You can find them at the top of Christmas
trees, on Hallmark greetings cards, and in architecture and art all over the
world. But what do Angels really look like according to the Bible? In at least
one case, the answer is: terrifying. What exactly are angels though? According to the Bible, angels were created
before even the earth- and subsequently our universe- was created. The Bible refers to the
angels rejoicing after God created the earth, but it doesn't mean the planet itself. As ancient
people had no reference for a wider universe, the text clearly implies that the angels applauded
at the creation of the universe itself- or perhaps, whatever even larger construction
our universe is a part of that we've yet to discover. The point is, angels existed long before
anything material did. According to Colossians 1: 13-17 the only thing more ancient than even the
angels is Jesus, one third of the triune God. This necessarily means that angels are immaterial
beings, and as such have no corporal body. Instead, they are purely spiritual, though they
seem to have the capability of assuming a form that can directly affect our physical world
as we'll see later. In the Old Testament, angels are frequently simply referred
to as spirits, with the term angel being coined much later in the Bible's life to
specifically describe these servants of God. Thanks to Mark 12: 25 we know that angels
don't follow the same customs as humans, likely because they don't have the same
biological or emotional needs. Mark 12:25 explains Jesus's answer to a Pharisee who tried to
make him look like a fool with a trick question. The Pharisee asked Jesus to whom would a wife
who had seven husbands belong to in heaven, but Jesus remarked that there is no concept of
marriage when the dead rise up from their grave, and instead human spirits live like the
angels do in heaven. So according to the Bible angels don't marry, as they have no need to
biologically procreate or to be fulfilled by seeking love in another, as they bask in God's
love at all times and are thus fully fulfilled. However, in Genesis we have the story of
fallen angels coming to earth and taking wives for themselves. While some Christians take
this to literally mean that demons came to earth and birthed offspring, this is a very problematic
interpretation of scripture as it directly flies in the face of what we learn about angels and
their nature from Jesus. Formless spiritual beings simply couldn't procreate with human
women, and thus most scholars believe that the reference to the “sons of God” who birthed the
Nephilim is not a reference to fallen angels, but rather to ordinary men who had turned their
back on God and his teachings. Their offspring, Nephilim, were considered violent and
powerful men, and likely just referred to men of great social status and wealth of the
time, not to a hybrid race of angels and men. But angels do share some common
characteristics with humans. Chief among them is that angels are not some
mass-produced, faceless agent of God's will, but rather angels were individually created
by God and even have their own unique personalities. Michael and Gabriel are the only
two canonical angels in the Christian religion, as they are the only two angels
to ever be named in scripture. Michael seems to be particularly protective of
humanity, and while information is scarce on his exact nature, Michael is portrayed multiple times
defending or fighting for humanity. It was Michael that led the other angels in defense of Heaven
when Satan and his host rebelled, and it will be Michael who leads Heaven's armies to victory
over Satan once more in the final days. But in the meantime, Michael seems to be busy at work here on
earth battling evil spiritual forces. In Daniel, chapter 10, Daniel fasts and seeks guidance from
God regarding the future of the Jews. After three weeks an angel finally appears to him, explaining
that he was delayed by other spiritual forces until Michael finally relieved him. This unnamed
angel further explains that Michael fights on the behalf of humanity against evil spiritual powers,
and we can assume this is an ongoing battle. The second angel mentioned by name in the Bible is
Gabriel, who has a dramatically different role and personality to Michael. While Michael is clearly
an impassioned and fiery warrior, even telling Satan himself, “The Lord rebuke you!”, Gabriel
seems to be more calm and collected- perhaps fittingly so as he appears to take on the role
of messenger. Throughout the Bible Gabriel is the angel who delivers personal messages to God's
people, including to Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, bringing him news that his prayers for a
son would be answered despite his old age. Gabriel also appears to the prophet Daniel shortly after
the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, imparting on Daniel knowledge
of what was to come for the Jewish people. Lastly, Gabriel appears to Mary to announce the news of
her pregnancy. It's clear that when God had an important message to send that required direct
communication, Gabriel often took up the task. It also seems that Gabriel holds a lower
rank than Michael, as Michael is referred to as an Archangel, or patriarch of angels,
while Gabriel is never given the same title. We also know that angels have their
own language, and it's nothing like human language. In 1 Corinthians 13:1
Paul explains the importance of love, saying that if he is wise enough to be able
to speak all human and angelic languages, but doesn't do so with love, he's no better
than a garishly loud, clanging, annoying cymbal that hurts the ears. The distinction
between the “tongues of men and of angels” implies that human languages are one thing, and
angelic language is something else entirely. Angels are also not mere automatons as
some traditions would have you believe. They were created to serve God by
helping him carry out his will, but they are still capable of
creative expression and free will. When angels suddenly appear to shepherds to
announce the birth of Jesus, they spring into spontaneous expressions of joy by exalting God.
