“Angel: Purely spiritual or bodiless persons Mt
Critiquing the Current Angel Craze
Yüklə 402,5 Kb.
|
Critiquing the Current Angel Craze The Reformer John Calvin once said that the error in much angelology is to deal with angels apart from the biblical witness. This is precisely what has happened on a popular level today. Many of the best-selling angel books contain legend, lore, and outright occultism, but pay little attention to what God's Word teaches on the subject. We will now use the Bible as our standard of truth in briefly evaluating the "angels" of the New Age. A Faulty Foundation At the outset, let us note that an implicit assumption on the part of many angel enthusiasts today is that all angels are good. Indeed, "there is a prior assumption that angels are only good and therefore contacting them is also only good (and consequently without risk)." To New Agers, every paranormal event is a good and positive event. However, as critic Gary Kinnaman puts it so well, "Not everything that glitters is heavenly gold. Not every bright angel is from heaven." In 2 Corinthians 11:14 the apostle Paul sternly warned that "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." Satan and his horde of demons (fallen angels) mimic God's holy angels, and they do so for a malevolent, sinister purpose - to lead people away from the true Christ and God of the Bible (see v. 3). In the process of doing this, they propagate doctrines of demons (1 Tim. 4:1-3). Part and parcel of this system of demonic theology is today's New Age angelology. The apostle Paul explicitly warned against accepting any "gospel" from an "angel" that goes against the inspired Word of God (Gal. 1:6-8). One would do well to remember that Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, said an angel named Moroni led him to the golden plates containing the Book of Mormon. As well, Muhammad claimed he received the revelations contained in the Qur'an directly from the angel Gabriel (a demonic impostor). Other religions involving "angelic" messengers include The Church of the New Jerusalem, founded by Emmanuel Swedenborg; Anthroposophy, founded by Rudolf Steiner; the Self Realization Fellowship, founded by Paramahansa Yogananda; and the Unity School of Christianity, founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. We must not forget that true holy angels of God are not in the business of starting or promoting new religions or giving us revelations that contradict God's Word (see Ps. 103:20; Rev. 22:9). (One might also note that the above religious systems radically contradict each other at many key points of doctrine, thereby undermining the reliability of these "angels" as sources of truth.) We know from the Scriptures that Satan and his fallen angels seek to thwart the purposes of God and Christ (Rev. 2:10; 1 Pet. 5:8; Eph. 6:11; Matt. 13:39; 1 Tim. 4:1). We also know that fallen angels seek to blind the minds of people to spiritual truth (2 Cor. 4:4; 11:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Tragically, many New Agers - assuming that human experience is a reliable source of truth - have undiscerningly and gullibly accepted all "angels" at face value without seeking to "check out their credentials" or consider their motives.
Some in the church are said to possess a gift of "distinguishing between spirits" (1 Cor. 12:10). The need for this gift reminds us that not all spirits are good. Just because one has a seemingly positive experience with a spiritual being does not mean that that spiritual being is benign. We are therefore called to sort, sift, and test experiences (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We would do well to ponder what happened to the apostle John as described in Revelation 22:8-9. According to this passage, John beheld an incredibly glorious angel, and his first inclination was to bow down in worship before it. The holy angel immediately told him to cease such an idolatrous response and to worship only God. This event points to an extremely important consideration: spiritual experiences can be overwhelmingly powerful. And without a reference point to test such experiences (i.e., the Word of God), they can all too easily be misunderstood. If John nearly went astray due to his own human weakness in the overwhelming presence of a holy angel, how much more are they in danger of going astray who find themselves in the overwhelming presence of a fallen angel (all the while mimicking a holy angel) who is bent on their destruction! We are well advised to follow Calvin's advice in making the biblical witness our absolute guiding standard.
The current celestial web of deceit is a sinister mixture of truth and error indeed. For the angels of God do care about human spirituality - but not a spirituality without God (Rev. 22:9). Angels can give messages from God (Acts 10:3-33) - but not new "revelations" that contradict God's Word (Ps. 103:20). God may use angels to answer the prayers of believers (Acts 12:5-10) - but angels are not the object of prayer; only God is (Matt. 6:9). Angels can appear to humans (Luke 2:9) - but not "subtly" in newspaper headlines taken out of context. Angels do care about the death of believers (Luke 16:22) - but they do not propagate the idea that death is the next step in man's spiritual evolution. Angels do care about man's future (e.g., Acts 8:26; 10:1-8; 1 Pet. 1:12) - but not a future without God (or His laws) that involves a mystical and occultic New Age of enlightenment and harmony. In view of such doctrinal deception coming from channeled entities, it is not surprising that God absolutely condemns the seeking of any paranormal information through occult means (from "angels" or any other entities) as a heinous sin that is utterly detestable to Him (Deut. 18:9-12). God will have none of it! Note also that in Scripture we never find God's people attempting to make contact with an angel by channeling or any other means. In the Bible, the angels typically show up on the scene unexpectedly and startle the human spectator. Christian critic Timothy Jones offers this sound advice: "We should be wary of angel visits that seem to come from someone's prompting or conjuring. Any visit that comes out of someone's effort to summon an angel is likely counterfeit... Angels in the Bible caught the subjects of their visits off guard. An angel visit that seems to come out of the blue stands a better chance of being authentic." God's Angels: "Ministering Spirits" New Age angelology centers on spirit entities that can not only be invoked but also be manipulated by human beings to bring about specific desired results. Instead of God being the Sovereign, in the New Age scenario it is humanity - in the guise of being God - that is sovereign over the angels. Such a system panders to human selfishness, pride, and the perpetual desire for self-exaltation (Isa. 14:12-14; Genesis 3:5). New Agers would do well to remember, however, that God does not look lightly on human pretenders to the divine throne (see Acts 12:20-25 for a graphic example). In contrast to New Age angelology, we get to the heart of the true identity of angels in Hebrews 1:14: "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" This brief statement is packed with meaning. The word "ministering" comes from a Greek word meaning "serve." Angels are spirit-servants who render aid, and this aid is rendered to the heirs of salvation in the outworking of God's purposes on earth. What form does this service take? Such ministry can involve protection (Ps. 91:11), guidance (Genesis 19:17), encouragement (Judges 6:12), deliverance (Acts 12:7), supply (Ps. 105:40), empowerment (Luke 22:43), as well as occasional rebuke (Num. 22:32) and judgment (Acts 12:23). And angelic service is rendered largely unseen and often unrecognized (2 Kings 6:17; Hebrews 13:2). Notice that Hebrews 1:14 says angels are sent to render service to the heirs of salvation. God has specifically sent and appointed angels to carry out tasks on behalf of believers; humans do not invoke or manipulate them. We must never forget that angels assist us because God has ordained it that way. There is never any sense that the sent one is more significant than (or takes the place of) the divine Sender. God's angels act to carry out only God's commands. There's not a single Bible verse that portrays an elect, holy angel of God acting independently from God. Psalm 103:20 makes explicit reference to God's angels "who do his bidding, who obey his word." Because only God sends angels on our behalf, our focus of attention must ever be on the God who sends them. God's holy angels do not seek praise or worship for the things they do. In fact, they discourage it and point to God as the only one worthy of worship (Rev. 22:9). The apostle Paul flatly condemned the worship of angels in Colossians 2:18. God Himself explicitly commands that only He is to be worshiped (Exodus 20:5-6). This leads us to the single most important point of this article. In the words of John Calvin, "As God does not make [the angels] ministers of his power and goodness to share his glory with them, so he does not promise us his help through their ministry in order that we should divide our trust between them and him." Indeed, Calvin says, the angels "do lead us away unless they lead us by the hand straight to him, that we may look upon him, call upon him, and proclaim him as our sole helper; unless we regard them as his hands that are moved to no work without his direction; unless they keep us in the one Mediator, Christ, that we may wholly depend upon him, lean upon him, be brought to him, and rest in him.
