Angels: Beings of Light

Find out about angel light energy, auras, halos, UFOs and more

angel light being
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Light that’s so bright that it illuminates an entire area … Brilliant beams of shining rainbow colors … Flashes of light full of energy: People who have encountered angels appearing on Earth in their heavenly form have given many awestruck descriptions of the light that emanates from them. No wonder angels are often called “beings of light.”

Made Out of Light

Muslims believe that God created angels from light. The Hadith, a traditional collection of information about the prophet Muhammad, declares: “The angels were created from light …”.

Christians and Jewish people often describe angels as glowing with light from within as a physical manifestation of the passion for God that is burning within angels.

In Buddhism and Hinduism, angels are described as having the essence of light, even though they’re often depicted in art as having human or even animal bodies. The angelic beings of Hinduism are considered to be minor gods called “devas,” which means “shining ones.”

During near-death experiences (NDEs), people often report meeting angels who appear to them in the form of light and lead them through tunnels toward a greater light that some believe may be God.

Auras and Halos

Some people think that the halos that angels wear in traditional artistic depictions of them are actually just parts of their light-filled auras (the energy fields that surround them). William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, reported seeing a group of angels surrounded by an aura of extremely bright light in all colors of the rainbow.

UFOs

The mysterious lights reported as unidentified flying objects (UFOs) throughout the world at various times may be angels, say some people. Those who believe that UFOs could be angels say their beliefs are consistent with some accounts of angels in religious scriptures. For example, Genesis 28:12 of both the Torah and the Bible describes angels using a celestial staircase to ascend and descend from the sky.

Uriel: Famous Angel of Light

Uriel, a faithful angel whose name means “light of God” in Hebrew, is often associated with light in both Judaism and Christianity. The classic book Paradise Lost portrays Uriel as “the sharpest-sighted spirit in all of heaven” who also watches over a great ball of light: the sun.

Michael: Famous Angel of Light

Michael, the leader of all angels, is connected with the light of fire -- the element he oversees on Earth. As the angel who helps people discover the truth and directs angelic battles for good to prevail over evil, Michael burns with the power of faith manifested physically as light.

Lucifer (Satan): Famous Angel of Light

Lucifer, an angel whose name means “light bearer” in Latin, rebelled against God and then became Satan, the evil leader of the fallen angels called demons. Before his fall, Lucifer radiated glorious light, according to Jewish and Christian traditions. But when Lucifer fell from heaven, it was “like lightning,” says Jesus Christ in Luke 10:18 of the Bible. Even though Lucifer is now Satan, he can still use light to deceive people into thinking that he is good instead of evil. The Bible warns in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”

Moroni: Famous Angel of Light

Joseph Smith, who founded the Church of the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon Church), said that an angel of light named Moroni visited him to reveal that God wanted Smith to translate a new scriptural book called the Book of Mormon. When Moroni appeared, reported Smith, “the room was lighter than at noonday.” Smith said that he met with Moroni three times, and afterward located golden plates he had seen in a vision and then translated them into the Book of Mormon.

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Hopler, Whitney. "Angels: Beings of Light." Learn Religions, Sep. 23, 2021, learnreligions.com/angels-beings-of-light-123808. Hopler, Whitney. (2021, September 23). Angels: Beings of Light. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/angels-beings-of-light-123808 Hopler, Whitney. "Angels: Beings of Light." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/angels-beings-of-light-123808 (accessed March 28, 2024).