Infamously, Satan had the free will to choose to reject God. Driven by his envy of God's power and
dissatisfaction with his rank as God's number 2, Satan led a host of angels in rebellion against
God, getting exiled from heaven as a result. Despite having free will though, angels don't
have the same capability for good or evil as humans do. We know this because when Satan
tempts Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, he promises that if they eat from the Tree
of Life, which will grant them knowledge of good and evil, they will then become “as gods”.
The implication here is clear- true knowledge of good and evil is a characteristic only
shared by God, and none of the rest of his creation. At least until Eve ate of the
tree and convinced Adam to do the same. What this means for angels specifically is unclear
though, as it's obvious that angels have free will and at least a third of them exercised that free
will to commit the evil of rebelling against God. A likely interpretation is that only God, and now
humanity, have true knowledge of the implications of both good and evil acts, and be able to
understand how those acts affect the world. Angels thus may be so close to their good nature-
or evil, if fallen- that they act more on instinct than knowledge of the harm or good their actions
will create. This is why we know that angels are in fact very different from humans in one very
specific regard- angels were never meant to rule over anything, while humanity was being groomed
from the very start to rule over their own world. You probably know the Adam and Eve story: Eve is
tempted into eating from the tree of knowledge, and she in turn tempts Adam into doing the same.
The two, who have been granted permission to eat from any tree but that one tree, are punished
for their disobedience by being expelled from the Garden of Eden. What you may not know
is that God's ban on eating from the tree of knowledge was not a permanent ban, but almost
certainly merely a temporary one. Eventually, the two would have been allowed to feast on the
tree, but only when they were sufficiently mature. From the very start God told Adam and
Eve that they were to rule over creation, a massive responsibility for any non-Godlike
individual! However, if the two couldn't master their temptations, they would be unfit for such
a monumental responsibility. Thus, they were granted one single temptation in their perfect
paradise, and like any human being ever born, they eventually succumbed to it. Not yet
mature enough to be rulers over creation, God then expelled the duo from paradise,
forcing the two and their offspring to learn spiritual and emotional maturity the hard way-
by suffering the pains of life in a flawed world. We know that eventually the two would have
been granted access to the tree though thanks to Revelation 22:7, “Whoever has ears, let
them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give
the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” The verse
implies that whoever learns to live a mature, righteous lifestyle is granted the gift that
God was waiting to give to Adam and Eve- fruit from the tree of life. This is
perfectly in line with the multiple references in scripture to the righteous
ruling alongside God and Jesus over creation: Revelation 5:10- And have made
us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth. Revelation 20: 4-6- ..And they lived and
reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Daniel 7:27- The kingdom and dominion, and the
greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people,
the saints of the Most High. Galatians 3:29- And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and
heirs according to the promise. 2 Timothy 2:12- If we endure,
we shall also reign with Him. What's clear from these bible verses though is
that Angels were never meant to be rulers- this was a gift offered specifically to humanity. Such
great responsibility though requires a greater knowledge of good and evil than angels seem to be
capable, or ready for, which implies that while angels are loved as a creation of God, humanity is
his real children and have a completely different relationship with him. We know that humans are
God's real children because of Hebrews 1:5, when Paul asks, “to which one of the
angels did God ever say: “You are my son; today I have become your father”? This is an
important distinction between humans and angels, who don't share the same privileges humanity
does as his direct sons and daughters. Unlike humanity, angels are also part
of a hierarchical caste-like system, and it is implied that they do not have the
capability to move within that caste the way a human may improve or reduce their lot in
life. Each angel seems to have an assigned job that they fulfill with obedience and satisfaction.
