From en.wikipedia.org:
[Supernatural being in religions and mythologies] [Angle] {{Hatnote group|
[the supernatural beings] [Angelology] }} [date=February 2015] An ANGEL is a
spiritual heavenly, or supernatural entity, usually humanoid with bird-like
wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the
transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in various traditions like the
Abrahamic religions.[1][2][3] Other roles include protectors and guides for
humans, such as guardian angels and servants of God.[4] In Western
belief-systems the term is often used to distinguish benevolent from
malevolent intermediary beings.[5]
Emphasizing the distance between God and mankind, revelation-based
belief-systems require angels to bridge the gap between the earthly and the
transcendent realm.[6] Angels play a lesser role in monistic belief-systems,
since the gap is non-existent. However, angelic beings might be conceived as
aid to achieve a proper relationship with the divine.[7]
Abrahamic religions describe angelic hierarchies, which vary by religion and
sect. Some angels are indicated with names (such as Gabriel or Michael) or
are of a specific kind or rank (such as a seraph or an archangel). Malevolent
angels are often believed to have been expelled from heaven and are called
fallen angels. In many such religions, the devil (or devils) are identified
with such angels. right Angels in art are often identified with bird
wings,[8] halos,[9] and divine light. They are usually shaped like humans of
extraordinary beauty, though this is not always the case [Ndash]sometimes,
they are portrayed as being frightening or inhuman.[10]
** Etymology
The word _angel_ arrives in modern English from Old English _engel_ (with a
hard _g_) and the Old French _angele_.[11] Both of these derive from Late
Latin _angelus_, which in turn was borrowed from Late Greek [el] _angelos_
(literally "messenger").[12] Τhe word's earliest form is Mycenaean _a-ke-ro_,
attested in Linear B syllabic script.[13] According to the Dutch linguist R.
S. P. Beekes, _ángelos_ itself may be "an Oriental loan, like ἄγγαρος
(_ángaros_, 'Persian mounted courier')."[14]
The rendering of _ángelos_ is the Septuagint's default translation of the
Biblical Hebrew term _malʼākh_, denoting simply "messenger" without connoting
its nature. In the Latin Vulgate, this meaning becomes bifurcated: when
_malʼākh_ or _ángelos_ is supposed to denote a human messenger, words like
_nuntius_ or _legatus_ are applied. If the word refers to some supernatural
being, the word _angelus_ appears. Such differentiation has been taken over
by later vernacular translations of the Bible, early Christian and Jewish
exegetes and eventually modern scholars.[15]
** Background
The concept of angels is historically best to be understood from different
ideas of the concept of God throughout history. In polytheistic and animistic
worldviews, supernatural powers (i.e. deities, spirits, daemons, etc.) were
assigned to different natural phenomena.<ref name="Abu-Hamdiyyah, Muhammad
2020"/>[style=ama][16] Within a monotheistic framework, these powers were
reconsidered to be servants of the supreme deity, turning autonomous
supernatural beings into "angels".[17][style=ama]
By that, supernatural powers controlling or influencing humanity's perception
of the world, including natural phenomena and humans, are ultimately under
control of a supreme God.<ref name="Abu-Hamdiyyah, Muhammad 2020"/>[style=ama]
Prominent angels, such as Michael and Gabriel, reflect a connection to the
Chief Semitic deity El. Even "bad" angels such as Satan, Samael, Iblis etc.,
can be understood as an operating force within the nature of humans, as
responsible for selfish tendencies.<ref name="Abu-Hamdiyyah, Muhammad
2020"/>[style=ama]
The idea of angels in early Hebrew scripture as supernatural agents is
absent.[18] Instead, the Hebrew deity intervenes in human affairs, mostly by
means of punishment.<ref name="The Encyclopedia of Religion"/> Only in later
thought of post-exilic and prophetic writings, the Biblical deity is
conceptualized as distant and more merciful, his interventions replaced by the
idea of angels.<ref name="The Encyclopedia of Religion"/> However, such angels
still carry out the gruesome attributes of God and can be both benevolent and
malevolent.<ref name="The Encyclopedia of Religion"/> The notion of angels as
embodiment of good emerges only under influence of Zoroastrianism, in which
the Devil is conceived as the principle of evil, with a hosts of demons, in
battle with the holy entities (_Aməša Spəṇta_) created by Ahura Mazda
(principle of good).[19]<ref name="Barr, James 1985"/>
Influence of dualistic tendencies and replacement of divine powers by angels
is evident from the Qumram writings. In the _Angelic Liturgy_, the Hebrew
term _elim_ (deities, heavenly powers) is used for angelic beings and not for
God.[20][style=ama] The _War Scroll_ speaks about angels of light fighting
against demonic beings of darkness.<ref name="Rees2012"/>[style=ama]
** Zoroastrianism
[Yazata] In Zoroastrianism there are different angel-like figures. They
patronize human beings and other creatures, and also manifest God's energy.
The Amesha Spentas, although rather emanations of Ahura Mazda ("Wise Lord",
God) than distinct messengers, have often been compared to angels.[21][22]
Similar to angels in Abrahamic tradition, Vohu Manah reveals to Zoroaster the
true nature of God.[23]
Additionally to the Amesha Spentas, the Fravashi have often been compared to
angels, functioning as a guardian angel, and have been adopted as such by
Zoroastrians themselves since the 19th century.[24] Unlike the Amesha Spentas,
the Fravashi appear as individualized warriors of Ahura Mazda's celestial
army, descending from heaven to aid those who summon them against demons.[25]
** Judaism
[Angels in Judaism] In Judaism, angels ([he] _mal’āḵ_; "messenger"), are
understood through interpretation of the Tanakh and in a long tradition as
supernatural beings who stand by God in heaven, but are strictly to be
distinguished from God (YHWH) and are subordinate to him. Occasionally, they
can show selected people God's will and instructions.[26] In the Jewish
tradition they are also inferior to humans since they have no will of their
own and are able to carry out only one divine command.[27]
*** Hebrew Bible
The Torah uses the Hebrew terms [he] ([he-Latn]; "messenger of God"), [he]
([he-Latn]; "messenger of the Lord"), [he] ([he-Latn]; "sons of God") and [he]
([he-Latn]; "the holy ones") to refer to beings traditionally interpreted as
angels.
