What Are Angels and Should Christians Worship Them?
When I first started my journey with Jesus, books by Frank Peretti were popular. Two of my favorites from him are "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness." Recently, I bought the audiobook versions and listened to them while traveling through Uganda. Revisiting these books made me think about angels and their role in our journey with Christ.
Let's face it: there are a lot of strange and unusual ideas about angels floating around the Christian world. I am Pentecostal and freely admit that many of these unconventional ideas come from my religious community. But we are not alone in our questions and ideas about the angelic realm. Using the popular website "Answer the Public," I searched for questions people were asking about angels. After examining 1,000,000 Google searches, the site showed 137 common questions about angels. Here are a few of the top questions:
· Why do angels have wings?
· Can angels die?
· Which angels fell with Lucifer?
· When do angels sleep?
By far, the most searched question centered on what angels look like. People are curious about the supernatural. People have questions. Believers must be able to offer sound, biblically-based answers.
In Christianity, we acknowledge the existence of a spiritual realm beyond our physical senses. The Bible frequently references angelic beings—powerful, spiritual creatures that serve God and act as His messengers and agents. Understanding who or what angels are, the roles they play, and how we should perceive them is crucial. But our information should arise from Scripture, not Google. So, let’s see what Scripture teaches us about these significant beings.
Let’s begin by answering the most common question, “What do angels look like?”
What Did Angels Look Like Based on the Bible?
Even though angels are spiritual beings without physical forms, the Bible vividly describes their appearances when they manifest in the physical world, making them sound epic and mind-blowing.
Seraphim (Isaiah 6:2-6)
When the prophet Isaiah saw seraphim angels in God's heavenly throne room, he saw they each had six wings—two covering their faces, two covering their feet, and two for flying. Their bodies seemed to radiate and glow like burning coals of fire.
Cherubim (Ezekiel 1:5-14, 10:20)
Ezekiel's visions of cherubim angels portrayed them as having four different faces—human, lion, ox, and eagle. Their bodies looked human-shaped, but they had straight legs with calf feet and four wings each. Blazing fire moved between them with brilliant lightning flashes.
Angels at Jesus's Empty Tomb (Matthew 28:2-4)
After Jesus was resurrected, an angel appeared at his tomb, his appearance as dazzling as lightning and clothes as white as fresh snow. His presence terrified the guards so much that they started shaking uncontrollably.
The Archangel Michael (Revelation 12:7-9)
Revelation describes the archangel Michael waging an epic war in heaven against the dragon (Satan) and his demonic angel forces.
While the true spiritual forms of angels remain a mystery, the Bible depicts them as overwhelmingly glorious, powerful, and majestic when they manifest on earth.
What Does the Bible Say About Angels?
Angels are spiritual beings God created to serve Him and carry out His purposes (Psalm 148:2-5, Colossians 1:16). As created beings, they are distinct from God Himself, who is uncreated, eternal, and infinitely greater. Angels are mighty and powerful compared to humans, but they are still finite creatures under the authority of their Creator (Psalm 103:20, 2 Peter 2:11).
Angels are mysterious, non-physical, spiritual beings who lack biological bodies made of material substances. While they can occasionally assume physical form and appearance, their true existence lies in the spiritual realm (Hebrews 1:14).
Got Questions suggests three tiers in the hierarchy of angels: High (Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones), Middle (Dominions, Virtues, Powers), and Low (Principalities, Archangels, Angels). However, the Bible does not record any such system of angelic ranking. Attempts to create some kind of extra-biblical ordering of the angelic realm are just a human way of codifying something otherworldly and, therefore, subjective at best.
The Bible teaches that angelic power and purpose come directly from God. It emphasizes that angels do not act independently, but rather operate under His authority and command. Ephesians 1:11 reminds us that God works out all things according to His will. As such, He may choose to use angels to bring about what is good for His people. Despite this, they are portrayed as beings with intellect and emotions (Luke 15:10). There are accounts of angels exercising their will by aligning themselves with Lucifer in a rebellion against God, while others willfully chose to follow God.
Knowing these characteristics of angels, then we must ask, what do they do?
The Nature and Roles of Angels According to Scripture
Angels carry out various roles aligned with God's sovereign will. They worship and praise God, act as His messengers to human beings, wage spiritual warfare against demonic forces, provide service and care for believers, and one day will accompany Christ's return to execute judgment (Psalm 103:20, Luke 2:8-14, Revelation 5:11-12, Daniel 10, Hebrews 1:14, Matthew 25:31).
Some key biblical accounts involve angelic interaction, such as the angels who rescued Lot from Sodom, the angel who stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, and the angel Gabriel's announcements to Mary and others around Christ's birth. Angels do not act independently but faithfully follow and represent God's commands.
Wayne Grudem writes: (I recommend this article for a more in-depth treatment of this subject) .
“There are numerous ways in which angels carry out God’s plans on earth:
They frequently bring God’s messages to people (Luke 1:11–19, Acts 8:26, 10:3–8, 22, 27:23–24).
They carry out some of God’s judgments, bringing a plague upon Israel (2 Samuel 24:16–17), smiting the leaders of the Assyrian army (2 Chronicles 32:21), striking King Herod dead because he did not give God glory (Acts 12:23), or pouring out bowls of God’s wrath on the earth (Revelation 16:1).
When Christ returns, angels will come with him as a great army accompanying their King and Lord (Matthew 16:27, Luke 9:26, 2 Thessalonians 1:7).
They patrol the earth as God’s representatives (Zechariah 1:10–11).
They carry out war against demonic forces (Daniel 10:13; Revelation 12:7–8).
John records that an angel “seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit . . .” (Revelation 20:1–3).
When Christ returns, an archangel will proclaim his coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16, see also Revelation 18:1–2, 21, 19:17–18, and other passages).”
These mighty actions carried out by God’s angelic host can sometimes lead people to conclude that angels should be worshipped.
Should Christians Worship Angels? What the Bible Says
Although angels are mighty spiritual beings, Scripture repeatedly and explicitly instructs us not to worship angels but to worship God alone (Colossians 2:18). When the apostle John started to worship an angel in Revelation, the angel stopped him, saying, "Worship God!" (Revelation 19:10, 22:8-9). Angels are admirably great. However, they are still created beings unworthy of worship due only to their Creator.
While popular culture is fascinated with angels, we must be careful not to become overly preoccupied with angels or slip into angel worship. Our devotion and reverence belong to God alone. Angels are ministers who point us to God and carry out His purposes on our behalf; respecting and appreciating their role is wise but worshipping them is idolatry.
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