The bible teachers us that Angels were created beings. Psalms 148:2 says, "Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts." The psalmist then said in Psalms 148:5, "Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created." Nehemiah said in Nehemiah 9:6, "Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee." Paul said in Colossians 1:16, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him." Jesus said in John 1:1-3, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God, All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

Most biblical scholars believe it was at the creation of the world that angels originated. Genesis 1:1 tells us, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." These scholars believe that the creation of angels was included in the word "heavens." Many will turn to the book of Job 38:4-7, which says, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

Some believe that angels were created before the creation of the elements of earth.

Angels were created beings, and it is because of this that they are not eternal. They will live forever, but they had a beginning.

Angels are lower then Jesus. Paul compared our Lord with angels by saying in Hebrews 1:4, "Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." He further went on to illustrate Jesus superiority over angels by adding in Hebrews 1:6, "And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." Angels are higher than man is. Hebrews 2:7 says, "Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands." Psalms 8:5 says, "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." Though Angels are higher than men are, we are not permitted to worship them. Paul said in Colossians 2:18, "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind," John also teaches us the danger of worshiping angels in Revelation 19:10, "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

Angels are higher than man is, but man will judge angels. Paul said to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 6:3, "Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" But how do men judge angels. We find the answer in Matthew 12:41, when Christ said, "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."

The Bible tells us that angels sinned. 2 Peter 2:4 says, "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." Even though angels were able to be with the Almighty, they still utilized their free will and sinned against him.

Angels are not perfect at all. God gave them the power to choose between right and wrong. As a result of the sin of angels, they will go to hell with Satan their leader (Matthew 25:41),

Perhaps Jesus said it best when he exclaimed to Thomas in John 20:29, "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." The destiny of the angels judged by man will be everlasting hell (Matthew 20:41).

Matthew 26:53 says that Jesus could have called twelve legions, which is the equivalent of 72,000 angels when he was praying in the garden. Luke 2:13 says, "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying." Luke 2:13 speaks of "a multitude of the heavenly host praising God." Hebrews 12:22 says that there is "an innumerable company of angels." And John in Revelation 5:11 says, "And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands."

Angels never marry. Jesus said in Matthew 22:30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." Luke 2o:36 tells us that angels can never die, and therefore the number of angels will always remain the same. How many angels are there? God only knows!

In Hebrews 1:14, we see that angels are spirit beings sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation. Although angles are spirits, they still maintain a body. There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies (I Corinthians 15:40). There are also spiritual bodies in 1 Corinthians 15:44.

The Biblical evidence to support the idea that Angels had wings is scanty. (See Isa. 6:2, Dan. 9:21, I Kings 6:24, Rev. 14:6) Do angels have halos? The only verse that might infer this is found in Matthew 28:3 which states, "His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow." This was a description of the angels at the tomb of Jesus.

Angels consistently appeared in human form, beside for Seraphim, Cherubim, living creatures, and elders. They never appeared as animals or material objects that were inanimate. However, the Angel of the Lord spoke out of fire and a cloud and even caused a donkey to speak, but he never identified himself with either. Angels always appeared as men. They never took the form of a woman or a child. They were also always fully dressed.

There are many traditions as to the appearance of Angels.

Angels at times were displayed in awesome appearances. Monoah’s wife said in Judges 13:6, "…A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name." The women at the tomb saw two men in dazzling apparel (Luke 24:4). Daniel gave one of the most vivid descriptions of an angel. He said in Daniel 10: 5-6, "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude."

Angels have emotions. Jesus said that they rejoice when sinners repent (Luke 15:10). Angels are curious beings who are interested in the Gospel revealed by the Holy Spirit through the prophets (I Peter 2:11). Angels can also be happy (Revelation 5:12).

Angels are not omnipotent. 1Pe 3:22 states, "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." Though angels do not have the power that God has, they are more powerful then men (II Peter 2:11).

Angels are not omnipresent. However, they can appear before men (Luke 1:11). Angles can also go places that men cannot go, and travel in way different from the way of man.

Angels are not omniscient. Jesus said in Matthew 24:36 that they did not know when he would return. Peter said that angles longed to look into the Gospel of Christ, which we have already discussed.

Angles are subject to Gods word. If they preach another gospel other then the one given by Christ, they will be accursed (Galations. 1:8-9).

Angels exhibit many good characteristics. They are patient (Numbers 22:22-35); meek (II Peter 2:11, Jude 9); modest (I Corinthians 11:10); holy (Mark 8:38); obedient (Matthew 6:10); travel at great speeds (Revelation 8:13, 9:1); and appear unawares (Hebrews 13:2).

Angels do not have a plan of redemption.

The Bible is silent about when angels fell. All we know is that Satan took the form of a serpent and tempted Eve. How long before this event the angels sinned is uncertain and cannot be proved.

This is not known for certain. There are many theories on why they fell. Some contend that God is at fault for there sin. This view however, makes God the author of sin. If this is the case, then we have a God who is unfair. It makes him the creator of sin and an unfair judge in condemning mankind. What kind of God would this be?

