There is a whole lot of superstition about angels. Usually they have these great wings like dove's wings but some images are even weirder with six wings and four heads and so on. Is that what the Bible really portrays? There are angels in the Bible from as early as the book of Genesis but it seems that people select the weird dreams that people have and use them to portray reality even though the evidence of the reality is made very plain. This article is part of a collection of articles on the subject of angels here on the website. Does the Bible show us what angels are like? Let us see what angels tell us about themselves.
Angels - what they are like
I will attempt to present what the Bible says about angels and I think that it going to be quite different from what you have probably heard. Has anybody ever actually seen an angel?
Real sightings of angels
The first sighting of an angel is in Genesis 3:24. The most amazing thing was the sword but nothing is said of the angels except to note that they were cherubim. Is that not strange? You see a creature with wings and you do not even think that it is worth recording? There are other sightings before the book of Daniel but I will jump there next.
God gave Nebuchadnezzar a vision and fortunately He gave Daniel the interpretation. If He did not then those same people who spread claims about things that they do not understand would probably be saying that the things in Daniel are angels too. God has meaning in every vision. He is not a man to waste time with foolishness. For not let us look more at the real sightings of angels.
In genesis 10 we have Abraham seeing angels but the first woman to see an angel in the Bible was Hagar. Women tend to notice things but she does not record any strange appearance either.
Genesis 16:7-13 [KJV] And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar, Sarais maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every mans hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. 13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
The truth is that is does not say that she saw an angel just that she heard one, but think about it. If you just heard voices that would be strange and you would take note. Angel
just means messenger and so Hagar saw someone who explained that he was a messenger from God and gave her instructions. She did not at all act as though there was anything out of the ordinary.
The next one we see is in the Sodom and Gomorrah incident. It starts in Genesis 18.
Genesis 18:1-8 [KJV] And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. 7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. 8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
Here we see several things that are commonly misreported. The first is that we cannot see God. The truth is that we cannot see God IN HIS GLORY. But God is omnipotent and He is equal to Christ and can do whatever He wants. That is a whole subject in itself but is easily verified. The second is that God does not eat or drink or any of the things that men like to do. God invented taste along with all of our other senses and experiences them all. I covered that years ago in a message about the Holy Spirit. He put them in man since the Garden of Eden where everything was very good. Since when does anybody produce something that is very good and then they do not enjoy the experience themselves? Christ also says that we will drink wine with Him in the Kingdom (Matthew 26:29). Again this is something that can be easily verified. God is just like man but better, perfect. Angels are God's children and are just like Him. Abraham saw three men. He did not recognise them but he was a generous man and invited them to eat. Up to then he had probably only heard God speak from heaven. This is what Paul talks about in the New Testament: Hebrews 13:2 [KJV] Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares
. Paul expects that if and when we encounter angels they will look like us. He only knew that the one that spoke was the Lord because of what happened with His prediction. It Goes on in Genesis 19 to show that two were angels and that they had come to judge Sodom and Gomorrah. When they turne up there the citizens thought that they wer men to.
The next confirmed inciden tis with Jacob. It was actually a vision but I put it here to show #1 that he did not find anything worth reporting about their appearance and #2 that in visions where angels are actually identified they look like people. Jacob saw angels in a dream. He does not report anything strange. This thing about angels looking weird is not Hebrew. The Hebrews recognised angels as having human appearance. He did not consider their appearance to be worthy of note.
Genesis 28:10-13 [KJV] And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
Again the vision had a message. God was at the top of a ladder and angels were using it to come to and fro from earth. There is no ladder leading to Gods throne in heaven. Steven had a similar vision in Acts and in both cases it is clear that God was showing that He was observing and, in the case of jacob, had ample support on earth to bring His intentions to pass. Every vision in the Bible has a message to go with it. When it is not explicitly stated then it is in the understanding of the imagery.
The next confirmed sighting in again by Jacob.
Genesis 32:1-2 [KJV] And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
Again, Jacob reported no strange appearance. Later on at the end of the chapter, Jacob fought with Christ. Another refutation that we cannot see the same God that later told Moses that He could not look upon Him IN HIS GLORY
.
