Hierarchy of angels. Heavenly hierarchy of angels in orthodox Christianity

מַלְאָך ‎ mal'akh("messenger") comes from the archaic root לאכ, "to send", attested in Ugaritic. The Arabic word ملاك is borrowed from Hebrew malak. From the same word, through literal translation, the Greek ἄγγελος, the Latin angelus, and the word angel in modern European languages ​​were formed.

Definition

In everyday language, an Angel usually means any spiritual, intelligent, sexless, and sometimes incorporeal being that expresses the will of some higher powers or God and possessing superhuman and supernatural capabilities.

In the TaNakh (Bible)

In the Torah (Pentateuch)

The most famous mention of Angels in the Pentateuch is the visit of three Angels to Abraham (Gen.). The sages say that one of them was to announce the birth of Isaac to Abraham, the second was to bring out Lot's family, and the third was to destroy Sodom.

Another significant place is where Jacob fights the angel of Genesis at night.

There is also a well-known place in the Torah where God, with the help of an angel, stops Abraham at the moment when he was ready to make a sacrifice:

In the Torah, when Angels appear in tangible form, their description is absent and a human form is implied. The inhabitants of Sodom apparently even confuse them with people when they demand Lot to hand them over.

Descriptions appearance There are few angels in ethereal form. The most important of them is the book of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel). In his book, Angels are not “messengers”, but “beings from the Celestial Spheres.” Characteristic of them is the presence of wings and a large number of eye. Some of their types are also listed there: Kruvim, Srafim, Ofanim, Hayot.

Nevi'im (Prophets)

The Christian Tradition considers this an allegory, believing that the “sons of God” in the Bible mean not only Angels, but also righteous people, thus, the meaning of this verse is that righteous people began to marry immoral people, succumbed to their influence, and they themselves became morally depressed. From the point of view of church theology, the sons of God are the descendants of Seth, and the daughters of men are the descendants of Cain.

During the Talmudic period, not only the common people, but also scientists believed in the existence of angels. But there is no mention of them in the Mishnah, because the scientists of that time belittled the importance of angels and their role in human life. In later aggadic texts of the Talmud, especially midrash, angels are mentioned several times. They are divided into many good and evil, higher and lower. Like the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, the Haggadah regards Gabriel, Michael, Rephael and Uriel as archangels and calls them angels of service (malachei ha-sharet). Midrash gives great importance in the hierarchy of angels to Metatron. The responsibilities of the angels are differentiated, some are in charge of prayers, others are in charge of hail, rain, anger, pregnancy and birth, hell, etc. The Haggadah further develops the idea of ​​angels - guardians of nations and individual kings. Starting from the 3rd century. n. e. the word appears in the sources pamalya(literally 'retinue'), denoting a whole group of angels performing heavenly court.

The Haggadah gives varying opinions on whether angels should be considered superior beings compared to mere mortals. According to some statements, the righteous are higher than the angels, and according to others, both occupy the same position in the hierarchy of existence. Some teachers of the law expressed the opinion that every person is capable of becoming equal to an angel; others attributed this ability only to those professing Judaism. However, the latter can achieve this equality only after death. In aggadic eschatology, the prevailing view is that at the “end of days” the righteous will be elevated to a higher level than the angels. The angelological concepts developed in the Haggadah were also included in the liturgy. However, there was an opposite tendency among Jewish religious authorities, which sought to completely exclude mention of angels from the liturgy. In the Middle Ages, one of the most strident opponents of the veneration of angels was Maimonides.

Essenes

The angelological doctrine found widest distribution among the Essenes. The Qumran manuscripts testify to a coherent angelological system, according to which the “prince of light” and other heavenly princes were supposed to fight on the side of the “sons of light” on the “last day.” In this struggle for power between the forces of good and evil, a certain dualism can be recognized. The Pharisees had little interest in angelology. Being opponents of all mysticism, the Sadducees, however, hardly completely denied the very existence of angels.

In Kabbalah

In Kabbalah, angels number from 100 thousand to 49 million. True, when we talk about a large number of angels, we mean either nameless inhabitants of some Kabbalistic worlds, or, on the contrary, one name obtained by rearranging the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Kabbalah distinguishes several categories of angels: angels of service and destruction, angels of mercy and punishment, and even male and female angels (Zohar). The power of angels, according to Kabbalists, is based on the emanation of divine light manifested in them. In every human being, in their opinion, there live a good and an evil angel, and every step of a person is accompanied by good and evil spirits. A huge army of angels of destruction (malachei habala), in contrast to the good environment of God, constitutes the family of the Evil One, the devil - the personification of the reverse, “left” side of divine existence.

"Dark Angels"

The angels of the "Dark Side" are nevertheless also considered angels. For example, Samael is the Angel of Death (Malakh ha-Mavet). Of the evil angels (angels of destruction - malachi habala), he plays a special role. He is identified with the terrible giants and demons found in oral legends, literature of the ancient Near East and medieval Europe(`devil`, `Satan`).

In the Talmud, the angel of death is identical to Satan (Samael) and the yetzer ha-ra (evil thought). In folklore, the angel of death is often depicted allegorically: he has many eyes, he is a zealous reaper or an old man with a sword dripping with poison, etc. But most often the angel of death appears in the form of a fugitive and vagabond, a beggar, a traveling merchant or an Arab. nomad. In Jewish angelology, the motif of fallen angels is also found. Its origins go back to the biblical story of the sons of God (bnei elohim), who, seduced by the beauty of the daughters of men, descended to earth. There they came to know the virgins of the earth, and from this connection a generation of giants was born.

However, the biblical tradition does not contain the element of moral conviction characteristic of later legends about fallen angels. This element first appears in the above-mentioned book of Enoch. Here the giants, descendants of the fallen angels, began to mercilessly exterminate people and teach them the use of weapons and other inventions that contribute to the spread of immorality and villainy. The archangels, having heeded the complaints of the people, turned to God, and they were ordered to punish the fallen angels. The legend of fallen angels, seduced by mortal women and doing evil on earth, is repeated in one variation or another in apocryphal and talmudic literature and in an even more colorful form in midrash.

In philosophy

Philo of Alexandria (1st century AD) identified the angels mentioned in the Bible with the demons of Greek philosophy. For Saadia Gaon (10th century), angels were corporeal beings, albeit of a more perfect substance than man. According to Abraham Ibn Ezra (12th century), angels are identical to the immaterial or simplest forms of ideal existence postulated by Neoplatonic ontology. In general, in the Middle Ages, the Aristotelian concept prevailed in Jewish philosophy, the most prominent representative of which was Maimonides. Its adherents viewed angels as “separate intelligences” (shalim nifradim), existing separately from human flesh. However, Maimonides believed that the term angel denotes not only a separate mind, but also all natural and physical forces.

In Christianity

In Christianity, angels are called ministering spirits and are depicted as people with snow-white wings on their backs.

Angels today

In modern Judaism, such as Reform and Conservative Judaism, there is a tendency to view traditional descriptions of angels as poetic symbols. References to angels have been almost entirely removed from Reform liturgy and from the liturgy of some groups of Conservative Judaists.

The attitude towards angels among most Orthodox Jews is ambivalent: although their existence is not completely denied, there is a tendency to demythologize ideas about angels and to interpret them as symbols. However, the degree of belief in angels varies among various groups orthodox. Belief in angels, in full accordance with traditional ideas about them, is preserved only among

The peacock symbolizes diversity, beauty and power. God entrusted the entire world to seven angels led by Malak Tawus.

Tavusi Malak is the head of the pantheon of archangels, the powerful patron of the egregor of the Yezidi religion. According to the Yazidi faith, Malak Tavus is an expansion of God, he has the status of a direct servant of the Almighty. Tavus Malak in Yezidism is represented in the form of a bird, namely peacock.

According to the Yazidi religion:

1. on the first day, Sunday, God created the Angel Azrael, who is also Tavusi Malak, Piri Tavusi Malak, the head of everything.
2. on Monday God created the angel Dardail, aka Sheikh Hassan;
3. on Tuesday the angel Israel, aka Sheikh Shams-ad-Din, was created;
4. on Wednesday the angel Michael, also known as Sheikh Abu Bakr, was created;
5. on Thursday God created the angel Anzazil, aka Sajjad ad-Din;
6. on Friday He created the angel Shemnael, aka Nasir ad-Din;
7. On Saturday the angel Nurail, also known as Fakhr ad-Din, was created.

And God appointed Tavusi Malak as ruler over everyone.

The name Tavusi Malak literally means:

• Tav - Sun,
• U - and,
• Si - shadow,
• Malak - Archangel.

Tavus Malak is associated with the solar principle:

• In Iran, the metaphorical name for the Sun is Tavus-e Falak (Heavenly Peacock).
• In Ancient Egypt, the peacock was considered a symbol of Heliopolis, the city in which the sun temple was located.
• IN Ancient Greece peacock is a symbol of the Sun.
• In Islam, the peacock's tail represented either the universe or full moon or the Sun at its zenith.
• In Indian mythology, the pattern of an open peacock's tail is perceived as a picture of the starry sky.
• In the catacombs of the first Christians, the peacock was one of the main religious symbols, as well as a symbol of saints, since the shape of its open tail resembles a halo. In early Christianity, the image of a peacock was colored with solar symbolism and was perceived as a symbol of immortality and the beauty of the incorruptible soul.

Orthodox Yazidis are obliged to bow to the first rays of the Sun every morning, but this does not mean that they worship this particular luminary.

• Firstly, the Sun is a source of light and heat, without which life on our planet is unthinkable, which means that it is the source of life. Without the Sun, darkness will cover the Earth and all life will cease to exist!
• Secondly, this source of life is not made by hands, but was created and endowed with energy by the Lord God himself, and through his servant She Shamsah controls this luminary.
• Thirdly, if the Yazidis bow to the source of life during morning prayer, this does not mean at all that they do not recognize God, but only worship his creation. According to the Yazidi religion, no mortal can serve God directly. Therefore, the service of God among the Yazidi clergy occurs through the mediation of archangels and angels, in whose honor their family homes are named.

Quite often, the peacock was represented in images of the grotto in Bethlehem, where Christ was born: two peacocks drinking from the same cup indicate spiritual rebirth. The peacock is one of the indispensable attributes in Hinduism, for example, it acts as the goddess of wisdom, poetry and music Saraswati.

Based on the theology of the Yazidi religion, it is impossible to see the Supreme Personality of God in this body, since it is imperfect. During prayer, a devout Yazidi worships the source of light, the forces of light, but not the source of darkness, for the worship of evil is the path of degradation of the soul. Because the Yezidis do not talk about the evil spirit at all, and leave the place where they scold him, some researchers have counted them among his fans.

The Yazidi clergy explains it this way: “If you talk about God and His bright servants, then this meditation evokes positive energy. But in the case when you are talking about an evil spirit, then it will also be present with its negative energy, especially since there is no need to scold it, because a reaction will follow. Therefore, avoid places where there is talk about the evil spirit.” Yazidis are also forbidden to use out loud the name and names of the evil spirit under different names.

The basis for the creation of the church teaching about angels is the book of Dionysius the Areopagite “On the Heavenly Hierarchy” written in the 5th century (Greek “Περί της ουρανίας”, Latin “De caelesti hierarchia”), better known in the 6th century edition. The nine angelic ranks are divided into three triads, each of which has some peculiarity.

The first triad - seraphim, cherubim and thrones - is characterized by immediate proximity to God;
The second triad - strength, domination and power - emphasizes the divine basis of the universe and world dominion;
The third triad - the beginnings, the archangels and the angels themselves - is characterized by close proximity to humans.
Dionysius summarized what had been accumulated before him. Seraphim, cherubim, powers and angels are already mentioned in the Old Testament; in the New Testament dominions, principalities, thrones, powers and archangels appear.

According to the classification of Gregory the Theologian (4th century), the angelic hierarchy consists of angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principles, powers, radiances, ascensions and understandings.

According to their position in the hierarchy, the ranks are arranged as follows:

Seraphim - the first
cherubs - second
thrones - third
domination - fourth
strength - fifth
authorities - sixth
beginning - seventh
archangels - eighth
angels - ninth.

Jewish hierarchical structures differ from Christian ones because they appeal only to the first part of the Bible - the Old Testament (TaNaKh). One source lists ten ranks of angels, starting with the highest: 1) hayot; 2) ofanim; 3) arelim; 4) hashmalim; 5) seraphim; 6) malakim, actually “angels”; 7) elohim; 8) bene Elohim (“sons of God”); 9) cherubs; 10) ishim.

In the Maseket Azilut the ten orders of angels are given in a different order: 1) the seraphim, headed by Shemuel or Yehoel; 2) ofanim led by Raphael and Ophaniel; 3) cherubim, led by Kerubiel; 4) the shinanim, over whom Tzedekiel and Gabriel were placed; 5) tarshishim, whose leaders are Tarshish and Sabriel; 6) Ishim led by Tsefaniel; 7) Hashmalim, whose leader is called Hashmal; 8) Malakim, led by Uzziel; 9) Bene Elohim led by Hofniel; 10) Arelim, led by Michael himself.

The names of the elder angels (archangels) vary in different sources. Traditionally, the highest rank is attributed to Michael, Gabriel and Raphael - three angels named by name in the biblical books; the fourth is usually added to them Uriel, found in the non-canonical 3 Book of Ezra. It is a common belief that there are seven higher angels(related to magical properties numbers 7), attempts to list them by name have been made since the time of 1 Book of Enoch, but there are too many discrepancies. We will limit ourselves to listing the “magnificent seven” accepted in the Orthodox tradition: these are Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Salafiel, Jehudiel, Barachiel, Jeremiel, headed by the eighth - Michael.

The Jewish tradition also assigns an extremely high position to the archangel Metatron, who in earthly life was the patriarch Enoch, but in heaven turned into an angel. He is the vizier of the heavenly court and almost the deputy of God Himself.

Nine angelic ranks

First hierarchy	Second hierarchy	Third hierarchy
Seraphim	Dominations	Beginnings
Cherubim	Powers	Archangels
Thrones	Authorities	Angels

1. Seraphim

Seraphim are angels of love, light and fire. They occupy the highest position in the hierarchy of ranks and serve God, taking care of his throne. Seraphim express their love for God by constantly singing psalms of praise.
In the Hebrew tradition, the endless singing of the seraphim is known as "trisagion" - Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh ("Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of the Heavenly Powers, the whole earth is full of his radiance"), considered a song of creation and celebration. Being the closest creatures to God, seraphim are also considered “fiery”, since they are enveloped in the flame of eternal love.
According to the medieval mystic Jan van Ruijsbroeck, the three orders of seraphim, cherubim and thrones never take part in human conflicts, but are with us when we peacefully contemplate God and experience constant love In our hearts. They generate divine love in people.
Saint John the Evangelist on the island of Patmos had a vision of angels: Gabriel, Metatron, Kemuel and Nathaniel among the seraphim.
Isaiah is the only prophet to mention seraphim in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) when he recounts his vision of fiery angels above the Throne of God: "Each one had six wings: two covered the face, two covered the feet, and two were used for flight."
Another mention of the seraphim can be considered the book of Numbers (21:6), where a reference is made to " fire snakes"According to the Second Book of Enoch (apocrypha), seraphim have six wings, four heads and faces.
Lucifer left the rank of seraphim. In fact, the Fallen Prince was considered an angel who outshone all others until he fell from God's Grace.

