Rebel Angels

[leenielou]

I am rather unclear on the whole concept of the Rebel Angels. From what I have gathered from the film Dogma, and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials books, certain angels rebelled against God and were cast from Heaven into Hell.

However, I've never actually found this in the Bible (am I just blind?) What I would like to know is; was it a legend made up by the Catholic Church, or if it is actually scriptured somewhere? And whatever this outcome, what is the actual story?

It has interested me for a long time, so I would like to know everyone's thoughts upon the matter! :)

[Midnightsfire]

Well...

You may have already read this thread (http://cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=1760) about angels...or not.

Rebel angels, or perhaps more appropriately, fallen angels, are somewhat thin in the Bible. Satan is the only one really mentioned, I believe. There is this from Revelation 12:9
"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

Not too certain I should get more detailed about other sources here.

[PhoenixUK]

According to scripture, a number of angels who left their authority and home were chained up until judgement day, to await judgement by the saints when hell gives up the dead.

Lucifer is the most famous example of this.

Here are some bible quotes... (all taken from the NIV)

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment
And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days.
Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
Hope that helps ;)

[Midnightsfire]

Well...There are quite a few non-biblical sources on the topic of "Fallen Angels" but I'm a tad leery of posting them here.

Hmm..Perhaps that "Angels" thread?

[DocHollidaywe]

I do not know where the story is in the bible, however i do believe it goes something like this :

Lucifer was God's top Angel, he was the most beautiful angel etc... However Lucifer wanted more power, he wanted to overthrow God and take his spot, So Lucifer and a group of follower rebelled, lost and were sent to Earth, where the Devil (Lucifer) roams still today

Like i said i remember hearing the story, but dont know where it is in the bible (I most likely heard the story when i attened Catholic Church as a youngin

[Midnightsfire]

Taken directly from the Dictionary of Angels (including the fallen angels) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/002907052X/qid=1067433307/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-2095985-9613741?v=glance&n=507846) by Gustav Davidson:

Fallen angels-the notion of fallen angels isn't found in the Old Testament. In books like Job, the God-appointed adversary is ha-satan (meaning "the adversary" and the title of an office, not the designation or a name of an angel). The possible exceptions are I Chronicles 21 and II Samuel 24, where Satan seems to emerge as a distinct personality and is identified by name; but scholars are inclined to believe that in these two instances the definite article was inadvertently omitted in translation and that the original read "the satan," i.e. "the adversary."

In the New Testament, specifically, Revelation 12, the notion of a fallen angel is spelt out: "And his [the dragon's or Satan's] tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven [angels] and did cast them to earth...and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him." Enoch I claims that 200 fell, naming about 19 (allowing for variant spelling s and repetitions) and listing "chiefs of ten," the most prominent among them being Semyaza, Azazel, Sariel, Rumiel, Danjal, Turel, Kokabel. In Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews I, 125, the chiefs are given as Shemhazai (Semyaza), Armaros, Barakel, Kawkabel (Kokabel), Ezekeel, Arakiel, Samsaweel, Seriel.

William Auvergne, bishop of Paris (1228-1249), in his De Universo, held that, of the 9 orders of angels that were created, a "10th part fell," some (as Cardinal Pullus also claimed) from each order, and that in their fallen state they retained their relative rank. [Rf. Lea, Materials Toward a History of Witchcraft I, 89.] According to Cardinal Bishop of Tusculum (1273), reaffirmed by Alphonso de Spina (c. 1460), the one-third that fell totaled 133,306,668, those that remained loyal 266,613,336. As opposed to the contention that angels fell from each of the 9 orders, an opinion backed by papal authority holds that only the angels of the 10th (sic) order fell. The question is, which of the 9 orders is the 10th.

