Do angels really look like winged men or happy children with halos and harps? Many artists (especially those of the Renaissance) depict angels as man-eaters, but in the Bible, angels vary greatly in appearance—and they can be downright strange! Some have six wings or four heads, while others resemble intricate golden wheels. They are thought to inspire fear, but also devotion and praise. Here’s a detailed guide to the different types of angels and what they look like (according to the Bible).

What you need to know
- In the Bible, angels have varied, strange, and often shocking appearances. For example, the Ophanim angels resemble wheels connected to each other and equipped with eyes.
- Cherubim are angels with four faces. In Ezekiel , a cherub is depicted with 4 wings and the face of a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle.
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The Malakim (messenger angels like the archangels Michael and Gabriel) are described as being more human than other angels, appearing as clothed men.
Biblical Descriptions of Angels
- Cherubs
- Seraphims
- Ophanims
- Malakims
There are four main types of biblical angels, which vary in appearance.
These angels include the cherubim, seraphim, ophanim, and malakim, each with their own purpose, duty, and description. The malakim are considered to have an almost human appearance, while the others have a more alien appearance, from the animalistic features of the cherubim, to the multiple pairs of wings of the seraphim, to the strange, rolling bodies of the ophanim. [1]

Cherubim are often described as angels with 4 faces.
In Western media, cherubim are depicted as baby-like creatures with halos. However, in the Bible, cherubim have 4 faces (those of an ox, a lion, an eagle, and a man) and 4 pairs of wings. They also wielded flaming swords when performing their duties, watching over the Garden of Eden.[2]
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Ezekiel 1:5-6: “And out of the midst of them came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had the form of a man. Each of them had four faces, and each of them had four wings.
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Ezekiel 1:8-9: “And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went all straight forward.”
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Ezekiel 1:10: "As for the appearance of their faces, they four had on the right side the face of a man and the face of a lion; and they four had on the left side the face of an ox; and they four had the face of an eagle."
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Genesis 3:24: “And when he had driven out the man, he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword going back and forth, to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Seraphim appear as creatures with 6 wings.
Each pair of wings has a different function: two cover their faces, two cover their legs, and two are used for flying. The seraphim surround God's throne and sing in unison when God approaches, according to the prophet Isaiah, their faces (and eyes) supposedly being hidden so that they cannot stare directly at God. Verses that mention seraphim include:[3]
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Isaiah 6:2: “And above him were seraphim, each having six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two wings they covered their feet, and with two wings they flew.”
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Isaiah 6:3-4: “They cried to one another, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty! The whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices, the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.”

The Ophanims are represented as wheels within wheels.
Of all the angels mentioned in religious texts, the ophanim are perhaps the strangest. “Ophanim” is the ancient Hebrew word for “wheels,” which explains why they are described as being made of interconnected wheels at right angles to each other, surrounded by many eyes. They float in the air, protecting the throne of God. The verses that feature the ophanim are as follows:[4]
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Ezekiel 1:15-16: “And when I looked at the living creatures, behold, on the ground, beside each of them, a wheel with four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topazes, and all four looked alike. Each wheel had the appearance of a wheel crossing another wheel.
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Ezekiel 1:17-18: “As they moved, they went in any of the four directions that the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures moved forward. Their edges were high and impressive, and the four edges were full of eyes all around.”
While the Bible does not explicitly refer to the Ophanim as angels, the Jewish writers of the Revelation do, primarily because they are described as powerful beings who exist near the throne of God.

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Some angels are completely invisible.
Angels, being spirit beings, are often hidden from the human eye or invisible when they go about their business, as illustrated in the story of Balaam (a biblical prophet) and his donkey. Balaam does not see the angel at first, but his donkey does—and it is not until God opens his eyes that he sees the angel nearby.[5]
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Numbers 22:23: "When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand, he turned aside from the road and entered a field. Balaam beat him to bring him back to the road."
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Numbers 22:29-30: Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and it said to Balaam, "What have I done to you that you have defeated me three times?" Balaam said to the donkey, "You have mocked me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you immediately."
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Numbers 22:32: "Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. And he bowed his head and fell on his face."

No matter what they look like, angels can be terrifying and awe-inspiring.
There are many Bible verses in which angels say “Do not be afraid” or “Do not be afraid” to the humans they appear to. This suggests that the sheer power and overwhelming presence of angels can initially be discouraging to people who see them.[6]
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Luke 2:10-11: “And an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all people.
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Matthew 28:2-4: “And there was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and came to the tomb, and rolled back the stone, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. And the guards were so afraid of him that they trembled and became like dead men.”
However, angels are also considered incredibly beautiful because they are always in the presence of God; thus, God's glory is reflected in them (as mentioned in Luke 2).
Does the Bible depict angels in human form?
Angels called Malakim can take the form of a man. Malakim, or malachim, means "messengers" and "angels" in Hebrew. They are described as messenger angels who spread the word of God; the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are all malakim. In the Bible, malakim, in their physical form, resemble human males—and sometimes mortals who see them do not immediately recognize them as angels.[7]
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Mark 16:5: “And when they entered into the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side: and they were terrified.”
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Daniel 10:5-6: “Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a man clothed in linen, and girded about his waist with a belt of fine gold of Uphaz: and his body was like beryl, and his countenance like the appearance of lightning, and his eyes like torches, and his arms and his legs like the brightness of burnished brass, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.”
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Joshua 5:13: “As Joshua approached Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him with a drawn sword. Joshua came to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
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Genesis 18:2: "Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the door of his tent to meet them and bowed to the ground."
The Bible does not describe humanoid angels as having wings.
Although many famous works of medieval art depict angels as winged men, it is uncertain whether the biblical angels who took on human appearances in visions actually had wings; their descriptions do not mention any kind of wings. The only angelic creatures depicted with wings are cherubim and seraphim.[8]
What color are angels?
Seven important archangels are associated with specific colors.
The majority of angels do not have a fixed color or color palette in the Bible or other religious texts, but it is believed that the 7 archangels are represented by a different color (or ray of light).[14] However, it is believed that the 7 archangels are each represented by a different color (or ray of light).
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Red represents the archangel Remiel, also called Ophaniel.
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Orange represents the Archangel Gabriel.
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Yellow represents Archangel Raguel.
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Green represents Archangel Uriel.
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Blue represents Archangel Michael.
- Indigo represents the archangel Sariel also called Saraqael.
- Violet represents Archangel Raphael.