Seraphim - In Jewish and Christian mythology, angels especially close to God. The prophet Isaiah describes them this way: “In the year of the death of King Uzziah, I saw the Lord sitting on a high throne, and the edges of His robe filled the whole temple. The Seraphim stood around Him; each of them had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And they called to each other and said: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts! The whole earth is full of His glory/” (Is. 6. 1-3). According to the classification of Pseudo-Dionysius, together with the cherubim and thrones, the seraphim belong to the first triad: “... the most holy Thrones, the many-eyed and many-winged Orders, called in the language of the Jews Cherubim and Seraphim, according to the explanation of the Holy Scriptures, are in greater and more direct relation to the others
closeness to God... as for the name of the Seraphim, it clearly shows their incessant and everlasting desire for the Divine, their ardor and speed, their ardent, constant, unrelenting and unyielding impetuosity, as well as their ability to truly elevate the lower ones to what is above, to excite and ignite them to similar heat: it also means the ability to scorch and burn. thereby cleansing them - always open. their unquenchable, constantly identical, light-forming and enlightening power. driving away and destroying all obscurity.

2. Cherubim

The word "cherub" means "fullness of knowledge" or "outpouring of wisdom." This choir has the power to know and contemplate God and the ability to understand and communicate divine knowledge to others.

3. Thrones

The term "thrones" or "many-eyed" refers to their proximity to the throne of God. This is the closest rank to God: they receive both their divine perfection and consciousness directly from Him.

Pseudo-Dionysius reports:
“So, it is right that the highest beings are dedicated to the first of the heavenly Hierarchies, since it has the highest rank, especially since the first Epiphanies and consecrations initially refer to it, as the closest to God, and the burning Thrones and the outpouring of wisdom are called
heavenly Minds because these names express their God-like properties... The name of the highest Thrones means that they
completely free from all earthly attachments and, constantly rising above the earthly, peacefully strive for the heavenly, with all their might
motionless and firmly attached to the truly Highest Being,
accepting His Divine suggestion in complete dispassion and immateriality; It also means that they carry God and slavishly carry out His Divine commands.

4. Dominations

Holy dominions are endowed with sufficient power to rise above and free themselves from earthly desires and aspirations. Their duty is to distribute the responsibilities of the angels.

According to Pseudo-Dionysius, “the significant name of the holy Dominions... means some unslavish and free from any low attachment to the earthly exaltation to the heavenly, not in any way shaken by any violent attraction to anything unlike them, but a dominion constant in its freedom, standing above all humiliating slavery, alien to all humiliation, removed from all inequality to itself, constantly striving for true Dominion and, as much as possible, holyly transforming both itself and everything subordinate to it into perfect likeness, not clinging to anything accidentally existing , but always completely turning to the truly existing and constantly participating in the sovereign Godlikeness"

5. Powers

The forces known as "brilliant or radiant" are angels of miracles, help, blessings that appear during battles in the name of faith. It is believed that David received the support of the Forces to fight Goliath.
The powers are also the angels from whom Abraham received his strength when God told him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. The main duties of these angels are to perform miracles on Earth.
They are allowed to interfere with everything that concerns the physical laws on earth, but they are also responsible for enforcing those laws. By this rank, the fifth in the Hierarchy of Angels, humanity is given valor as well as mercy.

Pseudo-Dionysius says: “The name of the holy Powers means some powerful and irresistible courage, if possible imparted to them, reflected in all their God-like actions in order to remove from themselves everything that could reduce and weaken the Divine insights bestowed upon them, strongly striving for the imitation of God, not remaining idle from laziness, but steadily looking at the highest and all-strengthening Power and, as far as possible, becoming Her image according to its own strength, completely turned to Her as the source of Power and descending Godlike to the lower powers to impart power to them.”

6. Authorities

Authorities are on the same level as dominions and powers, and are endowed with power and intelligence second only to God's. They provide balance to the universe.

According to the Gospels, authorities can be both good forces and minions of evil. Among the nine angelic ranks, the authorities close the second triad, which in addition to them also includes dominions and powers. As Pseudo-Dionysius said, “the name of the holy Powers signifies an order equal to the Divine Dominions and Powers, harmonious and capable of receiving Divine insights, and a structure of premium spiritual dominion, which does not autocratically use the granted sovereign powers for evil, but freely and decently to the Divine as itself ascending , so holyly leading others to Him and, as far as possible, becoming like the Source and Giver of all power and depicting Him... in the completely true use of His sovereign power.”

7. Beginnings

The principles are legions of angels protecting religion. They constitute the seventh choir in the Dionysian hierarchy, immediately preceding the archangels. The beginnings give strength to the peoples of the Earth to find and survive their destiny.
They are also believed to be the guardians of the peoples of the world. The choice of this term, like the term “authorities,” to designate the orders of the angels of God is somewhat questionable, since c. In the Epistle to the Ephesians, the “principalities and powers” ​​are called “the spirits of wickedness in high places” against which Christians must fight (“Ephesians” 6:12).
Among those considered "chief" in this order are Nisroc, an Assyrian deity who is considered by occult scriptures to be the chief prince - the demon of hell, and Anael - one of the seven angels of creation.

The Bible says: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
Beginnings, neither Powers, nor the present, nor the future... can separate us
from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 8.38). By
classification of Pseudo-Dionysius. beginnings are part of the third triad
along with the archangels and the angels themselves. Pseudo-Dionysius says:
“The name of the heavenly Principalities means the God-like ability to command and control in accordance with the sacred order befitting the commanding Powers, both to turn entirely to the Beginningless Beginning, and to others, as is characteristic of the Principality, to guide Him, to imprint in oneself, as far as possible, the image of the inaccurate Beginning, etc. finally, the ability to express His supreme superiority in the well-being of the commanding Powers..., The heralding order of the Principalities, Archangels and Angels alternately commands over the human Hierarchies, so that the ascension and turning to God, communication and unity with Him, which from God graciously extends to all Hierarchies, begins through communication and flows out in the most sacred harmonious order."

8. Archangels

Archangels - The word is of Greek origin and is translated as “chief angels”, “senior angels”. The term "Archangels" appears for the first time in Greek-language Jewish literature of pre-Christian times (Greek translation of the Book of Enoch 20, 7) as a rendering of expressions like ("grand prince") in the appendix to Michael Old Testament texts(Dan. 12, 1); then this term is perceived by the New Testament authors (Jude 9; 1 Thess. 4, 16) and later Christian literature. According to the Christian celestial hierarchy, they rank directly above the angels. Religious tradition has seven archangels. The main one here is Michael the Archangel (Greek “supreme military leader”) - the leader of the armies of angels and people in their universal battle with Satan. Michael's weapon is a flaming sword.
Archangel Gabriel is best known for his participation in the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the birth of Jesus Christ. As a messenger of the hidden secrets of the world, he is depicted with a flowering branch, with a mirror (reflection is also a way of knowledge), and sometimes with a candle inside a lamp - the same symbol of a hidden sacrament.
Archangel Raphael is known as the heavenly healer and comforter of the afflicted.
Four other archangels are mentioned less frequently.
Uriel is the heavenly fire, the patron saint of those who devoted themselves to the sciences and arts.
Salafiel is the name of the supreme servant with whom prayer inspiration is associated. On icons he is depicted in a prayerful pose, with his hands folded crosswise on his chest.
Archangel Jehudiel blesses ascetics and protects them from the forces of evil. In his right hand he has a golden crown as a symbol of blessing, in his left hand there is a scourge that drives away enemies.
Barachiel is assigned the role of dispenser of heavenly blessings to ordinary workers, primarily farmers. He is depicted with pink flowers.
The Old Testament legend also speaks of seven heavenly archangels. Their ancient Iranian parallel - the seven good spirits Amesha Spenta (“immortal saints”) finds a correspondence with the mythology of the Vedas. This points to the Indo-European origins of the doctrine of the seven archangels, which in turn correlates with the most ancient ideas of people about the sevenfold structures of being, both divine and earthly.

