Do angels rule over nations? Are they in charge? What does the Bible say?
Deuteronomy 32:8 has changed my world-view!
It made me realise that I had to adjust my own view to that which I saw was written.
If that which is written is different from what we thought before then we change our thoughts.
We don’t change what is written. We accept it.
“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.”
Deuteronomy 32:8 (ESV)
The Greek version of the Old Testament interprets “sons of God” as angels and thus translates the key phrase “he fixed bounds of the peoples according to the number of the angels of God” This passage is best explained as teaching that “all nations of the earth are given over into the control of angelic powers.”*
Nine translations state either “sons of God” or “the number in his heavenly court” or “the number of the heavenly assembly” or “angels of God” or “He assigned to each nation a heavenly being.”**
Deuteronomy 32:8 leads us to understand that the bible teaches that God put an angel/angels over each nation. That is to say; each nation has an angel/s over it.
(Some translations use the phrase “people/sons of Israel” instead of “sons of God”. For more about “sons of God” click here)
*Clinton E. Arnold. Powers of Darkness: Principalities & Powers in Paul’s Letters (Kindle Locations 665)
**Deuteronomy 32:8 https://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/32-8.htm (accessed 28 August, 2019)
Daniel 10
“12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” –Daniel 10:12-14 (ESV)
“20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.” –Daniel 10:20-21 (ESV)
The many references to princes are to angelic powers. The title of authority probably indicates that these various angelic princes are leading hosts of other angelic powers into battle. The word prince in this passage is translated from the word archon in one of the Greek versions of the book of Daniel. Archon is a word that all four of the Gospel writers and Paul later used either for Satan or for evil spirit powers. There appears to be a direct correspondence between the outcome of the angelic battles and the fortunes of the corresponding nations.*
Daniel 10 not only speaks of angels set over nations, but gives us insight into the fact that some of these angels have rebelled. Daniel had been fasting and praying when God sent an angel with a message and an answer to Daniel. But the angel was held up by the prince of Persia who withstood the angel for twenty-one days.
Why could the prince of Persia hold him up if it were not for the fact that he had authority over a territory and therefore had the right to prevent the angel with a message from passing through. The angel who delivered the message to Daniel knew that, upon his departure, the prince of Greece would come.
*Clinton E. Arnold. Powers of Darkness: Principalities & Powers in Paul’s Letters (Kindle Locations 673-676)
Daniel 12
Berean Study Bible
“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.”
Daniel 10 gives insight into the fact that the prince over Israel is Michael. Michael is spoken of as “your prince” to Daniel who was an Israelite. Michael is Israel’s prince.
Daniel 12:1 refers to him as the one who protects Israel.
It is my opinion that God chose to work with Israel as his “chosen nation” through whom the Messiah would come because their angel had not rebelled.
Job 1:6
“One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.” –Job 1:6
It makes sense that the sons of God had to present themselves before God because they would surely have had to give an account of that which they had been put in charge of as territorial spirits.
...an excerpt from his article & a clip from Doug Hamp about the sons of God
“We have seen that the evidence from the New Testament interprets the sons of God in Noah’s day as being fallen angels that mixed their seed with women. All of the ante-Nicene Church Fathers (before the council of Nicaea) believed that the sons of God in Genesis 6 were to be identified as fallen angels. Both Jewish and Christian interpreters believed that a select group of angels, who had previously fallen, took women and fathered children by them. They did not see this as an impossibility nor a problem theologically. In fact, it was the key that solved many riddles. By rejecting the simple and literal interpretation, later interpreters have had to disregard the text in order to make it fit their preconceived notion. The implications for our study are huge: if the fallen angels did that once, then they will do it again as Jesus Himself prophesied “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be,” (Matthew 24:37).
The idea that the sons of God were the supposed sons of Seth is conspicuously absent from these ancient commentators. If the vast majority of interpreters had believed them to be the sons of Seth and the women to be the daughters of Cain then we might be forced to reconsider our conclusion; the fact is, however, that 100% of them (before Augustine) confirm our conclusion that Satan has been trying to mix his seed with humans and thereby thwart the Genesis 3:15 prophecy. Only when Augustine began reinterpreting the Old Testament allegorically, so that he could reinterpret the literal promises made to Israel and apply them to the church, did the sons of Seth explanation take root.” – excerpt from “Part Six: The Sons of God According to Ancient Sources” by Doug Hamp. To read the full article, click HERE
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