He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 1And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence. (Col 1:15-18).
Knowing who and what angels are, as well as how and why they were made, is crucial to comprehending them. They are created beings, according to the Bible. They were made to be angels by God. They haven’t ‘become’ angels. They were created by and for Jesus to honour and honour God, just like the rest of creation. According to the Bible, angels existed before the world and may have been actively involved in its formation. To be sure, they were thrilled about it.
“Now prepare yourself like a man;I will question you, and you shall answer Me.“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 38:3-7).
Praisethe Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created. He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away.
God’s angels are part of Him and reside with Him in heaven. Jesus describes angels as being in heaven and belonging to God on multiple occasions:
“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9).
Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10).
And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you,hereafteryou shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” (John 1:51).
Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaventheir angels alwayssee the face of My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 18:10).
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels ofheaven,but My Father (Matthew 24:36)
They’re everywhere! Jesus claims that he can summon 144,000 angels, and that more than 100 million of them are worshipping God in heaven.
Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me withmore than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53).
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels (Hebrews 12:22).
The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands; the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place. (Psalm 68:17).
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. (Dan 7:10).
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands (Rev 5:11).
In the Roman army, a legion was made up of 12,000 troops. So it meant a lot to be able to summon twelve legions of angels! In Greek, ten thousand was the biggest number that could exist at the time these verses were composed, yet ten thousand times ten thousand is 100 million. Therefore, 10 thousand times ten thousand was an unimaginably large number! Angels are’spirit’ beings, not physical beings as we typically think of them. Additionally, they appear to be more advanced in creation than humans (on Earth):
Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14).
What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visithim?For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honour. (Psalm 8:4-5).
Angels are also compared to fire and the winds. Actually, the words for “spirit” in Hebrew and Greek can also mean “breath” or “wind”:
Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. (Psalm 104:4).
They are not, however, “wishy washy floaty” objects because of this! They are sentient beings with thoughts, emotions, and intelligence (they can speak both the earthly and divine languages):
Your maidservant said, ‘The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in discerning good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you.’ (2 Samuel 14:17).
To bring about this change of affairs, your servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth. (2 Samuel 14:20).
To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into. (1 Peter 1:12).
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. (1 Corinthians 13:1).
Angels were most likely formed all at once because they don’t die, get married, or have children:
For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. (Matthew 22:30).
For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. (Mark 12:25)
Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;nor can they die any more, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. (Luke 20: 34-36).
As God’s created beings, God’s angels are likewise aware of their proper position. They are there to serve and adore God, not to be worshipped:
Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” (Revelation 22:8-9).
Angels are capable of free will and decision-making. One of the highest ranked angels at the beginning of creation, Lucifer, commonly referred to as Satan or “The Devil,” rebelled against God and declared his desire for God’s power. After losing a fierce battle, Lucifer and his followers—roughly one-third of all the angels—were punished and expelled from heaven. The ‘fallen’ angels and angels in general are not ‘visible’ to the naked eye. They might decide to show themselves to us (or when God permits us to see them):
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:7-9).
His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. (Revelation 12:4)
Having said that, angels, if allowed by God, can also appear as ‘normal’ men, as described in the Bible when Abraham and his nephew Lot were visited by ‘men’ :
Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favour in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. (Gen 18:1-8).
Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. (Genesis 18:22).
Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. (Gen 19:1).
Another example is at the empty tomb when Jesus was raised from the dead:
Now, when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” (Mark 16:1-7).
Angels also don’t know everything and can’t be everywhere. They serve God and follow his commands:
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the (Mark 13:32)
Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word. (Psalm 103:20).
As well as being under God’s control we’re told in the Bible, that in heaven Christians will actually judge angels. Please note that these are fallen angels:
Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? (1 Cor 6:3).
