Jude 1.5-8.
Jude 1.5-6 KWL - 5 I want to remind you—though you knew all this already:
- First the Lord rescued his people out of Egypt. Second, he destroyed those who didn’t trust him.
- 6 Including the angels!—who didn’t keep their original authority, but abandoned their own dwelling.
- For their judgment on the Great Day: Kept in indestructible chains, in the dark.
Jude isn’t the only apostle who finds it fascinating that God judges angels. (And apparently we Christians judge ’em too.
Irritatingly, popular Christian theology has made the apostles’ idea meaningless. How? Because we teach angels don’t get judged the same way as humans. Different species, different rules.
We point out the bible says nothing about atonement for angels. ’Cause it doesn’t. Jesus
“Jesus didn’t die for angels” gets repeated in pulpits, in seminaries, everywhere. Humans get grace; angels don’t. Humans sin and get forgiven; angels sin and never, ever do. Because, it’s explained (and this explanation doesn’t come from bible), angels see God. Up close. So when they sin it’s a billion times worse: They of all people should know better than sin. Consequently when they sin, it’s one strike and you’re out: They fall from grace and go to hell. Do not pass the cross; do not collect atonement.
This strikes me as entirely inconsistent with God. He’s love, remember?
And inconsistent with what the apostles taught. They were trying to make a logical comparison between angels and us: If angels get in trouble, so do we.