Were angels created in the image of God?

[tonychanyt]

I think so.

By angels, I mean conscious beings in the spiritual realm.

John 4:

24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

God is spirit. Angels are spirits.

Mk 12:

25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Man is created in the image of God. Resurrected men are like angels. Angels were likely created in the image of God.

Revelation 7:

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God.

Job 1:

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

Angels are sons of God.

Define soul as the faculties of conscience, volition, intellect, emotion, and memory. Each angel has his unique soul.

Angels were created in the image of God. Like God, angels are spirits. They worship God. They are called sons of God. They have souls.

Are angels and men the same kind of image of God?

No, we are different kinds of images of God. Man and angel are different image bearers of God. Angels cannot repent. The Holy Spirit does not dwell in them as he dwells in believers.

See also

• Let us make man in our IMAGE

 

[KevinT]

By angels, I mean conscious beings in the spiritual realm.

What do you mean by the spiritual realm? Do you think that angels do not exist in the universe as we see around us? I.e. not actuated by the same laws of physics as causes our living bodies to exist? I think they do live in our same universe. But we can't see them due to some technology that we currently don't understand.

God is spirit. Angels are spirits.

Jesus is God, and yet when He appeared to them suddenly in the upper room, and they all thought He was a ghost, He told them to touch His body and He even ate some fish with them to show them that He was physically real.

So if Jesus is spirit, then it means that someone can be physically real, and still do things that seem supernatural -- like Jesus walking through the walls into the upper room. Philip preached to the Ethiopian and then was teleported away by the spirit to another city. So the Spirit can act this way even on those who mere humans.

Likewise, Angels could have physical bodies and through the power of God's Spirit, do all the apparently-supernatural things they are described as doing.

Man is created in the image of God. Resurrected men are like angels. Angels were likely created in the image of God.

The question is what the "image of God" means? Does it mean physical appearance? Or is it based on ability to think etc? For example, what about all the other sons of God in the universe? Do they all have 2 arms and 2 legs? Could some have different physical characteristics and still be in the image of God? I think yes. The four living creatures at God's throne certainly are described as having different physical characteristics.

Think also about how the Angel of the Lord is described in the OT and NT, as having a body that looks liked burnished bronze, and blazing eyes. What kind of physical body is that comprised of? Very interesting to think about.

Are angels and men the same kind of image of God? ... No, we are different kinds of images of God. Man and angel are different image bearers of God.

Agreed, but we likely have some characteristics in common. Also, when angels appear to men, do they do something to change there shape to those to whom they appear?

Interesting post,

Best wishes,
KT

 

[tonychanyt]

What do you mean by the spiritual realm? Do you think that angels do not exist in the universe as we see around us? I.e. not actuated by the same laws of physics as causes our living bodies to exist?

Good questions.

I think they do live in our same universe. But we can't see them due to some technology that we currently don't understand.

Right. See Dark matter, dark energy, and spiritual realm and follow up there

So if Jesus in spirit, then it means that someone can be physically real, and still do things that seem supernatural -- like Jesus walking through the walls into the upper room.

Jesus' resurrected body worked according to the glorified physical laws which are somewhat different from today's physical laws. Atoms today are subject to decay.

The question is what the "image of God" means?

See Let us make man in our IMAGE

Think also about how the Angle of the Lord is described in the OT and NT, as having a body that looks liked burnished bronze, and blazing eyes.

verse?

Also, when angels appear to men, do they do something to change there shape to those to whom they appear?

I think so. These instances are called manifestations.

 

[KevinT]

KevinT said:

Think also about how the Angle of the Lord is described in the OT and NT, as having a body that looks liked burnished bronze, and blazing eyes.

verse?

Ezekiel 1:
4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. ... 25 Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. 26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Daniel 10:4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

Rev 1:12
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

These are the 3 I could find. There may be others...

KT

 

[Grafted In]

Are angels in heaven corruptible?

 

[tonychanyt]

These are the 3 I could find. There may be others...

