Fallen Angels

Origins

• Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.  His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.  -Revelation 12:3-4a

• The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.  You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.  You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you.  You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.  Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.  All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more."  -Ezekiel 28:11-19

• And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.  But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.  The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.  -Revelation 12:7-9

• How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn!  You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!  -Isaiah 14:12

• He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”  -Luke 10:18

• And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. -Jude 1:6

• For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;…  -2 Peter 2:4

Works in the Bible

• Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”  The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”  “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  -Genesis 3:1-5

• One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord , and Satan also came with them.  The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"  Satan answered the Lord , "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."  -Job 1:6-7

• Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.  “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”  Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me."  Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”  Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.  -Matthew 4:1-11

• “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”  -Luke 22:31-32

• The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.  She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.  And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. -Revelation 12:4b-5 

• The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.  -1 John 3:8b

• The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.  Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. -1 Timothy 4:1-2

• “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’”  -Matthew 25:41

Characteristics

• He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  -1 John 3:8a

• You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. -John 8:44

• Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord , and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.  The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan!  The Lord , who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you!  Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"  -Zechariah 3:1-2

• In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings.  But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”  -Jude 1:8-9

• Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.  -2 Peter 2:4

• “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.  Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’  When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there.  And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. –Luke 11:24-26

• Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.  But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.”  Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.  Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.  If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand?  I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub.  Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out?  So then, they will be your judges.  But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.  –Luke 11:14-20

• A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.  Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”  “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you?  How long shall I put up with you?  Bring the boy to me.”  So they brought him.  When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.  Jesus asked the boy's father, “How long has he been like this?”  “From childhood,” he answered.  “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him.  But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”  “‘If you can’?” said Jesus.  “Everything is possible for him who believes.”  Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit.  “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”  The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He's dead.”  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.  After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn't we drive it out?”  He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”  -Mark 9:17-29

• When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him.  This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain.  For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet.  No one was strong enough to subdue him.  Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.  He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  Swear to God that you won't torture me!”  For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”  Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”  “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”  And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.  A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.  The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs.  The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.  -Mark 5:2-13

• In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit.  He cried out at the top of his voice, “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”  “Be quiet!”  Jesus said sternly.  “Come out of him!”  Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him….  Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!”  But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ  –Luke 4:33-35,41

Spiritual Warfare

• Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  -1 Peter 5:8

• Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. -Ephesians 6:11-13

• Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.  This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”  She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.  -Acts 16:16-18

• Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out."  Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.  One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"  Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.  -Acts 19:13-16

Morning Star

A while back I heard that Lucifer meant morning star and shortly after that in Church we sang the hymn "Oh Morning Star", which is about Jesus, which got me thinking about why Jesus and Satan would have the same title.  The clearest passage in the Bible about what or who the morning star is, is in Revelation 22:16, where Jesus states, “I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” This phrase is two words in the Greek that actually mean “morning" and "star”, or “star that is in the morning”.

The greek word for star used here is “aster” which is the root for astronomy, asteroid, astronaut, etc…. The greek word "proinos" means morning, but has connotations of “of the morning”, such as proinos kafes meaning morning coffee or coffee of the morning. Proinos aster is the “star of the morning”, or “morning star.”

The first part of the verse obviously points to Jesus as the messiah, or Christ, in which he is the fulfillment of the old testament prophecies. Stars represent glory, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:41, which talks literally of stars. Stars are often a sign of royalty. The star fulfills the prophecy as well from Numbers 24:17 about Jesus, "There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel." This was fulfilled at Jesus birth in Matthew 2 as what the wise men followed to find the baby Jesus. Therefore, it represented to them a new king being born. The morning star, in particular, has commonly held meaning of brightness, beauty, glory, and, as the bringer of the day, is the bringer of light, life, and joy. It prophecies the return of the king for his new unending rule. Therefore, in context, this verse appears to be talking about the last day being the dawn of salvation and the new day is new creation, that Jesus ushers in.

This phrase of morning star is only used one other time in the NT, which is also in revelation.  Revelation 2:26a,28 reads, "To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, …I will also give that one the morning star." This is promising that Jesus will give himself to whoever perseveres and overcomes.  Basically, whoever remains faithful to the last day.

A phrase that is translated the same into English, but is different in the Greek, is used in 2 Peter 1:19, "And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts".  The Greek word used here is “Phosphorus.” This actually means "light bringer" and is the Greek name for the planet Venus in the early morning hours, when it is the last star in the sky. Venus is the brightest and closest object int he night sky after the moon.