The term [he] ([he-Latn]) is also used in other books of the Hebrew Bible. In
the early stages of Hebrew writings, the term refers to human messengers, not
to supernatural entities.<ref name="The Encyclopedia of Religion"/>[28] A
human messenger might be a prophet or priest, such as Malachi, "my messenger";
the Greek superscription in the Septuagint translation states the Book of
Malachi was written "by the hand of his messenger" [grc] ([grc-Latn]).
Examples of a supernatural messenger[29] are the "Malak YHWH", who is either a
messenger from God,[30] an aspect of God (such as the _logos_),[31] or God
himself as the messenger (the "theophanic angel.")<ref name="Lex" />[32]
In the early writings of the Hebrew Bible, both [he] as well as the [he] are
aspects of God.[33] In the earliest records, the _Bənē hāʾĔlōhīm_ are in
heaven. They are depicted as the heavenly court or the pantheon of religious
belief-system of their time. They reflect the transcendent aspect of the
Divine, but become progressively differentiated from the good aspect of the
Divine. The _mal’āḵ_ on the other hand, expresses the Divinties' interaction
with the world. As such the _mal’āḵ_ functions as the voice of the Divine,
the Divine spirit, or as God himself. In Exodus 3:2-4, it is both Yahweh as
well as a _mal’āḵ_ Moses is addressed by.[34] The fusion of the _Bənē
hāʾĔlōhīm_ with the _mal’āḵ_ is evident in the Book of Hiob. Here, Satan is
both one of the _Bənē hāʾĔlōhīm_ in the heavenly court, as well as a _mal’āḵ_
expressing God's interaction with humanity.[35]
Michael D. Coogan notes that it is only in the late books that the terms
"come to mean the benevolent semi-divine beings familiar from later mythology
and art."[36] Daniel is the biblical book to refer to individual angels by
name,[37] mentioning Gabriel in Daniel 9:21 and Michael in Daniel 10:13.
These angels are part of Daniel's apocalyptic visions and are an important
part of apocalyptic literature.<ref name="Coogan, Michael D. 2009" />[38]
In Daniel 7, Daniel receives a dream-vision from God. [...] As Daniel
watches, the Ancient of Days takes his seat on the throne of heaven and sits
in judgement in the midst of the heavenly court [...] an [angel] like a son of
man approaches the Ancient One in the clouds of heaven and is given
everlasting kingship.[39] Jeffrey Burton Russel writes that "the more the
banim and the mal'ak were seen as distinct from the God, the more it was
possible to thrust upon the evil elements in the divine character that Yahweh
had discarded.".[40]
Coogan explains the development of this concept of angels: "In the postexilic
period, with the development of explicit monotheism, these divine beings—the
'sons of God' who were members of the Divine Council—were in effect demoted to
what are now known as 'angels', understood as beings created by God, but
immortal and thus superior to humans."<ref name="Coogan, Michael D. 2009" />
This conception of angels is best understood in contrast to demons and is
often thought to be "influenced by the ancient Persian religious tradition of
Zoroastrianism, which viewed the world as a battleground between forces of
good and forces of evil, between light and darkness."<ref name="Coogan,
Michael D. 2009" /> One of these is _hāššāṭān_, a figure depicted in (among
other places) the Book of Job.
*** Rabbinic Judaism
Rabbinic Judaism has been an orthodox form of Judaism since the 6th century
CE, after the codification of the Babylonian Talmud. In post-Biblical
Judaism, certain angels took on particular significance and developed unique
personalities and roles. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the angels have no
bodies, but are eternally living creatures created out of fire. The
Babylonian Talmud reads as "The Torah was not given to ministering angels."
