In Christianity, angels are the agents of God. Various works of

Christian theology Christian theology is the theology of Christianity, Christian belief and practice. Such study concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Christian tradition. Christian theology, theologian ...

have devised hierarchies of angelic beings. The most influential Christian angelic hierarchy was put forward around the turn of the 6th century AD by

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (or Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite) was a Greek author, Christian theologian and Neoplatonic philosopher of the late 5th to early 6th century, who wrote a set of works known as the ''Corpus Areopagiticum'' or ...

in his work '' De Coelesti Hierarchia'' (''On the Celestial Hierarchy''). He claimed to be an important figure who was converted by

Paul the Apostle Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

, who authored most of the New Testament, and his work enjoyed greater influence than it would have if he had used his actual name, until Erasmus publicised doubts about the age of the work in the early 16th century. Angels are organized into several orders, or "Angelic Choirs". As referred to in the theological doctrine of the communion of saints, in paradise there is a common and unique vision of the truth and contemplation of the

face of God The divine countenance is the face of God. The concept has special significance in the Abrahamic religions. In Islam Islam considers God to be beyond ordinary vision as the Quran states that "Sights cannot attain him; he can attain sights", but ...

, without any kind of difference between angels or human souls. The ''

Summa theologiae The ''Summa Theologiae'' or ''Summa Theologica'' (), often referred to simply as the ''Summa'', is the best-known work of Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), a scholastic theologian and Doctor of the Church. It is a compendium of all of the main t ...

'' of Thomas Aquinas states that there exists different degree in respect of the creation, about the power of intercession to God and of direct entrustment in the human lives.

Doctrine

According to the

Catechism of the Catholic Church The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' ( la, Catechismus Catholicae Ecclesiae; commonly called the ''Catechism'' or the ''CCC'') is a catechism promulgated for the Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II in 1992. It aims to summarize, in book for ...

(CCC) paragraph 328, "the existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition." The ''

'' states: "The whole life of the church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of the angels... From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession." It also states, "Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are ''His'' angels... They belong to Him because they were created through and for Him." As

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...

would remark, the angels were experiencing something new as the creation of God unfolded. The 'good' angels seek at all times, to direct us towards the true source of happiness, God. They encourage us in worship of God.

First Sphere

According to Pseudo-Dionysius, the first sphere of angels see and worship God directly, and communicate His will to angels who are closer to the life of man.

Seraphim

Tradition places seraphim in the highest rank in Christian angelology and in the fifth rank of ten in the Jewish angelic hierarchy. A seminal passage in the

Book of Isaiah The Book of Isaiah ( he, ספר ישעיהו, ) is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Major Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. It is identified by a superscription as the words of the 8th-century BC ...

() used the term to describe six-winged beings that fly around the Throne of God crying "

holy, holy, holy "Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!" is a Christian hymn written by the Anglican bishop Reginald Heber (1783–1826). It is sung to the tune "Nicaea", by John Bacchus Dykes. Written during the author's time as vicar in Hodnet, Shropshire, En ...

". This throne scene, with its triple invocation of holiness, profoundly influenced subsequent theology, literature and art. Its influence is frequently seen in works depicting angels, heaven and

apotheosis Apotheosis (, ), also called divinization or deification (), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The term has ...

. Seraphim are mentioned as celestial beings in the non-canonical Book of Enoch and the canonical Book of Revelation.

Cherubim

In the Book of Ezekiel and (at least some) Christian icons, the cherub is depicted as having two pairs of wings, and four faces: that of a

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

(representative of all wild animals), an ox (

domestic animals This page gives a list of domesticated animals, also including a list of animals which are or may be currently undergoing the process of domestication and animals that have an extensive relationship with humans beyond simple predation. This includ ...

), a human (humanity), and an

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

( birds). Their legs were straight, the soles of their feet like the hooves of a bull, gleaming like polished brass. Later tradition ascribes to them a variety of physical appearances. In Western Christian tradition, cherubim have become associated with the putto (derived from classical

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...

/ Eros), resulting in depictions of cherubim as small, plump, winged boys. St. Thomas Aquinas imagined

Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...

as a fallen cherub.

Thrones

Thrones are a class of angels, based on an interpretation of . According to 1 Peter 3:21-22,

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religi ...

had gone to Heaven and "angels and authorities and powers" had been made subject to him.

in his work '' De Coelesti Hierarchia'' includes the thrones as the third highest of nine levels of angels. The ''ophanim'' refer to the wheels seen in

Ezekiel Ezekiel (; he, יְחֶזְקֵאל ''Yəḥezqēʾl'' ; in the Septuagint written in grc-koi, Ἰεζεκιήλ ) is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is ackn ...

's vision of the chariot (Hebrew ) in . One of the

Dead Sea scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the ...

(4Q405) construes them as angels. These "wheels" have been associated with (mentioned as , traditionally "the wheels of ", in "fiery flame" and "burning fire") of the four, eye-covered wheels (each composed of two nested wheels), that move next to the winged cherubim, beneath the throne of God.

Second Sphere

West window, St Michael and All Angels' Church, Somerton

Angels of the Second Sphere work as heavenly governors of the creation by subjecting matter and guiding and ruling the spirits.

Dominations or Lordships

The Dominations (lat. ''dominatio'', plural ''dominationes'', also translated from the Greek term ''kyriotētes'',

pl. PL, P.L., Pl, or .pl may refer to: Businesses and organizations Government and political * Partit Laburista, a Maltese political party * Liberal Party (Brazil, 2006), a Brazilian political party * Liberal Party (Moldova), a Moldovan political p ...

of ''kyriotēs'', as "Lordships") or "Dominions" are presented as the hierarchy of celestial beings "Lordships" in some English translations of the ''De Coelesti Hierarchia''. The Dominations regulate the duties of lower angels. It is only with extreme rarity that the angelic lords make themselves physically known to humans.

Virtues

According to ''The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville'', the Virtues are known for their control of the elements. In addition to being the spirits of motion, they also assist in governing nature. They also assist with miracles, as well as encourage humans to strengthen their faith in God.

Powers or Authorities

In ''The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville'', the Powers ( lat. ''potestas'' (f), pl. ''potestates'') (Greek: ἐξουσίαι) are given their name because they are angels who have power over evil forces, which the angels are able to restrain to keep them from doing harm.

Third Sphere

Principalities or Rulers

The Principalities ( la, principatus), also translated as "Princedoms" and "Rulers", from the Greek ''archai'',

of ''archē'' (see Greek root i
Eph 3:10
, are the angels that guide and protect nations, or groups of peoples, and institutions such as the Church. The Principalities preside over the bands of angels and charge them with fulfilling the divine ministry. There are some who administer and some who assist. An example of a Principality angel that became the subject of a cult would be the Angel of Portugal.

Archangels

The word ''archangel'' is only used twice in the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

: and . In most Christian traditions Gabriel is also considered an archangel, but there is no direct literary support for this assumption. The term ''archangel'' appears only in the singular, never plural, and only in specific reference to Michael. The name of the archangel Raphael appears only in the

Book of Tobit The Book of Tobit () ''Tōbith'' or ''Tōbit'' ( and spellings are also attested) itself from he, טובי ''Tovi'' "my good"; Book of Tobias in the Vulgate from the Greek ''Tōbias'', itself from the Hebrew ''Tovyah'' "Jah, Yah is good", al ...

(Tobias). Tobit is considered

deuterocanonical The deuterocanonical books (from the Greek meaning "belonging to the second canon") are books and passages considered by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the Assyrian Church of the East to be ...

by Catholics (both Eastern and Western Rites) and Eastern and

Oriental Orthodox The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent ...

Christians, as well as

Anglicans Anglicanism is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Euro ...

