Hierarchy of angels: Encyclopedia - Hierarchy of angels

Hierarchy of angels

According to medieval Christian theologians, the Angels are organized into several orders, or Angelic Choirs. The most influential of these classifications was that put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the Fourth or Fifth century, in his book The Celestial Hierarchy.

In this work, the author drew on passages from the New Testament, specifically Ephesians 6:12 and Colossians 1:16, to construct a schema of three Hierarchies, Spheres or Triads of angels, with each Hierarchy containing three Orders or Choirs. In descending order of power, these were:

• First Hierarchy:
  • Seraphim
  • Cherubim
  • Thrones or Ophanim
• Second Hierarchy:
  • Dominions
  • Virtues
  • Powers
• Third Hierarchy:
  • Principalities
  • Archangels
  • Angels

During the Middle Ages, many other schema were proposed, some drawing on and expanding on Pseudo-Dionysius, others suggesting completely different classifications. Here is another example, which is expanded in the rest of this article:

• First Hierarchy:
  • Seraphim
  • Cherubim
  • Archangels
• Second Hierarchy:
  • Dominions
  • Virtues
  • Principalities
  • Rulers
  • Authorities
  • Powers
  • Thrones
• Third Hierarchy:
  • Angels

Some authors limited the number of Choirs to seven.

Hierarchy of angels - First Sphere

The angels of the first sphere were thought to serve as heavenly counselors.

Hierarchy of angels - Seraphim

The Seraphim are the highest order of angels, serving as the caretakers of God's throne and continuously singing his praises. It is said that they surround the throne of God, singing the music of the spheres and regulating the movement of the heavens as it emanates from God. It is also said that such a bright light emanates from them that nothing, not even other divine beings, can look upon them. There are four of them surrounding God's throne.

The Seraphim are mentioned in Isaiah 6:1–7 [1]

Hierarchy of angels - Archangels

The Archangels are usually considered the second lowest order of the First Sphere; these angels tend the larger arenas of human endeavor and act as the administrative leaders of the Heavenly beings. An archangel is usually given a task of great importance to men. According to Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite's Angelology, however, the Archangels lie just above the lowest of the angel orders, the common Angels.

The word archangel is used only twice in the canonical Scripture (but several times in the Septuagint): once to refer to Michael the archangel [2] and the other to refer to a being believed to be Gabriel during the return of the Lord (Gabriel is preferred over Michael since he is the messenger angel). [3]

The belief that Satan was a cherub before his fall from heaven is a more modern development. This belief is based on the facts that (a) the cherub that fell was a King on earth; and (b) the matchup in Revelation against the archangel Michael seems to show that he was an archangel [4]

Some insist that archangels aren't a separate order but that the traditional Catholic archangels (Michael, Raphael, Gabriel and sometimes Uriel) were either cherubim or seraphim in addition to being archangels. However, even in this case, being an archangel clearly implies being a part of the first sphere of the angels. Sometimes, Lucifer is also considered to have been an archangel before his Fall. As God's "second in command," he was likely not below the Seraphim.

Hierarchy of angels - Cherubim

The Cherubim (singular "Cherub") are beyond the throne of God; they are the guardians of light and of the stars. It is believed that, although they are removed from man's plane of reality, the divine light that they filter down from Heaven still touches human lives.

Their rank among angels is uncertain but they are always categorized in the First Sphere. Some believe them to be an order or class of angels; others hold them to be a class of heavenly beings higher than angels.

Many Christians believe that the Devil is a fallen angel that was among the Cherubim prior to his fall from Heaven. They believe that the Devil was considered as the angel of light before his sin against God.

The Cherubim are mentioned in Genesis 3:24 [5]; Ezekiel 10:17–20 [6]; and 1 Kings 6:23–28 [7].

Hierarchy of angels - Thrones

The Thrones are angelic beings shaped like shiny orbs of shifting colors. Their duty is to carry the throne of God around in paradise, hence their name.They are the companion angels of the planets.

Thrones are fully equal in authority and power in comparison to the Powers. However, Thrones are politically, militarily and economically oriented, and their main concerns revolve around people and world events. Thrones have authority over major divisions of the world.

Hierarchy of angels - Second Sphere

Angels of the Second Sphere work as heavenly governors.

Hierarchy of angels - Dominions

The Dominions, also known as the Hashmallim, hold the task of regulating the duties of lower angels. They receive their orders from the Seraphim, the Cherubim, or God Himself, and are responsible for ensuring that the cosmos remains in order. It is only with extreme rarity that the dominions make themselves physically known to mortals. Instead, they quietly concern themselves with the details of existence.

Hierarchy of angels - Powers

The Powers are angelic beings shaped like brightly colored, hazy fumes. They are the bearers of conscience and the keepers of history. The angels of birth and death are Powers. They are academically driven and are concerned with ideology, philosophy, theology, religion, and documents pertaining to those studies. Powers are the brain trusts: a group of experts who serve as advisers and policy planners. Their duty is to oversee the distribution of power among mankind, hence their name.

These two types of angels are equal in power and authority. Rulers develop ideologies whereas Authorities write the documents and doctrines.

Both Powers and Rulers are involved in formulating ideologies. However, Powers are all-encompassing whereas Rulers are more focused on specific lines of thought.

Authorities specialize in putting those ideas into print and in producing actual documents.

Hierarchy of angels - Virtues / Fortresses / Strongholds

The Virtues, also called Fortresses or Strongholds, lie beyond the Thrones and are equal to the Principalities. Their task is to oversee groups of people. They are shaped like sparks of light that inspire humanity to many things such as art or science.

It is unclear from where the name of this order originated.

Hierarchy of angels - Third Sphere

Angels who function as heavenly messengers.

The Principalities are angelic beings shaped like rays of light. They lie beyond the group of archangels. They are the guardian angels of nations and countries, and are concerned with the issues and events surrounding these, including politics, military matters, commerce and trade. One of their duties is to choose who among humanity will rule.

Hierarchy of angels - Angels

The Angels are the lowest order of the angels, and the most familiar to men. They are the ones most concerned with human affairs. Within the category of angels, there are many different kinds, with different functions. The angels are sent as messengers to men.

See also

• Hierarchy of Devils
• Fallen angel

Category: Angels

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Hierarchy of angels", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki