Angels in the

Bible
Angels in the Bible
What do you know about angels?

What does the Bible say about angels?

What is their purpose?

 Angels in the
Bible
Angels appear in the Bible from the
beginning to the end, from the Book of
Genesis to the Book of Revelation. The
Bible is our best source of knowledge about
angels - for example, Psalms 91:11,
Matthew 18:10 and Acts 12:15 indicate
humans have guardian angels.
Guardian Angels?

“For He will give

His angels
charge over you,
to keep you in all
your ways.”

--Psalm 91:11
Guardian Angels?
“See that you despise
not one of these little
ones; for I say unto
you, that in Heaven
their angels do always
behold the face of My
Father Who is in
Heaven.”

--Matthew 18:10
Guardian Angels?
“And they said unto
her, ‘You are mad.’
But she confidently
affirmed that it was
even so. And they said,
‘It is his angel.’ ”

--Acts 12:15
 Angels in the
Bible
Angels announced the birth of Jesus to the
shepherds [Luke 2:14], ministered to Christ
after His temptation in the desert [Matthew
4:11], comforted Jesus in His agony in the
garden [Luke 22:43], and appeared to
announce His resurrection from the dead
[John 20:12].
Angels in the Bible
“Glory to God in
the highest, and on
Earth peace among
men in whom He is
well pleased.”

--Luke 2:14
 Angels in the
“Then the devil
Bible
left Him; and
behold, angels
came and
ministered unto
Him.”

--Matthew 4:11
Angels in the Bible

“And there
appeared unto Him
an angel from
Heaven,
strengthening
Him.”
--Luke 22:43
Angels in the Bible
“...and she
beheld two
angels in
white sitting,
one at the
head, and
one at the
feet, where
the body of
Jesus had
lain.”
--John 20:12
 Angels in the
Bible
According to Jesus, the angels of little ones
continually behold the face of the Father
[Matthew 18:10]; angels will come with Him
on the Day of Judgment [Matthew 24:31],
and the angels will separate the wicked from
the just on the last day [Matthew 13:49],
although they do not know the day of
Judgment [Mark 13:32]; and the children of
the resurrection will be equal to the angels
[Luke 20:36].
Angels in the Bible
“And He shall send forth His angels with a
great sound of a trumpet, and they shall
gather together His elect from the four
winds, from one end of heaven to the
other.”

--Matthew 24:31
Angels in the Bible

“So shall it be in the end of the

world: the angels shall come forth,
and sever the wicked from among
the righteous….” --Matthew 13:49
Angels in the Bible

--Mark 13:32

“But of that day or that hour knows no

one, not even the angels in Heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father.”
Angels in the Bible

“...for neither can they die any more:

for they are equal unto the angels; and
are sons of God, being sons of the
resurrection.”
--Luke 20:36
 Angels in the
Bible
Michael is one of the leading angels, and is
considered "Prince" of the heavenly hosts,
and the Guardian Angel of Persia [Daniel
10:13]. He is the only one in the Bible
referred to as an Archangel [Jude 1:9], and
serves a major role in Chapter 12 of the
Book of Revelation.
 “But the prince of
the kingdom of
Persia withstood
me one and twenty
days; but, lo,
Michael, one of
the chief princes,
came to help me:
and I remained
there with the
kings of Persia.”

Michael, the --Daniel 10:13

 Michael, the
archangel, Archangel
“But Michael the
when
contending with the
devil he disputed about
the body of Moses, did
not bring against him a
railing judgment, but
said, ‘The Lord rebuke
you.’”
--Jude 1:9
 Angels in the
Bible
The angel Gabriel first appears in a vision
to Daniel [Daniel 8:16], but is best known
for telling Mary that she would be the
mother of Jesus [Luke 1:26-38]. The Book
of Tobias of the Apocrypha (Tobit 12:15)
names Raphael as "one of the seven who
stand before the Lord." Revelation 8:1-2
also refers to the seven angels who stand
before the Lord.
“And I heard a
man's voice
The Angel
between the
banks of the
Gabriel
Ulai, which
called, and
said, ‘Gabriel,
make this man
to understand
the vision.’ ”
--Daniel 8:16
The Angel Gabriel
“Now in the sixth month the angel
Gabriel was sent from God unto a
city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to
a virgin betrothed to a man whose
name was Joseph, of the house of
David; and the virgin's name was
Mary.
“And he came in unto her, and
said, ‘Hail, you who are highly
favored, the Lord is with you.’
The Angel Gabriel
“But she was greatly troubled at
the saying, and cast in her mind
what manner of salutation this
might be. And the angel said
unto her, ‘Fear not, Mary: for
you have found favor with God.
And behold, you shall conceive
in your womb, and bring forth a
son, and shall call His name
JESUS.
The Angel Gabriel
“ ‘He shall be great, and shall be called the
Son of the Most High: and the Lord God
shall give unto Him the throne of His father
David: and He shall reign over the house of
Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there
shall be no end.
“And Mary said unto the angel, ‘How shall
this be, seeing I know not a man?’
The Angel Gabriel
“And the angel answered
and said unto her, ‘The
Holy Spirit shall come
upon you, and the power of
the Most High shall
overshadow you: wherefore
also the Holy Thing which
is begotten shall be called
the Son of God.’
The Angel Gabriel
“ ‘And behold, Elisabeth your kinswoman,
she also has conceived a son in her old
age; and this is the sixth month with her
that was called barren. For no word from
God shall be void of power.’
“And Mary said, ‘Behold, the handmaid of
the Lord; be it unto me according to your
word.’ And the angel departed from her.”
--Luke 1:26-38
Angels in the Bible
Angels are a big part of the Book
of Revelation.

