When were the Angels created?
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:54 pm
Can anyone help me with this question? Here is what I got so far:
While the passages in Genesis don't mention the creation of angles, but mention only the making of the firmament, sun, moon, stars, and animals, it must be carefully marked by the reader that in Nehemiah 9:6 the objects of God’s making include the heavens, the heaven of heavens, and the earth, and everything contained in and on it, and the seas and everything they contain, as well as the hosts of heaven (probably angels).
The view I'm leaning toward -The angels which also were created (Psalms 148:2-5 and Ex 20:11) were witnesses of the creation of the foundations of the earth and shouted for joy. (Job 38:4-7) The time of their creation is never definitely specified, but I think it is most probable that it occurred in connection with the creation of the heavens in Genesis 1:1. It may be that God created the angels immediately after He had created the heavens and before He created the earth—for according to Job 38:4-7, “the sons of God shouted for joy” when He laid the foundations of the earth.
Other views:Some teach that angels were created on the second day of Creation. They see this reflected in Psalms 104 where we read in the third verse: "Who roofs His upper chambers with water," and in the following verse, "He makes His angels spirits…" therefore some concluded that the angels where created on the second day, the same day that God divided the waters, creating an "upper chambers with water."
In addition, in the description of the story of creation (Genesis 1), there’s an interesting lingual anomaly. After the first day of creation vs.5 "It was evening it was day, one day." After the succeeding days, verses 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31, "It was evening it was day, the second day... third day... fourth day... etc." Following this sequence, after the first day it should logically have said, "It was evening it was day, the first day"? Why "one day"? From this some say that the first day was a day of "oneness," when God was one and alone, for the angels, were created on the following day or later.
Others however, taught that angels were created on the fifth day. They point out that the words used in Genesis to describe the creation of the birds (on the fifth day) are similar to the words used by Isaiah to describe the angels (in Isaiah 6).
Perhaps it can be said that certain groups of angels were created on the second day of creation and others on the fifth. We may never know.
Nehemiah 9:6 You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.
* Some, however, have pointed out what they perceive to be a serious “time problem” inherent with some of these viewpoints. Their suggestion is that if God had created angels on day one or day five of the Creation week, then there would not have been enough time for Satan to rebel against Jehovah and to be cast out of heaven (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Rev??) prior to the events recorded in Genesis 3.
* Those who contend that the angels were created prior to the first day of the Creation week and believe Satan is an angel do not believe that the texts in Genesis 2:1 and Exodus 20:11 are speaking of angelic beings.
My conclusion so far:
Nothing was with God before the creation in Genesis 1 so the angels had to be created after genesis 1. When? I’m not sure.
While the passages in Genesis don't mention the creation of angles, but mention only the making of the firmament, sun, moon, stars, and animals, it must be carefully marked by the reader that in Nehemiah 9:6 the objects of God’s making include the heavens, the heaven of heavens, and the earth, and everything contained in and on it, and the seas and everything they contain, as well as the hosts of heaven (probably angels).
The view I'm leaning toward -The angels which also were created (Psalms 148:2-5 and Ex 20:11) were witnesses of the creation of the foundations of the earth and shouted for joy. (Job 38:4-7) The time of their creation is never definitely specified, but I think it is most probable that it occurred in connection with the creation of the heavens in Genesis 1:1. It may be that God created the angels immediately after He had created the heavens and before He created the earth—for according to Job 38:4-7, “the sons of God shouted for joy” when He laid the foundations of the earth.
Other views:Some teach that angels were created on the second day of Creation. They see this reflected in Psalms 104 where we read in the third verse: "Who roofs His upper chambers with water," and in the following verse, "He makes His angels spirits…" therefore some concluded that the angels where created on the second day, the same day that God divided the waters, creating an "upper chambers with water."
In addition, in the description of the story of creation (Genesis 1), there’s an interesting lingual anomaly. After the first day of creation vs.5 "It was evening it was day, one day." After the succeeding days, verses 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31, "It was evening it was day, the second day... third day... fourth day... etc." Following this sequence, after the first day it should logically have said, "It was evening it was day, the first day"? Why "one day"? From this some say that the first day was a day of "oneness," when God was one and alone, for the angels, were created on the following day or later.
Others however, taught that angels were created on the fifth day. They point out that the words used in Genesis to describe the creation of the birds (on the fifth day) are similar to the words used by Isaiah to describe the angels (in Isaiah 6).
Perhaps it can be said that certain groups of angels were created on the second day of creation and others on the fifth. We may never know.
Nehemiah 9:6 You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.
* Some, however, have pointed out what they perceive to be a serious “time problem” inherent with some of these viewpoints. Their suggestion is that if God had created angels on day one or day five of the Creation week, then there would not have been enough time for Satan to rebel against Jehovah and to be cast out of heaven (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Rev??) prior to the events recorded in Genesis 3.
* Those who contend that the angels were created prior to the first day of the Creation week and believe Satan is an angel do not believe that the texts in Genesis 2:1 and Exodus 20:11 are speaking of angelic beings.
My conclusion so far:
Nothing was with God before the creation in Genesis 1 so the angels had to be created after genesis 1. When? I’m not sure.