The function of the angels is that of the supernatural servants of God.  His agents and representatives; the Angel of Yahweh, as we have seen, is a manifestation of God.  In old times, the bne Elohim and the seraphim are His court, and the angels are alike the court and the army of God; the cherubim are his throne-bearers.  In his dealings with men, the angels, as their name implies, are specially His messengers, declaring His will and executing His commissions.  Through them he controls nature and man.  They are the guardian angels of the nations; and we also find the idea that individuals have guardian angels.[50].  Later Jewish tradition held that the Law was given by angels.[51] According to the Gnostic Basilides, the world was created by angels.  Mahommedanism has taken over and further elaborated the Jewish and Christian ideas as to angels.

While the scriptural statements imply a belief in the existence of spiritual beings intermediate between God and men, it is probable that many of the details may be regarded merely as symbolic imagery.  In Scripture the function of the angel overshadows his personality; the stress is on their ministry; they appear in order to perform specific acts.

[Footnote 1:  E.g. Gen. vi. 2; Job i. 6; Ps. viii. 5, xxix.  I.]

[Footnote 2:  Zech. xiv. 5.]

[Footnote 3:  Dan. iv. 13.]

[Footnote 4:  Deut. xvii. 3 (?).]

[Footnote 5:  Josh. v. 14 (?).]

[Footnote 6:  The identification of the “hosts” with the stars comes to the same thing; the stars were thought of as closely connected with angels.  It is probable that the “hosts” were also identified with the armies of Israel.]

[Footnote 7:  Rev. i. 4.]

[Footnote 8:  Gen. xxxii. 30; Judges xiii. 22.]

[Footnote 9:  Exod. iii. 2, xiv.]

[Footnote 10:  Zech. i. 11f.]

[Footnote 11:  Cf. xviii.  I with xviii. 2, and note change of number in xix. 17.]

[Footnote 12:  Gen. xxviii. 12, E.]

[Footnote 13:  Gen. xxxii.  I, E.]

[Footnote 14:  Gen. xxxii. 24, 30, J.]

[Footnote 15:  “An angel” of I Kings xiii. 18 might be the Mal’akh Yahweh, as in xix. 5, cf. 7, or the passage, at any rate in its present form, may be exilic or post-exilic.]

[Footnote 16:  Deut. vi. 4. 5.]

[Footnote 17:  Isaiah xliii. 10 &c.]

[Footnote 18:  It is not however certain that these doctrines of Zoroastrianism were developed at so early a date.]

[Footnote 19:  Ezek. i.x.]

[Footnote 20:  Ezek. ix.]

[Footnote 21:  Zech. i. 11 f.]

[Footnote 22:  Zech. iii. 1.]

[Footnote 23:  Job i., ii.  Cf.  I Chron. xxi. 1.]

[Footnote 24:  Pss. xci. 11, ciii. 20 &c.]

[Footnote 25:  Tobit xii. 15; Rev. viii. 2.]

[Footnote 26:  Dan. viii. 16, x. 13, 20, 21.]

[Footnote 27:  Tob. xii. 15.]