Angels play a significant role in the characterisation of the Matthean Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew displays particular interest in angels. This article focuses on passages in Matthew that relate the role of angels directly to Jesus. Matthew distinguishes between the angel of the Lord and angels in general. This article examines the latter group keeping in view their support of Jesus. It shows that Matthew assumes knowledge of Jewish angelic traditions among his readers. He adds new perspectives to their knowledge about the relation of angels with Jesus. He is depicted as meek and humble, refraining from using his authority to call on the assistance of angels for his own benefit. Yet angels come with reverence to serve him. In humility, he fully submits to the will of the Father by entering his passion. On the other hand, he is also depicted with eschatological glory as being accompanied by all the angels. Heavens are emptied to attend to the Son of Man on his glorious throne. With an entourage of all heavenly angels he will return as the eschatological judge not only to judge all the nations, but also the devil and his angels.
This article follows a narrative approach
Though angels may be considered as minor characters in Matthew’s Gospel, this Gospel displays particular interest in them. It frequently refers to angels. The angel of the Lord appears three times in the birth and childhood narratives, involving material that is unique to the First Gospel (Mt 1:18–25; 2:13–15 and 2:19–23). In the temptation scene, the devil deceptively refers to angels and once he has left, angels come and serve Jesus (Mt 4:1–11). When Jesus speaks of eschatological scenes around the coming of the Son of Man, he repetitively mentions the role of angels in judgement and punishment (Mt 13:24–30, 36–43, 47–50; 16:27; 24:30–31, 36 and 25:31–46). In a remark unique to Matthew (Mt 18:10), he also speaks of angels of the little ones who are always before the face of the Father. In his dispute with the Sadducees and Pharisees, Jesus again refers to angels in heaven (Mt 22:30). In a remark that is once again unique to this Gospel (Mt 26:53–54), when he is arrested in Gethsemane, Jesus mentions his ability to call in the assistance of 12 legions of angels. At the empty tomb the angel of Lord appears again (Mt 28:2–10), a character whom Mark identifies as a young man (Mk 16:5), although Luke speaks of two men (Lk 24:4).
The scope of the present article is limited to passages where the role of the angels is directly related to Jesus. Matthew distinguishes between the angel of the Lord and angels in general. This article focusses on the latter group of angels in their support of Jesus as the main character of the narrative.
Matthew and Luke differ from the concise version of Mark, since they add the dialogue between Jesus and the devil during the three separate temptations (Mt 4:1–11; Lk 4:1–13).
Matthew’s version clearly echoes the wandering of Israel (Bendoraitis
The voice of God at Jesus’ baptism seems to echo the voice of the Lord calling Israel to obedience in Deuteronomy 4:36, that is: ‘From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you…’ Israel’s tempering struggle proved to be a time of disciplining and humbling. In contrast to Israel’s disobedience, Jesus remains faithful. Nevertheless, God protected his people during their 40 years in the wilderness.
Its double reference to angels (Mt 4:6 and 11) makes Matthew’s temptation narrative unique.
The first reference to angels that Matthew shares with Luke (Mt 4:6; Lk 4:10–11) is indicated in
Angel reference shared by Matthew and Luke.
Matthew 4:6 | Luke 4:10–11 |
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γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι ‘Τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἀροῦσίν σε, μή ποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον τὸν πόδα σου.’ | γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι ‘Τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ τοῦ διαφυλάξαι σε, καὶ ὅτι ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἀροῦσίν σε μή ποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον τὸν πόδα σου.’ |
For it is written: | For it is written: |
‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone’ | ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone’ |
In the second temptation, according to Matthew’s version, the tempter takes Jesus to the temple.
Since the Matthean Gospel reflects a strong Jewish character, the angel traditions of the Old Testament and Jewish literature from the Second Temple Period provide context to Matthew’s references to angels. For instance, consider that Psalm 91 is a song about God’s protection of those who put their trust in him. Creach (
God commands his angels to carefully protect those who seek his refuge from all dangers. The angels become a divine guard against all kinds of threats. Beyond this psalm, angels are frequently portrayed as agents of God’s protective care. Angels deliver Lot and his family from Sodom (Gn 19), they protect the three men in the furnace (Dn 3:28), Daniel declares that God sent his angel to shut the mouth of the lions (Dn 6:22) and God promises his protecting angel to guide his people on their exodus (Ex 32:34), thus to mention but a few examples. The devil therefore draws upon a well-attested tradition around the care given by angels to tempt Jesus. However, Jesus refuses to jump, not because he denies the protection of the angels, but because he chooses not to succumb to the temptation of the devil and to be fully faithful to the will of his Father.
Angel reference shared by Matthew and Mark.
Matthew 4:11 | Mark 1:13 |
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καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄγγελοι προσῆλθον καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῷ. |
καὶ ἦν μετὰ τῶν θηρίων, καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι διηκόνουν αὐτῷ. |
Matthew omits Marks’ remark that Jesus was among the wild animals. The wild animals probably refer to evil characters, such as the lion and adder as found in Psalm 91:11–13.
At the end of this short narrative, both Matthew and Mark mention that the angels served him (διηκόνουν αὐτῷ).
However, Matthew relates very little about the angels as such. He probably assumes knowledge of the traditions about angels. Instead of describing the angels,
Parallel to Mark, the angels in Matthew served (διηκόνουν) Jesus. The temptation narrative begins where he fasts for 40 days, and the devil subsequently tempts him to turn stones into bread. But Jesus rejects this.
At the end of the narrative, the angels then come to nourish him. The parallel with Elijah (1 Ki 19:5–8) is significant. He also received nourishment from the angel of the Lord. In another instance, in the desert Israel received nourishment from the Lord. However, this was after they had complained about their hunger (Ex 16:2–3), while Jesus was attended without his request or complaint (Davies & Allison
The presence of the angels after Jesus demonstrated his unreserved obedience to the will of God echoes the promise of God’s protection by angels in Psalm 91. Instead of the relying on the protection of angels by succumbing to the temptation of the devil to jump from the temple, the angels now come to serve him. The presence of the angels demonstrates God’s appreciation of Jesus’ faithfulness while being severely tempted.
In sum, it is clear that the angels in the temptation narrative portray Jesus’ victory over Satan and his unwavering obedience to the will of God.
The parable discourse of Matthew 13 forms the end of a section in which Jesus experiences severe opposition from the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (Mt 11–13). The eschatological separation of the good and the evil is a prominent motif in this discourse. Angels appear in the parables of the weeds (Mt 13:24–30, 36–43) and the net (Mt 13:47–50). These refer with vivid apocalyptic language
The parables of the weeds and of the net each enjoy separate explanations of their meanings. Their explanatory parts contain descriptions of the angels. Although it is not unusual for parables to contain concluding remarks to aid their understanding, only three of them have extended explanations, namely the parable of the sower (Mk 4:1–9, 13–20; Mt 13:1–9, 18–23; Lk 8:4–8, 11–15), the parable of the weeds (Mt 13:24–30, 36–43)
As mentioned earlier, the parable of the weeds (Mt 13:24–30) is unique to Matthew. The Matthean Jesus tells this parable to the crowds, but when alone with his disciples, he explains its meaning (Mt 13:36–43).
The explanation describes the relationship between the Son of Man and the angels
The parable describes how the angels will act as agents of the Son of Man to gather the wicked and punish them (see
The Son of Man and angels in the parable of the weeds.
Matthew 13:41–42 | Matthew 13:41–42 |
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ἀποστελεῖ ὁ |
However, the interaction between the Son of Man and the angels does not have specific antecedents. The closest parallels found in the Old Testament might be from Zechariah 14:5: ‘The Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him’ as well as Daniel 7:10 where the Son of Man is at the throne of the ‘Ancient of Days’ where ‘thousands upon thousands attended him; 10 000 times 10 000 stood before him’.
Although the parable of the weeds reflects traditions of angelic activity in the execution of end time judgement, the parable explicitly links this judgement to the Son of Man. Although Matthew draws on traditions as recorded in Jewish apocalyptic texts, he adapts them to include the position of Jesus within this cosmological hierarchy. Other than in the Testament of Abraham, the angels in the parable do not act as judges. The judgement comes from the Son of Man, and he sends out (ἀποστελεῖ) his angels to execute his commands. Not only are the angels sent by him, but they are also his (αὐτοῦ) angels. His angels stand under his direction. This underscores the importance of his character in Matthew’s Gospel. The Son of Man is the authoritative judge of the end time.
Angels are again mentioned in the parable of the net. It draws the parable discourse of Matthew 13 to an end. It is much shorter than the parable of the weeds, though its structure and vocabulary are similar (Davies & Allison
Angels in the parable of the nets.