By Dr. John Ankerberg, Dr. John Weldon InPlainSite Note: What Christians call “Demons” are no more than the fallen angels who, already condemned, are seemingly determined to take as many people with them as possible. Sadly humans fall, in vast numbers, for their deceptions, never taking the time or the effort to find out whether the apparitions that regularly contact them are who they say they are. Humans, who are never entirely sure that advertising hype is equivalent to the truth when it comes to choosing a cell phone or insurance policy, and will more often than not double check what they are being told, fall down drastically when it comes to spiritual matters. They never seem to stop to even consider the possibility that these beings are lying in their teeth. Everything that a mysterious voice, enigmatic stranger says is taken at face value, put into a book and launched on a spiritually illiterate works. Sadly they will pay the price. For example Alice Bailey, under the guidance of an ectoplasmic apparition from hell, who called himself Djwhal Khul ("The Tibetan"), wrote some 24 books and founded the Lucis Trust (formerly Lucifer Publishing Co.) which enjoys "Consultative Status" with the United Nations and has not only spawned several other organization… the Arcane School, Triangles, World Goodwill, Lucis Publishing, Lucis Productions, Lucis Trust Libraries, the New Group of World Servers, but also maintain the UN meditation room. And the purpose of these groups? At their core ALL of them exist for one purpose… in their words “the helping of the Great Ones and the rendering to Them of that intelligent assistance which will make their plans for humanity materialize”. A plan that is centered on making conditions suitable (By occult meditation and reciting of the Great Invocation) for what they call “The Reappearance of The Christ. Except that this Christ has nothing to do with Jesus Christ of the Bible.
According to the Bible, angels have literally shaped the course of human history and continue to do so today. Consider the fallen angel in the Garden that slyly engineered the moral Fall of the entire human race (Genesis 3). Or the angels who spoke and mediated the Law of Moses which literally changed the Western world (Acts 7:53; Hebrews 2:2). Or the literally thousands of angelic encounters throughout history in the lives of ordinary and famous individuals, including Abraham Lincoln, boxer Evander Holyfield and rock stars George Harrison and Carlos Santana (who invokes the presence of angels before each concert). [2] The noted mystic William Blake said he was under the guidance of angels night and day. [3] From the terrifying angels of the book of Revelation—whose power over nature and humanity is so awesome simple mortals can hardly comprehend it (Rev. 8:6-12; 9:15), to the angels who helped Christ in His wilderness and Gethsemane temptations and assisted the early Church (Matt. 4:6, 11; Luke 22:43; Acts 10:22; 12:7), angels have influenced, either directly or indirectly, the lives of everyone on earth. The world is, quite literally, alive with angels. In its cover story on angels, Time magazine for December 27, 1993 observed, "If there is such a thing as a universal idea, common across cultures and through the centuries, the belief in angels comes close to it." [4] Angels appear in every civilization and every culture, have played a major role in almost every world religion, and are far more active in human affairs than most people would ever suspect. The "Angel Gabriel" for example, supposedly gave Muhammad the revelations in the Qur’an, which now influence over a billion Muslims. [5] So who can ignore the subject of angels? And yet until recently in most quarters, angels have been ignored—even by the Christian Church in whose scriptures angels play a major role. When Billy Graham wrote his best-selling book, Angels: God’s Secret Agents, he was surprised at how few books existed on the subject and further, he reflected that he had never once heard a sermon preached about them. [6]. Today angels are no longer ignored. In theater, television, literature, film, art, music—and even among skeptics, who sometimes can’t seem to help themselves, [7] angels are back in the popular mind. We think this is all to the good for at least three reasons. First, angels inherently remind people of God—and of their responsibility to Him. Second, the very subject of a spiritual race of beings naturally brings to mind the deepest personal questions men have asked throughout history. If angels exist, then we are not the only form of life in the universe and we certainly didn’t evolve naturalistically from primordial interstellar gases. [8] If angels exist, a spiritual universe must exist—which naturally carries us back to the profound question of God as Creator and such related questions as: Who am I? Where did I come from? What is the purpose of my life? Where am I going when I die? etc. But a final reason why angels should not be ignored is because not all angels are good—and people need to know this today more than ever before. In fact, the Bible suggests the number of evil angels is very large (Matthew 12:26; Rev. 12:3-4, 7-9)—one out of every three may actually be malicious (cf., Rev. 12:4). Consider that the Bible tells us there were rebellious angels in heaven. They chose to follow Satan and actually waged "war in heaven" against the good angels. But "they were not strong enough" and "Satan…was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him" (Rev. 12:7-9). For most people, however, the very concept of an evil angel is a self-contradiction, like dry water or cold heat. Aren’t all angels good by definition? But what if all aren’t? Biblically, given their numbers and influence, if we don’t take the time to consider at least the possibility of evil angels, any one of us may suffer for it. Regardless, when human history is over, and all is said and done, the influence of angels in this world, despite their invisibility, will probably be more obvious and certainly more profound than even that of mankind. As theologian J. I. Packer commented, "Both as communicators and as guardians their work is ordinarily unnoticeable, and not until we get to heaven shall we know how much we owe to it." [9] Just How Popular Are Angels Today - And Why? Recent polls indicate that almost three out of four adult Americans, including teenagers, believe in angels. That’s about 200 million people! [10] Now, every year, the "American Conference on Angels" holds meetings to discuss the subject; there are angel seminars, angel newsletters, college courses on angels, and angel sections in bookstores. Besides the Hell’s Angels, "Charlie’s Angels" and Guardian Angels, there is the Angel Collectors Club of America, the National Association of Angel Lovers, and dozens of angel enterprises, such as the "Angels for All Seasons" store in Denver, Angels in Heaven Day Nursery in Cleveland, and Angel Threads, a children’s boutique in Tucson. The December 27, 1993 Time article noted that five of the ten books on the religious best-seller list for Publisher’s Weekly were about angels, commenting, "This rising fascination is more popular than theological, a grass-roots revolution of the spirit in which all sorts of people are finding all sorts of reasons to seek answers about angels for the first time in their lives." [11] Angels have almost universal good press today—from "Clarence" in the popular Jimmy Stewart movie, "It’s a Wonderful Life," to Michael Landon’s angel role in "Highway to Heaven," and the more recent "Touched By An Angel" TV series—to the many recent prime-time network specials where angels are always engaged in good and wonderful deeds. With literally tens of millions of people now interested in angels—and even open to personal contact with them—no one can deny the importance or relevance of this topic. Perusing a sampling of titles of recent angel books is illuminating: Angels on Assignment, Angels Watching Over Me, Devotion to the Holy Angels, 100 Ways to Attract the Angels, Send Me Your Guardian Angel, Know Your Angels, Angel Book Catalog, Ask Your Angels, Angels For Your Children, Commune with the Angels, The Little Book of Angels, The Circle of Angels, Angels Elect and Evil, Touched by Angels, Angels in Art, The Tongues of Angels, Do You Have a Guardian Angel?, Creating with the Angels, Angels of Mercy, Messengers of Light: The Angel’s Guide to Spiritual Growth, Angels Among Us, Angel Wisdom, Answers from the Angels, Angel Voices, The Angels Within Us, Angel Messenger Cards, and There’s an Angel on Your Shoulder: Angel Encounters in Everyday Life, A Treatise on Angel Magic, Meetings with Angels, Commune with the Angels, Angels and Mortals: Their Co-Creative Power. These are only a few of the titles that could be listed—and most suggest that people are now seeking to commune with angels in quite intimate ways. Today’s popular angels play roles from personal friends to guidance counselors to spiritual advisors. And much more.
