From Heavenly to Earthly: Angelic Body Changes

ANGELIC BODY CHANGES

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:  (2 Corinthians 5:1-2 KJV)

The word translated as “house” in 2 Corinthians 5:1-2 is two versions of the same Greek root word but with different meanings although both versions are translated using the same English word of “house”.  “For we know that if our earthly house” which uses oikía and is defined as a house, building or dwelling.  Thus, it is a person’s flesh and blood earthly, human body.  In verse 2, “our house which is from heaven” uses the Greek word oikētēríou,  which is defined as:  a dwelling, habitation, abode, e.g., of angels.  The complete Word Study definition is given below.

οἰκητήριον

oikētḗrion; gen. oikētēríou, neut. noun from oikéō (G3611), to dwell. A dwelling, habitation, abode, e.g., of angels, who supposedly relinquished heaven out of love for the daughters of men (Jud_1:6; see Gen_6:2). Figuratively of the future spiritual body as the abode of the soul (2Co_5:2; Sept.: Jer_25:30).

Paul is stating that our heavenly body or abode will be as the angels or created beings.  The Word Study definition also presupposes the concept that the Watcher angels of Genesis 6:2 relinquished their heavenly bodies for one of an earthly nature.

the sons of God saw that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose.  (Genesis 6:2 NET)

Apparently the relinquishing of a heavenly or angelic body for an earthly one did not invalidate all of their former angelic characteristics.  They did not become mortal because they were imprisoned into the lower abyss of Tartarus by God.

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment,

(2 Peter 2:4 NET)

If they impregnated earth women with their earthly-type bodies, their DNA did not change to that of a human man because their progeny were Nephilim or giants.  The Watchers also appeared to maintain their knowledge, strength, and certain supernatural abilities.

A scriptural comment in the book of Jude using the same Greek word oikētēríou is translated as “residence” in the NET and “habitation” in the KJV.  It still uses the same Word Study definition as the English word “house” in 2 Corinthians 5:1-2 KJV only in Jude it is the reverse body exchange of 2 Corinthians.  It appears reasonable that our heavenly spiritual bodies will match or exceed those of the created entities or angels.

You also know that the angels who did not keep within their proper domain but abandoned their own place of residence, he has kept in eternal chains in utter darkness, locked up for the judgment of the great Day.  (Jude 1:6 NET)

This analysis of the Greek word oikētēríou may help solve the argument for people pointing to Matthew 22:30 and claiming that angels don’t have or can’t have sexual relations.  Therefore, according  to them, the “sons of God” used in Genesis 6:2 should be people and not angels.

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  (Matthew 22:30 NET)

First of all, the Matthew text only states that two male angels (there is no Biblical record of female angels) do not become married and that is exactly the definition of the Greek word gaméō :  marriage. To marry, take as a wife, to enter into the conjugal state.

It may possibly be a fact that heavenly entities or angels can’t engage in sex because they are incapable of such.  However, these particular Watcher angels, according to Jude, changed from a heavenly, spiritual body to one more characteristic of an earthly male.  They apparently have emotions such as desire.  The Watchers considered the earthly women beautiful and desirable.  Their first earthly act appears to take women as their wives which implies a sexual relationship.

A Torah translation and commentary from Etz Hayim will demonstrate that angels or divine beings are the “sons of God” who mated with human women.

“When men began to increase on earth and daughters were born to them , the divine beings saw how beautiful the daughters of men were and took wives from among those that pleased them. The Lord said, my breath shall not abide in man forever, since he too is flesh; let the days allowed him be one hundred and twenty years. It was then, and later too , that the Nephilim appeared on earth, when the divine beings cohabited with the daughters of men, who bore them offspring. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown.” – Genesis 6: 1-4, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary

Other Angelic Appearances

There are other examples of heavenly entities appearing on the earth and do not necessarily discard their spiritual identification. 

Three heavenly individuals met with Abraham and ate supper with him.  Abraham identified two of the men as angels.  The third may have been the Son of God, Jesus.  They were apparently sent to meet Abraham by God and could have been ascended back to the heavenly realm by God.  The details are not known.

Two angels came to Lot’s house in Sodom.  Lot recognized them at the gate of the city.  They appeared to be human males to the point that Sodomites desired to sodomize them.  They were capable of pulling Lot into his doorway.  Although details are missing, they were also sent by God and may have ascended back to heaven by the Word and power of God.

The Messiah, Jesus, was born of a woman and was, by all accounts, a real man although with the power of God for healing, transformation of matter, authority of weather, and the ability to escape when needed.  He lived the perfect life, obeying the Laws of God and fulfilling those laws.  He died as the ultimate sacrificial lamb, was resurrected on the third day, He later ascended into heaven by the power of God, and will soon return in like manner. “

The Divine Council Angels

As written in a prior commentary, after the separation of languages at the tower of Babel and the migration of the various language groups around the continent, God placed the government of the earth in the hands of 70 (some say 72) created beings called the Divine Council by Dr. Michael Heiser.  The Lord God took Israel as His Nation through which the Law would be taught, the prophets would speak of the Messiah and the last days, and the Messiah would come preaching the Kingdom of God.

When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God.  (Deuteronomy 32:8 Brenton)

The “angels of God” phrase in the above scripture is only found in the LXX in my library.  It was apparently changed to “children of Israel” in the Masoretic text from which the King James Version was translated.  The quote from the Utley Commentary below gives more detail concerning this verse and the Dead Sea scrolls.

The Septuagint has “the number of the angels of God” (El). This translation seems to fit better (cf. The Jewish Study Bible, p. 441) because: (1) cf. Deu_29:26; (2) it follows the reading of the scroll from cave four of Qumran scrolls; (3) national angels are mentioned in Daniel 10, 12. Each nation had an assigned angel (cf. Dan_10:13), but Israel had YHWH (although Michael is also said to be Israel's angel, cf. Dan_12:1).

The verse in Deuteronomy 29:26 in the KJV that Mr. Utley refers to is found below.

For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them:

(Deuteronomy 29:26 KJV)

It is not known for certain if these national or ethnic group administrative angels gave up their heavenly bodies.  The most likely answer is NO.  It does appear likely they made themselves known to people at some point in history with various names associated with them.  This may have been put to a halt by God since we have not actively or visibly, seen or heard from them in several thousands of years.  Their current interactions may be secret behind closed doors.  As assigned administrators by God they may have been given the power and authority to come and go as they please.  According to Daniel some have battled with each other such as:  the prince of Persia; the prince of Greece; Michael; and the unidentified angel relating this information to Daniel.