Angel

Schutzengel (English: "Guardian Angel"), a guardian angel watching over two children.

**Angels** are supernatural spiritual beings in various religious traditions, often depicted as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God and humanity. They also serve as protectors, guides, and servants of God. Angelic hierarchies vary by religion and sect, with some angels having specific names or titles. Fallen angels are those expelled from Heaven, distinct from the heavenly host. Angels in art are often associated with bird wings, halos, and divine light, often shaped like humans of extraordinary beauty. They can also be deadly shape-shifting divine hitmen with lethal superpowers.

## Background

The concept of angels was first introduced in Zoroastrianism, a faith that influenced Hebrew scriptures and the Apocrypha. The Zoroastrian legend of the cosmic clash between benevolent deity Ahura Mazda and hostile deity Angra Mainyu, along with their angels and demons, greatly influenced the angelology and demonology found in Hebrew scriptures and the Apocrypha. This concept influenced Jewish, Christian, and Islamic beliefs. Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament, is surrounded by angelic beings, known as the "Lord of Hosts," and his warrior angels battle against evil forces led by Satan. Judaism adopted the Zoroastrian concept of dividing the universe into three realms: heaven, earth, and hell. The primary role of angels is to bridge the cosmic divide that separates God and humanity, which originated from the primordial clash among gods. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the separation between God and humanity is believed to have occurred due to mankind's sin and fall, leaving humans estranged and unable to comprehend their relationship with their creator. Angels, capable of taking on human form, serve as intermediaries between heaven and earth, revealing divine plan, will, and law.

### Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism features various angel-like figures, such as Fravashi, who patronize humans and other creatures and manifest God's energy. The Amesha Spentas, often considered angels, are emanations of Ahura Mazda, the "Wise Lord," and were initially abstract but later personalized, associated with various aspects of creation. They are often regarded as angels, but their messages are not directly conveyed.

### Abrahamic religions

#### Judaism

In Judaism, angels are supernatural beings who stand by God in heaven but are subordinate to Him. They are interpreted as messengers, but are not separate from Him. They occasionally show God's will and instructions to selected people. In the Jewish tradition, angels are inferior to humans as they have no will and can only carry out one divine command.

##### Hebrew Bible

The Torah uses Hebrew terms like 'מלאך אלהים (mal'āk̠ 'ĕlōhîm; "messenger of God"), 'מלאך יהוה (mal'āk̠ Yahweh; "messenger of the Lord"), 'בני אלהים (bənē 'ĕlōhîm; "sons of God"), and 'הקודשים (haqqôd̠əšîm; "the holy ones") to refer to beings traditionally interpreted as angels. Later texts use other terms, such as 'hā'elyônîm; "the upper ones." The term 'מלאך' ('mal'āk̠') is also used in other books of the Hebrew Bible, referring to either a human messenger or a supernatural messenger. Examples of a supernatural messenger include the "Malak YHWH", who is either a messenger from God, an aspect of God, or God himself as the messenger (theophanic angel).

In the late books, the terms "come to mean the benevolent semi-divine beings familiar from later mythology and art." Daniel is the biblical book to refer to individual angels by name, 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. The development of this concept 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 evil, light and darkness.

##### Rabbinic Judaism

Rabbinic Judaism views angels as eternally living creatures created out of fire, with the Babylonian Talmud stating that the Torah was not given to ministering angels. This is seen as a concession to human imperfection, unlike the angels. Angels sometimes appear in Midrashim as competition with humans, as they strictly follow God's laws and become jealous of God's affection for humans. Humans, by following the Torah, praying, resisting evil instincts, and practicing teshuva, are preferred to the flawless angels, making them inferior to humans in the Jewish tradition. In the Midrash, the plural of El (Elohim) used in Genesis is explained by the presence of angels, teaching that the powerful should also consult with the weak.