The next incident was with the two asses in Genesis 22. When Balaams eyes were opened He did not report any strange looking creature.
Numbers 22:28 [KJV] And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
Then in verse 31, the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face
. Nothing strange reported about the angel at all. The only extraordinary thing outside of the donkey was the sword.
Judges 6:11-13 [KJV] And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. 13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
Gideon did not report anything strange. Hebrews did not expect to see anything strange when they saw angels.The angel went on to do several things before he disappeared
Judges 6:21 [KJV] Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight
The next confirmed sighting is with the birth of Samson in Judges 13.
Judges 13:2-3 [KJV] And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
There was a back and forth discussion on another occasion.
Judges 13:8-14 [KJV] Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. 9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day. 11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. 12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him? 13 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. 14 She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.
Judges 13:24 [KJV] And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him
In all of this what did Manoah see? He said that he saw a man, Judges 13:8-9. No wings, nothing weird.
David AND the elders saw the angel that brough the plague when he numbered Israel.
II Samuel 24:17 [KJV] And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my fathers house.
I Chronicles 21:16-17 [KJV] And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. 17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my fathers house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
David did not observe anything strange. Arunah is identified by name as one that also saw the angel.
- Araunah
- Araunah (Hebrew: 'rawnh) was a Jebusite who was mentioned in the Second Book of Samuel who owned the threshing floor on Mount Moriah that David purchased and used as the site for assembling an altar to God. The First Book of Chronicles, a later text, renders his name as Ornan (Hebrew: 'rnn)
So wah do we know of Ornan?
I Chronicles 21:18-20 [KJV] Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD. 20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
He knew that it was an angel but reports nothing weird. There is nothing up to this point in the Bible that talks of angels having any other appearance than a man. You would think that after all of these sightings there would be someone to record something strange.
Elijah also saw an angel up close
I Kings 19:7 [KJV] And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee
The angel came close enough to rouse him and then continued to speak to him. After this Elijah was sent on a mission and Elisha was to take on many of his responsibilities.
I Kings 19:16 [KJV] And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
II Kings 2:1 [KJV] And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
Elijah appears again on the scene in II Kings chapter 1, still as a great prophet.
II Kings 1:1-3 [KJV] Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. 2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?
II Kings 1:8 [KJV] And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite
II Kings 1:15-17 [KJV] And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. 16 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. 17 So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.
Ahab was succeeded by Ahaziah his son who was succeeded by Jehoram, another of Ahab's sons. Jehoram was the son of Ahab and Jezebel, and brother to King Ahaziah (2 Kings 8:16, 2 Kings 8:2528). In his reign Elijah was still around and serving God.
II Chronicles 21:12 [KJV] And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
The sightings continue in the New Testament. Zacharias does not report any weird looking creature.
Luke 1:11-13 [KJV] And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Luke continues with the encounter for some time and at no time does he mention anything weird. Mary also had and encounter and she does not mention anything strange.
Luke 1:26-29 [KJV] And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgins name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
The only thing that Mary found strange was the greeting.
The shepherds did not report any strange looking creatures among the host that they saw.
Luke 2:8-10 [KJV] And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luke 2:13-15 [KJV] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
Mary Magdalene saw and spoke with angels.
Matthew 28:1-8 [KJV] In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
The only thing that was strange to her was how white the clothes were and how bright their faces were. John gives more details and he mentions nothing unusual.
John 20:11-13 [KJV] But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
In this case we see a glorified/semi-glorified angel. When they appeared with Abraham God chose that they would not appear in this glorified form. This is exactly as resurrected men will need to be. We will have a glorified form but will also be required to interact with people in a natural looking form. We will look just like angels.
When the angel came to free the apostles there was nothing odd about their appearance.
Acts 5:17-20 [KJV] Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
Acts 11:13 [KJV] And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
Even Cornelius, a gentile believer had no weird understanding of what an angel looked like.
Acts 10:3-8 [KJV] He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: 6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. 7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; 8 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.
When the angel came to free Peter from jail the only thing strange was that there was light in the prison at night. He made note of that so why did he not asy anything about how the angel looked.
Acts 12:6-11 [KJV] And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
Paul was not one to abide misrepersentatin of the truth. Paul saw an angel and reported nothing strange nor corrected the prevailing understanding of what an angel looked like.
Acts 27:23 [KJV] For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve
So all of these people encountered angels and none of them presented a report of any looking odd.
What exactly makes a person a people?
Some individuals claim that angels are not people. Angels are intelligent, mighty and loving among other things. Angels are held accountable for their actions just like us. They made the same choice (God or Satan) that was offered to man at Sinai and in the Garden of Eden. Angels are ministers just like us but they are spirit ministers otherwise called ministering spirits in the New Testament.
Christ represents Himself as an angel at times.
Acts 7:35-38 [KJV] This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Genesis 31:11-13 [KJV] And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
Genesis 48:16 [KJV] The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
Whatever angel means it is something that Christ can be. If Christ can be an angel then when you speak disparagingly of angels you are speaking about Him. If angels are not people then Christ isn't either.
Deuteronomy 33:2 [KJV] And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them
Psalms 68:17 [KJV] The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place
Those scriptures refer to something that happened in the past. God's army is actually angels who we just saw are also called saints and are sometimes represented as chariots.
Ordain means to order or decree (something) officially. Angels can help in ordaining important things
Galatians 3:19 [KJV] Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator
Angels are able to bless the Lord. Can an inferior being do that?
Psalms 103:20-22 [KJV] Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
They are interested in us and long to understand the things relating to our future. They care about others.
I Peter 1:12 [KJV] Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
They bring understanding to the wisest of men
Daniel 9:22 [KJV] And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
Daniel 10:14 [KJV] Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.
II Peter 2:10-11 [KJV] But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
Jude 1:9 [KJV] Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee
II Samuel 14:20 [KJV] To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.
Angels can dispute and do it righteously
Jude 1:9 [KJV] Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee
But they are not in the same class as God.
Job 4:18 [KJV] Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly
Angels have homes
Angels have habitations or homes.
Jude 1:6 [KJV] And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day
They periodically report to God
Job 1:6 [KJV] Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 2:1 [KJV] Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
Notice that I did not say that they have houses but they have a place to call home.
Angels eat
God shows us many of his characteristics and they include our five senses. We are not told specifically of all of the angels senses but we know that they eat.
Psalms 78:25 [KJV] Man did eat angels food: he sent them meat to the full
Angels rejoice and sing
The Bible shows that angels rejoice and sing. They also shout for Joy and so on. They express emotion in the same ways that we do.
Luke 15:10 [KJV] Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Psalms 148:2 [KJV] Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts
Psalms 103:20 [KJV] Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word
Job 38:7 [KJV] When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy
Ezekiel 28:13-14 [KJV] Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
I will not bother with touch and sight because they are trivial and obvious
Angels love us
Angels are excited to see us do well as Christians.
Luke 15:7 [KJV] I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance
Luke 15:10 [KJV] Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
They go to all ends to help us. Just fill in the background to what happened to Daniel
Daniel 10:10-13 [KJV] And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. 11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. 12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
We know that this same trip took Christ a short time in the Morning so it was intended that Daniel receive this information immediately. In Daniel 9:21 Gabriel had reached the same Daniel before he finished praying. This time it ended up taking three weeks and Gabriel did not give up. Michael saw his predicament and came to help. The Bible does not say that he was ordered to help.
Notice that the angels repeatedly told Daniel that he was greatly loved. Did they only mean by the Father and Christ?
Daniel 10:18-19 [KJV] Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, 19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.
Angels love us but people are bad minded. We have deceitful evil hearts. Most people do not appreciate them as sons of God but want to relegate them to second class citizens. Even though they know this they protect us as their little brothers.
Psalms 91:10-14 [KJV] There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Psalms 34:4-8 [KJV] I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
In speaking of how careful we must be in dealing with children Christ pointed out that they have angels watching over them and that some are constantly in Gods presence.
