ILLUSTRATES Andre Toma
Angels are the spiritual beings who act as midfielders between men and the Almighty. The wings make it possible for them to fly between heaven and earth. According to Christian tradition, angels are not born, do not die and do not reproduce. They can manifest themselves bodily, but they do not have weight or height.
The division of angels into nine choirs was quoted by the Bible, but who put order in the angelic world was Saint Thomas Aquinas. In addition to classifying them into three spheres, the theologian also determined the characteristics and functions of each of the choirs. His entire study of angels was published in the book Summa Theologicawritten by him between 1265 and 1273. Check after the photo how the hierarchy of angels works.
THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF THE COVER REPORT THE UNIVERSE OF ANGELS AND DEMONS. Check out the other parts:
+ How was Lucifer expelled from paradise and turned into Satan?
+ 6 stories of people who had contact with the devil
+ According to demonology, who are the seven leaders of Hell?
+ What does the Devil look like, according to Christianity?
FIRST SPHERE
They are the closest angels to God, dedicated to praising him and guarding the divine mystery.
Seraphim
They are among the angels considered older, higher and with the purest thoughts. Your responsibility is to protect the holy throne. According to Biblehave six wings: one pair to fly, one pair to cover the face (as a sign of humility to God) and the other to cover the feet (the book of Isaiah says so, but scholars believe it to be a euphemism for genitalia). In Hebrew, seraphim means «the one who burns» – that’s why this angel is also often depicted full of golden and silver flames.
cherubim
After Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise, they were responsible for guarding the gates of the Garden of Eden (to prevent the return of humans), the Tree of Life (symbol of eternal life) and the sacred records. In the biblical book of Ezekiel, cherubim are described as winged beings with a lion’s head, a bull’s head, an eagle’s head and a man’s head. It was probably not until the Renaissance that its image was «softened» to link angels with purity. He appears as a chubby white boy with wings, for example, in The Sistine Madonnaby the Italian painter Rafael.
thrones
For Saint Thomas Aquinas, each class of angel is called a «chorus». It is up to the thrones to maintain the security of divine power and delegate missions to lower choirs. They are usually depicted as young and beautiful or as whirlpools of light. They are music lovers and live with harp and zither in their hands – it is through sound that they maintain the throne of God. It is possible that many of them fell to Hell along with Lucifer.
SECOND SPHERE
Neither so much to heaven nor so much to earth: they are the ones who govern in fact, perfectly executing divine orders
Dominations
Also known as dominions, they are the “ministers” of God. They decide what must be done to fulfill the divine will and do everything for the Universe to continue on its daily path. They would be the oldest angels. They carry a scepter and a sword, symbolizing their power over the lower choirs.
Virtues
They help in the execution of divine tasks, remove obstacles from the path, fperform miracles among humans and contribute to the strengthening of faith. They are represented as strong and healthy young men, with a staff or staff in their hands. They also have power over the forces of nature and are able to calm storms, tidal waves and earthquakes. In the Bible, they are mentioned in Mateus.
powers
They are angels with great power of concentration, because they help to concretize the thought of God. They always carry a flaming sword to protect men against the power of demons. They are in charge of the history, conscience and memory of humanity. TThey also take care of animals and the four elements: water, earth, fire and air. in the book of Ephesiansthere are reports pointing to powers as forces of evil – probably a reference to fallen angels.
THIRD SPHERE
Closer to us, these angels are the ones that interfere in our daily lives.
principalities
They give instructions and warnings from God to princes, kings, leaders and rulers. They also watch over municipalities, kingdoms, countries and continents. They are severe with those who, despite their recommendations, insist on not acting according to God’s will. They carry a crown and a scepter in their hands, or, in some representations, a cross. They are subalterns of dominations and powers, transmitting their guidelines to the lower choirs.
archangels
Figures known from the Bible are God’s commissioners for extraordinary missions and revelations beyond human understanding, like when the archangel Gabriel told Mary that she would be the mother of Christ. In addition to Gabriel, the archangels Michael and Raphael are also famous. The sword and shield in their hands already indicate: in addition to divine messengers, they are leaders in the fight against evil.
Guardian Angels
You know the little angels that appear on the shoulders of cartoon characters? They are the guardian angels, the celestial beings closest to humans and who occupy the lowest position within the hierarchy of heaven. They are the ones who must care for, protect and guide humanity to follow the divine precepts. They also activate our intuition and protect us from dangers. They like clean spaces, flowers, light colors, music and light scents.
CONSULTANCY Volney Berkenbrock, Doctor of Theology from the University of Bonn, Germany, and Graduate Professor in Religious Science at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, and Gary E. Gilley, Doctor of Theology from the University of Cambridge
SOURCES Book Satan – A Biographyby Henry Ansgar Kelly, documentaries Satan, Prince of Darkness It is Gates to Hell and academic thesis Speak of the Devil: A Brief Look at the History and Origins of Iconography of the Devil from Antiquity to the Renaissanceby Eric Williams