Angels, As Found in the Bible

Angels

Bill Brinkworth

Angels are real creatures created by God. According to the Bible, they are nothing like what is depicted by most artists. Here is some of what the Bible says about God’s ministering creations:

Angels and man are different.
“For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” Hebrews 2:16
Angels, in most cases, do not look any different than man. Several instances occurred when men were talking with angels, but did not recognized them as angels at first.
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2 Some have unknowingly talked with angels, because they did not recognize them to be any different than man.

Some of those that saw angels were: Hagar (Gen. 16:7), Lot (Gen. 19:1), Jacob (Gen. 32:1), Joseph in Egypt (Mat. 2:19), Moses (Exodus 3:2), Balaam (Num. 22:22), Gideon (Jud. 6:22), Manoah (Jud. 13:15), Manoah’s wife (Jud. 13:3). David (II Sam. 24:17), Elijah (II Kings 1:3). Zacharias (Luke 1:11). Cornelius (Acts 10:7), Mary (Luke 1:30), Joseph (Mat.1:20), Philip (Acts 8:26), and Peter(Acts 12:7). None of the instances of seeing angels included any remark of their looking any different than ordinary men.
Angels are never described as having wings. John’s revelation of future events mentions that he heard an angel fly, however. Things can fly through the air without wings. Supernaturally, that would be very possible.
“And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” Rev. 8:13
A seraphim is another creature created by God. It does have six wings, and it does fly! A seraphim is not an angel. It is a completely different creature.
“Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.” Isa. 6:2

A cherub is another creature of heaven, and it has two wings and can fly. It, again, is another created creature, and is not an angel.
“And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.” II Samuel 22:11
“And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.” II Chronicles 3:11 This description of cherubs in Solomon’s temple shows us they had wings.
“And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.” Psalm 18:10 The cherub’s image not only adorned the mercy seat, but real cherubs forbade Adam and Eve’s return to the garden after they were expelled.

Satan is a cherub.
“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.” Ezekiel 28:13 This is most likely speaking of Satan; as he was there tempting Eve in the garden
“ Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.” Ezekiel 28:14
“By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.” Ezekiel 28:16
Images of cherubs adorned the mercy seat:
“And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.” Exodus 25:19
“One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.” Exodus 37:8

Sometimes angels have appeared in white raiment.
“And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” John 20:12
Angels are NEVER described as female!
Angels are NEVER described as having halos!
Some angels are named in the Bible!
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,” Revelation 12:7
“And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.” Luke1:19
“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,” Luke 1:26
Angels are God’s messengers.
At the birth of Christ: “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” Luke 2:15 Their appearance was the same as man; however, the “… glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were afraid” (Luke 2:9). It was the Lord’s glory that frightened them, not that they looked differently.
At Christ’s death: “And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.” Luke 24:23
They did and do God’s bidding. There was never any mention that they had wings, flew, or appeared any different than any other man.
They warned Lot of Sodom’s impending doom:
“And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;” Genesis 19:1
They were seen by Jacob in a dream. From this account we see how they are subservient to God.
“And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.” Genesis 28:12

They were used when a saint (a saved person) died.
“ And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;” Luke 16:22
Angels are ranked higher than man in God’s eyes.
“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” Psalm 8:5 It is talking about man in this verse.
One day, man and the angels will be ranked the same.
“Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” Luke 20:36
If directed, angels will protect.
“For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” Psalm 91:11 This was said to Israel.
“And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Matthew 4:6 Angels could have protected Christ if Jesus wanted it or there was a need.
Angels are powerful. In one instance, one angel killed thousands.
“Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand [185,000]: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.” Isaiah 37:36 In the times Revelation speaks about, angels will be responsible for many dying.
Although the angels can speak to man, they have their own language.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity ...” I Corinthians 13:1
Angels do not marry. Some scripture indicates that they may all be male, and that may be the reason.
“For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” Mt 22:30 Also: Mark 12:25
Angels minister.
“Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” Matthew 13:39 They ministered to Christ.
“And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.” Mark 1:13

Angels are assigned to children and adults.
“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 18:10
One day we will judge angels; maybe for what they have done for us, or how they protected us.
“Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” I Corinthians 6:3
They will do Christ’s bidding.
“The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; “Matthew 13:41
“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” Matthew 26:53
The son of God talks to them.
“Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:” Luke 12:8
“But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” Luke 12:9
Angels are not to be worshipped!
“Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, “ Colossians 2:18
The angels do know some things of God.
They know when a person gets saved: “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 1Timothy 3:16
They are around the Father, and know some of what He knows. “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Revelation 3:5
Angels reside in heaven.
“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,” Hebrews 12:22
“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;” Revelation 5:11
“And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:” Revelation 21:12

They do not know the time of the Lord’s return.
“ But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Mat. 24:36 Also: Mark 13:32
Some angels rebelled against God; followed Satan, and were expelled from heaven.
“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;” II Peter 2:4
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” Matthew 25:41
Angels will be heavily involved in the last days’ judgments and return of Christ.
“The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” Matthew 13:39
“So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,” Matthew 13:49
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Matthew 16:27
“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:” Mt 25:31 This verse also tells us that they are holy.
“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,“ II Thessalonians 1:7
“And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,” Revelation. 7:2
“Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.” Rev. 9:14
“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” Rev. 15:1
“And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.” Rev. 15:6
Also: Mark 13:27, Luke 9:26, Rev. 15:7,8
Satan leads fallen angels.
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Rev. 12:9

This lesson was featured in The Bible View #206.