1. Where Did Spirits Come From Anyway?
Chapter 1 Where Did Spirits Come From Anyway?
Lucifer Imagines A Different World
Lucifer could hardly believe what he was seeing—unimaginable power! The Lord God was speaking—and things just began to appear. Things he had never seen before—things without names. The other angels were also awestruck beyond their wildest dreams but they were much more verbal about it. They composed some new songs, even though they struggled for words as they tried to describe all these new creations: light, earth, water, oceans, rocks, trees, plants, seeds, fruit, flowers, stars, planets, the sun, the moon…on and on it went, day after day they just kept appearing. Each new creation had its own unique glory, reflecting some aspect of the Lord’s creative powers and loving character—especially all those new living creatures like the fish in the sea and the birds in the air and many magnificent varieties of animals on the earth. The angels hardly had enough time to thoroughly investigate and admire each of these new wonders to come up with a new song, because something else new would pop up first. They always knew the Lord was powerful, but this was almost unbelievable—except it was very real.
Then finally on the sixth day, the Lord paused to announce that he was about to create his special masterpiece—a human being—something that would be a little bit like a self-portrait—made in his own image he said! Lucifer was tingling with wonder, amazed at what he saw before him—the very first man—Adam. But it’s what the Lord said to this living self-portrait that really caught his attention. Lucifer couldn’t believe what the Lord’s intention was for this new man. Lucifer should have been praising the Creator and his new plan, but instead he began to imagine a different use for this man. And so begins our story of Satan, and your story and mine.
Three Kinds Of Spirits
Everybody’s story has a beginning and so does Satan’s. But before we begin to talk about Satan’s origin, we need to go back and introduce the spirit world in general first. Around the world, people have hundreds of different names for spirits or spiritual beings. Each culture and language group has its own traditional stories and variations of names. Some have many names, some, have just a few. But God’s word, the Bible, teaches us that there are only three basic types of spiritual beings: God himself, various angels and human beings. Along with those, of course, we also need to introduce the places (or domains) where each of those spiritual beings exist. We can find them hidden in the very first verse of the Bible.
Genesis 1:1 says: “In the beginningGodcreated theheavensand theearth.” In this verse we see the following:
God: he is the Beginning and Origin of all things. He existed before the earth and the universe existed, and so he has never needed any place (or domain) to exist. Therefore he is far more superior to all other spiritual beings and their domains because he is their creator! So in a sense, God is a domain all by himself, ’For in him we live and move and have our being.’ (Acts 17:28; Colossians 1:17).
The Heavens: “the heavens” were created as the primary domain or place of residence for angels.
The Earth: “the earth” is the domain of mankind. Man too was created as a spiritual being and we’ll address that shortly.
Now let’s focus on each of these three spiritual beings individually and their domains in more detail. The First Spiritual Being: God
Psalms 90:2 says: “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” The Bible starts in Genesis 1:1 with God already in existence. God was not created. He always existed. Those who teach evolution or other alternatives will mock that theory, but let’s face it, their theory requires much more faith to believe! Their explanations of how something so immensely complex and beautiful came from nothing are very unrealistic and their theories requires a huge amount of luck or chance—something that scientific minds don’t normally like to believe in.
We believe that long before the heavens or land or food or water or a breath of air was created, God existed just fine on his own. It’s hard to imagine the vast emptiness before the universe and our own world began—no planets, no sun or sunlight. No moon or stars, no earth or water, oceans or mountains. No streams or forests, just God. Was he lonely? Was he hungry? Was he lost in the dark? Was he afraid? No! God existed wonderfully, just fine all by himself, and he didn’t need anything or anyone else to help him.
Colossians 1:17 says: “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
God was the creator of all those things, so he is not dependent on anything or anyone, including other spiritual beings. And since God is the creator of other spiritual beings and the domains where they live, then they need God in order to exist, from the beginning until now. God doesn’t need the other spirits, nor does he need a place to live. God existed before time, so he is not limited by time. Other spirits are limited by time because they had a beginning. Since God himself created the other spirits, he alone determines the boundaries of where they live and where they can go and when. The Second Kind Of Spiritual Being: Angels From Genesis 1:1 we’ve learned that God first created the “heavens” (which is the domain of spirits called angels). And apparently their domain (heaven) was created before the earth was even made. We know this because Job 38 mentions angels as witnesses of the creation of the earth.
Job 38:4; Job 38:7 “…I laid the earth’s foundation …while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy…”
God gave the heavens to the angels as their home or domain. We also learn that “the heavens” (plural) are referred to in three different ways throughout scripture:
First heaven: The Sky—the air or atmosphere that surrounds the earth (Genesis 1:6-8).
Second heaven: Space—the area where God placed the sun, moon and stars (Genesis 1:14-19).
Third heaven (or highest heaven): is also called Paradise (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). It’s a special place created for nearness to God himself—a place of intimate fellowship with God.
