Angelology (Christian Doctrine, #6) / Christian Doctrine (ePub)

WHAT IS AN ANGEL?:

There is a commonality in the definition of the name angel by both testaments of the Holy Bible, The Old Testament (Hebrew) and the New Testament (Greek) translate the word angel as ambassador, messenger, deputy, and ministers. The Mickelson's Enhanced Strong's Dictionaries of the Greek and Hebrew Testaments defines the Greek noun, ἄγγελος aggelos (annunciation: an'-ge-los) as follows;

1. A messenger.

2. (Especially) an "angel" of God.

3. (Of evil, Satan) a demon.

4. (By implication) a person carrying forth a message from God, i.e. a servant (a disciple, pastor, elder, prophet, etc.).

5. (Also, by implication) a thing or event carrying forth a message from God, i.e. a hardship (pestilence, wind, etc.), or an animal (donkey, locusts, etc.).

So does the Hebrew synonym of the Greek word aggelos carry the same meaning being מַלאָךְ mal'ak (annunciation: mal-awk') as means the following;

1. A messenger.

2. (Specifically, of God) an angel.

3. (Thus, also) a prophet, priest or teacher.

The word angel is thus in the Greek and Hebrew used for varied forms of personalities, the key thing being it denotes a sent being; with the message of another. And it does not just outline beings but even circumstances as serving the purpose of another, not the purpose of self. One such is the example of Paul's sickness, he simply calls it a messenger of the devil

2 Corinthians 12:7 KJV And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

So, having said that it would be certainly surmountable to hear the variedness of who or what the word angel has been used to express in the word of God.