First, this generation has witnessed a dramatic spiritual revival which includes everything from Christianity to the New Age movement to the darker forms of the occult —and has undoubtedly increased an interest in the subject of angels and spirits. Second, there is kind of an innate fascination with the subject because of its larger implications. Third, a pre-existing belief system for angels is already in place from Christian, pagan and virtually every other religious tradition. For example, most Roman Catholics are brought up to pray to their guardian angels, while major holidays like Christmas and Easter recall angel stories year after year. Fourth, as people are increasingly searching for answers and meaning to life, angels are now thought to play a major role in providing those answers. There is even a growing movement teaching people that angels reside within us already and are waiting to tap our human potential, enhance our creativity, and provide us with psychological fulfillment and spiritual self-enlightenment. Thus, promoters of angel contact offer people what they want and need in troubled times—assurance, love, and guidance. For example, "The angels hold the answers to many of our questions" and "spiritual help is always available from the angels" or, "The angels want us to become enlightened…" and "The angels are the caretakers of our souls…. Their wonderful love [is] everywhere." [12] Fifth, in the majority of men’s minds, there is a prior assumption that angels are only good and therefore that contacting them is also only good and therefore without risk. If angels really can be contacted, why not?—and what an adventure! Sixth, angels by definition seek to interact with humanity. The very purpose of the good angels is to help us—and the very goal of the evil angels is to deceive us. In essence, angels are now popular because given their nature and ours, and modern culture, it couldn’t be otherwise. Notes 1 In Marilynn Carlson Webber and William D. Webber, A Rustle of Angels: Stories About Angels in Real-Life and Scripture (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), p. 19. 2 Angels II: Beyond the Light, NBC, October 30, 1994, 7:00 p.m., host Stefanie Powers. 3 Ibid 4 Cover story, Time magazine, December 27, 1993, p. 58. 5 cf., John Ankerberg, John Weldon, The Facts On Islam (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1992). 6 Billy Graham, Angels: God’s Secret Agents (Dallas: Word, 1975), p. 17. 7 cf., M. Cameron Gray (ed.), Angels and Awakenings: Stories of the Miraculous by Great Modern Writers (NY: Doubleday, 1994), pp. xv, xvi. 8 See J. Ankerberg, J. Weldon, The Facts On the Creation v. Evolution (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1993). 9 Timothy Jones, Celebration of Angels (Nashville: Nelson, 1994), p. xii. 10 Time, December 27, 1993, p. 56; David Briggs, "Heavenly Messengers Offer Comfort in Difficult Times," Chattanooga News-Free Press, September 19, 1992, p. B5. 11 Time, December 27, 1993, p. 58. 12 Terry Lynn Taylor and Mary Beth Crain, Angel Wisdom: 365 Meditations and Insights from the Heavens (NY: Harper-Collins, 1994), February 3, 23; May 18; November 16 and passim The Good Angels What Is the Meaning of the Biblical Words for Angel? The Hebrew word, mal’akh, and the Greek word, aggelos, both mean messenger. This indicates the term angel can be used of either men or spirits. For example, in Mark 1:2 aggelos is applied directly to John the Baptist, "Behold I send my messenger (aggelos) before your face…" while the Hebrew word mal’akh is used in the corresponding prophecy of Malachi 3:1. Because the meaning of the word angel is simply that of messenger, it is only reading the context that determines if one is referring to a human or angelic messenger, and, in rare cases, it is difficult to determine which is meant. By far, the most common use of the term angel in the Bible is of a godly spirit messenger, what we normally think of as a good angel. When Scripture uses the term "holy angel" or "angel" it refers to the godly and unfallen spirits created directly by God (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; Acts 10:22; Rev. 14:10). When it refers to "Satan’s angels," "evil spirits" "unclean spirits," etc., it refers to fallen angels who are the servants of Satan. (Matt. 12:24; 25:41) The word angel itself appears some 300 times in twenty-four books of the Bible, however this does not include additional words that also designate angels, such as "sons of God," "holy ones," "morning stars," "cherubim," "seraphs," "ministering spirits," "watchers," etc. In all, the term angel or its equivalent is found in thirty-five books of the Bible. What Are Angels? Angels are spirit beings created directly by God prior to the creation of the universe (cf., Job 38:7). They were created as servants of God, Christ, and the Church in order to perform the will of God in the earth (Hebrews 1:6, 14). Apparently innumerable in number, they are of various ranks, abilities and have various duties (Rev. 5:11; 8:2; 9:15; 12:7; Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16). When they appear, they almost exclusively take the form of a man—however there is one recorded instance of what appears to be feminine angels (Zech. 5:9). Angels are clearly personal spirits. They have personal wills (Hebrews 1:6), expressed joy at the creation of the world (Job 38:7), rejoice over a sinner’s repentance (Luke 15:10), and convey concern and consternation, as when the Apostle John wrongly attempted to worship an angel (Rev. 22:9). In addition, they are curious (1 Peter 1:10-12); talk to each other (Revelation 14:18), worship and praise God (Rev. 7:11), and in human form can communicate directly with men (Genesis 19). Angels may command other angels (Revelation 7:3; 14:17-18) or battle demons (Daniel 10:13; Revelation 12:7-8). They may appear in dreams as to Joseph (Matthew 1:20), or visibly as normal men (Genesis 18:1-8), or as beings of incredible brightness or in shining garments (Luke 24:4). When they appear directly to men, the result is usually one of emotional shock or fear hence the common biblical refrain of the angels, "Fear not" (Luke 1:12; 2:9). In the Bible, only three angels are ever named: Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer. Angels are immortal and can never die (Luke 20:35). As we will see, they are incredibly powerful and they have great intelligence and wisdom. They use the same measurements as men (Rev. 21:17) and may eat either human or angelic food (Gen. 19:3; Psalms 78:23-25). Angels apparently have spiritual bodies; [1] however they never marry (Luke 20:35-36) and are without sex, at least as we know it. In their natural state, angels can move at tremendous speeds and are not bound by space and time, at least not in the manner we are. They can be present in great numbers in limited space since seven demons simultaneously inhabited Mary Magdalene and it seems that thousands of demons may have inhabited the Gadarene, Legion’s body, at the same time (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:30). (Thus, if they are not bound by space, one assumes that the number of angels that could sit on a head of pin would be infinite.) They can, by whatever means, be aware of things like men’s prayers and future events (Luke 1:13-16). However, despite their abilities, they have evident limits in both knowledge and power (Dan. 10:13; Matt. 24:36; 1 Pet. 1:11-12; Rev. 12:7). Morally, there are two categories of angels, the holy or elect angels (1 Tim. 5:21), and the fallen angels who are described in the Bible as evil spirits or demons. Again, these demons are the rebellious angels who will not be redeemed (Hebrews 2:11-17), whose final end is the lake of fire (Matt. 25:41). However, while some of these fallen angels are now free to roam, others are currently kept in eternal bonds (Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4). Different classifications among the angels include the cherubim, apparently the highest class of angels having indescribable beauty and power. These angels were placed at the east of the Garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life after man was expelled (Genesis 3:24). They appear in connection with the dwelling place of God in the Old Testament (Exodus 25:17-22, cf., Hebrews 9:5) and are primarily concerned with the glory and worship of God. For example, the four living creatures of Ezekiel are cherubim (Ezek. 1:1, 28; 10:4, 18-22). Although the cherubim are never termed angels, this is probably because they are not specifically messengers; their main purpose is to proclaim and protect God’s glory, sovereignty and holiness. Satan was also apparently part of the cherubim class, making his rebellion and fall all the worse. ("Cherubim" is the Hebrew plural of "cherub," cf., Ezekiel 28:12, 14, 16). A second class includes the seraphim who are consumed with personal devotion to God (cf., Isaiah 6:3). There are also archangels such as Michael, angels of yet lower rank, and special groups of angels (Rev. 1:7; 8:2; 15:1, 7, etc.). Perhaps we should mention here that a specific term, "the angel of the Lord" (Malach-YHWH) is used throughout the Old Testament (e.g., see Genesis 22:11-12; Ex. 3:2; 2 Ki. 19:35). But this term does not refer to a created angel. It refers to Jesus Christ. Many people think that Christ first appeared on earth only at the point of the incarnation when He was born in Bethlehem. In fact, Christ has repeatedly appeared to men and is spoken of throughout the Old Testament under the name, "the angel of the Lord." The angel’s identity as Christ is indicated not only by the attributes of deity He possesses, but by the fact that the Jews themselves held this angel to be the divine Messiah. [2] Although the godly angels are considered to reside in heaven (Rev. 10:1), we are not told the nature of their specific dwelling places, if any. Of course, if angels do have spiritual bodies of some sort, this might indicate they have fixed dwelling places (cf., Jude 6). How Powerful Are Angels? Angels are incredibly powerful. Peter puts the case mildly when he says they are "greater in power and might" (2 Pet. 2:11). For example, only one angel was sent to destroy the entire city of Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 21:15) while only two angels were needed to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and all the surrounding cities (Genesis 19:13, 24-25). One angel is even able to lay hold of Satan himself to bind him for ten centuries (Rev. 20:1-3). Destroying angels produced the ten plagues on Egypt, including the death of all Egypt’s first born, i.e., millions of people (Exodus 12:13, 23, 29-30; Psalms 78:43, 49; Hebrews 11:28). The four angels of Revelation have power over the winds of the entire earth (Rev. 7:2-3). Other angels are indirectly associated with the destruction of one-third of the entire heavens and earth—one-third of the seas, the rivers, the vegetation and of the sun, moon and stars (Rev. 8-9). In Revelation 9:14-15 four angels actually destroy one-third of the earth’s entire population. At the end of the world, the angels will gather all the spirits of the saved and unsaved dead: they gather believers at Christ’s return to earth (Matt. 24:30-31) and they gather the unbelievers for eternal judgment (Matt. 13:39-43). Truly, angels "excel in strength" (Psalms 103:20). But what is perhaps most amazing for the simple believer in Christ is that God tells us that we will one day judge and perhaps rule angels themselves (1 Cor. 6:2-3)! What Are Some Popular But False Ideas About the Good Angels? Given the degree of biblical ignorance concerning angels in our culture, as well as the revival of the New Age movement, cults and the occult, it’s not unexpected that some false concepts about angels could arise. Among these erroneous beliefs are the following: 1) that angels are the human dead, i.e., that we become angels at death; 2) that angels perform God’s work through various occult activities and practices; 3) that the devil isn’t a fallen angel, or that Jesus Christ was only an angel; and 4) that simply because they are angels, all angels can be trusted to be good. Obviously this ignores the fact that perhaps one-third of the angels rebelled against God and are now evil spirits whose sole purpose is to accomplish the will of the devil. These kinds of false beliefs indicate it is especially important to ascertain what Scripture does and does not teach about both the good angels and the evil angels. Notes 1 cf., A. C. Gaebelein, What the Bible Says About Angels (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987), pp. 29-35. 2 Gaebelein, Ch. 3; C. Fred Dickason, Angels: Elect and Evil (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975), Ch. 6; John Ankerberg, John Weldon, The Facts on Jesus the Messiah (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1993). What's Behind the Sudden Craze over Angels? http://www.inplainsite.org/html/angels.html In its December 27, 1993 issue, Time magazine commented, "If there is such a thing as a universal idea, common across cultures and through the centuries, the belief in angels comes close to it" (p. 58). Polls indicate that almost three out of four adult Americans, including teenagers, believe in angels. At one point, five of the ten books on Publishers Weekly best-seller list dealt with the subject of angels and six prime time TV specials have captivated millions. But what is most noteworthy about the modern, popular angels is their dissimilarity when compared with the biblical angels. The popular angels of today deny Christ’s teachings, are related to the modern channeling movement and the world of the occult, seek to possess people, are very concerned about the environment in a pantheistic/nature worship sense, engage in distorting the Scriptures in their revelations, appear in near-death experiences, and perhaps not surprisingly, are very concerned with self-esteem/self-love teachings, the practice of divination and the "faith"/positive confession movement. For example, consider one popular angel book in which the author tells us, "The angels are extremely practical in showing us our false beliefs." [1] Yet, the angel’s teachings proceed to distort what Scripture teaches. Concerning the greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37), the angel tells us, "Start with the first and greatest commandment, which is to love the Lord Self with every particle of feeling you have…."[2] Or consider the following personal meditation provided by the angels, "All that God is, I AM…I AM divine purity…I AM perfect love…I AM the peace that goes beyond understanding… I AM omnipotent…I AM perfect judgment… the I AM THAT I AM…for I AM the joy of the world."[3] In our article next month, we will examine and document why we believe that millions of Americans are currently being deceived by this modern fascination with angels. What Are the Dangers to the Church? Recent polls indicate that almost three out of four adult Americans, including teenagers, believe in angels. That’s a whopping two hundred million people! In late 1993 Time magazine noted that five of the ten books on the religious best-seller list for Publishers Weekly were about angels, and currently there are some 200 books either in print or being rushed to print on the subject. At least half a dozen one to two hour national prime-time specials on angels have also captivated millions of people. In one sense, this is really nothing new; the spiritism that has been making its way into the American mainstream for the past 25 years has simply been repackaged in a more benevolent light. Put another way, the recent angel craze is simply occultism with a divine twist marketed under new management, so to speak. How do we know that the popular angels are not who they claim to be? Because their activities and teachings reveal their true identity. Not only do these angels function in the manner similar or identical to occult spirit guides, they are contacted through traditional occult methods. Thus, the teachings of the angels given in popular angel literature are no different than the teachings found in modern channeled literature. For example, "You and God are one" and "all religions… worship the same God." [4] Again, this is nothing new. It is the fallen angels which the Bible identifies as demons or evil spirits that have been behind the majority of false religious beliefs of humankind. For example, "angels" were predominant in either the origin or sustenance of most major world religions, such as Islam (the "Angel Gabriel" who gave the revelations in the Qur’an), Hinduism and Buddhism. "Angels" are influential in cults as well. In Mormonism it was the "Angel Moroni" who led Joseph Smith to the alleged gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was