Types of Angels in the Bible and What They Do

Types of Angels in the Bible and What They Do

We know of three different types of heavenly beings:

Cherub – a winged creature – they guarded the way to the tree of life after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), were featured in the decorations of the Tabernacle and Temple (Exodus 25), and appeared as the Lord’s chariot drivers in Ezekiel 1-3 and 10

 

Seraph – (“flame,” a change of vowels turns the letters into the word for serpent; Satan may be a seraph), human-like creature with wings. Four of them appear as the Lord’s chariot drivers (Isaiah 6, Revelation 4)

 Note: the images Ezekiel saw may be of God the Son, while the images Isaiah and John saw are of God the Father; hence the one appearing with cherubim and the other with seraphim.

 

Angel – (meaning “messenger), appear as humans, do not have wings

 

Here, I’ve included the first instance of each type of action or description of non-winged angels.

•  Struck the men of Sodom with blindness (Genesis 19)
• Led Lot and his family by the hand (Genesis 19)
• Went before and with Abraham’s servant to help him find Rebekah for Isaac (Genesis 24)
• Ascends and descends from earth to heaven (Genesis 28)
• Spoke to Jacob in a dream (Genesis 31)
• Guarded Israel coming out of Egypt (Exodus 23)
• Drove out the Canaanites from the land (Exodus 33)
• Killed the Assyrian army (2 Chronicles 32)
• Presented themselves before the Lord (Job 1 and 2)
• Are a little higher than humans (Psalm 8)
• Eat manna (Psalm 78)
• Will guard the righteous (Psalm 91)
• Praises God (Psalm 103)
• Shut the mouth of the lions for Daniel (Daniel 6)
• Can be detained (Daniel 10)
• Attended Jesus (Matthew 4)
• Will separate the wicked from the righteous (Matthew 13)
• Angels of children always see the face of God (Matthew 18)
• Do not marry (Matthew 22)
• Do not know when Jesus will return (Matthew 24)
• Are more than 12 legions of angels (Matthew 26)
• Made Zechariah unable to speak (Luke 1)
• Carried the fictitious beggar to Abraham’s side after death (Luke 16)
• Do not die (Luke 20)
• Strengthened Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22)
• Released the Apostles from jail (Acts 5)
• Struck King Herod down for not glorifying God (Acts 12)
• Cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8)
• Look on Apostles as spectacles (1 Corinthians 4)
• Will be judged by Christians (1 Corinthians 6)
• Speak different languages (1 Corinthians 13)
• Are reconciled to God through Jesus (Colossians 1)
• Is lower than Jesus (Hebrews 1)
• Are sent to serve those who will be saved (Hebrews 1)
• Sin and are punished (2 Peter 2)
• Have power to harm the earth (Revelation 7)
• Fought against Satan (Revelation 12)
• Stand at the gates of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21)

 

Questions to Ponder on Angels

If only cherubim and seraphim are described as having wings, can you trust someone who says they've seen a winged angel that wasn't a seraph or cherub? 

How many angels are there?

If angels are limited beings working on our behalf, is it proper to pray for angels?

If angels can sin, can they repent and be forgiven?

 

When an Angel is not an Angel

Because the word means “messenger,” it can mean a Divine or human messenger, not only what we typically think of as an angel.

“Angel of the Lord” – Divine, speaks as God, accepts worship (see Genesis 16 for the first instance of the phrase)

Humans - Believers assumed Peter’s angel was at the door instead of Peter himself. Rather than thinking Peter’s personal guardian angel had arrived, they may have thought it was a human messenger sent from him (Acts 12).

Paul instructed women to cover their heads, in part because of the angels (1 Corinthians 11). Perhaps women were to cover their heads in modesty in case male messengers arrived at their homes. The covered head would have been a sign that a woman was married and under the authority of a man, serving as a wedding ring to any interested men.

In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, Jesus dictates letters to the seven angels of seven churches. It’s unclear whether these letters are meant for human or angelic leaders of the churches.