A Study of the Angelic Realm

by Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum

This book features angelology (the doctrine of unfallen angels), Satanology (the doctrine of Satan), and demonology (the doctrine of fallen angels). The author's unique focus of looking at all Scripture from a Messianic Jewish perspective adds an intriguing dimension to this field of systematic theology. The questions and study suggestions at the end of the chapters will challenge anyone who desires to dig deeper into the Word of God. (Adapted from the back cover)

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Arnold Genekowitsch Fruchtenbaum is the founder and director of Ariel Ministries, an organization which prioritizes evangelization of Jews in the effort to bring them to the view that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.

Reviews

[Jennifer]

There were a lot of good things about this and it did a good job for the most part of sticking to just information from the Bible directly. There are only two sections I didn’t agree with.

Issue 1 ——
The last third of the book is on demonology, and it’s clear that Arnold is in over his head. He does admit his lack of experience in the area of demonic possession, so maybe he shouldn’t have bothered including this section. For one, only 2 of his 13 symptoms of demonic control are backed up by Biblical references. The other eleven have no references. No Biblical references or even Church fathers. 🤷🏻‍♀️

He also clearly contradicts himself on the topic of cursed bloodlines. On page 129 he cites Exodus 20:3-5 and says that “occultism can lead to the passing on of demonic control to the third and fourth generation”. This meshes with other Church sources I’ve heard on the topic.

However, on pages 139-140, he again cites Exodus but a different chapter this time. He quotes Exodus 34:6-7 and says that because this is part of the Mosaic Law, it doesn’t apply today, especially not to Gentiles. Following his logic, anything mentioned in the Mosaic Law that wasn’t specifically mentioned by Jesus in the NT shouldn’t apply today - certainly not to Gentiles. Hmm…. Explain to me why it would be wrong for Gentile believers to engage in incest then? Guess we can throw that out too… ?🤦🏻‍♀️

Another reason he says that a bloodline can’t be cursed is because when one becomes saved, one is completely regenerated and that includes any generational curse. I don’t understand how he can make that blanket statement since he also says believers can be under demonic control? I’m not sure I understand how both of those can be true.

Issue 2 ——
The only other major issue I had with this book is that it could have been a great place for Arnold to support his idea that “Israel” is targeted specifically by Satan, but he doesn’t. In the chapter on Satanology, he goes through the list of objectives or “works of Satan”. Under the heading “In Relation to Unbelievers”, no mention of the Jews specifically. “In Relation to Believers”, he just cites a verse that Satan incites persecution against believers.

Arnold has a heading specifically titled “In Relation to Israel” and it’s one sentence: “Simply put, Satan’s work in relation to Israel is that he is Israel’s adversary.” And he includes two references. The first is I Chronicles 21:1 which is a specific example of Satan influencing David to do something he wasn’t supposed to. David was a believer. The second is Zechariah 3:1-2 where Satan is accusing Joshua. A believer. The high priest representing the Jewish believers. Not an entire political entity.

If Arnold wanted to make a case for his belief that “Israel” (all Jews? the modern political state of Israel?) is a third case of sorts and will be treated differently in the end times (he presents this on p 124 with no Biblical references), he didn’t pull it off here. Based on his book and the references he gives, Satan persecutes believers and harasses non-believers. Full stop. There is no third category or separate agenda for “Israel”. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Beverly]

I liked most of the book and learned a lot from it. However, I do have serious problems with the author's belief that there is a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2; that there was an earlier earth on which the angels lived, and on which there apparently existed a "mineral garden of Eden." That this earth was then made formless and empty after Satan's/Lucifer's fall, and was re-created. This is not a usual interpretation of the first two verses of Genesis. The usual interpretation is that there is no gap between the two verses; that Genesis 1:2 simply describes what the earth was like when God first created it, and before He began His work of forming and filling it.