(לא נתנה תורה למלאכי השרת) usually understood as a concession to human's
imperfection, in contrast to the angels.[41] Thus, they occasionally appear in
Midrashim as competition with humans.[42]
The angels as heavenly beings, strictly following the laws of God, become
jealous of God's affection for man. Humans, by following the Torah, in
prayer, by resisting evil instincts (_yetzer hara_) and by _teshuva_, are
preferred to the flawless angels. As a result, they are also inferior to
humans in the Jewish tradition. In the Midrash, the plural of _El_ (Elohim)
used in Genesis in relation to the creation of human beings is explained by
the presence of angels: God therefore consulted with the angels, but made the
final decision alone. This story serves as an example, teaching that the
powerful should also consult with the weak. God's own final decision
highlights God's undisputable omnipotence.<ref name="Reinhard Gregor Kratz
2006"/>
Although archangels were believed to rank among the heavenly host, no
systematic hierarchy ever developed. Metatron is considered one of the
highest of the angels in Merkabah and Kabbalah mysticism and often serves as a
scribe; he is briefly mentioned in the Talmud[43] and figures prominently in
Merkabah mystical texts. Michael, who serves as a warrior[44] and advocate
for Israel ([Daniel]), is looked upon particularly fondly.[45] Gabriel is
mentioned in the Book of Daniel ([Daniel]) and briefly in the Talmud,[46] as
well as in many Merkabah mystical texts. There is no evidence in Judaism for
the worship of angels, but there is evidence for the invocation and sometimes
even conjuration of angels.<ref name="angels" />
Philo of Alexandria identifies the angel with the _Logos_ inasmuch as the
angel is the immaterial voice of God. The angel is something different from
God himself, but is conceived as God's instrument.[47]
{{Blockquote|Four classes of ministering angels minister and utter praise
before the Holy One, blessed be He: the first camp (led by) Michael on His
right, the second camp (led by) Gabriel on His left, the third camp (led by)
Uriel before Him, and the fourth camp (led by) Raphael behind Him; and the
Shekhinah of the Holy One, blessed be He, is in the centre. He is sitting on
a throne high and exalted[48]}}
**** Later interpretations
According to Kabbalah, there are four worlds and our world is the last world:
the world of action (Assiyah). Angels exist in the worlds above as a 'task'
of God. They are an extension of God to produce effects in this world. After
an angel has completed its task, it ceases to exist. The angel is in effect
the task. This is derived from the book of Genesis when Abraham meets with
three angels and Lot meets with two. The task of one of the angels was to
inform Sara and Abraham of their coming child. The other two were to save Lot
and to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.<ref name="angels" />
Jewish philosopher Maimonides explained his view of angels in his _Guide for
the Perplexed_ II:4 and II [... This leads Aristotle in turn to the
demonstrated fact that God, glory and majesty to Him, does not do things by
direct contact. God burns things by means of fire; fire is moved by the
motion of the sphere; the sphere is moved by means of a disembodied intellect,
these intellects being the 'angels which are near to Him', through whose
mediation the spheres move ... thus totally disembodied minds exist which
emanate from God and are the intermediaries between God and all the bodies [
objects ] here in this world.]Maimonides had a neo-Aristotelian interpretation
of the Bible. Maimonides writes that to the wise man, one sees that what the
Bible and Talmud refer to as "angels" are actually allusions to the various
laws of nature; they are the principles by which the physical universe
operates.[For all forces are angels! How blind, how perniciously blind are the
naive?! If you told someone who purports to be a sage of Israel that the Deity
sends an angel who enters a woman's womb and there forms an embryo, he would
think this a miracle and accept it as a mark of the majesty and power of the
Deity, despite the fact that he believes an angel to be a body of fire one
third the size of the entire world. All this, he thinks, is possible for God.
But if you tell him that God placed in the sperm the power of forming and
demarcating these organs, and that _this_ is the angel, or that all forms are
produced by the Active Intellect ; that here is the angel, the "vice-regent of
the world" constantly mentioned by the sages, then he will recoil. – _Guide
for the Perplexed_ II:4]
** Christianity
[Angels in Christianity] Christian Medieval concept of angels derives from
Hebrew and Greek scriptures.[49] In the Bible angels are anthropomorphized
intermediaries between God and humanity.[50] Few angels appear to be
impersonal forces of the divine will, while others have individual names and
personalities.[51]
In the formative stage, the Christian concept of an angel characterized the
angel as a 'messenger' of God. The word "angel" can be drawn to the term or
role of a "messenger" throughout the Bible in both old and new testaments -
(Hebrews 1:14) calls them "ministering [or serving] spirits", sent by God to
aid the "heirs of salvation". Later came identification of individual angelic
messengers: Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel.[52] Then, in the space of
slightly over two centuries (from the 3rd to the 5th) the image of angels took
on definite characteristics both in theology and in art.[53] Ellen Muehlberger
has argued that in Late Antiquity, angels were conceived of as one type of
being among many, whose primary purpose was to guard and to guide
Christians.<ref name=Muehlberger />
In systematic Christian theology, angels are imagined as incorporeal entities
and in opposition to corporeal humans, as in the writings of Origen and Thomas
Aquinas.[54][55]
*** Bible
Angels are represented throughout Bibles as spiritual beings which are
intermediate between God and humanity: "For thou hast made him [man] a little
lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour" ([Psalms]).
Christians, based on Psalms and Genesis 2:1, believe that angels were the
first beings created by God before the creation of Earth ([Psalms];
[Colossians]). Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible refer to intermediary
beings as angels, instead of _daimon s_, thus giving raise to a distinction
between demons and angels.[56] In the Old Testament, both benevolent and
fierce angels are mentioned, but never called demons. The symmetry lies
between angels sent by God, and intermediary spirits of foreign deities, not
in good and evil deeds.<ref name=Martin>[jstor=25765960]
In the New Testament, the existence of angels, just like that of demons, is
taken for granted.[57] They can intervene and intercede on behalf of humans.