Matthew 13:49b | Matthew 13:49b-50 |
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ἐξελεύσονται οἱ |
As in the parable of the weeds, the angels will collect the good and the bad, separate them, destroy the bad and preserve the good. Although the role of the Son of Man is not explicitly mentioned, it is implied. As with the parable of the weeds, the angels execute their tasks under his direction.
In these two parables, angels are portrayed as subject to the control of the Son of Man. He is the powerful judge under whose direction they stand.
After Matthew 13, Matthew 16:27 is the next passage in the narrative referring to the angels and the Son of Man. It reveals once more that angels are in the service of the Son of Man, as the heavenly and eschatological judge. Although the parables of the weed and the net are unique to Matthew, Matthew 16:27 has a parallel passage in Mark 8:38, as reflected in
The Son of Man will come with his angels.
Matthew 16:27 | Mark 8:38 |
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μέλλει γὰρ |
καὶ |
The Matthean version differs slightly from the Markan one. Matthew omits the reference to the shame of the Son of Man (ἐπαισχυνθήσεται αὐτὸν) and moves the eschatological coming of the Son of Man to the beginning of the phrase. In this way, he places more emphasis on the immanence of his coming. Furthermore, he changes τῶνἀγγέλωντῶνἁγίων [holy angels] to τῶνἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ [his angels].
Mark probably draws on the tradition that God is the holy one, with the result that the angels that are associated with him are holy angels (Bendoraitis
Matthew 16:27 stands at a crucial point in the narrative. It follows shortly after Peter’s confession about the identity of Jesus, who poses the question: ‘Who do people say the Son of Man (τὸνυἱὸντοῦἀνθρώπου) is?’ (Mt 16:13). Consider that unlike Matthew, Mark and Luke do not include the reference to ‘the Son of Man’ but only ‘Who do people/the crowds say I am?’ (Mk 8:27; Lk 9:18). By explicitly referring to ‘the Son of Man’, Matthew emphasises the importance of Jesus’ identity. To the question ‘Who do you say I am’ (Mt 16:15), Peter responds: ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’ (Mt 16:16). The passage that follows immediately about Jesus on the Mount of transfiguration (Mt 17:1–8) further reveals his identity. It is therefore clear that the redactional change of ‘holy angels’ to ‘his angels’ in Matthew 16:27 puts significant emphasis on the status of Jesus as Son of Man (Bendoraitis
In Matthew 24:30–31 and 25:31 angels are again used to express the status of Jesus as Son of Man.
Matthew draws on Mark 13:26–27 to portray the glorious arrival of the Son of Man with his angels, as depicted in
The glorious arrival of the Son of Man with his angels.
Matthew 24:30–31 | Mark 13:26–27 |
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Καὶ τότε φανήσεται τὸ σημεῖον τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν ‹τῷ› οὐρανῷ, καὶ τότε κόψονται πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ὄψονται τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ μετὰ δυνάμεως καὶ δόξης πολλῆς· |
Καὶ τότε ὄψονται τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν νεφέλαις μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς καὶ δόξης. |
Matthew describes the cosmic signs that will signal the coming of the Son of Man.
The role of the angels once again emphasises the Son of Man’s position as judge. He has the authority to send ‘his angels’ (τοὺςἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ) to gather ‘his elect’ (τοὺςἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτοῦ) (Keener
The parable in Matthew 25:31–46 continues to build this high Christology into its narrative (Keener
The Son of Man with all his angels.
Matthew 25:31 | Matthew 25:31 |
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Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ καὶ |
‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and |
Matthew has been building up the portrayal of the Son of Man. In Matthew 16:27 he refers to the glory of the Son, instead of that of God the Father.
From his throne of glory and with an entourage of all the heavenly angels, he will pass judgement not only over all the nations, but also over the devil and his angels.
At his arrest, Jesus announces that he could appeal to the Father and he would at once send 12 legions of angels (Mt 26:53). Though all four Gospels narrate the arrest of Jesus, Matthew includes a singular statement about the help of the angels, as portrayed in
More than 12 legions of angels at Jesus’ disposal.
