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"For centuries, artists have portrayed angels as beautiful humans with wings and glowing light, complete with halos, harps, and flowing white gowns (or perfectly sculpted bodies). But is that really what angels look like? Angels have inspired all sorts of imaginative stories and depictions, but what’s left when we separate fact from fiction? In order to know the truth, we have to ask, what does the Bible say about angels?
"14 Biblical facts about angels
These facts will help us learn a lot about the angels in the Bible: what they are, why God created them, how their hierarchy works, and much more.
1. God created angels
Angels haven’t always existed. According to Scripture, they’re part of the universe God created. In a passage that refers to angels (the “host†or “armies†of heaven), we read, “You are the Lord, you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host . . . and the host of heaven worships you†(Nehemiah 9:6). In the New Testament, Paul tells us that God created all things “visible and invisible,†and specifically includes the angelic world with the phrase “whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities†(Colossians 1:16).
While these Bible verses tell us that God created angels, the Bible also suggests that they don’t “exist†in the same way we do. The author of Hebrews suggests that all angels are “spirits†(Hebrews 1:13-14). When Jesus appears to the disciples, he asserts that “spirits†don’t have bodies like he does (Luke 24:39). In the Bible, angels can’t usually be seen by humans unless God reveals them (see Numbers 22:31, 2 Kings 6:17, Luke 2:13). However, from time to time angels took on a bodily form and appeared to various people in Scripture (Matthew 28:5; Hebrews 13:2).
2. There are three types of angels in the Bible
Scripture names three categories of heavenly beings that appear to be types of angels: cherubim, seraphim, and “living creatures.â€
Cherubim
Cherubim are mentioned in several places throughout Scripture:
They guarded the entrance to the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24).
God is enthroned above them (Ezekiel 10:1–22).
God rides on them (Psalm 18:10)
Two golden figures of cherubim sit above the Ark of the Covenant, where God promised to dwell among his people (Exodus 25:22, see also verses 18–21)."
to be continued
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| Seraphim
"Another type of angel, the seraphim, are only mentioned once in the Bible. They appear in Isaiah 6:2–7, where they continually worship the Lord and say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory†(Isaiah 6:3).
Living creatures
Ezekiel and Revelation speak of other kinds of heavenly beings known as “living creatures†around God’s throne (Ezekiel 1:5–14, Revelation 4:6– . They appeared like a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, representing various parts of God’s creation (wild beasts, domesticated animals, human beings, and birds). They, too, worship God continually: “Day and night they never cease to sing, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’†(Revelation 4:
3. Angels have a hierarchy
Angels in the Bible appear to have a rank and order. The angel hierarchy is supported by Jude 9, when the angel Michael is called an “archangelâ€â€”a title that indicates rule or authority over other angels. He’s also called “one of the chief princes†in Daniel 10:13, and appears to lead God’s angelic army in Revelation 12: “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated†(Revelation 12:7–. Paul also tells us that the Lord will return from heaven “with the archangel’s call†(1 Thessalonians 4:16). Scripture doesn’t tell us if this refers to Michael, or if there are other archangels as well.
4. Only two angels have names in the Bible
Only two angels are specifically named in Scripture. As we said above, the archangel Michael is mentioned in Jude 9, Revelation 12:7–8, and Daniel 10:13 and 21.
Gabriel is the only other angel named in the Bible. He’s mentioned in Daniel 8:16 and 9:21 as a messenger who comes from God to speak to Daniel. He’s also identified as God’s messenger in Luke 1. He tells Zechariah, “I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God†(Luke 1:19). Then we read, “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin . . . and the virgin’s name was Mary†(Luke 1:26–27).
5. Angels are not omnipresent
Angels frequently appear as messengers in the Bible, traveling from one place to another (see the verse above, where Gabriel “was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazarethâ€).
The fact that angels are not omnipresent is made explicit when an angel comes to Daniel and says:
“I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, so I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia and came to make you understand what is to befall your people in the latter days.†—Daniel 10:12–14
If angels were omnipresent, Michael wouldn’t have “came to help†because he would’ve already been there, and this angel wouldn’t need to leave Michael to bring this message. Unlike God, who is omnipresent, angels are finite creatures, limited to one place at one time.
6. We don’t know how many angels exist
The Bible doesn’t tell us how many angels God created. But apparently, there are a lot of them. Here are a few of the ways the Bible tells us how many angels there are:
On Mount Sinai, God “came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand†(Deuteronomy 33:2).
We also learn that, “the chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands†(Psalm 68:17 NIV).
When we come to worship, we come into the presence of “innumerable angels†(Hebrews 12:22).
John says, “I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands†(Revelation 5:11).
Every biblical reference to the total number of angels suggests that they’re beyond counting."
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| "7. We can\'t prove that guardian angels exist
The Bible clearly tells us that God sends angels to protect people: “He will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone†(Psalm 91:11–12).
But are these what we think of as “guardian angels� Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:10 seem to support the idea that individual people (or at least children) have guardian angels, “in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.†But Jesus may only mean that angels are assigned to protect little children in general. (In sports terms, the angels may be playing “zone†rather than “man-on-man†defense.)
When the disciples in Acts 12:15 say that Peter’s “angel†must be knocking at the door, this doesn’t necessarily imply that they believe in individual guardian angels. It’s possible that they believed an angel was simply guarding Peter at that time.
While arguments can be made, there seems to be no definitive biblical proof for the existence of “guardian angels.â€
8. Angels do not marry
Jesus taught that in the resurrection people “neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven†(Matthew 22:30, see also Luke 20:34–36). This clearly suggests that angels don’t marry.
No other passages address relationships between angels, so anything beyond this is simply speculation.
9. Angels are very powerful
Angels are called “mighty ones who do his word†(Psalm 103:20), “powers†(see Ephesians 1:21), and “dominions†and “authorities†(Colossians 1:16). They are certainly “greater in might and power†than humans (2 Peter 2:11, see also Matthew 28:2). Angels use their power to battle against Satan’s demonic forces (Daniel 10:13, Revelation 12:7–8, 20:1–3).
During our earthly lives, we’re “lower than the angels†(Hebrews 2:7). But as powerful as angels are, when Jesus returns, followers of Christ will be raised higher than them (1 Corinthians 6:3).
10. We don’t know when angels were created
Genesis 2:1 tells us that the angels were made at some point before the seventh day of creation: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them†(“host†here refers to the heavenly beings).
Exodus 20:11 is even more explicit: “In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day.†We can at least confirm that all the angels were created by the sixth day of creation.
But can we be any more specific? There may be a hint at the creation of angelic beings on the first day of creation, when we read that “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth†(Genesis 1:1), immediately followed by, “the earth was without form and void†(Genesis 1:2). There’s no mention of the heavens in this second verse. This may be intended to contrast the emptiness of the earth is with the heavens, where God already created angelic beings. This idea could be supported by Job, where we read that “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy†when God laid the “cornerstone†of the earth and sunk its “bases†(Job 38:6–7). If the angels (“the sons of Godâ€) shouted for joy when God was forming the earth, this could imply that God created the angelic beings early on the first day. However, this is only speculation."
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| "CONTINUED
"11. Angels are examples for us
Angels show us what perfect obedience looks like. Jesus teaches us to pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven†(Matthew 6:10), and in heaven God’s will is done by angels, immediately, joyfully, and without question. Their delight is to be God’s humble servants, faithfully performing their assigned tasks, great or small. Our desire and prayer should be that we will do the same.
Angels also model worship. John sees around God’s throne a great angelic army, “numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’†(Revelation 5:11–12). If the angels find it their highest joy to praise God continuously, shouldn’t we, too?
12. Angels carry out some of God’s plans
There are numerous ways in which angels carry out God’s plans on earth:
They frequently bring God’s messages to people (Luke 1:11–19, Acts 8:26, 10:3–8, 22, 27:23–24).
They carry out some of God’s judgments, bringing a plague upon Israel (2 Samuel 24:16–17), smiting the leaders of the Assyrian army (2 Chronicles 32:21), striking King Herod dead because he did not give God glory (Acts 12:23), or pouring out bowls of God’s wrath on the earth (Revelation 16:1).
When Christ returns, angels will come with him as a great army accompanying their King and Lord (Matthew 16:27, Luke 9:26, 2 Thessalonians 1:7).
They patrol the earth as God’s representatives (Zechariah 1:10–11).
They carry out war against demonic forces (Daniel 10:13; Revelation 12:7–.
John records that an angel “seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit . . .†(Revelation 20:1–3).
When Christ returns, an archangel will proclaim his coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16, see also Revelation 18:1–2, 21, 19:17–18, and other passages).
13. Angels directly glorify God
Humans aren’t the only intelligent, moral creatures who glorify God. The Psalmist declares:.
“Angels glorify God for who he is in himself, for his excellence.
Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
hearkening to the voice of his word!†(Psalm 103:20, see also 148:2)
The seraphim continually praise God for his holiness (Isaiah 6:2–3), and so do the four living creatures (Revelation 4:.
Angels also glorify God as they witness his plan unfold. When Christ was born in Bethlehem, a multitude of angels praised God and said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!†(Luke 2:14, see also Hebrews 1:6). Jesus tells us, “There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents†(Luke 15:10), indicating that angels rejoice when someone turns from sin and trusts in Christ.
Peter tells us that “angels long to look†(1 Peter 1:12) into the glories of the plan of salvation as it works out in the lives of believers each day. To emphasize the seriousness of particular commands, Paul reminds us that our actions are carried out in the presence of angelic witnesses: “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without favor, doing nothing from partiality†(1 Timothy 5:21, see also 1 Corinthians 4:9). If Timothy follows Paul’s instructions, angels will witness his obedience and glorify God. If he neglects to obey, angels will also see and be grieved.
14. Angels are not to be worshipped
“Worship of angels†was one of the false doctrines being taught at Colossae (Colossians 2:1. In the book of Revelation, an angel warns John not to worship him: “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God†(Revelation 19:10).
We shouldn’t pray to angels, either. God is able to answer prayer. Paul warns us against thinking that any other “mediator†can come between us and God, “for there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus†(1 Timothy 2:5). If we were to pray to angels, it would implicitly give them a status equal to God. There are no examples in Scripture of anyone praying to an angel or asking angels for help.
Moreover, Scripture gives us no warrant to seek appearances of angels. They manifest themselves unsought. To seek such appearances would seem to indicate an unhealthy curiosity or a desire for some kind of spectacular event rather than a love for God and devotion to him and his work. Though angels did appear to people at various times in Scripture, the people apparently never sought those appearances. Our role is rather to talk to the Lord, who is himself the commander of all angelic forces. However, it would not seem wrong to ask God to fulfill his promise in Psalm 91:11 to send angels to protect us in times of need.
The value of systematic theology
Much of what we see or hear about angels in culture is based on speculation, non-biblical sources, or just plain fantasy. The Bible has a lot to say about them—so much so, in fact, that it can be hard to say which of the things we hear about angels are rooted in Scripture. That’s where systematic theology is helpful: scholars like Wayne Grudem carefully organize everything the Bible says about a topic, so you can see it all at once."
***
https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/biblical-facts-angels
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| Most people have heard of angels and have some understanding of who angels are. Nevertheless, there also exists lot of misconception about them; regarding their gender and nature and what purpose they have in Heaven. Some people also pray to them. I\'ve come across an article that I think is excellent for clearing up the myths from the facts on this topic.
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"Angels are not male or female in the way that humans understand and experience gender. But whenever angels are mentioned in the Bible, the word translated “angel†is always used in the masculine form. Also, when angels appeared to people in the Bible, they were always seen as men. And when they were given names, the names were always masculine.
The Hebrew and Greek word for angel is always male.
The Greek word angelos and the Hebrew word מֲלְ×ָךְ (malak) are both masculine nouns translated “angel,†meaning a messenger from God (Strong’s 32 and 4397).
“Praise the LORD, you his angels [malak], you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.†(Psalm 103:20)
“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels [angelos], numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’†(Revelation 5:11-12)
When angels appeared to people in the Bible, they were always seen as men.
Two angels appeared as men when they ate at Lot’s house in Sodom in Genesis 19:1-22 and sent him and his family away before destroying the city.
“The angel of the LORD†told Samson’s mother she would have a son. She described the angel to her husband as “a man of God†in Judges 13.
An “angel of the Lord†appeared as a man described as “like lighting, and his clothes were white as snow†(Matthew 28:3). This angel rolled back stone in front of Jesus’ tomb in Matthew 28.
When they were given names, the names were always masculine.
The only named angels in the Bible are Gabriel and Michael.
Michael was mentioned first in Daniel 10:13, then in Daniel 21, Jude 9, and Revelation 12:7-8.
Gabriel was mentioned in Daniel 8:12, Daniel 9:21 in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Gabriel announced John the Baptist’s birth to Zechariah in Luke 1, then Jesus’ birth to Mary later in Luke 1.
Two Women with Wings in Zechariah
Some read the prophecy in Zechariah 5:5-11 and interpret the two women with wings as female angels.
“Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, ‘Look up and see what is appearing.’ I asked, ‘What is it?’ He replied, ‘It is a basket.’ And he added, ‘This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.’ Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, ‘This is wickedness,’ and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it. Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth. ‘Where are they taking the basket?’ I asked the angel who was speaking to me. He replied, ‘To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place†(Zechariah 5:5-11).
The angel talking with the prophet Zechariah is described with the masculine word malak and masculine pronouns. However, confusion arises when, in the prophecy, two women with wings fly away with the basket of wickedness. The women are described with wings of a stork (an unclean bird), but not called angels. As this is a prophecy full of imagery, readers are not required to take the metaphors literally. This prophecy conveys imagery of Israel’s unrepentant sin and its consequences.
