I noticed, as I was decorating my Christmas tree this year, how many angel ornaments I had collected and received as gifts through the years. It occurred to me that angels were such an important part of the Christmas story. Every fabric and medium available had been used in creating my ornament collection: resin angels, hand-made crochet angels, crystal angels, stuffed fabric angels, ceramic angels, gold and pearl angels, hand-carved angels, a Coke can angel and even a copper angel from Mexico. Through the years, these angel-ornaments have continued to declare the Christmas story as real angels had done at the advent of Christ.

What is a Biblical angel? We all have our ideas about angels, but the Biblical description and definition is well worth examining. According to BibleHub.com, an angel is “a messenger, generally a (supernatural) messenger from God, an angel, conveying news or behests from God to men.” The term is a masculine noun and carries with it the concept of spiritual authority. This is quite different than the often-portrayed pictures of cute babies with wings, playing a harp on a cloud!

The study of angels or the doctrine of angelology is one of the ten major categories of theology developed in many systematic theological works. The tendency, however, has been to neglect it according to an article entitled, Angelology: The Doctrine of Angels found at Bible.org.

Here are a few facts and Biblical references concerning angels for your study during this “angel season.”

ANGELS WERE CREATED BY GOD: Genesis 2:1 and Colossians 1:16

ANGELS WERE CREATED TO LIVE FOR ETERNITY: Luke 20:36 and revelation 4:8

ANGELS WERE PRESENT WHEN GOD CREATED THE WORLD: Job 38:1-7

ANGELS DO NOT MARRY: Matthew 22:30

ANGELS ARE WISE AND INTELLIGENT: 2 Samuel 14:17 and Daniel 9:22

ANGELS TAKE AN INTEREST IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN: Daniel 10:14 and Luke 15:10

ANGELS ARE SUPERNATURALLY FAST: Daniel 9:21 and Revelation 14:6

ANGELS ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS: Psalm 104:4

ANGELS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE WORSHIPED: Revelation 19:10

ANGELS ARE SUBJECT TO CHRIST: 1 Peter 3:22

ANGELS HAVE A WILL: Isaiah 14:12-14 and Jude 1:6

ANGELS EXPRESS EMOTIONS LIKE JOY AND LONGING: Job 38:7 and 1 Peter 1:12

ANGELS ARE NOT OMNIPRESENT, OMNIPOTENT OR OMNISCIENT: Daniel 10:12-13 and Jude 1:9

ANGELS ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO COUNT: Psalm 68:17 and Hebrews 12:22

MOST ANGELS REMAINED FAITHFUL TO GOD: Revelation 5:11-12

ANGELS WERE CREATED TO GLORIFY AND WORSHIP GOD THE FATHER AND GOD THE SON: Revelation 4:8 and Hebrews 1:6

ANGELS REPORT TO GOD: Job 1:6 and Job 2:1

ANGELS OBSERVE GOD’S PEOPLE: Luke 12:8-9, 1 Corinthians 4:9, 1 Timothy 5:21

ANGELS ANNOUNCED THE BIRTH OF JESUS: Luke 2:10-14

ANGELS PERFORM THE WILL OF GOD: Psalm 104:4

ANGELS MINISTERED TO JESUS: Matthew 4:11 and Luke 22:43

ANGELS HELP AND MINISTER TO HUMANS: Hebrews 1:14

ANGELS REJOICE IN GOD’S WORK OF CREATION: Job 38:1-7 and Revelation 4:11

ANGELS REJOICE IN GOD’S WORK OF SALVATION: Luke 15:10

ANGELS WILL JOIN ALL BELIEVERS IN THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM: Hebrews 12:22-23

SOME ANGELS ARE CALLED CHERUBIM: Ezekiel 10:20

SOME ANGELS ARE CALLED SERAPHIM: Isaiah 6:1-8

THREE ANGELS HAVE NAMES IN THE BIBLE: Daniel 8:16, Luke 1:19 and Luke 1:26

ONLY ONE ANGEL IN THE BIBLE IS CALLED AN ARCHANGEL: Daniel 10:13, Daniel 12:1, Jude 9 and Revelation 12:7

In addition to these interesting facts and references, angels are also referred to as messengers, watchers, supervisors for God, military hosts, sons of the mighty, sons of God, and chariots in the Bible.

Christmas began thousands of years ago when God sent an angel to Mary and asked her to become the mother of the Messiah. In her willingness and obedience, Mary wrote the first verse in a love story that has been sung through the ages. A story of a baby born in Bethlehem who would be named Jesus, for he would save his people from their sins.

No wonder I love my Christmas angel-ornaments! They represent that love story that is being shared in word and deed every Christmas. “Hark! the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king!”