9. Angels

Both the Greek and Hebrew words for "angel" mean "messenger." Angels often played this role in the texts of the Bible, but its authors often give this term another meaning. Angels are God's incorporeal helpers. They appear as people with wings and a halo of light around their heads. They are usually mentioned in Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious texts. Angels have the appearance of a man, “only with wings and dressed in white robes: God created them from stone”; angels and seraphim - women, cherubim - men or children)<Иваницкий, 1890>.
Good and evil angels, messengers of God or the devil, converge in a decisive battle described in the book of Revelation. There may be angels ordinary people, prophets, inspiring good deeds, supernatural bearers of all kinds of messages or mentors, and even impersonal forces, like the winds, cloud pillars or fire that guided the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. Plague and pestilence are called evil angels. St. Paul calls his illness “the messenger of Satan.” Many other phenomena, such as inspiration, sudden impulses, providences, are also attributed to angels.
Invisible and immortal. According to the teachings of the church, angels are genderless invisible spirits, immortal from the day of their creation. There are many angels, which follows from the Old Testament description of God - “Lord of hosts.” They form a hierarchy of angels and archangels of the entire heavenly army. The early church clearly distinguished nine types, or "orders," of angels.
Angels served as intermediaries between God and his people. IN Old Testament it is said that no one could see God and remain alive, so direct communication between the Almighty and man is often depicted as communication with an angel. It was the angel who prevented Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. Moses saw an angel in a burning bush, although the voice of God was heard. An angel led the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. At times, the biblical angels appear just like mortals until their true nature is revealed, like the angels who came to Lot before the horrific destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Nameless spirits. Other angels are also mentioned in Scripture, such as a spirit with a fiery sword who blocked Adam's path back to Eden; cherub and seraphim, depicted in the form of thunderclouds and lightning, which recalls the belief of the ancient Jews in the god of thunderstorms; the messenger of God, who miraculously rescued Peter from prison, in addition, the angels who appeared to Isaiah in his vision of the heavenly court: “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the whole temple. Seraphim stood around Him; each of them has six wings; With two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.”
Hosts of angels appear several times in the pages of the Bible. Thus, a choir of angels announced the birth of Christ. Archangel Michael commanded a large heavenly army in the battle against the forces of evil. The only angels in the Old and New Testaments who have proper names, are Michael and Gabriel who brought Mary the news of the birth of Jesus. Most angels refused to name themselves, reflecting the popular belief that revealing the name of a spirit diminishes its power.

Who are angels?

The word "angel" comes from the Greek "angelos", "messenger", and is a translation of the Hebrew "malack". It is believed that the Jews borrowed the idea of ​​angels from the Babylonians and even more from the Persians, who first divided the spirits into two opposition camps. On the pages of the Old Testament, angels often appear, not only as servants and messengers of the Most High, but also as manifestations of the Divine Himself, through which Yahweh speaks to man. The Jewish doctrine of angels was subsequently adopted by the Christian and Muslim religions.

Over the centuries, interest in angels has flared up and then faded away (or was artificially suppressed). Already in the New Testament we read about two religious groups representing two directions of Jewish spiritual thought, of which “the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, no angel, no spirit, and the Pharisees admit both” (Acts 23:8). Being creatures much closer to the human world than the Almighty Himself, angels could not help but become objects of close attention; on the other hand, too much excitement around angels led to the risk of deviating from strict monotheism. That is why, trying to preserve the purity of doctrine, theologians of all stripes constantly emphasized the created position of angels and warned against worshiping them.

Biblical information about the angelic world is rather meager, but the full extent of human fantasy regarding angels is manifested in the Apocrypha, rabbinic writings and Kabbalah. The idea of ​​angels was also picked up by the European occult-magical tradition, which, often ignoring the difference between good and evil spirits, sought to use both for their own purposes with the help of special seals, spells and ritual actions.

Origin of Angels

Like all things, angels were created by God - all theologians agree on this point. However, there are very different opinions regarding the time of the creation of angels. Many saw in the first phrase of the Book of Genesis: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” - an allusion to the creation of the invisible world of disembodied spirits, angels (since the creation of the visible heaven is spoken of later) and unformed primary matter. From the Book of Job's indication that the angels rejoiced when the Lord “laid the foundations of the earth,” it was concluded that by the time the earth was created, angels must have already existed. The apocryphal Book of Jubilees clearly places the creation of angels on the first day of creation.

The Talmudic tradition, however, prefers to postpone the creation of angels to more late date, referring it, for example, to the second day, “so that it would not be said that God received help in his work.” Rabbi Hanina believed that angels were not created until the fifth day, placing them among the winged creatures (see Gen. 1:20).

According to another interesting point of view, reflected in the treatise "Chagigah", the fiery river flowing in front of God's throne daily gives birth to new hosts of angels, who sing praises to God throughout the day, and then go into the same river to be replaced by new ones.

Number of angels

Already in the Bible the idea of ​​​​an innumerable multitude of angels is reflected. “Is there a number of His armies?” - asks Job (25:3). Daniel reports: “thousands upon thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand ten thousand stood before Him” (Dan. 7:10). This formulation is repeated in the apocryphal 1 Book of Enoch: “And... I saw a thousand thousand, ten thousand thousand, countless and innumerable many, standing before the glory of the Lord of spirits” (En. 40). Subsequently about a huge number angels are also spoken of in the New Testament (Heb. 12:22, Rev. 5:11, etc.).

Even the Talmudists, with their passion for accurate calculations, found it difficult to name the exact number of angelic armies. One source states that there are 496,000 myriads of angels praising God. Sixty myriads of angels once descended and placed two crowns on the head of each Israelite who accepted the law; but when the Israelites began to sin, one hundred and twenty thousand angels descended to take them down (Shab. 88a). At Sinai God appeared with twenty-two thousand angelic hosts, although other authorities believe that no mathematician could calculate the number of hosts. A thousand angels follow each Israelite, and one angel precedes him to command the demons to give way; in his left hand this angel holds a thousand angels, and in his right hand ten thousand angels. Rabbi Simon ben Lakish gives the following description of the immensity of the heavenly hosts: “There are twelve mazzalot [“signs of the Zodiac”], each with thirty armies; each army - thirty camps; each camp - thirty legions; each legion - thirty cohorts; each cohort - thirty corps; and each body has 365,000 myriads of stars” (Berach. 32b).

Classification of angels

There is no generally accepted classification of angels. We can identify several characteristic names of angels mentioned in the Bible, corresponding to the type of their activities. Among them are the “Guide Angel,” who shows man “his straight path” (Job 33:23), the “Destroying Angel,” who devastates Jerusalem with a plague (1 Chronicles 21:15), and the “Angel of the Covenant,” who enters the temple with the Lord (Mal. 3:1), the “Angel of the Face” who saves the people of Israel (Isa. 63:9).

