One theory is that humans would find angels terrifying because we would not be able to comprehend their eldritch forms. They’re mighty creations that stand by and are of service to God. As a result, when angels appear to us, their presence can emit their powerful presence. In the Hebrew Scriptures, only three angels have names. They serve God by singing praises and admitting worthy humans into the presence of God.

They were the angels of death in the Passover story in Exodus. During the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, angel Gabriel visited her to deliver a message from God that she would bear the Son of God. These angels teach us how to endure pain, be brave in the face of adversity, and be patient to follow through with our passion.

On July 3rd, 2020, Redditor CSGoose posted a Swole Doge edit mocking the difference between angels in the bible and angels in art to /r/me_irl, gaining over 43,000 points . On July 27th, 2020, Twitter user @aggressivepet posted art of a biblically accurate angel gaining over 11,000 retweets and 67,000 likes . John the Revelator sees a vision of the heavenly throne room in Revelation chapter 4, and instead of cherubim or seraphim, he sees four “living creatures” surrounding the throne. It is said that the angels of this rank never sleep as they are tasked to guard God’s throne in heaven. The Chayot ha Kodesh are known for their enlightenment.

What Does the Bible Say About Angels?

It absorbs sound by causing people to scream in pain through a potent neurotoxin and has stinger-like wings. It does something truly horrifying if it hears a bell ring. Heroes of the Storm has an “angelic” skin for perhaps the second most popular example of a Big Red Devil. This “Archangel Diablo,” as the tooltip says, brings a whole new meaning to “holy terror”. The Angels in Time Masters superficially resemble winged humans, but that’s only because the ones we see onscreen are assimilated humans. They are actually proxies for a shapeless, blobby mass of light, God, and behave essentially like zombies, either converting or killing planetary populations.

Further reading

Get expert commentary on biblical languages, fresh explorations in theology, hand-picked book excerpts, author videos, and info on limited-time sales. No other passages address relationships between angels, so anything beyond this is simply speculation. Every biblical reference to the total number of angels suggests that they’re beyond counting. Of course, the only place in the Protestant canon that anyone is referred to as an archangel is in Jude 9, when Jude refers to Michael.

That wing to see the truth and that eye to lay it bare. Angels and other holy beings are often treated as human-like figures or beautiful. After all, they’re usually forces of goodness and light. But not all angels are pretty; some look outright terrifying and not remotely human.

Bene Elohim translates to “Sons of God” and rank 8th in the Maimonides Hierarchy of Angels. Their main task is like that of Ishim—to continuously praise God and exalt His Name on high. Since the beginning of the Creation, Ishim’s primary role is to praise and exalt the glory of God. According to the Zohar, their ruler is Azazel, and their chief is Sandalphon.

In addition, they prefer human forms over angelic ones. If you are in doubt as to which angel you are praying to, consult your rabbi. In John Milton’s Paradise Lost Satan and the archangels belong to this choir (“archangel” has here the meaning of “most powerful angel”, not the members of the second lowest choir). Beelzebuth is also addressed as prince of the seraphim in witchcraft litanies. Beelzebub and Azazel were cherubim before their fall.

They take the form of bizarre monsters, Sinister Geometry or even being so alien no man can understand or withstand them. Or maybe bible accurate angels resemble humans, but their power and demeanor distinctly isn’t. An additional angel, Metatron, which entered the Christian tradition via Christian Kabbalah, is described in the Babylonian Talmud as a heavenly scribe and in the Zohar as the king of the angels.