3559—Cherubim and Seraphim, Sex Among Angels
Does the Bible represent angels as masculine and feminine, either or both?
L. D. The Bible ever presents before us angels as masculine. Sometimes they appear as men, never as women. The great thought which seems to underlie all these revelations concerning the angels is that they are God's messengers, those who do His will, those who comfort and strengthen His people. Therefore, the general character represented by them is that of obedience, loyalty, glory, strength. They are never represented as weak, or effeminate. The work of artists has seemed to combine the old idea of fairies with that of angels of God, and in consequence they have utterly perverted the Bible idea of God's great messengers. This is not a dignifying particularly of the masculine in the human, nor the belittling of the feminine; it simply indicates the character of God's messengers. It is utterly unbiblical to represent them as weak, silly girls, as they are many times depicted. When the angel appeared to the Roman guard they fell as dead men. Even so did Daniel fall before the exceeding glory of one who appeared to him; and John, who had known much of the glory of God, fell down to worship the one who appeared to him on the Isle of Patmos. There is nothing in the term "cherubim" or "seraphim" which indicates masculinity or femininity. The terms are sometimes used to indicate great bodies of angels, rather than sex, or orders.