The Abode of Angels

We are moving right along in our study of angels, and I’m having fun! After tonight we have one final topic to discuss regarding the angels, and it will take several weeks - Satan. But tonight we’re discussing the dwelling place of angels. We’ll begin with...

The Dwelling place of Holy Angles

WE can divide their dwelling place into three categories:

Their original habitation

Their present habitation

Their future habitation

Their Original Habitation

Originally the holy angels dwelled in the “second heaven”, aka the stellar heavens

Jude 6 KJV 1900

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

The holy angels also had access to the third heaven in God’s presence

Job 1:6 KJV 1900

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

Job 2:1 KJV 1900

1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.

It appears that some of the holy angels were stationed around God’s throne

Isaiah 6:1–3 KJV 1900

1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 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. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory.

Revelation 4:6–9 KJV 1900

6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

It was this heaven, the third, from which Satan apparently wanted to ascend to and dethrone God Isaiah 14:13-14

Isaiah 14:13–14 KJV 1900

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

But where are they now?

Their Present and Future Habitation

Currently the holy angels dwell in the stellar heavens with access to the throne of God

Hebrews 1:7 KJV 1900

7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

Hebrews 1:14 KJV 1900

14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Holy angels will abide for eternity in the New Jerusalem Hebrews 12:22

Hebrews 12:22 KJV 1900

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

They will be involved in worship and service to God Revelation 21:12

Revelation 21:12 KJV 1900

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

What awesome priviliege they possess! To be so close to God, and yet they do not understand our relationship to God! Isn’t that mind-blowing? We envy angels and they are curious about us!

One thing these holy angels do not envy us is our ability to sin against God. They have seen first hand how disobedience ends, and it is not pretty! I wonder how many angels have shed tears over our disobedience? This brings us to our final discussion point:

The Abode of the Wicked Angels

The wicked or evil angels at one point were holy angels, dwelling in the same place as their holy brethren, but their choice to follow Lucifer, sealed their fate. Their abiding places differ drastically from the holy angels. They are scattered in various places and categories. Some are...

Bound:

There are two places in which some wicked angels are bound today:

Tartarus

2 Peter 2:4 KJV 1900

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Jude 6 KJV 1900

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

Here they are bound, temporarily, apparently until the GWT at which point they will face their God and be cast into the Lake of Fire. Others are bound in...

The Abyss

This is also a temporary abode or holding cell

Luke 8:31 KJV 1900

31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

Revelation 9:1–11 KJV 1900

1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Not all of the wicked angels are bound, some are simply called...

Free

Their dwelling place is the second heaven, the same as the holy angels

Daniel 10:13 KJV 1900

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Ephesians 6:12 KJV 1900

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Colossians 2:15 KJV 1900

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Revelation 12:7 KJV 1900

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

Revelation 12:12 KJV 1900

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

These are the demonic forces that are actively opposing the work of God in the world today. These are the ones that give us so much trouble. There is one thing we cannot overlook at this point, and that is the final, albeit, future abode of the wicked angels...

The Lake of Fire

This dwelling place is not only future, but it is permanent! Matthew 25:41

Matthew 25:41 KJV 1900

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Revelation 20:10–15 KJV 1900

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

On a side note, it appears that of all the fallen angels, only Satan has present access to the third heaven, where God dwells. There are two apparent meanings to this truth:

He appears before God to accuse us - which is why Jesus is our advocate 1 John 2:1 “1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” and,

He is accountable to God - he is not as powerful as he lets on 1 John 4:4 “4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Let us take comfort in knowing that our God is more powerful than our enemy and let us not be afraid of the challenge ahead of us knowing the power that is behind us.