Angels protect the righteous ([Matthew], [Luke]). They dwell in the heavens
([Matthew], [John]), act as God's warriors ([Matthew]) and worship God
([Luke]).[58] In the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus, angels behave as
psychopomps.[date=October 2024] The Resurrection of Jesus features angels,
telling the woman that Jesus is no longer in the tomb, but has risen from the
dead.[59] Angels don't marry ([Matthew], [Mark], and [Luke]).[60]
Paul the Apostle acknowledges good (2 Cor 11:14; Gal 1:8; 4:14) and evil
angels in his writings.[61][62] According to 1 Corinthians 6:3, angels will be
judged by God, implying that angels can be both good and evil. Some scholars
suggest that Gal 3:19 means that the Law of Moses was introduced by angels
rather than God, combined with his statements in Galatians, implies a negative
role.[63] In Colossians 2:18, he criticizes the worship of angels.[64]
**** Interaction with humans
[Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained
angels unawares.— [Hebrews]] Three separate cases of angelic interaction deal
with the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. In (Luke 1:11), an angel
appears to Zechariah to inform him that he will have a child despite his old
age, thus proclaiming the birth of John the Baptist. In Luke 1:26, Gabriel
visits Mary in the Annunciation to foretell the birth of Jesus. Angels
proclaim the birth of Jesus in the Adoration of the shepherds in Luke
2:10.[65]
According to Matthew 4:11, after Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, "...the
Devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him." In Luke 22:43
an angel comforts Jesus during the Agony in the Garden.[66] In Matthew 28:5 an
angel speaks at the empty tomb, following the Resurrection of Jesus and the
rolling back of the stone by angels.<ref name="Pope" />
In 1851 Pope Pius IX approved the Chaplet of Saint Michael based on the 1751
reported private revelation from archangel Michael to the Carmelite nun
Antonia d'Astonac.[67] In a biography of Gemma Galgani written by Germanus
Ruoppolo, Galgani stated that she had spoken with her guardian angel. Pope
John Paul II emphasized the role of angels in Catholic teachings in his 1986
address titled "Angels Participate In History Of Salvation", in which he
suggested that modern mentality should come to see the importance of
angels.[68]
According to the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline
of the Sacraments, "The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should
be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose
names are contained in Holy Scripture."[69]
*** Theology
[Christian theology] By the late 4th century, the Church Fathers agreed that
there were different categories of angels, with appropriate missions and
activities assigned to them. There was, however, some disagreement regarding
the nature of angels. Some argued that angels had physical bodies,[70] while
some maintained that they were entirely spiritual. Some theologians had
proposed that angels were not divine but on the level of immaterial beings
subordinate to the Trinity. The resolution of this Trinitarian dispute
included the development of doctrine about angels.[71]
According to Augustine of Hippo, the term 'angel' refers to "the name of their
office, not [...] their nature", as they are pure spirits who act as
messengers, clarifying: "If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit';
if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are,
'spirit', from what they do, 'angel'."[72] Gregory of Nazianzus thought that
angels were made as "spirits" and "flames of fire", following Hebrews 1, and
that they can be identified with the "thrones, dominions, rulers and
authorities" of Colossians 1.<ref name=Muehlberger>[last=Muehlberger]
_Forty Gospel Homilies_ by Pope Gregory I (c. 540 – 12 March 604) noted
angels and archangels.[73] The Fourth Lateran Council's (1215) _Firmiter
credimus_ decree (issued against the Albigenses) declared that the angels were
created beings and that men were created after them. The First Vatican
Council (1869) repeated this declaration in _Dei Filius_, the "Dogmatic
constitution on the Catholic faith".
In the Middle Ages, theologians had to address Augustine's ideas of "angelic
knowledge", as set out in _De Genesi ad litteram_, which he divided into
"morning" knowledge, knowledge of Creation before it is created derived from
direct access to the Word of God, and "evening" knowledge, knowledge of
Creation derived from perceiving it after it has been created.[Scribano]
Thomas Aquinas (13th century) related angels to Aristotle's metaphysics in his
_Summa contra Gentiles_,[74] _Summa Theologica_,[75] the 8th question of
_Quaestiones Disputatae de Veritate_,[Scribano] and in _De substantiis
separatis_,[76] a treatise on angelology.
Aquinas varied significantly from the Augustinian view in two major respects:
angels were not created in an initial state of bliss, and only beatified
angels have "morning" knowledge.[Scribano] In other words: angels have an
angelic nature, but in their natural states have no access to Divine "morning"
knowledge of Creation, which they only gain with supernatural
assistance.[Scribano] This was Aquinas' most original contribution to
Christian angelology.[Scribano] Although angels have greater knowledge than
men, they are not omniscient, as Matthew 24:36 points out.[77]
According to the _Summa Theologica_, angels were created instantaneously by
God in a state of grace in the Empyrean Heaven (LXI. 4) at the same time when
he created all the contents of the corporeal world (LXI. 3). They are pure
spirits whose life consists in knowledge and love. Being bodiless, their
knowledge is intellectual and not through senses (LIV. 5). Differently from
humans, their knowledge is not acquired from the exterior world (having
acquired all knowledge they would ever receive in the moment of their
creation); moreover they attain to the truth of a thing at a single glance
without need of reasoning (LV. a; LVIII. 3,4). They know all that passes in
the external world (LV. 2) and the totality of creatures, but they don't know
human secret thoughts that depends on human free will and thereby are not
necessarily linked up with external events (LVII. 4). They don't know also
the future unless God reveals it to them (LVII. 3).[78]
According to Aquinas, angels are the closest creatures to God. Therefore,
like God, they are constituted by pure form without matter.[79] While they do
not have a physical composition of matter and form (called ilemorphysm), they
possess the metaphysical composition of act (the act of being[80]) and potency
(their finite essence, yet without being<ref name="JSTOR_24636655"/>).[81]
Each angel is a species which a unique individual belongs to; angels differ
one from another by way of their unique and irrepetible form. In other words,
form - and not matter - is their principle of individuation.[82]
