Introduction
In this article I will explain what angels are and what angels are not.
Angel
The word angel comes from a Hebrew word "Malakh" (which in Greek is "Angelos") This word means "messenger" and denote that the office of an angel is one of a messenger who relates to man the revelation of God.
Angels are "spirits" that carry out the commands from God (Hebrews 1:14).
Archangel
The word archangel comes from two Greek words. The first one is "arche" which means "ruler" and the other word is "angelos" and means "messenger." The word archangel denotes a ruler of the angels.
The Bible only mentions one archangel by name and he is Michael. The name Michael means "who is like God?" Declaring that there is no-one like God.
Cherubs
The Hebrew word "Kerub" is normally translated as "cherub" in our English Bibles, but the word has a plurality to it and this is why it is translated as "cherubim" in the AV Bible. The word cherub means "covering" and refers to a creature that covers over.
Seraphs
The word "Seraph" is a Hebrew word that means "burning." In modern Bibles it is translated as "Seraph", but in the AV Bible it is rendered "Seraphim" - as in the Hebrew it has the plural form.
What do angels look like? Over the years there have been many renderings of what people thought angels looked like in the art world, in drawings and in movies and films. A lot of people visualise them with in male form with wings and golden hair. But what does the Bible say that they look like?
The bible tells us that angels are spirits (Hebrews 1:14); they don't have flesh bodies (Luke 24:37-39); they are stronger than men (2 Peter 2:11); they have more knowledge than man (Matthew 24:36); there are two angels named by name in the bible, they are: Michael and Gabriel.
The bible says that angels although don't have flesh bodies they have human form (Genesis 18:1; 19:22; 32:24-30). They are always male! Seraphim and Cherubim however are different! Here is why:
Seraphims have six wings (Isaiah 6:2).
Cherubims have four wings; they four faces (as I stated in a previous article they are not babies) - one face is human, the other a lion, the other an ox, and the other an eagle (Ezekiel 1:4-13).
They is another being called the "four living creatures" (Revelation 4:8). These have have six wings like a Sheraphim (Cherubims only have four wings); but they are different - one is like a lion, the other is like an ox, the other is like a man, the other is like an eagle - they don't have four faces like Cherubims.
So angels, archangels, Cherubims, living creature, are male. There is however another life form in heaven (not an angel) that is female! In Zechariah 5:5-9 there is some form of life form that has wings and are female.
There is no mention of angels with harps, halos, or wings!
