don’t just help, support and protect you, but they also inform God of your particular circumstances.
What do angels actually look like in heaven?
On earth, angels take the form of humans; but in heaven, angels appear very differently.
There are two types of angels that have been described by people who have had a vision of heaven.
These two types of angels are: cherubim, and seraphim.
Cherubim
In the book of Ezekiel chapter 1, the sky opened up and Ezekiel experienced a vision of heaven: ‘I looked: I saw an immense dust storm come from the north, an immense cloud with lightning flashing from it, a huge ball of fire glowing like bronze. Within the fire were what looked like four creatures vibrant with life. Each had the form of a human being, but each also had four faces and four wings. Their legs were as sturdy and straight as columns, but their feet were hoofed like those of a calf and sparkled from the fire like burnished bronze. On all four sides under their wings they had human hands. All four had both faces and wings, with the wings touching one another. They turned neither one way nor the other; they went straight forward.
Their faces looked like this: In front a human face, on the right side the face of a lion, on the left the face of an ox, and in back the face of an eagle. The wings were spread out with the tips of one pair touching the creature on either side; the other pair of wings covered its body. Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit went, they went. They didn’t turn as they went.
The four creatures looked like a blazing fire, or like fiery torches. Tongues of fire shot back and forth between the creatures, and out of the fire, bolts of lightning. The creatures flashed back and forth like strikes of lightning.' (Ezekiel chapter 1 verses 4 to 14 - MSG)
Seraphim
Seraphim are described in the book of Isaiah, when the prophet describes seeing the Lord who was, ‘sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.’ (Isaiah chapter 6 verses 1 to 4 - NLT)
Bad angels
Not all angels are messengers of God.
Satan was a powerful angel of God who rebelled and was cast out of heaven to live on the earth.
Satan was cast out of heaven with all of his angel followers. These angel followers of Satan are commonly known as demons.
Demons are spiritual messengers of Satan, and they are responsible for causing a lot of trouble in the world.
‘In the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.’ (1 Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 and 2 - NLT)
Mark describes an incident when Jesus had been preaching in the synagogue: when suddenly, ‘a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.' (Mark chapter 1 verses 23 to 25 - NLT)
Demons (these angels of Satan) recognize and fear the power of Jesus Christ. ‘After sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.’ (Mark chapter 1 verses 32 to 34 - NIV)
Heavenly angels are spiritual beings, messengers of God, who appear in human form on earth, and appear in amazing form in heaven.
Christian believers enjoy the knowledge that these heavenly angels are constantly looking out for us on God’s behalf.
Apostles
The word apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos which can be translated as, envoy or messenger.
Apostolos comes from apostellien, which can be translated to mean, to send out.
Apostles were people who were personally chosen by Jesus Christ to be his envoys who would send out his good message into the world.
There were twelve apostles chosen by Jesus Christ.
‘Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.’ (Mark chapter 3 verses 13 to 15 - NIV)
The names of these twelve apostles are:-
Simon, whom Jesus called Peter
James, the son of Zebedee
John, also the son of Zebedee
Andrew
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas
James, the son of Alphaeus
Thaddaeus
Simon the Zealot
and Judas Iscariot
And after Jesus Christ had been crucified and returned to heaven, Jesus appeared to Paul and appointed him as an apostle too. This amazing event is described in the book of Acts chapter 9. Jesus instructed a man called Ananias to go to Paul to help him, because, “This man [Paul] is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.” (Acts chapter 9 verse 15 - NIV)
This is why Paul also calls himself an apostle: because he was a personally appointed envoy of Jesus Christ. Paul introduces himself as an apostle in some of his letters: for example, his letter to the Christian community in Rome begins with the words: ‘Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God’ (Romans chapter 1 verse 1 - NIV)
The apostles are the people whom Jesus Christ appointed to send out his good message into the world, and establish his kingdom on earth.
Paul uses the metaphor of a big building to describe the importance of the apostles, telling the Christian community in Ephesus that, “you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy
