~ What does the Bible
teach about angels? ~
Who or what are angels?
How did angels originate?
How many angels are there?
Do angels have bodies?
What do angels look like?
Do people become angels after death?
How do angels compare to human beings?
Are all angels good?
What is the job description for an angel?
WHO OR WHAT ARE ANGELS?
The word "angel" actually comes from the Greek word aggelos, which means "messenger." The matching Hebrew word mal'ak has the same meaning.
Sometimes, the Bible uses these words for human beings:
ordinary people who carry messages (Job 1:14; Luke 7:24; 9:52)
prophets (Isaiah 42:19; Malachi 3:1)
priests (Malachi 2:7)
church leaders (Rev 1:20)
Sometimes, it speaks figuratively of things or events as "messengers"...
the pillar of cloud (Exodus 14:19)
pestilence or plagues (2 Samuel 24:16-17)
But it usually describes the whole range of spirits whom God has created, including both good and evil angels, and special categories such as cherubim, seraphim, and the archangel.
Angels are mentioned at least 108 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the New Testament (Chafer, Systematic Theology, II, 3). Hence, there is ample information available in Scripture to allow us to build a foundation for our knowledge of angelic beings.
HOW DID ANGELS ORIGINATE?
The Scripture speaks about the creation of angels, therefore, it is clear that they have not existed from all eternity (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 148:2,5). Colossians 1:16-17 explains:
"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."
The time of their creation is never definitely specified, but it is most probable that it occurred in connection with the creation of the heavens in Genesis 1:1. It may be that God created the angels immediately after He had created the heavens and before He created the earth - for according to Job 38:4-7, "the sons of God shouted for joy" when He laid the foundations of the earth.
While the Scriptures give no definite figures, we are told that the number of angels is very great (Daniel 7:10; Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 12:22).
It appears that all angels were created at one time. No new angels are being added to the number. Angels are not subject to death or any form of extinction; therefore they do not decrease in number.
It seems reasonable to conclude that there are at least as many spirit beings in existence as there will have been human beings in all their history on earth.
DO ANGELS HAVE BODIES?
Angels are essentially "ministering spirits," (Hebrews 1:14) and do not have physical bodies like humans. Jesus declared that "a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have" (Luke 24:37-39).
The Bible does, however, make it clear that angels can only be in one place at a time. They must have some localized presence.
Angels can take on the appearance of men when the occasion demands. How else could some "entertain angels unaware" (Hebrews 13:2)? On the other hand, their appearance is sometimes in dazzling white and blazing glory (Matthew 28:2-4).
WHAT DO ANGELS LOOK LIKE?
Since angels are spirits rather than physical beings, they don't have to be visible at all (Colossians 1:16). Elisha once prayed that his servant would see the armies of angels surrounding the city, and the young man discovered that he had overlooked a lot of invisible beings (2 Kings 6:17)!
When angels do appear, they generally appear in the form of men. In Genesis 18, Abraham welcomed three angelic guests who appeared at first to be nothing more than some travellers. In the following chapter, two angels went to Sodom where they were assumed to be simply a pair of human visitors.
With the possible exception of one debatable passage in Zechariah 5:9, angels always appear as males rather than females (Mark 16:5).
Sometimes an angel appears to be a man with unusual features. Daniel saw an angel with arms and legs resembling polished metal and precious stones, and a face like lightning (Daniel 10:5-6). The angel that rolled back the stone from Christ's tomb was radiating dazzling light (Matthew 28:3; Luke 24:4). The book of Revelation describes some highly unusual beings who may be a variety of angel in Revelation 4:6-8.
Angels in the Bible never appear this way.
Angels in the Bible never appear as cute, chubby infants! They are always full-grown adults. When people in the Bible saw an angel, their typical response was to fall on their faces in fear and awe, not to reach out and tickle an adorable baby.
