All about angels - Part 1

Cherubim on the Mercy Seat

There are many fascinating people in the Bible, some of whom are angels. You can read about angels in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is a lot of information about angels, so I thought I'd do a question-and-answer type of post to make it easier to understand.

How many types of angels are there? There are cherubim, seraphim, archangels, and the Angel of the Lord. There were two golden cherubim covering the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. They also stood at the gate of the Garden of Eden to keep mankind out. Solomon put golden cherubim in the Temple. There is also a very interesting description of cherubim in Ezekiel 10. 

Seraphim are described in  Isaiah 6:2 as having 6 wings, 2 of which covered their faces, 2 of which covered their feet, and 2 wings that helped them fly. Seraphim are found only in Isaiah 6:2 and Isaiah 6:6. 

Gabriel is a messenger angel - he delivered messages to Elizabeth, Mary, and Zechariah. Gabriel also helped Daniel interpret the vision God gave Daniel in Daniel 8 and 9. 

Michael the archangel is the second-highest angel in the angel hierarchy. Michael is described as the prince of Daniel's people (i.e., Israel) in Daniel 10 and Daniel 12. In Revelation 12, Michael and his angels battle with the dragon. 

When you see the angel/Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament, it refers to a pre-incarnate (pre-bodily) appearance of Jesus Christ. The Angel of the Lord first appears to Hagar as she is running away from Sarah in Genesis 16.  The Angel of the Lord also spoke to Abraham, Moses (in the burning bush), and Gideon. How do we know that the Angel of the Lord is Jesus? In Judges 13, Manoah asks the Angel of the Lord for His name so that they can name the baby after Him. He asked Manoah why he is asking for His name, seeing that it is wonderful. Jesus, of course, is a wonderful name. Go to BlueLetterBible.org or BibleGateway.com and do a search for Angel of the Lord to find many references to the Angel of the Lord. 

Some angels don't have any of these titles. There are holy angels and there are also fallen angels. Per GetQuestions.org:

Holy angels are seen delivering messages and protecting God’s people. They were present at creation and involved in the giving of the law. Angels announced the birth of Christ, ministered to Jesus during His sojourn on earth, and were present at His resurrection and ascension. They will be seen again at the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ.

Fallen angels are Satan's minions. They fell from Heaven when Satan was kicked out.  There are free fallen angels, who assist Satan in his dastardly deeds, and bound fallen angels, who are chained and awaiting judgment. Revelation 9:14 tells of the four bound angels who are released to kill one-third of mankind.

Do all angels have wings?  No, not all angels have wings - only cherubim and seraphim. In Genesis 28:12, angels ascend and descend on the ladder that Jacob saw in his dream. Michael and Gabriel are not listed as having wings, so how did they get around? My thought is that they have glorified bodies like Jesus did after His resurrection.

Do angels have names? The only angels with personal names in the Bible are Gabriel and Michael. 

I have more questions to be answered, but this post is long enough.  I will answer the rest of the questions in the next blog post. Thanks as always for reading! See you next time! 

Diane

Bibliography: GotQuestions.org: https://www.gotquestions.org/angels-Bible.html