Angel Statues And Their Meaning

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

From the internet:

The most common image of an angel is essentially a human being with wings. This is not biblical. The Bible often presents angels as appearing as human beings. However, this does not indicate that angels in their essence resemble human beings. Further, the Bible very rarely describes angels as having wings. However, there are definitely two types of angels mentioned in the Bible that have wings: cherubim (Exodus 25:20; Ezekiel 10) and seraphim (Isaiah 6). Cherubim and seraphim are two types of angels, possibly the two highest orders of angels. So, this much is clear, some angels do have wings.

The Bible tells us that angels are spirit beings (Hebrews 1:14). The descriptions of the cherubim in Ezekiel chapter 10 and the seraphim in Isaiah chapter 6 are highly unusual. It is clear that Ezekiel and Isaiah were having trouble accurately describing the amazing visions they saw of heaven and the angels. As spirit beings, it is unclear as to why the angels would require wings. A spirit being does not need wings in order to fly. The angels are not bound by the laws of the physical universe.

So, do angels have wings? Yes, some angels do have wings. However, we should not limit what the angels can or cannot do based on our limited understanding of the wings some angels possess as described in the Bible.

So, angels have no physical body hence no weight.

Seraphim have 6 wings, I read they were the protectors of God’s throne.

I’ve never seen a Seraphim sculpture, maybe too complicated for a sculptor???

[healey36]

While in Catholic grade school we were taught that each one of us has a “guardian” angel. Not sure I ever really bought into that concept, but if true mine has done a damned good job. I’ve scated through 61 years relatively unscathed.

Healey

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

While in Catholic grade school we were taught that each one of us has a “guardian” angel. Not sure I ever really bought into that concept, but if true mine has done a damned good job. I’ve scated through 61 years relatively unscathed.

Healey

My ex-wife went to Catholic school on Guam when her dad was in the Navy. She said they put her in a closet once when she came to school wearing a skirt that was too short according to their rules, while they adjusted the hem

I know 2 nuns that got married and left the church, one was a friend of my 2nd wife and the other is my son-in-laws mom.

I still haven't found anything that says what a particular type/pose a statue represents. Maybe it's in the eye of the beholder

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I remember that many years ago when aerodynamics became a study it was determined that bees should not be able to fly.
The bees didn't listen to the professors and flew anyway.
You suppose angels are concerned about aerodynamics?

Wonderful. Says a lot about determination, doesn't it.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

BobD mentioned the wings and the human form. Perhaps such visualizations are provided so we can understand and relate to what we are seeing or experiencing, through the ages, trying to, as best we can, explain some unique phenomena to ourselves.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

While in Catholic grade school we were taught that each one of us has a “guardian” angel. Not sure I ever really bought into that concept, but if true mine has done a damned good job. I’ve scated through 61 years relatively unscathed.

Healey

My ex-wife went to Catholic school on Guam when her dad was in the Navy. She said they put her in a closet once when she came to school wearing a skirt that was too short according to their rules, while they adjusted the hem

I know 2 nuns that got married and left the church, one was a friend of my 2nd wife and the other is my son-in-laws mom.

I still haven't found anything that says what a particular type/pose a statue represents. Maybe it's in the eye of the beholder

I'm not sure I would include nuns, or at least every one of them that ever were, in a conversation about what angels are. I enjoyed almost all of them that ever taught me in Catholic elementary school, but there were one or two I'd like to have put in a closet.

Pictured here was my - and everybody else's - favorite nun - Sister Richard. And she was an angel.

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

I'm not Catholic (Lutheran), but every time I've ever been around nuns I feel/felt the need to be on my best behavior. I was born in Maryview Hospital here in Portsmouth that had nuns on staff. I think all the Bons Secours hospitals have nuns.

Gotta respect their commitment.

[webenda]

I’ve never seen a Seraphim sculpture, maybe too complicated for a sculptor???

Maybe but here is a carving of seraphim.

seraphim-angels-low-relief-carving-oshki-monastery-turkey.jpg (455.65 KiB) Viewed 4460 times

Isaiah's famous, "Here I am; send me."
Isaiah 6:1-8 American Standard Version (ASV)

6 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.
2 Above him stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 and he touched my mouth with it, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin forgiven.
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I; send me.

NOTE-- Twain is an archaic term for two.
"he split it in twain"

Hebrew word sera·phimʹ is a plural noun derived from the verb sa·raphʹ, meaning “burn.” (Le 4:12) Thus the Hebrew term sera·phimʹ literally means “burning ones.”

The position of their wings: With humility and modesty in the presence of the Supreme One, they covered their faces with one of their three sets of wings, and being in a holy location, they covered their feet with another set, in due respect for the heavenly King.—Isa 6:2, 3.

