• The NT speaks of angels more than 165 times; the OT more than 100 times.
• The angels were created prior to God's creation of the earth (Jb 38:7; Ps 148:2-5).
• Humans do not become angels at the moment of death (1 Co 6:3; 13:1).
• All the angels were created by God as good angels (Gn 1:31).
• The angels were apparently subjected to a period of probation. Some angels remained loyal to God; others did not.
• An angel rebellion, headed by the evil one, arose against God. Apparently the evil one became so impressed with himself that he wanted to take God's place. He came to be referred to as Satan, meaning "adversary." One-third of the angels followed him in this rebellion (Ezk 28:11-19; 2 Pt 2:4; Rv 12:3-4,10), becoming what the Bible calls demons.
• The holy angels live in heaven (Is 6:1-6; Dn 7:10; Heb 12:22). When they are assigned a task by God, they leave heaven, complete their work on earth, and then return to heaven.
• Angels are personal beings, with minds (2 Sm 14:20), emotions (Heb 12:22), and wills (Rv 22:8-9).
• Angels are incorporeal (lacking material form) and invisible (Heb 1:14). We are thus generally unaware of their activities around us (2 Kg 6:17).
• Angels can nevertheless take on human appearance when their assigned task calls for it (Gn 18:1-8; Heb 13:2).
• Angels are localized beings. They are not "everywhere present" like God. They have to move from one place to another (Dn 9:21-23).
• Angels are extremely powerful; they are described as "mighty" (Ps 103:20).
• God's angels are holy ("set apart"). They are set apart from sin and set apart unto God to do His bidding (Jb 5:1; Ps 89:7).
• The holy angels are unreservedly obedient to God (Ps 103:20).
• Angels are immortal, though created. Once created (Ps 148:2-6), they never cease to exist (Lk 20:36).
• The angels are innumerable (Rv 5:11). Daniel 7:10 makes reference to "ten thousand times ten thousand" angels (100 million angels).
• Angels are called "ministering spirits" (Heb 1:14). The word "ministering" comes from a Greek word meaning "serve." Angels, then, are spirit servants who render aid to the heirs of salvation in the outworking of God's purposes on earth.
• This service takes many forms, including being used by God in answering believers' prayers (Ac 12:7), bringing announcements and warnings to God's people (Lk 1:13; Ac 10:3-33), giving encouragement (Ac 27:23-24), providing protection (Ps 91:11), giving guidance (Gn 19:17), providing deliverance (Ac 12:7), and caring for believers at the moment of death (Lk 16:22).
• Many believe that every Christian has a specific guardian angel throughout life (Mt 18:10; Ac 12:15). Others believe that angels are charged with different assignments as God directs (Ps 91:11).
• Angels are organized by rank, including thrones, powers, rulers, authorities, - and dominions (Eph 1:20-21; Col 1:16), but the details and nature of these ranks are not revealed to us.
• Among unbelievers, angels restrain wickedness (Gn 19:1-15), announce God's judgments (Rv 14:7-10), execute God's judgments (Ac 12:23; Rv 16:1-18), and in the end times cast them "into the blazing furnace" (Mt 13:37-43).
• In the afterlife Christians will judge angels (1 Co 6:3).
Extracted from the Apologetics Study Bible.
Angels are spirit beings and only assume visible form to interact with human beings. In scriptures they have always presented themselves as males, but they are spirit beings.
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