In post-Biblical Judaism, certain angels took on particular significance and developed unique personalities and roles. Metatron, Michael, and Gabriel are considered the highest angels in Merkabah and Kabbalah mysticism, with no systematic hierarchy developed. Philo of Alexandria identifies the angel with the Logos, as the angel is the immaterial voice of God, conceived as God's instrument.

##### Later Interpretation

Kabbalah posits four worlds, with our world being the last, the world of action (Assiyah). Angels exist as extensions of God to produce effects in this world. They cease to exist after completing their task, as seen in Genesis where Abraham meets with three angels and Lot meets with two. One angel informs Sara and Abraham of their child, while the other two save Lot and destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Jewish philosopher Maimonides, who neo-Aristotelianized the Bible, explains that angels are allusions to the laws of nature, the principles by which the physical universe operates.

#### Christianity

The Christian concept of angels began as a'messenger' of God, referred to as'ministering spirits' in the Bible. Later, angelic messengers were identified as Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel. Over the next two centuries, angels gained specific characteristics in theology and art. In Late Antiquity, angels were viewed as one type of being among many, primarily tasked with guarding and guiding Christians. Ellen Muehlberger suggests that angels were conceived as one type of being among many.

##### Bible

Angels are spiritual beings that serve as an intermediate between God and humanity, as depicted in the Bible. Christians believe angels are created beings, while Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible refer to intermediary beings as angels, distinguishing them from demons. In the Old Testament, both benevolent and fierce angels are mentioned, but never called demons.

In the New Testament, angels are assumed to exist and can intervene on behalf of humans. They protect the righteous, dwell in the heavens, act as God's warriors, and worship God. In the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus, angels behave as psychopomps. The Resurrection of Jesus features angels telling the woman that Jesus is no longer in the tomb, but has risen from the dead.

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 of his child's birth, while in Luke 1:26, Gabriel visits Mary in the Annunciation to foretell the birth of Jesus. In Matthew 4:11, angels minister to Jesus after spending 40 days in the desert.

Pope Pius IX approved the Chaplet of Saint Michael in 1851, based on a 1751 private revelation from archangel Michael to Carmelite nun Antonia d'Astonac. Pope John Paul II emphasized the role of angels in Catholic teachings in his 1986 address, suggesting modern mentality should recognize their importance.

The Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments discourages assigning names to Holy Angels, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, whose names are contained in Holy Scripture.

##### Theology

Augustine of Hippo believed that the term 'angel' refers to their office, not their nature. He believed that angels were pure spirits who act as messengers, and could be identified with the thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities of Colossians 1. By the late 4th century, the Church Fathers agreed on different categories of angels with appropriate missions and activities assigned to them. However, there was disagreement regarding the nature of angels, with some arguing they had physical bodies, while others maintained they were entirely spiritual.

The resolution of this Trinitarian dispute involved the development of doctrine about angels. Pope Gregory I noted angels and archangels in his Forty Gospel Homilies, and the Fourth Lateran Council's Firmiter credimus decree declared that angels were created beings and that men were created after them. The First Vatican Council 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," 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. Thomas Aquinas related angels to Aristotle's metaphysics in his Summa contra Gentiles, Summa Theologica, and De substantiis separatis.

Aquinas differed significantly from the Augustinian view by stating that angels were not created in an initial state of bliss and only beatified angels have "morning" knowledge. Although angels have greater knowledge than men, they are not omniscient.

Aquinas posits that angels are the closest creatures to God, constituted by pure form without matter. They possess the metaphysical composition of act and potency, but lack a physical composition of matter and form. Each angel is a unique species, with each individual differing by their unique and irrepetible form. Form, not matter, is their principle of individuation.

