Can angels experience pain and death?
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Although angels can appear to humans in a bodily form (Hebrews 13:2; Daniel 10:16; Isaiah 6:2; Ezekiel 1:4–14), they don’t have physical bodies, they are spirit-beings (Hebrews 1:14). And since angels do not have physical bodies, some wonder: can they experience physical pain and would they eventually experience eternal death?
The Bible indicates that angels do experience suffering in the spiritual world in a way that is not known to us as physical beings. In the book of Revelation, we are told, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven” (Ch. 12:7, 8). How was that war fought? And what kind of pain was inflicted on the rebellious and defeated angels which constituted one third of the angels in heaven (Revelation 12:4)? The Bible doesn’t tell us except that they were cast out of heaven.
These evil beings can experience imprisonment and they are horrified by that. When Jesus cast demons out, they sometimes asked Him not to torture or torment them (Matthew 8:29; Luke 8:28). Legion begged Jesus not to send them into the Abyss, which was a holding place for fallen angels/demons (Luke 8:21) for fear of torment there.
Prayer and faith are spiritual weapons that can inflict defeat and some kind of pain on the dark evil forces. The armies of the devil fear and tremble when the believers arm themselves with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10–18).
At the end of time, the Bible tells us that these evil beings will be sentenced to the lake of fire (Matthew 24:41), which is the “second death” (Revelation 20:14). There, they will experience eternal death, chances are will be very painful. But the Bible doesn’t tell us how these beings will experience pain. We only know that they will receive the due punishment for their deadly actions.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