** Islam
[Angels in Islam]
Belief in angels is fundamental to Islam. The Quranic word for angel ([ar]
_[ar]_) derives either from _Malaka_, meaning "he controlled", due to their
power to govern different affairs assigned to them,[83] or from the root
either from _ʼ-l-k_, _l-ʼ-k_ or _m-l-k_ with the broad meaning of a
"messenger", just like its counterparts in Hebrew (_malʾákh_) and Greek
(_angelos_). Unlike their Hebrew counterpart, the term is exclusively used
for heavenly spirits of the divine world, but not for human messengers. The
Quran refers to both angelic and human messengers as "rasul" instead.[84]
The Quran is the principal source for the Islamic concept of angels.[85] Some
of them, such as Gabriel and Michael, are mentioned by name in the Quran,
others are only referred to by their function. Most Muslim theologians, such
as al-Suyuti, based on a hadith stating that the angels have been created
through light (_nūr_) or fire (_nār_), depict angels as entities consisting of
substance, in contrast to philosophers who argued for angels being disembodied
spirits.[86] Additionally, angels are thought to be endowed with reason and be
subject to God's tests. Al-Maturidi (853–944 CE) states that the inhabitants
of heaven were tested by adorenments, just as humans and jinn on earth were
tested, pointing at Sūrat al-Kahf [Q. 18:7].[87][88] When angels fail their
tests, they might end up on earth, such as Harut and Marut. If the devils
(_šayāṭīn_) have been angels once or form a separate type of creature from the
beginning, is discussed in Islamic tradition.[89] Contrary to popular belief,
angels are never described as agents of revelation in the Quran, although
interpretation credits Gabriel with that.[90] Angels are not limited to
benevolent tasks, but can also carry out grim orders.[91] Not demons, but
angels are tasked to guard and punish sinners in hell.[92]
Angels play a significant role in Mi'raj literature, where Muhammad encounters
several angels during his journey through the heavens.[93] Further angels have
often been featured in Islamic eschatology, Islamic theology and Islamic
philosophy.[94] Individual angels are further evoked in exorcism rites, with
their names engraved in talismans or amulets to call upon their powers.[95]
*** Theology ( _Kalām_ )
**** Classical period
[[File:Biblioteka Czartoryskich 3885 II, rękopis Safran 93 fol 38v The angels
face Adam.png|thumb|517x517px|The Angels meet Adam, the prototypical human
being, before they are being tested to prostrate themselves before Adam. They
share, albeit to a lesser degree, the defiant reaction of Iblis, the future
devil, who, in contrast to the angels, is depicted with a dark face. Painting
from a manuscript of the Manṭiq al-ṭayr (The Conference of the Birds) of Farīd
al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār. Iran, Shiraz, 899/1494.[Kuehn]]] Islamic theology usually
distinguishes between three types of invisible creatures: angels
(_malāʾikah_), djinn, and devils (_šayāṭīn_).[96] Islamic theologian
al-Ghazali (c. 1058 – 1111) divides human nature into four domains, each
representing another type of creature: animals, beasts, devils and angels.[97]
Reconciling the literal meaning (_Ẓāhir_) with the Avicennan cosmology of
_falsafa_ of angels, he identified angels with the "celestial intellects" or
"immaterial souls".[98] Angels, made from light (_Nūr_) and thus associated
with reason ({"content": "'''", "type": "DELIM", "wikinode":
"WikiDelimNode"}aql''), represent the intellectual capacity of a human and the
ability to bound the devilish qualities from within.[99][100] By that, Ghazali
does not deny the literal reality of angels, but rejects that they could be
perceived directly.[101]
Although belief in angels remains one of Six Articles of Faith in Islam, one
can not find a dogmatic angelology in Islamic tradition. However, theologians
generally distinguish between the angels in heaven ([ar]), fully absorbed in
the _ma'rifa_ (knowledge) of God, and the messengers (_rasūl_) who carry out
divine decrees between heaven and earth.[102][103] Others add a third group of
angels, and categorize angels into _İlliyyûn Mukarrebûn_ (those around God's
throne), _Mudabbirât_ (carrying the laws of nature), and _Rasūl_
(messengers).[104] Al-Baydawi based this divide into two groups on Quranic
verses: angels who are self-immersed in knowledge of "the Truth" (al-Haqq),
based on "they laud night and day, they never wane" (21:29), they are the
"highmost" and "angels brought near" and those who are the executors of
commands, based on "they do not disobey Allah in what He commanded them but
they do what they are commanded" (66:6), who are the administers of the
command of heaven to earth.[105][p=509]
**** Modern and Contemporary movements
Some modern scholars have emphasized a metaphorical reinterpretation of the
concept of angels.[106]
Salafism and Wahhabism generally emphasize a literal interpretation of angels
against modernistic interpretations, as for example, suggested by Nasr Abu
Zayd. Simultaneously, many traditional materials regarding angels accepted
during the Classical period are often disregarded by Wahhabis and Salafis.
The Muslim Brotherhood scholars Sayyid Qutb and Umar Sulaiman Al-Ashqar reject
much established material during earlier periods, for example, the story of
_Harut and Marut_ or calling the Angel of Death _Azrail_. Sulayman Ashqar not
only rejects the traditional material itself, but also disapproves of previous
scholars who used such reports.[107]
*** Iconography
In Islam, just like in Judaism and Christianity, angels are often represented
in anthropomorphic forms combined with supernatural images, such as wings,
being of great size or wearing heavenly articles.[108] The Quran describes
them as "messengers with wings—two, or three, or four: He [God] adds to
Creation as He pleases..."[109] The 13th century book _Ajā'ib al-makhlūqāt wa
gharā'ib al-mawjūdāt_ _(The Wonders of Creation)_ by Zakariya al-Qazwini
describes Islamic angelology, and is often illustrated with many images of
angels. The angels are typically depicted with bright, vivid colors, giving
them unusual liveliness and other-worldly translucence.[110] While some angels
are referred to as "Guardians of the Kingdom of God," others are associated
with hell. An undated manuscript of _The Wonders of Creation_ from the
Bavarian State Library in Munich includes depictions of angels both alone and
alongside humans and animals.<ref name=":1"/> Angels are also illustrated in
Timurid and Ottoman manuscripts, such as _The Timurid Book of the Prophet
Muhammad's Ascension_ ([ar]) and the _Siyer-i Nebi_.[111]
** Baháʼí faith
In his _Kitáb-i-Íqán_ Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Baháʼí Faith, describes
angels as people who "have consumed, with the fire of the love of God, all
human traits and limitations", and have "clothed themselves" with angelic
attributes and have become "endowed with the attributes of the spiritual".
