Studies in Revelation: Angels in Revelation

Angelos, the Greek word translated most often by the English word “angel” (it actually means messenger), occurs 77 times in the Revelation. No book in the Bible mentions angels more. There are numerous commentators/interpreters of Revelation who believe the angels mentioned in chapters 2 and 3 are humans, maybe pastors, but it seems to me more likely that they are superhuman beings just as in all the other references in Revelation.

Angels Are Mediators of Revelation and Judgment

Most of the references to angels in Revelation are to those who communicate truth to John and implement judgment on the earth.

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John (Revelation 1:1)

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” (Revelation 5:2)

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. (Revelation 14:6)

Etc.

Some of the angels implementing judgment seem to be fallen angels:

Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: (Revelation 7:2)

They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer). (Revelation 9:11)

It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. (Revelation 9:14,15)

Others seem to be clearly holy angels:

Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:5)

Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. (Revelation 8:6, with 8:7,8,10,12,13; 9:1,13,14)

Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. (Revelation 14:18,19)

I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. (Revelation 15:1)

Angels Safeguard the Prayers of the Saints

Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. (Revelation 8:3,4)

Angels Lead the Praise of God and Guard the Gates of the Heavenly Jerusalem

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹² In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:11,12)

It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. (Revelation 21:12)

Angels Oversee the Local Church

Here are the passages in chapters 2 and 3 that speak of Jesus addressing the angel of each of the seven churches of Asia Minor (present day Turkey). Just as angels have oversight and perhaps influence over the nations, so angels oversee the local churches, one angel to a church, it seems (Revelation 2:1,8,12; 3:1,7,14).

Paul tells us that women are to cover their heads when they prophesy because of the angels, perhaps another reference to the oversight angels give to local churches. Jesus’ message to each church comes through the angel (“to the angel write…”). Some have suggested that these angels are “celestial counterparts or personifications of the various churches, each of whom represents his church to the point where he is held responsible for its condition and behaviour” (Zondervan Bible Commentary). Exactly what their relation to the churches is difficult to know with certainty.