types of angels and their duties
However, in the Book of Tobis, Raphael said to Tobias that he was one of 7 who stood before the Lord, where Michael and Gabriel considered to be the other two among the 7. Jehovahs Witnesses and some Christians identify Michael as Christ; this view, however, would suggest Christ has less authority than Satan, which is untenable. Seraphim are considered "fiery serpents," and the other divine beings may not view them.There are 4 Seraphim, and each has four faces and six wings.When Seraphim appear on Earth, they prefer to take the forms of tall, thin, clean-cut human embodiments while leaving their fiery serpent forms behind in Heaven. (2) Further, these many references are scattered throughout the Bible being found in at least 34 books from the very earliest books (whether Job or Genesis) to the last book of the Bible (Revelation). 4:6; 6:1). As such, Satan not only becomes the classic illustration of the temptation and foolishness of pride in the creature, but pride becomes one of his chief snares by which he seeks to cause trouble among the people of God who are so prone to become puffed up over their own abilities or roles or over the abilities and roles of others, all of which are gifts of God. The seraphim also express the holiness of God in that they proclaim that man must be cleansed of sins moral defilement before he can stand before God and serve Him.26. One of the key features of Revelation concerns the two kingdoms: the kingdom of the world (Satans kingdom) and the kingdom of God. In contrast, living creatures have one face and six wings (Rev 4:7-8). These wings consist of 2 to cover their faces, 2 to cover their feet, and 2 to make them fly. They are the type of angels that help us recognize that there is a God and that He has a hand on all the things that happen to us. Angels also model worship. Scripture reveals God to be perfect in holiness, love, benevolence, grace, and mercy. Thrones or dominions. Gabriel also announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias (Luke 1:1120). They are also given the task of sending other angels on a mission to help protect humans from possible danger. 11 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology, Vol. Ryrie writes: Angels then qualify as personalities because they have these aspects of intelligence, emotions, and will. 9:2127). But as this dialogue and Jobs suffering continued over a prolonged period, Job began to become angry with God and he developed a demanding spirit. In Revelation 4:8, they cry out day and night: Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, Who was and who is, and who is still to come! Also, in Revelation 5:12, they, along with the twenty-four elders and other angels, declare: Worthy is the lamb who was killed to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise!. 1:20-22; 1 Pet. 9 Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His?. In Revelation 2-3, each of the seven letters to the seven churches is addressed to the angel of the church of In addition, they are each seen to be in the right hand of Christ in the vision of chapter one (Rev. How many types of angels are there and what are they? In the New Testament, Paul tells us that God created all things visible and invisible, and specifically includes the angelic world with the phrase whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities (Colossians 1:16). Archangels: These angel leaders lead teams of angels working on specific types of God-given assignments. Michael also disputed with Satan about the body of Moses, but Michael refrained from judgment, leaving that to God (Jude 9). Ryrie writes: The Scriptures speak of the assembly and council of the angels (Ps. 3:16; 1 Pet. While angels generally appear as men in Scripture, Zechariah 5:9 may suggest this is not always the case. The same is true with sinful man. They are also given governmental classifications which indicate organization and ranking (Eph. I was so tired and dehydrated, however, that I stumbled and nearly fell into the canyon. Archangel Gabriel, also known as St. Gabriel (Saint Gabriel), is the most famous of Gods messengers for delivering Gods message to Mary. In Christianity, Gods angels are actually based on the concept of angels depicted in Judaism. Chafer quotes Otto Von Gerlach who pointed out: By the revelation of Himself in Christ, by the institution of the Christian Church on earth, God after a manner hitherto unknown glorifies Himself before the heavenly principalities. This becomes even more of an issue when one considers the rebellion and accusations of Satan in light of the condescension of Christ whose entire life they witnessed (1 Tim. That their knowledge is greater is also suggested by the fact they were present at some of the heavenly counsels, were involved in conveying revelation (Gal. Some question whether the Seraphim and Cherubim are actually angels since they are never clearly identified as angels, but due to the nature of angels and their service as superhuman servants of God, this is the most logical place to classify them. By Christs incarnation He became lower for a little while (Heb 2:9), but this only applied to His humanity. (1) The mention of angels is inclusive in Scripture. All rights reserved. And in essence, he was. There are three main types of angels, with angelic choirs within each larger type: first sphere, second sphere, and third