Q: My husband listens to you all the time. He’s a Sunday school teacher, a director of a prison ministry, and he loves the Lord.
In one of your messages you stated that Satan was an angel. My husband keeps saying he was not an angel, but a cherub. I couldn’t believe that he had something to say in opposition to you—it just doesn’t happen.
Asked by: Sharon
A: Well Sharon, thank you so much for your email, and would you tell your husband this, he’s right in this sense:
When the Bible speaks about the cherub or the cherubim, which is the plural form, it does not say expressly that they are angels.
But every theologian that I know puts cherubim in the same category as seraphim. These are different grades or different ranks of angels. So when the Bible says that Lucifer was a cherub, I believe that means he was an angel.
Take for example the cherubim: they’re mentioned in the book of Genesis, when they’re asked to guard the way to the tree of life. Later on, they show up in the book of Ezekiel, and other places in Scripture. It seems as if they’re always vindicating the holiness of God over against the pride of man.
So, Sharon tell your dear husband that he may be right, that I can’t point to a text that says that the cherubim are actually angels. But every theology book that I know puts them within the angel category because their description fits.
Meanwhile, tell your husband to keep listening and contact me when I make a mistake. God bless both of you.
Scripture references
- There are no Scripture references.