In apocryphal literature, angels are credited with power over natural phenomena and elements. 1 Book of Enoch speaks of the spirits of thunder and lightning, the sea (high and low tides), frost, hail, snow, clouds, dew, rain (En. 60), water, winds, air (En. 69). The Book of Jubilees attempts to summarize all the functions or positions of angels, listing angels of faces, angels of praise, angels of the spirit of fire, angels of the spirit of winds, angels of cloud spirits of darkness, hail, frost, angels of valleys, thunder, lightning, angels of spirits of cold and heat, winter and spring, autumn and summer, the angels of “all the spirits of His creation in heaven and on earth,” as well as the angels of the spirits of darkness, and light, and morning dawn, and evenings (Yub. 2). This theme is subsequently developed in Talmudic literature.

In magical works, angels can be classified according to their relationship with the elements (fire, water, earth, air), with the planets and signs of the Zodiac, according to their influence on certain days of the week (see, for example, “Heptameron” by P. Abano)

A whole series of mystical creatures subordinate to God are described in the Jewish Bible; Malakh (messenger/angel) is just one of them. Others that differ in their characteristics from an angel include Irinim (Watcher Angels/Higher Angels), Cherubim (Mighty Ones), Sarim (Princes), Seraphim (Fiery Ones), Chaiot (Righteous Ones), and Ophanim (Wheels). The unifying entities for the entire multitude of creatures serving God are: Tzeva (Master), B'nei ha-Elohim or B'nai Elim (Sons of God), and Kedoshim (Saints). They constitute Adat El, the divine assembly (Ps. 82; 1). A select number of angels in the Bible (three to be exact) are named: Michael, Gabriel, and Satan.

Presentation of the Angels

Angels can appear in a surprising variety of forms, although the Bible often neglects to provide any description (Judges 6:11-14; Zechariah 4). They appear as humanoids in most Bible texts (Numbers 22), and as such are often indistinguishable from human entities (Genesis 18; 32:10-13; Jesus 5:13-15; Judges 13:1-5), but they can also manifest themselves as pillars of fire and clouds, or as flames within a bush (Exodus 3). The Psalms characterize such a natural phenomenon as lightning as a manifestation of God (Ps. 105:4). Other divine creatures appear as the winged part of the Divine throne (Isaiah 6) or the divine chariot (Ezekiel 1). The appearance of the Cherub is quite well known, and is masterfully depicted on the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25). Perhaps the most controversial creature is Malach Adonai, an angel who may or may not be a visible manifestation of God.

Angels were usually depicted as blond, androgynous youths with wings (a symbol of invisibility) wearing white linen clothing with gold belts. The habitat of angels is the heavens, which were created before the dense sky (Gen. 1.1, Gen. 1.8).

Biblical angels perform many functions, including delivering information to mortals, protecting, saving, caring for the Israelites, and beating down the enemies of the Israelites. The Book of Daniel includes a number of ideas regarding angels that were created in post-biblical times, including naming angels and guardian angels: all nations of the world have their own supreme angels, the angels are organized hierarchically and each has their own spheres of influence and authority .

Angels in Judaism

Jewish sources from the Greco-Roman period expand on the traditional concept of angels found in the Jewish Scriptures. One can especially note the first systematization of the Biblical masters of Heaven and the reduction to a hierarchy of the various castes of angels who govern and serve at various levels of Heaven. Zechariah's mention of the seven eyes of God (4:10) is interpreted as a reference to the seven archangels, or the seven highest angels in the seven heavens (Enoch 61; Old Testament, Levi).

One can notice polytheistic views manifested in the revival of the divine hierarchy in terms of monotheism. Now, instead of minor gods with specific spheres of influence, angels appear, subordinate to the one God, but each with their own sphere of authority (3 Enoch). This is accompanied by the reproduction of the said angels. For the first time we hear about Uriel, Raphael, Peniel, Metatron and many, many others (I Enoch, Tobit, IV Esdras).

There is also an increased awareness of the similarities between angels and mortals. It seems that the boundary between human and angelic states is permeable. A detailed analysis of the apocryphal fragments of the Bible (Genesis 5:24; II Samuel 2:11) shows that an extraordinary mortal, such as Enoch, can be elevated to angelic status (I Enoch).

The idea of ​​dualism, stronger than in the Jewish Scriptures, appears in Late Antiquity and leads to the division of angels into two camps: light and darkness, as illustrated by Manual of Discipline materials found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The mythical reference to the misadventures of the Sons of God in Genesis 6:2 becomes the starting point for this belief. Thus, the legend of fallen angels first appears in pseudo-epigraphical texts (I Enoch 6, from the section sometimes called the Book of the Watchers). The idea that angels are jealous of man is also encountered here for the first time. The myth of the fallen angels eventually becomes a major theological theme in Christianity, but remains largely obscured in Judaism, having much less influence on later Jewish cosmology (see Demons and Satan). The belief that angels could be called upon and used by man, which would later become a major element of Merkabah mysticism, initially appears at this time (Book of the Wisdom of Solomon).

Generally speaking, rabbinic literature corrects the important role of angels when indicating their role in the Apocalyptic and Mystical traditions. Angels are supposed to have no free will (Shabb. 88b; Genesis 48:11). But they have intelligence and inner life; they are capable of reasoning and making mistakes (Ps. 18:13). Angels exist to perform a single task (Genesis 50:2), angels are subordinate to man and the idea of ​​justice (Genesis 21, Jeremiah 93a).

However, mention of angels in rabbinic literature is almost as frequent as mention of the Heavenly Masters themselves. Many of the divine actions described in Scripture were later attributed to various angels (Genesis 31:8; Jeremiah 105b). In contrast to this trend, however, the Passover tradition specifically denies the role of angels in the central event of Israel's deliverance from Egypt (Magid).

The functions of angels are even more diverse, and their role in the structure and functioning of the world is even more penetrating. Initially, the image of Mavet (Death) in the Bible was identified as Malakh ha-Mavet (Angel of Death). The early Jewish concept of personal angels, melahei sharet and memuneh, "serving" or "guarding" angels and "messengers", also develops in rabbinic literature. The idea that angels form a choir singing praises to God is also the subject of commentary and speculation among the wise (Genesis 78:1).

While the rabbinic writings do not offer any systematization of angels, unlike the Christian and magical traditions, some parallels are still visible. Thus, from the Talmud we learn that Michael, the guardian angel of Israel, serves as the High Priest in the Heavenly Jerusalem (Verse 12b). The legends of the angel-prophet Elijah are becoming one of the most widely circulated stories about angels. Elijah often appears among mortals, bringing them revelations from Heaven and solving insoluble issues.

That all angels (not just seraphim and cherubim) have wings is first mentioned in this period (Verse 16a). Angels can range in size from small to cosmic (Verse 13b).

There is also a fundamental disagreement about the nature of angels. Some view angels as "incarnate ideas of God", elementals created from fire, like the Muslim Ifrit, or from an impossible combination of fire and water (Sefer Yetzira 1.7). Others regard them as immaterial, incorporeal entities of the mind.

Unlike the biblical authors, the Sages allow themselves to speculate on the origin of angels. They teach, for example, that angels did not exist before the creation of the world, but were created as part of heaven on the second day of Creation (Genesis 1:3; 3). Others claim that they were created on the fifth day, the day of the creation of winged creatures.

In late antiquity, angelology became the main element of Merkabah mysticism. Any adept wishing to reach the heavenly palace and vision of Divine Glory had to know how to get past the guardian angels (usually by knowing and invoking their names) at each level. Perhaps even more significant to this mystical tradition is that angels could be summoned and drawn to earth to minister to the human initiate.

Many rituals and practices dedicated to this action are given in the writings of Hekalot. Originating in late antiquity, angels became increasingly associated and limited to the daily activities of man.

The medieval Midrash repeats and develops earlier teachings about angels, but it is during this period that individual philosophers begin to propose a systematic and idiosyncratic classification of angels. Maimonides, for example, speaks at length about them in his Mishech Torah, Hilkot Visodei HaTorah (Laws of the Fundamentals of the Torah). Carefully classifying the angelic ranks (there are ten of them) in his rationalistic system, Maimonides equates them with the Aristotelian "minds" that mediate between the spheres. As such, they are aware and controlling spheres in their movement, but in this Aristotelian context Maimonides says that they are forms of natural causation, as opposed to supernatural beings. He also expands his definition to include natural phenomena and even human psychology (he describes the sensual impulse as the "angel of lust"). Based on this, he concludes that there are two types of angels, eternal and ephemeral, the latter constantly being in and out of existence. He also denies that angels can ever take on material form; the clashes described in the Bible are only the visions and dreams of patriarchs and matriarchs. In contrast, other thinkers, such as the German Pietist Eleazer of Worms, adhered to esoteric and categorical supernatural concepts in angelology. Due to the exalted status of Torah study among Asheknazi Jews, rituals for summoning angels, especially those who could reveal the secrets of the Torah, like Sar HaTorah and Sar HaPanim (Prince of the Torah and Prince of the Presence), became widely known.

The early medieval magical works Sefer Ha-Razim catalog hundreds of angels, along with instructions on how to influence them and use their names when creating protective amulets, curses and other ways to achieve power. The Zohar, while continuing the tradition of angelic taxonomy, sorts them into seven palaces and classifies them according to the four worlds of emanations (1:11-40), and also assigns female attributes to angels along with male attributes (1:119b).

Kabbalists have reported numerous reports of angelic visitations. Magical legislator Joseph Caro wrote about the spirit of Mikhna who visited him at night and taught him Torah HaSod, the esoteric Torah.

The main contribution of Hasidic ideas to angelology was a clearly anthropocentric, even psychological, interpretation of the nature of angels. Early Hasidic masters believed that ephemeral angels were the direct result of human actions. Good deeds create good angels, destructive behavior creates destructive angels, etc. In other words, most angels are a byproduct of human activity, not God! Thus, the balance between angelic and demonic forces in the universe is a direct result of human decisions and actions.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, according to Jewish society, there was a revival of interest in angels.

Magical Uses: Angel names have apotropaic properties and often appear on amulets, magical inscriptions and formulas. In the evening bedtime rituals of Kriat Sh'ma al ha-Mitah, the angels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael are called upon for protection throughout the night. Angels have their own areas of specialization and can be called upon to assist mortals in these areas, such as, for example, studying and memorizing Torah.

Angels in Kaballa

Angels are often mentioned in the Old Testament Jewish books. According to Jewish monuments, angels belong to male. Jewish angels did not have wings. They appeared rather as internal drivers, rather than as forces acting from outside. In Kabbalah, angels number from one hundred thousand to forty-nine million.

Kabbalah is a guide describing the path to God. And this path leads through palaces or countless halls where the help of angels is needed.

There are four worlds:

1. The material, physical world in which we live.
2. A world ruled by 10 angelic troops. Each angel has its own name. They are led by the angel of the highest rank, Metatron.
3. The world of light, which opens from the highest, God's world.
4. God's peace, which is combined with the female hypostasis of the god Yahweh Shekinah.
There are ten sephiroth, or angels, in the Kabbalah. These are the main conductors divine energy. Each blossoms like a luminous rose, each petal revealing a winged outline. The names of the sephiroth are abstract: affirmation, beauty, eternity, beauty, strength, mercy, knowledge, wisdom, understanding and crown, crown.

They are located in a pyramid facing downwards.

At the base is the angel Sandalphon, this is the guardian angel.

God has seven main angels, they are considered his “incarnations”:

Anael, Hearken to me God
Gabriel, the Power of God
Samuel, Poison of God
Michael, Like God, Leader of the Heavenly Host
Sashiel, Justice of God
Raphael (archangel), God the Healer
Cassiel, Throne of God
Above all Metatron, Voice of God

Perfume ( human soul, freed from the body):

Pavael, Spirit of Saint Joseph
Kafael, the Spirit Accompanying John the Baptist in the Wilderness
Raphael, Spirit of Solomon
Getatia, Spirit of Moses
Uriel, Spirit of Ezra
Zaimel, Spirit of the Rod of Moses
Gethael, Spirit of Joshua
Gimel, the Serpent Spirit of Eve
Kamael, Spirit of Personal Courage
Ophil, Spirit of Piety
Aleptha, Spirit of Abraham
Gabriel, Spirit of Elijah
Samael, Spirit of John the Baptist
Michael, Spirit of Elesse
Vo-Ael, Spirit of Ghosts
Tetatia, Spirit of Virtue
Anael, Spirit of Knowledge
Thaletos, Spirit of Happiness (Earthly Paradise)

The Devil has seven main demons, they are also considered the guises of the Devil:

Samael, Lord of the Air and Angel of the Afterlife
Beelzebub, Lord of Darkness and Demons
Python, Spirit of Divination
Belial, Spirit of Treachery
Asmodeus, Demon Slayer
Lucifer, Spirit of Astral Light
Satan Resisting God

Above all these creations rises the angel of prayerful reflection about God. The path of prayerful reflection leads him to an ever more uplifting possibility of love, which is ultimately achieved by the realization that every life is holy, that every life is God and the transmission of love. Whatever we do in the divine ecstasy of prayer or prayerful contemplation represents an act of creation. And only such an act in God and through God creates new angels.

The highest creation of all is Mitzvoch, study, knowledge of Torah, prayer and repentance. Every Mitzvoh that a person performs is not only an act of spiritual contemplation, which is sacred in itself, but it is also an act of transformation of the material, physical world.

Angels in Islam

Belief in angels is an integral part of the Muslim faith (Quran 2:177). According to Islamic beliefs, they were created from the element of light. The meaning of their existence is to serve people (Quran 2:34).

Angel Gabriel communicates the Revelation of God to the prophets.
Angel Michael leads the heavenly army
Angel Azrael is the Angel of Death,
Angels Harut and Marut - magical knowledge (Koran 2:102).
Angel Malik guarding fiery Gehenna

There are several classes of angels, each of which performs its own task. Some of the angels, called "Mukarrabun", are in constant worship of Allah. The name of Allah Almighty does not leave their lips. It is said about them in the Koran “The heavens are ready to open up above them, and the angels offer the praises of their Lord and ask for forgiveness of those on earth...” (42: 5). Just as we cannot exist without air, so they cannot give up worship.

Angels called “Kiramen Katibin” keep a constant count of people’s earthly affairs and scrupulously record the deeds of each person in a personal book of life. Other angels play the role of protectors of people. They are called "Haphasa". If it were not for the protection of the angels of Hafaz, Muslims would be constantly attacked by satanic forces.

Part of the angels, headed by Azrael (peace be upon him), is tasked with taking the souls of dead people. Their name is "Malaika-ul-Maut". About them, Allah Almighty says: “Say: “The angel of death to whom you are entrusted accepts your death, then you will be returned to your Lord”” (Sura 32, verse 11).