They are the vessel in which Jesus

reveals His message to John.
Angels in the Bible
“The Revelation of Jesus
Christ, which God gave
Him to show unto His
servants, even the things
which must shortly come
to pass: and He sent and
signified it by His angel
unto His servant John;
Angels in the Bible
“ . . . who bare
witness of the word
of God, and of the
testimony of Jesus
Christ, even of all
things that he saw.”

--Revelation 1:1-2
Angels in the Bible
Angels are used to make
great pronouncements.
Angels in the Bible
“After these things I saw another angel
coming down out of Heaven, having great
authority; and the Earth was lightened with
his glory. And he cried with a mighty voice,
saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great,
and is become a habitation of demons, and a
hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of
every unclean and hateful bird.’”
--Revelation 18:1-
2
“And when He opened the seventh seal,
there followed a silence in Heaven about
the space of half an hour. And I saw the
seven angels that stand before God; and
there were given unto them seven
trumpets.” --Revelation 8:1-2
Angels Thomas Aquinas was a
great medieval
in the theologian, and is known
as the "Angelic Doctor"

Bible for his extensive writings

on angels in his book, the
Summa Theologica. The
word "angelos" in Greek
means messenger.
Angels are purely
spiritual beings that do
God's will [Psalms
103:20, Matthew 26:53].
Angels in the Bible
“Bless Jehovah, you His angels, that are
mighty in strength, that fulfill His word,
hearkening unto the voice of His word.”

--Psalm 103:20
Angels in the Bible

“Or do you think that I cannot

beseech My Father, and He shall
even now send Me more than twelve
legions of angels?”
--Matthew 26:53
Angels in the Bible
Aquinas points out that sometimes angels
take human form, as seen in the three men
who appear to Abraham in the Book of
Genesis, the two angels who appeared to Lot
before the destruction of Sodom and
Gomorrah, or Raphael appearing in human
form to Tobias. Thomas Aquinas believed
that angels, being spiritual beings, influence
mankind by illuminating one's mind with an
idea.
Angels in the Bible
Thomas Aquinas, quoting Scripture, the Apostle
Paul and Dionysius, an Athenian converted by
Paul [Acts 17:34], names 9 orders of angels in
3 groups: the highest hierarchy being next to
God, Seraphim [Isaiah 6:2], Cherubim
[Genesis 3:24, Ezekiel 10:1-22], and Thrones
[Colossians 1:16]; the middle hierarchy
involved in government,
Angels in the Bible
...Dominations [Colossians 1:16], Virtues [1
Peter 3:22], and Powers [Colossians 1:16];
and the third hierarchy involved in work,
Principalities [Colossians 1:16], Archangels [1
Thessalonians 4:16], and Angels.
 Seraphim
“Above Him stood the seraphim: each one
had six wings; with twain he covered his
face, and with twain he covered his feet,
and with twain he did fly.”

--Isaiah 6:2
 Cherubim
“And every one had
four faces: the first
face was the face of
the cherub, and the
second face was the
face of a man, and
the third face the
face of a lion, and
the fourth the face of
an eagle.”
--Ezekiel 10:14
Cherubi
m
“So He drove out
the man; and He
placed at the east of
the garden of Eden
the Cherubim, and
the flame of a
sword which turned
every way, to keep
the way of the tree
of life.”
--Genesis 3:24
Thrones Angels
“...for in Him were all things
created, in the heavens and
upon the earth, things visible
and things invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers; all
things have been created
through Him, and unto
Him….”
--Colossians 1:16
 Dominations
“...for in Him were all things created, in
the heavens and upon the Earth, things
visible and things invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers; all things have been created
through Him, and unto Him….”
--Colossians 1:16
 Virtues

“…Who is on the right hand of God,

having gone into Heaven; angels
and authorities and powers being
made subject unto Him.”
--1 Peter 3:22
 Powers
“...for in Him were all things created, in
the heavens and upon the Earth, things
visible and things invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers; all things have been created
through Him, and unto Him….”

