Riječ dolazi od grčke riječi angelos kojom se prevodi hebrejska riječ malak.

U tim dvama
jezicima ta riječ doslovno označava “glasnika” – Božjega glasnika. U nepreglednoj predaji
riječ anđeo počela se primjenjivati na cijeli niz bestjelesnih, čisto duhovnih bića stvorenih od
Boga. Neka je od njih stvorio da mu služe pred njegovim prijestoljem, a drugima je dao moć
da upravljaju prirodnim silama svemira. Neka od njih su glasnici. Oni se u Bibliji ponekad
pojavljuju u ljudskom obliku – pa čak i u zastrašujućemu simboličnom obliku, s mnogo očiju
(što predstavlja njihovo golemo znanje) i u divovskoj veličini (što predstavlja njihovu
nadljudsku snagu).

Jedna od najživljih predaja rane Crkve bila je pobožnost anđelima čuvarima. Pa ipak, riječ je
o nečemu što suvremenim čitateljima često promakne. Dramatična radnja Djela apostolskih
raspliće se upravo zahvaljujući djelovanju anđela. Anđeli su oslobodili apostole iz tamnice
(5,19;12,7); anđeo vodi Filipa iz Jeruzalema u Gazu na njegov sudbonosni susret s etiopskim
dvoraninom (8,26); anđeli dovode do susreta između Petra i Kornelija (10,3–5). Moj omiljeni
primjer je kad Petar dolazi u kuću u kojoj su se kršćani molili i kad oni pretpostavljaju da to
nije Petar, nego njegov anđeo! (12,15).

I danas kad idemo na misu skup vjernika nikad nije malen, čak i ako ga, što se tiče ljudske
prisutnosti, uopće nema, budući da su anđeli tamo, što se jasno vidi iz riječi koje izgovaramo
na misi: “I stoga s anđelima i arkanđelima… pjevamo bez prestanka: Svet, svet, svet…” Sama
nas misa upozorava da budemo svjesni naših anđela.

Katolička Crkva nije izmislila anđele čuvare kako bismo s njima mogli uspavati djecu. Anđeli
čuvari zaista postoje. „Postojanje duhovnih, netjelesnih bića koje Sveto pismo obično naziva
anđelima, vjerska je istina. Svjedočanstvo Pisma o tome je jasno kao što je i Predaja
jednodušna.“ (Katekizam Katoličke Crkve, 328.) Brojna su mjesta na kojima se u Svetom
pismu spominju anđeli. Oni su služili svima, od pastira do samog Isusa.

„Kad ste u kušnji, zazovite svojeg anđela. On vam želi pomoći više nego li vi sami želite da
vam se pomogne! Ignorirajte đavla i nemajte straha od njega; on se boji i bježi čim vidi vašeg
anđela čuvara.“ (sv. Ivan Bosco)

„Pučka pobožnost prema svetim anđelima, legitimna i ispravna, može ipak izroditi nekim
devijacijama … za osuditi je npr. običaj davati anđelima posebna imena, osim Mihaelu,
Gabrielu i Rafaelu koja se nalaze u Svetom pismu.“ (Direktorij o pučkoj pobožnosti i liturgiji,
217.)
Religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam say that an important part of angels' work
is worshiping the God who created them, such as by praising him in heaven. Some religions,
such as Islam, say that all angels serve God faithfully. Other religions, such as Christianity,
say that some angels are faithful to God, while others have rebelled against him and are now
known as demons.

Religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as belief systems such as New Age
spirituality, say that angels can be beings who have worked their way up from low to high
spiritual planes by passing spiritual tests, and may continue to grow wiser and stronger even
after they've achieved an angelic state.

Some people believe that angels record the activities people choose to do. Some New Age,
Jewish, and Christian believers say that an archangel named Metatron records everything that
happens in the universe, with help from angels of the powers angelic rank. Islam says that
God has created angels called Kiraman Katibin who specialize in recording deeds and that
God assigns two of those angels to each person, with one recording the person's good deeds
and another recording the person's evil deeds. In Sikhism, angels named Chitar and Gupta
record the decisions of all people, with Chitar recording deeds that other humans see and
Gupta recording deeds that are hidden from other people but known to God.

The Christian and Pagan mythologies have mentioned several fallen angels, including
Chemosh, Moloch, Dagon, Beelzebub, Belial, and Satan. Lucifer, who was the son of God,
was cast out of heaven due to his rebellion, and therefore, became Satan.

Barbatos is known to rule Hell and has the ability to tell the future of the spirit. Behemoth is a
beast whose description is provided in many of the scriptures. Belial is the fallen angel of
darkness and desperation.

Beelzebub was a Philistine God of the heavens, commonly referred to as the God of Flies.
Ruax is known to cause headaches. Rahab always suggests violence and makes way for it in
people's lives. Kokabiel, now cast out of heaven, was once the guiding star of the Gods.

Yequn and Asbeel, once angels are now fallen angels who are known to lead the Nephilim
creatures. These are half-human and half-angel creatures whose sole duty is to destroy Earth.

Penemue is also a Satan who lures humans to impurity and dangers. Slowly, he fills up the
minds of humans with impure thoughts, and thus, leads them to destruction.
Some of the most popularly known angels described in the holy scripture are Gabriel, Azrael,
Israfel, and Michael.

The Archangel Michael is known to assist those who are confused or afraid in life. He helps
release fears from their mind and clear all their doubts. Also, he is known to fix all electrical
and mechanical problems.

Archangel Raphael is the God of Healing. He is known to support those who are undergoing
stress, anxiety, and other emotional issues. Raphael tries to bring back peace and harmony in
people's lives by releasing them from emotional trauma.

Gabriel, one of the most famous Archangels, is known for providing strength. In the scripture,
two angels are mentioned, who are known to be the messengers in heaven and also provide
strength to the women who are facing conception or pregnancy issues.

Archangel Jophiel helps maintain beauty in life and makes people see the beauty of nature,
which God himself creates. Jophiel also supports artists who convey their messages through
beautiful portraits that let out all the negativity and chaos around us.

One of the famous angels is the Archangel Ariel, whose name means 'Lion or Lioness of
God', known to protect the Earth from any kind of destructive activities.

Ariel also looks upon the orders of nature as well as the universe. Opportunities and insights
to explore the world and increase your knowledge are provided by this angel, who also
oversees everybody's needs of food, water, and shelter.

Uriel is a mysterious angel who is known to protect the world from the threats of angels who
have been cast out of heaven. His mention is frequently seen in the Christian and Jewish
scriptures.

Uriel is considered to be the angel who guided Noah and warned him of the Great Flood.
Apart from these duties, he is also a patron of arts and sciences.

Metatron is an angel of high ranks who endures the burden of countless responsibilities given
to him by God. He is considered to be one of the most important angels who possess abundant
knowledge and wisdom. He has also been mentioned in the Bible many times.

The Book of Enoch mentions all these fallen angels.