Gender and Angels. What Say You?

[righteousdude2]

Have you ever wondered why the Archangels are named after men? And is there any reference in the OT and NT about an angel being a female?

Below are a few links, and I'm sure there are more, that discuss this anomaly. However, I'm interested in your own thoughts on this subject of Angels: Are there male and female angels, or did God generate angels in neutral state of being, giving them the ability to take on whatever form they need when coming in contact with mankind?

SEE:http://www.freejesus.net/sin/angels.php

http://angels.about.com/od/AngelBasics/f/Are-Angels-Male-Or-Female-What-Are-Angel-Genders.htm

http://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2010/09/why-archangels-have-mens-names.html

OR, as Antonio, age 9 put it so well, "All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go for it!"

 

[annsni]

I've never heard of female angels so I'd say that they are either male or a male-like version in "angel" model.

 

[Arbo]

What would be the purpose of differing angelic genders?

I only skimmed over the links, so I may have missed the answer to the question.

 

[mont974x4]

What would be the purpose of differing angelic genders?

I only skimmed over the links, so I may have missed the answer to the question.

I think its important in that it points to the issue of pop theology as opposed to biblical theology. Most pictures we see of angels are these beautiful beings. Most Christmas angels tend to be women.

However, in the Bible we have them with male names....and their appearance tends to be frightening.

 

[Jerome]

Have you ever wondered why the Archangels are named after men?

They're not.

 

[righteousdude2]

Please...

They're not.

...explain [Gabriel, Michael, Rapheal and the questionable ones:Jophiel, Chamuel, Uriel and Zadkiel]? They certainly appear to be all male?

SEE:http://www.ewtn.com/library/mary/angel6.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Archangels

http://www.spiritual-encyclopedia.com/archangels.html

BTW - I do not necessarily approve of the above links, I just gave them for referrence purposes. A jumping off point for discussion purposes!

 

[Yeshua1]

Have you ever wondered why the Archangels are named after men? And is there any reference in the OT and NT about an angel being a female?

Below are a few links, and I'm sure there are more, that discuss this anomaly. However, I'm interested in your own thoughts on this subject of Angels: Are there male and female angels, or did God generate angels in neutral state of being, giving them the ability to take on whatever form they need when coming in contact with mankind?

SEE:http://www.freejesus.net/sin/angels.php

http://angels.about.com/od/AngelBasics/f/Are-Angels-Male-Or-Female-What-Are-Angel-Genders.htm

http://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2010/09/why-archangels-have-mens-names.html

OR, as Antonio, age 9 put it so well, "All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go for it!"

they were ALWAYS portrayed as being males in the Bible.....

Think that was based upon God revealing Himself to us in the masculine form!

 

[Ed B]

Answer not listed above because of a lack of a statistically relevent sampling needed to make a determination. However, I was just re-reading Tertullian's "On the Apparel of Women" and he says a lot about the account in the book of Enoch about angels lusting after women, mating with them and teaching them to use make-up and jewelry. Trusting Tertullian I say that at least these fallen angels who may or may not be mentioned in Genesis Chapter 6, are male but with a curious obsession with make-up.

 

[DiamondLady]

Angels are beings with no gender, however when they took on human form in the scriptures they were always male and were given male names.

 

[salzer mtn]

In Mark 12:25 talking about the rising of the dead in Christ, 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. I think angels are are referred to as men because it denotes power that has came from God either in word or appearance.

 

[Jerome]

Puzzled with all this "they were named after men" business.

Don't you think they had the name first, not the other way around?

 

[menageriekeeper]

I believe the male names/appearance to be culturally related. In a male dominated culture logic would dictate a male appearance in order to be taken as an authority. I also don't believe that the names we use to refer to these beings to be their actual names in heaven, but rather simply an earthly identifier. My opinion is that angels are nongendered but I can't prove it.

 

[Baptist Believer]

Puzzled with all this "they were named after men" business.

Don't you think they had the name first, not the other way around?

Yep.

The "-el" ending on the names of the angels is Hebrew indicating that they are from God ("Elohim").

I don't think you can impose gender on an angel based on the name they have.

 

[Yeshua1]

I believe the male names/appearance to be culturally related. In a male dominated culture logic would dictate a male appearance in order to be taken as an authority. I also don't believe that the names we use to refer to these beings to be their actual names in heaven, but rather simply an earthly identifier. My opinion is that angels are nongendered but I can't prove it.

Point is that the ONLY gender we ever saw them appear was a males, so would say that is their gender while on earth and among Humans!

 

[glazer1972]

They are neither male nor female.

 

[Yeshua1]

They are neither male nor female.

Actually, we will be as the Angels of heaven, in that we do not reproduce any more, but still ahve genders, so Angels would be all male we see there...

 

[MB]

Hi rightiousdude;
I believe angles are all men. None of the fallen angles took men to be there husbands. They just took women to be there wives. The sex of a person these days doen't seem to matter for a name because I've heard of women being named by names usually intended for men and visa-versa. What make a name gender related? I can't really think of what it would be that makes a name more male than female except for our perception. There is no need of an opposite sex in Heaven because there is no marriage in heaven.
MB

 

[righteousdude2]

That is one good point...

Hi rightiousdude;
I believe angles are all men. None of the fallen angles took men to be there husbands. They just took women to be there wives. The sex of a person these days doen't seem to matter for a name because I've heard of women being named by names usually intended for men and visa-versa. What make a name gender related? I can't really think of what it would be that makes a name more male than female except for our perception. There is no need of an opposite sex in Heaven because there is no marriage in heaven.
MB

.....thanks for this feedback. I love to post these questions and polls, as I almost certainly get outstanding responses to enhance my own knowledge on ths subject. Yours is one I knew of, but never would have applied without you feedback. Thanks! :wavey: