Angels

Angel from X-Men

Angels (Guard People, messengers, announcers, ministering spirits. Announced: Conception, Birth, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Second Coming of Christ.)

• He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility-a band of destroying angels. –Psalm 78:49
• [T]hen no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  -Psalm 91: 10-12
• But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.  –Hebrews 2:9
• 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 2:11
• I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. –Luke 15:7
• Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? -Hebrews 1:14
• Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.  -Hebrews 13:2

Seraphim (Root means “burn.”  Only mentioned once in the Bible, they are said to be Attendants and Guardians before God’s throne.)

• Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.  And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."  At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.  "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."  Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.  With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." -Isaiah 6:2-7

Cherubim (Only in the OT.  Carved them on walls, weaved into tapestry, made out of Gold.  They were guardians of God’s glory on earth.  It is said they are alluded to in Revelation as celestial attendants.  The word Cherub means near ones, familiars, personal servants, bodyguards, courtiers.)

• After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side (Or placed in front) of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.  -Genesis 3:24
• The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover.  –Genesis 25:20 (On the Ark of the Covenant) 
• One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits-ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip.  -1 Kings 6:24.  (On a temple)
• He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.  He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his canopy around him- the dark rain clouds of the sky.  Out of the brightness of his presence
• bolts of lightning blazed forth.  -2 Samuel 22: 10-13

Archangel Michael (Chief Angel)

• And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.  –Revelation 12:7
• For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. -1 Thessalonians 4:16

Gabriel (Personal Messenger who comes in the form of a man)

• [W]hile I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.  –Daniel 9:21
• The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.   –Luke 1:28, 29

     

Others?

• 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, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning. As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. - Ezekiel 1:4-18
• For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  –Colossians 1:16
• Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.  -1 Corinthians 15:24

Do NOT Worship Them

• Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.  –Colossians 2:18
• At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."  -Revelation 19:10

Secondary Bible Themes 4 - The Heavenly Trial

Here is a list of themes in the Bible. One theme is the idea of wrath and judgment. Many times in the Bible a heavenly trial is mentioned. Trinity Sunday show how the trinity is involved in this trial.

Divine Judgment is a concept in essentially every religion. It normally consists of a powerful and knowledgeable entity making a judgment on the moral worth of the acts of free creatures according to some divine or natural law.  This entity then makes a verdict and there is an execution of sentence through punishment or reward. Sometimes these punishments and rewards are during the individual’s life (for example Karma) and sometimes they are in the afterlife (heaven, hell, reincarnation, etc…).

God has been seen as and called THE judge throughout the Bible, even from the very beginning (Genesis 18:25; Psalm 35:24; 96:10,13; 98:9; John 8:50; Hebrews 12:23). Specifically the person of God the Father (1 Peter 1:17) is the judge.

In the beginning, God gave the law to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After the fall God judged the whole human race guilty [Genesis 3]. Sickness, hardship, and death were the consequences. After the fall there continued to be specific judgments against the world [such as the flood (Genesis 6:5) and the Tower of Babel ()], a group of people [such as Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 28:20) and the Plagues of Egypt (Exodus 6:6, 12:12)], and individuals [such as Core (Numbers 16) and Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:26)].

After the institution of the Israelites as God’s people, God instituted the law through Moses because he wanted people to follow it. There is a punishment for not following the law. God also instituted judges and governments for the punishments in this life. Actual sins have consequences. Additionally, being totally depraved due to original sin we cannot follow the law. God’s judgment that the whole race is guilty still stands as do the consequences, namely physical death.

At the end of the world, there will be a final judgment at the end times (general eschatology). This is mentioned in at least Joel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Malachi, John, Romans, Acts, and Revelation. There is also a judgment of each individual at death. This is the heavenly trial.

If the Father is the judge, then the Son is our divine defense attorney. It is clear that Christ came not to judge, but to save us from the judgment (John 3:17, 8:15, 12:47). Another name for the Son of God is, “Wonderful Counselor” (Isaiah 9:6), which is also what a lawyer is called. Furthermore, The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is our advocate with the Father (1 John 2) and the mediator between us (1 Timothy 2:5).

The Holy Spirit then is our witness. Romans 8:16 states this explicitly when saying that He testifies for us.

Satan is the “accuser” (Zechariah 3, Job 2, Revelation 12:10), or the prosecuting attorney. Although we don’t really need a prosecuting attorney, because we are clearly guilty and the judge is all-knowing. Satan has evidence and witnesses abounding enough to destroy you under the weight of your sin, being exposed.

The good news is our defense attorney has taken our guilt and punishment (Isaiah 53), so the judge declares us not guilty (Romans 4). We are acquitted because Jesus has already been found guilty, sentenced, and executed. Therefore, our judgment is not based on our moral worth or our guilt or innocents! “The accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the lamb.” Therefore, Jesus can “present us faultless” before God (Jude 1:13).

The devil is persistent though and will hound us and try to get us to fire our defense attorney and represent ourselves. If we do this, then we try to list the good things we have done. This mistake of works-righteousness can get us in one of two ways. First if we focus on our guilt, we can come to despair and plead guilty. Second, we can become defensive and self-righteous enough to fight the charges on our own, to our inevitable loss (Ephesians 2:8-9, Isaiah 64:6). This is us wanted to say that we have already worked off our debt. This is essentially saying we had self-imposed community service, so we should not get the death penalty, which is a ridiculous argument. However, if we stand firm in Jesus, then the trial is already finished (John 19:30) and there is no double jeopardy (John 10:28).

Sin in Heaven?

Some erroneously claim that people will be able to sin in heaven. The only argument I have heard that even comes close to referencing a Bible verse for this claim is that sin is a possibility in heaven because Satan sinned in heaven. This is usually just an argument to appeal that we will have free will in heaven. I have previously discussed free will in general here and free will in heaven here. Sin cannot be in God's presence, which is why he made hell. Hell is just being away from God. There is no sin in heaven, because it is the place where the sinless God dwells. Since sin separates us from God, being reunited with God gets rid of our sin.

Those who have been cleansed in the blood of the Lamb have been cleansed forever. There is no more death in heaven, the result of sin. We die once and then the judgment. Our death ends sin, the Scripture says. Just as the good angels are fixed in their sinless state now, so also we shall be. We will serve God forever willingly, but it will be impossible for us to will to sin as did our first parents. In heaven it will not be like in the beginning of our human history. Old things have passed away, the new has come (Revelation 21:4). There will be only life, eternal life, and where there is eternal life there is eternal sinlessness. Rest your soul on that and praise God for His great goodness in giving us a sinless Savior. Also, it is important to remember that we will not be in heaven forever, but living bodily in the new creation, in which there will also not be sin for all of the same reasons.

Rebuke

The word Rebuke is active second person singular and means to "charge some one as being blamable, strictly assess a penalty, and to reprove, warn, strongly admonish

In the Bible there are two categories of who gets Rebuked:

1. Demons out of people, and Satan (both the lord and Michael)
2. Brothers (fellow believers) who sin

Some have said that mercy and forgiveness are better than condemnation. Of course we would forgive any sin if repented.  However, it is not merciful to let a brother persist in his error, which could lead him to damnation. We are supposed to bring our brothers sin to him, so that he will regain his faith and that God will have mercy on him (Matthew 18:15, Galatians 6:1). It is a Biblical mandate to rebuke our erring brother (Galatians 1:6-9, Galatians 5:7-10, Titus 1:9-13, 2 Timothy 2:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:2-5). Remember also, that it is a sin to not do the good we are supposed to (James 4:17). Lastly, CFW Walther's 8th thesis in Law and Gospel is that "You are not rightly distinguishing Law and Gospel in the Word of God if you preach... the Gospel to those who are living securely in their sins."

Romans 16:17I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4:2-5

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry

Titus 1:9-11,13

He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach…. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

Galatians 1:6-9

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Galatians 5:7-10

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.  I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.

Pentecost, not Pentecostal

Last post, we looked at how the Bible says the charismatic gifts have ceased. God appointed and promised the apostles this.  He confirmed the teaching of the old testament prophets. He did not do that for us. The apostles had signs of being prophets so that there words would be accepted as prophecy, demanding our acceptance and belief. The cessation of these gifts is attested to by the early church as well as modern Jews (see quotes below). Those who claim to speak in tongues or prophecy, or get signs from God, are really claiming to be prophets, and are therefore, false prophets. But why does this happen?

• First of all, some are just lying.
• Jeremiah 14 tells us that not all claims of prophecy are true.
• 1 Kings 13:11-22 tells us that even a well meaning believer can do the wrong thing and go against God by lying about prophecy. 
• Matthew tells us that people will go to hell who thought they were doing the right thing of prophesying: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ -Matthew 7:21-23
• Secondly, the Devil can say nice things about God and cause prophecy and signs
• False prophets will arise and show great wonders. show signs and wanders lead away the elect. Matthew 24:24
• 2 Thessalonians tells us the coming of the lawless one is accompanied by power and signs wonders.
• The 2nd beast in revelation works great signs.
• The real danger is that when people think “God” is talking to them, that voice is indistinguishable from that of Satan. After all, Satan comes and deceives. He uses Scripture (and twists it) and often is disguised as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
• The Devil can work through prosperity and spirituality (the eye of needle in 1 Timothy 6:10), we get complacent and think we did it all.
• Pain can backfire, like when Job was driven to God and the Psalmist who cried out to the Lord in his anguish.
• Powerful beings do good things for people to get them to trust them and think they are God, so they look to experiences instead of words of Jesus, then after a while, when it matters, they let them down. God does not manipulate emotions. The Holy Spirit does not work in emotions. Feelings used to lead you astray
• These movements were not the Holy Spirit: Montanism, Spiritualistic Fransiscans, Enthusiast movements of the Schwarmerei, Charismatics like Pentecostal.
• Lastly, even true prophesying does not indicate one's state of grace.
• Balaam prophecied
• Judas healed and cast out demons
• Ciaphas prophesied by the Holy Spirit that it was good for one man to be handed over to die for the people.

Jews don't believe there is continued prophecy (1 Maccabees 4:46; 9:27; 14:41, 2 Baruch 85:3, Josephus, Against Apion 1.37-41, Jewish Chronology, Seder Olam Rabbah, chapter 30, Babylonian Talmud: Tosefta Sotah 13:2, Yoma 9b, Sotah 48a, and Sanhedrin 11a)

Clement of Rome in 95 AD wrote a letter to the Corinthian church rebuking every problem that Paul rebuked except tongues. Why did he not mention tongues or miracles?

Justin Martyr (~160 AD) visited many churches but never once mentions tongues in his lists of spiritual gifts.

Origen (~250 AD) in his voluminous writings argues against Celsus by stating that the sign gifts of the apostles' age were temporary and were not exercised by Christians in the 3rd Century.

Chrysostom (347-407 A.D.) "[Corinth] is very obscure: but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur, but now no longer take place." [Homilies, XXIX, 1]

Augustine (354-430 AD) said in speaking of Acts 2:4, "In the earliest times, the Holy Ghost fell upon them that believed: and they spake with tongues....these were signs adapted to the time. For there behooved to be that betokening of the Holy Spirit...that thing was done for a betokening and it passed away."

Herman Sasse

“The recognition that the revelation in Christ is not something inconclusive or relative stands and falls with the primacy of the apostolate over prophecy. Wherever prophecy asserts its independence and power, it is a threat to the finality of the revelation that happened once in history, of which the apostolic office bears witness. Christ’s church is an apostolic, not prophetic church. This does not mean a quenching of the Spirit. Rather it expresses the conviction that revelation has taken place, that the word of God is no longer only given and assigned to a human being here and there, but that the Word has become flesh.”

