A friend once told me that people get wings when they die. But do people really get wings after death? Is this factual, or is it something people say for comfort in response to death for a lack of words? Since angels are mentioned in the Bible, let’s research the subject from a Biblical viewpoint. In the event you do not believe in God, the probability of getting your wings doesn’t matter anyway. No God, no heaven, no angels, no wings, right? But if you believe God truly exists and you are curious about life after death, what the Bible says concerning people and angels might startle you.
Heavenly Beings
Angels are heavenly beings; they are separate creations from people. Angelic beings are unlike anything God created. We generally visualize angels as mystical beings that have wings; they wear long white robes, blow trumpets, play harps, and have halos of light suspended above their heads. In our vain imaginations, we even depict some angelic beings as cute little winged babies called cupids. The Bible’s description of angels is quite different from the way we perceive them. In the Bible, angels are described as elegant majestic heavenly beings, and there is no allusion to baby angels.
Another important fact to know about these sumptuous beings is that all angels do not have wings. For example, in the famous story of Sodom and Gomorrah, the two angels whom God sent to deliver Lot did not have wings (Genesis 19:1). In fact, the only angels in the Bible that have wings are cherubim and seraphim. The Bible describes Cherubs in Ezekiel 1:4-14 and Revelation 4:6-8, and the Bible only mentions Seraphim in Isaiah 6:2-3.
Truth Concerning Angeles
Angels are magnanimous heavenly beings. While the Bible does not tell us exactly when God created them, it appears He created them before the earth. The very first verse in the Bible gives us some indication as to when God made angels.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
“The heavens” refers to the creation of the universe which would include the different galaxies and solar systems, as well as angelic beings. Since angels are celestial beings, this would imply that they came into existence when God created the heavens.
God has told us everything He wants us to know about angels in the Bible. Among the innumerable hosts of angels, the Bible only reveals three by name: Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer. Lucifer was the most magnificent of all the angels. He was a brilliant personality; he stood next to God in direct universal authority. Lucifer is now the fallen and deposed outcast of heaven. Today we know him as Satan.
Angels are spirits. Sometimes the Bible calls them flames of fire. God sends angels to minister to, and for us. Of the angels, He says: “Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire” (Hebrews 1:7). The Bible also refers to angels as sons of God.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.
Job 1:6
What the Bible Says About People
Much like angels, we are also unique creations. While angels were the first beings that God created, we are God’s ultimate creation. We are the only beings in the universe that God formed with His own hands.
And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground...
Genesis 2:7
We did not evolve from lesser ape-like creatures as science suggests. Like a sculptor forming a sculpture, God shaped the first man with His own hands. The sculpture was an exact replica of the sculptor. But there was something missing; it was inanimate. God’s beloved masterpiece whom He called man, stood lifeless, like a mannequin in God’s garden, The Garden of Eden. But God wanted more; He wanted the man to be alive.
…and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.
Genesis 2:7
Sons of God
Imagine God walking over to His sculptured creation and breathing His very life into it. The man was no longer just a lump of sculptured clay, he began to breathe. Now that the man was a living creature, God gave him a name. He named him Adam. However, Adam was not born so his life was not a natural life; his life was different from the life of any other living thing on earth. Adam’s life was the actual breath of God. Adam was not just a living creature; he was now a living, walking, speaking spirit. He was in essence, the son of God.
Now Jesus… as was supposed the son of Joseph… the son of Adam, the son of God.
Luke 3:23, 38
While Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, Adam is God’s son too. That is why Jesus sometimes referred to Himself as the Son of man (Matthew 9:6). Therefore, we are also sons and daughters of God.
Do We Become Heavenly Beings Like Angels When We Die?
Angelic beings are completely distinctive creations. They are nothing like people therefore, it is very unlikely that we will get wings in our new life after death. The Bible tells us that God made us a little lower than the angels. That tells us that we are not like angelic beings and we have no need for wings. In the life to come, we are going to reign as kings and priests on the earth (Revelation 5:10). We will rule angels.
After death, we will be transformed, for we will have new bodies. Although it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, we know that when God is revealed, we shall be like Him.
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him…
1 John 3:1-2
There is nothing in the Bible that indicates that we will get wings when we die. The Bible only tells us that we will be transformed. We will receive incorruptible bodies. Our new bodies will never experience pain, sickness, or death.
The Gift Greater Than Wings
God promises a greater gift than wings. That gift is salvation. But we only associate salvation with being saved from hell. However, salvation is about deliverance and it covers a wide spectrum. To receive the gift of salvation, all you have to do is accept God’s conditions of repentance by faith in His Son (Acts 4:12). It is important to know that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. No amount of work can earn salvation. You are only justified before God by faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing else can save you from the wrath of God which is to come on the world.
It is important to know what you believe. If you believe the words of God, you must trust God. Therefore, you should know and believe what God says concerning angels. In the life to come, we will have no need of wings for we will be like Him and we will judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).