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá describes angels as the "confirmations of God and His celestial
powers" and as "blessed beings who have severed all ties with this nether
world" and "been released from the chains of self", and "revealers of God's
abounding grace". The Baháʼí writings also refer to the Concourse on High, an
angelic host, and the Maid of Heaven of Baháʼu'lláh's vision.[112]
{{blockquote|I raised my hand another time, and bared one of Her breasts that
had been hidden beneath Her gown. Then the firmament was illumined by the
radiance of its light, contingent beings were made resplendent by its
appearance and effulgence, and by its rays, infinite numbers of suns dawned
forth, as though they trekked through heavens that were without beginning or
end. I became bewildered at the pen of God's handiwork, and at what it had
inscribed upon Her temple. It was as though She had appeared with a body of
light in the forms of the spirit, as though She moved upon the earth of
essence in the substance of manifestation. I noticed that the houris had
poked their heads out of their rooms and were suspended in the air above Her.
They grew perplexed at Her appearance and Her beauty and were entranced by the
raptures of Her song. Praise be to Her creator, fashioner, and maker--to the
one Who made Her manifest.
Then she nearly swooned within herself, and with all her being she sought to
inhale My fragrance. She opened Her lips, and the rays of light dawned forth
from Her teeth, as though the pearls of the cause had appeared from Her
treasures and Her shells.
She asked, "Who art Thou?"
I said, "A servant of God and the son of his maidservant."[113]|Tablet of the
Maiden|Baháʼu'lláh}}
** Metaphysics
[date=December 2024] In Ancient Greek philosophy, there is no significant
distinction made between good and evil spirits.[114] Under Iranian influence,
the sublunary sphere was traced to inspiring angels.<ref
name="10.1163_1877-5888_rpp_COM_04337"/> Philo of Alexandria already
identified the Neo-Platonic interpretation of daemons as angels. The daemons
were thought to be intermediary between the supernatural and earthly realm,
interpreted by Philo as the Greek term for angels.<ref name=Martin/>
In the commentaries of Proclus (4th century) on the Timaeus of Plato, Proclus
uses the terminology of "angelic" (_aggelikos_) and "angel" (_aggelos_) in
relation to metaphysical beings. According to Aristotle, just as there is a
Prime Mover,[115] so too, must there be spiritual secondary movers.[116]
Ibn Sina, developed an angelological hierarchy of Intellects, which are
created by "the One" (God). Accordingly, the first creation by God is the
supreme intellect. From that intellect, intermediary spirits (angels)
emanate. From these intellects, the intellect corresponding to the soul
finally emerges. It is by the last Intellect that matter is animated and
illuminates the mind.[117][118]
Materialism removed angels from philosophical and scientific consideration.
Thomas Hobbes declared angels to be "accidences of the brain" without any
external reality. Immanuel Kant’s critique of knowledge further diminished
the rational justification for angels.[119]
** Esotericism
*** Graeco-Roman world
[Magic in the Greco-Roman world] The Greek magical papyri, a set of texts
forming into a completed grimoire that date somewhere between 100 BC and 400
AD, also list the names of the angels found in monotheistic religions, but
they are presented as deities.[120] Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel, though of
Jewish origin, were popular figures in Hellenistic Egyptian paganism.[121]
*** Gnosticism
[Gnosticism] In Gnostic cosmologies, angels are generally hostile celestial
powers. Numerous references to angels present themselves in the Nag Hammadi
Library, in which they both appear as malevolent servants of the Demiurge and
innocent associates of the aeons.[122]
The angels are credited with creating the world and also its rulers in
constant battle against each other. They are usurpers of spiritual powers to
whom the Gnostic must strive against to become free from envy and greed, and
eventually obtains salvation in the immaterial realms.[123]
On the other hand, the soul may act as an angel-like messenger who reveals
mysteries and awakens knowledge in human consciousness.[124]
*** Hermetic Qabalah
[Hermetic Qabalah] According to the Kabbalah as described by the Golden Dawn
there are ten archangels, each commanding one of the choirs of angels and
corresponding to one of the Sephirot. It is similar to the Jewish angelic
hierarchy.
{| class="wikitable" |- !Rank !Choir of Angels !Translation !Archangel
!Sephirah |- |1 |Hayot Ha Kodesh |Holy Living Ones |Metatron |Keter |- |2
|Ophanim |Wheels |Raziel |Chokmah |- |3 |Erelim |Brave ones[125] |Tzaphkiel
|Binah |- |4 |Hashmallim |Glowing ones, Amber ones[126] |Tzadkiel |Chesed |-
|5 |Seraphim |Burning Ones |Khamael |Gevurah |- |6 |Malakim |Messengers,
angels |Raphael |Tipheret |- |7 |Elohim |Godly Beings |Uriel |Netzach |- |8
|Bene Elohim |Sons of Elohim |Michael |Hod |- |9 |Cherubim |[127] |Gabriel
|Yesod |- |10 |Ishim |Men (man-like beings, phonetically similar to "fires")
|Sandalphon |Malkuth |}
*** Theosophy
[Theosophy] In the teachings of the Theosophical Society, _Devas_ are regarded
as living either in the atmospheres of the planets of the Solar System
(_Planetary Angels_) or inside the Sun (_Solar Angels_) and they help to guide
the operation of the processes of nature such as the process of evolution and
the growth of plants; their appearance is reputedly like colored flames about
the size of a human. It is believed by Theosophists that devas can be
observed when the third eye is activated. Some (but not most) devas
originally incarnated as human beings.[128]
It is believed by Theosophists that nature spirits, elementals (gnomes,
undines, sylphs, and salamanders), and fairies also can be observed when the
third eye is activated.[129] It is maintained by Theosophists that these less
evolutionarily developed beings have never been previously incarnated as
humans; they are regarded as being on a separate line of spiritual evolution
called the "deva evolution"; eventually, as their souls advance as they
reincarnate, it is believed they will incarnate as devas.[130]
It is asserted by Theosophists that all of the above-mentioned beings possess
etheric bodies that are composed of _etheric matter_, a type of matter finer
and more pure that is composed of smaller particles than ordinary physical
plane matter.<ref name="Powell" />
** Yazidism
[List of Yazidi holy figures] In Yazidism, there are seven Divine Beings
(often called 'angels' in the literature) who were created by God prior to the
creation of this world. God appointed Tawûsî Melek as their leader and
assigned all of the world's affairs to these seven Divine Beings.[131] These
Divine Beings are referred to as Tawûsî Melek, Melek Şemsedîn, Melek Nasirdîn,
Melek Fexredîn, Melek Sicadîn, Melek Şêxsin and Melek Şêxûbekir.
