What, really, is an angel's image, according to the Bible?

[islander]

The image of an angel is so recognizable that you can immediately spot one if somebody makes its shape in some snow.  They're sparkly people with two white wings and occasionally swords, who sit on clouds ripping out awesome harp solos while protecting humans from harm.  So, basically, the protagonists of the next Stephenie Meyer novel.




http://www.cracked.com/

[islander]

The Only Problem Is ...

Now, there are angels in the Bible.  But if you encountered some of the angels it describes, you'd probably need a shotgun under your bed to sleep soundly for the rest of your life.*

*NOTE: That is a joke.  If angels turn out to be real, and you encounter one, do not shoot it with a shotgun.

There are several kinds of angels in the Bible and you've probably heard about some of them, like Archangels, Cherubim and Seraphim.  They all look different, and very few actually have wings.  Those who do, like the Seraphim, actually have six wings and need all of them to cover their body, lest they blind/incinerate whoever is unlucky enough to bump into one.


This is a seraph, trying with all its might not to burn you alive.


http://www.cracked.com/

[islander]

Then there are the Thrones, which are described in the Bible as "wheels within wheels," the rims of which are covered in eyes.


Whatever it is, we're pretty sure it can see.


http://www.cracked.com/

[islander]

Then we have the cutest order of angels, the Cherubim.  As we all know, a cherub is a baby angel, usually with a little bow and arrow and a leaf protecting his modesty.  Except that Ezekiel 10:14 describes them as frightening four-headed monstrosities that included the faces of a man, an eagle and a lion.




http://www.cracked.com/

[islander]

the popular image of angels that we have
Actually Came From:

Painters took liberties when portraying angels, and just like putting capes on superheroes, giving them wings was a visually interesting way to identify who was the angel in a painting full of regular dudes (wings were also used in the early church to denote that these creatures lived in the sky).  Archangels like Michael and Gabriel were given contemporary military garb.


Which apparently included "hair like a lady."


http://www.cracked.com/

[islander]

Cherubs in particular didn't get their extreme makeover until Renaissance sculptors revived the ancient practice of putti, which depicted cute babies dancing and playing around on infant tombs.  The rediscovery and reimplementation of these little cuties brought Cupid-esque cherubs into vogue, as demonstrated by Tomba di Ilaria del Carretto:


Whaddya know?  Those dancing naked babies do make this tomb less unsettling.


http://www.cracked.com/

[islander]

Lastly, the thing about the harps was actually invented by John Milton who wrote about angels "plucking harps" in Paradise Lost, basically just because it was the cutest thing he could pull out of his ass.




By: Bjorn Karhunen, Jacopo della Quercia
http://www.cracked.com/

[hubag bohol]

Orthodox icon of nine orders of angels


First Sphere
    Seraphim
    Cherubim
    Thrones or Ophanim
Second Sphere
    Dominions
    Virtues
    Powers or Authorities
Third Sphere
     Principalities or Rulers
    Archangels
    Angels


--Wiki

[hubag bohol]

The angelic choirs circling the abode of God, from Dante's Paradiso, illustrated by Gustave Doré

[hubag bohol]

Raphael's famous cherubs

[hubag bohol]

     


Angels in the Bible never appear as cute, chubby infants! They are always full-grown adults. When people in the Bible saw an angel, their typical response was to fall on their faces in fear and awe, not to reach out and tickle an adorable baby. -- http://www.christiananswers.net/

[hubag bohol]

A putto (plural putti) is a figure of a human baby or toddler, almost always male, often naked and having wings, found especially in Italian Renaissance and Baroque art. The figure derives from ancient art but was rediscovered in the early Quattrocento. Putti are distinct from cherubim, but some English-speakers confuse them with each other, except that in the plural, "the Cherubim" refers to the biblical angels, while "cherubs" is used more often to refer to the child-like representations (putti) or in figurative senses. Putti are allegorical, non-literal figures, and later in Christian art came to represent the omnipresence of God. A putto representing a cupid is also called an amorino (plural amorini). --Wiki

[hubag bohol]

Nicolas Poussin's floating putti

[hubag bohol]

Kini ang supercute nga angel... 

[islander]

in what sphere does this supercute angel belong?