As the Cambridge commentary puts it, “No meaning need be sought for the details of this verse. They merely convey the fact, clothed in imagery in keeping with the vision, that wickedness was borne swiftly from the land.â€
Why are Angels Often Depicted as Females in Art and Culture?
A Christianity Today article links female depictions of angels with ancient pagan traditions that may have been integrated into Christian thought and art.
“Many pagan religions featured winged servants of the gods (such as Hermes), and some of these were distinctly female. Some pagan goddesses had wings, too, and behaved somewhat like angels: making sudden appearances, delivering messages, fighting battles, wielding swords.â€
Outside of Christianity and Judaism, pagans worshipped idols with wings and other attributes associate with biblical angels, such as the Greek goddess, Nike, who is portrayed with angel-like wings and is considered the messenger of victory.
While angels are not male or female in human terms and popular cultures artistically expresses them as female, the Bible consistently identifies angels in masculine terms. "
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/angels-and-demons/are-angels-male-or-female.html
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GENESIS 1
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,†and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,†and the darkness he called “night.†And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.†7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.†And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.†And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,†and the gathered waters he called “seas.†And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.†And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.†And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.†21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.†23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.†And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.â€
27
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.â€
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.†And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
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| Helios — The Sun God of the Greeks
Greek sun god
Name: Helios
Religion: Greek Gods and Goddesses
Realms: God associated with the Sun
Family: Son of Hyperion and Theia
Fun Fact: In his honor, athletic games were held on the island of Rhodes every five years
Helios is having none of your clever words. He promises to smite you should you try that funny business on him or any of the other gods and goddesses again. In fact, if you defy him, he plans on feeding you to the dragons, which pull him around in lieu of a horse-drawn chariot.
This is also the same vessel that unfortunately killed his son Phaethon when the youngster failed to control the horses and Zeus struck him down. Zeus wasn’t being mean — had he not destroyed Phaethon, the careening solar chariot would’ve set the world on fire.
To make matters worse (or his mood, rather), Helios wasn’t widely worshiped. Other cultures put their solar deity on a pedestal. But the Greeks? It was a little beneath them; they viewed Sun worship as something the barbarian hordes did.
However, Helios, a Titan god, had a strong following and was the patron deity and city god on the island of Rhodes where his famous bronze statue guarded the harbor. The huge figure was among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World until an earthquake did away with it.
You send Helios the sun god on his way. If anything, he must be blaming the ancient Greeks for their vague sun worship and lack of scrolls — those maybe would have helped, if they clearly stated whether he did or did not own the sun.
~~~~~~~
Apollo is the Olympian god of the sun and light, music and poetry, healing and plagues, prophecy and knowledge, order and beauty, archery and agriculture. An embodiment of the Hellenic ideal of kalokagathia, he is harmony, reason and moderation personified, a perfect blend of physical superiority and moral virtue. A complex deity who turns up in art and literature possibly as often as Zeus himself, Apollo is the only major god who appears with the same name in both Greek and Roman mythology.
The origin of the name Apollo is still not properly understood. Many Greeks seem to have supposed that it stands for “destroyer,†but this was only one of the many suggestions (“redemptory,†“purifier,†“assembler,†“stonyâ€). Modern scholars disagree with most of them, with the majority linking Apollo’s name to the Greek word apella which means “a sheepfold,†and which may suggest that Apollo was originally merely a protector of the flocks and herds.
However, in time, he evolved to become a multifaceted god adored all over Greece as the perfectly developed classical male nude, the kouros. Beardless and athletically built, he is often depicted with a laurel crown on his head and either a bow and arrow or a lyre and plectrum in his hands. The sacrificial tripod – representing his prophetic powers – was another common attribute of Apollo, just as few animals linked with the god in various myths: wolf, dolphin, python, mouse, deer, swan.
Apollo was in charge of so many things that, naturally, even his more famous epithets are numerous. As a sun god, he was called “Phoebus,†or “bright.†As a prophet, the Greeks called him “Loxias,†or “The One Who Speaks Crookedly.†As the god of music, he was known as the “Leader of the Muses.†Finally, the places of Apollo’s birth and worship adorned him with three other appellations: “Delian,†“Delphic,†and “Pythian.â€
Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. As one of the numerous Zeus’s lovers, his mother incurred the wrath of Hera, who sent the dragon Python to pursue Leto throughout all lands and forbade her to give birth anywhere on solid earth. Nobody would accept the pregnant Titaness, except for the island of Delos, where Leto first delivered Artemis while balancing her body on an olive branch. Afterward, Artemis helped her mother deliver Apollo as well.
