What real angels look like in real life and according to the Bible

Incredible facts

Perhaps only in biblical stories do angels appear before people in the sense in which it is customary to imagine an angel: at full height, with a halo above their heads and wings spread wide.

In ordinary life, angels disguise themselves and appear to us in completely different images. But why do they do this?

To answer this question, we must take a short detour to understand who angels are.

Who are angels

Angels translated from Greek are messengers. Invisible, spiritual beings with a personal being created by God. Their job is to return the will of God to people.

Yes, by nature an angel is a spiritual being. But the Bible makes it clear that they exist.

This is confirmed by three facts:

1. In the 34 books of the Bible they are simply called "angels." And this is indicated in more than half of the books.
2. The term "angel" is simple. The plural indication appears more than 300 times.
3. Jesus spoke about this often. Consequently, belief in their reality becomes obvious. Denying faith means doubting the righteousness and character of Christ.

Even though we imagine these creatures in human form, they are different from people.

What are the differences:

• they have no gender;
• no physical body;
• invisible to the human eye;
• the Lord created them;
• immortal;
• unlike people, they cannot be created;
• very influential people.

Have you seen angels? Not really

Main symbolic meaning

The main meaning of an angel tattoo is a symbol of a messenger, or a connection between the physical world, the metaphysical and the spiritual. Angel tattoos, depending on the type of design, can be:

• Spirituality;
• A person's religious faith;
• Revival or renewal;
• Strength and inner power;
• Loss or tragedy;
• Rebellion or disobedience.

What do angels look like according to the Bible?

No one can say what kind of angel he is in real life. Most often they come in the form of inanimate objects, plants or animals, so that a person does not feel afraid. Sometimes they actually appeared in the form of something otherworldly, and the first thing they said to the person was “don’t be afraid.” This is because the first reaction was fear.

If you look at the description in the Bible, you will notice that angels are described as ordinary people. For example, Genesis 18:1–9 tells how the Lord and two angels ate the food that Abraham served.

Biblical legends say that angels came to Earth only in male form and never in female form.

Considering the biblical physical characteristics of angels, one may find references to them having wings. Thus, the prophet Isaiah saw seraphim in his visions. They had a human head, legs, face, and each had 6 wings.

Contact with the custodian

No one has yet been able to see with their own eyes what an angel looks like, but many manage to contact them. The most famous method of contacting and communicating with your spiritual guide is sleep. Whether a person sees his protector in a dream or not does not depend on him in any way.

In this way, spirits communicate with their charges only if a person cannot understand the problem for a long time and does not understand or does not accept signs from above. If the appearance of a holy angel occurred in a dream, then you can find out the answers to many questions and hear advice.

For those who are unable to see the messenger of God in a dream, there is another effective method that will help you get in touch with him. The essence is to conduct a meditation session.

1. It is necessary to find a quiet and peaceful place in the house where no one can get into at the most crucial moment.
2. Light candles and play relaxing music to create a calmer and more relaxing environment.
3. Take a comfortable body position and close your eyes.
4. Focus on your angel. And call the guardian with all your senses.
5. The spirit has appeared, if someone’s voice is heard inside, some image is visible before the eyes, a surge of strength and warmth is felt, there are feelings of joy and support.
6. You shouldn’t immediately voice your desires and demands; just ask the spirit its name and thank you for the honor.
7. After meditation, it is worth thanking the guest again and asking for reliable and constant protection.

After such a session, you need to remain in a calm state for some time.

If there is a feeling of fear during meditation, then someone else has appeared instead of an angel. In this case, you need to immediately interrupt the meditation. If such practices are carried out frequently, then soon meditation will not be needed for contact; it will be possible at any time and under any conditions.

Interesting facts about angels

There are many interesting facts in the Bible that describe the relationship of angels to people.

Here are some of them:

1. They are strong. And in strength they are superior to humans.
2. There are three degrees of personality: God, angels, people. Therefore, angels are a step above mortals.
3. Angels help people serve the Lord.
4. They don't accept people's worship, and people shouldn't. The Apostle John admired these creatures so much that he perceived them as God, and after he began to worship them, the angels reproached him.

"The Triumph of Galatea"

Creation time: 1512

Another masterpiece of Raphael is a fresco created specifically for the Villa Farnesina in Rome. The painting was commissioned for the banquet hall of his house by one of the richest Romans of that era, the banker Agostino Chigi.

The plot of the fresco refers to the Greek myth about the tragic love of the Nereid Galatea and the mere mortal shepherd Akidas. In his fresco, Raphael moved away from the exact presentation of the plot and painted a scene known as the “kidnapping of Galatea.”

View of angels on icons

It is impossible to understand what angels are in heaven, but how did you manage to convey their image in the icons? It's easy to explain. The symbols are simply transferred to the icon, each of them has its own designation.

For example:

• wings represent penetration and serve as a symbol of speed;
• the presence of a staff on the icon is conveyed by a messenger;
• a sphere in the hand on which a cross is depicted: this is a mirror denoting the gift of clairvoyance;
• gold ribbons in the hair mean obedience to the will of God and are a symbol of special listening;
• the face of a handsome young man conveys perfection; they were often depicted in light clothing.

Angelic ranks

A total of 9 angelic degrees were awarded. Let's consider each of them separately.

Seraphim

They are depicted as angels with six wings. Translated, Seraphim means bright, which is why they are often depicted in red. They were among the first to approach the throne of God.

