New Testament statements about angels reflect Jewish views of these beings. During the Middle Ages, theologians developed a hierarchy of angels.
Angels are a popular subject in folklore, literature, and art.
In the Near Eastern antecedents to Judaism, angels were often understood to be gods or lesser divinities. Their existence was taken for granted by the biblical authors. The use of the word angel may have been a way of describing what was believed to be an appearance of God himself in human form. They either have no body or one that is only apparent. Even in its devotion to monotheism, the worship of one God, ancient Israel was able to embrace the image of a council of gods by turning all but one of them into angels who serve the one God, much as earthly courtiers serve one king.