What does the Bible say about Angels? Though there are many opinions out there that are shared the facts are determined from several different origins. The Christian Protestant Bible has limited detailed scriptural reference and a number of general references. Most of what is interpreted beyond what is in the Bible is coming from texts which are non canonized. Such as those contained in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Book of Enoch. There are a number of differences of opinions as to the hierarchy of the Spheres. Also the roles within the different groups. What we have shown below is merely a generalized grouping with some Biblical references.
The Celestial Hierarchy
Angelic Choir
The Celestial Hierarchy Dionisius
Please note the opinion link from Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite Christian theologian of the fifth/sixth century. He renders an opinion and defines in great detail the hierarchy of the Angels. He does this by what he perceives as research and divine understanding.
First Sphere – Counselors
Angelic Choir
-Seraphim (Attendants of God’s Throne)
-Cherubim (Guardians of God’s Glory)
-Ophanim; Thrones/Wheels (Liaison for the lower Sphere angels to access God)
Second Sphere – Governors
Angelic Choir
-Dominions / Lordships (Communicate and Enforce Angelic Commands from God)
-Virtues / Strongholds (The Shining Ones Governors of Nature)
-Powers / Authorities (Warrior Angels against Evil Spirits)
Third Sphere – Messengers
Angelic Choir
-Principalities / Rulers (Intermediaries of the Divine Will)
-Archangels (Chiefs and Leaders made up of this hierarchy but also others)
-Angels (Deliver prayers to God and God’s answers)
Isaiah 6:1-8 (KJV)
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 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.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
6 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:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Some Biblical References
In Isaiah and Revelation we see a description of the angelic Seraphims. In Isaiah they take a coal and touch to the lips of the sinner to purge away the sin. The Seraphims are the highest in the Angelic Hierarchy who dwell at the Throne of God.
Ezekiel and Genesis below show us angelic Cherub and Cherubims references concerning the casting out of man from the garden, and from the mountain of God. The Cherubims were guardians with flaming swords to keep the way of the tree of life. The Cherubims are also in the First Sphere close to God, they are allegedly guardians of God’s Glory.
Revelation 4:6-8 (KJV)
6 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.
7 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.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Genesis 3:24 (KJV)
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life
Some Additional Biblical References
In Exodus, 2 Chronicles and 1 Kings we see instructions on building the likenesses of the angelic Cherubims and Cherubs with instruction from God.
Exodus 25:17-22 (KJV)
17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
1 Kings 6:23-28 (KJV)
23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.
24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.
26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.
27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
Both Non Canonized and Biblical References
Angelic Ophanim also referred to as Thrones or Wheels are more clearly clarified in the Dead Sea Scrolls second book of Enoch. In the Old Testament Ezekiel, Colossians & Daniel make the following references to Ophanim, Thrones & Wheels. They are described in Ezekiel as being full of eyes round about and having four faces as described.
Ezekiel 10:12-14 (KJV)
12 And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.
13 As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.
14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
Colossians 1:16 (KJV)
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:
Daniel 7:9 (KJV)
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
Additional Biblical References
Ephesians speaks about angelic principalities, powers and rulers of darkness of this world. It suggests that one of these are the fallen angels without much further clarification in scripture that we could find. However, there are some scholars with schools of thought alleging that the Powers are the Warrior Angels and Principalities the Angelic fallen.
Ephesians 1:21 (KJV)
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
THE SEVEN ARCHANGELS
Angelic Choir
SAINT MICHAEL
– “Who is like God?”, aka “Prince of the Heavenly Host,” Guardian Angel of the people – Guardian Angel of the Church. He led the forces of Heaven to cast out Satan following the heavenly rebellion. Pope Leo XIII, in 1899 instituted a prayer at the end of Mass for Saint Michael’s protection.
The Roman Catholic Church attributes four main offices to Saint Michael. He is the leader and Spiritual Warrior of the Army of God. Leading God’s army to triumph in battle against the forces of evil. Tasked with carrying all the souls of the dead to the heavenly realm he is also the angel of death. Descending at the hour of death with an opportunity of redemption he weighs the soul with his scales. Also known as the guardian of the chosen people and the Church.
Daniel 10:13 (KJV)
13 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.
Daniel 10:21 (KJV)
21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
Daniel 12:1 (KJV)
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Jude 9 (KJV)
9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
Revelation 12:7-9 (KJV)
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
SAINT GABRIEL
“God is My Strength”. Archangel of Wisdom, Revelation, Prophecy, and Visions.
Daniel 8:16-19 (KJV)
16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.
Luke 1:19 (KJV)
19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
Luke 1:26 (KJV)
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
“I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord”
SAINT RAPHAEL
“God has healed”. Archangel of Healing.
John 5:2-4 (KJV)
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
URIEL
“Fire of God.” Archangel of Repentance and of the Damned.
Three Archangels appear as members of the Seven Archangels in chapter 20 of the Book of Enoch.
RAGUEL
“Friend of God”. Archangel of Justice and Fairness.
ZERACHIEL
“God’s Command” Archangel of God’s Judgment.
REMIEL
“Thunder of God”, “Mercy of God”, and “Compassion of God”. Archangel of Hope and Faith.
There are merely general references to angelic Archangels in 1 Thessalonians in the Bible. There is also reference to the War in Heaven in Revelation. However, there are some additional references once again in the Dead Sea Scrolls; the Book of Enoch & The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness to reference.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 (KJV)
16 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:
For the Love of God,
Sparks
