Angels have not always had wings. The Old Testament speaks of Jacob seeing the ‘messengers of God’ climbing a long ladder to and from heaven. Except for the cherubim, no angel was winged. What happened next? Why did drastic changes have to be made to the appearance of these supernatural beings? Why did they have to get wings? Angels play a major role in all monotheistic religions and are a source of support for many people in good and bad times.
Contents
- What is an angel?
- Hebrew Scriptures and Paganism
- The Angels – ‘Sons of God’
- Winged angels
- Faith and reconciliation
What is an angel?
In monotheistic religions, including Christianity, Islam and Judaism, angels and archangels play a major role. These supernatural and, above all, very sensible beings would be the protectors of man and messengers of God. The presence of guardian angels is hidden, mysterious and mystical in nature. These angels make themselves known when the need is great, but they also show people opportunities and remind them of the right path to take in their situation.
Source: Quinet, Flickr (CC BY-2.0)
Divine intermediaries
Angels are also called divine intermediaries. Mediators with superhuman qualities and abilities. Genesis talks about the sons of God. They communed with humans and begot children with earthly women. God only punished man for these sexual escapades. Historically, there is something to be said about this, even though the theologian considers the how less important than the why.
Hebrew Scriptures and Paganism
The oldest Hebrew writings cannot be separated from paganism. The various pagan peoples sought an explanation for what happened to them in daily life, such as unpredictable weather conditions, disaster, happiness and misfortune that befell them. Regarding its interpretation, the shamans had an important function in those communities. Due to their powerlessness to change their fate, the link with natural phenomena such as lightning and earthquakes was made early in history. Thus their worldview was formed, which was dominated by gods, demigods and demons.
Monotheism
These creatures played a role in the fortunes of man. They controlled his destiny. Characteristic of that hierarchy was the supreme god. At one point the Hebrews called that supreme god the one and only god. In a nutshell, monotheism was born.
The Angels – ‘Sons of God’
In the ancient scriptures, God punishes man, but leaves the sons of God alone. In fact, they are remnants of pagan traditions that have stood the test of time. Only at the end of the Old Testament is serious mention made of why God acted as he did, as described in the book of Job, which involves a kind of justice before God’s throne. The sons of God are then suddenly called angels and even act as accusers. They gathered around God. Historically speaking, belief in angels is actually an outgrowth of paganism.
Winged angels
In the development of monotheistic religions, angels became intermediate beings. They were the former gods, demigods and demons who dwelt between God and man. To this day, they play a greater role than the spiritual leaders might like. In times gone by, that was certainly the case anyway. In the Old Testament, the angels had no wings, except for the two cherubim (throne spirits) on the Ark of the Covenant. These cherubim formed the basis of the image that people later came to have of angels. The sons of God, Greek-looking youths, slowly acquired something feminine, although they were sexless, which was in stark contrast to earlier times.
Source: Pexels, Pixabay
Archangel Michael
In Renaissance art, the proud cherubs changed into cherubs. Their almost rudimentary wings were dwarfed by the mighty wings of, for example, the archangel Michael, who defeated the also winged dragon. The seraphim has no less than six wings. Satan’s membranous wings have also been immortalized in many paintings. The mighty wing symbolism appeared in many civilizations, such as animals and sphinxes that guarded temples. The Romans and Greeks had their winged Nike, the symbol of victory.
Faith and reconciliation
In the time of Moses, the confrontation with the all-powerful and all-knowing God, the supreme being, was so great and so drastic that people could not deal with it. The cherub no longer sufficed, it was too impersonal. The call for serious mediators, the angels, increased. But times were changing. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul says: Christ is the only mediator and reconciler between God and man. In his view, angels were no longer necessary. For many theologians, the devil has dismissed the evil angel.
Long ago
But the belief in the winged angels is and remains persistent. Perhaps that is the deeper reason why women in orthodox Christianity are commanded to cover their heads and that Muslim women should be veiled. Indeed, to protect themselves against the lustful advances of the sons of God, the ‘angels’ from the distant past.
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