Ask a Pastor Column

Q: Do angels really have wings in heaven?

A:  I think this is a great question because it opens up one of many mysteries that await believers when we transition from this physical life into our eternal existence (I Corinthians 13:12). Angels are wonderful and amazing creations of God (Hebrews 1:7), separate from man and currently existing in a higher position in God’s hierarchy (Psalm 8:5).

One of the things I find most fascinating about angels is they seem to be able to appear in different forms. We have numerous accounts of angels appearing no different from man (Genesis 18:1-2; Daniel 10:16; etc.). In fact, they can resemble us so closely that we could even show hospitality to angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2)!

More often, however, angels appear in shining splendor (Luke 2:9), and with great wings (Ezekiel 11:22). (In case you were wondering, I’m afraid I couldn’t find any mention of angels with halos anywhere in the Bible.) Visions received of angels in heaven are usually filled with awesome and splendid imagery, but again we see some variety. We see Cherubim with two wings (pictured on the ark of the covenant in Exodus 25:20), Seraphim in Isaiah 6:1-2 with six wings, and both Ezekiel and Revelation contain descriptions of some downright bizarre heavenly beings with four wings and six respectively (Ezekiel 1:5-9; Revelation 4:6-8). Are all of these considered angels? Are they different kinds of angels or angels appearing in different forms? I’m not sure! Based on these brief glimpses I do expect to see winged angels in heaven. I am excited to meet them face to face and get their perspective on God’s wonderful works. I’m sure it will be an amazing experience, regardless of how many wings they have!

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