“The ‘apostolic church’ is a poor church. It has no marvelous new revelations, no knowledge of higher worlds, and no possibility of proving its faith by reason. It lives from the witness of a few men who were neither religious geniuses, nor ethical heroes, nor original thinkers. The only authority for the unverifiable things they said was that Jesus Christ had sent them and that they were witnesses of His resurrection.”

Ephesians 6:10-20 - Spiritual Warfare

v 10. Our strength comes from Jesus (Philippians 4:13). He is our might (Matthew 13:53-54). All of the armor is from God and we receive it in our baptism.

v 11. In the military sense, this means stand your ground to hold the front lines while under attack by the enemy, who is the devil (1 Peter 5:8). Notice that none of the armor mentions protect the back, so there is no provision for retreat. The devil is a schemer, which means he attacks using stealth and deception, not a full on frontal attack (Ephesians 4:14).

v 12. While the enemy leader is the devil, he has a whole army that he sends against us (see previous post on demons). We are in a full-out spiritual war (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

v 13. We need all of the armor of God, not just any part of it.

v 14. Belt of Truth: A belt was defensive because it kept the soldiers loose undergarments from being a hindrance in battle. We are to live in the truth (John 3:21), which means loving the truth and being truthful. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6).

Breastplate of Righteousness: The breastplate protected most of the solider and the vital organs. Our righteousness come from faith in Christ (Philippians 3:9). The devil wants to attack our faith, but Christ's righteousness covers all of us (Isaiah 61:10).

v 15. Shoes of Readiness by the Gospel of Peace: Soldiers continually marched, so good shoes were important. To be ready for battle, or marching or anything else, they needed shoes. The Peace of God guards your hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7). Walking by the spirit will keep you from gratifying the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). The gospel is about what Jesus has done for you.

v 16. Shield of Faith: The shield is defensive. The devil wants to attack our faith, so it must be strong to withstand him. This is why we must go to church to get our faith strengthened continually.

v 17. Helmet of Salvation: The helmet protects the brain, which is the most vital organ. It was, therefore, the most often attacked by the enemies' broadswords. Jesus is the source of our salvation (Hebrews 5:9). Jesus being the source of our salvation is the Gospel. Our assurance of the gospel and of our salvation is vital for us and what the devil attacks. When he does this, it is with pride and/or despair, which are the two sides of the devil's sword.

Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God: Lastly, the sword could be used either defensively or offensively. Staying in the word defends us by helping us identify and combat false doctrine, which is the attack of the devil, but it is also our offense (1 Peter 3:15). Jesus is the Word (John 1:1-18). Jesus' words are spirit and life (John 6:63). The two edges of Jesus' sword are law and gospel. Notice that the Word of God is a good defense, with the other things, but it is our only offense.

v 18. Pray, Stay Alert, Persevere. Wearing the armor should be continual. We must always be prepared.

v 19-20. Preaching should be about the Gospel (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Genesis 6:1-4: Why the Flood and Why Noah?

-or-

From Zondervan's "The Beginner's Bible"

Genesis 6-9 tells the story of Noah and the flood, but many people get hung up on Genesis 6:1-4, because it is ambiguous and taken out of context quite often. Some say the whole story is just a myth, but the New Testament often mentions Noah and the flood story as fact, not myth (Matthew 24:37-38, Luke 17:26-27, Hebrews 11:7, 1 Peter 3:20, 2 Peter 2:5). These verses are simply the story of why the flood happened and why Noah was saved.

• When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. -Genesis 6:1-4

This text does not explicitly say who the sons of God and the sons of man are, but some have claimed they are angels intermarrying with people to create a hybrid giant race.  This is ridiculous, baseless, and easy to refute.  First of all, logically, good angels would not sin in this way and fallen angels could never be considered sons of God. Also, angels cannot procreate since they are spiritual beings without bodies (Hebrews 1:14). Thirdly the Bible explicitly says that angels are not sons of God in both the Old and New Testaments.  Job 38:7 makes the distinction between angels (stars of the morning) and the sons of God. The New Testament explicitly states that the angels are not sons of God in Hebrews 1:5:

• For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?

