There are eleven historical acts involving the Holy Angels that are often depicted in traditional art. The art is recreated by Catholic artists who depict the Biblical incidents involving the angels. Here we will take a look at them.
1. The Fall of Lucifer- The Revelation of John (Rev. 12:3-4) alludes to Lucifer taking with him one-third of the stars of heaven in the following scripture, “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And this tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast the to the earth.”
2. Adam and Eve’s Ejection from the Garden of Eden- Genesis 3:23, 24 tells us about Adam and Even’s Ejection from the Garden of Eden in the following passage, “The Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”
3. Abraham’s Visitation by Three Angels- In Chapter 18 of Genesis, Abraham is visited by three angels who announce that his barren, elderly wife Sarah will conceive and bear a son called Isaac.
4. The Angel Who Prevents Abraham from Sacrificing Isaac- Chapter 22 of Genesis tells the story of the Lord ordering Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. An angel then intervenes.
5. Jacob Wrestling with an Angel– Genesis 32:5 tells us, “And Jacob was left alone; and a man (an angel) wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man (angel) saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob’s thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.”
6. Angels Moving Up and Down “Jacob’s Ladder.” Genesis 28:12 tells us, “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.”
7. The Three Princes Delivered from a Fiery Furnace- Three young men who refuse to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar are cast into a fiery furnace and saved by an Angel. Nebuchadnezzar responds in Daniel 3:24-28: “Blessed be the Lord God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who hath sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any God except their own God.”
8. The Army of Sennacherib Slain by an Angel- In Kings Chapter 19, after King Sennacherib of Assyria threated Hezekiah, King of Judah, Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh.
9. Raphael Protecting Tobias- Tobias 5:4 tells us, “Tobias went out in search of one who knew the road so that he might accompany him into the land of the Medes. He went out and saw before him the Angel Raphael, without in the least suspecting that this was an angel of God.”
10. The Punishment of Heliodorus- Once in the temple, Heliodorus encountered an apparition: a rider wearing golden armor on a horse, and two youths, who stroke Heliodorus repeatedly. Heliodorus was then saved by the prayers of the high priest Onias the Third. 11. The Annunciation- According to Luke 1:26-38, “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The Virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