Ezekiel, Daniel, and Rev described highly symbolic visions. I wouldn't interpret them as literal descriptions of angels.

 

[KevinT]

Are angels in heaven corruptible?

The devil or Satan was an angel and he was corrupted. So I believe Angels are free agents. But I suspect that since the conflict has been going on for some time, that they have already picked sides. Those who sided with Satan are what we would call demons.

KT

 

[KevinT]

Ezekiel, Daniel, and Rev described highly symbolic visions. I wouldn't interpret them as literal descriptions of angels.

Since at least 3 different people were shows the Lord in the same manner, then what symbol meaning would you gather from these visions? Could it not be that this is their true appearance?

Best wishes,

KT

 

[tonychanyt]

Since at least 3 different people were shows the Lord in the same manner, then what symbol meaning would you gather from these visions?

I don't know. I am careful not to overgeneralize.

Could it not be that this is their true appearance?

There is some probability of that.

 

[Grafted In]

Does this include the heavenly angels and will they ever be incorruptible?

1 Corinthians 6:3

Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Does 1 Peter 1:12 mean that even now, in our corruptible bodies, we have understanding that they lack?

1 Peter 1:12
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

If so, will they one day have that understanding?
Will they ever become one with Christ?
Will we have individual bodies or will we be one body in Christ?

 

[tonychanyt]

Does this include the heavenly angels and will they ever be incorruptible?

Define heavenly angels and non-heavenly angels

 

[Grafted In]

Does it include those angel not cast out of heaven?

 

[Ivan Hlavanda]

I think so.

By angels, I mean conscious beings in the spiritual realm.

Only man was created in image of God. Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created male and female he created them.

 

[eleos1954]

No, we are different kinds of images of God. Man and angel are different image bearers of God.

The image bearers (angels or mankind) of God are to keep His laws ... out of love angels and so are we ... the criteria is the same for all of God's intelligent creations ... and that criteria is Love.

Man and angels have different physical forms ... but all of God's intelligent creations choose to either love God or not ... a choice ... keep HIs laws out of love (for no other reasons) ... or not. So we are not different image bearers ... in that both are to take on the character of God ... but that is a choice.

It always comes back to God's law .... they are love laws ... it's the motivation that God is concerned with ... and the motivation must be love.

So, are angels the sons of God ... yes and no ... those in Christ are (the unfallen-chose Christ and His ways out of Love) ... those not in Christ (accepting His ways) are not ... just as it is with humans. It was and is the same criteria for all of God's intelligent creatures. The fallen angels went from being sons of God (loving God) to being demons by their choice (not loving God)

 

[tonychanyt]

Only man was created in image of God. Genesis 1:26

It does not say that only man.

 

[Ivan Hlavanda]

It does not say that only man.

We find in several places that man was made in image of God. Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 5:1, Genesis 9:6, Cor 11:7 and so on.

Never once in scripture there is a mention angels were created in the image of God. Beyond that, Scripture implies in multiple ways that man is uniquely special to God in ways that angels are not. We are, however, told of several different classes and kinds of angelic creatures: cherubim, seraphim and different kinds of “living creatures'. That also suggests a distinction from humanity, which shares a single basic form and appearance and which is always depicted as a single class with a single, shared nature.

Just because the Scripture does not say angels were made in image of God, does not mean that they were. If they were, this would have been mentioned.

 

[tonychanyt]

Just because the Scripture does not say angels were made in image of God, does not mean that they were. If they were, this would have been mentioned.

Are you familiar with First Order Logic?

 

[Grafted In]

Does Scripture tell how angels were able to reproduce through human females?
Can they appear as female?

 

[tonychanyt]

Does Scripture tell how angels were able to reproduce through human females?

Some thought so, but I don't know.

Can they appear as female?

I think so.

 

[Grafted In]

Is it possible that demons in the form of a female human could be impregnated by a human male?
Is there evidence of that occurring, considering the OT Scripture's reference to female humans having conceived by demons ( fallen angels)?