Are you wondering if angels are scary? Keep reading to know, for in this post, we will explore distinctly the celestial nature of angels and why angels are scary.
Angels are often portrayed as celestial beings of divine grace, benevolence and they are associated with messages of hope, protection, and guidance. But despite all these features that angels exhibited, they are extremely scary, evoking a sense of awe and fear in human beings.
In various religions, especially in Christian tradition, angels are depicted in different orders, ranging from the highest to the lowest. Seraphim occupy the highest rank of angelic order, having six wings. Following the seraphim are cherubim who have four wings.
The description of these celestial beings in the Bible varies frightfully, depending on their hierarchy. Below are the characteristics that outline angels as scary beings:
Read also: What are the 7 levels of angels?
1. Multiple Eyes:
Unlike humans who have only two eyes, some angels are depicted with multiple eyes. These eyes are located at both the back and front of the angels. Revelation 4: 6 renders a clear insight of how the angels with multiple eyes look like:
“In the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.”
The multiple eyes of angels are among the several things which create sense of horror each time we read the Bible or books that proffer a description of angels.
2. Messenger of Divine Wrath:
In some religious texts, angels are portrayed as messengers of divine wrath and agents of punishment. Their role in delivering retribution to the sinful or disobedient can be terrifying, as they represent the unforgiving hand of a higher power.
3. Scary Voice:
The voices of angels are not smooth and attractive as we thought. Apparently, they are gruff, frightening and thunderous.
The scary voices of angels differ according to their hierarchy. For instance, the voice of angel Gabriel in Daniel 10: 6 is described as “the voice of a multitude.”
This is greatly terrifying as someone will frequently hear a recurring and reverberating voice which will definitely not be what he would expect.
4. Supernatural Powers:
Angels are typically associated with extraordinary supernatural abilities, such as the power to heal, protect, or smite. These powers can be intimidating when wielded, as they demonstrate the angel’s immense authority and control over life and death.
5. Scary Body of Angels
The body of angels is patently not like the physical body of human. These celestial beings are depicted in the Bible as having different outlook when compares to human.
The body of Cherubim, as written in Ezekiel, “sparkled like the colour of burnished bronze.”
But the angel that Daniel saw had a different body appearance: “His body was like beryl.”
6. Majestic and Overwhelming Appearance:
Angels are often described as majestic and awe-inspiring beings with radiant halos, immense wings, and a divine presence. Their overwhelming appearance can be unsettling because it surpasses human understanding and can induce fear in those who encounter them.
7. Scary Faces
The faces of angels are reportedly said to trigger off terror when seen. Their faces also differ according to their hierarchy.
In Daniel 10; 6, the face of angel Gabriel is depicted thus: “His face like the appearance of lightening.” In Revelation 1o: 1, John disclosed that the mighty angel who came down from heaven has brightness on his face.
In his word: “His face was like the sun.” The faces of Cherubim that Ezekiel saw in his vision at River Chebar send shiver down the spine of every reader.
Ezekiel 1: 6 describes the Cherubim’s faces: “Each one had four faces…” and verse 10 says, “As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle.”
8. Guardians of the Afterlife:
Angels are often depicted as guardians of the afterlife or guides to the heavenly realm. Their role in determining one’s fate in the afterlife can create a sense of dread and anxiety, particularly for those who fear judgment.
9. Scary Sound of Wings
One of the interesting things about angels is that they can fly, just like birds do. But however, the sound of their wings (when they fly) is not like the sound of birds’ wings. when angels fly, the sound of their wings is scary and frightening.
This is chronicled in Ezekiel 1: 24: “When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army.
10. Transcendence and Alienness:
Angels are considered transcendent beings that exist on a different plane of existence, far removed from human understanding. Their alienness, combined with their association with the divine, can evoke feelings of fear and unease as they represent something beyond the realm of the familiar.
11. Angels’ Feet:
The feet of an angels are another thing which are scary. We cannot prove with biblical evidence that all angels have the same feet, but the Cherubim in Ezekiel 1; 2 were portrayed thus:
“Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet.” Revelation 10; 1 discloses how another angel’s feet look like: “His feet like pillars of fire.”
12. Mysteries Around Angels:
The mysteries which encompassed angels are scary when seen or imagined. Some typical examples of these mysteries are noted in Revelation 10: 1 and Ezekiel 1: 3.
In Revelation, angel is seen coming down from “heaven, clothed with cloud,” and on his head was a “rainbow.”
While in Ezekiel, there was “like appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightening.”