The only place in the Bible where seraphim are mentioned is Isa. 6:1-7. In this group of angels, revelation was the only one. Here they were mentioned as an image of a man with arms, legs, a face, but with six wings. Two of them cover the legs, two cover the face.

Cherub

These creatures have many names because their name translates to “very understanding.” They teach through them. The description states that they may have four wings or faces. In some references they have 8 wings and an uncountable number of eyes.

Thrones

Their face is depicted in the form of wheels with wings. This image is similar because it has a lot of rotation. The thrones sing the praises of the Lord. But besides this, they themselves are full of glory and convey it to the hearts of others.

Justice is administered through thrones. Figuratively speaking, it is on the thrones that God sits and administers judgment.

Mentors (Dominions)

They delegate power to earthly authorities for wise government and are invisible guides to those whom God has placed in authority and government on earth. The Dominions contemplate the Lord as the Builder of the world and teach people to build their souls, care for them and suppress sinful habits.

Anyone who wants to get rid of passions, receive their protection, suppress a bad habit, but cannot do this alone, calls on the Lord in prayer.

Powers

They behold the Lord as performing great miracles. The chin can strengthen a person and give him strength for great things. The powers send grace to the righteous and saints of God.

Angels of power

This order glorifies the almighty God. I can tame the power of a fallen angel. They should also pray when a demon takes possession of a soul. If a person is pure in his faith, the Authority will come to the rescue without hesitation, and the person will receive peace of mind and freedom.

Beginnings

These angels were so named because they were given power over nature. These are plants, animals and elements. We can say that they rule entire settlements and even kingdoms.

Archangel

Archangels are teachers and predictors of the will of the Lord for people. They convey Revelations. They are also the leaders of the angels. Among the archangels of the heavenly hosts there are those who occupy a special place. These are Michele, Gabriele, Barachiel, Jeremiel, Uriel, Salafiel, Raphael.

Angels

They are guardians, protectors of people. They are closest to them and convey the will of God; the Angel in this case is precisely the order of the Heavenly Forces.

Decoding signs sent by higher powers

At every step people encounter various signs, but not everyone is able to see and understand them. If a person pays attention to some ordinary things and there is something special in them, it is worth thinking about. If heart-shaped clouds or puddles often appear, then the guardian loves his ward very much and wants to always remind him of this.

Rainbow is a symbol of happiness and quick changes for the better. A divine spirit coming in a dream means big changes. Only a person chooses where such changes will be directed.

The saint can send his signs using numbers that occur every day, but do not always receive attention.

There are a number of numbers to pay attention to. You can see them everywhere: the dial of a watch, the license plate of a car parked near the house, inscriptions on fences, phone numbers of friends.

These numbers are:

• three units - your secret dream will soon come true;
• three twos - all ideas and plans will soon begin to be fulfilled, but you need to continue working;
• three threes - you need to forget about pride and start trusting people;
• three fours - defenders sent by God will never give up, and you can rely on them;
• three A's - soon news will become known that will change consciousness, it is important to continue to pray;
• three sixes - it’s worth thinking about moral values, putting material values ​​in the background;
• three sevens - the right path is close;
• three eights - the beginning of a new stage in life;
• three nines - the end of the black stripe.

Having seen these signs, you should definitely decipher them and follow the instructions of your guardian.

What do angel wings look like?

In paintings and icons we can see large wings located behind our back. They are made of feathers that fit together perfectly. However, real angels do not have wings.

This hypothesis was put forward by scientists and confirmed by the Vatican. They make sure their wings are not suitable for real flapping and flying. British professor Wotton agreed with these arguments. He studied a large number of paintings of angels, after which he came to the conclusion that none of them could fly. Angel feathers are found only on the wings, and the rest of the body is large and unsuitable for flight.

In the painting by Italian artist Giotto de Bondone you can see an angel with an airplane in the center of his wings.

If so, then we can assume that real angels can plan jumps. But, according to the biologist, they could not, because they needed high speed, but even if they gained it, the wings simply folded from the air flow. He also said this at a Vatican conference, which we will talk about later.

Paintings by Louis Jeanmot from the series “Poem of the Soul”

The French artist Louis Jeanmot is classified as a Pre-Raphaelite - the name given to those painters from Victorian England who were dissatisfied with academic traditions in art and blind imitation of the classics. The Pre-Raphaelites found their inspiration in the Florentine artists of the early Renaissance, who worked “before Raphael” and Michelangelo.

About angels in Islam

Father Renzo described the messengers of God and said that earthly angels are like fragments of light. This light falls on you and passes through you, as if through a crystal. And the chief specialist of the Catholic Church in the field of demonology at a conference in the Vatican united his words. You may not see angels, but you can feel their presence.

There were images at the conference. According to the organizers, it is the picture that allows us to trace how the celestial beings were created. The paintings made it possible to develop thoughts of a religious and philosophical direction and express everything artistically.

However, the image of the angels is not reliably known, explained Father Renzo. There is room for the author's imagination, but it should be understood that in reality they may look different. An angel has no wings.

"Hesiod and the Muse" by Gustave Moreau

Time of creation: 1891

The French symbolist Gustave Moreau drew inspiration from ancient art, which is why he most often chose mythological and biblical subjects for his works. The heroes of this picture are the first historically reliable Greek poet Hesiod and the muse in the form of an Angel. According to legend, when Hesiod was a young shepherd, nymphs came to him and breathed into him the gift of composing divine songs. This moment was captured by Gustave Moreau.