Angel

In our current use of the word, an “angel” is a heavenly being who serves God and carries out his will. In the Bible, a development can be seen in the image people had of angels, imbuing them with an increasing number of personality traits.

The representation of angels in the Bible stems from the assumption that heaven is organised like a royal court. God is seen as the king. He is surrounded by heavenly creatures who serve him as advisers, subjects, soldiers and messengers. These servants of God are the angels.

The word “angel” derives from the Greek word angelos, which in turn is a translation of the Hebrew word malak. This word also means “messenger”, which is an important function of angels in the Old Testament (see Angel OT).
After the Babylonian exile, a shift takes place in the role that angels fulfil (see Angel NT).