Religious Angels

Religious Angels can be defined as celestial beings that act as an intermediary between heaven and earth. A guardian spirit or guiding influence.
The word Angel originated from Latin angelus, from Greek angelos, meaning messenger.
The artistic representation of angels especially in Christianity, conventionally appear as a human figure with a halo and wings.

In medieval angelology angels are divided by rank into nine orders:
According to Thomas Aquinas, the highest hierarchy of religious angels next to God are:

1. Seraphim,
- an angel of the first order; usually portrayed as the winged head of a child .
(Isaiah 6:1-3), I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty. The whole earth is full of his glory.

(Ezekiel 10:9-14 20-21) I looked and saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like chrysolite. As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes as were their four wheels. I hear the wheels being called the whirling wheels. Each of the cherubim had four faces. On face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a lion,, and the fourth the face of an eagle……..And I realized that they were cherubim. Each had four races and four sins, and under their wings was what looked like the hand of a man.

The middle hierarchy of religious angels are involved in government:

4. Dominations (or dominions)
(Colossians 1:16), whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;

5. Virtues,
(1 Peter 3:21-22) It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand---with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him

6. Powers,
(Colossians 1:16); whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;

The third hierarchy of Religious Angels are involved in work:

7 Principalities (or princedoms)
(Colossians 1:16), ) For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.


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8. Archangels
an angel ranked above the highest rank in the celestial hierarchy.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16), For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God.

9. Angels, are spiritual beings attendant upon God.
34 books (of 66 total) in the Bible refer to religious angels in at least 42 verses listed in the concordance.

(Heb. 1:14). Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

A religious angel can be in only one place at one time

(Dan.9:21-23;) while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, ”Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray an answer was given which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision.

(Daniel 10:10-14) A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, “Daniel, you are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”

in natural sight with human functions –
Gen. 18:1-6 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
He said, “ If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way- now that you have come to your servant.”
“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

Genesis 22: The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.
Genesis 19:1; The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.

seen by some and not others –
2 Kings 6:15-17 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed,. “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Religious angels cannot reproduce.

(Mark 12:25) When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

They do not die
(Luke 20:36) And they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.

Religious Angels have communicable attributes in a degree greater than man but less than God.


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Religious Angels have more knowledge than man

Matt.24:31; And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Luke 1:13-16 But the angel said to him: “ Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.

but less than God

Matt.24:36 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Religious Angels have more power than man

2 Pet. 2:11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such being in the presence of the Lord.

Acts 5:19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.

but less than God.

Religious Angels were created by God
Ps.148:2,5; Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels, praise him all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.

Col.1:16. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

Religious Angels We Know
Gabriel
(Dan. 8: 15-16) While I, Daniel was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.

(Dan. 9:20-22) While I was speaking and praying confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill- while I was still in Prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.

Michael
(Jude 8-9) In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

(Rev. 12: 7-9) And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.

Another scripture regarding the fall of Satan can be found in 1 Timothy 3:6.
God grants Satan permission to test his servant Job. Read his story and how he remains faithful to God through it all in the book of Job.
In Edward IV's reign in England a gold coin with a representation of the archangel Michael on it was minted

The "Angelic Doctor"
(St)Thomas Aquinas, best known for his book, the Summa Theologica, believed that angels are spiritual beings who influence mankind by placing an idea in (his) her head.

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