Some Bible passages picture angels with wings (Isaiah 6:2,6). Other verses talk about angels flying, and we assume that the wings would be useful for that flight (Daniel 9:21). However, I suspect that angels can move around without having to depend on wings. Most references to angels in the Bible say nothing about wings, and in passages like Genesis 18-19, it is certain that no wings were visible.
DO PEOPLE BECOME ANGELS AFTER DEATH?
No, angels are not glorified human beings. Matthew 22:30 explains that they do not marry or reproduce like humans, and Hebrews 12:22-23 says that when we get to the heavenly Jerusalem, we will be met by "myriads of angels" and "the spirits of righteous men made perfect" - two separate groups.
Angels are a company or association, not a race descended from a common ancestor (Luke 20:34-36). We are called "sons of men," but angels are never called "sons of angels."
HOW DO ANGELS COMPARE TO HUMAN BEINGS?
They are stronger than man, but not omnipotent (Psalm 103:20; 2 Peter 2:11).
They are greater than man in knowledge, but not omniscient (2 Samuel 14:20; Matthew 24:36).
They are more noble than man, but not omnipresent (Daniel 9:21-23, 10:10-14).
ARE ALL ANGELS GOOD?
Sorry! You can't trust every angel.
The Bible classifies some angels as "elect" (1 Timothy 5:21) or "holy" (Matthew 25:31; Mark 8:38). All angels were originally holy, enjoying the presence of God (Matthew 18:10) and the environment of heaven (Mark 13:32).
Other angels oppose God under the leadership of Satan (Matthew 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Ephesians 6:12). We often call these "demons."
There is actually a great unseen conflict raging that goes beyond anything we can imagine. It is not, however, a fight between two equal and eternal forces. God who created all beings is still in charge, and once He has used wicked angels to accomplish His purposes, He will bring them to a final defeat.
WHAT IS THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR AN ANGEL?
We don't know whether every angel carries out the same tasks, or whether some of them specialize in certain areas. The Bible does speak about classes of angelic beings like cherubim (Ezekiel 1) and seraphim (Isaiah 6). We also know the names of two notable angels: Michael (Daniel 10:13; Jude 9) and Gabriel (Daniel 9:21; Luke 1:19,26).
The unnamed angels who appear most often in Scripture carry out a variety of tasks - all designed to serve God...
Worship and praise - This is the main activity portrayed in heaven (Isaiah 6:1-3; Revelation 4-5).
Revealing - They serve as messengers to communicate God's will to men. They helped reveal the law to Moses (Acts 7:52-53), and served as the carriers of much of the material in Daniel, and Revelation.
Guiding - Angels gave instructions to Joseph about the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1-2), to the women at the tomb, to Philip (Acts 8:26), and to Cornelius (Acts 10:1-8).
Providing - God has used angels to provide physical needs such as food for Hagar (Genesis 21:17-20), Elijah (1 Kings 19:6), and Christ after His temptation (Matthew 4:11).
Protecting - Keeping God's people out of physical danger, as in the cases of Daniel and the lions, and his three friends in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3 and 6).
Delivering - Getting God's people out of danger once they're in it. Angels released the apostles from prison in Acts 5, and repeated the process for Peter in Acts 12.
Strengthening and encouraging - Angels strengthened Jesus after His temptation (Matt 4:11), encouraged the apostles to keep preaching after releasing them from prison (Acts 5:19-20), and told Paul that everyone on his ship would survive the impending shipwreck (Acts 27:23-25).
Answering prayer - God often uses angels as His means of answering the prayers of His people (Daniel 9:20-24; 10:10-12; Acts 12:1-17).
Caring for believers at the moment of death - In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, we read that angels carried the spirit of Lazarus to "Abraham's bosom" when he died (Luke 16:22).
~ "Angels" was found 89 times in 87 verses, in the ~ Bible ~
Genesis 19:1 - The two angels came to Sodom in the evening; and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed himself with his face to the earth,
Genesis 19:15 - When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city."
