Throughout history, misguided ideas and false beliefs about angels have run rampant, but Christians need not rely on ancient folklore, fiction, or the media for their information. The Bible contains over 300 references to angels. When we dig deep into scripture to study their origin, role, and purpose—a practice also known as angelology—we gain a truth-filled perspective about angels and broaden our understanding of the God who created them.
Is Angelology a Real Subject that Theologians Study?
Merriam-Webster defines angelology as “the theological doctrine of angels or its study.” Since angels play a significant role in the Word of God, Angelology is considered one of the ten major branches of systematic theology.
Some theologians are hesitant to study angels in the Bible. For example, Charles Ryrie argues in Basic Theology that the information revealed in scripture about angels “is without the same kind of explicit description we often find with other subjects.”
But statistics show that today’s culture is hungry for information about the supernatural realm—which has led many to search for the truth about angels in all the wrong places.
Common Questions and Misconceptions about Angels
The Bible can easily answer questions and misconceptions about angels when we prayerfully search the whole writ of scripture, in context, to find the truth. Here are some of the most common questions people Google about angels—and what the Bible has to say in response:
1. Do humans become angels when they die? No human ever becomes an angel when they die. When a believer in Christ dies, their soul leaves their earthly body and goes to live with Jesus while they wait for a glorified body. (Luke 23:43, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, Philippians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). When an unbeliever dies, they immediately go to Hades to await judgment. (Luke 16:22-23, Revelation 20:11-16).
God created angels before he created humans (Job 38:4-7). Unlike men and women, who were created in God’s image with a physical body and soul, God created angels as spirit beings and equipped them with supernatural abilities, roles, and purposes for His glory. (Hebrews 1:14) The book of Revelation reveals that “thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand” angels encircle the throne of God (Revelation 5:11). These angels are numbered apart from every other creature in Heaven or on Earth, which confirms that these beings have never been part of the human race or any other species.
2. Do angels wear halos? Halos are never mentioned in the Bible. The circular band of light traditionally hovers atop angels’ heads is an artistic symbol that has been used in religious artwork since the fourth century. Ancient artists appropriated this “divine light” symbol from pagan religions to set apart sacred figures in their renderings. Like we’ll never see a lightbulb hovering above the head of an intelligent person here on Earth, we won’t see halos on the heads of angels in Heaven.
3. Can angels reveal themselves to humans on Earth? Because angels are spirit beings who dwell in the spiritual realm, they’re usually invisible to the human eye. However, scripture reveals dozens of occasions where angels manifest themselves in various forms to humans.
During some of these Biblical visitations, angels appear in person as a human man (Genesis 18:1-19, Joshua 5:13-14, Mark 16:5). Other times in scripture, angels infiltrate a person’s dream world. (Matthew 1:20-21, Matthew 2:13). Angels also interact with humans in scripture through visions, appearing in frightening, other-worldly forms (Ezekiel 1, 10).
God-ordained angelic visitations can still occur on Earth. (Hebrews 13:2) But those encounters are rare. God’s primary communication with believers today is through scripture and His Holy Spirit. If a true angelic visitation does occur, the angel’s actions or message will never negate the will or the Word of God.
Outside Biblical text, not all reports of angel sightings are true, and not all angelic visitations are holy. It’s important to understand that fallen angels, also called demons (Jude 1:6), are equipped to deceive those who don’t carefully test every spirit they encounter and weigh every message they receive by scripture (Galatians 1:8, 1 John 4:1-6).
One reason God may limit our ability to see angels in the human realm is that humanity is prone to idolatry. Throughout history, humanity has repeatedly fallen into the sin of misplaced worship. Even in the early church, we see Paul warning Believers to be on guard against those who sensationalize their encounters with angels. “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind” (Colossians 2:18).
4. What do angels do? Contrary to the pop culture and Hollywood depictions, angels don’t play harps on clouds, they don’t perform good deeds to earn their wings, and they aren’t typically dispatched as a trio from Heaven to use their grit, wit, and humor to “touch” and inspire downtrodden humans.
According to scripture, angels work tirelessly in their assigned roles to glorify God and to aid Him in His plan of redemption for humanity. There are angels whose sole purpose is to continually provide God with the worship He deserves (Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8). Others act as messengers of God (Daniel 9:22; Luke 1:11, 26; Revelation 1:1). Some are warring angels (Daniel 10:13; Revelation 12:7), while others serve as ministering angels to encourage, help, and strengthen God’s children (Daniel 6:22; Acts 5:17-21, Acts 27:23-24). And these are just a few of the jobs God has given angels, as seen in scripture.
