When Were Angels Created?

The easy and truest answer is we don’t know. The Bible doesn’t tell us, but it gives us a few clues. In Job 38:4-7, we learn that angels shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the Earth. Genesis 2:1 tells us that everything was created by the seventh day of creation, so angels existed by that time. When before the seventh day, did angels come into existence?

Are angels included in the physical creation story told in Genesis 1 & 2? These verses tell us the story of the creation of our physical universe – stars, planets, water, mountains, plants, animals and people. Angels are spiritual beings, not physical beings; so, they may not be part of the creation story. There are at least three occasions when angels could have been created – before the creation story, on the first day, or on the second day.

1.Angels could have been created before the creation of the universe if the heavenly realm exists outside our universe. The creation story in Genesis details the formation of our universe. If you include heavenly realm in our physical universe, then angels could not have been created until the creation story in Genesis. If heavenly realm exists outside of our universe, angels could have been created any time before the Genesis story. Angels may have been worshiping and praising God eons before creation.

2. Angels may have been created on the first day of creation. This was the day that God said let there be light and there was light. (Gen 1:3) What does light mean in this verse? It does not mean sun, moon, and stars; they come into existence on the fourth day. It could mean that God reveals himself in all his glory in the dark void of space. God, the producer, begins his grand production by yelling “Light.” Light could be symbolic of all the invisible forces that God put into place to hold his creation together: the laws of physics and chemistry and forces like gravity, energy, magnetism and possibly angels. Angels are called beings of light. Let there be light could include let there be angels and a lot more.

3.On the second day, God made the sky and on the third day he made the dry land and the seas. By the third day God was laying the foundations of the Earth; we know from Job that angels were shouting for joy at that time. For angels to be celebrating God’s creation they needed to be created no later than early on day three, probably on day two.

I think God didn’t tell us when he made the angels because we don’t need to know. It is an interesting puzzle. Sometimes I choose door number one, then door number two or door number three. Enjoy the puzzle or settle on the answer you like, but don’t get hung up on this question.

May angels walk before you.