Matthew 26:53 | Matthew 26:53 |
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ἢ δοκεῖς ὅτι οὐ δύναμαι παρακαλέσαι τὸν Πατέρα μου, καὶ παραστήσει μοι ἄρτι |
Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal |
In what seems to be an attempt to protect Jesus, one of his disciples
Jesus refuses to demonstrate his authority in such a manner. This is reminiscent of his response to the devil with his second temptation, when the devil tempted him to jump from the temple, as angels would carry him (Mt 4:6). Jesus could once again call on his Father to send angels to assist him. In both situations Jesus does not do so, as this would imply misunderstanding of and disobedience to the will of the Father. Instead, he demonstrates his complete knowledge and obedience to the will of the Father. He has come to serve, and not to be served. The Son of God, to whom all dominion in heaven and earth is given, uses his supernatural powers to the benefit of others (Davies & Allison
Angels play a significant role in the characterisation of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew does not tell who the angels are or how they relate to the Father. He assumes knowledge of Jewish angelic traditions among his readers. However, he adds new perspectives on the relation of the angels with Jesus, which enlivens his portrait of Jesus.
Jesus’ unwavering commitment to God’s will is expressed on two occasions with reference to angels.
Despite the possibility of angelic intervention, he does not succumb to the devil’s second temptation to jump from the pinnacle of the temple expecting angels to carry him (Mt 4:6) and does not use his authority to call in the assistance of angels when he is arrested in Gethsemane (Mt 26:53). He rather submits to the will of God. He obediently enters his passion to save his people from their sins (cf. Mt 1:21).
On the other hand, Jesus’ divine identity is demonstrated by the angels who reverently come and serve him (viz. (προσῆλθον καὶ διηκόνουν)) after the unsuccessful attempt of the devil to tempt him (Mt 4:11). Matthew usually uses this word group in relation to worship.
As has been demonstrated, Jesus is characterised as the authoritative eschatological judge. On judgement day, Jesus as the Son of Man will come accompanied by ‘his’ angels (Mt 13:41; 16:27; 24:31). Matthew’s version of the event is unique, since he adds this personal pronoun, αὐτοῦ, meaning ‘his’. He will be enthroned on the clouds of heaven, a position traditionally attributed to God himself. He will arrive with power and glory, and with a loud trumpet to call the elect from everywhere. He will be supported by a retinue of his angels to gather the elect and execute punishment at his command.
The contrast between Jesus as meek and humble yet also authoritative as the eschatological judge is exemplified by the depiction of Jesus in eschatological glory in Matthew 16:27. This depiction is placed between Jesus’ first passion prediction (Mt 16:21) and the narrative of his transfiguration (Mt 17:1–7).
Before continuing with the Passion narrative, Jesus is climactically depicted with eschatological glory as being accompanied by all the angels (πάντεςοἱἄγγελοιμετ’ αὐτοῦ) (Mt 25:31). The sun and moon will be darkened and the stars will fall from heaven. All attention will be focussed on Jesus. Heavens will be emptied to attend to the Son of Man on his glorious throne. With this entourage, as indicated, he will not only judge all the nations, but also the devil and his angels.
The author declares that no competing interests exist.
I declare that I am the sole author of this research article.
This article followed all ethical standards for a research without direct contact with human or animal subjects.
This work was supported by a research grant from the National Research Foundation.
Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated agency of the authors.
In my article (Viljoen
The Greek word ἄγγελος is used to refer to celestial as well as human messengers. Although ἄγγελος is also used with reference to John the Baptist in Matthew 11:10, this article is limited to the use of ἄγγελος as related to a celestial messenger.
Other characters that support Jesus in this Gospel are God the Father, the Holy Spirit, the angel of the Lord, Jesus’ disciples and persons who seek healing from Jesus.
This article follows the position of the priority of Mark. Matthew includes Mark’s references to angels and redacts these references which reflect his interest in angels (Mk 1:13; 8:38; 12:25; 13:27, 32; cf. Mk 16:5; Mt 4:11; 16:27; 22:30; 24:30, 36; cf. Mt 28:2–3).
Gerhardsson (
Luke mentions this as the third temptation.
A small portion of the quotation is left out, ‘to guard you in all your way’. Luke maintains a part of it, but in an abbreviated form. Davies and Allison (
During his arrest, Jesus once again refuses to call God’s angels for help, as he remains obedient to the will of his Father (Mt 26:53–54).
