Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

The Angelic Conflict. Part 6. The degrees of rank and privilege among elect angels.

Thursday, December 1, 2005

Satan, or Lucifer, the son of the morning, the anointed cherub, was created perfect and was the highest ranking angel at that time.

Just like Adam was created perfect and he fell in the Garden of Eden, and anyone who follows God will become greater than Adam, so certain angels were rewarded a higher rank than Satan after his fall in the garden of God.

Eze 28:13 “You were in Eden, the garden of God;”

One of those higher rank angels are called seraphim - angels with 6 wings.

Just like humans, there are also degrees of rank and privilege among elect angels.

When He appeared in the Old Testament, He was called the angel of Jehovah.

The highest ranking ones are called seraphim.
A seraph is an angel with 6 wings. As the highest ranking angels in Heaven, they guard the throne of God, Isa 6.
Next are the cherub ranked angels who have four wings.
Then the cherub angels who have two wings, Exo 25.
The fourth category of angels are the wingless angels.

One of the seraph angels is known as the king of arms who is used to bring special messages and announcements, Isa 6:7.

Rev 5:2 - another seraph angel is known as a strong or powerful angel because of the message that he brings forth.
Rev 14:15 - the seraphim serve in the administration or the oversight of certain historical events such as the seven last plagues in the Tribulation period.
Rev 20:1-3 - there is a seraph with a key to the abyss or bottomless pit who throws Satan into prison.

Wings represent power, speed, and purpose, Eze 10:12.
Eze 17:3 - wings represent speed, swiftness, and ability.
Dan 7:4 - wings represent power, authority, and swiftness.
Dan 7:6 - wings represent being a general in the military.
Isa 6 - seraphim = burning ones; their title speaks of their consuming devotion to God.

Isa 6:6-7 - the seraphim express the holiness of God in rejecting any service performed without cleansing.

The seraphim reveal that the creature must be cleansed before service.

Seraphim appear to be that group of angels who became winners by understanding the righteousness and justice of God (the integrity of God) and the importance of proper motivation or a right thing being done in a right way.

The next rank among angels are the cherubs, lower than the seraph rank.
There are 4 wings in the rank of the cherubs; however, some have 2 wings.

The highest ranking cherub in eternity past was Satan, called the anointed cherub, Eze 28:14.
He was court-martialed, Eze 28:15-19; Isa 14:12-15.

1. Eze 1:4-14, 10:9-10 - the cherubs are the vehicle of divine judgment in the Old Testament.

In the great chariot of fire found in the book of Ezekiel, one cherub was found at each of the wheels, 2Sa 22:11; Psa 18:10, Eze 1 and 10.

2. The cherubs who guard the gates of Eden, Gen 3:24.
3. Rev 7:1-2 - a cherub commands 4 other wingless angels who control the weather machine of the earth.
4. Rev 14:6 - there is a cherub who is in charge of crisis evangelism.

Rev 14:8 - a cherub announces the fall of religion during the Tribulation.
Rev 14:9 - a cherub warns the human race about the consequences of being converted to the ecumenical religious system.

They were stationed with flaming swords to protect the way to the tree of life so that sinful man could not intrude into God’s presence or presume to partake of the tree of life.

They teach us that sin and paradise are incompatible and that sinful man cannot approach God without the righteousness granted to those who trust Christ, Gen 3:22-24.

Cherubim appear next in connection with the holy of holies or the dwelling place of God in the tabernacle, Exo 25.

chart1.jpg

The holy of holies was the place where God’s shekinah glory was manifest, and the cherubim are usually related to protecting the throne of God on earth.