the book of ezekiel says that the cherubim have four wings, and the book of isaiah says the seraphim have six. so why does every painting, drawing, and sculpture show an angel having two wings? are there other kinds of angels?
2007-07-01 07:53:31 · 31 answers · asked by That Guy Drew 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
nijg- i don't know what pictures you're looking at...
linda- now that you mention it, i guess i knew that already.
2007-07-01 08:10:59 · update #1
Classical Greco-Roman art depicted angel-like spirit beings with 2 wings(like the Winged Victory of Samothrace). Christian Art picked up that artistic device.
Angelos means messanger and Mercury,messanger of the gods, had winged heels. Angels,especially Archangels, bring messages from God in the Bible(Annunciations in Luke,warnings in Genesis,Proclamations in Revelation)
There are 9 Choirs of angels including archangels,thrones,dominions,principalities,powers and virtues in adition to angels,cherubim and seraphim.
2007-07-01 08:10:28 · answer #1 · answered by James O 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The most common image on an angel is essentially a human being with wings. This is not Biblical. The Bible often presents angels as appearing as human beings. However, this does not indicate that angels in their essence resemble human being. Further, the Bible vary rarely describes angels as having wings. However, there are definitely two types of angels mentioned in the Bible that have wings: (1) Cherubim (Exodus 25:20; Ezekiel 10), (2) Seraphim (Isaiah 6). Cherubim and Seraphim are two types of angels, possibly the two highest orders of angels. So, this much is clear, some angels do have wings.
The Bible tells us that angels are spirit beings (Hebrews 1:14). The descriptions of the cherubim in Ezekiel chapter 10 and the seraphim in Isaiah chapter 6 are highly unusual. It is clear that Ezekiel and Isaiah were having trouble accurately describing the amazing visions they saw of Heaven and the angels. As spirit beings, it is unclear as to why the angels would require wings. A spirit being does not need wings in order to fly. The angels are not bound by the laws of the physical universe. So, do angels have wings? Yes, some angels do have wings. However, we should not limit what the angels can or cannot do based on our limited understanding of the wings angels possess as described in the Bible.
Recommended Resource: What the Bible says about Angels by David Jeremiah.
2007-07-01 09:45:14 · answer #2 · answered by Freedom 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Angels, archangels, cherubim, seraphim dominions, princedoms and powers are all different levels of angels. Some are sort of like a flaming wheel with no limbs or wings. But those are not as cute as the tubby little cherubim with their wings or the angels and archangels with their two wings and flowing hair and robes.
Find a copy of Sophie Burnham's Book of Angels.
2007-07-01 07:59:23 · answer #3 · answered by Linda R 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Most of the angels in art aren't painted by people familiar with the original hebrew sources. YEs, the angels around the merkava are described as having four wings, and the seraphim as having six wings. On top of that- angels are described as having only one leg, how many one legged angels have you seen in art work?
2007-07-01 07:59:38 · answer #4 · answered by allonyoav 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
In our religious materials the different spirit creatures of God are shown as described in the Bible whether they have two, four, or six and whether they have the face of a man,eagle, bull, or lion. I don't understand why angels are depicted the way they think they look instead of how the Bible describes them, cherubs are not cute little tubby childlike creatures, cherubs and a continually turning flaming blade of a sword were placed by God at the east of the garden of Eden to keep Adam and Eve from returning to the tree of life, Why do they draw or paint womenlike angels when all angels mentioned by description in the Bible were like man in appearance? And by the way, there is only one archangel, Michael.
2007-07-01 08:03:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
People like to think in twos and threes. Three would be inappropriate here, and other flying creatures usually only have two. Also, angel wings typically resemble those of birds, and I don't know of any birds with more than two wings.
Humans themselves are made of twos. Eyes, ears, nostrils, legs, arms, etc. Symmetry.
My question is why a spiritual being has physical form at all...
2007-07-01 07:58:49 · answer #6 · answered by Skye 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Allison Angel
2016-05-20 02:54:52 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually if yopu carefully read the Bible, angels are never described as having wings, but are described as looking like a man.
When Daniel saw Gabriel, he described him as being like a man;
Daniel 9:20-22
20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
The depiction of an angel with wings is probably taken from verse 22, in which it is said that Gabriel had flown swiftly to Daniel.
We tend to think of wings when something travels through the air but if you think about it, with God's power angels wouldn't need wings to fly. Jesus ascended into Heaven and the Bible doesn't describe Him sprouting wings to do so.
2007-07-01 13:05:43 · answer #8 · answered by Foxfire 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Angels are a creation of mankind. They can depict them with 2 wings or as many as they want. Satan started as an angel and has no wings. Religion has much experience in the creation fictional characters. Without them, they are out of business.
2007-07-01 08:05:44 · answer #9 · answered by liberty11235 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I've seen pictures of angels with four and six wings. Actually, the only ones I've seen with two wings are the ones in the pictures in the church.
2007-07-01 07:55:55 · answer #10 · answered by Nijg 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