At the very top of that caste are the archangels, of which only Michael is ever spoken of.
There is some confusion as to how many archangels there are, and the matter is
never truly elaborated on in scripture. The book of Enoch references a third angel, also
considered to be an archangel- Raphael. However, the book of Enoch and Tobit,
where the angel is referenced, is not considered canon in most Abrahamic
traditions, and thus is excluded by default. Next are the Seraphs, though it's unclear what
status they hold over the rest of angels. Their high rank is assumed only because of their
position around the throne of God himself. These angels are some of the few ever
described physically in the Bible, and seem to hint that they are unique from other
angels. According to Isaiah 6:2, when the prophet had a vision of God sitting on his throne he saw
that he was surrounded by a troupe of angels. These angels had six wings, instead of the
two generally portrayed on other angels, and used two of their wings to cover
their faces, two to cover their feet, and the other two to fly around. Their voices
are also believed to be particularly powerful, as their praising of God caused the very
earth around Isaiah to shake and tremble. Next are the cherubs, and if you're picturing
cute little cupid-looking angels with heart-shaped arrows and a bow, you're likely picturing the
furthest thing from the truth. The bible gives no physical description for these angels, but at
the end of Genesis chapter 3 we learn of Adam and Eve's fate- they are expelled from the Garden
of Eden and must wander the earth. To make sure the two didn't try to make their way back inside
the garden, God stationed a flaming sword at the gates, and alongside it a troupe of Cherubs.
We can probably infer what these angels look like from their job description: these are the
angels who are tasked with protecting one of the most important things in God's creation- the
tree of knowledge. Thus it's likely that instead of cute little chubby angels, the Cherubs are
actually well armored and powerful warriors- the one and only line of defense against
further theft from the tree of knowledge. Cherubs must be formidable warriors, because they
have an equally formidable enemy- fallen angels. While Satan's motives for rebelling against
God are mostly conjecture- the Bible never truly gives a motivation- it's clear that if
Satan is at war with God, then his only hope of defeating God is to become like him. In the
garden of eden he tells Adam and Eve that if they eat of the tree of knowledge then they too
will become like God. Thus, getting to the fruit of the tree of knowledge is Satan's only hope of
victory. The flaming sword and troupe of Cherubs guarding the gates to the Garden were likely
not put there just to keep Adam and Eve out, but Satan and his fallen angels as well.
These Cherubs must then be amongst the most elite of warrior-angels, as they are guarding
one of the most important things in all creation. Angels however also help people directly,
though always under the instruction of God. Thus it's improper to pray directly to
an angel for help. When it comes though, this help can take the form of instruction ,
like when an angel told Philip when and where to be so he could minister to a traveling Ethiopian
official. The official had been reading the book of Isaiah, but struggled with understanding it.
Nudged by the holy spirit, Phillip offered to help the official understand what he was reading, and
the official quickly converted to Christianity. As a result, Ethiopia has one of the oldest
Christian traditions in the entire world. Angels also station themselves around the
faithful, protecting them from unseen evil. Psalm 34:7 states, The angel of Jehovah
camps all around those fearing Him. While the people of God are not promised a
life free of trouble, they are promised unseen protectors who will help prevent at least some
problems they may never even be aware existed. Despite being helpers and messengers to humanity
though, angels are not our personal guardians. The growing trend in a belief in “guardian angels”
is simply unbiblical and not supported by canon. Angels may indeed protect and guide, but only
at the direct instruction of God himself- and the Bible makes it abundantly clear that
many times God provides no supernatural aid at all for your trials and tribulations. Instead
you are meant to overcome these trials through the spiritual and emotional maturity you
have gained through a relationship with God, and the strength and wisdom
that he provides directly. An angel, given its good nature, may wish
to directly intervene- but that would be against God's plan of humanity learning
maturity through trial and tribulation. The biggest misconception about
angels though is their appearance. Not only can it be wildly bizarre, but for at
least one angel, it is absolutely terrifying. Traditionally angels carry harps and wear
robes with huge wings. The reality is far stranger. Sometimes angels take on a guise
that looks just like an ordinary human, to the point that we are unaware of the
times we've crossed paths with an angel. Hebrews 13:2 states: Do not forget
to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown
hospitality to angels without knowing it. However, things get a lot weirder from here. In the book of Ezekiel, the prophet has a vision
from God, and in it he sees a host of angels. He describes these angels as arriving inside an
immense cloud surrounded by brilliant light and flashing lightning. At the center of the
cloud was fire that glowed like hot metal, and inside of that fire were four creatures
that looked human- but with some seriously strange features. The four humanoids each had four
faces and four wings. One of the faces was human, the other a lion, the third an ox,
and the last the face of an eagle. Their legs seemed to not have knees the way human
legs do, and ended in hooves instead of feet, which gleamed like polished bronze. Under
their wings, on their four-sided body, were human-like hands. Each angel was
accompanied by a massive wheel that sparkled like a topaz gem. Possibly the most
bizarre detail is that the wheels, the angels, and their wings were all covered in eyes.
As the angels moved as fast as lightning, darting to and fro, the wheels followed suit,
almost as if they were part of the creatures. It's unknown why Ezekiel saw angels manifested
in such a bizarre fashion, but given that angels are spiritual in nature, their physical forms
may sometimes simply not make any sense to us. They may also have taken on this bizarre
appearance to fill Ezekiel with awe and wonder, given that moments after their appearance,
God himself would speak to Ezekiel, appearing as a man-like figure sitting on a
throne of lapis azuli. From the waist down he appeared to be made of fire, and from the waist
up he appeared as if made of glowing metal, and a bright radiance surrounded him all around.
Interestingly, this is a very common description of God as given by individuals who
have had near death experiences. At least one angel in scripture
though is terrifying to behold. You might think that the archangel
Michael, commander of God's armies, would be the most fearsome and intimidating
of angels- and that might be true, because we are never given a
description of Michael. However, if Gabriel is anything to go by, Michael
may be a truly terrifying sight to behold. Every single time that the angel Gabriel
appears to humanity, he causes immense and overwhelming fear in those who observe
him. Daniel describes Gabriel as a man, and when he sees him a second time he refers
to him as “the man I had seen in the earlier vision” in Daniel 9:21. However, Gabriel
must have been a truly terrifying sight, as on their first meeting Daniel
immediately falls on his face in terror. Later, when Gabriel is sent to give Zechariah
the good news that his wife is pregnant with John the Baptist, Zechariah immediately
collapses in fear upon beholding the angel. Gabriel- probably used to humans fainting
in fear at the sight of him by now- immediately tells Zechariah to not be
afraid, and gives him the good news. On a side note, Zechariah's interaction with
Gabriel seems to hint that while Michael's personality may be that of a fierce protector,
Gabriel might have a lack of patience. When Zechariah asks Gabriel for proof that his
elderly wife really will become pregnant, Gabriel's first response is an outraged, “I am
Gabriel! I stand in God's presence.” Perhaps Gabriel's fearsome appearance made Zechariah doubt
he was truly speaking to a messenger from God, but Gabriel sure does seem like he's
a slightly impatient individual. Then again, Gabriel may simply be sensitive
about his fearsome appearance causing others to doubt he was truly a holy angel. That's
why you should never judge a book by its cover! Either way, it's proof that angels,
like humans, have their own personalities. Gabriel would also go on to terrify Mary
as he delivered news of her pregnancy, though this time he showed infinitely more
patience. As Gabriel entered Mary's home, the latter recoiled in fear at his sight, prompting Gabriel to once more reassure yet
another terrified human with: “Don't be afraid.” We only know that Gabriel appeared as a man,
but he must have been a rather intimidating looking individual to have caused three
prominent biblical figures so much fear. The most common form angels take though
is invisible. We know from scripture that angels can be invisible to humans but visible to
animals, which might explain why animals sometimes react to things we can't see ourselves. Numbers
22:23 speaks of an angel who draws his sword in order to scare a donkey off the road. The donkey's
master is unable to see the invisible angel. People also commonly report invisible
forces coming to their aid in time of need. One woman relaying her story of an angelic
encounter recalls how while as a child she was sledding down a hill when she careened out of
control towards a metal guardrail at high speed. Suddenly an invisible force pushed her down
so that the guardrail missed hitting her face as the sled came to a crashing stop. Later in
life, she was shoved while playing at school and went tumbling down onto a sharp metal object.
As she fell, she felt a force pull her backwards, changing her trajectory. She ended up falling with
a sharp piece of metal debris narrowly missing her eye, and witnesses claiming to see her fall
forward and suddenly lurch backwards mid-fall. However, in at least one case,
dozens of eyewitnesses claimed to have seen angels- and the
evidence is very convincing. On May 16th, 1986, a deranged man and his wife
took 152 elementary school children and their teachers hostage. They packed the children
and teachers into one of the classrooms, at the center of which they planted a rudimentary
fuel-air explosive made out of gasoline. The man, David Young, secured a detonator on
his wife, Doris. In a freak accident, the detonator was triggered, causing the bomb to
explode inside a room packed full of children. Not a single child or teacher was killed. Investigators were immediately baffled.
Somehow the force of the explosion had been diverted upwards into the ceiling.
Three of the bomb's five blasting caps had also had their wires mysteriously cut, and
the explosive powder that should have completed the fuel-air bomb combination had failed to
act as intended thanks to a gasoline leak. Shrapnel from the explosion had
peppered the walls of the classroom, while miraculously avoiding striking even
a single child in the packed confines. Later, investigators would find even more evidence
of a paranormal event, as children came forward one by one with their accounts of the bombing.
Child after child repeated the same story to the police and family- people dressed in shining white
robes had been inside the room with them that day. One child said that she was told to sit in a
specific spot by a woman she didn't recognize. Another child was physically led out of the
building by yet another woman she thought was a teacher. As the children's stories came
forward, so came another shocking realization- the children were identifying relatives
in photo albums who had died years before they had even been born as the individuals
who had protected them during the explosion. And one child said that she saw the shining
figures surround the bomb just before it exploded, and then float upwards as it went off. This goes
startingly hand-in-hand with the official bomb squad investigation which showed the bomb had
mysteriously exploded upwards for some reason. But not all of the shining figures were
relatives, some were believed to be angels, and the adults had their own experiences. One
woman recalled that she felt guided the entire time, as if some force had told her exactly
what to do and when to do it. Another woman, Amy Bagaso Williams, suffered horrible third
degree burns to her face. When she was rushed to the hospital the staff began to cry upon
seeing her injuries. Two priests arrived at the hospitals offering blessings, and she received
one. She felt a deep comfort settle over her, and a voice told her that her scars would
be completely healed and the only scars she would have to heal from would be those
of forgiving the two deranged bombers. Much to doctors' amazement, William's
skin would completely heal, leaving behind no evidence of the severe burns
that had made her face unrecognizable. Angels take on many shapes and sizes,
some bizarre, sometimes terrifying, and other times completely unrecognizable. So
next time you come across a helpful stranger, consider that you too have an opportunity
to show hospitality to a real, live angel. Now go check out What The Devil Actually
Looks Like, or click this other video instead!
