Made in His image

Are angels in the image and likeness of God?

 

Do angels have bodies?

 

Preachinginjesus,

This is truly an interesting thought. However, upon careful reflection, Genesis 9 would seem to contradict the idea of the Image being purely spiritual

Genesis 9:5-6 (ESV)

5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.


Because man is still described by God as created in His Image, especially because this is after the fall, it would seem that the Image is something physical or, better, representational, rather than something that is purely spiritual.

Blessings,

The Archangel

 

Aaron,

You asked: "Are angels created in the image of God" and "Do angels have bodies?"

First, I would say no, angels are not created in the Image of God. The reason I say that is that the text never assigns that distinction to them. Instead, the text assigns the distinction of "Image Bearer" to man alone.

Second, I would say that angels do have bodies. The description of the Cherubim and the Seraphim seems to include some type of body (having wings, heads of man, eagle, etc.) But, there are times when it would seem they don't (The Angel of the Lord leading the Israelites through the wilderness, appearing as a cloud and a pillar of fire). However, if you take the term "The Angel of the Lord" (not an angel of the Lord) as a Theophany (the pre-incarnate Christ), as I do, then it would seem that this is quite a different manifestation than "an angel."

I hope that helps and doesn't hinder.

Many Blessings,

The Archangel

 

So what did the angel that appeared to Samson's mother look like? She told her husband that a man of God appeared to her, and his contenance WAS LIKE an angel of the Lord. When he appeared to her a second time, she simply describes him as a man. So could some of the angels look like Man, and therefore be made in the image of God? Even when Samson's father saw the angel, he did not recognize him AS an angel at first.

love,
sopranette

 

I don't personally believe there were any Christophanies in the Old Testament. The incarnational event did not happen until the moment Christ was made manifest in flesh in Mary's womb imho.

Additionally, even if I did believe that Christophanies happened in the Old Testament...just like the Theophanies which happened...does not mean there had to be physical composition in the appearance.

Again, this is an area of peripherial belief and not something I'll be dogmatic about.

 

John 12:41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.

Isaiah 6:1. In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

 

(Cara: As a Catholic, you are not allowed to post in Baptist Only Forums. Thank you.)

 

You have a good Scripture to mention. I would suggest that we look at the keyword there for this conversation. The word "made" suggests a backwards look. A present day reference to an historical event.

A good position, but I'l still hold to my position. What was destroyed at the Fall? What was shattered? It must be that image by which we had idenitification with God which finds its restoration through faith and belief in Christ Jesus. Again just my thoughts, nothing dogmatic here.

 

Does He ever use this plural again in the bible? I can't recall of another instance, but I could be wrong.

love,

Sopranette

 

You're right, they're not created in God's image, but neither do they have bodies. We're told that angels are ministering spirits. My question was actually in answer to webdog thinking that Christ had to have a body to appear as a man in the OT. We know angels have no bodies, yet the two that visited Lot in Sodom appeared as men.

 

Explain how non bodied spirits eat...

 

Explain how bodies can pass through walls and closed doors, and I'll explain how spirits can eat.

 

The molecular structure breaks down enough to pass through the moleculuar structure of the door.. only to reassemble on the other side of the door...

OK, now, how does a spirit eat?

(I am yankin your chain, in case you haven't figured it out bro)

 

Of course! :wavey:

 

Who besides Jesus passed through walls and doors? He is God...not an angel. The laws of physics apply to His creation, not Him.

 

Ummmmm!!! TinyTim!!! Dude----you've watched too much Star Trek today!!!!

"Kirk to Transporter Room!!! Scotty, beam me up!!!!":thumbs: :thumbs:

Seriously---I heard Dr. Jerry Vines explain it this way------we will move about Heaven at the speed of thought!!!!

I believe with our resurrected bodies----we'll have an option---say I'm in my Heavenly mansion and I want to go visit Webdog or TinyTim---and they live about 5 miles from me on either side---I can either walk to my visit or think myself there!!! My body will be of flesh but will have eternity's name scribed on it--thus with eternal capabilities as a body!!!

 

I would actually take this a step farther and suggest that God can allow certain beings to appear to be coporeal when in reality they are not. Also, if we understand that the realms of Heaven exist in an place outside of our finite measurements of time and space (which I'll suggest they do) then it would take a unique being which posesses a unique constitution to be able to move between both spaces.

Could it be that angels were able to exist both corporeally and incorporeally?

I think it very well could be so.

 

The laws of physics do not apply to angels either.

 

I wished I could have done that when I was in college, and late for class, and still 2 football fields away!!!