Angels in the Bible
By Paul Bernard
Angels play a significant role throughout the narrative of Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, they appear as God’s servants and messengers, participating in His divine plan for humanity. The word angel comes from the Greek angelos, meaning “messenger.” (In Revelation 1:20, angelosmay also refer to the pastors of the seven churches). Though often depicted with wings and white robes in art and tradition, biblical angels are much more complex—sometimes awe-inspiring, sometimes terrifying, always devoted to the will of God.
1. Messengers of God’s Word
Perhaps the best-known role of angels is that of Divine messengers. Throughout Scripture, they deliver announcements to individuals at critical moments in history.
In the Old Testament, the angel of the Lord appears to Hagar in the wilderness (Genesis 16:7–12), giving her a promise for her son, Ishmael. Later, angels visit Abraham to announce the birth of Isaac and the coming judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18–19).
In the New Testament, Gabriel, one of the few named angels, plays a prominent role in the Christmas narrative. He announces to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth will bear John the Baptist (Luke 1:11–20) and later appears to Mary to proclaim that she will conceive Jesus by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26–38).
Hebrews 1:14 summarizes this function well: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” Angels are divine messengers sent not only to inform, but also to accomplish God’s purposes on earth.
2. Ministers to God’s People
Angels are also portrayed as caretakers and protectors of God’s people. Psalm 91:11 says, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” This verse, quoted during Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:6), illustrates their role in divine protection.
In 1 Kings 19, an angel ministers to the prophet Elijah, bringing him food and strength in his moment of despair. Similarly, after Jesus’ forty days of fasting and His confrontation with Satan, “angels came and ministered to him” (Matthew 4:11). These instances show angels as compassionate servants, sent to support God’s people in physical and spiritual need.
Jesus also spoke of angels watching over children: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven”(Matthew 18:10). This has often been cited as a basis for the concept of guardian angels, though Scripture never explicitly teaches that each person has one assigned angel.
3. Heavenly Warriors and Instruments of Judgment
Another important role of angels is that of warriors and enforcers of God’s judgment. This is evident in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19), where angels execute divine wrath. In Exodus, the angel of death brings the final plague on Egypt, resulting in the death of every firstborn (Exodus 12:23).
In the spiritual realm, angels engage in cosmic battles. Michael the archangel—another named angel—is described as a warrior who contends against demonic forces. In Revelation 12:7, he leads the armies of heaven against Satan and his angels: “Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.” Michael also appears in Daniel 10, where he helps an angelic messenger break through demonic resistance to deliver a message to the prophet.
In the book of Revelation, angels are central to end-times judgment. They blow trumpets, pour out bowls of wrath, and proclaim God’s final warnings (Revelation 8–16). They serve as agents of both divine mercy and justice.
4. Worshipers Before God’s Throne
Above all, angels are worshipers. In Isaiah 6:1–3, the prophet sees seraphim—fiery angelic beings—crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”Likewise, in Revelation 5:11–12, a multitude of angels surround the throne, singing praise to the Lamb: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.”
This heavenly worship shows that angels are not objects of worship themselves (a warning Paul gives in Colossians 2:18), but participants in the eternal worship of God. They direct glory to the Creator, not themselves.
Angels in the Bible are not fantasy or folklore—they are spiritual beings created by God to carry out His will. Although we only get the briefest glimpse of these heavenly beings, they serve as messengers, ministers, warriors, and worshipers, always pointing to the greatness and holiness of God. Though they are powerful, mysterious, and often awe-inspiring, their role is always subordinate to the purposes of Jesus and the work of Christ. As Hebrews 1:6 declares, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Their presence in Scripture reminds us of the unseen spiritual realities that surround us and the sovereignty of the God who commands heaven’s armies.
Further Resources
The Book of Revelation has over 40 references to Angels. Consider taking some devotional time to read slowly through the list below. You’ll see angels in their various roles as messengers, those who execute the judgements of God, and angels who are always worshipping God. What can you learn from a list like this?
1. Revelation 1:20 "As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."
2. Revelation 2:1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.'"
3. Revelation 2:8 "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.'"
4. Revelation 2:12 "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: 'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.'"
5. Revelation 2:18 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.'"
6. Revelation 3:1 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.'"
7. Revelation 3:7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.'"
8. Revelation 3:14 "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.'"
9. Revelation 5:2 "And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?'"
10. Revelation 5:11 "Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands."
11. Revelation 7:1 "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree."
12. Revelation 7:2 "Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea."
13. Revelation 7:11 "And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God."
14. Revelation 8:2 "Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them."
15. Revelation 8:3 "And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne."
16. Revelation 9:1 "And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit."
17. Revelation 9:11 "They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon."
18. Revelation 9:13–14 "Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, 'Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.'"
19. Revelation 10:1 "Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire."
20. Revelation 10:5–6 "And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever..."
21. Revelation 11:15 "Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.'"
22. Revelation 12:7 "Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back."
23. Revelation 14:6 "Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth..."
24. Revelation 14:8 "Another angel, a second, followed, saying, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great...'"
25. Revelation 14:9 "And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and its image...'"
26. Revelation 14:15 "And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, 'Put in your sickle, and reap...'"
27. Revelation 14:17–18 "Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar..."
28. Revelation 15:1 "Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues..."
29. Revelation 15:6 "And out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues..."
30. Revelation 16:1 "Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, 'Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.'"
31. Revelation 16:5 "And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, 'Just are you, O Holy One...'"
32. Revelation 17:1 "Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, 'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute...'"
33. Revelation 18:1 "After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority..."
34. Revelation 18:21 "Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea..."
35. Revelation 19:17 "Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead..."
36. Revelation 20:1 "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain."
37. Revelation 21:9 "Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues..."
38. Revelation 21:12 "It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels..."
39. Revelation 22:1 "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal..."
40. Revelation 22:6 "And he said to me, 'These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.'"
41. Revelation 22:8–9 "I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me..."