[Hermiony]

The rebel angels, or fallen angles are the angles that supported Lucifer, when they were all in heaven and when he was cast down from heaven so where is supporters which were a third of the angels

[KimmySue]

This fallen angel thing is a very interesting topic. I've been studying it for a while. I stumbled across this website by accident while doing some research, and thought that this could be a good way to learn of other peoples knowledge on the subject. Actually fallen angels are referred in the bible in Genesis! Hard to imagine that it was right there the whole time huh?! Keep in mind the the 'Sons of God' are indeed the angels. It is a term used in refernce to the angels throught out the Bible and has been acknowledged by many scholars.
Genesis 6:1-4 " When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose." " The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown."
Now, don't put this down just yet. This is the reasoning for Noah's flood. Just read that famous old story in your Bible, it's all there. There were hybrid angel offspring called Nephilim in those days. That's what Goliath was. These angels that took women as there wives were the angels that were cast out of heaven because of Satan's rebellion. The fallen Angels that defiled themselves with human angels were the one's that were sent to the Abyss. Or Tarturus if you will. The fallen angels that did not defile themselves with women remain on the earth today. Please reply to this with any thoughts or ideas that you may have on this subject. It will further help my research as well as maybe encourage you to do some research of your own. I suggest you look up Nephilim on the web, it is just astounding to learn about. Thank you.

[MarcKal]

If you ever get your hands on the book that was BANNED from the bible, Enoch, they'll tell you the whole story about the giants the angels made with the humans.

[starutena]

If you ever get your hands on the book that was BANNED from the bible, Enoch, they'll tell you the whole story about the giants the angels made with the humans.


Banned is a strong word. It was more like, left out due to political or ideological considerations at the time circa 300 something CE when the Christian Bible was being assembled. If I remember correctly Enoch, written within the 300 years prior to Jesus, retells the Eden story to explain the gaps in Genesis. For example where Cain and Abel's wives came from, and yes the Giants and angles. I think it says Cain and Abel's wives were actually their sisters, but not mentioned in Genesis because women were not important. This idea incest was one of many reasons this book was left out of the Christian Blible.

Enoch does tell the story of fallen angles and the war in Heaven that inspired Paradise Lost and a ton of current Christian "mythology". (I do not mean offense with that term)

[MarcKal]

The "left-out" Bibles are INTERESTING!

[starutena]

I wasn't suggesting otherwise MarcKal, I was just merely pointing out that there are reason for the exclusion. Besides it continues to this day, ever look at the Catholic Bible vs the Protestant Bibles. Several books in the Catholic Bible have been moved out of the main "body" to the apocrypha in the many of the Protestant Bibles. It all has to do inturpretation and belief.

[ultimate sacrifice]

The story of the the fall of Satan, the chief "rebel angel" is in the Old Testament, you can read it in Isaiah 14:12-14 in particular. The Apostle Peter discusses "rebel angels", I think someone has given that reference above. Billy Graham has a book out on angels. Title is "Angels, God's Secret Agents". He revised and expanded it in 1986. It's a good read and I found it informative...based on Biblical text.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The angels are something that we just don't know much about. Since God created everything, and created everything good, we can assume that He created Satan and his angels, and that they were not originally evil. At some point, they must have rebelled against God.

But the how, when, why isn't explained. The Isaiah passage has been interpreted for centuries as an explanation: "Lucifer" is the transliteration of the Hebrew word which is translated "star of the morning." In my opinion, however, this passage is not discussing Satan at all, but rather the king of Babylon, who is identified in verse 4 as the subject.

PhoenixUK posted several of the verses which refer to rebel angels. The only other one that comes to mind is Revelation 12:7, which refers to a battle between Michael the archangel and his angels, against Satan and his angels, in which Satan and the rebel angels are cast out of heaven and down to earth.

The apostle Paul also makes reference to "spiritual forces of wickedness". I think what we can know for sure is that there are both good and evil spiritual forces, but that, whatever Satan and his angels can do, they are not a threat to God. Revelation is hard to understand, but it does make it clear that Satan lost, or will lose.