The description of the seraphs as having feet, wings, and so forth, must be understood to be symbolic, their likeness to the form of earthly creatures being only representative of abilities they have or of functions they perform, just as God often speaks symbolically of himself as having eyes, ears, and other human features.

Since the face is covered, an accurate statue would look like this drawing:

seraphim.jpg (101.23 KiB) Viewed 4459 times

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

Good find Wayne!

The good folks at the Kitchen Cabinet Store installed my granite countertops last week, it's amazing what they can do to a piece of rock:

Here's the piece they picked out for me at the granite place:

image12.jpeg (4.04 MiB) Viewed 4459 times

and the end result:

DSCN0101_839.JPG (263.7 KiB) Viewed 4459 times

No angel reliefs in these pieces (should have thought of it sooner )

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I'm not Catholic (Lutheran), but every time I've ever been around nuns I feel/felt the need to be on my best behavior. I was born in Maryview Hospital here in Portsmouth that had nuns on staff. I think all the Bons Secours hospitals have nuns.

Gotta respect their commitment.

Interesting points, and I applaud you for saying so. I feel the same way, to this day. Even though their habits (clothing) have changed, for some, drastically, nowadays, when I can discern the person in whose company I am is a nun, an automatic respect and appreciation kicks-in. I try to be as accommodating as possible.

Here are a couple more Sisters of St. Joseph we admired and for whom we had great affection. To us students, they were angels. I absolutely never heard a single one of them complain about being uncomfortable in all those layers of clothing, sleeve-inside-sleeve-inside-sleeve, heads encased in wimples and veils, skirts to their toes. And this was far before any notion of air conditioning in a grammar school, which included 40 - 50 squirming 1 - 8th graders, per classroom, all uncomfortable and a-wiggling.

They were totally focused on their responsibilities, which meant their students, as far as we were concerned and aware. (And I still know my times-tables and grammar, thanks to all of them.)

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

Here’s a blurb I found on the internet with explanations:

Angels

Weeping Angel: grief

Also known as the angel of grief a weeping angel symbolizes grief, especially mourning an untimely death.

Angel with trumpet: Call to resurrection

An angel statue with one (sometimes two) trumpets are symbolic to the day of judgement. It’s long been used throughout the years as a memorial sculpture. An angel with a horn is a representation of the archangel Gabriel.

Angel carrying a departed soul: Protection

Often depicted with a child in its arms or as a guardian embracing the dead the angel carrying the deceased in their arms is a sign of an escort to heaven. The messengers of God are often shown as escorting the deceased to heaven.

Flying angel: rebirth

An angel with open wings is thought to represent the flight of the soul to heaven.

Angel with a sword: Justice

The angel with the sword depicts the angel Michael. The sword is double edged, representing truth and justice.

[robert.]

I'll give my kitchen story. I move a couple into their new MCmansion. It's a huge house by anybody's standards. Mrs little entitled lady of the manor can't have regular appliances. She needed La Cornue (French made and high price) I end up picking these up for her. It's amazing how somebody can spend $40,000 on appliances and want to save $200 on the delivery. Anyway i take away her old range. It's a brand new Maytag. Never used. I get it home and almost burn down the house. Fricking Knobs are not for the same burners as my old range. I placed a pot on the back burner turn it on and leave. 2 minutes later smoke is coming out of the kitchen. I had turned on the front burner and burnt my potholder. Still 2 months later i cant get these knobs right in my head. With all the government regulations out there. You would think they could add one more to make all ranger knobs be for the same burner

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

I've had a Whirlpool glass-top stove for over a year now, if it didn't have pictures on it telling me which knob controls which burner I'd do the same thing

After I use a burner I put a cheap tea kettle on it so I won't put my hand on the burner area, it's stays hot for about 30 minutes but you can't tell it by sight. The other day I cook some spaghetti and put the kettle on the burner...but forgot to turn the burner off. After an hour I walked into the kitchen and noticed the HOT SURFACE light was still on, the tea kettle was blocking my view of the COOKTOP ON light still lit up

When I flew RC planes back in the 70s the thing to do was to boil nylon propellers to stress relieve them (I think that's what the purpose was). I left that pot on unattended and when I came back there was nothing but melted nylon in the bottom of the pot, wife-at-the-time was not pleased

[MurphOnMillerAve]

When I have used a burner, whether front or rear of the stove, I move the pan or pot off it and replace it with an upside-down metal pie pan. That is our signal that the burner is likely still hot and not to be touched or even gone near. I do this because I do not want the contents of the pot/pan I was using to continue to cook/burn, and I am often away from the stove by the time my wife comes into the kitchen and wants to use the stove. It's not science, but it is our little signal for each other's safety and well-being.

(UhOh. Have I just contributed to dangerous and unauthorized thread-drift, again!?) Oy vey!

[robert.]

I guess you got rid of the prop stress. My top is glass also. Plus the hot surface light is always on.