A Brief Study of Angels
Where do angels dwell?
Since they are actual, personal beings we asume that angels need or would at least desire a place to live and call home. The short and quick answer is, of course, that they dwell in heaven. Several biblical references seem to make this clear (e.g. Matthew 28:2, Mark 13:32, Luke 2:13 and Galatians 1:8). When coming to earth they start from heaven and are generally identified with heaven. That’s easy enough to start with.
But now we ask a little tougher question--which heaven? This may surprise some of us but the Bible teaches that there are three heavens. Paul spoke of this fact in II Corinthians 12:1-4. Now the question becomes--what did Paul mean by “the third heaven”? Jewish literature of a later era makes reference to a popular belief in seven heavens but it is not certain that this view was around in Paul’s day. Today, Mormons believe in three heavens (terrestrial, celestial and telestial) in which different classifications of “the worthy” will be placed according to their works. This idea, however, is foreign to the Bible which teaches that all true believers will some day dwell with the Lord Jesus forever (John 14:1-3; I Thess. 4:17). Nevertheless, it still may make us a little uncertain to know that Paul spoke of this third heaven.
It is not something to get worked up about. Most conservative scholars believe that Paul was simply making a reference to the “highest heaven” of the three which we are already aware of. The first heaven would be the atmospheric heaven around the earth where the birds fly and the clouds float. The second heaven would be space which the moon, other planets, stars and other bodies occupy. The third heaven, then, is the dwelling place of God which Paul makes clear in v. 4 by also referring to it as Paradise (cf. Luke 23:43).
Most people simply assume that all the angels also dwell in the third heaven. However, not all evangelical scholars agree with that. It does seem that some angels in their service to God are with Him in the third heaven most, if not all of the time. Some of these would perhaps include the seraphim of Isaiah 6:1-6; the living creatures of Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4; and Gabriel (Luke 1:19).
But from things implied by other scriptures some scholars believe that the majority of angels make their dwelling in the second heaven though they may have ready access to the third heaven (Job 1:6; 2:1). We have already seen that Jesus was made “a little lower than the angels” (Hebrews 2:9). In addition to (or perhaps instead of) seeing this as a reference to becoming human, which is a lower order of creation with regard to power and abilities, they also see it as a reference to the fact that Jesus had to pass through the realm of the angels and dwell under it in order to become fully man. Linking this to Hebrews 4:14 which states that completing His work by having “passed through the heavens” (came to earth and then ascended back to heaven), some take this to mean that the abode of angels may be in the starry realm instead of the highest heaven. They also point to statements made in Isaiah 14:12-14 which are attributed to Lucifer (Satan) as he decided to try to overthrow God and assume His position. Notice v. 13 which states “I will ascend into heaven” which again implies that his dwelling place was usually lower than the third heaven.
One more thing concerning this which Robert Lightner shares which, though speculative, is still interesting. In chapter 13 of Angels, Satan and Demons which tries to answer commonly asked questions about angels and demons, he poses: “Is there a relationship between angels and stars?” (p. 171). Acknowledging that there have been many “fanciful and far-fetched views”, he nevertheless asserts that the “Bible does seem to relate angels to stars, but it also keeps them distinct.”
Sometimes when the Old Testament writers used the Hebrew word for stars they give the impression that they are more than just impersonal bodies made of gases, minerals or other materials. They are given personal characteristics (Judges 5:20; Job 25:5; 38:7; Psalm 148:3). This sort of thing is also present in the New Testament (I Cor. 15:40-41; Jude 13). (We must interject here that some of those same characteristics or personifications are also given to other parts of the creation without anyone suggesting that they, too, are angels or other real personal beings. Using these scriptures this way seems to be somewhat inconsistent.) Some believe that the star which led the wise men to the place where Jesus lay was perhaps an angel of light assigned by God to reveal the location of the Christ child. Probably the strongest reference to stars which is often understood to be referring to angels is in Revelation 12:3,4a. Here the “third of the stars of heaven” is often associated with the rebellious fallen angels who chose to follow Lucifer. But it is not sure that this is the correct interpretation.
Lightner concludes with a quotation from James Woychuck which offers the correct observation that if there is some mysterious relationship between stars and angels then it is probable we will never understand it in this life. He further states that if nothing else the multitude of stars can be to us a constant visualization and/or a reminder of the multitude of angels who are indeed God’s hosts and armies of light whom He uses on our behalf and for our benefit.
The bottom line is that the issue of whether angels dwell in the second or third heaven is really irrelevant for us. We do not need to take a firm position on the matter nor do we need to dwell on it. But as long as we are doing the study I thought I’d mention it.