Some people believe that heaven is God’s home and that he has always lived there. But Genesis 1:1 shows us that God existed even before the heavens were created. Remember, God is not in need of a place to live like other spirits or humans.
1 Kings 8:27 says: “...The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you.”
Isaiah 66:1 says: “This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” (also Jeremiah 23:24) So if heaven was not primarily made for God to live, then who was it for? The heavens were created as a place for other spiritual beings to live—initially angels. Since God exists everywhere, heaven is where God reveals himself the most. His glory is most visible to others in heaven. The domain of angels is called the “third heaven” or “highest heaven” probably because it is the place to experience the closest fellowship with God and visibly see his power and glory. In the Bible angels are often said to be living and communing in the presence of God in the third heaven.
God also says, “Heaven is my throne.” A throne is a symbol of rule and authority, and so it seems that God created heaven similar to a king’s throne room or presidential palace—a place from which God rules over his subjects. Since angels live in this “throne room,” it gives us a clue that angels are part of God’s authority structure and what some scholars call the divine council (Psalms 82:1; Psalms 89:7). Heaven is a wonderful place for the angels to live and meet with their God and King as they use his authority to serve and carry out his work. It’s like the center of operations for the whole universe. The Third Kind Of Spiritual Being: Mankind When God created the heavens and the earth, he gave the earth to the third type of spiritual being: mankind (Genesis 1:26-28). We normally don’t think of man as a spirit, but he is. Man is actually a spirit or soul hidden within a body. The body itself has no life of its own:
James 2:26 says: “...the body without the spirit is dead...” So the body is basically a house for the spirit of man. Think back to the creation of the first man:
Genesis 2:7 says: “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” The word for “breath” here in Hebrew is the same word for spirit. When God first began to create man, he created a lifeless body—perfectly created, but still without life. But after God put a spirit in the body of this man, then the body became alive. God’s Spirit gives life to man’s spirit, and man’s spirit in turn is the life of that body. Without a spirit, the body is dead.
Since our spirits are invisible and housed in a visible body, we tend to think of ourselves primarily as physical beings rather than spiritual beings, but it seems that God sees us primarily as spiritual. That does NOT mean that the human body is bad or useless in God’s mind. God always intended man’s spirit to be housed in a body in order to glorify God. He always meant for both to function together—the spirit directing the body. So man is essentially a spiritual being at the core, but his spirit is linked so closely to a human body that only death separates the two. So now that we have introduced the three kinds of spiritual beings and their domains, we need to go back and fill in some details about where angels came from.
God Created All Angels Perfect And Gave Them Purpose
Angels are vastly different creatures than humans and much more intelligent and powerful, and it’s probably very difficult for us humans to even begin to understand them since they are so very different. So God has not given us a lot of details about what angels are like and how they were created, but we have enough details to get a basic understanding.
We already know that God existed before the angels (spirits) and their heavenly domain were created. So, God must have created all these powerful angels, each one individually by his own power. Therefore, God is far greater than all the angels combined. God alone gave them life, knowledge and power. They are totally dependent on him and could not have come into being without him. God apparently made millions of these good angels. Revelation 5:11 also says that there are: “...many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand” …which is just another way of saying “more than we can count.” And God gave power and knowledge to each one according to his will and purpose. Each one is a very powerful being with their own personality and distinct strengths, authority and areas of responsibility. Only an all-powerful, all-knowing God has the power to do that.
Colossians 1:16-17 says: “For by Him all things were created, both in theheavensand on earth, visible andinvisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.” (NASB) This passage refers to the creation of invisible beings—the angels. It also shows us that they were given authority in certain areas of responsibility to God. God gave them authority and purpose and jobs to look after. They were created “for him”—for God’s purposes. We’ll discuss some of those later, but for now, it’s important to understand that God is a perfect and holy God and so everything that he created, including the angels, was perfect and holy (Genesis 1:31). All the angels were good spirits when God made them. Later we’ll see how some became evil.
What Type Of Bodies Do The Spirits Have?
Luke 24:39 says: “a spirit does not have flesh and bones…(NKJV)
There are a few examples in the Bible of angels who are given the ability to become visible to humans temporarily. Usually they looked like other human beings and were seen by other people on a few special occasions. But generally, the Bible refers to them as “unseen” or “invisible.” Most people think that angels or spirits don’t have bodies. And it is true that they don’t have the sameflesh and bonestype of body that people do. But keep in mind that these spirits can only be in one place at a time. The Bible talks about them gathering in one place or leaving one place and going to another or roaming around the earth (Job 2:2). Therefore, if they can only be in one place at a time, they must have some type of substance or “body” that is present in one location and moves from place to place. But it seems that God gave them a totally different type of body—something that is unseen by human eyes. We don’t know for sure, but it could be possible that spirits are similar to air—having some substance but still invisible. Maybe that is why God used the same word for spirit as breath or wind in the Bible. Spirits are not hindered like we are by obstacles such as doors and fences. They can move through things that we can’t. In some cultures, people are afraid of evil spirits and try to prevent them from entering their houses or villages by locking doors or putting up taboos of some sort. But those types of things can’t prevent spirits from going inside, because they have another type of body altogether. They can go through doors and walls. The Bible even gives examples of evil spirits actually entering into animals or people’s bodies in order to control them or harm them. It seems that those spirits have a strong desire to hide or dwell inside of those bodies. We’ll discuss them in another chapter.
