Saturday Ramblins, Vol. 1, No. 17 (September 5, 1998)

(Guest contributor, Richard S. Clifton, author and journalist, begins today a series of articles on the history, nature and biblical evidence of holy angels.)

The term "angel" has come to mean so many things in our time. It has been applied to everything from that person who did us a kindness to the so called "new age" deification of nature that attempts to personify every rainbow as an angel. But in the strictest Judaic-Christian sense, an angel is a pure spirit created by God, a spiritual being or intelligence and resident of heaven — employed by Him as a minister of His will.

It is believed that angels have existed almost from the beginning though Holy Scripture is unclear on the time of their creation. They are purely spiritual and exist blissfully in the presence of God. The word "angel" comes from the Greek for "messenger". They are so named because, according to the Bible, their mission is to carry out the commands of God. Often they have done this by assuming human form. The Annunciation to Mary is a good example of this (Luke 1:26; 2:9-14).

Angels, unlike humankind, were welcomed into the heavenly bliss of the union with God from the moment of their creation. God bestowed on them great wisdom, freedom and power. Being creatures not confined to bodies as we are, angels did not need time to grow and mature in their response to God's love. They could make an immediate choice. While most chose God through their free will, others did not and fell from His presence and grace.

The angels are divided into three Ranks, or Orders, which are in turn divided into three Hierarchies, each serving different purposes in God's scheme. The Ranks consist of Highest, Middle and Lowest. The highest Order include the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones.

The Seraphim, six-winged creatures, stand closest to God and the Holy Trinity. According to tradition, they burn with a love for God and inspire others to do the same. Only one reference in the Bible mentions the Seraphim and that is found in Isaiah 6:1-7. They are the attendants of God's throne.

The next Order are the Cherubim. These angels, man-like in their appearance, two-winged creatures, are the guardians of God's glory. The name means outpouring of wisdom or enlightenment. Through them radiates the light of a knowledge of God and an understanding of His mysteries; through them we can begin to understand our Heavenly Father.

The final Rank of the highest order is Thrones who serve by carrying out God's decisions and bringing His justice to bear on us. The middle Rank of angels consists of Dominions, Powers and Authorities. Dominions (or Dominations) are those beings who manifest the mercy of God and give wisdom to earthly authorities who govern individuals, helping them to avoid sinful impulses. The Powers intercede for us as we struggle with good and evil using miracles and wonders to bring God's grace to earth. They are also known as the avengers of evil in this world.

The Authorities have the power to repel the devil and are a source of strength when we face temptations.

The lowest Order of angels consists of the Principalities, the Archangels and the Angels. This Order is most often associated with direct angelic intervention in the affairs of humans. The Principalities protect religion and the lands, nations and peoples of the earth.

Archangels are the chief angels (as arch implies). They are the angels who carry the divine decrees to humankind here below. According to tradition, there are seven archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are agreed to be three of them. The other four have been the subject of debate historically. Good candidates have always been Uriel, Raguel, and Zadkiel, comprising three of the other four. There is no agreement on the name of the seventh archangel.

Finally, there are the Angels--the lowest hierarchy of the lower order and those beings who are the closest to human beings. They bring to us the intentions of God, guiding us towards a virtuous and holy life. Among this rank we find the Guardian Angels.

In examining the qualities of the several Orders of angels, it is perhaps these most desirable of traits, in promoting the Kingdom, that prompt us to look for this goodness in other people and when we find it, to see angels.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page