The word ‘Angel’ is taken from the Greek word ‘Angelos’ which means ‘Messenger’. Angels are those souls who from the beginning of creation never lost contact with the Creator, never had physical lives, and seek only to fulfill the will of the Creator. Angels can vary in form, depending on the needs and expectations of those requesting help. They may appear as either male or female, but are neither. They are beings of light energy. They came into being as a link between the Creator and humanity. Angels are different in many respects from Spirit Guides. They usually come with a frequency of unconditional love whereas spirit guides have personalities and are often humorous and talk a lot!

As the distance between man and the lower forms of life is filled with beings of various grades, so it is possible that between man and God there exist creatures of higher than human intelligence and power. Indeed, the existence of lesser deities in all heathen mythologies presumes the existence of a higher order of beings between God and man, superior to man and inferior to God. This possibility is turned into certainty by the express and explicit teaching of the Scriptures.

An angel is a transcendental being found in many religions. Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition, in Christianity, Judaism and Islam, they typically act as messengers from God. Other roles in religious traditions include acting as warrior or guard; the concept of a “guardian angel” is popular in modern Western culture. Angels are usually viewed as emanations of a supreme divine being, sent to do the tasks of that being. Traditions vary as to whether angels have free will or are merely extensions of the supreme being’s will. While the appearance of angels also varies, many views of angels give them a human shape.

Not all angels are created equal. From top to bottom, the celestial hierarchy includes seraphim, cherubim, thrones; dominions, virtues, powers; principalities, archangels, and angels. Angels have different functions. Some do nothing but worship their Lord. Others are sent to deliver messages to creatures on earth. Some are sent as protectors of earthlings. Still others are sent to do battle with devils, who are viewed as initiators of evil temptations.

While the angel investing community is vital, it has its challenges. Most individual angels are very private, which contributes to the inefficiencies of early-stage equity markets. Also, some angels, despite their own entrepreneurial experience, may not be very sophisticated investors. This limits their helpfulness and can even get in the way of additional funding. More than one entrepreneur has not been able to attract venture capital or other growth financing because an angel investor proceeded in ways that made the firm unappealing to follow-on funders. The Kauffman Foundation wants to address these issues by providing education about the angel investor processes and systems, and by gathering and analyzing data regarding the impact of angels on the economy and various communities.

shall receive wisdom” (Sirach 38:25). So if some angels are sent on external ministrations, they would seemingly be hindered from contemplation. But the whole of their beatitude consists in the contemplation of God. So if they were sent, their beatitude would be lessened; which is unfitting.

The mention of angels is inclusive in Scripture. In the NASB translation these celestial beings are referred to 196 times, 103 times in the Old Testament and 93 times in the New Testament.

Even if they exist only in the imagination, however, angels can be very useful. They can serve as monitors of behavior and protectors of children. A parent can try to control a child’s behavior by convincing the child that an angel is always watching over him or her. The angel is presented as being a kind of guardian, but the child will hopefully realize that the angel is also keeping track of all deeds, good and bad, even those done when mommy and daddy aren’t around. The guardian angel is a comforting and versatile concept, and is the basis for many myths. Much entertainment in books, films and television programs is based on the concept of the guardian angel, often transformed into a superhuman master of occult powers.

Traditional religionists are not the only ones who love angels. New Age mythmakers have made an industry out of angels. Dozens of books connecting angels with everything from guidance in daily life to talking to the dead to psychic healing are published every year. Sales of angel figurines and other material products are brisk.

The Bible, Oral Law, Midrash and various mystical texts present angels as heavenly beings created by God who are not endowed with free will. They occasionally appear on earth in furtherance of God’s will, often as messengers. They are frequently encountered in mystical texts, particularly those of the Merkabah tradition. Jewish angelology is far from systematic, and the purpose, nature and personalities of individual angels and the heavenly host as a whole varies greatly across historical eras, texts, genres and traditions.