Angels...

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sanglina

sanglina

Senior Member
#1
Jul 28, 2012
857
4
0
#1
Asking just out of curiosity.

In the Bible, the name of angels that I have come across are called Michael, Gabriel, etc. and so male angels (I may be corrected if I am wrong). However, in contrast to the biblical male angels, human beings love to use "angel" in reference to daughters/girls/ladies only. People hardly use the term "angel" in reference to boys/guys/men.

Why is that so?? Does anyone here know the genesis of how the gender of angels came to be changed from male in the bible to female as a term of reference in the human world?

I am aware that in the pagan world, there are a whole lot of female goddesses. So, is there any connection of the 'usage' with the pagan female goddesses?

What are your thoughts on this?
 
K

kenisyes

Guest
#2
#2
Angels do not have a specific gender. They appear as male in the Bible, because almost everyone is male in the Bible. We took the names and made male names out of them. Angel means "messenger."

Female goddesses is a whole other subject and could occupy many threads. Too complex to go into here. Elaine Pagels did a lot of high profile goundbreaking work, trying to establish why Christians treat God as Father and not Mother. Not that I approve what she wrote, but it's a good place to get a challenge to make you think.
 
N

nathan3

Guest
#3
#3
kenisyes has a good observation or two that he gave. Angel does mean messenger.

when they appear in the Bible they are always described as young men. Or when The Angel of The Lord appears, He is rather mighty and may cause some people to be scared in some scriptures.

I figure, we are born here to earth. so but , no one born in heaven, so maybe there is not a need for a womb there. Therefore no women gender. Trying to make an educated guess. Also drawing from Christ, when He taught that there is no giving or taking in marriage in heaven.

Christ was asked who gets to be with the wife, if the husband dies, and the brother marries her. And Christ said this :

Mark 12:25

King James Version (KJV)

25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.
 
RedTent

RedTent

Banned
#4
Oct 31, 2011
8,200
182
0
#4
Angels are completely different from humans. They never were human.

The english language sometimes uses this word to describe someones characteristics, has nothing to do with angels.

Satan always uses some truth to tell his lies. When he talks of angels (he was one) he distorts them.
 
P

psychomom

Guest
#5
#5
sanglina said:
Asking just out of curiosity.

In the Bible, the name of angels that I have come across are called Michael, Gabriel, etc. and so male angels (I may be corrected if I am wrong). However, in contrast to the biblical male angels, human beings love to use "angel" in reference to daughters/girls/ladies only. People hardly use the term "angel" in reference to boys/guys/men.

Why is that so?? Does anyone here know the genesis of how the gender of angels came to be changed from male in the bible to female as a term of reference in the human world?

I am aware that in the pagan world, there are a whole lot of female goddesses. So, is there any connection of the 'usage' with the pagan female goddesses?

What are your thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
personally, i tend to place a lot of the blame on renaissance artists. :)
 
sanglina

sanglina

Senior Member
#6
Jul 28, 2012
857
4
0
#6
kenisyes said:
Angels do not have a specific gender. They appear as male in the Bible, because almost everyone is male in the Bible. We took the names and made male names out of them. Angel means "messenger."

Female goddesses is a whole other subject and could occupy many threads. Too complex to go into here. Elaine Pagels did a lot of high profile goundbreaking work, trying to establish why Christians treat God as Father and not Mother. Not that I approve what she wrote, but it's a good place to get a challenge to make you think.
Click to expand...
First of all, thanks for taking the time to reply :)

Agree that angels are messenger of God (no dispute on that), however the bible also describes them as directly communicating with man so, it is fair to assume that they are messenger of God with human form. Furthermore, the characteristics and role of angels as accounted in the bible in most instances resembles that of a "he" so, it would be fair to assume that they are male.

Now, my question still remains, what propelled or motivated man in changing the gender of angel (aka as a term of reference) in the first place? Was it because of renaissance as stated by psychomom or influence by the pagan female goddesses?

PS: Thank you to all of you who have shared your thoughts on it. Appreciate it :)
 
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K

kenisyes

Guest
#7
#7
People used "he" unless otherwise specified. Trying to undo the pagan influences of goddesses probably played a role (so Elaine Pagels). The renaissance portraits helped drive the male appearance into human consciousness. "Angel" means human messenger, also, as in Gen 32:3, is the same word.
 
T

Tintin

Guest
#8
#8
Angels are spirits but they sometimes came and still come to earth in human form to do God's will.
 
E

Earlmayknowornot

Banned
#9
Feb 17, 2013
1,034
9
0
#9
[h=3]Genesis 6[/h]King James Version (KJV)

6 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
[SUP]2 [/SUP]That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

These "sons of God" were fallen angels and yes they were all male and they are all male and do not have wings. Why the world portrays them as female I do not know. Maybe because they feel comforted as is what a women will do. Such as a mother comforts her child.

Also there about 9 to 10 feet tall.
 
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