5 Myths About Angels

As you might know, I’ve written a few novels on the subject of angels and demons. So I thought it might be good to clear up a few myths I keep running into about these supernatural beings. This post will deal only with angels, just to keep things brief.

Full disclosure here: I freely admit to coloring outside the lines regarding my own depiction of angels, especially where there is room for speculation (as in the case of guardian angels). But I think it is important to know exactly what the Bible says and doesn’t say about them, especially if you read other books that go even farther off the reservation than I do.

I also freely admit to using the Book of Enoch as a source for my novels, despite the fact that it is not a part of the biblical canon. Much can be learned from reading the literature that the biblical writers were familiar with. Peter and Jude both reference Enoch, for instance, and parts of Enoch were found with the Dead Sea Scrolls. I maintain the position that the first book of Enoch does not contradict the Bible, only adds more details.

So here’s my list. 

All heavenly beings are called angels

We tend to lump all heavenly beings into the “angel” category, but the Bible mentions several other species of heavenly beings. The word angel means “messenger.” It’s really a job description, according to Michael Heiser, author of the book Angels. The angels we see in the Bible are tasked with delivering messages to people from God and sometimes delivering other things, like dinner (1 Kings 19:5) or death (Isaiah 37:36 for instance).

There are other heavenly creatures like seraphim and cherubim who have different jobs, throne guardians or heavenly choirs. More significant are the “elohim,” the members of the divine council. Jeremiah speaks of standing before “the council of the Lord” (23:18). Psalm 82 talks of God taking his place “in the divine council, in the midst of the gods (elohim).” Psalm 89 proclaims God’s greatness above all who surround Him in the “council of the holy ones.” In Job, we witness God meeting with his council wherein one member called “the adversary” challenges the faithfulness of the man called Job. (This divine being is usually conflated with the NT name Satan, but the two are quite distinct). The prophet Micaiah in 2 Kings details a vision he has of a council meeting in heaven:

‘I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; and the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord , saying, 'I will entice him.' And the Lord said to him, 'By what means?' And he said, 'I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.' ' 1 Kings 22:19-22

God doesn’t need a council; He could do it all Himself. But He chooses to invite his holy ones into the decision-making process, just as He chooses to allow us to be a part of His work through prayer.

2. Angels have wings

Renaissance paintings notwithstanding, there is no scriptural reference to angels having wings. Angels are pure spirit, though occasionally they do show up in human form. While they can sometimes be very bright or terrifying or just very beautiful, no one ever mentions wings. The seraphim and cherubim are depicted as having several sets of wings (Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 10) but not angels. In fact, Hebrews tells us to be hospitable to strangers, because you never know when you might be “entertaining angels unawares.” I think wings would be a dead giveaway.

3. Michael and Gabriel are archangels

The term archangel is not used in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, only Michael is referred to as an archangel, this by Jude, a brother of Jesus. Paul mentions archangels in Thessalonians but doesn’t name them. The idea of archangels, their names and jobs, stem more from the Books of Enoch and Tobit, non-canonical Jewish literature. In the OT Michael is referred to as a “chief prince,” which is roughly equivalent to an archangel.

4. Guardian Angels aren’t in the Bible

Okay, so this isn’t really a myth, more a matter of opinion. While “guardian angels” per se are not mentioned explicitly, there are instances where they are implied. Like when Jesus says, “’See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.’” (Matthew 18:10) According to Heiser, early Jews believed in the guidance and protection of angels. In Acts 12, Peter was released from prison (by an angel!) and went to the house of John Mark, but the people inside didn’t believe it was actually Peter—they thought it was “his angel.” 

5. The Watchers became demons when they fell

The term “Watcher” appears only in the Book of Daniel in reference to a divine being, “a holy one” probably akin to an archangel or a member of the divine council who comes to give messages and instructions to Daniel. In Genesis 6:1-4, the divine beings who sinned are called “sons of God,” a phrase used to denote angels or divine beings in the OT. The name “Watchers” for these beings is used in the Book of Enoch.

Even so, these “sons of God” or “Watchers” are never referred to as demons. Demons are an entirely different class of spiritual being, which we will get to in another post.

(I must do a mea culpa here—I do sometimes refer to Azazel as a demon in my books. My justification is that because Azazel is the embodiment of evil, he’s a metaphorical demon— it’s like calling a psychopathic mass murderer a demon. Not technically correct, but you get the idea.)

Have a question about angels? I highly recommend Michael Heiser’s book Angels, a very comprehensive and readable exposition on the subject.