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The Bible does not record angels having wings at any point, but this is a popular depiction of angels. Do any Christian groups teach that angels do have wings, in extra-biblical materials? Where does the idea come from?

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    Related: What does the Bible say about the appearance of angels?
    – Waggers
    Dec 15, 2011 at 20:15
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    Everyone knows that angels get their wings when a bell rings!
    – Flimzy
    Dec 15, 2011 at 20:34
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    It doesn't actually say this, but Luke 2:13 refers to "heavenly hosts" which are often depicted as "floating in the air above the shepherds" (although according to the scripture, they could just as easily have been standing or lying on the ground, or climbing trees). But if they were in the air (as "heavenly hosts" might naturally be), they clearly need wings to stay there, right?! :)
    – Flimzy
    Dec 15, 2011 at 20:34
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    No, Flimzy -- Superman floated and he didn't need wings. And he is less than an angelic being!
    – Steve
    Mar 15, 2015 at 4:13

2 Answers 2

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The Bible actually does indicate that angels have wings, as both cherubim and seraphim are angels.

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train[a] of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Isaiah 6:1-3 ESV

The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.

Exodus 25:20 ESV

He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. And the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house.

1 Kings 6:27 ESV

It is also assumed that the four living creatures are angelic beings, since it's hard to imagine what else they could be:

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

Revelation 4:8

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    Also, Ezekiel 1 and 10.
    – Jon 'links in bio' Ericson
    Dec 15, 2011 at 22:06
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    yeah, since when are cherubim and seraphim angels?
    – Nacht
    Jun 25, 2014 at 11:01
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    don't know. does that automatically make them angels? i suppose they both seem "celestial" and powerful, but other than that they seem completely different to me. ive even heard convincing arguments for cherubim and seraphim to be purely symbolic
    – Nacht
    Jun 25, 2014 at 15:00
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    I disagree. Cheribim and angels are entirely different and have entirely different roles. stevehusting.com/doubtbusters/2011/01/18/arent-cherubim-angels
    – Steve
    Mar 15, 2015 at 4:14
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    @Narnian, This answer is misleading. Sure the bible states that some angels have wings, but not all do. Indeed it seems like the majority don't have wings. See gotquestions.org/angels-wings.html for more info.
    – Pacerier
    Jun 11, 2015 at 3:13
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It would make sense angels have wings if you are to accept that cherubim and seraphim are indeed angels. I don't. You are hard pressed to find anything in Scripture that indicates they are. It just isn't there. C andS beings are not messengers, comforters or have any attributes of the other angels except to say they worship and obey God.

The common accounts of angels (not C or S) never mention angels having wings. As a matter of fact they were always mentioned as being who appeared as though they are human.

How much sense would it make for Paul to implore his readers to be kind to everyone because they never know when they are entertaining angels? If an angels is standing beside me with wings, I think I would have inkling there might be an angelic being in front of me.​​​​​​

As far as the statement angels are "floating" proves they have wings, then you have to assume to the same for Jesus after he ascended into heaven or wings were needed for Elijah.

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