They are quite popular worldwide and are often depicted looking like celestial spirits surrounded by rays of light with halos or crowns, and most often, having feathered wings. Some people teach that there are as many as nine orders of Angels in three hierarchies and ranks, even though no specific Bible passages say that either directly or indirectly. Sadly, much of what is known and taught about them is based on legend and occultism.
Faithful Angels
The word "angel" comes from the Greek word 'aggelos,' which means 'messenger,' and describes a range of countless supernatural spirits God created as good with free will. The Hebrew word for "angel" is 'mal'ak' and has the same meaning. They frequently bring God's messages to people (Luke 1:11–19, Acts 8:26, 10:3–8, 22, 27:23–24). They are active in the world today (Psalm 34:7, 91:11-12; Matthew 18:10; Hebrews 1:14, 12:22, 13:2, Acts 23:8). They live in the Third Heaven. They patrol the Earth as representatives of God (Zechariah 1:10–11) and carry out some of His judgments (2 Samuel 24:16–17; 2 Chronicles 32:21; Acts 12:23; Revelation 16:1).
There is clear evidence in the Bible that Angels have played a vital supernatural role throughout history, always - and only - appearing as a man. Humans can't usually see them unless God reveals them. The Angels who visited people in the Bible appeared in human form and were not recognized as God's messenger until they manifested some supernatural ability that revealed their spiritual nature (Numbers 22:31, 2 Kings 6:17; Matthew 28:5; Luke 2:13; Hebrews 13:2).
Faithful Angels can appear in dreams to give direction from God (Matthew 1:20-24). They are busy re-gathering Jews to Israel and helping to fulfill biblical prophecy (Matthew 24:31). When they appeared in the Bible, they always were in dazzling apparel and blazing glory. They were frightening to people who would most often fall on their faces in fear and awe. The Angel would first say to them, "Fear not" (Genesis 18:2, 19:1,10; Judges 12:6; Matthew 28:4; Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4; Acts 1:10). If they came in judgment, they spoke words of reassurance. They warned Abraham to spare his son from sacrifice and saved Daniel from the lion's den. In the New Testament, they appeared to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, and women at the tomb of Jesus, where they had rolled away the stone covering it. They also appeared to the Apostles at the ascension of Jesus, Peter, Philip, Cornelius, and Paul.
Angels are sometimes called "elohim" because they are a type of finite divine beings that God created (Genesis 6:2, 32:24-31; Job 1:6). They are also known as holy beings (Heb: 'kedoshim/qedoshim') (Psalm 89:8; Job 5:1). Often in the Bible, an Angel is called simply "man" such as when Jacob wrestled with a mysterious being (Hosea 12:5; Genesis 32:24-31). They are also called "mighty ones who do his word" (Psalm 103:20 ESV), "thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities" (Colossians 1:16 ESV). They are "greater in might and power" than humans (2 Peter 2:11 ESV, see also Matthew 28:2). Angels use their power to battle against satan's demonic forces (Daniel 10:13, Revelation 12:7–8, 20:1–3).
Angels are not part of our physical universe but of the Heavenly realms, nor are they a race of beings descended from an ancestor (Luke 20:34-36). They are not described in the Bible as male or female and are not glorified human beings (Mark 12:25). Jesus said Angels don't have human bodies (Luke 24:39). They are spirits like the spirit of human beings, but without physical bodies (Hebrews 1:14). They have distinct personalities (Daniel 8;15,9:21,10:13,12:1). They are stronger than humans and greater in knowledge, but are not omnipotent, omniscient, or omnipresent they cannot be in more than one place at a time (2 Samuel 14:20; Psalm 103:20; Matthew 24:36; 2 Peter 2:11).
No new Angels are being added to their ranks, and they never die (Luke 20:36). They do not marry or reproduce (Matthew 22:30; see also Luke 20:34–36), nor are they a race descended from a common ancestor (Luke 20:34-36). Humans are called "sons of men," but Angels are never called 'sons of Angels.'
Angels have not always existed (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 148:2,5). The Bible says that God created millions upon millions of Angels at some point immediately after the creation of the heavens by the sixth day and before the seventh day of creation (Genesis 2:1; Exodus 20:11) before He "laid the foundation of the earth" (Genesis 1:1; Job 38:4-7; Daniel 7:10; Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 12:22 ESV).