. The Book of Tobit is not, however, acknowledged by most Protestant denominations. In it Raphael says to

Tobias Tobias is the transliteration of the Greek which is a translation of the Hebrew biblical name he, טוֹבִיה, Toviyah, JahGod is good, label=none. With the biblical Book of Tobias being present in the Deuterocanon/Apocrypha of the Bible, ...

that he was "one of the seven who stand before the Lord", and it is generally believed that Michael and Gabriel are two of the other six. A fourth archangel is

Uriel Uriel or Auriel ( he, אוּרִיאֵל ''ʾŪrīʾēl'', " El/God is my flame"; el, Οὐριήλ ''Oúriēl''; cop, ⲟⲩⲣⲓⲏⲗ ''Ouriēl''; it, Uriele; Geʽez and Amharic: or ) is the name of one of the archangels who is menti ...

. Uriel's name is not mentioned in the Western Christian Bible, but plays a prominent role in an

apocrypha Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...

l book read by Anglican and Russian Orthodox Christians, the

Second Book of Esdras 2 Esdras (also called 4 Esdras, Latin Esdras, or Latin Ezra) is an apocalyptic book in some English versions of the Bible. Tradition ascribes it to Ezra, a sofer, scribe and kohen, priest of the , but scholarship places its composition between ...

(fourth Book of Esdras in the

Latin Vulgate The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...

). In the book, he unveils seven prophecies to the prophet

Ezra Ezra (; he, עֶזְרָא, '; fl. 480–440 BCE), also called Ezra the Scribe (, ') and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra, was a Jewish scribe ('' sofer'') and priest ('' kohen''). In Greco-Latin Ezra is called Esdras ( grc-gre, Ἔσδρ� ...

. He also plays a role in the apocryphal Book of Enoch, which is considered canonical by the

Ethiopian Orthodox The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chris ...

Eritrean Orthodox The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( ti, ቤተ ክርስትያን ተዋህዶ ኤርትራ) is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches with its headquarters in Asmara, Eritrea. Its autocephaly was recognised by Pope Shenouda III of Alexandri ...

, and

Ethiopian Catholic The Ethiopian Catholic Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ካቶሊክ ቤተ ክርስቲያን; la, Ecclesia Catholica Aethiopica) is a metropolitan ''sui iuris'' Eastern particular church within the Catholic Church, established in 1930 in E ...

Churches. The Catholic Church generally does not regard Uriel as an angel just as the Book of Enoch is not part of the Catholic Bible used by most Catholics either. Another possible interpretation of the seven archangels is that these seven are the seven spirits of God that stand before the throne described in the Book of Enoch, and in the Book of Revelation. The

Seven Archangels The concept of Seven Archangels is found in some works of early Jewish literature and in Christianity. In those texts, they are referenced as the angels who serve God directly. Bible The term ''archangel'' itself is not found in the Hebrew Bibl ...

are said to be the

guardian angel A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary deity, tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a ...

s of nations and countries, and are concerned with the issues and events surrounding these, including politics, military matters, commerce and trade: e.g.

Archangel Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

is traditionally seen as the protector of 'Israel' and of the ''ecclesia'' ( Gr. root ''ekklesia'' from the

passages), theologically equated as the Church, the forerunner of the spiritual '' New Israel''. An additional angel,

Metatron Metatron ( ''Meṭāṭrōn'', ''Məṭaṭrōn'', ''Mēṭaṭrōn'', ''Mīṭaṭrōn'', ''Meṭaṭrōn'', ''Mīṭṭaṭrōn'') or Mattatron ( ''Maṭṭaṭrōn'') is an angel in Judaism mentioned three times in the Talmud in a few br ...

, which entered the Christian tradition via

Christian Kabbalah Christian Kabbalah arose during the Renaissance due to Christian scholars' interest in the mysticism of Jewish Kabbalah, which they interpreted according to Christian theology. It is often transliterated as Cabala (also ''Cabbala'') to distin ...

