Expert: Messianic Rabbi Yochanan Levine - 9/22/2007

Question
Hi Pastor John,
I want to know what are seraphs and what do they look like and are they male or female and are they like humans? Thanks.

Answer
Hi Lillie,
There isn't too much information about the seraphim in the Bible.

The main reference we have is from the Prophet Isaiah who is describing one of his heavenly visions:

Isaiah 6
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

From this we can understand that the seraphim are angel-like beings who attend God on His Throne. They sing His praises and do His bidding, for instance placing the "coal" on the prophet's tongue.

The word is also used as serpent (and/or fiery serpent) at:

Numbers 21:6 And the LORD sent FIERY SERPENTs among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died....
21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a FIERY SERPENT, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
And also at:
Deuteronomy 8:15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were FIERY SERPENTs, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

Here is the literal meaning:

Saraph: (Strong's Hebrew: 8314) Saraph (saw-rawf');
Word Origin: Hebrew, Noun Masculine
from (08313)

serpent, fiery serpent
poisonous serpent (fiery from burning effect of poison)
seraph, seraphim
majestic beings with 6 wings, human hands or voices in attendance upon God

KJV Word Count (Saraph #8314) fiery serpent  3
fiery  2
seraphim  2

Many also understand that it is the seraphim who are referenced at Revelation 4:8: And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created seraphim in the Revelation.

This is mainly because these four beasts had each of them six wings about him and sign God's praises around His Throne. I'm not sure this is accurate, but I supposed its possible.

The Scriptures do not refer to the seraphim as angels anywhere and I've always assumed there are many different types of celestial beings besides angels. The Bible only mentions three angels by name, Michael the archangel, Gabriel the messenger angel and Lucifer the fallen angel. There are according to Bible a LOT of angels however.

The Catholic Church later established an entire hierarchy of angels and placed them within three set tiers:

   * First Sphere (Tankah sources)
         o Seraphim
         o Cherubim
         o Ophanim (Thrones/Wheels)

   * Second Sphere (New Testament sources)
         o Thrones (Gr. thronos)
         o Dominions (Gr. kuriotes)
         o Principalities (Gr. arche)

   * Third Sphere
         o Powers (Gr. exousia)
         o Archangels
         o Angels

Hope this helps,
~John of AllFaith