What do angels look like?

[Daniel Newhouse]

Do they look like the girl in this Aerosmith video? 1:25

Is that what she looks like with her wings retracted?

 

[Dave-W]

Which class of angel? Seraphim? Cherubim? Archangels?

 

[~Anastasia~]

I wouldn't generally look to rock and roll culture for theological information.

 

[Heavenhome]

Do they look like the girl in this Aerosmith video? 1:25

Is that what she looks like with her wings retracted?

I don't personally know but I doubt. Also when spoken of in the Bible they are of masculine not feminine type.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Consider the usual reaction in Scripture when people saw an angel. They were usually afraid or terrified.

Angels are not distinctly feminine, and may or may not appear to us as resembling humans at all.


The beautiful women and pudgy babies as angels are just secular culture, artistic license, and such. No, that's not what they would look like, and that's not what an encounter with one would be like.

 

[Daniel Newhouse]

They just changed the online definitions. Seraph is higher than cherub.

In the New International version of the bible,

Exodus 25:18
And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover.

Isaiah 6 [Full Chapter]
[ Isaiah’s Commission ] In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” ...
Bible search results
Isaiah 6:2
Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Isaiah 6:6
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.

But Seraph have 6 wings.

The angelic orders are

istari wizard
israfil (from wikipedia), the equivalent in the Hobbit is faerie
seraph (Hebrew) guess Aratar
cherub (Hebrew) guess Ainu

But rather than guard the throne of god I think seraph are the fury of god, and cherubs are the guardians. That is, the google definitions don't sound right.

Hebrew is the word of Jehovah.
Aramaic is the word of El.

cher·ub
ˈCHerəb/
noun

1. a winged angelic being described in biblical tradition as attending on God. It is represented in ancient Middle Eastern art as a lion or bull with eagles' wings and a human face, and regarded in traditional Christian angelology as an angel of the second highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy.
   synonyms: angel, seraph
   "she was borne up to heaven by cherubs"
   • a representation of a cherub in art, depicted as a chubby, healthy-looking child with wings.
     plural noun: cherubs
   • a beautiful or innocent-looking child.
     plural noun: cherubs
     synonyms: baby, infant, toddler, little angel, (tiny) tot;
     literarybabe, babe in arms
     "a cherub of 18 months"

ser·aph
ˈserəf/
noun

1. an angelic being, regarded in traditional Christian angelology as belonging to the highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy, associated with light, ardor, and purity.

Israfil (Arabic: إِسْـرَافِـيْـل‎, translit. Isrāfīl, lit. 'The Burning One', alternate spellings: Israfel, Esrafil)[1] is the angel who blows into the trumpet before Armageddon and sometimes depicted as the angel of music.[2][3] Though unnamed in the Quran, he is one of the four Islamic archangels, the others being long with Mikhail, Jibrail and Azrael.[1] It is believed that Israfil will blow the trumpet from a holy rock in Jerusalem to announce the Day of Resurrection. He is commonly thought as the counterpart of the Judeo-Christian archangel Raphael.[

 

[Chinchilla]

Angels look like normal human beings we meet them unaware sometimes .

 

[RDKirk]

They project the appearance that's necessary for the task at hand.

 

[Dave-W]

Consider the usual reaction in Scripture when people saw an angel. They were usually afraid or terrified.

Of the ones that did not look human, yes. But most angels were mistaken for regular folk. The 3 "men" that approached Abraham in Gen 18 were at first mistaken for just regular travelers. Daniel saw the archangel Gabriel several times and called him a "man."

Angels are not distinctly feminine, and may or may not appear to us as resembling humans at all.

I know of no angel listed in scripture that was not male.

But it is true that seraphim and cherubim do not look like humans at all.

 

[Dave-W]

They project the appearance that's necessary for the task at hand.

We have no scriptural basis for that.

Don't confuse an angel with the Risen Lord.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Of the ones that did not look human, yes. But most angels were mistaken for regular folk. The 3 "men" that approached Abraham in Gen 18 were at first mistaken for just regular travelers. Daniel saw the archangel Gabriel several times and called him a "man."

True. To be more exact, I should have said that angels are sometimes mistaken for humans. But when they are instantly recognized as angels - it tends to be frightening apparently.

I know of no angel listed in scripture that was not male.

Perhaps you misunderstood me. I didn't say that as clearly as I should have either. Sorry. They are never appearing as women.

However, to say they are male as men are male may not be accurate either. They are part of the spiritual realm.