Matthew 18:6-10 [KJV] But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! 8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. 10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
Angels are like us
People are quick to point out the few instances in the Bible where something that they don't even understand is somehow represented using imagery of an angel but they ignore the fact that in all of the many times that angels are actually encountered they always look like exactly like people or like people will be in the Kingdom.
Luke 20:36 [KJV] Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
Some other scriptures say like angels but Luke is precise and says EQUAL. This scripture has to be true even though others are less precise.
Most angels are ELECT angels just like we want to be ELECT saints.
I Timothy 5:21 [KJV] I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
Matthew 24:22 [KJV] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elects sake those days shall be shortened.
Matthew 24:31 [KJV] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
God loves angels and provides for them handsomely.
Matthew 6:25-34 [KJV] Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Angels eat. God provides food for them as is demonstrated by Psalms 78:25 [KJV], Man did eat angels food: he sent them meat to the full
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They wear clothes and jewellery
Ezekiel 28:13 [KJV] Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
I showed earlier that God has also provided them with homes and that they are otherwise just like us. God does not change. He has always been a provider and always will be. Even if He considered angels animals, and He most emphatically does not, He would provide for them more than generously.
Elect angels are overcomers. They resisted Satan when he first attacked God's Kingdom and remained faithful. Angels sought and received Gods kingdom long before us and are being rewarded accordingly. Angels work tirelessly in Gods service and He looks out for them. We have already seen Daniel 10:10-13 where they fought the Prince of Persia for weeks in order to fulfill God's assignment. We should add to that
Revelation 12:7-9 [KJV] And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
They fight and overcome Satan just like as anyone else that wants the Kingdom. Angels are like us.
Daniel says the man Gabriel. He did not have a beak and a tail.
Daniel 9:20-22 [KJV] And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God; 21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
The angel that delivered Shadrach Meshach and Abednego was like a man.
Daniel 3:24-28 [KJV] Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. 27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the kings counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the kings word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Daniel was consistent in what he saw.
Daniel 10:18-19 [KJV] Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, 19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.
Zechariah also called the angel a man.
Zechariah 1:7-16 [KJV] Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. 9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. 10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 11 And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest. 12 Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? 13 And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. 14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. 16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
Zechariah made a point to report anything strange that he saw but the angel was just like a man and that was normal for Zechariah. Hebrews did not see anything out of place with an angel looking exactly like a man. In Zechariah 2 it continue with another angel and there was nothing strange worth reporting.
Zechariah 2:1-3 [KJV] I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. 3 And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,
It continues again in Zechariah 3 with angels having no appearance worth commenting on.
Zechariah 3:1 [KJV] And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
When Zechariah saw angels he expected them to look like men. That is how God's prophets understood angels. Zechariah continues talking in chapters four, five and six and in all that mentions nothing strange about angels. He does mention strange things but at no time did he say it was an angel. If you do not understand the vision you cannot use what you do not understand to define reality. That is nonsense. First you have to show that God has revealed the meaning of vision to you and then you can lay claim to the interpretation of the strange things. Otherwise it is undefined. Consider what happened with Joseph in Genesis 41 with the butler and baker. There images of corn eating corn and cows eating cows but cows and corn are not like that. You cannot spread nonsense about cows and corn base on a vision that you do not understand.
The same understanding of angels continues in the New Testament starting with Joseph, Mary's husband.
Matthew 1:20 [KJV] But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 2:13 [KJV] And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him
Matthew 2:19 [KJV] But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
Joseph saw nothing strange. He expected what all others before him expected and that was a person.
Peter was mistaken for an angel and i do not believe that he had any wings or beak.
Acts 12:13-16 [KJV] And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14 And when she knew Peters voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
When the birth of Christ was announced by the angels there is no indication that they had any unusual appearance.
Luke 2:8-15 [KJV] And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
When the angels appeared at the tomb there is no indication that they looked strange except for being brighter than a man.
