ANGELS, SERAPHIM, CHERUBIMS AND LIVING BEINGS by Josimar Salum

ANGELS, SERAPHIM, CHERUBIMS AND LIVING BEINGS by Josimar Salum

   Although for most believers it makes no difference whether angels are described with wings or whether in the Bible they sing or do not sing, for me it would be very consistent with what I have heard my whole life saying that angels sing and that they have wings. But more importantly, I need to examine the Scriptures carefully to really get to know what it says on the subject, regardless of what I believe or not.

   In the Bible, the text used to state that angels sing is Luke 2:13!

   “And immediately there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” Luke 2:13-14 KJV

   The Greek word for praise is “ainountoun” from “ainéo” which means “to praise”.

   However, there is a verse in Revelation that states that seven angels sang: “And I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels bearing the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is accomplished. And they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: Great and wonderful are your works, Lord, God Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of saints!” Revelation 15:1, 3 KJV

   The word for ‘sang’ in Greek is ‘adousin’ from ‘adô’ which means to sing.

   At Isaiah 6:2, 6 we read: “The seraphim were above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their face, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. But one of the seraphim flew to me carrying a live coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs;” Isaiah 6:2, 6 KJV

   In Ezekiel we read: “And there appeared on the cherubim the likeness of a man's hand under their wings. And his whole body, and his back, and his hands, and his wings, and the wheels, the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around.” Ezekiel 10:8, 12 KJV

   We learn that seraphim and cherubim are angels. However, I don't remember reading in the Bible that they are named as angels. I don't remember that there are verses in the Bible that classify them like this, but there are descriptions of other celestial beings.

   “And when the Lamb had opened one of the seals, I looked and heard one of the four animals saying, as in the voice of thunder: Come and see!” Revelation 6:1 KJV

   Are seraphim and cherubim angels in the Bible or just seraphim and cherubim? Would they be celestial beings like the living creatures?

   “And the cherubim were lifted up on high; these are the same animals that I saw by the river Chebar.” Ezekiel 10:15

   “The Lord reigns; let the nations tremble. He is enthroned between the cherubim; let the earth be moved.” Psalms 99:1 KJV

   “And he set these cherubim in the middle of the inner house; and the cherubim spread out their wings, so that the wing of one touched the wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall, and their wings in the middle of the house touched one another.” 1Kings 6:27 KJV

   But notice this verse especially:

   “You were a cherub anointed to protect, and I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God, in the midst of the fiery stones you walked.” Ezekiel 28:14 KJV

   Who was this cherub? I am not in a hurry to answer this question based on tradition, but I challenge myself to check the (whole) Bible to see what it is really teaching in light of these verses:

   “You are of your father the devil and you want to fulfill the desires of your father; he was a murderer FROM THE BEGINNING and did not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him; When he utters a lie, he speaks from what is his own, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

   “Whoever practices sin belongs to the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God manifested himself: to destroy the works of the devil.” 1John 3:8 KJV

   If the devil sinned from the beginning, would he have been an angel?

   “Another sign was also seen in the sky, and behold a dragon, great, red, with seven heads, ten horns, and on its heads seven diadems. There was battle in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought; And the great dragon was cast out, that ancient serpent, which is called the devil and Satan, the seducer of the whole world, yes, he was cast down to the earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 12:3, 7, 9 NIV

   When we hear or read something that contradicts our tradition and beliefs, we tend to reject and classify whoever wrote or said it as heretical. But heretical according to whom? When someone says something we should ask what they mean and ask for confirmation rather than summarily judging. If I reject what they tell me and what I read according to my doctrine, I am affirming that what I believe is 100% true, then I no longer need the Bible, I am the Bible.

   But as for what the Bible teaches about angels, you can start with this text and from there follow all its pages.

   “When evening came, the two angels came to Sodom, at the entrance to which Lot sat; When he saw them, he got up and, going to meet them, prostrated himself, face to the ground. and they called to Lot and said to him, Where are the men who came into your house late in the evening? Bring them out to us so we can abuse them.” Genesis 19:1, 5 KJV

   And finally carefully observing this warning:

   “Let no one become an arbiter against you, pretexting humility and the worship of angels, relying on visions, boasting, without any reason, in his carnal mind, and not retaining the head, from which the whole body, supplied and well-connected through its joints and ligaments grows the growth that proceeds from God.” Colossians 2:18-19 KJV

   #ASONE