##### The New Church

The New Church denominations, originating from the writings of theologian Emanuel Swedenborg, have distinct beliefs about angels and their spiritual world. They believe that all angels are in human form with a spiritual body, not just minds without form. There are different orders of angels according to the three heavens, and each angel dwells in one of innumerable societies of angels. All angels originate from the human race, and all children who die enter heaven and eventually become angels. Their life is of usefulness, with their functions being so numerous that they cannot be enumerated. Angel names, such as Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, signify a particular angelic function rather than an individual being. While living in one's body, an individual has conjunction with heaven through the angels, and there are at least two evil spirits and two angels with each person. Temptation or pains of conscience arise from a conflict between evil spirits and angels. Angels attempt to lead individuals to what is good using their own thoughts.

##### The Latter Day Saint

The Latter Day Saint movement believes angels are messengers of God sent to deliver messages, minister to humanity, teach salvation doctrines, call mankind to repentance, give priesthood keys, save individuals in perilous times, and guide humankind. They believe angels are either the spirits of deceased or resurrected humans with physical bodies. Joseph Smith argued that angels only minister to earthly beings. Latter Day Saints believe that Adam, the first man, was the archangel Michael, and Gabriel lived on earth as Noah. Angel Moroni first lived in a pre-Columbian American civilization as the 5th-century prophet-warrior named Moroni. Most angelic visitations in the early Latter Day Saint movement were witnessed by Smith and Oliver Cowdery, who claimed to have been visited by prophet Moroni, John the Baptist, and apostles Peter, James, and John. Other witnesses include David Whitmer and Martin Harris. Many Latter Day Saints have said they have seen angels, but Smith posited that mortals teach mortals, spirits teach spirits, and resurrected beings teach other resurrected beings.

#### Islam

Belief in angels is a fundamental aspect of Islam, with the Quranic word for angel (Arabic: ملاك Malāk) derived from Malaka, meaning "he controlled," or from the root ʼ-l-k, l-ʼ-k, or m-l-k, meaning "messenger". The term is exclusively used for heavenly spirits of the divine world, not human messengers. Angels are never described as agents of revelation in the Quran, although interpretation credits Gabriel with that.

The Quran is the principal source for the Islamic concept of angels, with some mentioned by name and others only referred to by their function. Angels play a significant role in Mi'raj literature, where Muhammad encounters several angels during his journey through the heavens. They have also been featured in Islamic eschatology, Islamic theology, and Islamic philosophy.

Angels are often represented in anthropomorphic forms combined with supernatural images, such as wings, being of great size, or wearing heavenly articles. Common characteristics for angels include their missing needs for bodily desires and their creation from light. Muslims do not generally share the perceptions of angelic pictorial depictions found in Western art.

Believing in angels remains one of the Six Articles of Faith in Islam, but there is no dogmatic angelology in Islamic tradition. Scholars have discussed the role of angels from specific canonical events, folklore, philosophy debates, and systematic theology. Contemporary scholarship tends to reject much material about angels, like calling the Angel of Death by the name Azra'il. In Folk Islam, individual angels may be evoked in exorcism rites, whose names are engraved in talismans or amulets. Some modern scholars have emphasized a metaphorical reinterpretation of the concept of angels.

#### Baháʼí Faith

In his Kitáb-i-Íqán, Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, describes angels as individuals who have absorbed all human traits and limitations, adorned themselves with angelic attributes, and become spiritually endowed. He describes angels as confirmations of God and His celestial powers, blessed beings who have separated from the world and revealed God's grace. The Baháʼí writings also mention the Concourse on High and the Maid of Heaven.

### Neoplatonism

Philo of Alexandria identified daemons as angels, referring to them as intermediaries between the supernatural and earthly realm. Proclus' commentaries on Plato's Timaeus use the terms "angelic" and "angel" to describe metaphysical beings. Aristotle believed in a Prime Mover and spiritual secondary movers. Ibn Sina developed an angelological hierarchy of Intellects, created by "the One". The supreme archangel was the first creation, followed by other archangels and lower angels. These Intellects emanated lower angels, which in turn emanated other Intellects until reaching the Intellect that reigns over souls. The tenth Intellect is responsible for bringing material forms and illuminating minds.