It is important to begin our message with what Angels are. The word angel was coined from a Greek word, Angelos meaning messenger. God created the angels to serve Him and to partner with Him to serve humanity. A lot of time God send them as messengers to people, to deliver His divine plans and purposes.
Angels are spiritual beings with the ability to appear in human form as we have seen in scriptures, even though they do not have physical bodies of flesh and bones. God made them perform several roles.
The biblical evidence showed that they praise God in heaven as mentioned in the scriptures below.
“Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him,you heavens of heavens,
Andyou waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of theLord,
ForHe commanded and they were created.” (Psalm 148 verses 2 to 5)
“Bless theLord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, whodo His word,
Heeding the voice of His word. Bless theLord, allyouHis hosts, Youministers of His, who do His pleasure.” (Psalm 103 verses 20 to 21)
Angels of God were sent to so many in the Old Testament and the New Testament most especially in times of need or to protect them from danger ahead.
An angel appeared to Peter in prison to orchestrate his escape, saving him from the premature death arranged for him by King Herod. ( Act 12 verses 1 to 11)
Lot was also exempted from destruction with the help of an angel. When God wanted to destroy the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, He chose to save Lot and his family. Two angels were sent to him to depart from the city before the set date for the destruction. (Genesis 19 verse 1)
Angels help to fight our spiritual battles.
In Daniel chapter 10 verses 10 to 21, Michael and Gabriel fight the Prince of Persia, a demon influencing Persia.
They are also the carrier of good news (Luke 1 verses 26 to 38), and lots more. We cannot exhaust the list of their functions.
All that we have mentioned above is the picture of what angels are and what they are meant to be. A certain group of angels chose to rebel against God, and by so doing they lost their place in heaven. This group of angels is referred to as Fallen Angels.
Let us deep dive into the context of Fallen Angels.
Who are Fallen Angels?
Fallen angels are angels who decided to rebel against God together with Lucifer and were thus cast out of heaven. They were initially faithful to God but at some point, they began to see themselves as God. They are known as fallen gods better known as demons.
Lucifer is the head of the rebellious angels group.
The name Lucifer meansLight BearerorMorning Star. This clearly shows Lucifer was created by God, a good angel and, even one of the lead angels that later turned to the leader of evil angels.
Just as God gave human beings free will to operate, He also gave the same to angels. Lucifer wanted to create his own position of authority.
This is what brought pride, Lucifer began to see himself as equal to God. He then started rubbing shoulders with his maker, wanting to become God and be in full control. God and the rest of the loyal and faithful angels saw this act.
This triggers a war in heaven between a team of Lucifer with his followers, and Michael with the rest of the angels.
The account of his rebellion and the war in heaven is described in the Book of Revelation chapter 12 verses 7 to 9,
“And war broke out in heaven:Michael and his angels foughtwith the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,but theydid not prevail, nor was a place found forthem in heaven any longer.Sothe great dragon was cast out,that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan,who deceives the whole world;he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
The result is shown in verse 11,
“Andthey overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,and they did not love their lives to the death.”
Which book speaks about the source of Fallen Angels?
The book of Enoch is the main source for learning about the origin of the fallen angels, details of why they fell from heaven, and even the explanation of why the great flood is necessary. This book is an ancient Jewish material traditionally attributed to Enoch, Noah’s great-grandfather.
It is used by the Orthodox Christian churches of Ethiopia and Eritrea. This is contrary to the general belief that the ” Book of Enoch” is part of the biblical canon used by Judaism and Catholicism in general.
This book was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and is written mainly inGe`ezwhich is the Ethiopian language with some fragments in Aramaic, Greek, and Latin.
However, most other Christian denominations take this book as one that contains a lot of historical or theological information.
The last part of the book mainly called the Book of Parables is dated 1st century BC while the oldest portion called the Book of Watchers is dated around 300 BC.
How did Lucifer lose his position in heaven?
Ezekiel gave the full description of who Lucifer was before the fall, using the King of Tyre. The king himself is not Lucifer but according to the scripture, he was displaying the same attitude as Lucifer. The following biblical references will be of help.
Ezekiel chapter 28 verse 11 to 15 mentions his original nature,
“Moreover the word of theLordcame to me, saying,Son of man,take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LordGod:
Youwerethe seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were inEden, the garden of God; Every precious stonewasyour covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship ofyour timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. Youwerethe anointedcherub who covers; I established you; You were onthe holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. Youwereperfect in your ways from the day you were created, Tilliniquity was found in you.”
Ezekiel chapter 28 verse 16 to 19 mentions his nature after the fall,
“By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you,O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. Yourheart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you. You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you;You have become a horror, Andshall benomore forever.”
The summary of the fall of satan is mentioned in Isaiah 14 verses 12 to 15,
“Howyou are fallen from heaven, OLucifer, son of the morning!
Howyou are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on themount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High. ’Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.”
Is Lucifer the same person as Satan?
The original name of Satan as named by God is the angel Lucifer. He is the leader of the fallen angels. God named him Lucifer as an angel. All through the scriptures, we see him being called Satan or the devil. The three names, Lucifer, Satan, and devil are referring to the same person.
How many are the fallen angels?
It was believed by bible teachers and Christian scholars that up to one-third of the original angels fell from heaven. This belief is taken from the book of Revelations chapter 12 verses 3 and 4,
“And another sign appeared in heaven: behold,a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a thirdof the stars of heavenand threw them to the earth. And the dragon stoodbefore the woman who was ready to give birth,to devour her Child as soon as it was born.”
These fallen angels are referred to as demons. We have several explicit references in the scripture that reveal there is more than one demon in the world. Their mission is to inhabit and harm their host, especially believers. The demon possession with unclean spirits healing. ( Mark 5 verses 1 to 20).
