What do angels look like?

Angels are spirit beings (Hebrews 1:14), so they do not have any essential physical form. But angels do have the ability to appear in human form. When angels appeared to humans in the Bible, they resembled normal males. In Genesis 18:1–19, God and two angels appeared as men and actually ate a meal with Abraham. Angels appear as men many times throughout the Bible (Joshua 5:13–14; Mark 16:5). They never appear in the likeness of women.


At times, angels appeared not as humans, but as something otherworldly, and their appearance was terrifying to those who encountered them. Often, the first words from these angels were, “Do not be afraid,” because extreme fear was such a common reaction. The keepers of Jesus’ tomb became as dead men when they saw an angel of the Lord (Matthew 28:4). The shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem were “greatly afraid” when “an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9, NKJV).

As for physical characteristics, angels are sometimes described as winged. The images of cherubim on the ark of the covenant had wings that covered the mercy seat (Exodus 25:20). Isaiah saw winged seraphim in his vision of God’s throne—each angelic being had six wings, but they also had human features such as faces and feet (Isaiah 6:1–2). Ezekiel saw a vision of a huge cloud filled with lightning and fire. “In the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their . . . feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze” (Ezekiel 1:5–7). Each had the face of a human, as well as the faces of a lion, ox, and eagle (verse 10).

Whatever appearance angels take on, there is reason to believe they are incredibly beautiful. Ezekiel tells us that a “guardian cherub” was lifted up in pride over his beauty (Ezekiel 28:16–17). An angel at Jesus’ tomb is described as shining brilliantly: “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow” (Matthew 28:3). Beings such as angels, who are continually in the presence of God, would be expected to have extraordinary beauty because God’s glory is reflected upon all that is around Him.