Facts about Angels
Ranks are implied: archangels such as Michael (Jude 9), principalities and powers (Rom.
Some medieval Christian philosophers were influenced by the views of Maimonides, and accepted his view of angels.
Accordingly, some writers insist that is beneficial to recognize the service that angels are providing, and even to call on them, inviting them into our lives.
God was firm about maintaining a sharp distinction between God and angels, and consequently the Hebrews were forbidden by Moses to worship the "host of heaven."
The Cherubim and Seraphim are typically closest to God, while the Angels and Archangels are most active in human affairs.
What the Bible and Talmud refer to as "angels" are actually metaphors for the various laws of nature, or the principles by which the physical universe operates, or kinds of platonic eternal forms.
Angels are thus the ministers of God, as well as the agents of revelation in Islam.
Paul's statement that women should wear a veil "because of the angels" (1 Cor.
Gradually, and especially in post-Biblical times, angels came to be bodied in a form corresponding to the nature of the mission to be fulfilled.
Today, his views about angels are still accepted among many mainstream Christians.
Despite their being depicted as human in appearance, many theologians have argued that angels have no fixed physical form, but can incarnate in whatever form is pleasing or appropriate to the viewer.
The lesson is that human life on earth is more excellent than that of angels in heaven, because only earthly humans are given responsibility to keep the laws of God.
Angels constitute God's court, sitting in council with God (1 Kings, 22:19; Job 1:6, 2:1); hence they are called God’s "council of the holy ones" (Ps.
Some scholars, connecting the seven angels of Ezekiel with the seven eyes of Yahweh in Zechariah 3:9 and the later doctrine of seven chief angels (Tob.
The Bible does state that at the resurrection people will be like the angels with regard to marriage and immortality (Luke 20:35-36), and teaches such a transformation.
Islamic scholars differ on the question of whether angels have free will or are capable of committing sin.
Some writers recommend calling one's personal band angels to help one through the day.
Regardless of their disposition towards humans—whether to guide or to punish—angels act in God's service.
The angels Nakir and Munkar are assigned to interrogate the dead before judgment day; and there are nineteen angels over-seeing the punishments of hell unflinchingly (Q 74:30).
The belief in angels is central to the religion of Islam, beginning with the belief that the Qur'an was dictated to the Prophet Muhammad by the chief of all angels, the archangel Jibril (Gabriel).
Angels foretold to Abraham the birth of Isaac, to Manoah the birth of Samson, and to Abraham the destruction of Sodom.
The Qur'an commanded the first Muslims to obey God and God's prophet (Qur’an 4:59).
Among Jewish philosophers, a rationalist view of angels developed that is still accepted by many Jews today.
The archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary in the traditional role of messenger to inform her that her child would be the messiah, and other angels were present to herald his birth.
Rabbinic Judaism has another tradition about angels that runs entirely counter to the theory of angelic hierarchy: the talmudic tradition that human beings are superior to angels (compare 1 Cor.
The creeds and confessions do not formulate any authoritative doctrine of angels.
Some verses in the Apocrypha/Deuterocanon depict angels wearing blue or red robes.
The belief in powerful and benevolent spiritual beings is an ancient and common feature of most world religions, but only in the Abrahamic religions are they called "angels."
The fall of the angels is based on Genesis 6:2, as interpreted by the Book of Enoch.
Angels reveal themselves to individuals and nations, in order to announce events to affect humans.
Jesus also speaks of angels as fulfilling such functions (Mark 8:38, 13:27).
Today, belief in angels, especially the popular idea of guardian angels, is deeply comforting to many.
The Christian mystic Emanuel Swedenborg in his late work Conjugial Love describes that a soul of a man and a soul of a woman are united by marriage in heaven, thereby becoming angels.
Angels possess the beatific vision, or the unencumbered understanding of God (the essence of the pleasure of heaven).
Depictions of angels in Christian art as winged human forms, unlike classical pagan depictions of the major deities, follow the iconographic conventions of lesser winged gods, such as Eos, Eros, Thanatos and Nike.
Angels are described as being excessively beautiful and have different numbers of wings (for example, Gabriel is attributed as having six-hundred wings in his natural form).
Other angels include Michael (Mikaeel) who discharges control of vegetation and rain, Sarafiel (Israfil) who will blow the trumpet on Yaum al Qiyamah (the day of resurrection), and Azrael (Izra'il), the angel of death.
Names of the angels who allegedly appeared to the members of the Mormon community are: Moroni, Nephi, Peter, James, John and John the Baptist.
Angels fill a number of different roles in the Book of Revelation.
The angels that invisibly surround each person actually want to be directed by the humans whom they are to help.
The development of the doctrine of an organized hierarchy of angels continues into the Jewish literature of the period 200 B.C.E.
So the motions of living beings, even those that are inarticulate, are said explicitly by Scripture to be due to angels.
Angels are not omniscient, it is said; they can better serve their earthly counterparts if they are given an order.
Avenging angels are mentioned, such as the one in 2 Samuel 24:15, who annihilates thousands.
Some Christian traditions hold that angels play a variety of specific roles in the lives of believers.
Each consecrated altar has at least one angel always present offering up prayers, and a number of angels join the congregation when they meet to pray.
Ezekiel gives elaborate descriptions of cherubim—which for him are a class of angels.
Ezekiel, in one of his visions, he sees seven angels execute the judgment of God upon Jerusalem (Ezek.
The connection between the rebellion of the angels and the Fall of Man becomes explicit in later Christian theology, and also the Qur'an (see below).
Angels typically act as messengers but can perform other tasks such as keeping records of humans' actions, acting as guardians, announcing God's decrees, and waging battles against demons.
The archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary in the traditional role of messenger to inform her that her child would be the messiah, and other angels were present to herald his birth.
Many religions teach of rebellious and evil angels and see angels as catalysts in the fall of humanity, leading to the predicaments of evil and sin.
Satan, whom Jesus also called Beelzebul, and the rest of the demons are thought to be angels who rebelled against God and were expelled from heaven.
Angels bear drawn swords or other destroying weapons in their hands and ride on horses (Num.
Medieval theologians taught that angels are able to reason instantly, and to move instantly.