Guardian angels, weeping angels in Doctor Who, someone has the ‘voice of an angel’, or the angel on top of the Christmas tree (or is it a fairy?) – angels crop up in many places and most people are familiar with the concept; they are fascinating and a source of comfort to many. However, many of the ideas people have about angels have little to do with Christian teaching. For example, the suggestion that we become angels when we die comes from the film It’s a Wonderful Life, not the Bible. On the other hand, some of the descriptions of angels in the Bible are so bizarre they sound like a sci-fi film. What are they? What are they for? Are they real?