So, who are the Sons of God? Every time the Bible uses the phrase it is talking about people who have faith in God.

• “You are the sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. -Deuteronomy 14:1
• "They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation." -Deuteronomy 32:5
• "If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children." -Psalm 73:15
• "In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge." -Proverbs 14:26
• For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. -Romans 8:14-16
• “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. -Matthew 5:9
• [F]or in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.... And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” -Galatians 3:26,4:6

So then, who are the children of men? In the general sense everyone, but here being opposed to the children of God, it means the children of only men, and not God, or unbelievers. Ezekiel 31:14 explains that children of men are powerful men that are prideful and so God will "cast them out." This becomes clear when the Genesis verses are read in context. At this point there were two civilizations. One civilzation is from the descendants of Cain (Genesis 4:17-24), and they are are unbelievers, so the sons of men only, not sons of God. The other civilization is from the descendants of Seth, who carry the covenant promise, so his descendants are faithful sons of God (Genesis 4:26). As Saint Augustine says in the City of God, Book XV, Chapter 1 - Of the Two Lines of the Human Race Which from First to Last Divide It, "Of these two first parents of the human race, then, Cain was the first-born, and he belonged to the city of men; after him was born Abel, who belonged to the city of God." Faithful men intermarried with the unbelieving women and it affected their faith. Just like God told the Israelites later on not to marry unbelievers and when they did, they strayed and worshiped idols.

At the same time this was happening, there were large powerful men, who began to take control and become leaders for the first time in human history, because they could dominate others. It is explained in Numbers 13:32-33, that the Nephilim is simple a name for "people of great height." They began relying on their own power and strength, rather than on God. These are the wicked things that people were doing mentioned in verse 5. By the time that Noah (a descendant of Seth as shown in Genesis 5) came around, he was the only one clinging to promise of messiah and remaining faithful to God. Tying this into the context of the verses after verse 4, that is why he was chosen.

Therefore, letting scripture interpret scripture by using the Bible's definitions of the terms and taking the story in its context of immediately verses before and after, it becomes clear that this is a story about how God preserved a bloodline of faithful people from Adam and Eve (through Seth) to Jesus, the promised Messiah. That is what the Old Testament is about after all. More specifically, these verses are setting up the story of the flood and are simply the background of why the flood happened and why Noah was saved. Therefore, these verses of Genesis 6:1-8, could be read in this way:

When the unbelieving descendants of Cain began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the believing male descendants of Seth saw that the unbelieving female descendants of Cain were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose... and they bore children to them, who fell away from the faith due to the influence of their unbelieving mothers. Concurrently, tall, powerful men who trusted in themselves over God, were on the earth. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

The Lord saw that the His chosen people were not being faithful to Him, but falling away due to intermarriage with unbelievers and that men were relying on their own power and strength instead of God and His promises. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah, who remained faithful to God's promises, found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Irenaeus on the Tetramorph, Gospels, and the Four Corners of the Earth

I always found the ancient "four elements" (air, earth, fire, and water) interesting and new that they often corresponded to temperaments or humors int eh ancient world. When I was reading Irenaeus it peaked my interest when he discussed how Ezekiel's (and Revelation's) four living creatures (the tetramorph) corresponded to the gospels, the four corners of the earth, and the four temperaments. After looking into it more, here is a table I developed that compares all of those types of things I could find.

To be fair and complete, there are other theories as well. Some other theologians disagreed with Irenaeus on which gospel was represented by which animal. Also, some have claimed that the location and population of the 12 tribes of Israel prophecy of Jesus and the Gospel as well.  Here is a diagram of that.

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