sphere. The English word angel is a translation of the Greek word angelos, which means messenger. God has entrusted angels with delivering the most spiritually important messages in history from announcing the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem on the first Christmas, to proclaiming Jesus resurrection on the first Easter. The Psalmist declares:.Angels glorify God for who he is in himself, for his excellence.Bless the Lord, O you his angels,you mighty ones who do his word,hearkening to the voice of his word! (Psalm 103:20, see also 148:2). They have a hierarchy based on their closeness to God and humans, as well as their duties. vs. 7) when a sinner repents. They worship Gods person and cleanse Gods people. The angel is identified as God, speaks as God, and claims to exercise the prerogatives of God. 1:11; 17:45). But apparently, there are a lot of them. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions (NIV). They are so passionate about their love of God that they literally burn with a fiery love for God. (4) For the messengers of the seven churches (Rev. The seraphim continually praise God for his holiness (Isaiah 6:23), and so do the four living creatures (Revelation 4:8). Much of how society thinks today in its enchantment with angels is clearly a product of his masquerade as an angel of light with his angels who also disguise themselves in keeping with his purposes. Briefly, then, what the Bible teaches us about Satan and sin and suffering provides us with an answer to this moral dilemma. This was not the king of Persia but rather a fallen angel under Satans control; he was a demon of high rank, assigned by the chief of demons, Satan, to Persia as his special area of activity (cf. Satan, as the anointed cherub, was not only created perfect, but he was exceedingly beautiful. Angels do many things. Psalm 103:20 at least implies their greater strength in the statement, Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word. Then, 2 Thessalonians 1:7 refers to the return of the Lord with His mighty angels in flaming fire. 19:1-6; Rom. Best Horror Movies for 13 Year Olds and Tweens, 10 Nightmarish Horror Movies on Netflix Full of Jump Scares, Everything About Shadow People You Need to Know. 12:7). 12:10). They are also known to leave signs for faithful Christians, and can even perform miracles. 1:16, 20). In his 1990 book Angels: An Endangered Species, Malcolm Godwin estimates that over the last 30 years one in every ten pop songs mentions an angel. Three other terms undoubtedly referring to angels are seraphim (Isa. WebThere are 9 different kinds of angels mentioned in the Bible. Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Believers sometimes feel that they can go it alone or expect victory without any prior, organized preparation and discipline. It is believed that angels are not visible or human beings, but rather, spirits in being. Get updates from Zondervan Academic directly in your inbox. The name means burning ones.2 The seraphim have six wings: two to fly with, two to cover their feet, and two to cover their faces (Is 6:2). It appears from Revelation 12:3-4 that one-third of the angelic hosts chose to follow Satan. Angels frequently appear as messengers in the Bible, traveling from one place to another (see the verse above, where Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth). So today, from a world that lies under his deception (see John 12:31; 16:11; Eph. . However, Angelology rests not upon reason or supposition, but upon revelation.9. They are not treated in themselves. Gabriel is the only other angel named in the Bible. 2, Kregel Publications, 1993, p. 8. Then, in Daniel 10:13 he is called one of the chief princes. Perhaps there is no place where this is more clearly stated than in 1 Samuel 15:22-23. . The most likely reference here is to the angels (sons of God, cf. Paul warns us against thinking that any other mediator can come between us and God, for there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). They remind us to be zealous about guarding Gods glory and his worship as well. (3) For an impersonal agent, Pauls thorn in the flesh described as a messenger of Satan (2 Cor. He is appointed to convey revelations to the prophets by Allah. The reference to the Abyss brings up another important element regarding the abode of the fallen angels. 9:21; Luke 1:26). They appeared like a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, representing various parts of Gods creation (wild beasts, domesticated animals, human beings, and birds). Only God is omniscient (all-knowing) and all-powerful (omnipotent). Christians share Christs seat at Gods right hand. Obviously, only Christ can cleanse people of sin. Ephesians 6:12 refers to ranking of fallen angels: rulers are those who are first or high in rank; powers are those invested with authority; world-forces of this darkness expresses the power or authority which they exercise over the world; spiritual forces of wickedness describes the wicked spirits, expressing their character and nature. Daniel 10:13 refers to the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposing Michael. The Virtues are shaped like sparks of light, focusing on maintaining the natural world and inspiring living things in things like science. In His holiness and justice, God had no other choice but to judge Satan and his angels to the lake of fire. Mans redemption