Angels are necessary part of our faith. Angels are said to be the guardians that help us avoid disasters and also help us weigh in things and choose the right path. Of course, there are people who also say that angels go both ways – the good and the bad. It is up to us to choose which advice we will follow. There are even depictions of angels from both heaven and hell sitting on both sides of the conscience. They are each saying their own tips for the day and influencing the way we think.

Despite this, angels have always been depicted as the good and kind ones that help us along the way. They are even sometimes pictured in artworks as small cuddly ones, the cherubs, that do harmless mischief. They also have the trademark wings, white cloth and halo.

The word angel comes from old French word angele and the old English term engel. These words are said to mean messenger. In the bible, angels act as go betweens. They tell the message of God and what He wants to enforce on earth. The very first biblical figure that made a reference to God is Daniel who referred to angels by their names. He particularly had a scene with Angel Gabriel.

The earliest known depiction of an angel was in the catacomb of Priscilla, which was in existence since the third century. The angel there do not however have wings. There were also angels found in sarchophagus, lamps and reliquaries. One of the most famous example is the Angel in the Sacrifice of Isaac picture in the sarcophagus of Junius Bassus.

Angels eventually had wings. In 1930, a sarcophagus in Istanbul was discovered to have an image of an angel with wings. The time frame for the sarcophagus was set to the time of Theodosius I. According to St. John Chrysostom, the addition of wings into their image is a symbolism of the heights they can reach and the sublimity of their existence.

The most famous of the angels is Angel Gabriel, which is believed to be the leader of all the angels. He is classified as an archangel, which is at the top of the hierarchy. He has been mentioned several times in the bible and is believed to be even the one who delivered the Koran to the prophet Muhammad.

Another famous angel is Raphael, who is said to be the healer. He helps sick people and is generally called upon to help with terminal illnesses and grave wounds.

Angel Barchiel on the other hand is the Angel for the month of February. He is actually not an angel of love but is dubbed as the bringer of hope for mankind.

Angel Michael on the other hand is often depicted as the warrior, defending the heavens from demons. He has a military cloak on and has a profile that is symmetrically perfect.

There is also Metatron, which is very popular in Judaism. This angel is mentioned in Merkabah and Kabbalist texts and beliefs and is considered to be the highest in rank. He is also mentioned in the Talmud.

There are many more mentions of angels since then. In fact, it has become for us a symbol of goodness, of peace and of hope.

 

Biblical Facts About Angels

One of the most notable and significant proof about the existence of angels are actually the famous Biblical facts about angels.

Among the most common questions governing such are the age old questions like What are angels? How and why were they created? What do angels do?
Since time immemorial, man always held a strong and devoted fascination for angels and similar spiritual beings.

For centuries, many popular and renowned artists have tried to immortalize the image of angels on canvas and murals.

But it would come as a surprise to many once they get to realize that the Bible describes angels invoking a much more different description of angles as with how they are typically and artistically rendered or presented, like cute and cuddly babies with wings and draped in white cloth.
Here are some common Biblical facts about angels.

One may not be aware, but the Bible has made 273 references to angels and although we do not aim to get to each and every one of those descriptions and references, we hope to show some examples that provide proof of angels in the Bible.

The first reference can be found in the first book of the Bible, where everything else started – the Book of Genesis.
In the second chapter of Genesis, it mentions ‘Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished’ to which the term ‘host’ refers to the description of God’s spiritual messengers commonly known as angels.

This is also cross – referenced in the first chapter of the new testament book of Colossians where it says ‘For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.’

The Bible also provided reference to the fact that angels were created to live for eternity, as stated in Luke 20:36 .. nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

One proof that angels were present when God created the world can be found in Job 38:1-7 where it says that “Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: ‘…Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? …while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”

It is also a fact that angels cannot marry or be bethroted to someone as stated in Matthew 22:30 where it says that ‘At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.’

Angels are also wise and intelligent, as the Old Testament book of  2nd Samuel 14:17 that says “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.”

Also in Daniel 9:21-22 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.”

These are just some of the Biblical facts about angels and there are even more similar entries you may find in the Bible, so go ahead read and discover.

 

Mystic Messengers, Angels in the Bible

The Bible has a weird schizophrenic way of depicting angels. Sometimes they’re bloody dealers of God’s vengeance, sometimes they’re the divine equivalent of a singing telegram. Well, all of that could probably be chalked up to the fact that God moves in mysterious ways, of course.

Looking for angels in the Bible is pretty easy. Angels show up in the Bible from Genesis onwards, as to be expected from God’s favored messengers. The Old Testament has a cornucopia of these angel sightings. Angels of the Lord in the Old Testament were pretty much a mixed bag of encounters. Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish nation, had quite a few encounters with angels: the angels who were on their way to destroy Sodom and Gommorah passed by his house and he managed to wrangle a deal out of them.

An angel also stopped him from sacrificing his son Isaac to the Lord on Mount Moriah. Jacob, Abraham’s grandson has the dubious honor of wrestling with an angel for an entire night. For his trouble, Jacob got renamed into Israel. An angel was next mentioned as the cause of the death of Egypt’s first-born during the era of Moses’ Exodus. The pillar of fire that guarded and guided the Israelites when they left Egypt has also been often interpreted as an angel.

Angelic intervention for the Israelites pretty much continues through the Old Testament. Several prophets like Ezekiel and Daniel recorded their encounters with them. An interesting fact is that Daniel is supposed to be the person who has had most contact with angels in the Old Testament, having been saved twice by them. An angel is also the main character of the Book of Tobias, where the angel Raphael goes out and pretty much does the Hollywood angel thing about a two thousand five hundred years early: he fixes the lives of Tobias, Tobit and Sarah, making everyone live happily ever after.

The New Testament isn’t empty of angels either. Actually, the entire thing starts with an angel announcing someone was going to be born. In Luke’s version, the message is to Zacharias, telling him that his son, John the Baptist was to be born. Later, Mary gets some happy news of her own. Joseph, Mary’s husband encountered angels himself. Three times to be exact – the first, to convince him of his marriage; the second, a warning for him and his family to leave Egypt, and the last, to return to Israel.

And, of course, how can we forget all of the angels appearing in several versions of the Nativity. Angels also appeared through out Jesus’ life. When he went into the desert to be tempted by the Devil, angels provided him with comfort and nourishment. An angel was waiting for the women at his tomb on the third day, telling them about his resurrection.

Angels also continually appeared after Jesus’ ascension into heaven, providing his disciples with the occasional help. It should also be noted that the foundations of modern Angelology is partially based on the apostle Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and the Colossians. And let’s not forget about all of the angels showing up in the book of Revelations.

Angels can be seen through out the Bible doing God’s work and it’s all pretty impressive. So if you want to know any more about them, no need for all of those fancy angel books. Just open that old Bible and read.