ANGELS
By Tim Lambert
Belief in Angels exists in the monotheistic religions Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Angels are intermediaries between God and human beings. (The word angel is derived from the Greek word angelos, which means messenger). The Bible says that human beings were made 'a little lower than the angels'. Belief in angels declined in the 18th century but it has revived in the 21st century. The study of angels is called angelology.
Only two angels are mentioned by name in the version of the Bible. They are Michael and Gabriel.
Angels are pure spirits without physical bodies. According to the Bible angels were created before the material universe and they were present when it was created. (Job 38:1-7 says they were joyous when God created our universe.) In the Bible sometimes helped individuals. Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days and the Devil tempted him but afterwards angels cared for him (Matthew 4:1). An angel rescued Peter from prison (Acts 12:6-10). Angels were also believed to worship God (Revelation 4:8). Jesus said that angels do not marry (Matthew 22:30).
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that each person has a guardian angel. (Jesus said that children's angels see the face of his Father in Heaven.)
Most of all angels acted as messengers from God to human beings. In the Bible an angel appeared to the father of John the Baptist and told him he was going to have a son. The Angel identified himself as Gabriel and told he would dumb for till the birth as a punishment for not believing the message. (Luke 1:13-20). The same angel appeared to Mary and told her she would give birth to Jesus.
Angels also appeared in people's dreams. In the Old Testament Jacob dreamed of a ladder from Earth to Heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. (The artist William Blake made a famous painting of Jacob's ladder).
The Bible also teaches that evil spirits exist. Christians believe that they were originally good angels who rebelled against God and were cast out of Heaven (the dwelling place of God). Their leader was a mysterious figure called Lucifer (his name meant bearer of light).
According to the Bible angels can take on human form and can even be mistaken for human beings (Hebrews 13:2).
Throughout history angels have been depicted in art. In the Middle Ages they were depicted as human in form but with wings like birds. Among the most famous are The Annunciation by Fra Angelico (c 1400-1455) and The Dream of Joachim by Giotto (c1266-1337). More recently angels appear in a painting called The Angel Standing in the Sun by Turner and one called When the Morning Stars Sang Together by William Blake. The Angel of the North, a steel sculpture by Anthony Gormley erected in 1998.