[N0help4u]

A girl at work asked me today about angels.
She said somebody told her angels are male.
I told her that I had heard that too but that being there are different types of angels maybe only certain ones are male like maybe the archangels.
I found a list of some of the types of angels and was wondering if anybody can tell me more about each type and whether they are male or female or some of each

This is part of the list

Seraphim
Cherubim
The thrones Col 1:16
Ophanim Dan 7:9
Dominions
virtues (strongholds)
Powers (warriors)
Authorities
Principalities
Rulers
Archangels
Angels (messengers/guardians)

I know Satan has his 'fallen' angels like the principalities, powers, rulers, etc... too but I am just wondering about Gods angels.


Thanks

[Moparbyfar]

Great question!
There is indeed order and rank among the angels, the highest being Michael the Archangel. In Rev 12:7 he fought the Devil with his angels in heaven, resulting in the wicked spirits and their leader losing the battle and being banned from the heavenly realm. This archangel which means "principal or chief angel" is also referred to in the bible as the Great Prince in the book of Daniel.

Ranking high in privileges and honor are the seraphs. We know this because they attend God's throne as recorded in Isaiah Chapter 6 - the only place they are mentioned. They have 6 wings, two which they cover their faces with out of humility and modesty; two they cover their feet with and the other two they move about with. Their assignment includes declaring God's holiness and keeping his people spritually clean.

Cherubs uphold God's majesty. There were two golden cherubs mounted on the arc of the covenant which represented God's throne. From between these two cherubs his voice could be heard. (Ex 25:22) Two cherubs were placed at the entrance to the garden of Eden to prevent anyone from re-entering.

Then there are the rest of the angels who have specific assignments to carry out God's instructions. These powerful spirits number into the hundreds of millions but the only one mentioned by name in the bible was Gabriel (apart from Michael). Gabriel said he "stands near before God" so he appears to be a high ranking angel.

These millions of "holy ones" are used by God to strengthen and protect his people as promised in Psalm 34:7 - "the angel of God is camping all around those fearing him, and he rescues them."

In the book of Revelation we note that the angels do not accept worship or veneration themselves, as John bowed to one of them but was told "be careful! Do not do that! All I am is a fellow slave...worship God." (Rev 19:10)

We can also assume that angels are male in form as the bible refers to them as Sons of God (Job 1:6)

Angels are also not immortal as is proven by Satan and his followers who are doomed to destruction.

Anyway, to put it simply, there are 3 main categories of angels of God aside from the chief angel Michael.

1. Seraphs
2. Cherubs
3. Other angels

[N0help4u]

Yeah from what I can figure there are the heavenly angels like the seraphim and cherubim
The air principalities and powers that rule and have authority
And the earth like the guardian angels.

From what I can tell the guardian angels might be male and female
And the archangels and the warrior type angels male

[De Maria]

Yeah from what I can figure there are the heavenly angels like the seraphim and cherubim
the air principalities and powers that rule and have authority
and the earth like the guardian angels.

From what I can tell the guardian angels might be male and female
and the archangels and the warrior type angels male

Catholic teaching says they are Spirits and are neither male nor female.

Matthew 22 30 For in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married; but shall be as the angels of God in heaven.

Sincerely,

De Maria

[N0help4u]

When people see angels they see them male or female and when Lot would not let the men of sodom and gomarrah in his house because they wanted the angels they were male angels. I believe some angels are neither male or female but I also believe some are. And shall neither marry nor be married; but shall be as the angels of God in heaven doesn't necessarily mean they are not male or female. Just shows they will be celebate.

[cogs]

If angels exist, as the bible says they do, it's very interesting that
God uses them to accomplish his will. Esp when they're interacting with
Humans for god's purposes, because one would think an all powerful
God has no need of any indirect messages or actions. I believe this shows
The humility and love of god, to interact with his creation through his
Spirit. What do you think?

[Renaissance1967]

This appears to have some feminist overtones, so I will direct my answer accordingly.
Angels are not Human, nor are they of earthly origin, so I am not sure if a Male/Female analogy would apply directly. We are not privy to many specifics about the Angels. They are generally presented as Male, but so is God. Adam was made in the image of God, so God may be truly more akin to Male than Female. However, this is like saying blue paint is more like the Atlantic Ocean than red paint. The ocean is the ocean and paint is just paint. The red paint is not specifically superior or inferior to the blue paint but it is definitely different with some different properties and abilities. However, if you want to represent the ocean and all you have is paint, you use the blue paint.

[De Maria]

When people see angels they see them male or female and when Lot would not let the men of sodom and gomarrah in his house because they wanted the angels they were male angels. I believe some angels are neither male or female but I also believe some are. And shall neither marry nor be married; but shall be as the angels of God in heaven doesn't necessarily mean they are not male or female. Just shows they will be celebate.

Since you believe in Sola Scriptura, can you give the example of a female angel from the Bible?

Also, since God is our Father and is therefore ALWAYS depicted as male. And so is Jesus and so is the Holy Spirit. And since all angels bear God's name in theirs, Gabri EL, Rapha EL, Micha EL, in fact, the entire this entire race of beings is called Ang EL. So why would they ever be considered female?

Sounds to me as though you are going outside the Bible for this idea.

Sincerely,

De Maria

[cozyk]

I don't believe they have a gender, Why would they?? Do they get together and create new little baby angles? Gender is a human trait.

[Moparbyfar]

That is why God punished those angels who came down to earth to "make out" with the women, creating hybrids (Nephilim) which according to God's Word, were very violent men and was part of the reason for the great flood of Noah's day. So they clearly were not created with the same purpose as humans. (Jude 6) (Gen 6:1-4)
We can only take from what's in the bible, which tells us they are sons of God and appeared to men and women on earth and in dreams as males... at least that's what I get from it. Doesn't seem sexist to me though. God has his place, Jesus has his place, angels have their place and men and women have their place... and angles have their place, whether it be left or right. ;)

[N0help4u]

I am not saying they were created with the same purpose.

Even Catholic paintings depict angels as male or female.
I know of many people who say they encountered a literal angel and they all said they appeared to them as either male or female.
Hebrews 13:2 says
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Which means that in our life we can do good for a stranger that actually was an angel. But we thought we helped a male or a female, not knowing they were an angel.

Even if they have no gender they DO appear to us as male or female

Three angels appeared to Abraham (male form)
Two angels visited Lot and the males and the males of sodom tried to have sex with them and Lot offered them his daughters instead (male form)


Gabriel and Michael the archangel - depicted as male
The men (angels) in the fiery furnace -depicted as male

As Mopar pointed out to claim angels were not male or female
The statement (Genesis 6:1) that the "sons of God" married the daughters of men is explained of the fall of the angels,
IT DOES say the 'sons of God' it does not say the angels of God
Which to me means they were created with a 'gender form' but not meant to procreate or anything like that.

The Bible also says


BTW just because I do not believe in man made doctrines that clearly contradict the Bible does not mean I am sola scriptura as I have explained repeatedly.

[ScottRC]

Hope this might help answer a few questions:

An angel is a pure spirit created by God. The Old Testament theology included the belief in angels: the name applied to certain spiritual beings or intelligences of heavenly residence, employed by God as the ministers of His will.
The English word "angel" comes from the Greek angelos, which means 'messenger'. In the Old Testament, with two exceptions, the Hebrew word for "angel" is malak, also meaning 'messenger'. The prophet Malachi took his name from this word. He was himself a messenger, and he prophesied about the coming of "the messenger of the covenant", Jesus Christ (Malachi 3:1).
Although the word "angel" in the Bible, meaning a messenger, nearly always applies to heavenly beings, it can occasionally apply to human messengers. Malachi himself said a priest was a messenger (malak) of the LORD of hosts (Malachi 2:7), and in the Book of Revelation the elders of the seven churches of Asia were called angels (1:20; 2:1 etc.). But when we meet messengers doing supernatural things, there is no doubt they are heavenly beings - God's messengers, working for Him and for the ultimate benefit of mankind.

Angel Pages

[N0help4u]

I understand all that but basically what I want to know is about why some angels appear to us as male or female?

[ScottRC]

I understand all that but basically what I want to know is about why some angels appear to us as male or female?

Well, that's just it... it's only the "appearance" of flesh... since angels are by nature, fleshless.

I imagine they appear in whatever form is "best" to assist their mission.

"When angels, through the will of God, appear to those who are worthy, then they appear not as they are themselves, but in a transformed state, in one that is visible"..... explains the blessed John Damascene. In the well-known book of Tobit (Old Testament), the angel who was accompanying Tobit and his son says of himself:"All these days I was visible to you, but I did not eat or drink, and only by your eyes was this imagined" (Tobit 12:19). "Actually," according to John Damascene, "angels are called spiritual and incorporeal only in comparison with us. For in comparison with God all proves to be gross and material. For only the Divinity is truly immaterial and incorporeal."

Hope that helps.

[N0help4u]

I guess that sums it up pretty good.

