Hence male names, such as Raphael and Gabriel.

In addition, not being familiar with Star Trek, their only concept of flying was a bird, which required visible wings of the feathered variety. Consequen

One thing is certain, angels are not humans who have died and then been awarded wings. This is a wild myth, which actually goes back further than you might think.

In recent years, movies like "Highway To Heaven", starring the late Michael Landon, and before that, the movie "It's A Wonderful Life", starring James Stewart, picked up on the ancient myth that angels are humans that have died and need to redeem themselves, before entering heaven, by returning to Earth and doing good deeds.

In ancient times, some of the science fiction concepts we are familiar with -- such as teleportation -- were beyond the imagination of the scribes. So that attributed a human body form to angels. And, as the ancients also generally supposed a man to be a higher form of human than a woman, they naturally portrayed an angel as a man. Hence male names, such as Raphael and Gabriel.

In addition, not being familiar with Star Trek, their only concept of flying was a bird, which required visible wings of the feathered variety. Consequent

To Heaven", starring the late Michael Landon, and before that, the movie "It's A Wonderful Life", starring James Stewart, picked up on the ancient myth that angels are humans that have died and need to redeem themselves, before entering heaven, by returning to Earth and doing good deeds.

In ancient times, some of the science fiction concepts we are familiar with -- such as teleportation -- were beyond the imagination of the scribes. So that attributed a human body form to angels. And, as the ancients also generally supposed a man to be a higher form of human than a woman, they naturally portrayed an angel as a man. Hence male names, such as Raphael and Gabriel.

In addition, not being familiar with Star Trek, their only concept of flying was a bird, which required visible wings of the feathered variety. Consequen

emselves, before entering heaven, by returning to Earth and doing good deeds.

In ancient times, some of the science fiction concepts we are familiar with -- such as teleportation -- were beyond the imagination of the scribes. So that attributed a human body form to angels. And, as the ancients also generally supposed a man to be a higher form of human than a woman, they naturally portrayed an angel as a man. Hence male names, such as Raphael and Gabriel.

In addition, not being familiar with Star Trek, their only concept of flying was a bird, which required visible wings of the feathered variety. Consequen

gination of the scribes. So that attributed a human body form to angels. And, as the ancients also generally supposed a man to be a higher form of human than a woman, they naturally portrayed an angel as a man. Hence male names, such as Raphael and Gabriel.

In addition, not being familiar with Star Trek, their only concept of flying was a bird, which required visible wings of the feathered variety. Consequen

Hence male names, such as Raphael and Gabriel.

In addition, not being familiar with Star Trek, their only concept of flying was a bird, which required visible wings of the feathered variety. Consequently, almost every illustration of an angel is a male with wings and generally blond hair, to enhance the look of angelic purity.

In truth, angels don't need wings to fly and are asexual, being neither male nor female. In biblical Hebrew an angel is mal'ak -- meaning messenger. When we think of the Angel Gabriel visiting the Virgin Mary and telling her she is to become the mother of Jesus, we understand that role clearly. But the term messenger is, perhaps, too limiting a term, because angels are messengers in a wider sense, in that they act as go-betweens between man and God. So perhaps "ambassadors" is a more accurate noun.

Either way, they are certainly not merely dead humans with wings.

Copyright 2007 Gaynor Peck and AngelsAboveUs.com