Many people wonder about angels. Are they big? Are they strong? How close to God are they, and what do angels do? The Bible tells us that angels exist and that they are servants to the Most High God. The Bible says that angels were created by God, worship God, and are used by God to intervene in our lives. Angels existed before people, and therein lies the example given by Jude in verse six of his book. He wrote:
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.
Jude has been sharing examples of those who once believed in, relied upon and trusted in God but forsook their beliefs. The first example was the Israelites who were delivered by God out of Egypt , but then did not believe that God would deliver them into the promise land. In His second example, Jude refers to the angels. These created beings of God “kept not their first estate”. The Bible indicates that as many as one-third of the angels fell from Heaven when Satan was cast out.
“And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:” Revelation 12:3-4a.
One third of the angels “left their own habitation”, and sided with Satan in his failed attempt to be God. These angels who once worshiped God, lived before God, and served God, now were in rebellion against Him. Jude uses them as examples to show his readers what happens to those who were the closest to God at one time. Those who were once believers are now apostate, fallen away, and in direct opposition to the purposes of God. Jude says the Israelites failed to enter the promise land because of their unbelief, and now these angels fail to be with God because of their rebellion. Now they are “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” Until the great day of judgment these angels are chained under darkness, and the idea that Jude conveys is that if God chained these created angels who lived in Heaven at one time before Him, what will He do to those who once believed in Him but fall away as well?
We do well to examine our own position with God? Are we like these angels in rebellion against God and His ways? Have we once been a worshiper, servant and loyal worker for God but are now apostate, fallen away and living apart from God? If we find that we are away from God, perhaps today is the day to return to Him. He is always waiting, always patient, and always caring, and as long as we come before Him in sincerity about a change in direction for our lives, He will receive us and put away the everlasting chains that are reserved for those who reject Him.
Next time we will look at Jude's third example of those who fell away from God, Sodom and Gomorrah, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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