[Moparbyfar]

Well who were the angels thrown down to the earth out of heaven? And who is their leader? The answer is in Rev 12:9. Can they wreak havock here on earth?
Can they mislead people into thinking they are good spirits? 2 Corinthians 11:14,15 tells us so - that they can transform themselves into "angels of light."
So why shouldn't they use female form? (2 Thess 2:9)

As for God's angels, I do not believe they appear to us anymore as in bible times, but just because they don't appear in a physical form though, doesn't mean they are any less powerful. They still protect and guide God's people according to his will.

[ordinaryguy]

More than you ever wanted to know, and probably more than you can comfortably believe, about angels:

Ministering Spirits of the Local Universe: Paper 38, The Urantia Book

Though seraphim are very affectionate and sympathetic beings, they are not sex-emotion creatures. They are much as you will be on the mansion worlds, where you will "neither marry nor be given in marriage but will be as the angels of heaven." For all who "shall be accounted worthy to attain the mansion worlds neither marry nor are given in marriage; neither do they die any more, for they are equal to the angels." Nevertheless, in dealing with sex creatures it is our custom to speak of those beings of more direct descent from the Father and the Son as the sons of God, while referring to the children of the Spirit as the daughters of God. Angels are, therefore, commonly designated by feminine pronouns on the sex planets.

[Patriarch]

The Bible indicates that there are three general types of angels. They are seraphim (attendants), cherubim (guardians) and angels (messengers). There is also only one archangel. There is only one chief angel as his title indicates. The archangel is leader over all other angels. Angels have no gender, though they are described only in the masculine way. This may be because angels are dominant and have authority over humans as males are naturally over females, in the humanity. Angels have no need for gender because they are not made to reproduce. They were created individually. If God wants another angel he would simply create another one.

[sndbay]

Angels have no need for gender because they are not made to reproduce. They were created individually. If God wants another angel he would simply create another one.

The Truth told in scripture says differently.

Sons of God are the fallen angels

Genesis 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

This verse in scripture tells us that the fallen angels did reproduce upon the earth with woman.

Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

This continues to tell us where evil came from, and it has shown satan's work to deceive people.

Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

So came the flood of Noah's time to wash the earth of evil.

Genesis 6:13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Now the reason behind the flood is known..

[sndbay]

Nohelp4u

THE CHERUBIM
Their description is twice given (Ezek. 1:5-14; 10:20; and Rev. 4:6-9). By a process of elimination you can arrive an understanding that they are a celestial order of spirit-beings, and you can form no more notion of them than you can of other heavenly orders which are named, but not explained, and are called "Thrones," "Dominions," "Principalities," "Powers" . They are to be distinguished from the symbolic figures of them, which were made to represent them.

Negatively
1. They cannot be the Godhead, or Divine in their nature, for (1) likeness of any kind was strictly forbidden (Deut. 4:15, 160 and the Godhead is distinguished from them by being mentioned at the same time.
2.Though heavenly, or spiritual in their nature and character, they are distinguished from the angels (who, as their name implies, were spirits used as messengers). Rev. 5:8, 11 and 7:11, where, first the cherubim offer worship, and then the angels. They are real spirit-beings, and are never dismissed on errands as angels are, and are never seen apart from the Throne.
3. They cannot be a symbol of the "Church" or any portion of redeemed humanity, for they are distinguished from them in Rev. 5:9, 10.
4. They cannot be symbols of "the four gospels" for the cherubim are ministers associated with wrath; and call for the judgment plagues. Rev. 6 and 15:7.

Positively
1. kerub in a passive sense would be holding something in safe keeping and, the symbolic representation of them were held fast to the mercy-seat, being made of the same piece of gold (Ex. 25:18, 23).
2. In Gen. 3:24 they were placed to KEEP (or guard) the way to the tree of life, and preserve the hope of re-genesis for a ruined creation ( Gen. 2:15, where we have the word "keep" in this sense). 3. Their presence on the mercy-seat binds this hope with atonement, and with Israel.
4. On the vail the hope is bound up with the coming of the Christ in incarnation and redemption.
5.They are four in number, and four is the number of Creation
6. They are represented by the symbolic heads of the four great divisions of animate creation the lion (of wild beasts), the ox (of tame beasts), the eagle (of birds), man (of humanity).
7.They are beneath the Throne, for the earth is Jehovah's footstool.
8.Their song, when they speak, is of creation (Rev. 4:11), connection with the earth.
Redemption is a "new song" for them, relating to others.

The Cherubim are real spirit-beings, associated in some way with the embodiment of creation's hope as expressed in Rom. 8:19-23.

I hope this answers some of what is questioned...