

[6] Ibid p123

[7] Ibid p133

Angels in the Old Testament era

Angels In the New Testament

CONCLUSION

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