On Angels' Wings

No one gains wings when they die, and that's a good thing

Though I have not lost anyone close to me recently, I have encountered death far more frequently in the last month than I have in many years.

Many people I know have lost parents, siblings, friends, and spouses. The pain that comes with such loss points to its eternal magnitude, and many try to find ways to comfort those who are left behind with phrases like, “So-and-so gained their wings.”

While it may not be intended literally or to misguide anyone, the fact remains that this paints an inaccurate picture of the afterlife. By examining the biblical descriptions of angels and the nature of life after death, we will discover that the Bible offers a clearer and more hopeful account.

What are Angels?

Often described as bearing much beauty and possessing voices of such serene musicality, angels are creatures like, but not identical to, us.

Terms to note

While most people use the term angel to refer to all spiritual beings in service to God (as I do here), this can be misleading. Angel comes from the Greek term angelos, which means messenger.¹ Several terms are used to differentiate spiritual beings in God’s service, each serving in a different capacity, but I will give you three that denote function: angels, simple messengers; and cherubim and seraphim, guardians of the presence of God.²

They look like men

Aside from cultural misattribution of the term angel, what makes this more confusing is that Scripture never says angels—that is, messengers—have wings. Michael and Gabriel, commonly known angels, did not have wings. This is often assumed because Gabriel is said to have flown (Daniel 9:21-23).³ Instead, angels (again, messengers) appeared like men:

I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. —Daniel 10:5–6

Another example of angels appearing in the form of men is found in Genesis 18:2a:

He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. —Genesis 18:2a (emphasis mine)

In this case, the surrounding text tells us that the LORD Himself appeared to Abraham along with two figures, which we later discover are angels when they went to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Where are the wings?

The common misconception that angels have wings comes from descriptions of cherubim and seraphim (not properly angels due to function), which are often described as having a combination of human and animal-like features, like wings (Exodus 25:20; 37:9; Isaiah 6:2).

Angels are…

Simply put, they have never been human. Look at Scripture with me:

Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? —Hebrews 1:14 (emphasis mine)

Do not read over that passage too quickly. Notice that angels are called ministering spirits. Note, too, their purpose: “to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.” I am not sorry to say that those who will inherit salvation are humans rather than angels.

Life After Death

Rather than a transformation into another species, humans face a transition in location after death, one better and one worse.

For Believers

For those who profess faith in Jesus Christ as the risen Son of God, they are present with God:

Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. —2 Corinthians 5:7–8

Moreover, believers will be resurrected in the end and given glorified—transformed—bodies:

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. —Philippians 3:20–21

Of course, for the believer, there is more to life after death than hanging out on clouds in white robes strumming a harp—another common misconception pushed by Hollywood.

The Bible speaks of a "new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1) where God will dwell with His people. This is not a disembodied, ethereal existence but a fully realized, physical, and eternal life in a renewed creation.

For Unbelievers

For those who have rejected Christ, the only outcome is a transition to hell, where they will await the final judgment:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. —John 3:36 (words of Jesus)

You might ask why a good God would send someone to hell. The reality is that He does not send anyone there. Rather, they send themselves there by their willful rejection and sin.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 6:23

Note the word wages. We are all familiar with working and earning wages. When we sin, we earn the rightful wage of death. This is not God's desire, but it is the natural consequence of rejecting His provision of life in Christ.

How to secure your transition after death

Looking back to Romans 6:23, the second half of the verse is even more important than the first. Humble yourself and seek the free gift of Christ in faith, eternal life. As Paul says,

if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. … For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” —Romans 10:9–10, 13

There is nothing special about this as a formula. Rather, it is simply a charge to call upon the name of the Lord that you might be saved from everlasting judgment.

For the Ploughman

While poetic and possibly born out of a misguided attempt at pastoral comfort, the concept of people “gaining their wings” upon death is totally unbiblical. Succinctly stated, people never become angels, and they need Jesus Christ to secure their eternal life.

Let us consider the hope and comfort found in:

• The Resurrection: For the Christian, death is not the end but a momentary rest.

• New Creation: The fallen state of creation will be corrected, and we will be able to enjoy perfect harmony with God in the new physical reality.

• The Truth: People do not become angels, for we are made in the image of God with the intent to be united with God; therefore, there is no reason for us to become something else (like angels) after death.

Today is the day that you can make a decision that will literally change your life! I would love to hear from you if you want to talk about your eternal security.

Until next time, keep your hand on the plow and break up the fallow ground!

1. In the New Testament, this term, ἄγγελος, can be attributed to both men and spiritual beings.

2. Angelology—the study of angels—is a foreign field even to many in academia. As an introduction to the topic, I recommend reading Angels: What the Bible Really Says about God’s Heavenly Host by Dr. Michael S. Heiser (affiliate link).

3. Unless otherwise stated, all references to or quotations of Scripture are from the English Standard Version.