Many people have angel figurines in their home, garden, office, church, or as part of their Christmas decorations. Is this appropriate? In and of themselves, angel figurines are neither good nor evil. However, the Bible is clear that a person should have no other gods before God (Exodus 20:3). We are to worship the Lord and serve Him only (Matthew 4:10). If an angel figurine becomes an idol or prompts us to worship angels, then it would be wrong.
Worship of angels is clearly forbidden in the Bible. When the apostle John saw a real angel, he was tempted to bow down and worship him. "Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, 'You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God'" (Revelation 19:10). John did the same thing later and the angel replied, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God" (Revelation 22:9).
The apostle Paul warned against the temptation to worship angels: "Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God" (Colossians 2:18-19). A person who worships angels has become proud and is not staying true to God.
On the positive side, an angel figurine can be a reminder of God's protective presence over our lives. The Bible acknowledges there are spiritual forces at work around us (Ephesians 6:12), and it tells us that angels are "ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14). It is certainly admirable to remember and consider God's love and watchful care over our lives.
On the negative side, some have an unhealthy obsession with angel figurines. Praying to any idol, even an angel, is sinful. Certainly, an angel figurine is also not to be worshiped. Angels worship God, as is the expectation of His people (Revelation 7:11).
Further, some have accepted the non-biblical idea that people turn into angels when they die. Those who do often use angel figurines or statues in the sense of a memorial to remember a lost loved one. This wrongful concept can be very concerning since it equates a lost loved with something he or she is not.
Also important to mention is that the Bible gives only a limited description of how angels look. Modern angel figurines often portray angels as winged beings in white robes or with halos. Yet only some angels are described as having wings (Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 1, 10), while others appear in human form (Genesis 18). Halos are not noted in descriptions of angels in the Bible, though white robes or clothing seem consistent with many angelic descriptions in Bible prophecy.
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