Similar to Psalm 91, the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs also mentions that the conquering of wild animals is the result of obedience and faithfulness to God: ‘Every wild creature you will subdue’ (Test. Is 7:7); ‘wild animals will fear you’ (Test. Benj 5.2); and the angels will bless and wild animals will flee from those who ‘achieve the good’ (Test, Naph 8.4).
Some scholars suggest that the wild animals with Jesus refers to a return to the peaceful environment of the Garden of Eden. Jesus would then be regarded as the new Adam who conquered the Satan, which the first Adam failed to do (cf. Guelich
The Jewish haggadic tractate, ‘Abot de Rabbi Nathan 1A, from the geonic era describes a Jewish tradition that the devil was jealous when angels prepared food for Adam. Genesis Rabba, a religious text from the Jewish classical period, notes that the devil departed once he had finished his temptation of Adam (Gn Rab. 70:8).
The only description of an angel in Matthew is the angel of the Lord at the empty tomb (Mt 28:2–4).
Although much of the apocalyptic material is unique to Matthew, he often heightens the apocalyptic language he shares with Mark and Luke (Hagner
In Biblical tradition, angels frequently accompany a theophany, for instance in Deuteronomy 33:2 and Psalm 68:17.
Matthew frequently refers to judgement (Mt 7:23; 26–27; 13:49–50; 18; 22:11–14; 25:31–46). In most of these cases, angels are involved subject to the authority of the Son of Man.
Some scholars have suggested that the parable of the weeds (Mt 13:24–30, 36–43) is a Matthean reworking of Mark’s parable of the seed growing secretly (Mk 4:26–29) (cf. Davies & Allison
In many cases, the parables are framed by introductions (προμηθία – forethoughts) and conclusions (ἐπιμηθία – afterthoughts) that provide evaluations and interpretations. Although some of these introductions and conclusions may have formed part of an original story, others were added by the evangelists. Gerhardsson (
Matthew repeatedly mentions the relation between the Son of Man and angels (Mt 13:41; 16:27; 24:30).
Jewish literature from the Second Temple Period reflects a growing interest in apocalyptic and celestial mysteries. This literature exhibits an increase in descriptions of heavens, its inhabitants and their activities (Bendoraitis
Earlier in the Gospel, John the Baptist also alluded to Jesus’ role as judge (Mt 3:12).
Matthew refers to judgement in further instances where angels, however, are not mentioned. Nonetheless, they are implied at the conclusion of the parable of the wedding banquet (Mt 22:13), as the servants in the parable perform the same duty as the angels in the parables of Matthew 13.
In Jewish traditions, the Satan is also portrayed as one with angels standing under his evil authority, for example in 2 Enoch (2 En 29:3–5) and in the Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah (Mart. Ascen. Is 2.2). The same idea of Satan along with his angels appears in Christian traditions, for instance in Revelation 12:7–9.
In the Old Testament, signs in heaven are commonly associated with the Day of the Lord (Is 13:10; 34:4; Ezr 32:7–8; Jl 2:10, 31; 3:15) (Witherington III
Matthew 24:15 makes this reference explicit in the phrase ‘as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel’.
Revelation 1:7 also connects these texts from Daniel and Zechariah.
When the high priest asks Jesus about his identity, he responds ‘From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven’ (Mt 16:64). The irony is significant. The one who now judges Jesus will eschatologically be judged by him as Son of Man.
The blowing of the trumpet probably alludes to Isaiah 27:13 and has many parallels such as those found in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
The Son of Man and the angels are also mentioned in Matthew 24:36 in a statement on the unexpectedness of the day of Jesus’ return. It seems odd that even the Son of Man himself does not know the time of his return. However, the point is that the disciples must be prepared at all times. Even those who one would expect to know the time of his return do not know. How much less would it be possible for the disciples to know the time?
In Jewish literature, the role of the eschatological judge belongs to God himself (cf. 1 En 9:4; 60:2; 62:2; 47:3; Test. Ab 14A).
Following this depiction of the Son of Man in all his glory, Matthew proceeds with the passion narrative, with its seemingly contradictory depiction of the suffering of Son of Man: ‘When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified”’ (Mt 26:1–2). Matthew emphasises the glory of the Son of Man before he proceeds with the narrative of his humility.
The disciple is only named in John’s Gospel.
In 2 Kings 6:17 Elisha shows his servant that he is not afraid of the king of Aram’s forces, because ‘the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha’. Similar depictions of protection and readiness for battle by angels are found