Secondly, some believe that evil in angels and man is due to the nature of our world. Genesis 1:31 tells us that the creation of the world was very good.

The answer to the question is found in the free will of created beings. God gave angels the power of choice. Their fall was a deliberate, self-determined rebellion against God. (See Ezk.18:11-19, Isa.14:13,14, I Tim.3:6)

Some of the Angels were cast to Hell, and shall stay there until their judgement (II Peter 2:4). Others are apparently left free and oppose good angels (Rev. 12:7-9, Dan. 10:12-13, 20-20, Jude:9).

2. Kinds of Angels

We first see the Angel of Jehovah in Genesis 16:7-10 which says, "And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands." In Genesis 16:13 we are told, "And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?" Consider also Genesis 18:1-2; "And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground." (See also Gen. 18:10,13,22, 26-33) Genesis 19:1 says, "And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground." We learn from these verses that two of the three men were angels, but we are not told who the third was. Some believe that he was a unique character that represents God in the form of a theophany. Others believe that this was Jesus in the form of the Angel of the Lord (See Gen.22:11-12, 31:11-13, Ex. 3:2-5, Num. 22:22-35, Jud. 6:11-33, I Chron. 21:15-17, I Kings 19:5-7, 35). Our Lord was Active in the Old Testament (See I Cor. 10:1-4 and John 8:56-58).

The word "Archangel" is found only two times in the word of God. "The word "Archangel" means, "chief, first, or principal angel."" (Stacy, P.15) Jewish tradition tells us that there were four Archangel, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. The bible only mentions Michael as an Archangel. The name Michael means, "he who is like God."

We first read of Michael in the Book of Daniel. In Daniel 10:21-23, Michael is called the "Chief Prince." In Daniel 12:1, Michael is described as the "Defender of Israel." In Revelation 12:7-9, he is pictured as a leader in the battle of heavenly host and the Devil and his Angels. Again, in Jude:9 he is pictured as being in a controversy with Satan over the body of Moses. Michael will be with Jesus when he returns and his voice will be heard by all humanity (I Thessalonians 4:16).

Gabriel is called the angel of presence in the Bible. His name means "hero of God or Mighty one." In Daniel 8:16 and 9:23, he is sent to explain the vision that Daniel saw. In Luke 1:19, Gabriel tell Zacharias, "…I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings." In Luke 1:26-36, he is sent to reveal good tidings to Mary.

In Daniel 10:5-6, there is a description of Gabriel, "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude."

There are many myths about Gabriel. One myth is that he will be blowing a trumpet when he returns with Christ. But Gabriel is a speaker or an announcer in the Bible.

"The word "Seraphim" is plural and comes from a root word meaning, "love, noble, or fiery ones."" (Stacy, p.17) There is just one passage in the Bible, which mentions Seraphim. Isaiah 6:2-3, and 6 says, "Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah 6:6 says, "Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar."

From these verses we learn that they are above the throne of God. Some believe that these verses teach Seraphim also lead heaven in worship.

"The word "Cherubim" is also plural and means, "to cover or guard." (Stacy, P.17) Psalms 80:1, and 99:1, tells us that God sits above the Cherubim. Many believe Satan was a Cherub (Ezekial 28). The Cherubim were used to keep Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, after man sinned (Genesis 3:24). We don’t read of any Cherubim on earth after this. From Exodus 10:12 we learn that the body, back, hands, wings, and wheels of the Cherubim are full of eyes. Ezekiel 10:14 teaches that the Cherubim have four faces, the faces of a cherub, man, lion, and eagle. In Ezekial 10:20 the Cherubim are called living creatures.

In Revelation 4:6-7 the bible says, "And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle." Who are they?

What do we know for sure about the living creatures? First, they are near and around the throne and the lamb (Revelation 4:6, 5:6, 14:3). Secondly, they had six wings that are full of eyes (Revelation 4:6-8). Thirdly, they praise and worship God (Revelation 2:8, 5:8, 14, 7:11, 19:4). Fourthly, they are to announce the wrath of God (Revelation 6:1,7,15:7).

In Revelation 4:4 the bible says, "And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold." Revelation 4:10 states, "The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying." John describes them even further when he says in Revelation 5:8-9, "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." From Revelation 7:11 we learn that these were part of the inner circle around the throne of God. Chapter 11:16 tells us that they sit before God on thrones.

The Elect Angels are mentioned in 1 Timothy 5:21 which reads, "I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality." These are the ones from the inner circle just mentioned.

Angels are involved in the salvation of man. Luke 15:10 says, "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." The Angel of the Lord instructed Phillip to go to the Eunuch where he was saved. Ac 8:26 says, "And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert." Angels were present in the conversion of Cornelius. In Acts 10:1-5 the bible reads, "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter."

Angels did not work miraculously. They worked through the Gospel. In II Corinthians 4:7 the bible says, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." Revelation 14:6 says, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." Galatians 1:8-9 tells us, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." And Revelation 1:1-2 says, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw."

The one thing everyone can agree on is that Angels do exist. There work in the lives of men today is vague and is hard to understand. There are many lessons that we as Christians can learn from an angel.