Angelology  

Angels are mentioned in almost every book of the Bible. 34 out of the 66 books and letters 118 times in 18 books of the Old Testament. 115 times in 15 books of the New Testament. They are mentioned more than the Devil and his Demons (fallen angels). Altogether the mention of Angels are found almost 250 times in the scriptures.

We find that all the angels were directly created by God, by Jesus Christ (Jn.1:2-3;Col.1:15-17. This is seen in Job.38:7, which seems to be the same event as to Gen.1:1, certainly before Gen.1:2. All the Angels were created holy at the same time, they are not continually created nor do they reproduce more angels. There is a set number of angels created it does not fluctuate. We find that it was Jesus who created them in Col.1:16. They were given the power of choice when they were created so they could choose contrary to their holy nature. Angels cannot reproduce among themselves Mt.22:30 so the number first created has stayed consistently the same. Heb.12:22 their number is innumerable, Rev.5:11 those around the throne worshipping are 10,000 times 10,000 an thousands of thousands. In other words their number is unable to be counted. Mt.18:10 Jesus said they always see the face of my Father in heaven. They are able to see God’s glory in some way while man is not.  

The Bible gives us at least three categories of celestial creatures meaning those that are sent to interact with mankind. There are Angels, Seraphim and Cherubim. Angels are those who have no wings and appear as men on earth, they are the lowest order of these celestial beings. Seraphim means burning ones and have 6 wings, 2 to cover their face, 2 to cover their feet and 2 for flying. They are also described as having four faces.  1) human 2) calf 3) lion 4) eagle.(Isa.6:2-7; Rev.4:6-11, 5:6-14, 6:1,3,5,7, 7:11-12, 14:3, 15:7, 19:4-5)  

Isaiah’s vision (Isa.6:1-3) “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” The Seraphim are constantly worshipping in Rev 4:7-11 we find John describe the 4 living creatures each with a single face like a lion, like a calf, a face like a man, and like a flying eagle. each had six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,  the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."

Cherubim mean to guard or cover they are constantly around God’s throne in worship (Rev.4:8).  Some are with 1 face and 2 wings with a face of a man. Some are with 2 faces of a man and a lion and some are with 4 wings and 4 faces a man, a lion, an eagle and an ox. Satan was created in this species and has often been referred to as the two faced type in a joke, but rightly so.(Ez.1:5, 6, 8, 10-11, 18. These creatures are also described in Rev.4:6-8). Ezekiel describes them as having the appearance of polished brass and their movements were flashes of lightning (Ez.1:10) showing their reflective glory from being around God's throne. Ezekiel's angels  have 4 wings with eyes pictures as wheels, while in Revelation they have 6 wings and eyes all around them and within. While there are some similarities in Revelation, these have 6 wings and cry out holy to the Lord which means they are seraphim as in Isa.6.

All these spirit creatures have a personality, intellect and will. Angels that appear don't seem to age as they always appear as young men on earth. There are now two sides the angels are on, God’s and The devils (accuser-of God and His people).  The Bible tells us they had free choice, when Satan fell he took 1/3^rd of these creatures by convincing them to rebel with him. This fall was a one time event, a test that God allowed, which has now confirmed them in their nature unable to change back. Those who did not follow Lucifer in His rebellion were confirmed in their holiness forever. These are the demons that seek to kill and destroy man and Gods work continuing in their against God. The first appearance of an angelic creature to man was Satan who is already fallen and prompted by jealousy and hatred deceived Eve to have company in his misery. The first time a good angelic creature appears is after Adam and Eve fell. God sends a Cherubim to the east end of the garden to guard them from going back in to eat of the tree of life so they would not be permanently be in their fallen state. He stands at the entrance of the garden along with the shekinah glory of God formed into a fiery sword guarding the way back in.

We find in the scriptures that angels are spirit creatures that are invisible but have the ability to appear as men, there is no record of women angels.  The angels including Satan knew God as their father as they were created as sons of God9 they are not called children of God that would include females).  There seems to be some change of substance that takes place on Earth that they can become physical, contrary to their original nature. They are able to perform numerous human functions such as eating as in their encounter with Abraham in Genesis 18-19.  They walk and talk among us in such a way that we may not be aware of them unless they reveal themselves. Heb.13:2: “do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” They are constantly looking in on mankind as benevolent benefactors for God. Heb.1:4 they are sent as ministers to those who are heirs of salvation. Ps.91:11: “He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep you in all your ways.” Lk.15:6-7 They rejoice over one sinner who repents taking joy in God’s work of salvation. They watch on as God does His work unknown even to them at times. Peter writes in 1:12 “things which angels desire to look into.” They are curious in how God deals with man and the way He turns a sinner into a saint.

