Angels

What are they? Angels are God's messengers. Though they are superior to people, angels minister to God's people, warn of coming danger, protect them, and provide for physical human needs. Their desire is to worship God. Countless numbers of them exist, to do His bidding, make pronouncements to mankind, and they also execute God's judgement. Angels are very concerned with the state of sinful man, wishing all to acheive salvation.
	What are their limitations? Although they have extraordinary strength and discernment, angels are not all-powerful or all-knowing. They were created by God before he created the physical universe.
What do they look like? Some of them have wings, like the traditional pictures, but not all of them do. When they appear to people, they almost always show in human form.
	How many angels' names are known? The Bible specifically names two angels, Michael and Gabriel (both of whom are archangels). Also, the apocryphal writings -- books written during the period of history which occurred between the Old Testament and New Testament -- give the name of the angel Raphael. Moreover, God created some angels which rebelled, chief of whom is Satan. His name means accuser in Hebrew, and his name Lucifer derives from his false pretense as the light bearer. Finally, one of Satan's followers is named Abbadon, which means destroyer.

So what do we know about angels and how they are different from mankind?

* Man's physical existence runs for a limited period of time, one of the chief purposes of which is to cast the state of his spiritual existence after the physical existence runs out.

Scripture references

(All Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version which is available online from the Bible Gateway. The King James Version of the books of the apocrypha may be found at Wheaton College's World Wide Study Bible site.)

God blessed them and said to [man, male and female], "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." (Genesis 1:28); Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. (Genesis 2:19-20); Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. (Genesis 9:1-3)

Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. (Genesis 18:2); I looked, and I saw ... what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings. (Ezekiel 1:4,5-6); Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2);

Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him.... Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." (Genesis 18:2,9-10); God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." (Luke 1:26-28)

When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" (Genesis 18:16-17)

God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven.... Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. (Genesis 21:17-19); [Jesus] was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. (Mark 1:13)

"The LORD, the God of heaven, ... will send his angel before you." (Genesis 24:7); Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)

Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. (Exodus 14:19-20); Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants!" (Daniel 3:28)

The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. (Exodus 25:20); ...four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings. (Ezekiel 1:5-6)

"My lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil." (2 Samuel 14:17); "My lord has wisdom like that of an angel of God--he knows everything that happens in the land." (2 Samuel 14:20); Even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such [men] (2 Peter 2:11)

The angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 24:16); I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues--last, because with them God's wrath is completed. (Revelation 15:1)

I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him. (1 Kings 22:19); [Jesus said] "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:52-53); Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.(Revelation 5:11)

One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. (Job 1:6); The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. (Rev. 12:9)

[The LORD answered] "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? ...while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (Job 38:4,7)

Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. (Psalm 103:20)

Praise the LORD from the heavens... all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. ....for he commanded and they were created. (Psalm 148:1,2,5)

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. (Isaiah 1:18); Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. (Proverbs 23:12); Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. (Philippians 4:8); I have written ... to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. (2 Peter 3:1)

How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! (Isaiah 14:12)

While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision." (Daniel 8:15-16); The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news." (Luke 1:19)

I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen .... I heard him speaking .... "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day ... your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. .... Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me." (Daniel 10:5,9,11,13); There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (Revelation 12:7)

So the prayers of them both were heard before the majesty of the great God. And Raphael was sent to heal them both. (Tobit 3:16-17)

[Jesus told them] "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10)

He ... asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household." (Acts 16:30-31) ; If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another..... If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:39,44); For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:53-54)

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12); For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22); As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.... There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:10-11,22-23)

"What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels...." (Hebrews 2:6-7)

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (Revelation 4:8)

They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. (Revelation 9:11)

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