What an angel looks like according to the Bible

As to the personal appearance of angels we have little account. The popular pictures of feminine beings with white wings are, of course, fanciful. Angels are often spoken of as “men,” never as “women.” They usually occasioned no surprise by their appearance, and sometimes it was only by the way they spoke and acted that their true nature was discerned.

Verses 5-9, describe the angelic visitation and the effect it had upon Daniel. We may remark that uniformly when angelic beings assume a form visible to human eyes, they appear as men. Nevertheless that which is supernatural marks them, reminding the one who sees them of the presence of God. It was so on this occasion, and the description given in verse 6 reminds us of John's description of his Lord, as recorded in Revelation 1:14-15. Yet the angel here was not the Lord, as verse 13, we think, makes plain. Still it put Daniel on his face and prostrate.

Next we find the Lord in angelic form appearing to Abraham with two angels as men, showing that angels, in this case as in many others, appeared in no wise after an unusual fashion.

It was not the appearance of angels that mattered so much as their message. Their appearance generally created no surprise, but their communications and manner left no doubt as to who they were.

"...seen of angels..."

The angels had never seen the Lord Jesus before. They had had access to Him, they worshipped Him, but when He was born in Bethlehem's manger and a great host of angels welcomed Him saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14). He had never been seen by angels before, but there they saw their Creator in a little baby in Bethlehem's manger. Think of the seraphim, "each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa.6:2-3), and the cherubim having four wings (Ezek.10:20-21) guarding the righteousness of God. We are used to seeing pictures of angels being female but that is probably not what an angel looks like, but be that as it may, here the Lord Jesus was seen of angels.

Symbolical celestial beings seen by Isaiah standing above the Lord on His throne (Adonai, but many MSS read Jehovah). Each had three sets of wings: with one pair he covered his face, in token of reverence; with another he covered his feet, in token of humility; and with the third he flew to accomplish his mission.

"In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, [is] Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth [is] full of his glory. And the foundations of the thresholds were moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke" (vv. 14). No vision more glorious had ever burst on human eyes: but if the attendant burning spirits embraced the fullness of the earth as the scene of His glory, His holiness was their first care and chiefest cry. Activity even in the winged seraphim is not all nor most. Not all six wings did each need for flight, but two only. "With twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet," in awe toward God and shame as to himself, in both the reverence that befits them in His presence.

As to the four cherubs, then, they were composite figures. "And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went everyone straightforward." (Vers. 6-9) The likeness of a man was theirs, though each had four faces and four wings (ver. 6); but the feet were straight, the sole like that of a calf's foot, and the face of an ox answering to that of a cherub. (Ver. 7; compare also Ezek. 10:14) Activity, or aptness in doing, seems represented by the hands of a man; swiftness of execution from above in the wings, without a moment's deviation from the object in hand, and with four sides, so as to move in all directions. The intimation of verse 10 I take to be that in front the face of a man was seen, and that of an eagle behind, with a lion's face to the right and an ox's or steer's to the left. These compose the symbolical supports of the throne, being the heads of the creatures preserved in the ark from the flood; man setting forth intelligence, the lion strength, the ox patience or stability, and the eagle rapidity of execution, the attributes of God or the qualities of His judgments. "As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side; they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went everyone straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning." (Vers. 10-14) They went forward and returned like a flash of lightning.

Nor do we hear only of wings, but of wheels also. "Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like to the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels." (Vers. 15-21) It is the exact reverse of circumstances left to blind chance. Contrariwise, whatever the revolutions or changes among men, all is wittingly guided where it might be least expected. The instruments of the providential government, below the firmament or expanse were completely in accord with what was above, and over this was the likeness of a throne; and above all the likeness of a man exercising executory judgment, though with the unfailing pledge of mercy to an evil world.

This brings us to a similar passage where this thought is enlarged, in Ezekiel 1:4-28. The terrible majesty of God is seen in the cloud and the devouring fire, and the brightness of His glory (ver. 4). In connection with this the "living creatures" appear — four of them, not two. These are described with considerable minuteness; they had the likeness of a man (ver. 5), which suggests intelligence, but with four faces — of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. These four faces suggest: intelligence in the human face; fearless authority in the lion; strength in the ox; and swift, heavenly flight in the eagle. The feet, "like the soles of a calf's foot," would suggest stability, and the hands of a man and the eyes upon the wheels show the predominance of intelligence rather than mere power. The wings suggest their heavenly character, and in that way would remind us of the angels "that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word" (Ps. 103:20). "The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning" (ver. 14) — "His ministers a flame of fire" — instantaneous and swift obedience to the control of the Spirit (ver. 12). Then the wheels are described — those awful symbols of the resistless power of God rolling on in their course — high unto heaven, and bearing upon them the throne and Him who sat upon it, "the likeness as of the appearance of a Man above upon it" (ver. 26).*

The first mention of cherubim, in Genesis 3:24, certainly conveys the impression that they were some kind of angelic being. On the other hand Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4 and Revelation 5 are records of visions granted to prophets, and the living creatures appear to be rather symbolic of God's governmental actions in the sphere of creation. God's ways have the strength of the lion, and endurance of the ox, the intelligence of a man, the swiftness and elevation of an eagle. The living creatures are also "full of eyes," not only before and behind, but also within — they scrutinize all the future, and all the past, and the deep internal secrets of the ways of God. Hence they contribute to His praise, giving glory and honour and thanks to Him continually, declaring Him to be the thrice Holy, who lives for ever and ever. Thrice Holy, notice! Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.

It is difficult to understand why the meaning of the cherub should be generally so misapprehended: the popular idea is expressed by the figure of a baby's face, which represents very correctly the exact reverse of the scriptural idea. The cherubim are described in much detail by Ezekiel (ch. 1). It is frequently said that the cherubim meant in Genesis and Exodus are different from those; but on who t ground this is said I could never discover. The onus probandi of the matter is on the person who makes the assertion, and not on one who — in the absence of any qualifying terms — takes a word to mean substantially the same thing in different parts of the same book. In Ezekiel (Ezek. 1 — 10). it is very apparent that they are majestic and awful descriptions of the faculty and progress of judgment; as from Isaiah 6 we can see that the seraph expresses the faculty and progress of Mercy. The cherub has four wings; the seraph six: so Mercy is swifter than Judgment. In Rev. 4 we see in the "beasts" round the throne the characteristics of both united — the numerous eyes and four faces of the cherub, and the six wings of the seraph — Mercy and Judgment met; ceasing not day or night in ascribing praise to the Holy Lord God Almighty. It is zoon, a living being, (not necessarily, however a creature) in contrast with therion, a wild beast — [Mark 1:13, and Rev. 13:1.]