, is described in the

Babylonian Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

as a heavenly

scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of automatic printing. The profession of the scribe, previously widespread across cultures, lost most of its promi ...

and in the

Zohar The ''Zohar'' ( he, , ''Zōhar'', lit. "Splendor" or "Radiance") is a foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five ...

as the king of the angels. The

apocryphal Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...

Books of Enoch (especially

3 Enoch The Third Book of Enoch ( he, ספר חנוך לר׳ ישמעאל כ׳׳ג , abbreviated as 3 Enoch) is a Biblical apocryphal book in Hebrew. 3 Enoch purports to have been written in the 2nd century, but its origins can only be traced to the 5th c ...

) tell that Metatron was previously the biblical Enoch, who, upon his ascension to Heaven, was transformed into an archangel and given the name Metatron. He was then bestowed the positions of chief of the archangels, and told the secrets of creation.

Angels

The angels are the lowest order of celestial beings, and the most recognized. They are the ones most concerned with the affairs of people. Within the category of the angels, there are many different kinds, with different functions. The angels are sent as messengers to humanity. Personal guardian angels come from this class (Matthew 18:10).

Personal guardian angels

Personal

s are not of a separate order of angels. It is a common belief among Christians that they are assigned to every human being, Christian or not.

Individual angels and demons from the choirs

In John Milton's fictional ''

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse. A second edition followed in 1674 ...

,''

and the archangels belong to this choir ("archangel" has here the meaning of "most powerful angel", not the members of the second lowest choir). Beelzebuth is also addressed as prince of the seraphim in witchcraft litanies.Jules Garinet: Historie de la Magie en France (1818)
/ref> Beelzebub and

Azazel In the Bible, the name Azazel (; he, עֲזָאזֵל ''ʿAzāʾzēl''; ar, عزازيل, ʿAzāzīl) appears in association with the scapegoat rite; the name represents a desolate place where a scapegoat bearing the sins of the Jews during ...

were cherubim before their fall. Thomas Aquinas in ''

Summa Theologica The ''Summa Theologiae'' or ''Summa Theologica'' (), often referred to simply as the ''Summa'', is the best-known work of Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), a scholastic theologian and Doctor of the Church. It is a compendium of all of the main th ...

'' states that Satan belongs to this choir, not to the seraphim. ''Paradise Lost'' cites the demons Adramelec and

Asmodai Asmodeus (; grc, Ἀσμοδαῖος, ''Asmodaios'') or Ashmedai (; he, אַשְמְדּאָי, ''ʾAšmədʾāy''; see below for other variations), is a ''prince of demons'' and hell."Asmodeus" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chic ...

. Some sources mention

Astaroth Astaroth (also Ashtaroth, Astarot and Asteroth), in demonology, was known to be the Great Duke of Hell in the first hierarchy with Beelzebub and Lucifer; he was part of the evil trinity. He is known to be a male figure most likely named afte ...

as well.Sebastian Michaelis: ''The Admirable History of the Possession and Conversion of a Penitent Woman'' Witchcraft litanies mention

Belial Belial ( he, , ''Bəlīyyaʿal'') is a term occurring in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament which later became personified as the devilSee the reference to "Beliar" in ''The Ascension of Isaiah'', at EarlyChristianWritings.com', specifically at ...

References

Bibliography

* Barker, Margaret. ''An Extraordinary Gathering of Angels''. M Q Publications, 2004. * Copeland, Mark
Ministering Spirits: Angels In The Old Testament
''Executable Outlines''. 2004. * Copeland, Mark

''Executable Outlines''. 2004. * Fares, Aymen

''Spiritual.com.au Pty. Ltd''. 2000. * * Tatum, Johnny

''Worldnet Grace Ministries''. * Tatum, Johnny

''Worldnet Grace Ministries''. * The

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts o ...

Searchable online version
* Pseudo-Dionysus the Areopagite