and the recovery of paradise lost has always been based on what God would do through the seed of the woman, the Messiah Savior who would die as mans substitute, but also defeat Satan and, by implication, demonstrate Satans slander as false (cf. This designation emphasizes the dignity and authority of angelic rulers in Gods use of them in His government (Eph. Describe the types of angels and their functions and share any applications that can be drawn from them. For instance, the doctrine of the trinity is not explicitly taught in the Bible, but it is clearly taught implicitly in Scripture. In this post, we investigate the intermediate statethe state and the fate of each individual immediately after death but before the final resurrection. In one place demons are designated as world rulers of this darkness (Eph. That angel, known as Lucifer before the angelic fall and as Satan afterward, fell from heaven after trying to take Gods power for himself (Isaiah 14:12-14). Think of this! However, since the term for angel means messenger and is also used of men, there is debate over whether these references refer to angelic beings or to the human leaders of the seven churches. Eph. However, Gabriel, who is considered an archangel, appears in both the OT and NT. Then, along a similar line Paul wrote. In their holy state, unfallen angels are called sons of God in the sense that they were brought into existence by the creation of God (Job 1:6; 38:7). Therefore, innately they possess greater knowledge. In the Bible, angels cant usually be seen by humans unless God reveals them (see Numbers 22:31, 2 Kings 6:17, Luke 2:13). Deut. 10:21; 11:1). As observers, all the angels were present when Satan, in his quest to be like the Most High, sought to usurp Gods sovereign rule (see Isa. The four faces of the lion, ox, man, and eagle represent some of the mightiest representatives of Gods creation. They patrol the earth as Gods representatives (Zechariah 1:1011). Fallen angels: The Bible also tells us that some angels have fallen from the glorious way that God had originally designed them to be. Understanding the above scenario provides us with part of the answer to the age old question of how a God who is good could permit evil, especially if He is omniscient and omnipotent. (2) Gabriel (Dan. The Thrones appear to have the weirdest appearance because they appear as great glowing wheels covered with many eyes.The Thrones serve as Gods chariot and "dispense his judgment" to carry out his desires for us.The Thrones are considered "heavenly governors, attempting to strike a balance between matter and spirit, good and bad.". Watchers: Watchers is an Aramaic word which means, vigilant, waking, watchful. Verse 17 may infer this is a special type of angel (if a special class is intended). Job 38:7; Neh. They are described as each having six wings. Therefore, they praise and proclaim the perfect holiness of God. Since details about angels are not significant for that purpose, they tend to be omitted.3. The angels! 32:21; Acts 12:7-11; and the many references to angelic activities in Revelation). Jesus words in Matthew 18:10 seem to support the idea that individual people (or at least children) have guardian angels, in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. But Jesus may only mean that angels are assigned to protect little children in general. See also Psalm 80:1; 99:1. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9). 5:11; with Matt. (1) Cherubim are of the highest order or class, created with indescribable powers and beauty Their main purpose and activity might be summarized in this way: they are proclaimers and protectors of Gods glorious presence, His sovereignty, and His holiness. They stood guard at the gate of the Garden of Eden, preventing sinful man from entering (Gen. 3:24); were the golden figures covering the mercy seat above the ark in the Holy of Holies (Exod. First Sphere of Angels. Learning about these different types of angels can strengthen our faith by reminding us of the vast spiritual support network around us. Angels are called mighty ones who do his word (Psalm 103:20), powers (see Ephesians 1:21), and dominions and authorities (Colossians 1:16). When angels have been seen as recorded in Scripture, they were often mistaken as men because they were manifested in a man-like appearance (Gen. 18:2, 16, 22; 19:1, 5, 10, 12, 15, 16; Judg. 6:3; Ps. Seraphim praise God (Isaiah 6:3). 12:7). The next two chapters, then, develop this theme of Gods wisdom and power. Paul also tells us that the Lord will return from heaven with the archangels call (1 Thessalonians 4:16). 9:6). This suggests they do not have material bodies as humans do. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. 89:5, 7), of their organization for battle (Rev. 6:1-8). Illustrations of uses that do not refer to celestial beings: (1) For human messengers from one human to another (Luke 7:24; Jam. Rev. They are holy angels who have. This clearly suggests that angels dont marry. This is the explanation for the fall of angels and the fall of men.45. 