I've been studying about angels lately. Boy, what I don't know about angels could fill a book. And, thankfully, there are books about angels. Christmas certainly brings angels to mind. We sing about them. We top our trees with them. We read the Christmas story and they're in it. We see them on our creches. Since I haven't finished the study, I won't be able to write a definitive blog post regarding angels, but maybe I'll whet your appetite.
This is what I have learned about angels, thus far. First of all, angels are described in the Bible as masculine. The best known angels have man's names; there is Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer. Angels are supposed to be asexual. There was one time, in Genesis, this rule was broken, but I haven't studied this part yet, so I won't comment any further on angel sex. All the angels that exist have been created and they do not procreate. There are a lot of angels. The highest number in the Bible is 10,000, so the Bible says there are 10,000 times 10,000. I believe this means there are a LOT of angels. Angels are immortal.
There are no baby angels. We do not turn into angels when we die and go to heaven.
Angels must be very fearsome to behold. It seems every time an angel interacts with a human the angel must begin his message with "fear not." After reading the complicated description of angels in the book of Ezekiel, I think angels must be AMAZING to look at. Of course, angels can look just like human beings sometime. We are told we can entertain angels and be unaware of it. Abraham describes the angels that came to visit him and give him the news of the coming birth of his son Isaac as "men." They ate. They washed. They rested. They spoke his language. The Ezekiel angels were called cherubim. These angels are described as four-faced, six-winged, glowing, giant, floating, loud creatures. They sounded frightening.
I think the art of the Renaissance period made us think of angels as feminine.
I think angels must be able to appear as they need to appear for the task they are sent to accomplish. I think angels can be invisible, when needed, as well.
Angels do not understand our salvation. This is a foreign concept to them. On the other hand, angels rejoice when any of us accept the grace of Jesus Christ. They rejoice as God rejoices.
Angels worship God. Angels praise God. They worship and praise unceasingly. Angels obey God. I haven't studied about the angels that didn't obey God, so I'm going to have to leave this for a later post, as well.
Finally, we are not to worship angels. We are not to pray to angels. Angels can carry our prayers to God as carrying incense in bowls of gold, but we don't pray TO them.
I hope this tiny post with the tiny bit of knowledge I've gleaned regarding angels has peaked your interest. I'm looking forward to learning more about angels. I'm going to keep the angel at the top of my Christmas tree, but I know she was made in the likeness of a woman only to make it easier for her to sit atop the tree.
This is what I have learned about angels, thus far. First of all, angels are described in the Bible as masculine. The best known angels have man's names; there is Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer. Angels are supposed to be asexual. There was one time, in Genesis, this rule was broken, but I haven't studied this part yet, so I won't comment any further on angel sex. All the angels that exist have been created and they do not procreate. There are a lot of angels. The highest number in the Bible is 10,000, so the Bible says there are 10,000 times 10,000. I believe this means there are a LOT of angels. Angels are immortal.
There are no baby angels. We do not turn into angels when we die and go to heaven.
Angels must be very fearsome to behold. It seems every time an angel interacts with a human the angel must begin his message with "fear not." After reading the complicated description of angels in the book of Ezekiel, I think angels must be AMAZING to look at. Of course, angels can look just like human beings sometime. We are told we can entertain angels and be unaware of it. Abraham describes the angels that came to visit him and give him the news of the coming birth of his son Isaac as "men." They ate. They washed. They rested. They spoke his language. The Ezekiel angels were called cherubim. These angels are described as four-faced, six-winged, glowing, giant, floating, loud creatures. They sounded frightening.
I think the art of the Renaissance period made us think of angels as feminine.
I think angels must be able to appear as they need to appear for the task they are sent to accomplish. I think angels can be invisible, when needed, as well.
Angels do not understand our salvation. This is a foreign concept to them. On the other hand, angels rejoice when any of us accept the grace of Jesus Christ. They rejoice as God rejoices.
Angels worship God. Angels praise God. They worship and praise unceasingly. Angels obey God. I haven't studied about the angels that didn't obey God, so I'm going to have to leave this for a later post, as well.
Finally, we are not to worship angels. We are not to pray to angels. Angels can carry our prayers to God as carrying incense in bowls of gold, but we don't pray TO them.
I hope this tiny post with the tiny bit of knowledge I've gleaned regarding angels has peaked your interest. I'm looking forward to learning more about angels. I'm going to keep the angel at the top of my Christmas tree, but I know she was made in the likeness of a woman only to make it easier for her to sit atop the tree.
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| Angels don't look like this. |
hahaha...ur last comment has me smiling. also enjoyed your 'tutorial' on angels...keep on sharing w/us.
ReplyDeletesmiles...some cool stuff on angels...guess cupid is out of the picture eh? you IP is much more heavenly than mine...
ReplyDeleteI have lots of angels on my Christmas tree, and most of them are very feminine. Someone should come out with a brand of masculine angels. ha. Whenever we read of them appearing in the bible, people seem to be terrified, so I'm guessing they didn't look like welcoming little ol' grandmas. ;-) Good info here Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy first time on your blog. I like your brief discussion of angelology.
ReplyDeleteI do have one question, in regard to your statement, "Angels do not understand our salvation. This is a foreign concept to them." Do you have a specific reference for this? It seems a reasonable conclusion, but I'm having trouble placing a specific reference.
Thanks!
1 Peter 1:10-12 Thanks for reading. :)
ReplyDeleteA wise man once told me that even the angels envy us our human hearts and human potential.
ReplyDeleteYep! That's what it says! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of angels carrying our prayers as carrying incense in golden bowls...
ReplyDeleteBlessings~
I like the thought of angels being around us.
ReplyDeleteI like that angels encamp about us (Psalm 34:7). I've had one angel appear to me - 2 weeks before my 4th son was born. I walked into the church for Wednesday night service when a lady walked up to me, called me by name (I go by 2 names so usually people who don't know me call me by my first name), made me feel like she'd known me all my life, and said, "I've been praying for you." I thank her, and she walked into the sanctuary. As I walked away from her, something in my mind whispered, "Something's going to happen." I had lost a baby girl half way through a pregnancy before this pregnancy. Well, my 4th son survived a cord prolapse delivery, the Stat C-Section the dr called for wasn't announced stat to the anesthesis who arrived to knock me out 16 minutes after the cord prolapses. The last thing I heard before they knocked him out was, "I don't have a heart beat."
ReplyDeleteWhen they went in to get him, he wasn't where they thought he was. They thought they were holding my son off the cord. In reality, he was much higher - God held him in the palm of his hand that day. He was born perfect, whole. It was a miracle.
I spent 18 months looking for that woman to thank her for her prayers. She doesn't exist. I guess her message really was, "Fear Not." Oh, now you made me all weepy!
I love your information about angels! It warms my heart! Merry Christmas!
Oh my. I love your angel story. I'm glad your son was born well and I'm glad you realize it was an angel you met that blessed day. God is good. Merry Christmas right back atcha. :)
ReplyDeletewow. i love this. please keep teaching me.
ReplyDeleteI believe firmly in my guardian angels. I believe that they are always with me in all the insane places that I've been, and I even suspect that they become visible and look like scary human beings when I need that kind of protection. Is that in the Bible? Maybe I don't want to know the answer... I take huge comfort in knowing that God can do that if he chooses and believing that he has done that when I've needed.
ReplyDeleteI believe in guardian angels, too. I've never seen mine, but I know he is there. I've had a couple things happen to me that I shouldn't, logically, have survived. But I'm still here. I have to share God's good news. He's not done with me yet. :)
ReplyDeleteI have not thought about these aspects of angels. But I do think that there are angels among us.
ReplyDelete