832. The word angel comes from the Greek word aggelos (pronounced angelos) and means "messenger." In the Bible this is the form used in almost every mention of angels except one-in Luke 20:36 (KJV) where the phrase reads "equal unto the angels," or the Greek word isaggelos, which means "like an angel or angelic."
833. Angels are beings that are created as "intermediate" beings between God and man. They are created beings by God, making them lower, but Psalm 8:5 states that man was made a little lower than the angels.
834. There are more than three hundred references to angels in the Bible. They play an important role and are seen in some of the most famous Bible stories, including the Christmas story.
835. An angel is neither a god nor a human. Angels are spirits, as Hebrews say: [they are] ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation."
836. The first mention of angels in the Bible is when Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden after the fall. "They are banished from Eden, and Eden is protected by cherubim", angels that are depicted elsewhere as winged bulls or lions with human heads.
837. Cherubim are symbolic attendants to places of the Lord's "enthronement" on earth in the Old Testament. They guard the Garden of Eden and the Ark of the Covenant.