2 more angels - Munkar and Nakir - ask questions to the dead about their God, prophet, religion. Appearing in the grave after burial, they appear before the dead not always in the same form, but in accordance with the faith or unbelief of the deceased. They appear before the infidel in a terrible guise: completely black with glowing eyes, fierce, of enormous stature. And they ask questions in a thunderous voice. And before believers who have led a decent lifestyle, they appear in the form of a friendly friend, and questions are asked kindly and with sympathy. There are 19 angels required to serve in Hell and called "Zabani". They are enormous in size and very cruel. “We made only the angels the rulers of fire and made their number only a test...” (Sura 74, verse 31)

Allah Almighty, at his discretion, chose prophets not only from among people, but also from among angels. The four main angels - Archangels Jabrail, Mikail, Israfil and Azrael are the prophets of angels. In addition to prophetic missions, they also have other personal tasks from Allah Almighty. Archangel Gabriel conveyed the commands of Allah to the next Prophet. Mikail is empowered to control the winds and rain clouds. Azrael, as mentioned above, takes the souls of people who have completed their life’s journey. And the Almighty Allah ordered Archangel Israfiel to constantly be near a huge trumpet that resembles a horn. He waits at this pipe, called "Suur", for the order of Allah. As soon as Allah Almighty gives a sign, Israfiel will blow the “Suur” and the End of the World will come.

Human prophets are superior to angelic prophets. At the same time, prophet-angels are higher than ordinary people. But simple people, leading a righteous lifestyle, firmly following the injunctions of the Koran and Sunnah, in turn, are higher than ordinary angels. This is because, Islamic scholars believe, it is much easier for angels who have no gender, need neither food nor drink, and have no passion, to be righteous. While a person has to constantly moderate his passions so as not to fall into sin, succumbing to the temptation of Satan.

The Noble Quran says that Allah Almighty created angels with two, three or four wings. “Praise be to Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, who made the angels messengers with double, triple and quadruple wings. He increases in creation whatever He pleases. Allah is powerful over every thing" (35: 1) We must not forget that the wings of angels are not like the wings of birds, nor the wings of windmills. Their wings match their power. The strength and size of angels depend on what they are intended for. And their wings correspond to this purpose.

Angel(ancient Greek ἄγγελος, angelos - “messenger, messenger”) in Abrahamic religions - a spiritual, intelligent, sexless and ethereal being, expressing the will of God and possessing supernatural powers. The Bible calls Angels ministering spirits. They are often depicted as people with snow-white wings on their backs.

The angels do not know our strife, strife, wars, anger, hatred and envy. They are saturated with the sweetness of contemplating the beauty of the Divine and the knowledge of eternal wisdom. Thus, in the unceasing contemplation of God, in constant striving and exaltation towards Him, in the never-ceasing hymn of His immeasurable glory and greatness, angels live in heaven.

Angel Abilities:

The power of Angels is bestowed by God. He defines for any Angel the abilities that the Angel will have:
1. Be invisible to physical vision.
2. The ability to fly in the spiritual (Spiritual elevation, closeness to God).
3. The ability to manifest in the material: the ability to appear in the physical human body, the ability to influence the physical world. Vision through the thickness of time, the ability to read both human souls and people’s thoughts in their eyes, to get to the depths of the thoughts of a person’s heart and mind.
4. The ability to destroy entire cities.
5. Angels have free will to choose.

In Kabbalah, angels number from one hundred thousand to forty-nine million.
Kabbalah is a guide describing the path to God. And this path leads through palaces or countless halls where the help of angels is needed.

Eight main angels:

1.Anael- God listen to me
2.Gavriel- the power of God
3. Samuel- poison of God
4. Michael- God-like, leader of the heavenly army
5. Sashiel- God's justice
6. Raphael- healer
7. Cassiel- throne of God
8. Oriel- light of God
Above all Metatron- Voice of God

Spirits are the human soul freed from the body:
1. Pavael - the spirit of St. Joseph
2. Kafael - the spirit accompanying John the Baptist in the desert
3. Raphael - the spirit of Solomon
4. Getatia - the spirit of Moses
5. Uriel - the spirit of Ezra
6. Possessed - the spirit of the rod of Moses
7. Gethael - the spirit of Joshua
8. Gimel - the spirit of the serpent of Eve
9. Kamael - the spirit of personal courage
10. Ofil - the spirit of piety
11. Alepta - the spirit of Abraham
12. Gabriel - the spirit of Elijah
13. Samael - the spirit of John the Baptist
14. Michael - the spirit of Elesse
15. Vo-Ael - spirit of ghosts
16. Tetatia - spirit of virtue
17. Anael - spirit of knowledge
18. Thalet - the spirit of happiness (earthly paradise)

The seven main demons of the Devil (his guises):

1. Samael - the lord of the air and the angel of the Afterlife
2. Beelzebub - Lord of Darkness and Demons
3. Python - the spirit of divination
4. Belial - spirit of treachery
5. Asmodeus - demon - fighter
6. Lucifer - the spirit of astral light
7. Satan - the one who resists God

Above all these creations rises the angel of prayerful reflection about God. The path of prayerful reflection leads him to an ever more uplifting possibility of love, which is ultimately achieved by the realization that every life is holy, that every life is God and the transmission of love. Whatever we do in the divine ecstasy of prayer or prayerful contemplation represents an act of creation. And only such an act in God and through God creates new angels.

Angels were created by God before the creation of the material world, over which they have significant power. There are significantly more of them than all people.
The purpose of angels: glorifying God, embodying his glory, guiding and embodying grace for the glory of God (therefore they are a great help to those who are being saved).
Angels, just like people, have minds and their minds are more perfect than human ones. Angels are eternal. They create his spirit in a person’s soul and allow the human heart to form its own image.
In the angelic world, a strict hierarchy was established by God (subordination of 9 angelic ranks). The leader of the entire angelic army, Dennitsa is the most powerful, talented, beautiful and closest to God.
But one day he became so proud of his highest position among the other angels that he decided to rebel and take the place of God himself. Moreover, he managed to seduce many angels from different ranks. Then at that moment the Archangel Michael called on those who were hesitant to remain faithful to God, led an army of bright angels, and struck down Dennitsa (who began to be called the Devil, Satan, the Evil One and others, and other fallen angels - demons, devils).
And there was a war in Heaven, as a result of which devilry fell into hell, where she organized herself into the kingdom of Beelzebub, with the same angelic hierarchy. Fallen spirits are not completely deprived of their former power and, by God’s permission, can inspire people with sinful thoughts and desires, guide them and cause them pain. But good angels, who outnumber demons, also help people.
The name of a spirit is not the same as the name of a person. God is a spirit, and as a spirit, he names a being not by what is transitory (who would call a man by the brand of his jacket?), but by glory. The Angel's name is the name of his glory. The names of some angels are revealed to people: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Jehudiel, Salafail and others.
Guardian angels are spirits sent by God to every person even before birth.
Every person is also hunted by demons who want to destroy his soul with the help of inspired fears, temptations and enticements. (in the heart of every person there is an “invisible war” between God and the devil).
Each angel (and demon) has different abilities: some convey to people an understanding of the virtue of non-covetousness, others strengthen people’s faith.