Spirits Are More Powerful Than People But Nothing Compared To God
2 Peter 2:11 mentions that “...angels...are stronger and more powerful...” than humans. Angels (spirits) have incredible power. As we will see as we go through the Bible, angels can change the weather, move armies, influence kings and governments, enforce God’s judgment and perform many other powerful acts. They can fly through space at incredible speeds but are unhindered by human limitations. Angels are much smarter than humans also. But even though it’s true that angels are stronger and smarter than people, that doesn’t mean that they are like God. They don’t even compare with the power and wisdom of God. Only God is all-powerful since he alone is the source of all power. He is also the source of all wisdom and knowledge, so the angels don’t even come close in comparison to God. God is totally different. He is omnipresent—existing everywhere at all times—but angels can only be at one place at a time. Angels have limitations, but God is not limited in power or wisdom, so he is totally superior and above all other spirit beings. God is Lord over everything, so therefore he’s also over the entire spirit world. He created them, and they belong to him (1 Peter 3:22).
God Created Angels For His Own Purposes And Plans When God created angels he didn’t make them slaves or robots. He created them with dignity and honor and the ability to enjoy a loving relationship with God, since that is what God is: he is a loving, relational God. So he wanted them also to be in a loyal relationship with him. He gave them great abilities and strengths, all of which show us God’s perfection and power. God gave them the ability to learn and be curious (1 Peter 1:12), to express joy (Luke 15:10) and to appreciate God and honor and praise all that is good about him and to worship him (Hebrews 1:6). He also gave them purpose—to serve God by serving God’s creation. What a privilege—to serve this awesome creative and caring God! Angels were created as powerful, highly honored spiritual beings in the service of the Most High God.
Here’s an illustration to help us understand their relationship with God. If a highly skilled carpenter or builder builds a really nice house for himself, who would people praise when they see it? The carpenter of course. He would also have a purpose in mind for the house, so he has the right to decide what will be done with it. Because he made it. If he wants to live in the house himself, he can. If he wants someone else to use it, that’s fine too. The builder can choose who will use it and how. Even if he chooses to leave it empty or even burn it down someday, he can do that because he is the creator and he doesn’t have to ask anyone else, because he made it and it belongs to him. It’s the same with God. He created all the angels so he should be the one who is praised and honored for how powerful the angels are. They are his creative handiwork, so he has ownership and authority over them. And he has the right to direct them however he feels is best. He also assigns specific jobs for them because he loves them and created them for a purpose. Did God Make Some Spirits Bad?
God is a good God, so when he made the angels, he created them all as good angels also. At that time there were no evil spirits (demons). God can’t create anything bad because he’s holy and righteous. Let’s think about that word “holy” for a minute and use a word picture to help us understand it. If you had a brand-new truck with a shiny paint job, would you let your friend borrow it to clean the manure pile out of his barn? No way! That paint job might not look too nice after that kind of a job. That would be work for an old beat-up truck. You would reserve your new truck for special work. That’s similar to how God made the angels. When he made them, they were holy—set apart for God alone and his specific purposes. The angels were good and perfect, and God wanted them to do only good work, just like a man would set apart or reserve a nice new truck just for special work. That’s what holy means—set apart only for God’s specific purposes. It is true that evil spirits do exist now, but we will talk about them in the next chapter.
Heaven Created As A Place Or Domain For Angels To Live
God made heaven before he created the earth so the angels had a place to live and fellowship with him in heaven. Heaven is extremely different from our earth and it would be hard for us to understand what kind of a place it is and how wonderful it is. We don’t know exactly where heaven is, but the Bible seems to show us that it is somewhere above us, beyond the sky and clouds.
Angels Are God’s Servants To Help Mankind In the beginning, all the angels lived there in heaven with God. He created them to serve God in particular jobs, but it’s not because God needs help with things or is lazy or unable to do certain types of work. We know that God is all-powerful, so he is able to create things or accomplish any task simply by thinking or speaking the words (Genesis 1:24). But it looks like God’s main purpose for angels was to serve the humans that God placed on the earth (Hebrews 1:14) and take care of certain things on the earth that would affect those people. So God created and empowered angels to work alongside of him. Some scholars call these angels the assembly or divine council (Psalms 82:1; Psalms 89:7) because they help God administer things on the earth. In this way they glorify God and his creation. Later we’ll see how the angels help people. But first we need to talk about demons.