** In art
[Angels in art] According to mainstream Christian theology, angels are wholly
spiritual beings and therefore do not eat, excrete or have sex, and have no
gender. Although their different roles, such as warriors for some archangels,
may suggest a human gender, Christian artists were careful not to given them
specific gender attributes, at least until the 19th century, when some acquire
breasts for example.[132] In an address during a General Audience of 6 August
1986, entitled "Angels participate in the history of salvation", Pope John
Paul II explained that "[T]he angels have no 'body' (even if, in particular
circumstances, they reveal themselves under visible forms because of their
mission for the good of people)."<ref name="jpII" /> Christian art perhaps
reflects the descriptions in Revelation 4:6–8 of the Four Living Creatures
([el]) and the descriptions in the Hebrew Bible of cherubim and seraphim (the
chayot in Ezekiel's Merkabah vision and the Seraphim of Isaiah). However,
while cherubim and seraphim have wings in the Bible, no angel is mentioned as
having wings.[133] The earliest known Christian image of an angel—in the
_Cubicolo dell'Annunziazione_ in the Catacomb of Priscilla (mid-3rd
century)—is without wings. In that same period, representations of angels on
sarcophagi, lamps and reliquaries also show them without wings,[134] as for
example the angel in the _Sacrifice of Isaac_ scene in the Sarcophagus of
Junius Bassus (although the side view of the Sarcophagus shows winged angelic
figures).
The earliest known representation of angels with wings is on the "Prince's
Sarcophagus", attributed to the time of Theodosius I (379–395), discovered at
Sarigüzel, near Istanbul, in the 1930s.[135] From that period on, Christian
art has represented angels mostly with wings, as in the cycle of mosaics in
the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (432–440).[136] Four- and six-winged angels,
drawn from the higher grades of angels (especially cherubim and seraphim) and
often showing only their faces and wings, are derived from Persian art and are
usually shown only in heavenly contexts, as opposed to performing tasks on
earth. They often appear in the pendentives of church domes or semi-domes.
Prior to the Judeo-Christian tradition, in the Greek world the goddess Nike
and the gods Eros and Thanatos were also depicted in human-like form with
wings.
John Chrysostom explained the significance of angels' wings: {{blockquote|They
manifest a nature's sublimity. That is why Gabriel is represented with wings.
Not that angels have wings, but that you may know that they leave the heights
and the most elevated dwelling to approach human nature. Accordingly, the
wings attributed to these powers have no other meaning than to indicate the
sublimity of their nature.[137]}}
Angels are typically depicted in Mormon art as having no wings based on a
quote from Joseph Smith ("An angel of God never has wings").[138]
In terms of their clothing, angels, especially the Archangel Michael, were
depicted as military-style agents of God and came to be shown wearing Late
Antique military uniform. This uniform could be the normal military dress,
with a tunic to about the knees, an armour breastplate and _pteruges_, but was
often the specific dress of the bodyguard of the Byzantine Emperor, with a
long tunic and the _loros_, the long gold and jewelled _pallium_ restricted to
the Imperial family and their closest guards.
The basic military dress was shown in Western art into the Baroque period and
beyond (see Reni picture above), and up to the present day in Eastern Orthodox
icons. Other angels came to be conventionally depicted in long robes, and in
the later Middle Ages they often wear the vestments of a deacon, a cope over a
dalmatic. This costume was used especially for Gabriel in Annunciation
scenes—for example the Annunciation in Washington by Jan van Eyck.
Some types of angels are described as possessing more unusual or frightening
attributes, such as the fiery bodies of the Seraphim, and the wheel-like
structures of the Ophanim.
<gallery widths="170" heights="170"> File:Angel MET DP-14477-001.jpg|Southern
German Baroque angel, by Ignaz Günther, circa 1760–1770, lindenwood with
traces of gesso, 26.7 x 18.4 cm, Metropolitan Museum of Art
File:Warriorangel.jpg|Arquebusier Angels, hundreds of colonial paintings
depicting these angels, Colonial Bolivia and Peru, 17th century, were part of
the Cusco Colonial Painting School File:Ezekiel-Vision-Merkaba.jpg|The
extraordinary-looking Cherubim (immediately to the right of Ezekiel) and
Ophanim (the nested-wheels) appear in the chariot vision of Ezekiel
File:Tenhola.vaakuna.svg|An angel in the former coat of arms of Tenala
File:Arielsopo.jpg|Sopó Archangels, a series of archangels painted around 1650
in colonial Colombia. File:La aparición de San Miguel - Cristóbal de
Villalpando.jpg|_Apparition of Saint Michael_, ca. 1686 by Cristóbal de
Villalpando. Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral collection. Colonial Mexico.
File:Heraldic Angel, from the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, by Diogo Pires-o-Moco,
1500-1525 - Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro - Coimbra, Portugal
-DSC09916.jpg|16th century stone statue depicting the Angel of Portugal, at
the Machado de Castro National Museum, in Portugal.
