All About Angels

* Purpose * In Arts *Gender

In the Hebrew Bible, angels often appear to people in the shape of humans of extraordinary beauty, and often are not immediately recognized as angels (Genesis 18:2, Genesis 19:5; Judges 6:17, Judges 8:6; 2 Samuel 29:9). Some fly through the air, some become invisible, sacrifices touched by some are consumed by fire, and some may disappear in sacrificial fire. God, "the Angel of the Lord" appeared in the flames of the thorn bush (Genesis 16:13; Judges 6:21-22; 2 Kings 2:11; Exodus 3:2). They are described as pure and bright as Heaven; consequently, they are said to be formed of fire, and encompassed by light, as the Psalmist said (Psalm 104:4): "He makes winds His messengers, burning fire His ministers." Some verses in the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical works depict angels wearing blue or red robes but no such reference occurs in the Protestant books.

Though superhuman, angels can assume human form; this is the earliest conception. Gradually, and especially in post-Biblical times, angels came to be imagined in a form corresponding to the nature of the mission to be fulfilled—generally, however, the human form. Angels have commonly been depicted as human who, as the same nature of typical angels, have "wings" and can fly. Angels can be depicted bearing drawn swords or other weapons in their hands—one carries an ink-horn by his side—and ride on horses (Numbers 22:23, Joshua 5:13, Ezekiel 9;2, Zechariah 1:8 et seq.). A terrible angel mentioned in 1 Chronicles 21:16,30, as standing "between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand". In the Book of Daniel, reference is made to an angel "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 color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude" (Daniel 10:5-6). This imagery is very similar to a description in the book of Revelation. Angels are thought by many to possess wings. This has arisen from references to their ability to fly (Daniel 9:21). Both cherubim and seraphim are depicted with wings in the Bible, and they are both traditionally associated within both the Jewish and Christian hierarchy of angels. Angels are only depicted in Christian, Jewish and Zoroastrian art from the times of the Roman emperor Constance.[citation needed] They are commonly depicted with halos.

Purpose

Top

In the Bible, angels are a medium of God's power; they exist to execute God's will. Angels reveal themselves to individuals as well as to the whole nation, to announce events, either bad or good, affecting humans. Angels foretold to Abraham the birth of Isaac, to Manoah the birth of Samson, and to Abraham the destruction of Sodom. Guardian angels were mentioned, but not, as was later the case, as guardian spirits of individuals and nations. God sent an angel to protect the Hebrew people after their exodus from Egypt, to lead them to the promised land, and to destroy the hostile tribes in their way (Exodus 23:20, Numbers 20:16).

In Arts

While angels and demons alike are generally regarded as invisible to human sight, they are frequently depicted as human-like creatures with wings, though many theologians have argued that they have no physical existence, but can take on human form (the traditional Eastern Orthodox term for angels is asomata, "bodiless [ones]"). Descriptions of angels in their angelic form mention wings (as in Isaiah, Zachariah, etc.) however, when appearing in human form, they look like men, or as young men. Seraphim are shown in art as having six wings (in accordance with Isaiah 6:1-3), and Cherubim four, having a quadruple face of lion, ox, eagle, and man. For some inexplicable reason, Putto are often confused with Cherubim, although they are completely different. This confusion only occurs among English-speaking persons.

Gender

Most theologians agree that angels have no gender (see more extended discussion below). Therefore, they usually appear as androgynous, although guardian angels appear more feminine and maternal. Their exceptional beauty was well attested in Scripture. The long plain dress or tunic traditionally given to most angels comes hardly altered from the Byzantine tradition, where it had, if anything, a male connotation. In the Renaissance these were shown often bright-coloured, but before and after were mostly plain white.