When were angels created? And how were they created?

The Holy Bible contains no mention of either when or how angels were created. However, in the book of Exodus we find: “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Ex. 20:11). And, according to St. Paul: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16).

The only reference to the time of their creation we have is in the book of Job: “When the morning stars (the angels) sang together; and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). The saintly Church Fathers agree that God created the heavenly hosts before He created the world and humanity.⁶⁴⁹

Some Fathers, such as St. Ephrem the Syrian, thought that the angels were created when the world was created, on the first day when the heavens were created; or else on the fourth day when the stars and planets were created. But according to The Shepherd of Hermas⁶⁵⁰ and St. Gregory the Theologian, they were there created before anything of our world was created.

648 The Jewish Encyclopedia, “Angelology.”

649 See St. Gregory of Nyssa, The Great Catechism 6 (NPNF II/5:478–479; PG 45:28); St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Select Orations of Gregory Nazianzen 38.9 (NPNF II/7:347; PG 36:320).

650 Pastor of Hermas (or Shepherd of Hermas) Vision 3.4 (ANF 2:14).