In the Bible, the word “angel” means “messenger.” God sent angels to deliver messages to specific people, like when the angel Gabriel delivered a VERY important message to Mary about the birth of Jesus in Luke 1:26-38.
The Scriptures suggest angels can look like fire, (see Hebrews 1:7, Exodus 3:2), or a bright light, like lightning (see Matthew 28:3). Daniel described the angel he saw like this: “His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people” Daniel 10:6, NLT.
Sometimes angels took on a human form and appeared as men, but never as women or babies. Abraham (see Genesis 18:2), his nephew Lot (see Genesis 19:1), Gideon (see Judges 6:11-22), and the parents of Samson (see Judges 13:20) all saw angels who appeared as men. VERY few people in the Bible had contact with angels. They came, delivered their message, and left. They are not our friends or companions.
Angels are created spirit beings, NOT the afterlife of dead humans.
How many angels are there? Many! In Revelation, John says he looked and heard “…thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.” (Revelation 5:11, NIV) That’s over 100 million angels! A scripture in Hebrews (see 12:22) mentions an “innumerable company of angels” – “innumerable” means too many to count!
Angels are very strong and have great power from God. Psalms says, “Bless the LORD, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word.” (Psalms 103:20, NASB)
Locked doors are no problem for angels. Peter was asleep in prison, chained between two soldiers. Suddenly, there was a bright light and an angel appeared INSIDE the cell, woke Peter up, and his chains fell off! Thinking he was dreaming, Peter followed the angel out of the cell past the first and second guard posts, and then the iron gate leading to the street miraculously opened (Acts 12:6-10).
We are examples to the angels. They can observe our lives, and the Bible says they are eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of God’s plan for all of humankind (1 Peter 1:12, especially NLT).
Should we worship angels? No – Colossians 2:18 (CEV) specifically tells us NOT to: “Don’t be cheated by people who make a show of acting humble and who worship angels. They brag about seeing visions. But it is all nonsense, because their minds are filled with selfish desires.”
Further, Jesus said to Satan in Matthew 4:10 (NIV) “…For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” The Bible does not teach us to contact angels and make requests. They are not here to obey OUR commands – they work for God and His glorified son Jesus, and only obey THEIR commands.
So, what does the Bible say about angels? They acted as messengers in the Bible, delivering God’s word to specific people, sometimes appearing as fire or lightning and sometimes even as men, but never as women or babies. They are innumerable, strong and powerful. We are not to worship them, or expect them to do what we ask because they only obey the will of God and His glorified son, Jesus.
Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1304: “How Do Guardian Angels Take Care of Us?”
Understanding what God’s angels do and don’t do on our behalf
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
Episode #1043: “How Do Angels Help Us in Daily Life?”
Examining the interactions we should or shouldn’t have with angels
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
For children, parents and Bible class teachers:
(Animated video): “What does the Bible say about angels?”
(Animated video): “What did angels do in the Bible?”
