WHAT DOES THE CHURCH TEACH ABOUT ANGELS ?
THE MESSENGER OF GOD The Book of Judges repeatedly speaks of angels being sent by God to his people (see, for example, 2:1-5) . Are we to understand these and similar biblical accounts as references to real supernatural beings, or similar biblical accounts as references to real supernatural beings, or simply as accounts of visions? Both Scripture and Tradition repeatedly affirm that God has in fact created non -human, angelic beings to be his agents, warriors, and messengers. They are personal and immortal; they have a rational intellect and free will, yet they are pure spirits, without bodies like ours. (see the scriptural references below.) They surpass in perfection all visible creatures, as is evident from their splendor (see Ps 103:20-21) . Nevertheless, redeemed human beings will one day be perfected in such a way that the angels will be subjected to them (see 1Cor 6:3) Angels have been present since creation, and they have played critical roles in salvation history, from the fal...