occultly translated. In the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their biased New World Translation of the Bible, "angels" have also played a key role as we documented in The Facts on Jehovah’s Witnesses. Other cults and religions sporting angelic influence include Emmanuel Swedenborg’s The Church of the New Jerusalem, Rudolph Steiner’s Anthroposophy, Silva Mind Control, the Self-Realization Fellowship, and the Unity School of Christianity. These are only a few of the religions and cults in which angels have played either a dominant or important role. [5] What is perhaps most disconcerting is the manner in which the "popular" angels have influenced some Christians. Books such as the Reverend Edward W. Oldring’s I Work With Angels and I Walk and Talk With Angels; minister G. D. Gilmore’s Angels, Angels, Everywhere, and Rev. Roland Buck’s Angels on Assignment are only three of many whose teachings prove that the angels spoken of are not the godly angels. Despite their semblance of Christianity, these books either deny biblical teachings or actually teach occultism in various forms. [6] Indeed, most popular angel books support the world of the occult. In Angel Wisdom we find the encouragement to use mantras and mandalas; shamanistic vision quests and contacting one’s power animal (a spirit guide who appears in the form of an animal); manipulation of chakras, psychic healing, etc. [7] In Angelic Messenger Cards, we find divination and people guided to accept contacting the dead. [8] In Creating With the Angels we find dreamwork: "Dream time is spirit time and offers a great opportunity to play with the angels…. Allow the angels to help you interpret your dreams."[9] In The Angels Within Us, we find angels taking people deep into altered states of consciousness in order to establish contact with them. [10] The angels also support New Age Medicine and occult holistic health practices. [11] But what is even more troubling is the connection existing between the popular angels and the Christian "faith" or "positive confession" movements.
As we documented in The Facts on the Faith Movement and The Facts on False Teachings in the Church, the modern faith/positive confession teachers almost universally claim that they have received their unique teachings by direct divine revelation, including through the mediation of angels. In those books, we have proven that these teachings are not biblical and hence could not have come from God or the good angels. [13] So where did they come from? Perhaps it is significant that many spirit guides today have entire series of positive confession tapes which are sold by their mediums. (The tapes by "DaBen" and "Orin" include such titles as, "Creating Money: The Spiritual Law of Prosperity and Abundance" and "Awakening Your Prosperity Self." [14]) But the popular angels also actively support and endorse positive confession teachings. As Terry Lynn Taylor remarks, "Angels are the missing link in the chain of… self-help, self-development, and self-reliance programs…. Angels are heaven-sent agents who are always available to help you create heaven in your life."[15] The entire purpose of the book, Creating With the Angels: An Angel-Guided Journey into Creativity, is to use angels to create success in every area of life. [16] As one angel says, "Abundance is a state of mind that leads to physical manifestation of physical resources. But, more important, abundance is a state of spirit that initially awakens the mind to its creative possibilities. You are being led toward abundant thinking, feeling, loving, and participating in life so that you will be in a position to encourage wholism in every form, wherever you find it." [17] In fact, the angels speak in exactly the same terms and cite exactly the same scriptures as the modern Christian prosperity teachers. For example, in the occult text, The Angels Within Us, we read, "The Bible also says, ‘By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned’ (Matt. 12:37); ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue’ (Proverbs 18:21); And ‘Thou shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee’ (Job 22:28). Charles Fillmore, cofounder of Unity, wrote, ‘the spoken word carries vibrations through the universal ether…. And Ernest Holmes, founder of the Church of Religious Science, has written, ‘The word gives form to the unformed….’" [18] Now consider other teachings from this same occult book that reflect basic "Christian" prosperity beliefs: "…we should meditate for an understanding of what produced the original condition of lack in our minds, speak the word for a healing of that mental-emotional condition, and then work consciously with the Angel of Abundance to reveal a divinely prosperous life." [19] Or, "Abundance is the true nature of God… And when you identify this Spirit of God within as your abundance, your consciousness becomes the principle of prosperity. The energy flows into manifestation through you, forever reproducing the vibration of your consciousness in the world of form." [20] Or, "When you contemplate the God Self I Am as infinite supply...you are deepening your awareness of the truth of your Reality." [21] Consider the following advice by the angel: "I have promised you unlimited prosperity… I am the Lord your healer, I heal all your diseases, restore health to you, and heal your wounds. This is not to come. It is. In truth, you are healed now; you are whole." [22] Thus, the author tells his readers, "Make contact with the angel and ask how you are limiting your own success. Let him show you any false beliefs that may be blocking the flow from his perspective." [23] Now consider similar teachings from other contemporary books on angels: "True abundance is the ability to see the abundance that is already ours." [24] "I harness the power that enables me to realize all of my desires and objectives…. I have the power to know what is best." [25] "If we believe that we can have something…our higher selves—the parts of our psyches that are in communication with the angels—will begin to create it for us." [26] "I create my own miracles." [27] All this is proof positive that the modern Christian prosperity movement has aligned itself with the very same teachings given by the spirit world. Now, if we know that these kinds of teachings derive not from the good angels but from the fallen angels or demons, and if we know that the faith teachers claim to receive unbiblical teachings by supernatural inspiration, the conclusion would seem self-evident. What all this means is that the "Faith" teachers who instruct millions of Christians may unwittingly be influencing them to also accept the teachings of demons masquerading as angels. Consider the following and listen to the words of the "Faith" teachers themselves before you make a decision. Kenneth Copeland teaches, "…when you use the Word in the name of Jesus [that is, in positive confession] they [angels] are obligated to follow your command." [28] Gloria Copeland suggests there may be at least 40,000 angels assigned to each believer, thus, "there is no shortage of angel power;" [29] and, "how long do you think it would take them to make you wealthy?" [30] Unfortunately, "for the most part, the heirs of the promise have not been using the angel power available to them." [31] Thus, "Your words put the angels to work on your behalf to bring to pass whatever you say…the words of your mouth bind them or loose them to work for you." [32] Charles Capps says God supernaturally revealed the same truths to him. In Angels he says, "You need the supernatural beings of God working for you here on earth." [33] In Releasing the Ability of God, he states, "The Spirit of God spoke this into my spirit just as plainly as if I heard it with my ears…. He said: ‘The Word says the angels are ministering spirits. These ministering spirits stand beside you daily and listen to the words that you speak…. but you are the one who tells them what to do." [34] Thus, "Angels will work for you. They will become involved in every area of your life—your home, your business, everything—but only to the extent that you allow them to operate." [35] Prosperity teacher Kenneth Hagin claims that in 1958 "the Lord Jesus suddenly appeared" before him, with an angel standing three feet behind Him. In I Believe in Visions, he reveals, "He [Jesus] said, ‘This is your angel.’ ‘My angel?’ I asked. ‘Yes, your angel, and if you will respond to him, he will appear to you as I will at times; and he will give you guidance and direction concerning the things of life,…" [36] Jerry Savelle says that when we apply the principles of the Faith Movement, "…the angels come on the scene to see that what you say comes to pass." [37] John Osteen teaches, "When you become a covenant-person, God assigns angels to watch you and your family…" [38] Robert Tilton says, "When you talk positively about your dream, you not only release its substance, but you release the angels to work for you, causing your dream to come to pass." [39] Benny Hinn also accepts the supposed ministry of the "faith" angels. [40] But by teaching Christians that angels are indeed anxiously standing by to do one’s personal bidding, prosperity leaders are conditioning Christians to have a particular expectation about angels that is not biblical. To teach that angels will give personal "guidance and direction," that they "will become involved in every area of your life" and generate "financial prosperity" is exactly what channelers with spirit guides claim for the spirits they contact. In essence, Christians who think that the primary purpose of the angels is to service them with prosperity may be more open to establishing contact with the prosperity "angels" of the New Age movement. Consider that in 1987 charismatic and "prosperity" evangelist Kenneth Copeland gave a prophecy "from Jesus Christ" in which "Jesus" promised that new and dramatic angel manifestations were going to increase in the church and that many "will have visitations from the spirit realm." Concerning angels, "Jesus" allegedly told Copeland: A very outstanding time is on the way. A time is coming when there will be a manifestation of angels more than usual, more than what there has been in the past. Many of you are going to witness for yourselves the angel that has been put in charge and in command of your ministry and your life. Many of you are going to have visitations from the spirit realm. Many of you will have divinely appointed visions and dreams. …Oh, there’s neither time nor distance in the spirit realm. You’ll be connected together at times like you’ve never witnessed before. Suddenly, you’ll be standing in that [spiritual] country, and suddenly you’ll deliver a message and then suddenly you’ll be brought back in your kitchen again. Oh, I have some outstanding things, sayeth the Lord. [41] But incredibly, this "Jesus" who promised the increased manifestation of angels went on to deny His own deity: "Don’t be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you are God…. They crucified me for claiming that I was God. But I didn’t claim I was God; I just claimed I walked with Him and that He was in me. Hallelujah. That’s what you are doing." [42] If Christians listen to such a "Jesus" and contact the "angels" he promises to send them, perhaps they should not be surprised at the outcome (See Ezekiel 13:1–9). In The Facts on Angels, we document a great deal more about the modern angel phenomenon, including what the Bible teaches about the good angels, and how the modern "popular" angels seek to distort the Bible. We also discuss why they are interested in supporting the environmental movement, how they appear in near-death experiences and are related to Unidentified Flying Objects, their moral and ethical views and their relationship to practices of divination and self-love/self-esteem/positive thinking teachings. We further show how and why the popular angels seek to possess people just like the demons of old. For now, it should be evident that the modern angel phenomenon is not what it claims to be. No one anywhere, least of all Christians, should become involved with the popular angels, whether by channeling, seeking to develop "angel consciousness," or to contact angels as personal friends and guidance counselors. To do so is to place one’s soul at risk.
1 John Randolph, The Angels Within Us: A Spiritual Guide to the Twenty-Two Angels that Govern Our Lives (New York, NY: Fawcett-Columbine, 1993), p.62. 2 Ibid., p. 63. 3 Ibid, p. 276. 4 Meredith L. Young-Sowers, Angelic Messenger Cards: A Divination System for Spiritual Discovery (Walpole, NH: Stillpoint, 1993) 58; Terry Lynn Taylor and Mary Beth Crain, Angel Wisdom: 365 Meditations and Insights from the Heavens (NY: Harper Collins, 1994), April 13. 5 See John Ankerberg, John Weldon, The Facts on Angels (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1995). 6 Ibid. 7 Taylor and Crain, June 18th, 28th; July 8th, 22nd; October 20th. 8 Meredith L. Young-Sowers, p. 31. 9 Terry Lynn Taylor, Creating with the Angels: An Angel-Guided Journey Into Creativity (Tiburon, CA: H. J. Kramer, 1993), pp. 39, 41. 10 Price, The Angels Within Us, p. 16. 11 "Angels II: Beyond the Light," NBC, October 30, 1994, 7 P.M., Host: Stefanie Powers. 12 Price, The Angels Within Us, p. 31. 13 Available from the Ankerberg Theological Research Institute or your Christian bookstore. 14 Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer, Opening to Channel: How to Connect with Your Guide (Tiburon, CA: H. J. Kramer, Inc. 1987), pp. 231-232. 15 Terry Lynn Taylor, Messengers of Light: The Angel’s Guide to Spiritual Growth (Tiburon, CA: H. J. Kramer, 1990), xvi. 16 Taylor, Creating With the Angels, vii-xi. 17 Young-Sowers, Angelic Messenger Cards, p. 214. 18 Price, 268. 19 Ibid., p. 58. 20 Ibid., pp. 56-57. 21 Ibid., pp. 88, 96. 22 Ibid., pp. 263-264. 23 Ibid., p. 286. 24 Taylor and Crain, Angel Wisdom, February 8. 25 Ibid., January 11, 21. 26 Ibid., May 22. 27 Ibid., September 14. 28 Kenneth Copeland, The Laws of Prosperity (Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1974), p. 104. 29 Gloria Copeland, God’s Will is Prosperity (Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1978), pp. 84-85. 30 Ibid., p. 86. 31 Ibid., p. 65. 32 Ibid., p. 88. 33 Charles Capps, Angels (England, AZ: Charles Capps Publishers, 1984), p. 80. 34 Charles Capps, Releasing the Ability of God (England, AZ: Charles Capps Publishers, 1978), pp. 100-101, 105. 35 Capps, Angels, p. 173. 36 Kenneth Hagin, I Believe in Visions (Tulsa, OK: Kenneth Hagin Ministries), p. 93. 37 Jerry Savelle, Energizing Your Faith (Fort Worth, TX: Jerry Savelle Ministries, 1983), p. 45. 38 John Osteen, Unraveling the Mystery of the Blood Covenant (Houston, TX: John Osteen Ministries, 1987), p. 45. 39 Robert Tilton, Climb Your Ladder of Success (Dallas, TX: Robert Tilton Ministries, 1988), p. 54. 40 In The Christian Sentinel, Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 13. The word "spirit" was capitalized in this quotation. However, since this was a claimed supernatural prophecy to Copeland, the use of capitals was an editorial assumption. 41 Kenneth Copeland, "Take Time to Pray," Believer’s Voice of Victory, Vol. 15, No. 2, February 1987, p. 9. 42 Ibid “Touched By An Angel” http://www.inplainsite.org/html/touched_by_an_angel.html By Let Us Reason Ministries, 2002 Della Reese, who has been showcased as a Christian Minister, is a co-leader of the organization called Upchurch, a typical New Thought Organization. "Touched by an Angel" has a reputation for attracting a "Who's Who" of Hollywood's top talent as guest stars, including Bill Cosby, Maya Angelou, Carol Burnett, Randy Travis, Louis Gossett Jr., Richard Gere, Patty Duke, Marion Ross, Rosa Parks, General Colin Powell and Barbara Mandrell. (www.hallmarkchannel.com) Our society has become increasingly aware of the supernatural realm through the psychic network and channeling of Spirits. The Occult has become popularized by movies such as Ghost, Close Encounters, Independence Day, and Lion King. TV programs on occultic phenomenon include the X-files, Sliders, Dark Skies and many others. Angels recently have become very popular being more than just an ornament on a Christmas tree. Over the last few years they have appeared on the covers of Time, Newsweek and numerous other magazines. Some New Age music is even developed from spirit or angelic contact. Now there are angel magazines, crystals, shirts, stuffed angels, tea sets, key chains, earrings and jewelry with angels on them. Angelic activity is the primary theme on some movies and TV programs. There are Angel websites, Angel Times newspaper and angel seminars for those who are serious enough to learn how to contact their own guardian angels. A recent Gallup poll found 69% of Americans believe in angels. 50% believe they have had a presence of a guardian angel in their life (Time magazine found similar results 68% believe in angels and 32% have one in their life). There are over 200 books on angels, the majority written from non Christians such as One Hundred Ways to Attract Angels. There are also numerous Christian books on encounters with angels such as The Rustle of angels and a Life Guide Bible studies curriculum on angels. Some Christian books are accurately well written such as All the Angels of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer, Angels Elect and Evil by Fred Dickason, Angels God Secret Agents by Billy Graham and Angels Among Us by Ron Rhodes. Recently NBC aired a special on angels which was quite fascinating; approximately 17,000 people requested this program. Over 2,000 web sites on the Internet are angel related. It is obvious that our generation is intrigued and awed by these "Messengers from Heaven." "Touched by an Angel" is one of the most popular programs on today (11th in the ratings), many people who claim that their lives have been changed from watching it. This program is centered on three angels, two women and a man. They are on a mission to earth to help mankind out of our messes and spread the message that God loves them. This program has become a media phenomenon in which they receive 10,000 letters a week with people who share how the show has changed their outlook and lives. John Dye who plays the angel of death says many of these letters are about how people no longer fear death. Recently the cast of this program were hosted as guests on the Oprah Winfrey show. They talked about how the show has changed people's lives. Della Reese related one story of how she met someone who came up to her and said your show saved my life, "my husband died 6 months ago and I didn’t know how to handle it because I was a wreck, I saw a man on your show having a good time when he died so I related it to my husband." Roma Downey who plays Monica says "sometimes the end is just the beginning. Della added, "The end is usually the beginning, it hurts so awfully bad when a beautiful life is taken away from us but it never really is taken away." The message being emphasized is that we are not to fear death if you are a good person. We hear continually today about people drawing their erroneous theology from TV evangelists, talk shows are equally destructive. Their influence over America is enormous. Before I focus on the underlying message or the portrayals that are being promoted, there are a few things that need to be clarified. I happen to agree with the critics that TV needs a face lift, there is far to many programs with a worldly message and the promotion of sin in our society. The message in most shows is to eat, drink, and be merry because tomorrow we all die. The common denominator for this kind of broadcasting is the philosophy that there really is no God to consider. In "Touched by an Angel," we have a program that centers upon the fact that there really is a God! What a needed and refreshing message; that He wants to communicate with man and He really cares about us! The stories are often times emotionally moving with moral lessons that show how we should learn from our mistakes in life. We need to recognize that there is a price to pay when commendable truth is united with an unbiblical message. Instead of upholding the teachings of the Bible, it actually conflicts with biblical teachings, and can be disastrous for those who embrace its message. You see the poisonous theology is everyone who is good goes to heaven. How wrong! All one has to do is reform their life and they are accepted. God loves you, He will forgive you and with His help you can change. All that is required is faith in God. Regardless of the religion people identify with, love is what sets them free. Let's identify one of the major problems! The audience never finds out who this God is. So one can make one up on their own if they like. The program sounds Christian on the surface, but look beyond the beautiful music and the emotionalism birthed through the actors, we find a message of universalism! This should not be surprising, since this is the message of the Unity Church of which has some influence in the programs theology. Take for example on a recent episode a little girl tells about her goldfish who died and was flushed down the toilet and said it went to heaven. The mother was disturbed by this but Tess said to her, "that’s all right there’s a lot of ways to heaven." "Touched by an Angel" is filmed on real location in Salt Lake City Utah. Being in Mormon country does not affect its message, because it is coming from a whole other influence. In real life Della Reese is an ordained Unity minister who married Roma (who plays Monica on the show) to Davi Ansba. Della’s mentor is Johnny Coleman, one of the most famous of Unity ministers. As a religion Unity accepts all books of scripture, thinking Christ is within all people and we can all be Christ. Unity denies evil, pain, sickness, and poverty. Death is not real so it is not to have mastery over a person's life. God is not a being or a person having life, intelligence, love or power… It does not matter what we call this power." Salvation is believed to be attained by at-one-ment with God and that reincarnation is the provision by the father for humans to obtain immortality. The false and fallacious Unity influence is the sandy foundation for the underlying spiritual message throughout the show, "Touched by an Angel." Della has her own church, started in 1983 called Understanding Principles of Better Living. Its logo, a hot-air balloon, symbolizes "understanding the principles of positive thought."… She describes seeing God, not "in the sky with a beard like Neptune's sitting on a throne watching me", but as one "spirit and he disperses himself in various bodies… There's a piece of God in you. That's how you can breathe." Della certainly has much to say in the way God is portrayed on the program. She believes this show is a God thing and Roma agrees. She states "You can’t say to someone every week on TV that God loves them if you don’t mean it or believe it." This idea has resonated throughout her own life. Each person feels very deeply in the message they are acting out on the show. They claim that they are merely giving people more information for their choice. Unita Belk Writing for Angel Times Magazine interviewed Della Reese and asked, "Is there anything you would like to share with our readers?" Here's her answer and solution to the problems in the world. "That all of us need to adapt the code: I am one with God, I am one with all men, I am one with all life," answered Della, exposing the universalistic faith that characterizes all proper models for the new global spirituality needed to unify the world. "Until we get there, there will be Bosnia, there will be homelessness… Until we understand that we are all one, we got a big problem." [Della Reese is a well known New Thought Minister. Tess and Monica drive an old 1970 Cadillac on their angelic adventures to help mankind. This is similar to the Lone Ranger and Tonto or as Batman and Robin shows. They are there for the rescue! These similarities of heroes in our TV past are not the unsettling part. What is disturbing is how they portray angels. As they are given case assignments they will take on different jobs among humans. As you watch these angels comfort the people and try to give them understanding about the puzzle of the twists and turns of life. However these angels don’t have any halos. They can make some serious messes; and can even do wrong, just like humans. These angels can take the free will of man away and manipulate them when they are not ready to respond. They can do so much wrong that it is hard to understand how they could be much help since they are not much better than we are. These TV "Angels" wear wedding rings, admit their mistakes and incredibly need God’s forgiveness. One episode featured a head angel came to give them a pep talk saying they messed up but God can handle it even when they do wrong. Monica in one scene has such bad judgment that another angel tells her that her existence as an angel is in jeopardy because she lied. Another time when corrected, she asks the angel over her to send her back to the choir. Recently the movie "Michael" featured Dianetics graduate