"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:16-17 ESV)
The Bible tells us that there are three 'heavens.' The Apostle Paul said he was taken up to the "third heaven" where God, the Father, and God, the Son, Jesus dwell (2 Corinthians 12:2–3). The second Heaven is the universe or outer space, and the first is our atmosphere or air. The evil one and his demons can only move in the first and second Heaven to oppose the Word of God and hinder the Faithful Angels (Ephesians 2:1–2; 6:12; Daniel 10:10-14).
All Angels were originally holy, enjoying the presence of God (Matthew 18:10) and the glory of Heaven (Mark 13:32). Because they have free will, they can be tempted. Because faithful Angels are majestic beings and servants of God, the possibility they could appear as something like beggars or drug addicts is doubtful. Often, when a person encounters an Angel, it is understood they were a messenger from God, and speaking for Him, they would say He spoke to them (Genesis 16:7, 13, 21:17; 22:1; Exodus 3:2; Judges 6:11).
"Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14 ESV)
Faithful Angels are guardians of human beings to carry out God's missions on Earth (Nehemiah 9:6; Hebrews 1:13-14, 13:2; Colossians 1:16). God sends Angels to protect and guard over people (Psalm 91:11–12; Matthew 18:10; Acts 12:15). God has promised that He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go.
" For it is written, 'He will command His angels concerning you to guard you carefully.'" Luke 4:10)
God directs His Angels to watch over individual people to encamp around and guard them. (Exodus 23:20; Psalm 34:7, 91:11). The Redeemed are under their constant care. They are those who were faithful to God in the Old Testament and longed for the Messiah to come and those who have repented of their sin and received Jesus as their Lord. The Angels lift and strengthen them with their hands so they won't hurt their foot on a stone during times of trial (Psalm 91:11-12; Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:43). God directs them to lead the lost to places and people where the Great News of Jesus is purely presented when a person's heart is ready (Acts 10:3).
These Angels sometimes test people by appearing human to see how they treat others (Hebrews 13:2). The Bible tells us that we should not "neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2 ESV). Faithful Angels are continually being taught wisdom by those who are Born-Again even though they are "lower than the angels" while on Earth (Hebrews 2:7 ESV - also Ephesians 3:10; 1 Corinthians 4:9). When Jesus returns, the Redeemed will be raised higher than the Angels and even judge them (1 Corinthians 6:3).
Some Faithful Angels continually war against demonic forces on behalf of the Redeemed (Daniel 10:13; Revelation 12:7–9; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). These warring Angels, also called 'Princes'of Heaven, are to help the children of God in extreme, dangerous situations (2 Kings 6:18-19), such as the time Elisha stood on the side of a mountain with the Syrian army surrounding him. The King of Syria had ordered the demise of Elisha.
These mighty 'Princes' battled to bring Daniel's answers to his three weeks of fasting and prayer (Daniel 10:11-15). They are organized into principalities and powers, sitting on thrones (Colossians 1:16; 2:18; Romans 8:38; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Peter 3:22). They drive spirit horses (2 Kings 2:11-12) and guard gates (Revelation 21:12). They will bind the evil one after Armageddon (Revelation 20) and the Abyss where he is thrown (Revelation 9: 1; 20:1-3).
Many believe Angels have played a significant role in keeping them safe during difficult situations. These stories find a way into our hearts, sparking faith and hope in God, who shows how much He cares by charging His Angels to keep us safe.
When Jesus returns, they will accompany Him as a great military force (Matthew 16:27, Luke 9:26, 2 Thessalonians 1:7). At the beginning of the millennial reign of Jesus, an Angel will seize "the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and satan," bind "him for a thousand years," and throw "him into the pit . . ." (Revelation 20:1–3 ESV).
All Angels were created as servants of God (Psalm 103:20) and were not created to serve only human beings. Faithful Angels are more honorable and holy than humans (Daniel 9:21-23, 10:10-14). The Bible classifies some Angels as 'elect' (1 Timothy 5:21) or 'holy' (Matthew 25:31; Mark 8:38). They were created as "ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14 NIV). The word "ministering" in Greek is " leitourgikos, " meaning "for service, to serve." They receive all their instructions and commands from God alone and are responsible only to Him as He determines what they do, how they do it, and when they do it. Heavenly Angels are sent forth by God to minister to Christians, not in a subservient role or to teach them, but rather to help them.
The Faithful Angels and Spiritual Beings are called on to join all of creation to worship and praise God alone for His mercy and goodness because He is incomparably greater than any created thing, and they stand in awe of Him (Isaiah 6:1-3; Psalm 29:1, 89:6–9, 103:20-21, 148:2; Daniel 3,6; Revelation 4-5). Their primary duty is doing only God's will. The Bible says they have very specific roles, such as praising and worshipping God (Psalm 103:20, 148:2; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:11-12), announcing extraordinary events such as; the birth of Isaac, the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 18), the call to Gideon (Judges 6), the birth and resurrection of Jesus. Before His birth, they delivered messages from God and sang His praises (Luke 1&2). It was an Angel that rolled away the stone from the tomb of Jesus (Matthew 16:4).
The Faithful Angels are exclusively assigned and sent by God to carry out tasks on behalf of the Redeemed through encouragement, protection, guidance, deliverance, supply, empowerment, occasional rebuke, and judgment. Genesis 19:17, Numbers 22:32; Judges 6:12; Psalm 91:11, 105:40; Luke 22:43; Acts 12:7, 23
All Angels do not teach or give divine or "fresh" revelation. The primary guide, and teacher of God's truth, to the Born-Again Christian is the Holy Spirit (Matthew 10:19-20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:12; John 14:26; 1 John 2:27). The job of faithful Angels is to "minister" (Gk: 'diakoni' – attend and aid as a servant) to the Redeemed such as providers (Genesis 21:17-20; 1 Kings 19:6; Matthew 4:11; Acts 5:19-20, 27:23-25). God chose them to be messengers that communicate His will (Acts 7:52-53) as encouragers and answering prayers (Daniel 9:20-2, 10:10-12; Acts 12:1-17), protecting and guiding in this world through instructions directly from God to those who serve Him (Exodus 14:19; 23:20; Psalm 34:7; 91:11; Matthew 1-2, 18:20; Acts 8:26, 10:1-8; Hebrews 1:14); strengthening (1 Kings 19:5; Mathew 4:11; Luke 22:43), consoling (Genesis 16:9-11), delivering (Numbers 20:16; Daniel 6:22; Acts 5:19; 12:7), giving direction to people (2 Kings 1:3; Acts 5:19, 8:26, 10:5, 27:23) and executing God's judgment when needed upon evil (2 Samuel 24:16; 1 Chronicles 21:14; 2 Kings 19:35; Isaiah 37:36; Matthew 13:41; Acts 12:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Revelation 8:7-12).
The Faithful Angels of God make up a heavenly army who defend and protect the Redeemed (Psalm 34:7). Jesus won the war against the enemy on the Cross. However, battles are still fought in the spiritual realms that defy imagination. That is why the Redeemed are commanded to "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8 ESV). One day soon, Jesus will bring the enemy to a final defeat. When the Redeemed get to Heaven, they will be met by "myriads of angels" and "the spirits of the righteous made perfect" (Revelation 5:11; 12:22-23; Hebrews 12:23 ESV).
Celestial Hierarchy
The Bible seems to support that Angels may have rank and order because there are only two Angels named in the Bible, Michael and Gabriel, who are called Archangels,
Archangels are probably the most well-known type of Angel. The word "archangel" (Gk: 'archangelos') comes from the Greek words 'archein,' meaning first in rank or power, and 'angelos,' meaning messenger or envoy. The title of Archangel indicates rule and authority over other Angels (Daniel 8:16-19, 9:20-23, 10:8-11:1, 12:1; Luke 1:19,26-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 9; Revelation 12:7-9). Some believe there are multiple Archangels even though they are not directly spoken of in the Bible.
God sends Archangels to deliver important messages to humanity, such as the Angel who had God's divine inspiration to John in the Book of Revelation (1 Thessalonians 4:16). When Jesus comes down from Heaven, "with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God," the dead in Christ will rise.
Only one Archangel is named in the Bible, and that is Michael. He stands in the presence of God and at one time argued "with the devil about the body of Moses," but he "did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Luke 1:19 ESV). It is imperative for every Born-Again Christian to do the same as Michael when he dealt with the devil and never rebuke the enemy or his minions directly but call upon the Lord to 'rebuke' him.
Michael is said to be the only Archangel because he is the only one mentioned in the Bible. (Jude 9, Daniel 10:13, 21; Jude 9; Revelation 12:7-8). However, some believe Gabriel is also an Archangel (Daniel 8:16, 9:21; Luke 1).
The Bible does not directly call Gabriel an Archangel. Still, He is considered one because he gave Daniel insight and instruction and was likely the messenger sent to announce the great news about Jesus to Zechariah and Mary (Luke 1:19, 26).
Heavenly Beings
The Bible names three categories of Heavenly Beings separate from Angels: Seraphim, Cherubim, and Living Creatures. They serve as guardians or attendants before God's throne.
Seraphim are closest to God, furthest from humans, and are considered His direct servants. These spiritual beings are depicted with wings, which is why many mistakenly believe that Angels have wings.
'Seraphim' (Heb: 'seraph') means fiery serpent or intense burning one, and they emit a fiery light that represents the loving light of God. They are the least mentioned of the types of spirit beings and are only mentioned once in the Bible, serving as the closest guardians and attendants before God's throne and performing priestly duties (Isaiah 6:1-7).
They are referred to as fiery serpents that attacked the rebellious Israelites in the wilderness ((Isaiah 14:29, 30:6; Numbers 21:6,8). They minister to God with human hands and voices and appear as having six wings; two cover their faces, two cover their feet, and the other two are for flying. They are so passionate about God that they literally burn with a fiery love and do multiple things for Him (Isaiah 6:1-8).
Cherubim (Heb: 'keruwb') follow the Seraphim in the celestial hierarchy. The word 'Cherubim' is used to describe God's winged transport (2 Samuel 22:11; Psalm 18:10). They are mentioned the most in the Bible and are known for their power and beauty and guard the entrance to the Garden of Eden and are described as having a head that has four human-like faces, four double wings with what looks like human hands under their wings (Genesis 3:24; Ezekiel 1:5-28; 28:12, 13, 17; 8:1-4; 10:1-22;). Two golden figures of Cherubim sit above the Ark of the Covenant and surround the Tabernacle and Temple, where God promised to dwell among His people (Exodus 25:22; also 18–21). They are guardians of God's glory, and He is enthroned above them, even riding on them (Ezekiel 10:1–22; 2 Samuel 22:7-11; Psalm 18:10). They stand at the side of the throne of God - His mercy seat (Psalm 99:1; Isaiah 37:16; Numbers 7:89). They will play a significant rule during the final Apocalypse as celestial attendants (Revelation 4-6).
Images of them were embroidered on the tapestry of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:1,31). They were represented by two gold statues placed above the mercy seat (God's Throne) on the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies and arched over it (Exodus 25:18-20,22; 1 Kings 6:23-28; 2 Chronicles 3:10-13).
Living Creatures (Gk: 'tessara zooa') are four specific spirit beings also known as living ones. They are full of eyes, and their appearance is like burning coals of fire, like the presence of torches moving back and forth. The fire is so bright that is shoots out like lightning. Each has a human likeness and the face of a lion on the right side, an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle. They have four sides, four faces, and four wings; two touch one another, two of them cover their bodies, and they have human hands underneath them. Their legs are straight, and the soles of their feet are like the sole of a calf's foot. They sparkle like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides, they had human hands. (Revelation 4:6-5:14; 6:1-8; 7:11; 14:3, 9-11; 15:7; 19:4).
They are not beasts but unique beings created by God that surround His throne (Ezekiel 1:5–14, Revelation 4:6–8). They worship God for eternity and proclaim His glory, calling attention to His holiness as they fall prostrate before Him (Revelation 4:4-8; 5:8-10, 6:2-8, 25:7). Each declares a different part of the testimony of Jesus. They also listen to the worship of others (Revelation 14:3), offer the prayers of the Redeemed (Revelation 5:8-10), and are instruments in the execution of God's wrath against those who reject Him (Revelation 14:9-11). They have eyes to behold the full glory of God in every direction and “Day after day and night after night" for all eternity they keep on saying in a never-ending crescendo, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty--the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come" as He continues to reveal greater depths of His glory each time they worship Him (Rev 4:8 NKJV).
