Angels are spirit beings made by God. So, they are not made from matter and their forms are not restricted by the laws of physics. They may appear in human form if God allows it, but many appeared with animal or abstract features.
Cherubim work closely with God, and you might be awe-struck if one were to visit you in a vision. Ezekiel certainly was when they appeared to him. Here is how he describes them in Ezekiel 1:
In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. [ . . . ] Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. [ . . . ] Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.
This passage explains that Cherubim have four connecting bodies, each with a different head – three animal heads and one human head. These angels are very different from the ones you usually see in art and other media.
Ezekiel 1 continues to describe peculiar beings made from wheels and eyes that follow the Cherubim:
I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature [ . . . ] They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. [ . . . ] Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
These are Thrones (or Ophanim) angels. Thrones act as God’s chariot, carrying his presence and delivering his message and will. Some believe that they are shaped like gyroscopes, while others believe that they look like wheels merged at the sides.
Seraphim are the highest-ranking celestial Angels under God. They spend most of their time singing God’s praise and worshipping God. Some of their time is spent carrying out God’s orders and helping humanity.
It seems that Angels appear more other-worldly the higher their rank. As the highest-ranking angels, Seraphs are the most bizarre. You might think that calling them bizarre is disrespectful, but the Apostle John himself calls them creatures in the Book of Revelations 4:6-7 while recounting his vision of God’s throne:
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings.
Seraphim are completely covered in eyes, have six wings, and can have animal heads like the Cherubs. Pretty bizarre. Isaiah 6:1-3 explains what their wings are for:
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
FUN FACT: Seraphs cover their faces and feet out of respect for God. Some people believe that Seraphs appear with six wings because they help humanity and humanity was created on the sixth day.
Not all angels appear in unfamiliar forms. In the Bible, some did appear as humans. Though, they were still a sight to behold and were quite intimidating. The angel Gabriel is a notable example.
The Bible commonly refers to Gabriel as a “man” without any extraordinary features. However, in Daniel:17, the hero Daniel describes the fear he felt towards Gabriel:
As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.
Even though he appears as a man, Gabriel is far too intense for any mortal to gaze upon for long. In Daniel 10:5-6, Daniel describes another such angel. Though this angel is not named in the Bible, some believe that he is also Gabriel:
[. . .] a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz. His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass [. . .]
This angel is also described as a “man”. His skin is the color of polished brass, either tan or brown. “Fine gold of Uphaz” is “girded” (wrapped and tied) around his waist.
Uphaz is a region known for its wealth and gold, so this angel likely looked especially majestic. The rest of the quote metaphorically describes this angel’s stunning features.
FUN FACT: Despite popular belief, the Bible never says that Gabriel is an Archangel or that he has wings.
Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones are of the highest Triad (or Sphere) of angels. Below them in rank are the Second and Third Triads of Angels.
The Second Triad is made up of the Dominions, Virtues, and Powers Angels. The Third Triad, the lowest rank, is made up of the Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.
The Second and Third Triad angels are typically depicted similarly as humanoid angels with a set of wings.