--Colossians 1:16
 Principalities
“...for in Him were all things created, in
the heavens and upon the Earth, things
visible and things invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers; all things have been created
through Him, and unto Him….”

--Colossians 1:16
Archa
ngel
“For the Lord Himself shall descend from
Heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first….”

--1 Thessalonians 4:16

Angels in the Bible
Here are a few of the more noted Scriptural
passages.

The Fall of Adam and Eve:

"The Lord God therefore banished him

from the garden of Eden, to till the ground
from which he had been taken.
Angels in the Bible
The Fall of Adam and Eve

“When He expelled the man, He settled him

east of the garden of Eden
“and He stationed the cherubim and the
fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to
the tree of life."

--Genesis 3:23-24
Angels in the Bible
The Three Angels Appear to Abraham

“And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks

of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in
the heat of the day.
“He lifted up his eyes and looked, and
behold, three men stood in front of him.
Angels in the Bible
The Three Angels Appear to Abraham

“When he saw them, he ran from the tent door

to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth,
and said,
"My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do
not pass by your servant."

--Genesis 18:1-3
Angels in Jacob's Ladder

the Bible "And Jacob went

out from
Beersheba, and
went toward
Haran. And he
lighted upon a
certain place, and
tarried there all
night, because the
sun was set.
Angels in the Bible
Jacob's Ladder

“And he took of the stones of that place, and

put them for his pillows, and lay down in that
place to sleep.
Angels in the Bible
Jacob's Ladder

“And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set

up on the Earth, and the top of it reached to
Heaven; and behold the angels of God were
ascending and descending on it!”

--Genesis 28:10-12
Angels in the Bible
God Sends an Angel to Lead Moses

"Behold, I send an angel before you, to

guard you on the way and to bring you to the
place which I have prepared.
Angels in the Bible
God Sends an Angel to Lead Moses

“Give heed to him and hearken to his

voice, do not rebel against him, for
he will not pardon your
transgression; for My name is in
him.
Angels in the Bible
God Sends an Angel to Lead Moses

“But if you hearken attentively to his voice

and do all that I say, then I will be an
enemy to your enemies and an adversary to
your adversaries.”

--Exodus 23:20-22
Angels in the Bible
Angels are used as weapons by
the Lord to accomplish
purposes..
Angels in the Bible
“And it came to pass that night, that the
angel of Jehovah went forth, and smote in
the camp of the Assyrians a hundred
fourscore and five thousand: and when men
arose early in the morning, behold, these
were all dead bodies.”

--2 Kings 19:35

Angels in the Bible
There seems to be evidence that
there are fallen angels..
Angels in the Bible
“And angels that kept not
their own principality, but
left their proper
habitation, he hath kept
in everlasting bonds
under darkness unto the
judgment of the great
day.”
--
Jude1:6
Angels in the Bible
“For if God spared not
angels when they sinned,
but cast them down to hell,
and committed them to pits
of darkness, to be reserved
unto judgment;”

2 Peter 2:4
Angels in the Bible
Some believe that Satan was called Lucifer when
he was in Heaven, while others believe the
passage in Isaiah refers to a human king only.
Angels in the Bible
“How are you fallen from
Heaven, O Lucifer, son of
the morning! How are you
cut down to the ground,
which did weaken the
nations!”

--Isaiah14:12
Angels in the Bible
Some believe that Isaiah 14:13-14 teaches that
Lucifer fell from Heaven due to his pride in
wanting to take the place of God:
“For you have said in your heart, ‘I will
ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the
mount of the congregation, in the sides of the
north: I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds; I will be like the most High.’”
Angels in the Bible
Some believe he wanted to control his own
destiny and so he rebelled against God and all
of Heaven. He unfurled his banner, recruited
his army of equally discontented angels and
waged war against God for supremacy.

To lead His own troops, God appointed the

Archangel Michael as His field commander:
Angels in the
Bible
“And there was war in
Heaven: Michael and his
angels fought against the
dragon; and the dragon
fought and his angels,
and prevailed not;
neither was their place
found any more in
Heaven.
 Angels in the
“And the
great dragon Bible
was cast out,
that old
serpent,
called the
Devil, and
Satan, which
deceives the
whole world:
Angels in the Bible

“ . . . he was cast out into the Earth, and his

angels were cast out with him.
Angels in the Bible
“Therefore rejoice, you
Heavens, and you that dwell
in them. Woe to the
inhabitants of the Earth and
of the sea! For the devil is
come down unto you, having
great wrath, because he
knows that he has but a short
time.”
--Revelation 12:7-9; 12