What are angels made of according to the Bible?

Verses 7-9. Thus far the comparison has been between filial relationship and ministerial place. The Son's inheritance is found to comprise within it all angelic worship. In what next follows we have yet more fully and expressly shown the essential difference in nature upon which all outward and official orders of distinction rest. Angels were created to serve. "He makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire." They are indeed spirit, and not flesh. They are of the appearance of Him who is Himself a consuming fire. But they have their being, and are kept in their appointed spheres by the word of Him who made them. In all their might and excellency they are wholly His who formed them for Himself. They are angels and ministers of God, and the God of their creation, as well as the object of their homage, is the Son.

The acceptance and use of the Septuagint translation of the next verse by the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews (Heb. 1:7) would quite preclude the adoption of any other. "He maketh His angels spirits" is, according to the apostle, a fact affirmed of the nature of angels; and of course a much higher fact than "making the winds His messengers." As it might be translated either way, the meaning must be decided otherwise than by the language. Nor is it a disproportion in thought, that while the material instrument is contemplated as directly in the hands of God, the spiritual beings should be His messengers. This shows, on the one hand, that no part of His creation is to be conceived as separate from Him; no physical agency that is not the embodiment of His will, while, on the other hand, the "spirits" with a responsibility of their own represent Him and are subject to Him, receiving their character and endowment from Him, according to His will. There would be indeed a lack in the representation of Jehovah the Creator, were only physical forces — clouds, winds, etc — spoken of, and not His creative power in the domain of spirit.

In verse 7 we have a quotation which plainly states the nature of angels and the reason why they exist. They are spirits in their nature and they exist as ministers to serve the Divine will. This is in contrast to what goes before and also to that which follows.

They form a spiritual race, for Psalm 104:4, quoted in Hebrews 1:7, says: “Who makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flaming fire.”

Though angels are spirits it does not follow that they are incorporeal, for Scripture speaks of a spiritual body. In the resurrection the saints will have spiritual bodies. We mention this simply to show that there is such a thing, a body not subject to the limitations of our earthly condition. Angels often appeared in bodily form. We do not assert that they are corporeal. We merely point out that they are not of necessity incorporeal.

More than this, He "makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire." Thus, angels are far above our natural understanding, spiritual beings, not hampered by a bodily condition, but moved by the flaming fire of holiness.

Verses 7-9. "Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." It has pleased God to give to these agents of His power this nature of spirits. But as to the Son it is said, "Thy throne, O God!" God, in the exercise of His will, makes of His angels spirits, or flames of fire; but of the Son we do not read that God makes anything of Him. God said of Him, "O God!" This Son exists or subsists in the divinity. Though the angels are in a state superior to that of man, they are, notwithstanding their glory, in a condition very inferior to that of the Son.

That leads us to the next quotation, from the 104th psalm, the psalm of creation. It says of the angels, "Who maketh His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire." Here God is speaking of His works of creation and providence, and the messengers that He uses: they are angels, beings who excel in strength, and delight to do His will. He makes the angels spirits, and they go as the lightning or as the wind, quick and certain in their work. Blessed position they have, the place of exaltation as far as man is concerned but after all, they are ministers and — as we read in the last verse of our chapter, "Are they not all ministering spirits" — not merely those who minister to God, those who go as the rushing wind or as the flame of fire to do His will, but are they not ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to us?

The fourth quotation separates the angels from such a place as we have been looking at, by saying that they are indeed but the creatures of God's hand, made and fashioned by Him at His will. "He maketh His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire." "The acceptance and use of the Septuagint translation by the writer here would quite preclude, as has been said elsewhere, the adoption of any other. 'He maketh His angels spirits' is, according to the apostle, a fact affirmed of the nature of angels, and, of course, a much higher fact than making 'the winds His messengers,' as some would have it. As it might be translated either way, the meaning must be decided otherwise than by the language. Nor is it a disproportion in thought that while the material instrument is contemplated as truly in the hands of God, these ministers, 'the spiritual beings, should be His messengers.' This shows, on the one hand, that no part of His creation is to be conceived as separate from Him, no physical agency that is not the embodiment of His will, while, on the other hand, the spirits, with a responsibility of their own, represent Him and are subject to Him, receiving their character and endowment from Him according to His will." (Notes on the Psalms.)

"And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire." This fourth quotation insists that angels are simply creatures, made by the hand of God, however awesome their power. Him whom they worship is infinitely greater than they.

Hebrews 1:7. The translation is clearly right: τοὺς ἀγγέλους is in sense equivalent to a subject; and "being made spirits" is affirmed about them.