John 20:10-12 [KJV] Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. 11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
Matthew 28:1-8 [KJV] In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
Notice that this sighting is called a vision. Vision does not automatically mean that it is all in your head. This must be emphasized because God shows that when we are resurrected in the Kingdom we will be equal unto the angels
and He did it with a real sighting which is also called a vision. Christ gave a tangible experience of the resurrection in Matthew 17.
Matthew 17:1-9 [KJV] And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
This is an example of the Resurrection. It is not too hard for God.
Matthew 27:50-53 [KJV] Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
They were not glowing but that is not too hard for God either.
Exodus 34:29 [KJV] And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him
Christ's people, Christians, refuse to accept what God says.
John 11:21-26 [KJV] Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
It is the only thing that I know of that made Christ cry.
John 11:34-35 [KJV] And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. [35] Jesus wept.
When the angel came to free Peter from jail the only thing strange was light.
Acts 12:6-7 [KJV] And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
There is so much written in the Bible to confirm this. Jacob's dream records no strange looking beings Genesis 28:10-12. The ones with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego looked like men (Daniel 3:23-25). Daniel did not report anything strange about the one with him in the lions den (Daniel 6:19-23). Nothing is said about Gabriel being strange looking when he appeared to Mary (Luke 1:26). The same for the shepherds (Luke 2:8-14). The Bible explains that we can encounter angels unknowingly (Hebrews 13:1-2) and they look like any other stranger. The one that came to Elijah did not appear strange (I Kings 19:5-8). The ones that appeared with Christ to Abraham did not seem strange (Genesis 18:1-4). The ones that went to Sodom in Genesis 19 did not seem strange.
Angels fall short of the mark at times like anyone else because nobody but God is perfect.
Job 4:18 [KJV] Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly
Angels yearn to understand Gods plans just like us.
I Peter 1:11-12 [KJV] Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Matthew 24:36 [KJV] But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only
Mark 13:32 [KJV] But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
Angels praise God just like us.
Psalms 148:1-2 [KJV] Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. [2] Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
But they are mighty
Angels are like us just better. One way in which they are better is that they are mighty.
II Thessalonians 1:7-8 [KJV] And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
A single angel delivered Israel from the hand of Sennacherib and his army.
II Chronicles 32:21-22 [KJV] And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword. 22 Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side.
In 2 Samuel 24:15 a single angel killed 70,000 men of Israel in a plague.
They cannot die
Angels are living the promise that we look forward to in the Kingdom, immortal, eternal life.
Luke 20:36 [KJV] Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
Angels cannot be hurt by cold or heat and can travel at phenomenal speeds
Angels travel through the dead of space unharmed.
Daniel 9:21 [KJV] Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation
God heard Daniel and sent an Gabriel to him before he finished praying.
Sapce reaches absolute zero for practical purposes.
Job 1:6-7 [KJV] Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. [7] And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
If an angel can protect men from the harm of a fire then they should be able to protect themselves.
Daniel 3:27 [KJV] And the princes, governors, and captains, and the kings counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
When the earth is renewed at the end of this age we will be here with the angels. We may be standing on the outskirts in the dead of space or within the blast radius. I believe that God will let the sun consume the solar system and cool it back to a larger planet.
Our sun is a yellow dwarf star. Smaller stars (like our Sun) eventually become faint white dwarfs (hot, white, dim stars). Having depleted their nuclear fuels they will eventually become cold, dark, black dwarfs. God will intervene in the course of nature for our solar system and collapse the solar system into one planet lit by His presence.
Mighty deeds of angels
Even though God took responsibility for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah it was done by angels.
Genesis 19:21-24 [KJV] And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. 22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
The Passover in Exodus 12 was done by and angel. The plague that God afflicted Israel with when David presumptuously counted the people was done by an angel. We read verse 15 of the chapter before now here is verse 16.
II Samuel 24:16 [KJV] And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite
An angel struck the whole Assyrian army in the time of Hezekiah
II Kings 19:35 [KJV] And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses
Isaiah 37:36 [KJV] Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses
We know that demons can drive swine mad as with the Gadarene swine but angels can do the reverse and make lions docile.
Daniel 6:22 [KJV] My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
