Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
The majority of the Reformed state that they [the angels] were created on the first day, with the empyrean heaven (Gen. 1:1 with 2:1). At least that they were created before the creation of the earth seems to be spoken of clearly enough in Job 38:7. Yet that they preexisted or could have preexisted this whole world they constantly deny, because: (1) Scripture has not even one whit of it; in fact rather, in the six days was created the whole world, with all its host (Gen. 2:1–2), through which angels are signified (Luke 2:13, 15), and also, all things which are contained in the world were created in the six days (Ex. 20:11).
(2) Before the world there was nothing except eternity, and according to the style of Scripture, to be from eternity, and to be before the foundations of the world were laid, have the same force (Ps. 90:2; Prov. 8:22; Eph. 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20; John 17:24; Acts 15:18). Reason assists here, because (3) before the beginning of time there was nothing except sheer eternity, in which there is no before and after; therefore, from the contrary hypothesis, the angels would be in eternity and eternal, and thus infinite in duration, existence, and essence, which is proper to God alone. (4) Every creature, being finite, is bounded by its own where, such that whatever is not in a where is nowhere, and thus does not exist at all.
For the reference, see:
reformedcovenanter.wordpress.com
(2) Before the world there was nothing except eternity, and according to the style of Scripture, to be from eternity, and to be before the foundations of the world were laid, have the same force (Ps. 90:2; Prov. 8:22; Eph. 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20; John 17:24; Acts 15:18). Reason assists here, because (3) before the beginning of time there was nothing except sheer eternity, in which there is no before and after; therefore, from the contrary hypothesis, the angels would be in eternity and eternal, and thus infinite in duration, existence, and essence, which is proper to God alone. (4) Every creature, being finite, is bounded by its own where, such that whatever is not in a where is nowhere, and thus does not exist at all.
For the reference, see:
Pieter van Mastricht on the majority Reformed view of the angels’ creation
The majority of the Reformed state that they [the angels] were created on the first day, with the empyrean heaven (Gen. 1:1 with 2:1). At least that they were created before the creation of the ear…
reformedcovenanter.wordpress.com
