The Holy Scriptures tell us that God’s first creations were angels, probably billions, perhaps trillions of them.  He then created the earth and assigned the archangel Lucifer (light-bearer) and 1/3 of the angels the responsibility of caring for it.   Lucifer and his angelic assistants rebelled against their Creator and the rest is history.  The Book of Revelation tells us that, following judgment, Lucifer (Satan) and his fellow rebels (devils/demons) will be cast into the Lake of Fire along with those human beings who had obeyed them.  The human rebels will burn to ash which will be tread upon by God’s saints.  The rebellious angelic beings, being spirit which cannot die, will live forever in fiery torment.  Though we are not told this, I believe that it is those angels whom the saints will judge.  Those angels who remained true to the Lord serve Him by helping His obedient saints as they battle Satan and his fallen angels throughout this life.  Incredibly, God tells His saints that they will rule His holy angels in the world to come.  This heavenly arrangement is the subject of this series.

In the Book of Revelation (apocalypse–revealing) we find the Apostle John “in spirit” (outside his normal physical and mental status).  He has been transported forward in time and where he will have revealed to him things that were to come upon the earth during that time setting–the final three and one-half years of this age.  John finds himself in the presence of Jesus Who instructs him to write in a book every thing he was about to see and hear.  The book John recorded is what is called the Apocalypse (Revelation) of prophetic events, called “signs,” which we who are living in this final age of this world.  Today’s older generation of saints, having read about the earlier signs and having witnessed some of the others come to pass,  are now watching the latter signs materialize.  Jesus said that the generation that witnessed the last of those signs would see Him return to earth (Mk. 13:5-33).  Bear in mind that what John recorded was visionary–not actually taking place at that time.  Having received from God mental pictures of future events, I can assure the reader that visions  from Him are as realistic at the time as they are later when they come to pass.  The Book of Revelation contains much information that does not relate to the subject at hand–the saints’ future relationship with God’s angels.  We will, however, delve into some of that information in our study of that relationship.

In chapter 21 verses 1-8 John writes his own words, which are then followed by the Words of Jesus Christ.  In verses 1-4 the apostle describes what he had seen and heard in vision up to that point.  He saw God the Father sitting on His throne.  He saw His New heaven and new earth, the old heaven and old earth having passed away.  He saw New Jerusalem coming down from heaven.  He then heard a great voice coming from heaven which recited Isaiah 25:8: “The tabernacle (Gr.–skene–dwelling) of God is with men” (His saints–Eph. 2:21).  This was followed by Words from Exodus 29:45: “He will dwell with them,” followed by, “they will be His people and God Himself will be their God,” (Ezekiel 27:37).  The One sitting on the throne promised that He would one day remove all pain, sorrow, fear and death from the lives of His true servants.

Then the One sitting on the throne spoke Words that are recorded in Revelation 21:5-8: “Behold, I make all things new ….  Write, for these things (His Words) are true and faithful.” He then said to John, “It is finished.  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.  I will give to him who thirsts water (Words) from the fountain of life.  He (anyone) who overcomes (Satan’s temptation to sin) will receive these (promised) things, and (then) I will be his God and he will be My Son.”  Notice that one must overcome Satan (as did Jesus–Rev. 3:21) in order to be a son of God in this life.  Proof that the promise of sonship refers to this life is found in verse 8: “But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars will have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone ….”  There will be no fearful, unbelieving, abominable, etc. people in God’s future kingdom.  Such people will have been cast into the Lake of Fire.  Therefore the Words spoken by the Lord in verses 5-8 refer to the time in which we now live.

Notice that in verses 5 through 8 the Almighty said nothing about Adam’s sin-transferal miracle, about Christ’s sin-abolishing death, about His grace, about believers having the right to sin with impunity, about the serial sin-repentance cycle in which church people live, etc.  These subjects are preached repeatedly and believed totally by those who call themselves by His name.  Having been one of them and having preached those same lies, I know what I am writing about.

The future of the Lord’s Very Elect is the exact opposite of those who claim to be His children but do not obey Him.  Those few (Mat. 7:13,14) who believe and obey Him, who reject Satan’s Catholic/Protestant church system and who embrace His (God’s) Truth will spend eternity with Him in His Kingdom.  They will one day rule, first the earth, then the entire universe.  See God’s Very Elect: Future Caretakers of the Universe.  It is these few who will one day judge and rule angels.

In 1 Corinthians 6:3 the Apostle Paul is chastizing the people of the Corinthian church because they would not judge the situations that had arizen between church members, but had instead taken the matter before the civil authorities who were not God’s people.  He wrote in verses 2 and 3: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? and if the world will by judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?  Do you not know that YOU WILL JUDGE ANGELS? how much more then the things that pertain to this life?”

I had read that statement many times over the years before being truly converted and receiving the mind of Christ.  This heavenly gift enabled the Holy Spirit to reveal Truths to me which beforehand had been hidden from me by the master deceiver–Satan.  Without the gifts of Christ-mindedness and His level of faith we are all ignorant of the Lord’s “fine print” that is absolutely vital to understanding His will and way.  In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Philippians 2:5 and Galatians 3:22 we are told that we have available to us the same mentality and faith that Jesus had when He walked this earth.  He was a man like every other man.  Upon becoming a human He retained none of the powers that were His in His previous life in which He was the Word–a co-equal God with the One Who became His Father when He (the Word) came to earth as Jesus of Nazareth (Phil. 2:5-8).  I realize that this revelation might come as a shock to some readers.  For a more complete study of the subject see Jesus of Nazareth: God, Man or God-man.  It will change your whole perspective relative to what is required of those who seek eternal life.  L.J.