Acts 12:13-16: “And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. There is a teaching in Judaism that we all have an angel personally assigned to us that looks like us.  

The angels that came to warn Lot were mistaken for men and were sought out for homosexual use by the men of Sodom.  Angels are also able to carry out God’s plans on Earth by supplying food for man (1 Kings 19:5-7; Mt. 4:11). They are able to execute God’s judgment (Rev. 7:1, 14:17), inflict punishment upon man (Ez.9:1-8; Acts 12:23).  Angels can exhibit great strength; one angel slew 185,000 men in the Assyrian army. Another angel rolled away the stone that blocked the tomb of Jesus, which could have weighed upwards of 4 tons. Another angel is given the keys of the abyss Rev.20:1-2 and he bounds Satan in prison for a thousand years under the Lords command.

Angels were used in the ministry of Christ. In his temptation after the devil left for a more opportune time. Matt. 4:11: “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” At his suffering in Gethsamane Luke 22:43: “Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.” After Nathaniel had a revelation of who Jesus is He told him “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51). Showing that he more than man and was the head of them as the captain of the Lords army.

There are also descriptions of the fallen angels which are a sight not to be seen. They are described in Rev.9: When they are released out of the temporary pit of prison looking like a locust type form with faces of men long hair as a women with razor sharp teeth and a tail like a scorpions. In the Old Testament. they are also described as with animal like features (Isa.13:21-22, 34:14) The angels that were involved in corrupting man before the flood were permanently sentenced in Tartarus waiting for the judgment (Rev.20:11-15) kept in everlasting chains of darkness (2 Pt.2:4-5; Jude 6-7). For every evil angel there are 2 good ones (Rev.12:3).

There is also Biblical symbology used in the Old and New Testament to represent angels such as the stars (Rev.1:20, 9:1, 12:4). They are called Sons of God as a collective species in the Old Testament. as the first created creatures in the universe This may be before the fall as Job describes “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)

There are four angel names that are familiar and accepted by some from various scriptures: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael. Michael and Gabriel are the only angels mentioned by name in the Bible. Uriel, and Raphael are in the Apocryphal 1st Book of Enoch, which includes a fantasy accounts of these four angels.

There are even assigned positions for these creatures such as the chief princes who are guardian angels over people and  principalities over cities and nations (Eph.3:10). Hosts refer to a military organization (God is called the Lord of hosts= armies, 1 Sam,.1:11; 2 Kings 22)

Gabriel is a courier he is an angel who brings revelation and knowledge to Gods people. He announced the birth of John Lk.1:1-20, and the birth of the Messiah to Mary Lk.1:2-28. They also made known the birth of the messiah to the shepherds tending the flocks in the field. Luke 2:13-15: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

Michael is the Arch angel (chief) prince, all angels are under his authority. A prince is an angel over a country. All angels are under God’s authority Michael is a guardian angel over Israel as a people. He is a warrior who contends with the enemies of God. He battled the angelic (prince) over the nation of Persia when Israel was in their captivity (Dan.10:13, 12:1; Rev.12:7). It is Michael that will announce the greatest event in history the resurrection and the rapture (1 Thess.4:16-17). Angels are sons named after God in some way as Michael means “who is like God” Gabriel means “mighty like God.”

It is also the angels that carry a believer to heaven when they die.  It is also the angels that carry a believer to heaven when they die. Yet we are told we will judge the angels. We will become like the angels in heaven in the resurrection Mt.22:30, having no more offspring or family unit increasing .

2 Tim 4:1: “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.” Heb 10:30: “he Lord will judge His people.” Christ is the ultimate judge yet we are told we will share in some way and judge the angels after we are glorified. 1 Cor.6:2-3: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” This will probably occur at the great White Throne judgment. Rev. 20:4: “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.” It is unclear but probable that these are the 24 elders (Rev.4:4,19:4) We will judge the demons as the angels who did not rebel do not need to be judged.

Those who report modern day angel teachings from apparitions or channeled messages are not true angels but information from demons, the fallen angels.

Those who experience an angel of light with messages contrary to the bible or change the message are being visited by a Shining Angel an angel of light which Paul warned are transformed fallen angels (demons) 2 Cor.11:14.

(for more on angels go to > Religions started by angels)