Ranks of angels:
1. Angels
2. Archangels
3. Thrones
4. Dominations
5. Beginnings
6. Powers
7. Radiance
8. Climbing
9. Understandings

According to Dionysius the Areopagite, the angels are arranged in the following order:
1. First person (highest hierarchy)
2. Seraphim (Hebrew שׂרפים‎ - burning, flaming, fiery, - Greek σεραφίμ - six-winged angels. They flame with love for God and encourage many to it.
3. Cherubim (ancient Greek χερουβίμ from Hebrew כרובים‎, kerubim - intercessors, minds, disseminators of knowledge, outpouring of wisdom) - four-winged and four-faced angels. Their name means: outpouring of wisdom, enlightenment. (Satan was from the order of cherubim).
4. Thrones (ancient Greek θρόνοι) - God-bearing - on them the Lord sits as if on a throne and pronounces His Judgment. Thrones (ancient Greek θρόνοι), according to Dionysius: “God-bearing”) - the Lord sits on them as if on a throne and pronounces His Judgment.
5. Second face (middle hierarchy)
6. Dominations (ancient Greek κυριότητες, lat. dominationes) - instruct earthly rulers appointed by God in wise governance, teach them to control their feelings, and tame sinful lusts.
7. Powers (ancient Greek δυνάμεις, lat. potestates) - work miracles and send down the grace of miracles and clairvoyance to the saints of God.
8. Authorities (ancient Greek ἐξουσίες, lat. virtutes) - have the power to tame the power of the Devil.
9. Third face (lower hierarchy)
10. Principles (archons) (ancient Greek ἀρχαί, lat. principates) - they are entrusted with managing the Universe and the elements of nature.
11. Archangels (chiefs of angels) (ancient Greek ἀρχάγγελοι -Michael) - heavenly teachers, teach people how to act in life.
12. Angels (ancient Greek ἀγγελοι - closest to people. They proclaim the intentions of God, instruct people to a virtuous and holy life. Gabriel; Raphael; (For Pseudo-Dionysius, the Archangel Michael is an “angel”); Seven Angels with gold bowls filled with the wrath of God; the Angel of the Abyss Abaddon with a chain and the key to the Abyss; Seven Angels with trumpets.

Greek word ἄγγελος - “angelos”, direct translation of ancient Hebrew. מלאך - “mal’akh” with the same meaning, from the archaic root of ancient Hebrew. לאכ - “to send”, witnessed [ source?] in Ugaritic language; directly [ source?] the Arabic word ملاك ‎ is borrowed from Hebrew malak.

In the scriptures of the Abrahamic religious tradition

In the Old Testament

Some theologians in Christianity and Judaism are of the opinion that in Gen. it speaks of angels who once married people, giving birth to giants (nephalems). To do this, they incarnated in human body and went down to earth:

At that time there were giants (nephalem) on the earth, especially from the time when the sons of God began to come in to the daughters of men, and they began to give birth to them: these are strong people, glorious people from ancient times.

These views are set forth in the apocryphal books of Enoch and Jubilees; this opinion was shared by many early Christian authors (Justin the Philosopher, Irenaeus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Ambrose, etc.). Currently, these views are also held by Jehovah's Witnesses. Most of the Church Fathers famous for their exegetical works (John Chrysostom, Ephraim the Syrian, Blessed Theodoret, Cyril of Jerusalem, Jerome, Augustine, etc.) were of the opinion that the “sons of God” here meant the pious Sethites (descendants of Seth).

There are also versions based on Jude. that the angels mentioned here are the same ones who “did not preserve their dignity, but left their home” and for this they were punished by God “in eternal chains, under darkness”

In the New Testament

In most translations of the Bible, when mentioning the fallen and all kinds of sinners (those who opposed God), they use lowercase letter, and when mentioning the holy Angels - capitalize.

Angel with a flower. 14th century

In the Koran

In Abrahamic religions

In Judaism

Among the seven angels of the Jewish religion, only three are named in the Tanakh (Old Testament) by name: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. The other four, Oriel, Reguel, Sariel and Jerahmiel, are mentioned in non-canonical literature (Book of Enoch). It is believed that four angels stand before the throne of God and guard the four cardinal directions: Michael, Gabriel, Oriel and Raphael.

In Kabbalah

In the angelic world, God established a strict hierarchy of 9 angelic ranks: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Angels. The leader of the entire angelic army, Dennitsa, the most powerful, talented, beautiful and close to God, was so proud of his highest position among the other angels that he refused to recognize man as a being equal in abilities to God (meaning man’s ability to create and see the essence of things), that is, higher than him, he himself wanted to become higher than God, and because of which he was overthrown. Moreover, he managed to seduce many angels from different ranks. And at that moment, Archangel Michael called on those who hesitated to remain faithful to God, led an army of bright angels and struck Dennitsa (who began to be called the devil, Satan, the evil one, etc., and other fallen angels - demons, demons, devils, etc.). And there was a war in Heaven, as a result of which the evil spirits were cast into the “underworld of the earth,” that is, into hell, where they organized themselves into the kingdom of Beelzebub, with the same angelic hierarchy. Fallen spirits are not completely deprived of their former power and, by God’s permission, can inspire people with sinful thoughts and desires, guide them and cause them pain. But good angels also help people, of whom there are more than demons (the Apocalypse says that the serpent (Lucifer) carried away a third of the stars (angels)).

However, the name of a spirit is not the same as the name of a person. God is Spirit, and as Spirit, he names a being not by what is transitory, but by Glory. The Angel's name is the name of his glory. The names of some (in the Orthodox tradition - seven) Angels (Archangels) are revealed to people: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Yehudiel, Selaphiel, Barachiel. Moreover, the first four Angels are considered “biblical”, that is, their names are directly named in Scripture, and the last three are known from Tradition.

The image and functions of Piresti go back to ancient Iranian culture: Avest. Fravashi - giver of life, protector, guardian spirit, eternal souls of ancestors in the form of birds; Persian. Fereshte - angel, messenger.

In other sources

In mythology, the Rose of the World

Angels of the Highest Circle:

• Archangels- the guardians of strength and wisdom are also the most terrible punishment of the Lord.
• Cherubim- guardians of light missions,
• Seraphim- guardians of some human communities (churches, communities, ethical associations),
• Thrones- guardians of nations.

Angels of the Lower Circle:

• Astrals or Authorities- creators of Enrof materiality,
• Powers- creators of materiality sakuala daimons,
• Dominations- creators of the materiality of the worlds of enlightenment, except Olirna,
• Beginnings- creators of the materiality of zatomis,

The angels of the lower circle were once angelic humanity, and lived in Olirna. The Sirins, Alkonosts, and Gamayuns of Christian metacultures become archangels.

see also

• Peri - similar creatures of Eastern mythology (including fallen angels)
• Angel in Islam (perishte)
• Angel in Judaism
• Angel in ancient Greek religion

Notes

Literature

• Ivan Benchev. Angel icons. Images of heavenly messengers. M., Interbook-Business, 2005.
• Andreev I. Apocrypha. - In: Christianity: Encyclopedic Dictionary.
• Averintsev S. Angels, Archangels. - In: Myths of the peoples of the world, T. 1. M.,
• Sophie Burnham. A book about angels: Reflections on angels from the past to the present day, and how they relate to our lives. M., Home shopping, 2001.
• Vasily (Krivoshein), archbishop. Brussels and Belgian. Angels and demons in spiritual life according to the teachings of the Eastern Fathers. St. Petersburg, Satis, 2002, 56 p.
• The Book of Angels: An Anthology of Christian Angelology. St. Petersburg, Amphora, 2005, 560 p.
• Ya. E. Zelenina, M. N. Krechetova. Guardian Angel // Orthodox Encyclopedia. Volume II. - M. : Church and Scientific Center “Orthodox Encyclopedia”, 2000. - pp. 308-310. - 752 s. - 40,000 copies. - ISBN 5-89572-007-2
• M. S. Ivanov. Heavenly Host // Orthodox Encyclopedia. Volume IX. - M. : Church and Scientific Center “Orthodox Encyclopedia”, 2005. - pp. 209-210. - 752 s. - 39,000 copies. - ISBN 5-89572-015-3

Links

	Angel in Wiktionary