Sons of God
Narrative History, the book of Job, is the oldest book in the Bible, believed to have been written around 2100-1800 B.C. It stands on its own merits and requires minimal interpretation. The characters in its pages are real and non-fictional.
The main character is Job himself, and his existence is corroborated not only in the Book of Job but also in the Book of Ezekiel and the Book of James.
Ezekiel 14:14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 14:20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
James 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
Job, a man chosen by God to be attacked by Satan, embodies faithfulness and remains steadfast in his devotion to God. Even during times of immense suffering, the Book of Job serves as a testament to God’s sovereignty and unwavering faithfulness. The story of Job is based on a real event, making it a reliable source of information, as it accurately portrays the events and characters involved.
Spiritualizing away Scripture involves interpreting literal historical events in a spiritual manner, assigning secondary meanings to them. Spiritualization posits that every noun and many verbs possess hidden meanings, which discerning believers can decipher. It is believed that this requires great wisdom.
Believers are easily swayed by this notion, assuming that the person sharing spiritual interpretations is more knowledgeable or closer to God than they are. However, when these interpretations are applied to almost every word in the Bible, spiritualization becomes an exaggeration, claiming that the hidden meanings offered are diverse and provide any real significance.
For instance, the word “adversary” is defined as one’s opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute, such as a rival, enemy, antagonist, combatant, challenger, contender, competitor, or opposer. While an adversary can be used in various contexts, it should not be employed solely to describe something or someone in a negative manner.
An adversary is never defined as the Lord, the Almighty, the Creator, the Maker, Jehovah, or Yahweh. Similarly, the word “ADVERSARY” is not identified as Christ, the Messiah, or the Son of God. Neither the definition of the word “ADVERSARY” nor that of “Satan” is defined.
However, the definition of Satan is “ADVERSARY,” but it is incorrect to use Satan to interpret the word “ADVERSARY.”
The fallen angel of Job, as named in the book, is referred to as Satan by the author. The Lord spoke to Satan, and the writer used this as the angel’s proper name. In Job, Satan is not used as a descriptor of a human being.
Another word that is often misinterpreted is “messenger.” A messenger can be a person who carries a message or is employed to deliver messages. They can be couriers, runners, envoys, emissaries, agents, go-betweens, message-bearers, postmen, letter carriers, mailmen, or legates.
While angels can be messengers, the word “messenger” is never used as a definition for “angel.” Descriptions of the subject of the soul do not limit or contain it in any way. This is similar to describing a man as a preacher; it doesn’t limit him or prevent him from being something else.
Angels, being used as messengers by angels, can also be called messengers. However, they are not limited to being strictly messengers.
Angels are also ministering spirits, so Satan can be a ministering spirit, both for good and evil. In Job’s story, Satan was an evil ministering spirit. Similarly, Judas, a messenger, and called a devil, was also an evil ministering spirit.
Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Just as Messenger and Adversary can be used correctly or incorrectly, the term “sons of God” can be used to describe both angels and children of God. Luke 20:36 provides an account of this.
Luke 20:36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
Jesus, our Savior, declared that the resurrected dead were EQUAL to the angels. Since the resurrected and angels were EQUAL, angels were also recognized as children of God. Not only are angels and the resurrected EQUAL as children of God, but they are also EQUAL in the fact that they will never die again. This means that angels, at one time, had the ability to die like any other soul, but their deaths will occur in the future. Matthew clearly states that angels will perish.
Matthew 25:41 (KJV) 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Job, the first book written, serves as a reference for understanding word usages. The book of Job provides a clear insight into the identity of the “sons of God.” Notably, Job himself is not included as one of the sons of God in the Book of Job. If the sons of God were indeed men, Job would have been counted among them.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came alsoamong them.
Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Job 1:6 and Job 2:1 are explained by Job 38:7. Job 38 explains that the “sons of God” were present with the morning stars. The scriptures suggest that the “morning stars” were singing as the “sons of God” shouted their presence when God laid the foundations of the earth?
The realization or the unseen reality is that these "Morning Stars and Sons of God" existed before Adam was ever created. In Job 38, the Lord inquires about the time of creation. He asserts that there were beings present with Him, including Jesus, who proclaimed the glory of the Lord’s creation, even though there was no human presence.
Job 38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
Job 38 clearly describes beings, other than humans, as "sons of God”.
There are other accounts written about who accompanied God during the formation of the world’s foundations in the creation account of man in Genesis.
Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
The phrase “Let us” suggests that there were more than one being involved in the creation of Adam. In Genesis 1:26, the “us” refers to God and one or more other angelic beings. The Book of John provides further clarification on this matter.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
The Word, as depicted in John chapter 1, refers to Jesus Christ. Jesus was present from the beginning. In Genesis 1:26, God addressed more than just Jesus.
Jesus created “ALL” things, as mentioned in John 1:3, including angels. Among these angels were those who were faithful to him, accepted Jesus as their Lord, and were considered “sons of God.” John 1:12 offers evidence of this.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
There are no limits to who can receive Jesus, even angels. The angels, as "sons of God", were not created during the creation of the earth but were of God created by the Holy Spirit before the foundation of the world. There is a deeper meaning to John 1:12-13, which has been limited only by scholars.
Before the creation of man, Satan was included among the “sons of God” in Job. Job implies that Satan was once part of the “sons of God” and an angel.
However, at the time of the meeting of the “sons of God” in Job’s story, Satan was not included among them. By the time of Job, Satan, along with other angels, had lost his first estate.
Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Job doesn’t provide a reason for the "sons of God’s" presentation; it simply states that they were presenting themselves. However, due to Satan’s presentation, Job does offer an understanding that the sons of God would be held accountable for their actions and whereabouts.
Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From goingto and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Satan had to provide an explanation of his whereabouts and actions. Similarly, the other sons of God would adhere to this established protocol when addressing the Lord during their presentations. Through this account, we can comprehend that Job 1:7 is indeed a conversation between the Lord and Satan, a ministering spirit.
Satan wasn’t aimlessly wandering, daydreaming. Instead, Satan was among humans, tempting them. As the fallen Angel of God, Satan was never a ministering Spirit of Good to mankind. Instead, Satan only ministered evil through temptation.
Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
The devil, Satan, was a sinner from the very beginning, as a son of God, from the very beginning of creation.
1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
This scripture also demonstrates that Jesus did not destroy the entity of Satan but rather destroyed his works. The angel, Satan, had a task to accomplish among humanity’s seas (the world). Satan tempts and influences anyone he can, striving to prevent mankind from inheriting eternal life. The reason Satan opposes mankind’s eternal life is that, as the Serpent in Genesis 3, he was cursed to consume the dusk, which is humanity.
Genesis 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
As long as Satan is dependent on “dust” or mankind for survival, he must ensure that mankind never achieves perfection. When all of mankind is perfected, there will be no more death, no one for Satan to sustain himself, and no more “dust.”
It makes sense for Satan to be present alongside the sons of God in Job. This is to ensure that the Lord’s most perfect man is defeated at the earliest possible moment of perfection. If the Lord was willing to allow Satan to test Job, Satan was more than willing to do so. Satan attempted to influence Job to deny God, but Satan’s testing of Job ultimately led to Job becoming a much better man of God. God used Satan as a ministering evil angel. Another proof text from the Book of Job that supports the idea of fallen angels and the sons of God is when a “Spirit" spoke with Eliphaz the Temanite.
Job 4:17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
Job 4:18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:
Job 4:19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
This “Spirit" speaks of the entire heavenly host and the trials they endured, some emerging victorious, others charged with “folly", as evident in the host’s praise of God for the Messiah’s birth (Luke 2:13), while others met with disastrous consequences and are condemned to eternal fire (Mark 25:13).
Job distinguishes between God’s servants (sinless angels), the (sinful) angels, and mortal man. In Job 4:17, 18 and 19, Job refers to mankind. God asserts that if the (sinful) angelic host were held accountable for disobedience (folly), so too would mortal man, without God, who reside in clay houses.
In conclusion, determining that Job’s “sons of God” are only men because men are more frequently referred to as “sons of God” in the Bible than angels is an error. The term “sons of God” is accurately used in Job to describe and to convey angels. Similarly, every messenger or ministering spirit is not an angel, and not every adversary is Satan. Hopefully, after careful study, I have provided readers with a better understanding of Job.
By Charles E. Cohenour Jr., servant of God.