File:Forlorn-hope-p20.png|An illustration of a dying woman witnessing angels,
presumably depicting a deathbed vision, by Frederick William Fairholt for the
1844 short story "A Forlorn Hope". </gallery>
** See also
{{cmn|colwidth=20em|
- _Angel of the North_
- Angels in art
- Apsara
- Chalkydri
- George Clayton
- Classification of demons
- Cupid and Erotes
- Dakini
- Demigod
- Elioud
- Eudaemon (mythology)
- Exorcism
- Gandharva
- Ghost
- Genius (mythology)
- Hierarchy of angels
- Holy Spirit
- _In paradisum_
- List of angels in theology
- List of films about angels
- Non-physical entity
- Substance theory
- Uthra
- Valkyrie
- Watcher (angel)
- Yaksha
}}
** References
[Reflist]
*** Sources
[refbegin]
- [last=Esposito ]
- [last=Kuehn ]
- [title=Descartes in Context: Essays]
[refend]
** Further reading
[refbegin]
- Angels in Art by Clara Erskine Clement Waters (see https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/61896)
- Barker, Margaret (2004). _An Extraordinary Gathering of Angels_ , M Q Publications. [978-1-84072-680-0]
- [mode=cs2 ]
- Briggs, Constance Victoria, 1997. _The Encyclopedia of Angels : An A-to-Z Guide with Nearly 4,000 Entries._ Plume. [0-452-27921-6] .
- Bunson, Matthew, (1996). _Angels A to Z: A Who's Who of the Heavenly Host._ Three Rivers Press. [0-517-88537-9] .
- Cruz, Joan Carroll, OCDS , 1999. _Angels and Devils._ TAN Books and Publishers, Inc. [0-89555-638-3]
- Cummings, Owen F., 2023. _Angels In Scripture and Tradition_ , Paulist Press, New Jersey. [978-0-8091-5633-7]
- [last=Davidson]
- Davidson, Gustav, (1967). _A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels_ . Free Press. [0-02-907052-X]
- Driver, Samuel Rolles (Ed.) (1901) _The book of Daniel._ Cambridge UP.
- Guiley, Rosemary, 1996. _Encyclopedia of Angels._ [0-8160-2988-1]
- Jastrow, Marcus, 1996, _A dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic literature compiled by Marcus Jastrow, PhD., Litt.D. with an index of Scriptural quotations_ , Vol 1 & 2, The Judaica Press, New York
- Kainz, Howard P., _"Active and Passive Potency" in Thomistic Angelology_ Martinus Nijhoff. [90-247-1295-5]
- Kreeft, Peter J. 1995. _Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know About Them?_ Ignatius Press. [0-89870-550-9]
- [author= Leducq, M. H.]
- Lewis, James R. (1995). _Angels A to Z._ Visible Ink Press. [0-7876-0652-9]
- Michalak, Aleksander R. (2012), _Angels as Warriors in Late Second Temple Jewish Literature._ Mohr Siebeck. [978-3-16-151739-6] .
- Miller, Stephen. (2019), _The Book of Angels: Seen and Unseen._ Cambridge Scholars Pub. [978-1-5275-3434-6] . https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-3434-6
- Muehlberger, Ellen (2013). _Angels in Late Ancient Christianity._ Oxford University Press. [978-0-19-993193-4]
- Oosterzee, Johannes Jacobus van. _Christian dogmatics: a text-book for academical instruction and private study._ Trans. John Watson Watson and Maurice J. Evans. (1874) New York, Scribner, Armstrong.
- {{ Cite book
| last = Proverbio
| first = Cecilia
| title = La figura dell'angelo nella civiltà paleocristiana
| publisher = Editrice Tau
| year = 2007
| location = Assisi, Italy
| language = it
|isbn=978-88-87472-69-1
}}
- Ronner, John, 1993. _Know Your Angels: The Angel Almanac With Biographies of 100 Prominent Angels in Legend & Folklore-And Much More!_ Mamre Press. [0-932945-40-6] .
- Smith, George Adam (1898) _The book of the twelve prophets, commonly called the minor._ London, Hodder and Stoughton.
- von Heijne, Camilla, 2010. _The Messenger of the Lord in Early Jewish Interpretations of Genesis_ . BZAW 412. De Gruyter, Berlin/New York, [978-3-11-022684-3]
[refend]
** External links
[date=July 2012]
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[Angels]
- Coptic Doxology of Heavenly Order (see https://st-takla.org/Lyrics-Spiritual-Songs/Words-of-Coptic-Alhan-Tasbeha-Kodas/Arabic-Coptic-04-Epsalmodia-Tasbeha/Tasbe7a-Coptic-Transliteration-Annual-Psalmody/Praise-Epsalmodya-Tasbeha-155-Doxology-Samaeieen_Shashf-En-Arshi.html)
- Zoroastrian angels (see http://www.persiandna.com/angels.htm)
- Jewish Encyclopedia entry on angels (see http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1521&letter=A&search=angelology)
- Directory on popular piety and the liturgy. Principles and guidelines (see https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html) Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. _Directory of Popular Piety and the Liturgy_ , §§ 212–217, _The Holy Angels_ , Vatican City, December 2001 ]
- Angels (see https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003k9gf) , BBC Radio 4 discussion with Martin Palmer, Valery Rees & John Haldane ( '' In Our Time {"content": "''", "type": "DELIM", "wikinode": "WikiDelimNode"} , Mar. 24, 2005)
[Angels in Abrahamic Religions] [Christian angelic hierarchy] [Qur'anic
people] [Authority control]
Category:Heraldic charges Category:Heaven Category:Avian humanoids
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