2 Peter is written to people who are already Christian, so this is not discussing coming to faith.  It is saying that becoming a believer is the like the early morning, but the resurrection of the dead is the fullness of the day. The Word of God is our lamp, our light, until the fuller light of day dawns upon the soul. This fuller light of day is the the last day. As 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." These three verses in the New Testament that discuss the morning star are what are drawn upon for the hymn (shown at the bottom of the page).

The angels have also been referred to as stars. The good angels are called morning stars (Job 38:7) because they are full of glory, shining bright in heaven and bear some likeness to God, who is the principle morning star. The Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), translates that the same as the use in Revelation. The Greek word for star (aster), is also intermittently used throughout Revelation 8-12, discussing a star that fell from heaven, meaning Satan, and the dragon swept a third of the stars out of the sky, meaning the angels that fell with him.

Isaiah 14:12, also uses the English phrase morning star, "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!"  This phrase uses the Hebrew word, "helel", which means light-bringer, which usually refers to the planet Venus in the morning, although in this case has nothing to do with the Greek/Roman goddess Venus. The Septuagint translates it as phosphorus, the same as in 2 Peter. Both of those verses (Isaiah and 2 Peter) are translated in Latin (the Vulgate) as Lucifer, which means, light-bringer, bringer of the morning, shining one, flash forth light, or light of celestial bodies. Obviously, they are talking about very different things though.

Isaiah 14 is discussing the leader of Babylon falling, but it is commonly understood to also be a reference to the fall of Satan. This is why he is referred to as Lucifer.  Also, revelation 8-12 discussing him as a star, as mentioned above, is probably a reference to this verse in Isaiah. This verse is a mythological allusion to an ancient, and mostly lost, Canaanite myth about a young god named “son of Dawn”, whose father, “Dawn” was the son of the high god El. He was expelled from heaven for overreaching his station. That myth influenced the Greek myth of Phaethon, who was a presumptuous young god thrown down to the earth by Zeus because he attempted to join the pantheon. In both myths, a young god tried to scale heaven and was cut down and sent to Hades. This relates the God's causing the fall of the king of Babylon, who tried to set himself up as a god. It also relates to Satan, who revolted in heaven and was cast down to Hell.

     

On a side note, the element Phosphorus was named after this star because it is highly reactive and unstable in its pure form, and so it glows when exposed to oxygen. It even undergoes combustion in water due to oxidation. It is what is used in the head of matches to light them.

On another side note, the Morning Star is the name of a weapon, whose head looks like star. The legend is that medieval "medics" carried them out onto the battlefield the morning after the battle and used them to put the wounded left out there out of their misery.

On a third side note, there is an investment research company named Morningstar Inc., which got its name from the last line of the book Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, “Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star.” This is referring to new beginnings.

The Pre-Incarnate Son, The Word of God, The Angel of the Lord (Filiology)

The second person of the trinity, the Son of God, the pre-incarnate Jesus, is mentioned throughout the Old Testament.

The Word of God

The first time the second person of the trinity is mentioned is at the very beginning of the Bible in the creation story, in Genesis 1:3. This is clearly referring to the Word of God, who is God's Son as explained by John 1-4,14,18. This shows that the first thing the Son did was be the Father's vehicle of creation and life. This was confirmed again in Colossians 1:16, 1 Corinthians 8:6, and Romans 11:36. 





The Mediator Between God and Man

Extending from that role, the Son was also then the liaison, or mediator between the Father and the creation. No one can see the Father directly without dying (Exodus 33:20, 1 Timothy 6:16) and because of our sinfulness, no one can go directly to the Father, so we must go to the Father through the Son (John 14:6b-7, 9b-10).








     The Messenger (Angel) of the Lord

As the Word of God and the mediator between the Father and creation, the Son's second role in the world was as the Father's messenger. This is why he was known as the Angel of the Lord (the word Angel means messenger).  He came to Abraham to make his covenant with him (Genesis 15:1-6). In Genesis 16:7-12, he appeared to Hagar as she was fleeing and told her to Go back. He also told her that she was pregnant and should name her son Ishmael. He appeared to Abraham again in Genesis 22 to tell him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a test, and then to stop him from doing it. Later, in Genesis 32,  we are told that Jacob wrestled with a "Man" (verse 24) who identified Himself as God (verse 28). In fact, Jacob says, "I have seen God face to face..." (verse 30). Since we know from John 1:18 that no one has seen God the Father, Jacob must be talking about the Son in a pre-incarnate appearance. This is confirmed in Hosea 12:3-5 where we are told that the Jacob wrestled with was "the Angel" who is also the "the Lord, the God of hosts."