Fed exclusively with nectar and ambrosia, in merely four days Apollo grew strong and hungry for revenge. So, he went straight away to Parnassus where Python lived, and wounded the monster with his arrows. Python managed to escape and shelter itself at Gaea’s ancient sanctuary in Delphi. Apollo was so enraged that he dared to violate the sanctity of the site by staining it with Python’s blood. Zeus ordered Apollo to cleanse himself, after which he returned to Delphi and claimed the shrine to his name.
After these events, Delos and Delphi became sacred sites for the worship of Zeus, Leto, Artemis, and, especially, Apollo. The high priestess Pythia presided over the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, serving as its enigmatic oracle.
The day he was born, Hermes invented the lyre and stole Apollo’s cattle. So as to appease his older brother after he found out what happened, Hermes offered Apollo his new invention. Ever since then, the lyre became one of Apollo’s most famous attributes, and its most celebrated master.
However, Apollo’s virtuosity would be challenged on at least three different occasions. The first one to dare do such a thing was the least fortunate one, the satyr Marsyas. He wasn’t bad at all playing the aulos (the double flute), even equaling Apollo’s skill. However, he ultimately lost the contest, since, unlike Apollo, he couldn’t sing while playing. As punishment, Marsyas was hanged inside a cave and was subsequently flayed alive.
Source: https://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Apollo/apollo.html |
| Exodus 14
English Standard Version
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh\'s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.†And they did so.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?†6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh\'s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.†13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.â€
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.â€
19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night[a] without one coming near the other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh\'s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging[b] their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.â€
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.†27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw[c] the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
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| Exodus 15:22-27
Bitter Water Made Sweet
22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?†25 And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.â€
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.
Exodus 16
Bread from Heaven
16 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.â€
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day\'s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.†6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?†8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.â€
9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’†10 And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’â€
13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?†For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’†17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.†20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’†24 So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.â€
27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.†30 So the people rested on the seventh day. |
| And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
Most people assume that everything that bears the label "Christian" must have originated with Jesus Christ and His early followers. But this is definitely not the case. All we have to do is look at the words of Jesus Christ and His apostles to see that this is clearly not true.
The historical record shows that, just as Jesus and the New Testament writers foretold, various heretical ideas and teachers rose up from within the early Church and infiltrated it from without. Christ Himself warned His followers: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name . . . and will deceive many" (Matthew 24:4-5).
You can read many similar warnings in other passages (such as Matthew 24:11; Acts 20:29-30; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; 2 Peter 2:1-2; 1 John 2:18-26; 1 John 4:1-3).
Barely two decades after Christ\'s death and resurrection, the apostle Paul wrote that many believers were already "turning away . . . to a different gospel" (Galatians 1:6). He wrote that he was forced to contend with "false apostles, deceitful workers" who were fraudulently "transforming themselves into apostles of Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:13). One of the major problems he had to deal with was "false brethren" (2 Corinthians 11:26).
By late in the first century, as we see from 3 John 9-10, conditions had grown so dire that false ministers openly refused to receive representatives of the apostle John and were excommunicating true Christians from the Church!
Of this troubling period Edward Gibbon, the famed historian, wrote in his classic work The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire of a "dark cloud that hangs over the first age of the church" (1821, Vol. 2, p. 111).
It wasn\'t long before true servants of God became a marginalized and scattered minority among those calling themselves Christian. A very different religion, now compromised with many concepts and practices rooted in ancient paganism (such mixing of religious beliefs being known as syncretism, common in the Roman Empire at the time), took hold and transformed the faith founded by Jesus Christ.
Historian Jesse Hurlbut says of this time of transformation: "We name the last generation of the first century, from 68 to 100 A.D., \'The Age of Shadows,\' partly because the gloom of persecution was over the church, but more especially because of all the periods in the [church\'s] history, it is the one about which we know the least. We have no longer the clear light of the Book of Acts to guide us; and no author of that age has filled the blank in the history . . .
"For fifty years after St. Paul\'s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120 A.D. with the writings of the earliest church fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul" (The Story of the Christian Church, 1970, p. 33).
This "very different" church would grow in power and influence, and within a few short centuries would come to dominate even the mighty Roman Empire!
By the second century, faithful members of the Church, Christ\'s "little flock" (Luke 12:32), had largely been scattered by waves of deadly persecution. They held firmly to the biblical truth about Jesus Christ and God the Father, though they were persecuted by the Roman authorities as well as those who professed Christianity but were in reality teaching "another Jesus" and a "different gospel" (2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6-9). |
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