Names of Fallen Angels and their duties
According to the book of Enoch, fallen angels are like 200 in number with 20 leaders. Their leaders are also known as Watchers or Grigori. Semyazza is known as their main leader.
They are linked with different types of wisdom as many of them fell for imparting knowledge. Some fell in love with the daughters of men, and, got married to them, producing children of angels and humans. Their children were referred to as Giants in the bible.
“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years. There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” (Genesis chapter 6 verses 1 to 4)
Names of leaders of Fallen Angels
- Semyazza
- Araqiel
- Azazel
- Kokabiel
- Tamiel
- Ramiel
- Daniel
- Chazaqiel
- Baragiel
- Asael
- Armaros
- Batariel
- Bezaliel
- Ananiel
- Zaqiel
- Shamsiel
- Sathariel
- Turiel
- Yomiel
- Sariel
Most important 10 Fallen Angels and their meanings
Lucifer
Lucifer is the first on this list. He was given the privilege to always be with God before pride and envy set in, He was therefore banished from heaven and became the head of the ruler of the darkness of the world. The mission of Lucifer and other important fallen angels is to corrupt people’s lives.
Yekun
This is the second fallen angel that fell from heaven. He was the first angel that decided to follow Lucifer. Yekun is responsible for persuading and misleading other angels from the path of Light.
Kesabel
Kesabel is the third angel that fell from heaven, He was the second angel who followed Lucifer. Kesabel operates in the form a woman by inducing seduction in men thereby causing them to sin.
Gadree
Gadree is the fourth angel that fell from heaven, He was the third angel who followed Lucifer. Gadree teaches humans how to use weapons and to kill. He is an expert in handling weapons.
Penemue
Penemue is the fifth angel that fell from heaven. He is the most learned among the angels that followed Lucifer. He is the one who induced the skills of reading and writing in humans. This induced knowledge cause men to sin by telling lies.
Abaddon
Abaddon is the sixth fallen angel. He is a master destroyer. He takes pleasure in destroying things. Bible scholars believe Abaddon is the angel Moses invoked to destroy the Egyptians with the natural disaster.
Azazel
Azazel is the seventh fallen angel. Azazel and Gadreel have similar missions. They are both specialists in the art and acts of weapons. They are the fallen angels of war, Bible researchers believe the art of weapons and war machines that have caused many to lose their lives was introduced by Azazel.
Leviathan
Leviathan is the eighth fallen angel. He is known for arrogance and heresy. His appearance is like that of a dragon and serpentine.
Samyaza
Samyaza is the night-fallen angel. He is a manipulator and a mastermind for other fallen angels. He influenced many other fallen angels to run after women. He is a commander of thousands of demonic spirits.
Kasyade
Kasyade is the tenth on the list of essential fallen angels. He was the last important angel to fall to hell from heaven. He taught people the wicked strokes and strikes on embryos, spirits, souls, and demons. Bible scholars confirmed this fallen angel was a teacher of astrology before the fall.
Who are the Archangels?
We cannot say all about angels without mentioning a few things about the good angels. These angels are referred to as Archangels. They are those angels that care for humans. They are often referred to as Watchers. Seven of them are mentioned in the ancient history of the Judeo-Christian bible.
According to the, De Coelesti Hierarchia of Pseudo-Dionysius, written in the fourth to fifth century CE, there was a nine-level hierarchy of the heavenly host: angels, archangels, principalities, powers, virtues, dominions, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim. The angels were the lowest of these, but the archangels were just above them.
We can simply say they are higher rank angels that guide us and offer wisdom when required, apart from these, every archangel performs specific duties to humans.
Michael and Gabriel are the only two named in the canonical Bible.Other names were removed during the 4th century when the bible was configured.
The seven archangels are Archangel Michael, Archangel Raphael, Archangel Gabriel, Archangel Uriel, Archangel Raguel, Archangel Zerachiel, and Archangel Remiel.
Conclusion
The fallen angels have no eternal hope. They will do everything possible to drag as many people as possible with them into their eternal doom of destruction which is the eternal fire. They know judgment of the great day is near.
We can see from above how they hate God and wanted to overthrow Him, how much more will they try with us? Devil and his co-angels know they have lost the initial glory, what is left for them is shame and destruction. He is the author and super master of destruction.
John 10 and verse 10 says,
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may haveitmore abundantly.”
The goal of demons and demonic spirits is to deceive people. They are the rulers of the darkness of this world. Satan is the accuser of our brethren and the father of lies. He knows he has a short time to live, so he turns himself to a deceiver of the whole world.
He targeted Jesus to destroy him and to rub him off the glory that awaits Him but he came too late. Jesus was very conscious of who He was. He put the devil where he belongs.
The account of this was given in Matthew 4 verses 1 to 4,
“ThenJesus was led up bythe Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.But He answered and said,“It is written,‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
The Devil did not stop there, he came back the second time, took Jesus up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and asked Him to throw Himself down if truly He is the Son of God, For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands, they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Jesus said to him,“It is written again,‘You shall not tempt theLordyour God.
The wicked and stubborn devil came again the third time, took Jesus up on an exceedingly high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall and worship me.
Jesus said to him, get away, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.
Jesus rebuked the deviland he left Him, and immediately the angels came and ministered to Him.
Please note that the devil did not leave forever. He will always look for another opportunity to accomplish his mission. Bible scholars believe that those fallen angels now rule the kingdom of the earth as evil.
Be aware of their tricks and devices. Devil and his team always come in different fashions and styles as we saw above in the temptation of Jesus.
In 1 Peter 5 verses 8 and 9, the bible mentions,
“Be sober, bevigilant;because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”
Rebuke the devil and he shall flee. Heaven and hell are real. If God did not spare the angels who sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment, on the day of judgment, everyone will be accountable for themselves.
