Is Satan Literally an Entity?

[Molly]

OK, here are the classic angels with wings--or what people think of when they think of celestial beings known as angels.   The 'heavenly host' is what I've always thought of as God's angelic army in heaven.





8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

--Luke 2

[firstborn888]

Yes, messengers "of God" not free willed (possibly rebelling at any second) naked winged babies (or whatever paintings we've seen).  :happygrin:

"Sent" spirits "Of God" imparting messages/blessings to those who will inherit God's absolute liberty.

[Molly]

I think I'll keep on with my belief in those beautiful winged angels, servants of those who will inherit salvation... :bigGrin:



9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

--Psa 91

[firstborn888]

I think I'll keep on with my belief in those beautiful winged angels, servants of those who will inherit salvation... :bigGrin:

That's fine - I also have extra biblical beliefs  :laughing7:

[Craig]

OK, here are the classic angels with wings--or what people think of when they think of celestial beings known as angels.   The 'heavenly host' is what I've always thought of as God's angelic army in heaven.

The winged angels are Cheribum.

Cheribum-
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance the word, cherubim, comes from the Hebrew word, keruwbim, which is a transliteration and means "imaginary figures." Keruwbim (cherubim) is the plural of keruwb (cherub). Simply put, THE CHERUBIM ARE IMAGINATIONS which find their roots in the imaginative mind of man. "A Study on Cherubim" by Prof. M.M.Ninan pg. 15

If anyone is looking for the truth, then one will not hold on to what they always thought but rather hold on to what is true. Cherub are imaginations. God created us with the ability, which is well known to cognitive psychologists, to see patterns or images that are familiar where there is an unfamiliar or gap in perception. We can easily see this in action when one can see animals in the cloud formations. It is called "Apophenia" and "pareidolia". The human mind has a need to classify and understand what it is seeing, and so looks for patterns where there is none and assigns these patterns and from that point on, that is what it looks like. Angels that look like men and have wings are example of pareidoliac apophenia.

Like the man on the moon, it just because we see a face on the moon, does not mean the moon has a face. Just because the moon does not have a face, although we can see it, does not mean the moon is not real. Likewise, just because we see wings on angels, does not mean that they have wings, and although angels do not have wings does not mean angels don't exist.

[Tony N]

So, everytime a bell rings, an angel doesn't get his wings.  So sad... :sigh:

No but Pavlov's dogs drool  :laughing7:

[rosered]

  Eph  2    verse 2   a spirit from the begining and still working evil now   ....

1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

[rosered]

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law
Main Entry: en·ti·tyPronunciation: 'en-ti-tE
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ties
: an organization (as a business or governmental unit) that has a legal identity which is separate from those of its members —see also ALTER EGO, INSTRUMENTALITY, JURIDICAL PERSON, LEGAL PERSON, PIERCE

  This could be compared as   a force /spirit / entity  that  has its own separate  government /realm /kingdom  opposite the Lords/Gods   in the  dic .of Law  ....

[Molly]

Ha!


2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

--Isa 6

[rosered]

Ha!


2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

--Isa 6

Seraphim ser'-a-fim (seraphim): A plural word occurring only in Isa 6:2 ff—Isaiah's vision of Yahweh. The origin of the term in Hebrew is uncertain. Saraph in Nu 21:6; Isa 14:29, etc., signifies a fiery serpent. A Babylonian name for the fire-god, Nergal, was Sharrapu. In Egypt there have been found eagle-lion-shaped figures guarding a grave, to which is applied the name seref. The equivalent English term is "griffin."
It is probable enough that popular mythology connected fire with the attendants of the deity in various ways among different peoples, and that burning lies at the base of the idea in all these suggested etymologies. It remains, however,
  that in Isaiah's use there is nothing of the popular legend or superstition. These seraphim are august beings whose forms are not at all fully described.

  They had faces, feet, hands and wings. The six wings, in three pairs, covered their faces and feet in humility and reverence, and were used for sustaining them in their positions about the throne of Yahweh. One of them is the agent for burning (with a coal off the altar, not with his own power or person) the sin from the lips of the prophet.

