Hi all,
Last week we looked at how the books of Enoch were not considered inspired by God and therefore not included in the Old Testament. They were written around the time the Old Testament was compiled, roughly 100 years before Jesus was born.
Today we start by thinking through the possibility of a 2nd angelic rebellion in the days of Noah.
A 2nd rebellion of the angels?
Since we reject Enoch as not being inspired, agreeing with the rabbi’s who compiled the Old Testament, we look at scripture only, as our source. We see in scripture there is only 1 angelic rebellion with one leader of that rebellion mentioned throughout Old and New Testaments.
There are 2 main scriptures used by those who think there was a 2nd angelic rebellion, interpreting ‘the sons of God saw the daughters of men were pretty…’ to mean there was a 2nd rebellion. Later, I’ll show you the ‘sons of God’ were not angels, but first let’s examine the 2 passages used to justify the belief in a 2nd rebellion.
II Peter 2: 4-5. The context starting in v1 is false prophets and their ultimate fate in hell. Then he writes: “For if God did not spare the angels that had sinned, but cast them to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved until judgement. And spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the preacher of righteousness…”
Some would read this to think Peter is referencing an angelic rebellion right before Noah. The context of that verse, if you read verses before and after, shows Peter is making comparisons between judgement and grace, not putting things in a chronological order of events
But remember, because Enoch was rejected as not being scripture, Peter did not have that belief – he was taught what the sons of God really were – which wasn’t a 2nd angelic rebellion. No, Peter was talking about Lucifer’s fall from heaven, the 1 and only angelic rebellion. It was he who was rebuked in Matthew 16 for suggesting Jesus not go to the cross; ‘You get behind me Satan…’ Peter knew Jesus was tempted by Satan before He started His ministry, not Satan and a 2nd leader from another angelic rebellion.
Notice the angels were delivered into chains of darkness.
If I were to make chains of paper, I would say you were bound by chains of paper – paper is the chain. So ‘chains of darkness’ means being bound to darkness, forever forbidden from entering God’s light, is what it says.
They cannot escape the chains that are the darkness of Satan’s kingdom. They can never again enter into God’s light. Does Satan walk about like a roaring lion as Peter wrote, yes, but within the realm of darkness that is his chains – and he seeks to pull others into the same bondage of darkness. “(Father) who has delivered us from the authority of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” Col 1:13
The 2nd passage is Jude v6: “And the angels which did not keep their place, but left their home, He has reserved under chains of darkness until the judgement of the great day.” Jude, Jesus’ brother*, agrees with Peter, the angels that rebelled are kept in darkness, bound to the darkness, it being their chains, confining them to that realm. *Mt 13:55
Throughout the Old Testament
From Job to David, to Isaiah 14: 12-15 which calls Lucifer by name, to Ezekiel 28: 12-19 where we learn Lucifer was at the first a cherub, one of the multi-winged angelic beings around the throne seen in The Revelation 4 and elsewhere, there is 1 rebellion, 1 leader named. There is never a hint of a 2nd angelic rebellion.
Jesus was there to witness Lucifer being cast out of heaven
Think about this: In Luke 10: 18 when the 70 came back so excited they could cast out demons using the name of Jesus, Jesus told them essentially, to calm down because He witnessed Satan cast out of heaven, so rejoice that they are citizens of heaven, not that they could cast out demons. (He obviously wasn’t saying He saw Satan fall out of heaven on that day, but was stating He was preexistent and witnessed Satan’s rebellion and fall – Satan had already fallen when he tempted Adam and Eve.)
Jesus didn’t say He saw Lucifer cast out of heaven and ‘Oh yeah, I witnessed that 2nd rebellion in Noah’s day as well.”
When Isaiah 14: 13-14 talks of Lucifer’s 5 ‘I will’ statements*, Isaiah doesn’t say, ‘And also the leader of that 2nd rebellion in Noah’s time also said…” No, only Lucifer is named. In Ezekiel 28: 12-19 he mentions he was a one time cherub before the throne who was lifted up for his beauty and authority, but never says ‘and that other angel too, who rebelled in Noah’s time.”
(*I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the angels of God, I will sit in the place of control, I will ascend above the clouds, I will be like the Most High.”)
And in The Revelation 12 when talking of the war in heaven, there is no mention of a 2nd war of angels that hate God and Israel and God’s people – just the one, Satan.
Conclusion – There was 1 rebellion of angels in heaven, for that is all scripture mentions, and Jude and Peter’s statements, coming from an education and theology that dismissed Enoch as not inspired to the level of the canon of scripture, understood that.
Visitation: What Jesus said about angels and demons…
What I’m sharing here is in part, things I learned in visitations with the Lord. One of the things I asked the Lord about is proof – for I have seen many, many demons (I just don’t talk about them) and many more angels. Demons are very different in appearance than angels, and I asked the Lord if any of that was related to the (1) rebellion.
He asked me: “When you see demons, what do they look like?” I responded that they are always naked, no matter how big they are, they are always naked, and many are like shrunken individuals, shrunken by sin and darkness like a shell of a former self.
The closest thing I can compare it to in the natural…
…is a person who is older, and so world-weary their skin and countenance looks old, tired, wrinkled before their time, worn out. That is a tiny part of what demons look like – all look world-worn and worn out ugly.
When I said: “They are always naked and world-worn”, He asked: “And what do angels look like?” And I said they are always clothed in some beautiful clothing, robes, baggy slacks over which robes are worn, various colors and decorations, and so on. He said: “Angels like people had free will, and those who chose Me have been sealed with robes of righteousness, while the angels that fell were stripped of all righteousness. That is why they are naked and in appearance look as they do.”
That we in the Spirit are clothed in robes of righteousness is seen in several places.
Ephesians 5 talks about a husband and wife as a type of the Lord wanting to present us to Himself ‘not having spot or wrinkle or blemish’ on our robes. The Revelation 6:11, 19: 8, 14 tell us the robes of fine linen clean and white is the righteousness of saints.
He specifically mentioned The Revelation 3: 15-19…
…and what He said to the lukewarm church at Laodicia. They said they needed nothing for they were rich and prosperous, but He told them they were spiritually naked, and called them to repent ‘lest the shame of your nakedness be exposed’ and counseled them to repent and receive white clothing of righteousness. He used those verses to explain why demons are naked and angels are clothed – and a larger teaching about righteousness that isn’t relevant to today’s subject.
Side note: People ask me if they might in 10,000 years or so, rebel and fall away from the Lord though they love the Lord now – and I explain that no, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and especially once we received glorified bodies made of heavenly material which means no sin nature, and with no Satan to tempt, having made our choice, our whole being is 100% for God without the ability or will to ever again rebel.
Our glorified bodies, being made of heavenly material, can therefore only long for the things of God. By contrast, our earth bodies being made of the earth, long for the things of the earth and sensual realm, which is why people wonder about this. But we’ve made our choice and have been given robes of righteousness, as did the angels that stayed with God rather than go with Lucifer.
Next week – why God would have to have been involved in a 2nd angelic rebellion for it to happen. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
