At Angels & Ghosts, we believe that messengers or angels are all around us in spirit and
are most likely enlightened humans on the other side of the grave. This would explain why
they are described as men in the bible, and why some have names that mean "man"
(Gabriel). The depiction of angels with wings in the bible could simply be a way to convey
the fact that they are not bound by gravity (such as humans in a physical body); for angels
are spirits. The following article from Bruce Bussell gives a rundown of how angels appear
in the bible:
What Do Angels Look Like? by Bruce Bussell
"Since angels are spirits rather than physical beings, they don't have to be visible at all
(Colossians 1:16). Elisha once prayed that his servant would see the armies of angels
surrounding the city, and the young man discovered that he had overlooked a lot of
invisible beings (2 Kings 6:17)!
When angels do appear, they generally appear in the form of men. In Genesis 18,
Abraham welcomed three angelic guests who appeared at first to be nothing more than
some travellers. In the following chapter, two angels went to Sodom where they were
assumed to be simply a pair of human visitors.
With the possible exception of one debatable passage in Zechariah 5:9, angels always
appear as males rather than females (Mark 16:5).
Sometimes an angel appears to be a man with unusual features. Daniel saw an angel with
arms and legs resembling polished metal and precious stones, and a face like lightning
(Daniel 10:5-6). The angel that rolled back the stone from Christ's tomb was radiating
dazzling light (Matthew 28:3; Luke 24:4). The book of Revelation describes some highly
unusual beings who may be a variety of angel in Revelation 4:6-8.
Angels in the Bible never appear as cute, chubby infants! They are always full-grown
adults. When people in the Bible saw an angel, their typical response was to fall on their
faces in fear and awe, not to reach out and tickle an adorable baby.
Some Bible passages picture angels with wings (Isaiah 6:2,6). Other verses talk about
angels flying, and we assume that the wings would be useful for that flight (Daniel 9:21).
However, I suspect that angels can move around without having to depend on wings. Most
references to angels in the Bible say nothing about wings, and in passages like Genesis
18-19, it is certain that no wings were visible."
About The Author
Bruce Bussell is the founder of Hearts Fod God Christian Ministry which is designed to
bring people closer to God through the study of His angels. A free newsletter all about
angels is offered. You can check out Hearts For God atwww.heartsforgod.com.