Apologies for not being clear.

 

[Daniel Newhouse]

Angels look like normal human beings we meet them unaware sometimes .

Yes,
Hebrews 13:2
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.

 

[Dave-W]

Yes,
Hebrews 13:2
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Indeed. Most Messianic commentators believe this was specifically a reference to Genesis 18, and then applying it to the current first century audience. IOW, just as angels showed up on Abraham's doorstep, they might show up on yours as well.

 

[Sanoy]

I have seen two Angels that were twins in human appearance. But I don't think they have an essential physical appearance as they are spirits. Thanks to some archeology we have discovered the word watcher, as from Daniel, was the same word as the Akkadian 'Apkallu' of the ANE. Apkallu were either human in appearance or took on an animal like appearance similar to what we find in Ezekiel 1. And finally we know the adversary can appear as an angel of light. So I guess they look like whatever they want us to see.

So maybe their appearance is a method of conveying meaning, like a visual statement, rather than the actual physical nature of their being. In other words, 'how they are' in the spirit world, or their purposes in this world, may determine their outward physical appearance in this world.

 

[RDKirk]

We have no scriptural basis for that.

Don't confuse an angel with the Risen Lord.

Well, I've seen a demon that projected the appearance of a woman (and the sound of a swarm of metallic bees).

 

[DaveDavids]

I have seen two Angels that were twins in human appearance. But I don't think they have an essential physical appearance as they are spirits. Thanks to some archeology we have discovered the word watcher, as from Daniel, was the same word as the Akkadian 'Apkallu' of the ANE. Apkallu were either human in appearance or took on an animal like appearance similar to what we find in Ezekiel 1. And finally we know the adversary can appear as an angel of light. So I guess they look like whatever they want us to see.

So maybe their appearance is a method of conveying meaning, like a visual statement, rather than the actual physical nature of their being. In other words, 'how they are' in the spirit world, or their purposes in this world, may determine their outward physical appearance in this world.

Sumerian : abgal
Akkadian: apkallu

[SAGE] (32x: ED IIIb, Old Babylonian) wr. abgal^2; abgal

Meanings:

sage
priest
Wise man
Expert

Example:

A hymn to Asarluḫi (Asarluḫi A) (c.4.01.1), line c4011.32

Paragraph t4011.p4 (line(s) 29-36)

Eloquent one of the abzu, great minister of Eridug, lordly Asarluḫi! The enkum and ninkum priests, the abgal and abrig priests, the …… priestesses and the …… all pay attention when you open your holy mouth. Daily as they go forth, they circumambulate (?) you. Cleansing the purification rites with pure hands and pure tread, holy in every respect, you are the supervisor of the purification priests of E-abzu.

 

[Sanoy]

Sumerian : abgal
Akkadian: apkallu

[SAGE] (32x: ED IIIb, Old Babylonian) wr. abgal^2; abgal

Meanings:

sage
priest
Wise man
Expert

Example:

A hymn to Asarluḫi (Asarluḫi A) (c.4.01.1), line c4011.32

Paragraph t4011.p4 (line(s) 29-36)

Eloquent one of the abzu, great minister of Eridug, lordly Asarluḫi! The enkum and ninkum priests, the abgal and abrig priests, the …… priestesses and the …… all pay attention when you open your holy mouth. Daily as they go forth, they circumambulate (?) you. Cleansing the purification rites with pure hands and pure tread, holy in every respect, you are the supervisor of the purification priests of E-abzu.

I don't know what message you are trying to convey.

 

[DaveDavids]

I don't know what message you are trying to convey.

Well, you seemed to imply that an apkallu is some sort of spirit creature, it's not

 

[Sanoy]

Well, you seemed to imply that an apkallu is some sort of spirit creature, it's not

Depends on the region, the age in reference, and the surrounding text. When it is used to refer to purely human beings the more accurate description is Ummanu Apkallu. It's meaning is far more broad than you lay out here. We have had this conversation before, I don't think this is the place to have it again.

 

[DaveDavids]

Depends on the region, the age in reference, and the surrounding text. When it is used to refer to purely human beings the more accurate description is Ummanu Apkallu. It's meaning is far more broad than you lay out here. We have had this conversation before, I don't think this is the place to have it again.

Actually it doesn't, and an apkallu is not a spirit creature

A kalu/kallu is a lamentation priest

I see 10 different forms of the word, which one are you claiming refers to a spirit that takes on other forms ?