A messenger of God or supernatural being, either good or evil. Angels in the Bible are more powerful than humans.
The first kind of angels mentioned in the Bible are cherubim (plural of "cherub," a Hebrew word). They were celestial beings sent by God to guard the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24).
Authors of biblical books represented angels symbolically:
on the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:18–22),
in the tabernacle (Exodus 26:31), and
in the temple (2 Chronicles 3:7).
The prophet Ezekial saw angels in a vision of the restored Jerusalem (Ezekiel 41:18–20). Two angels, Gabriel and the archangel (or chief) Michael are named in the Bible (Daniel 8:16; 9:21; 10:13; Luke 1:19, 26; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7–9).
In the Bible, angels are spiritual beings who often serve as messengers. The English word "angel" comes directly from a Greek word for messenger. In Luke 9:52, Jesus sent "messengers" ahead of him. Usually, the same word is translated "angel" and indicates a spiritual messenger from God.
In the Old Testament also, one Hebrew word can refer either to a human messenger or to a spiritual being. It is not always immediately clear which is meant, especially since angels sometimes appeared in human form. In certain passages, "the angel of God" or a similar phrase may refer to God delivering his own message (see Genesis 18:2–15).
Roles and Functions of Angels in the Bible
Angels appeared to people in the Bible to:
announce good news (Judges 13:3)
warn of danger (Genesis 19:15)
guard from evil (Daniel 3:28; 6:22)
guide and protect (Exodus 14:19)
nourish (Genesis 21:14–20; 1 Kings 19:4–7)
instruct (Acts 7:38; Galatians 3:19)
When Christ came to earth as the Savior, angels:
announced his birth (Luke 2:8–15)
guided and warned his parents (Matthew 2:13)
strengthened him when he was tempted (Matthew 4:11)
strengthened him in his last distress (Luke 22:43–44 in some manuscripts)
observed his resurrection (Matthew 28:1–6)
The New Testament includes several examples of angels interacting with humans:
Jesus spoke about the guardian angels of little children (Matthew 18:10).
In a scary situation, an angel encouraged the apostle Paul (Acts 27:21–25).
Physical Descriptions and Visions of Angels
Biblical encounters with angels often describe distinct physical differences from ordinary people. The angel who moved the stone from the entrance to Jesus’ tomb had an appearance like lightning and clothing white as snow (Matthew 28:3).
Many passages about angels are descriptions of dreams or visions. "Jacob’s ladder" with angels ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12) is an example. In another dream an angel spoke to Jacob (Genesis 31:11). An angel appeared to Cornelius in a vision (Acts 10:1–3). Major passages of this type include Isaiah 6 (the seraphim), much of the book of Ezekiel (the cherubim), and much of Daniel and Zechariah.
In the New Testament, over a third of the references to angels are in the book of Revelation. In most cases, the angelic beings are glorious or grotesque figures seen in visions and are not to be confused with human persons. The language describing angelic visions is often mystical, metaphorical, and difficult to interpret.
Angels in Christian Theology
Angelology, the doctrine of angels, is not a major theme in Christian theology in spite of the many references to angels in the Bible. Angels are included in descriptions of all that God created (Psalm 148:2; Colossians 1:16). There are hints that they saw the creation of the world (Job 38:7). No matter how close to God angels may be, they share with humankind the status of creatures.
As wholly spiritual creatures, angels are free from many human limitations. They do not die (Luke 20:36). They do not marry, so they could be regarded as sexless (Matthew 22:30). In all appearances, angels in human form were taken to be men, never women or children. Angels' ability to communicate in human language and to affect human life in other ways is basic to their role in the Bible.
Angels' power and awesome appearance sometimes tempted people to fear or worship them (Matthew 28:2–4). The New Testament does not condone the worship of angels (Colossians 2:18; Revelation 22:8–9). Though angels are stronger and wiser than human beings, their power and knowledge are also limited by God (Psalm 103:20; Matthew 24:36; 1 Peter 1:11–12; 2 Peter 2:11). See Cherub, Cherubim; Seraph, Seraphim; Demon; Demon-possession; Satan.