Why are angels depicted with wings?
Paintings, statues, even in Catholic Churches… why are they?
If biblical where?
Thanks!
Angels are spiritual beings and do not have wings however, we are able to think of them as having wings. See Exodus 25:20
“The cerubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover.”
Isaiah 6:2 depicts seraphim with six wings.
Angels have also appeared to people who couldn’t immediately distinguish them from human beings (Gen 19:1), so it seems that the appearance of an angel is not fixed. That makes sense to me, since they don’t have physical bodies.
The literal meaning of the word “angel” (Latin “angelos”) is “messenger.” One of their primary duties, in general, is as God’s messengers to men. Angels, having no physical limitations, are beleived to be able to go from one place to another with the speed of a thought. The wings that angels are depicted with are symbolic of this ability to travel swiftly and deliver God’s messages.
Isn’t it wonderful that God allows us to use our imaginations on this particular subject?