Angels have a prominent role in the bible with 130 mentions in the Old Testament and 178 in the New Testament. In the New Testament, they are most prominent in Matthew, Luke, Acts, Hebrews, and Revelation, 85% of the NT instances being in those five books.
Only three angels are named in the Bible. Michael is mentioned in Daniel, Jude 9, and Revelation as defender of God and defeater of a dragon. Gabriel helps Daniel understand a vision in the Old Testament and makes important announcements to Zechariah and Mary in the New Testament. Raphael appears in Tobit as a companion and protector of Tobias.
Un-Named Angels
Appearances of un-named angels in the Bible are important. I asked Grok the following question: What are some of the most interesting and significant appearances of un-named angels in the Bible? Here is the list Grok provided, further details and comments excluded from this post:
- The Angels at Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1–29)
Key Verse: “The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom” (Genesis 19:1, ESV). - The Angel at the Sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22:11–18)
Key Verse: “But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am’” (Genesis 22:11, ESV). - The Angel in the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:2–6)
Key Verse: “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush” (Exodus 3:2, ESV). - The Angel Who Opposes Balaam (Numbers 22:22–35)
Key Verse: “And the angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me’” (Numbers 22:32, ESV). - The Angel Announcing Samson’s Birth (Judges 13:2–25)
Key Verse: “And the angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?’” (Judges 13:18, ESV). - The Angels at Jesus’ Tomb (Matthew 28:2–7; Luke 24:4–7; John 20:11–13)
Key Verse: “And the angel answered the women and said, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said’”(Matthew 28:5-6, ESV). - The Angel Strengthening Jesus in Gethsemane (Luke 22:43)
Key Verse: “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43, ESV).
What does the Catholic Church teach about angels? (Answer by Magisterium.com)
The Catholic Church teaches that angels are spiritual, non-corporeal (no material body) beings whose existence is a truth of faith, supported by both Sacred Scripture and Tradition. They are invisible, immortal, and personal beings endowed with intelligence and will.
Nature and Purpose of Angels
Angels are pure spirits, created by God before the visible world. Their name, “angel,” signifies their office as “messengers” or “delegates” of God, rather than their nature, which is “spirit”. They ceaselessly contemplate God face-to-face and glorify Him. Their primary function is to serve God and act as His messengers in the accomplishment of His saving mission. They are described as “potent executives of his commands, and ready at the sound of his words” (Ps 103:20) and are “sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb 1:14).
Role in Salvation History and Human Life
Angels manifest God’s presence in the world and announce His will to human beings. Scripture refers to some angels by name, such as Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. Angels assist human beings in their spiritual growth . The Church’s Tradition strongly teaches that God grants every human being a guardian angel. These guardian angels illuminate, guard, rule, and govern those entrusted to them by heavenly piety.
Angels in Liturgy and Veneration
The unity of the visible and invisible creation—human beings and angels—is made manifest in the Divine Liturgy, where the earthly expresses the heavenly, and humans serve together with angels. In the Byzantine rite, the Divine Liturgy is seen to take place in the presence of angels, who are invoked in hymns like the Cherubikon. The Church associates herself with the angelic hymn, proclaiming the thrice-holy God (cf. Isaiah 6:3) during the celebration of the sacred mysteries.
The Church venerates (does not worship) these heavenly spirits and seeks their intercession. The veneration of angels is considered equal to that of the saints. The Church celebrates the role of Holy Angels in salvation events and commemorates them on specific days, such as September 29 (Feast of Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael) and October 2 (Feast of the Guardian Angels). The Church also implores God to send His angels to protect the faithful, assist them in their last agony, and accompany the souls of the just into paradise.
Angelic Choirs
While there is no systematic treatise on angels in the East, the nine choirs of angels described by Pseudo-Dionysius were adopted in the West by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Fallen Angels
The Church also teaches about the existence of pure spirits who, through a radical and irreversible act of rejection of God’s will, separated themselves into angels of darkness. However, the victorious power of Christ the Redeemer surrounds human life, ensuring that believers can overcome the temptations of these evil angels, with the valid assistance of the good angels.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church Teaching on Angels
Information about Angels is found in the section on The Profession of Faith, Creation of Heaven and Earth, in the section on what is not seen. This includes CCC-325 to CCC-336 and CCC-350-CCC-352, all copied and pasted below.
Paragraph 5. HEAVEN AND EARTH
CCC-325 The Apostles’ Creed professes that God is “creator of heaven and earth”. the Nicene Creed makes it explicit that this profession includes “all that is, seen and unseen“.
CCC-326 The Scriptural expression “heaven and earth” means all that exists, creation in its entirety. It also indicates the bond, deep within creation, that both unites heaven and earth and distinguishes the one from the other: “the earth” is the world of men, while “heaven” or “the heavens” can designate both the firmament and God’s own “place” – “our Father in heaven” and consequently the “heaven” too which is eschatological glory. Finally, “heaven” refers to the saints and the “place” of the spiritual creatures, the angels, who surround God.186
CCC-327 The profession of faith of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) affirms that God “from the beginning of time made at once (simul) out of nothing both orders of creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal, that is, the angelic and the earthly, and then (deinde) the human creature, who as it were shares in both orders, being composed of spirit and body.”187
THE ANGELS
The existence of angels – a truth of faith
CCC-328 The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls “angels” is a truth of faith. the witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.
Who are they?
CCC-329 St. Augustine says: “‘Angel’ is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is ‘spirit’; if you seek the name of their office, it is ‘angel’: from what they are, ‘spirit’, from what they do, ‘angel.'”188 With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they “always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven” they are the “mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word”.189
CCC-330 As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendour of their glory bears witness.190
Christ “with all his angels”
CCC-331 Christ is the centre of the angelic world. They are his angels: “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him. . “191 They belong to him because they were created through and for him: “for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.”192 They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?”193
CCC-332 Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham’s hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets, just to cite a few examples.194 Finally, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Precursor and that of Jesus himself.195
CCC-333 From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When God “brings the firstborn into the world, he says: ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.'”196 Their song of praise at the birth of Christ has not ceased resounding in the Church’s praise: “Glory to God in the highest!”197 They protect Jesus in his infancy, serve him in the desert, strengthen him in his agony in the garden, when he could have been saved by them from the hands of his enemies as Israel had been.198 Again, it is the angels who “evangelize” by proclaiming the Good News of Christ’s Incarnation and Resurrection.199 They will be present at Christ’s return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgement.200
The angels in the life of the Church
CCC-334 In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels.201
CCC-335 In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance (in the Roman Canon’s Supplices te rogamus. . .[“Almighty God, we pray that your angel…”]; in the funeral liturgy’s In Paradisum deducant te angeli. . .[“May the angels lead you into Paradise. . .”]). Moreover, in the “Cherubic Hymn” of the Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels).
CCC-336 From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession.202 “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.”203 Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.
IN BRIEF
CCC-350 Angels are spiritual creatures who glorify God without ceasing and who serve his saving plans for other creatures: “The angels work together for the benefit of us all” (St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I, 114, 3, ad 3).
CCC-351 The angels surround Christ their Lord. They serve him especially in the accomplishment of his saving mission to men.
CCC-352 The Church venerates the angels who help her on her earthly pilgrimage and protect every human being.
Personal Thoughts on Guardian Angels
I’ve never given much thought to angels, guardians or not. I know only one Catholic Christian man who routinely speaks of his Guardian Angel. Having spent ten years involved with him and hundreds of teen volunteers in often risky repairs of homes for elderly low-income people and observing no significant injuries to him or other volunteers, I am quite comfortable accepting his Guardian Angel testimony.
There are at least four interesting bible passages suggesting guardian angels.
In the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18:10 we find this statement about what the Church calls Guardian Angels: 10 “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.
And in Acts 12:13-15, we find this: 13 When he knocked at the outer gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. 14 On recognizing Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.”
In Psalm 91:11-13 which is about “Assurance of God’s Protection” according to the NRSVCE we find comforting words: 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
In Exodus 23:20-22 we find this promise of God to the Israelites: 20 I am going to send an angel in front of you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Be attentive to him and listen to his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression; for my name is in him22 But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.
An Interesting Issue
There is also the issue of God and angels being spiritual beings unhampered by physical bodies and the occupants of Heaven in some mysterious and undefined place. It is interesting to think of our souls, spiritual beings also I presume, joining those other spirits in that mysterious place prior to the promised resurrection of our bodies at the second coming of Jesus. I hope we get to be more helpers of God.
The End Comments
Just to answer the title question, of course there are angels in the 21st century. They just don’t get the attention the got in the Bible.
Just one man’s unauthorized observations, questions, and suggestions. Feel free to point out any errors. In the meantime, I will try to be alert for any messages from my guardian angel. Based on the way my 82 years have turned out, I suppose there have been many that I heard and used without recognizing the source.
And thanks to AI which seems to be very competent, thanks to human intelligence, in theft, organization, and presentation of information.
For other posts in this series on theology, go HERE and start with Post 107.