He appeared to the prophet Balaam and gave him orders (Numbers 22:22-35). He appeared to all of Israel to tell them to stop worshiping idols (Judges 2:1-4).  He instructed Gideon to deliver Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6). He prophesied the birth of Samson and sent up in a flame of the altar. (Judges 13). In both of those last two instances, Gideon, as well as Maboah and his wife thought they would die from seeing God after the Angel of the Lord came to them, but they did not. He called Sameul as a boy (1 Samuel 3) as spoke to him throughout his life (1 Samuel 15:10-11,23). He spoke to Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1, which is confirmed to be pre-incarnate Jesus in John 12:41 and Philippians 2:5-8. He spoke to Malachi (Malachi 3:1), telling him he was sending His Son, who is his messenger (Angel). He spoke to Zechariah (Zechariah 1 and 3), where he refers to the Word of the Lord, the Angel of the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, and "the Branch" interchangeably. Jesus is referred to as the branch, shoot, or root of Jesse throughout scripture (John 15:1-8, Romans 15:12, Revelation 5:5).  He also spoke to other prophets, such as Nathan (2 Samuel 7:4), David (2 Samuel 22:1-3, 1 Chronicles 21:18), Gad (2 Samuel 24:11), Solomon (1 Kings 6:11), and Elijah (1 Kings 19:3-5).

Further evidence that the Angel of the Lord was the pre-incarnate Jesus is the fact that the Angel ceased to appear after Jesus became incarnate in the flesh. At that point in time, the Angel Gabriel took over the responsibility of serving as God's chief messenger.

The Shepherd of His People

In Genesis 48:15-16, we see that the God of Abraham and Isaac, is the "the God who has been my shepherd" is the same "Angel who has delivered me from all harm." This shows that the Angel of God is also the good shepherd.  Jesus says he is the good shepherd in John 10:11. This shows that the third

     




     He Protects His People

When the Assyrians threatened to destroy Jerusalem, it was the Angel of the Lord who killed 185,000 of them in one night, forcing those remaining to retreat (2 Kings 19:35). Also Psalm 34:7 states "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them"






      He Leads His People

In Exodus 3, the Angel of the Lord appears to Moses in the burning bush to tell him what to do and states that He is God, accepts Moses' worship, and names himself as, "I Am." Jesus confirms that was him in John 8:58. He also led the Children of Israel in the wilderness as a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night (Exodus 14 and Judges 2:1). Interestingly, in Revelation 10, John sees in his vision the "strong angel" coming down from heaven, who has the title deed of the earth in his hand. He puts one foot on land and the other in the sea and lifts the title deed in the air as a symbol of his claiming all of creation for himself. He has a "face like the sun" (just like the transfiguration) and has feet that are like "pillars of fire." Jesus was also providing the sustenance to the Israelites (Exodus 17:1-7) as the rock from which the water comes from, as confirmed in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4. 

Summary

He is the Word of God
God Created the World through Him
He is the mediator between man/creation and God
     He is God's messenger to man/creation
He protects and leads people as the good shepherd

Now looking at the roles of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son, they make a lot of sense:

He is God's revealed Word to us in these latter days, instead of prophets (Hebrews 1:1-4)
God redeemed the world through Him (John 3:16)
He is the mediator between man and God (1 Timothy 2:5)
     He reconciled us to the Father (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
     He intercedes for us with the Father (Romans 8:34)
He is our good Shepherd (John 10:11)
He will come again to Judge the world (Matthew 25:31-46)

Different Millennial Views

From the LCMS CTCR 

I thought this was so good, it was worth sharing. Also, it reminded me of a cartoon I saw.

The Holy Cross

The cross is the central symbol of Christianity.  It directs our thoughts, our eyes, our faith to Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Christ crucified is the central message of the Gospel and that which we proclaim to the world (1 Cor. 1:23).  It must always be remembered that we do not worship the actual cross, nor the symbol itself, but what the cross points and leads us to: Jesus Christ crucified for us.

As such, the cross or crucifix is the most important appointment (symbol or decoration) in the chancel.  The history of the use of the cross/crucifix in worship is long and complicated.  There are several different types, shapes, and sizes of crosses coming from different traditions, times, and places. The most recognizable in Western Christianity is the plain (Latin) cross †.  In the early church, a plain cross was used frequently.  The crucifix (a cross with the body of Jesus, called a corpus), began to appear more often in the early medieval period when there was an increased emphasis on the Passion of Christ.  Whether an empty cross or crucifix, both of which have a long and common history in Lutheranism the cross stands as a symbol of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Several crosses adorn most Lutheran churches today.  First and foremost is the main cross hanging on the chancel wall above the altar. This cross is front and center, serving as the focal point of symbols in the Divine Service.  It emphasizes the centrality of the Christ crucified in our preaching, teaching, worship, and life.  On Good Friday, this cross is commonly adorned with a black cloth symbolizing the death of Christ, while on Easter it is commonly adorned with a white cloth symbolizing the Resurrection.  Many times also, a crucifix stands upon the altar to direct our attention to Jesus’ sacrifice for us and give us a visible reminder that it is Christ's body and blood in the sacraments next to it on the altar.

The next most common cross inside the church is the processional cross, mounted on a staff and carried during various special Services.  As the name implies, this cross is used in processions.  When not being used during the Service, the processional cross often rests in a stand in the chancel.

Lastly, crosses adorn the exterior of most church buildings, giving witness to the reason why we are gathered.  In typical historical church architecture, a cross stands at the highest point of our building on top our steeple, calling people from far away to join us under the cross of Christ as He serves us through His Word and Sacraments.

Here are just a few of different types of crosses.  For a greater understanding of the meaning of each, please see appendix of Luther’s Small Catechism, or the book Symbols and Their Meaning by Rudolph F. Norden:

1.  Latin

2.  St. Andrews or Saltire

3.  Tau or St. Anthony

4.  Greek

5.  Celtic

6.  Chi Rho

7.  Ankh or Ansated

8.  Swastika

9.  Patriarchal

10. Patee

11. Potent

12. Moline

13. Russian

14. Maltese

15. Crosslet

16. Fleury

17. Botonnee

18. Calvary or Graded

19. Jerusalem

20. Ring

Symbols 2

 

In my last post, I discussed some common Christian symbols.  Here is Martin Luther's explanation of his seal and what it symbolized:

"The first should be a black cross in a heart, which retains its natural color, so that I myself would be reminded that faith in the Crucified saves us. "For one who believes from the heart will be justified" (Romans 10:10). Although it is indeed a black cross, which mortifies and which should also cause pain, it leaves the heart in its natural color. It does not corrupt nature, that is, it does not kill but keeps alive. "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17) but by faith in the crucified. Such a heart should stand in the middle of a white rose, to show that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace. In other words, it places the believer into a white, joyous rose, for this faith does not give peace and joy like the world gives (John 14:27). That is why the rose should be white and not red, for white is the color of the spirits and the angels (Matthew 28:3; John 20:12). Such a rose should stand in a sky-blue field, symbolizing that such joy in spirit and faith is a beginning of the heavenly future joy, which begins already, but is grasped in hope, not yet revealed. And around this field is a golden ring, symbolizing that such blessedness in Heaven lasts forever and has no end. Such blessedness is exquisite, beyond all joy and goods, just as gold is the most valuable, most precious and best metal."

However, I always wondered if there were more to him choosing a rose, so I did some research into its use in Christianity. The rose was the emblem of the god Horus in ancient Egypt.  Later, the Greeks and Romans translated the god's Egyptian name Har-pa-khered (meaning "Horus the Child") as Harpocrates and regarded him as the god of silence. The association of Harpocrates with silence and secrecy originates from a misunderstanding of Egyptian depictions of the god. Heru-pa-khered was represented as a naked youth with a finger-to-mouth gesture--in Egyptian artwork this gesture imitates the hieroglyph for "child" and is used to represent youth, but was misunderstood by later Greeks and Romans as a gesture for silence.  In Greek mythology, Aphrodite (Venus) gave a rose to her son Eros (Cupid), the god of love; he, in turn, gave it to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to ensure that his mother's indiscretions (or those of the gods in general, in other accounts) were not disclosed. Paintings of roses on the ceilings of Roman banquet rooms were also a reminder that things said under the influence of wine (sub vino) should also remain under the rose (sub rosa). In the Middle Ages, a rose suspended from the ceiling of a council chamber similarly pledged all present (those under the rose) to secrecy. In Christian symbolism, the phrase "sub rosa" has a special place in confessions. Pictures of five-petalled roses were often carved on confessionals, indicating that the conversations would remain secret. Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ.

Other symbols that I like are the shield explaining the relationship of the trinity and the VDMA:

Symbols 1

There are many symbols in Christianity that serve to point us to Christ and His atoning work. These are not mere decorations in the church building, or elsewhere, but rather they serve the specific purpose of being a visual proclamation of God’s Word. As we hear the Word of God proclaimed to us in worship, we also see God’s Word portrayed through symbols and pictures.  Pictures and symbols can often portray meaning better than words, and hence, the décor within our church serves the purpose of promoting the Gospel for the glory of God.  A fuller explanation of common symbols used in the Lutheran Church can be found in the appendix of the maroon edition of Luther’s Small Catechism.  Several symbols are common, some of which are regularly used in congregations:


note: post adapted from my brother's writings

False Teachers

Warnings

1. The Bible is full of warnings to be on guard against false teachers, explaining that they will rise up in the Church (Matthew 7:15, Acts 20:29-31, 2 Peter 2:1)
2. Untaught Christians will twist the scripture and lead others astray (2 Peter 3:16-17)
3. A "little bit" of bad teaching should not be tolerated, as previously described here.
4. False teachings can prevent salvation (Matthew 15:9)
5. Christians will sinfully want false teachers and try to convince others of their false teachings (Colossians 2:8, 2 Timothy 4:3-4)
1. J.W. Baier: “[T]he unity of the Church is disturbed by syncretism, or the religious union of dissenting parties in a brotherly and ecclesiastical fellowship in spite of dissension, so that either the errors in doctrine on the part of the dissentients or at least the erring persons themselves are tolerated within the communion of the Church and the latter are regarded as brethren in Christ and coheirs of eternal life. Either class of tolerance, however, is sinful.”

How do we be on guard against false teachers?

1. You will know them by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-16)
2. Test everything that is taught from all teachers (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22)
3. Test or weigh against scripture to see whether it is compatible with Gods word (Acts 17:11) 
4. Test what they confess about Jesus (1 John 4:1-3)
5. Weight things with he help of other Christians when it gets hard (1 Cor. 14:29)
   

In Galatians 5:7-12, Paul gives six identifying marks that can guide us identify false teachers.

1. They distract Christians from obeying the truth of the gospel (v. 7). 
2. They replace the call of God with their own deceptive persuasiveness (v. 8). 
3. They gain control over the whole church (v. 9). 
4. They cause confusion and discouragement (v. 10).
5. They spread false reports about spiritual leaders. (v.11)
6. They emphasize works that you have to do, such as circumcision (v.12)
1. This sounds harsh, but Paul is saying that if they really want to rely on rituals, they might as well go the whole way and emasculate themselves! Here he is referring to a ritual that actually took place in his day in Galatian pagan temples.

In 2 Peter 2:1-3, Peter gives a great treatise on False teachers.

1. False teachers will arise both outside and inside the church
2. The false teachers bring themselves and their followers to destruction
3. False teachers bring reproach against the true saints
4. False teachers are not always easily spotted, they are very deceptive
5. They can be recognized by their morals and motives
6. They can be recognized by their methods
7. They can be recognized by their message
8. In these latter days, anyone who claims to be a "prophet" is a false teacher.
1. Peters language switches from prophets in early days to teachers in verse 1. The witnesses of Christ (the apostles) were the last to prophecy and when their work was complete, the inspired Bible was complete, so there are no more words from God needed and no more prophets.
2. Anyone claiming to be a prophet should be judged as one, as explained in Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and 18:20-22:

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you....

But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.

Also in the Smalcald Articles we read:

“Therefore, we must constantly maintain this point: God does not want to deal with us in any other way than through the spoken Word and the Sacraments. Whatever is praised as from the Spirit—without the Word and Sacraments—is the devil himself.”

Lastly,