“As created beings, angels are not to be worshipped, glorified, or adored in and of themselves. The angels were created to worship, glorify, adore, and obey God.”
Angels have perplexed, mystified, and puzzled the human mind. Because of the desire of human beings to understand what angels are exactly like, many teachings, depictions, and doctrines have been made. As much as we want to know more about them, it seems that we find more questions rather than answers. The problem lies with the source of our knowledge.
If we really want to gain solid and reliable facts, there is no better place to look for answers than the word of God. We can always go back to the Bible and be confident that we will obtain the right answers and the understanding about angels.
Angels have existed before the creation of man
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7)
Though we know that they have existed before us, we cannot exactly determine when God created them. The time gap between the creation of angels and mankind might have millions or even billions of years.
An interesting thought. We read in the Bible that angels have faces of lions, ox, eagle, and others. Since angels were first created than the animals, then it follows that lions have an angel face in the same manner that oxen and eagles have an angel face.
Therefore, if you want to get an idea of how angels look like, look at these animals.
They are ministering spirits
“What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation” (Hebrews 1:14, GNB).
God created angels to be ministering spirits. They are to serve God and help Him prepare man to be part of God’s family.
Angels are not to be worshiped
“I, John, have heard and seen all these things. And when I finished hearing and seeing them, I fell down at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things, and I was about to worship him.”
But he said to me, “Don’t do it! I am a servant together with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all those who obey the words in this book. Worship God!” (Revelation 22:8-9).
We are PROHIBITED to worship angels and we are only to worship the true God. If a being claimed to be an angel and asks you to worship him, then he is not a real angel of God.
Angels have a masculine gender
“And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground” (Genesis 18:2, KJV).
From Genesis to Revelation, angels are consistently referred to as having a masculine appearance. Even the named angels all have masculine names (Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer).
It is then technically wrong to refer to women as angels even in a poetic language. Men should not describe their lady as an angel in disguise. If ever you dreamed of a female angel, then you know that it could be a demon.
Angels don’t have sexual apparatus
“Jesus answered them, “The men and women of this age marry, but the men and women who are worthy to rise from death and live in the age to come will not then marry. They will be like angels and cannot die.” (Luke 20:34-36).
Though angels appear in a masculine form, they don’t have sexual organs like us humans. There’s no need for them to have sexual organs since they are spirit and are NOT capable of reproducing themselves. Thus, this disproves that angels can have a sexual relationship with humans as some would assume.
Angels are immortal spirit beings
“Jesus answered them, “The men and women of this age marry, but the men and women who are worthy to rise from death and live in the age to come will not then marry. They will be like angels and cannot die. They are the children of God, because they have risen from death” (Luke 20:34-36).
Angels are created beings
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16;17).
Angels are servants but not called “children” in God’s family
“For God NEVER said to any of his angels, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” Nor did God say about an angel, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.” (Hebrews 1:5).
A third of the angels rebelled against God and are called demons
“And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth” (Revelation 12:4).
“Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe—and tremble with fear” (James 2:19).
Satan rebelled against God and drew a third of the angels with him. The stars of heaven here symbolize the angels (Revelation 1:20).
Rebellious angels are cast down to a special kind of hell
“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).
Hell in this verse came from the Greek word tartaroo. This is not the same hell that most people traditionally think. It means a place of restraint. Satan and his demons have been cast down to the earth and reserved unto judgment.
Since they are already doomed, they have become bitter and wrathful. They want to take with them as many humans as possible.
Angels may appear as human strangers
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2).
It is possible that angels walk among us. So we better be always good to strangers who might be angels.
Humans cannot become angels
“And NO man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:13).
Some people comfort a grieving family or maybe tell kids that when they die, they can become guardian angels. There is NO biblical basis for this statement.
Angels have different looks and appearances
“Around him flaming creatures were standing, each of which had six wings. Each creature covered its face with two wings, and its body with two, and used the other two for flying” (Isaiah 6:2).
Ezekiel 1:5-28 tells us more detailed information about how angels look like. The passage is rather long so I would just summarize it:
- They have four faces, four human hands, and four wings. Their legs are straight and don’t bend. They have hoofs like those of a bull.
- They have four faces; human face in front, lion’s face at the right, bull’s face at the left, and an eagle’s face at the back.
- They move with a speed of lighting.
- On their heads is a dome of dazzling crystal.
- The sound of their wings is like the sound of the roaring sea, noise of a huge army, and the voice of God.
It is true that some angels might have an out-of-this-world appearance. This explains why, in the Bible, we have seen men who fell down in great fear when they see angels.
Of course, angels can also take the human form or other forms since they are spirit. The description above may be applied to one class of angels while other angels might have a different appearance that we don’t know of yet.
There are billions of angels
“A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated,
And the books were opened” (Daniel 7:10).
“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).
“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)?
It could be that the number of angels is simply beyond our ability to count. Thus, the expression “innumerable company of angels” (Hebrews 12:22) might even mean that there are billions of angels in the spiritual realm.
Angels are spoken of with different ranks
“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:13).
Angels can also eat physical food
“Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full” (Psalms 78:25).
“And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground… And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat” (Genesis 18:1-2, 8).
Angels possess superhuman strength
“Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word” (Psalms 103:20).
“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 a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all” (Revelation 18:21).
Angels can protect humans from danger
The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. (Psalms 34:7).
Evil angels or demons can transform into angels of light
“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (II Corinthians 11:14).
The traditional depiction of Satan is inaccurate. If he would like to deceive a person, he will never appear as a scary, red, and hairy man with pointed horns and tails and a pitchfork. So we better be cautious because demons and Satan can also appear as angels of light.
Demons can possess humans
“And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country” (Mark 5:7-10).
Demons are normally not allowed to control and hurt us. However, if we are too far from God and we entertain evil thoughts, sorcery, witchcraft, or anything which are of the dark side, we make ourselves vulnerable. This is the time that we invite demons to possess us.
Nowhere in scripture do we see angels appearing as babies or children
“And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed” (Mark 16:5).
The idea that angels are babies came from the Renaissance Period where artists portray the putto (Latin word for a boy) as angels. In the classical world, angels are portrayed as winged toddlers or infants and they represent Greek and Roman gods.
Angels did not interbreed with humans to produce giants
“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose… There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown” (Genesis 6:1-2, 4).
Like what was mentioned above, angels are spirit and they don’t have a sexual apparatus. Humans are physical beings and angels can’t have a sexual relationship with them.
The Bible tells us that the created living things of God will reproduce “according to its kind.” Obviously, angels and humans are not of the same kind.
The “sons of God” mentioned in Genesis 6 are therefore not angels, but rather prideful human beings who like to take on a pompous title for themselves.
Angels don’t have halos of light on top of their head
Most people portray angels to have halos on their head. The halo is supposed to denote divinity and holiness. However, you will never find a single passage about angels having halos on their head.
Halos have been used by many religions as part of their sacred art. You will find these rays or halos among Greek and Roman gods. Even ancient Egyptians portray their gods with halos.
Angels will not stay longer than they should
“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9).
Notice how few words these angels said. This is just one of the instance where once an angel is done delivering a message, they will immediately leave.
On the contrary, evil angels or demons would talk on and on. They won’t leave you until they destroy you or you submit yourself to God instead.
Satan was once a covering cherub of God’s Throne
You were the anointed cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you” (Ezekiel 28:14-15).
Satan was a super angel before his rebellion. Because of pride, he planned to dethrone God and have convinced a third of the angels to rebel against God. He has corrupted himself and has been corrupting as many human beings as possible since then.