Genesis 28:12 - And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!
Genesis 32:1 - Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him;
Job 4:18 - Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error;
Psalms 78:25 - Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.
Psalms 78:49 - He let loose on them his fierce anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels.
Psalms 91:11 - For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.
Psalms 103:20 - Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word!
Psalms 148:2 - Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!
Genesis 19:1 - The two angels came to Sodom in the evening; and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed himself with his face to the earth,
Genesis 19:15 - When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city."
Genesis 28:12 - And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!
Genesis 32:1 - Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him;
Job 4:18 - Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error;
Psalms 78:25 - Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.
Psalms 78:49 - He let loose on them his fierce anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels.
Psalms 91:11 - For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.
Psalms 103:20 - Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word!
Psalms 148:2 - Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!
Matthew 4:6 - and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will give his angels charge of you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"
Matthew 4:11 - Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.
Matthew 13:39 - and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.
Matthew 13:41 - The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers,
Matthew 13:49 - So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous,
Matthew 16:27 - For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.
Matthew 18:10 - "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 22:30 - For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
Matthew 24:31 - and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Matthew 24:36 - "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
Luke 9:26 - For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Luke 12:8 - "And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God;
Luke 12:9 - but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
Luke 15:10 - Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Luke 16:22 - The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried;
Luke 20:36 - for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
Luke 24:23 - and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.
John 1:51 - And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."
John 20:12 - and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
Acts 7:53 - you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it."
Romans 8:38 - For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
1 Corinthians 4:9 - For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men.
1 Corinthians 6:3 - Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, matters pertaining to this life!
1 Corinthians 11:10 - That is why a woman ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels.
1 Corinthians 13:1 - If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
Galatians 3:19 - Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained by angels through an intermediary.
Colossians 2:18 - Let no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
2 Thessalonians 1:7 - and to grant rest with us to you who are afflicted, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,
1 Timothy 3:16 - Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
1 Timothy 5:21 - In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without favor, doing nothing from partiality.
Hebrews 1:4 - having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs.
Hebrews 1:6 - And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."
Hebrews 1:7 - Of the angels he says, "Who makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire."
Hebrews 2:2 - For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution,
Hebrews 2:5 - For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.
Hebrews 2:7 - Thou didst make him for a little while lower than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honor,
Hebrews 2:9 - But we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one.
Hebrews 2:16 - For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham.
Hebrews 12:22 - But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,
Hebrews 13:2 - Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
1 Peter 1:12 - It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
1 Peter 3:22 - who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.
2 Peter 2:4 - For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom to be kept until the judgment;
2 Peter 2:11 - whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a reviling judgment upon them before the Lord.
Jude 1:6 - And the angels that did not keep their own position but left their proper dwelling have been kept by him in eternal chains in the nether gloom until the judgment of the great day;
Revelation 1:20 - As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Revelation 3:5 - He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
Revelation 5:11 - Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
Revelation 7:1 - After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
Revelation 7:2 - Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea,
Revelation 7:11 - And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
Revelation 8:2 - Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
Revelation 8:6 - Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made ready to blow them.
Revelation 8:13 - Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice, as it flew in midheaven, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets which the three angels are about to blow!"
Revelation 9:14 - saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphra'tes."
Revelation 9:15 - So the four angels were released, who had been held ready for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, to kill a third of mankind.
Revelation 12:7 - Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
Revelation 12:9 - And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Revelation 14:10 - he also shall drink the wine of God's wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Revelation 15:1 - Then I saw another portent in heaven, great and wonderful, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is ended.
Revelation 15:6 - and out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, robed in pure bright linen, and their breasts girded with golden girdles.
Revelation 15:7 - And one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives for ever and ever;
Revelation 15:8 - and the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were ended.
Revelation 16:1 - Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God."
Revelation 17:1 - Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who is seated upon many waters,
Revelation 21:9 - Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb."
Revelation 21:12 - It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed;
