Questions Listed Under Angels

Click on a title or click open the "+" icon to reveal answers to each question.

  • What are the Cherubim and Seraphim and what are their differences? Is Michael the only archangel? What kind of angel was Lucifer? What happened when he fell?

    We don't know if there is any difference between cherubim and seraphim. The name seraphim occurs only in Isaiah 6. They seem to serve the same function as attendents of God which cherubim carry out elsewhere, such as in Ezekiel 1. Michael is the only one explicitly named as an archangel. Lucifer is not the name of an angel in the Bible. It is a name given to the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14 because he acts like Satan. Lucifer by tradition has been used as a name for Satan. His fall is described in Jude and 2 Peter 2:4.

  • Does the Bible state whether or not we have guardian angels? Does it tell us if angels will come to take us to heaven?

    Scripture comforts us with the truth that angels are watching over us as Christians, protecting us from harm (Psalm 90:11,12). However, it does not tell us whether or not we each have a personal guardian angel. It could be that God sends a group of angels to protect a group of Christians. Either way, we have the same comfort—not only does the Lord promise to watch over us, but he promises his angels will do the same. God gives us the cake—the comfort that he watches over us. He also puts frosting on the cake—he gives us the comfort that angels are also protecting us.

    You also ask whether angels will take a person to heaven at death. Scripture does seem to indicate this. When Lazarus died, Luke 16:22 says, "The angels carried him to Abraham's side." The horses of fire and chariot of fire that carried Elijah directly to heaven (2 Kings 2:22) also seem to be angels. That seems to be one of the blessed tasks that God has assigned to his angels. It would also be consistent with their work of protecting us from harm. In the Lord's Prayer we ask God to deliver us from evil. We know that the final answer to this prayer will come when God takes us out of this life to himself in heaven.

Search the Archive

Begin by entering a topic. Then press "GO".

Search the Q&A archive to find answers from WELS seminary professors. Can't find your question in the archive? Submit your own.