John Travolta. He supposedly plays Michael the Arch Angel who is portrayed more sinful than we are. This angel likes seeing the strange quirks of mankind, smokes cigarettes, likes women, and fights in bar room brawls. The producer of this movie took the TV theme to its natural end. We can hope this will be the last of this type of portrayal and not prompt Hollywood to make another TV series of a swinging Angel. Spiritual insights are given to the public through angelic wisdom. For instance Monica says she figured out why faces are on the front – "it’s so we can see where we are going and not where we’ve been." Or when Tess says "A tomato is like a human soul - it takes a long time to ripen and bruises real easy." Martha Williamson, the executive producer, claims to be a Christian and also believes in angels. She related a story of when they were signing every one up for insurance on the show, the nurse came in and said "Della has a problem; she would not sign the paper". She is supposed to write 6 months in the space but she would not sign because God told her they would be on for 10 years. As she states God said, "Do this for me and you can retire in ten years." Della claims to like the message of the show because it is different, saying "God needs you, not we need God." The Biblical message is we need God and he chooses to use us making us into vessels of honor to bring glory to himself. This is definitely not the message sent. Della states ”The angels on the show don't come to fix people in trouble. They come to teach them how to fix themselves." Oprah asked the actors "do you believe people in human form are angels to other people" "Absolutely," all agreed. Oprah also likes the show because "you see God through your experience and feeling in your life. It’s not just some "words written in a book" it’s about experiencing truth, the higher part of yourself". They are not talking about the "old time religion" of the bible, but spirituality of a new kind. Oprah has been promoting this type of New Age nonsense for years. And what’s not to like with a message of tolerance and acceptance for all. Della comments, "We’re not Catholic, Methodist, new Thought, there is a supreme being whatever name you got for him is fine.” Oprah in response says "a supreme being doesn’t get jealous of one thing or another." We can see the underlying theme of acceptance and tolerance is at the cost of truth. The God of the Bible reveals his name is Jealous! To call on God as if His word about His character has no meaning shows disrespect! The message of "Touched by an Angel" is, God loves you. Yet the program denies the very one that God sent to show his love. "That God loves them, unconditionally and forever. God wants only the best for them, but can't make them do anything. Human beings have been given free will, and the choice is always ours." (Ladies Home Journal p.183) While this true it insinuates that we have the free choice to do exactly what God asks of us, that we can be forgiven without Christ's work. The incarnation of Jesus is God reaching out to human race. The name of Jesus is the only name given for salvation! His name is the very expression of God's nature. To deny the biblical revelation and say, God can be called whatever anyone wants is an affront both to His name and to His nature. At the end of every program a dove flies by ending the episode giving the impression that God is expressing His approval. Instead of the Spirit of God flying by on the screen how much better if He should take residence in their lives! Then this whole fantasy show about angels would begin to demonstrate truth, rather than be a misleading tool for fiction. Then its focus would change to get the real message of Gods love out to the masses. Without Jesus Christ you have no message from God and neither does "Touched by an Angel." I think we can generally enjoy the program but be aware of the severely distorted message behind the show. To be spiritually naive leads towards anti-biblical understandings of the one true God, authentic angels and the only hope for mankind.Angels – Doreen Virtue http://www.saint-mike.net/qa/sw/viewanswer.asp?QID=1835 June 12, 2013 My sister-in-law reads a lot of books on angel which I think is good. There are some books on angels written by Doreen Virtue which she also is been reading and when I went through these books, I have seen that there is no reference to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Is it advisable to read such kind of books .There is a book by the same author on '101 messages' and a website (http://www.angeltherapy.com). Kindly advise. –Lessly Doreen Virtue is a fruitcake. Under no circumstances should any Christian, Protestant or Catholic, listen to anything this fruit has to say. The very first sentence of her About Me page reveals her position in the fruitcake parade: Doreen Virtue is a spiritual doctor of psychology and a fourth-generation metaphysician who works with the angelic, elemental, and ascended-master realms in her writings and workshops. Elemental and Ascended-Master realms? This chick has been watching too much of the TV show Star Gate. Everyone and their cat have some wacky belief in angels. This is one of the most popular subjects in the loony world of the New Age. Do not ever get a book or any kind of material, about angels unless it is a Catholic book. -Bro. Ignatius Mary 
ANGELS http://www.marianland.com/angels.html CATHOLIC BOOKS AND VIDEOS ALL ABOUT THE ANGELS By Fr. Paul O'Sullivan, O.P. THE ANGELS THE CATHOLIC TEACHING ON THE ANGELS By Fr. Parente ST. MICHAEL AND THE ANGELS, Anonymous ANGELS AND DEVILS By Joan Carroll Cruz ST. RAPHAEL By Angela Carol A BOOK OF ANGELS - Stories from the Bible By Marigold Hunt ANGELS AND DEMONS What Do We Really Know About Them? By Peter Kreeft BISHOP SHEEN ON ANGELS (Video) ENTERTAINING ANGELS (Video) Entertaining Angels Unawares (Video) michaelprabhu@vsnl.net www.ephesians-511.net 1 Catechism of the Catholic Church, ISBN: 0-932406-23-8, (1994), Apostolate for Family Consecration, Bloomingdale, OH., Paragraphs 65-67, P.P. 2 Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia, ISBN: 0-87973-669-0, (1998), Rev. Fr. Peter Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.D., - Editor, Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington, IN., P. 70 3 Catechism of the Catholic Church, ISBN: 0-932406-23-8, (1994), Apostolate for Family Consecration, Bloomingdale, OH., Paragraphs 350-352, P. 90 4 Catechism of the Catholic Church, ISBN: 0-932406-23-8, (1994), Apostolate for Family Consecration, Bloomingdale, OH., Paragraphs 326-330, P.P. 85-86 5 Catechism of the Catholic Church, ISBN: 0-932406-23-8, (1994), Apostolate for Family Consecration, Bloomingdale, OH., Paragraph 331, P. 86 6 Angels [and Demons], ISBN. 0-89870-550-9, (1995), Peter J. Kreeft, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA., Question 18, P. 47 7 Angels [and Demons], ISBN. 0-89870-550-9, (1995), Peter J. Kreeft, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA., Question 22, P.P. 50-51 8 Angels [and Demons], ISBN. 0-89870-550-9, (1995), Peter J. Kreeft, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA., Question 24 P. 53 9 Heavenly Army of Angels, ISBN. 0-926143-10-7, (1991), Bob and Penny Lord, Journeys of Faith, Slidell, LA., P.P.16-17 10 All About The Angels, ISBN. 0-89555-388-0, (1945 reprinted 1990), Rev. Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, O.P., Tan Books & Publishers, Inc., Rockford, IL., P. 50 11 Angels [and Demons], ISBN. 0-89870-550-9, (1995), Peter J. Kreeft, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA., Question 25, P. 54 12 St. Michael and the Angels, ISBN. 0-89555-196-9, (1983), Tan Books & Publishers, Inc., Rockford, IL., P. 12 13All About The Angels, ISBN. 0-89555-388-0, (1945 reprinted 1990), Rev. Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, O.P., Tan Books & Publishers, Inc., Rockford, IL., P. 28 14 All About The Angels, ISBN. 0-89555-388-0, (1945 reprinted 1990), Rev. Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, O.P., Tan Books & Publishers, Inc., Rockford, IL., P. 32 15 Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia, ISBN: 0-87973-669-0, (1998), Rev. Fr. Peter Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.D., - Editor, Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington, IN., P. 667 Yüklə 402,5 Kb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
|