Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 08091 The phrase “powers and principalities” appears in several New Testament passages and has become almost a shorthand in Christian vocabulary for the unseen spiritual forces at work in the world. But what does the language actually mean, and what does it tell us about the organisation and activity of the spiritual realm? The…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 08092 Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” The phrase “god of this world” is a startling title, and it raises immediate questions. In what sense is…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 08090 In Daniel 10, the prophet receives a vision and is told by an angelic messenger that his arrival was delayed for twenty-one days because “the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me” (Daniel 10:13). This “prince of Persia” is not a human ruler. He is a powerful spiritual being capable of opposing…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 08085 Scripture is clear that Satan faces eternal judgement in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). But what about the vast host of fallen angels who followed him in rebellion? Will demons be judged separately from Satan, and does Scripture tell us anything about how and when that judgement takes place? The Judgement Prepared…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 08082 When John describes an angel descending from heaven with “a great chain in his hand” to bind Satan for a thousand years, the image is striking and has generated considerable discussion. What does this chain represent, and should we understand it as a literal, physical restraint placed on a spiritual being? The Vision…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 08083 One of the most puzzling details in the Bible’s eschatological narrative is the release of Satan after the Millennium. If he has been bound for a thousand years and the reign of Christ has been established on earth, why would God let him loose again? It seems counterintuitive, even troubling, that a period…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 08131 Few questions in theology generate as much emotional difficulty as this one. If God is good, if He knew from eternity past what Satan would become and what devastation his rebellion would cause, why did He create him at all? The question feels urgent because it touches on the deepest issues of God’s…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 08128 The question of whether demons can perform miracles touches on something that matters deeply for discernment in the life of the church. If the answer is a straightforward no, then the supernatural becomes a reliable indicator of divine activity. If the answer is more nuanced, as Scripture suggests it is, then believers need…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 08141 Few pastoral situations require more care than the moment a church member approaches their pastor and says, “An angel spoke to me.” The claim touches on deeply held convictions about the supernatural, personal experience, and spiritual authority, and handling it badly can damage the person, the congregation, or both. Getting it right requires…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 08140 The New Testament contains a remarkable statement about the future relationship between believers and angels, one that sits uncomfortably with the instinctive assumption that angelic beings are permanently our superiors. Paul tells the Corinthians that the saints will judge angels, and this claim has significant implications for how Christians understand both their present…