Seraphim are in Jewish theology connected with cherubim and ophanim as the three highest orders of attendants on Yahweh, and are superior to the angels who are messengers sent on various errands. As the cherubim in popular fancy were represented by the storm-clouds, so the seraphim were by the serpentine flashes of the lightning; but none of this appears in Isaiah's vision.

In the New Testament the only possible equivalent is in "the living ones" ("beasts" of the King James Version) in Re 4; 5, etc. Here, as in Isaiah, they appear nearest Yahweh's throne, supreme in praise of His holiness.


Written by William Owen Carver

[Mickiel]

Well I certainly believe that God has created angels with wings. Literally everywhere wings are mentioned in the Old Testement, it is taken from the hebrew word " Kanaph", meaning an extremity, specfically of a Bird or a wing. A flap, or an overspreading, sometimes even a feather. The 5 times wings are refered to in the New Testement Greek, " Pterux", it still means a feathered wing.

There are just far too many scriptures in the bible that literally show certain angels having wings, I am just continually surprised at the beliefs of many.

Peace.

[Molly]

Well I certainly believe that God has created angels with wings. Literally everywhere wings are mentioned in the Old Testement, it is taken from the hebrew word " Kanaph", meaning an extremity, specfically of a Bird or a wing. A flap, or an overspreading, sometimes even a feather. The 5 times wings are refered to in the New Testement Greek, " Pterux", it still means a feathered wing.

There are just far too many scriptures in the bible that literally show certain angels having wings, I am just continually surprised at the beliefs of many.

Peace.

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

---Psa 91


I heard a story on the radio once about a new Christian who was attacked by a man lying in wait in her apartment.   She had just heard this Psalm read but the only thing she could remember from it was the feathers of God would protect her.   So she shouted, "Feathers!" at the man.  His eyes got big and he started backing away from her.  She backed him all the way out of her apartment shouting, "Feathers!  Feathers! Feathers!"--and shut and locked the door.

He sends his angels to protect us. Who knows what the man saw when she invoked them. :laughing7:

[Mickiel]

I think there are places that scripture mentions wings, and we can assume that it maynot be feathers or somekind of Spiritual form of flight. Such as in Rev. 12:13-14, where John is describing as best he could, the transportation of either the church, or a significant group of called out people. It says that two wings  of the great egale were given  to the woman, or the group, in order that they could " Fly into the wilderness." Now this could have been an airplane, but John didnot know what an airplane was, but he knew they were flying, so he described the flight in his own terms, using the Greek " Petrux." I would rather believe he saw an airplane, as opposed to some great Eagle.

In Rev.4:8 he uses the same term "Petrux", to describe four " Living creatures", not myths, real beings of multi faceted natures, each had 6 wings apiece. These creatures " Live IN Gods Throne", meaning they are very powerful and constantly with God, as is Christ and the 24 Elders. Now in my view, all of the beings that surround God are Angelic, and one needs to know what an Angel is and what that means.

These Angels were called " Creatures" by John, because they looked like creatures to him. One even had the face of a man. Why would a creature, with 6 wings, and eyes all on them and in them, have a face of a man? Another a face of a calf and another an eagle and a lion? Because ALL of these things are favorite creations of the Creator.

An Angel is NOT just a messenger of God, it can be " A class of Spiritual Beings." Or a Spirit being. An attendant of God. Or a being that " Lives with God." It could mean " Ressembling God", which is one meaning of Angelic, or ressembling a Spirit being." Its just too vast to try to limit it, and too obvious to try and deny it.  Angel could mean," Ministering to God", or ministers of God.

The " Wings" John saw in Rev. 9:9, were probally helicopters, but again not limited to just being that. Its hard to tell some of this stuff, because of Gods Power to do anything, and his creative ability to actually make a creature, that a human would call a machine, or a myth.

The books of 1Kings and 2Chronicles are full of scriptures on Cherubims and their wings.  Even Ezkiel mentions Cherubims.

Peace.