9:6; Ps. There are 9 different kinds of angels mentioned in the Bible. As suggested by the fellowship that can be observed in the Trinity between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Gods very being necessitated that He bring forth creatures for fellowship, but He did not create these creatures as robots who have no choice. Connect with Whitney onTwitter and Facebook. Ezekiel 10:15, 20 reveal them as cherubim. In fact, many of the angels mentioned in the Bible do not resemble their popular image. Unlike God, who is omnipresent, angels are finite creatures, limited to one place at one time. Perhaps an inscription I once saw in an old church in Scotland states the balance well. Angels have greater power than man (Matt. The guardian angels are the ones that we, humans, are most familiar with and are the closest to. God alone not angels has the power to perform miracles (Psalm 72:18). 1:14). If so, then the verse is stating that the good angels are more powerful than the evil ones. Though writing about their invisibility to mankind, Chafer has an interesting comment: One reason angels are rendered invisible to human sight may be that , if they were seen, they would be worhiped. First, there is always a bent in man for the miraculous or supernatural, for that which lifts him out of the mundane and pain of life, even if for a moment, but there is more to this issue. There are no examples in Scripture of anyone praying to an angel or asking angels for help. 10:6). Shortly after the creation of Adam and Eve, the devils attack on the character of God as unfair becomes immediately evident in the slanderous nature of his questions and statements to Eve in the temptation (Gen. 3:1-5). Exodus 26:1 says, The tabernacle itself you are to make with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet; you are to make them with cherubim that are the work of an artistic designer.. In the book of Revelation, an angel warns John not to worship him: You must not do that! The tragedy is that our culture continues to pursue this independently of Gods revelation, the Bible. Their description suggests a six-winged humanlike creature. As the leader of these unholy angels, Satan is a liar, a murderer, and a thief (John 10:10). 9:21; Rev. This was an offense to the glory of God. 1:6; Rev. However, this may not be true. They also glow and serve God as a chariot and carry out some of Gods judgments. 8 Will you really annul My judgment? These are the angels who work on Earth and are our guides, protectors, and messengers from God. Archangel Raphael (Archangel of the East, Essence: Air) 3. Do not make my Fathers house a marketplace! (John 2:16). Angels are referred to as the host, which calls our attention to two ideas. 4:8), (2) as messengers of God (Dan. Most likely, a cherubs face must look like that of an ox (Ez 1:10, 10:14). 4:8). As indicated previously, they observed Gods creation and rejoiced (Ps. 5:21) in contrast to the evil angels who followed Satan in his rebellion against God (Matt. 2, Kregel Publications, 1993, p. 3. 41:18) and even four faces (Ezek. 1:21; Col. 1:16; 2 Peter 2:10; Jude 8).27. Samuel compares it to divination (Hebrew, qesem, a general term for various occult practices or spiritism. Col. 2:18). 13:6; Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4). And, of course, sometimes that is the cause of suffering, but personal sin is only one of the reasons Scripture gives for suffering. The Greeks thought of Tartarus as a place of punishment lower than hades. (2017). 4:1)33. 4:14). Whether they loosely believe in a concept like the human spirit, or they believe part of them will live on when their b Get expert commentary on biblical languages, fresh explorations in theology, hand-picked book excerpts, author videos, and info on limited-time sales. They had seen him as the governor of the universe; but never till now as a subject! While the Bible only specifically mentions one angel Michael as an archangel (Jude 1:9), Christian tradition and apocryphal Christian scriptures identify several other angels as archangels: Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. Raphael focuses on healing ministry. John records that an angel seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit . Indeed, the existence of lesser deities in all heathen mythologies presumes the existence of a higher order of beings between God and man, superior to man and inferior to God. Believers sometimes miss the best because they do not plan and organize their good works.24, This is further supported by Judes statement regarding the angels who left their domain (NASB) or positions of authority (NIV) in Jude 6. The Thrones are mentioned by Paul the Apostle in the book of Colossians. 14:12-13). She leads the communications work atGeorge Mason Universitys Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. 20:10). They were probably powerful rulers who were controlled (indwelt) by fallen angels. His high position and beauty, of course, were the products of Gods grace and creative powers, not Satans. Nevertheless, they are an innumerable host created before the creation of the earth (cf. They are normally invisible but can manifest themselves to us (Num. The minimum spiritual level for humans to make it to Heaven ( Swarga) after death is 50% ( samashi ) or (60% ( vyashi ). 2:26; Jude 6). Col. 2:15), Satan is not confined there now, but he and his fallen angels will be and this is a great point of anticipation in the Bible (cf. In Isaiah 6:6-7, they touch Isaiahs mouth with burning coals to cleanse him from sin, so he can be prepared to serve and speak for God (v. 6-9). These angelic beings are seen as rays of light. As the glorified and exalted God-man He became the last Adam. Michael is the most powerful of this type of angel with his flaming sword. (2) Seraphim, meaning burning ones, are pictured surrounding the throne of God in Isaiah 6:2. 12:25-27). They also bore the throne-chariot which Ezekiel saw (Ezek. There are three main types of angels in the Bible: Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones. Worship of angels was one of the false doctrines being taught at Colossae (Colossians 2:18). However, from time to time angels took on a bodily form and appeared to various people in Scripture (Matthew 28:5; Hebrews 13:2). Michael leads the holy angels in battles for good to win over evil. In addition, since Satan originally was a guardian cherub who became prideful and desired to be like God (Is 14:14, 1 Tim 3:6), we must also be warned against ministering for God and yet seeking glory for ourselves. In view of this ever present danger, Paul warned against selecting a new convert to a position of authority, lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. In the present fascination of our culture, previously referred to as angelmania, the common conception of angels is that of winged creatures and most times as female. Matt. They are known to help humans overcome temptations from Satan. Archangel Gabriel, on the other hand, is mentioned in Daniel 8:16, 9:21, and Luke 1. 1:13; Gal. 5:11; 8:1f), as worshippers in praise of Him (Isa. The author of Hebrews suggests that all angels are spirits (Hebrews 1:13-14). From the Bibles characterization of Satan as adversary (1 Pet. Fallen angels also have a king who is referred to as the angel of the Abyss (vs. 11). In Relation to Christ: with the plan of God centering in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, they naturally perform many services for the Savior. The book of Job is significant to questions regarding the moral problem of evil and the presence of suffering because of the insight it gives us into the adversarial activity of Satan and the activities of angels called sons of God (see Job 1:6-13; 2:1-7; 38:4-6). Behind the occult and idolatry is the work of Satan, the rebel of rebels. Finally, the living creatures are seen several times in Revelation. Angels are not created in the image of God, therefore, they do not share mans glorious destiny of redemption in Christ. Through the four faces, they may also anticipate what God would do to bring salvation to man through His Son: (a) The face of the man suggests wisdom, compassion, intelligence and pictures Christs humanity as the Son of man, the special focus found in the gospel of Luke; (b) the face of a lion speaks of kingly appearance and pictures Christ as King which is Matthews emphasis; (c) the face of a bull or ox portrays a servant, the emphasis seen in Mark; and (d) the face of an eagle speaks of heavenly action and portrays the deity Christ, which is Johns emphasis. An interesting note is that in Rom. There are numerous ways in which angels carry out Gods plans on earth: Humans arent the only intelligent, moral creatures who glorify God. In this regard, Elishas confidence and prayer for his servant to see the myriad of angels surrounding them in the face of the human forces, suggests their greater power (2 Kings 6:15-17). 1:1), (3) as soldiers in spiritual combat (Dan. These beings with perfect hair and bodies, dressed in white robes, having halos, and glowing in a ray of light seem to be depicted in paintings and movies. And most importantly, what does the Bible say about them? Worship must be in spirit and truth to be accepted by God (John 4:23), and therefore must be guarded against anything in pretense and that doesnt align with Scripture. But seemingly He chooses to employ the intermediate ministry of angels on many occasions. This group makes up the Seraphim Angels, Cherubim, and the Thrones. They chose self-corruption, knowing exactly what they were doing. 1:5-29), demonstrates the superiority of Christ to even the mighty angels (Heb. In the past, society had swung from the gross mystical speculations of the middle ages to the rationalism of the late 1800s and early 1900s. 41:18-20). The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. The following three truths form an important element of Gods revelation: (1) Gods Purpose Declared: It was Gods intention that man would rule over this earth under Gods authority (Gen. 1:26; Ps. That angels are created beings and not the spirits of departed or glorified human beings is brought out in Psalm 148. WebTop 10 Angels and their Duties According to Peacetv, Malaikat () or angels are created of Light. As Ryrie points out, The word angel may refer to superhuman beings (see Gen. 18:1-8 for an example of such entertaining) or it may refer to a human being who is a messenger from God (see James 2:25 for an example of such entertaining).35. The person attempting to make such judgment is described as one who delights in false humility and the worship of angels. The context suggests that he seeks to impose these things on the Colossians and that this is the means by which he attempts to disqualify them for their prize.19. God created man and the animal kingdom in pairs with the responsibility and ability to procreate. In Revelation 4:8-11, their continuous praise evokes the praise of the twenty-four elders which is aimed at Gods worthiness as the Sovereign Creator. 6:10-12). As they cry out to one another in praise, Scripture says we should do the same.