5. Does everyone have a guardian angel? Although the Bible undeniably reveals that angels are equipped and called to protect and guard humans (Daniel 6:20-23; 2 Kings 6:13-17; Psalm 91:11-12), the idea that every human is assigned their own guardian angel is not supported by scripture.
The idea that believers are given a guardian angel at birth originated from early extrabiblical writings and ancient folklore. Christian proponents of this belief use this scripture verse as their main exegetical argument:
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).
When read in context, we see that the whole chapter of Matthew 18 explains how serious God is about protecting, guarding, and preserving His own. He uses angels as instruments of care and protection. But we must guard ourselves against placing our hope in the instrument instead of placing our complete trust in God’s hand and plan of protection. Not one angel was ever created for any individual here on Earth. They were all created by God—and for God—to accomplish His will for His purposes. All glory belongs to God when He uses His angels to care for humanity in miraculous ways.
“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16)
Where are Angel Encounters Mentioned in the Bible?
The Greek word for angel, angelos, is mentioned in the New Testament 176 times. And the corresponding Hebrew word, malakh, is mentioned in the Old Testament 213 times. But only 26 of these references—10 in the Old Testament and 16 in the New Testament—involve humans personally encountering an angel.
1. Angels were assigned to block the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve’s fall (Genesis 3:24).
2. Sarah’s maid, Hagar, had two encounters with angels who ministered to her needs (Genesis 16).
3. God used angels to hasten Lot and his family’s escape from Sodom (Genesis 19).
4. Angels met Jacob to prepare him for his destiny (Genesis 32:1-2, Genesis 32:22-32).
5. An angel met with Gideon to prepare him for battle (Judges 6:11-23).
6. An angel appeared to Samson’s mother and father before he was born. (Judges 13) God used angels to instruct Elijah (2 Kings 1:3, 2 Kings 1:15).
7. Angels appear to Daniel to interpret his vision and to strengthen and encourage him (Daniel 8-10).
8. An angel appeared to Zechariah to tell him he would soon have a son named John (Luke 1:5).
9. An angel appeared to Mary to tell her the Lord favored her and would soon have a son who would be the world’s savior (Luke 1:26-28).
10. Then an angel appeared to Joseph to assure him that Mary’s pregnancy was holy (Matthew 1:19-21).
11. A choir of angels appeared to announce the savior’s birth to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-20).
12. Angels ministered to Jesus during his temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:11).
13. An angel strengthened Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:41-44).
14. Jesus’s followers first heard of His resurrection from an angel (Matthew 28:5-6).
15. Angels will accompany Jesus when He returns in glory (Matthew 16:27).
Although not a complete list of angel encounters in scripture, this snapshot shows angels’ integral role in God’s plan for humanity.
What Kind of Angels are Mentioned in the Bible?
As mentioned before, angels fall into two categories in scripture—the angels who serve God and fallen angels. Scripture reveals that not all angels are the same. There are three types of angelic beings explicitly described in scripture.
Cherubim: Cherubs are not the chubby, adorable flying babies seen on Valentine’s Day cards and in cathedral art. They are fierce, beautiful creatures who guard God’s holiness. Before Satan’s fall, he was a perfect cherub, full of beauty and wisdom (Ezekiel 28:12-15). Ezekiel describes cherubim as having four faces and four wings, human hands, and hooves of bronze (Ezekiel 1:4-14).
Seraphim: Isaiah 6 describes Seraphim as devout, six-winged creatures who surround the throne of God to proclaim His holiness. They also seem to be agents of cleansing for anyone who dares approach God’s throne in an unworthy manner. Those who put their whole trust in Jesus Christ and His righteousness are invited to. “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Archangel: Hope Bolinger explains that this word comes “from the Greek meaning ‘chief angel,’ archangels seem to be at the top of the angelic hierarchy in terms of power. Created by God, these types of angels have a number of purposes they fill, lining the Old and New Testaments of Scripture.” Archangels are mentiond in verses like 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Jude 1:9, Daniel 10:13-21, Luke 1:19, 26; Revelation 12:7.
The Angel of the Lord: The Bible refers to this very important heavenly being in Daniel 3:24-25, Judges 6:11-12, Genesis 22:15, and many other places in scripture. Most scholars believe this angel is set apart from other angels, but there are several schools of thought about the angel’s identity. Some believe the Angel of the Lord is a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ Jesus. Others believe him to be God Himself in angelic form. Others believe the creature is a high-ranking messenger angel who acts on behalf of the Almighty.
When Christians prayerfully study the topic of angels in God’s word, we can be sure our efforts are never in vain. Angelology enriches our understanding of God’s glory, provision, and power, arms us with truth to combat worldly ideas about the supernatural realm, and equips us to help the lost world find real answers to some of their deepest questions.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/NikkiZalewski
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