Angels

Angel, Mal'akh

It has long been accepted that the Hebrew word "mal'akh" and the the Greek word "angelos" are synonyms. It was "angelos" that was chosen to translate "mal'akh" when the Hebrew scriptures were translated into greek, creating the Septuagint.

However, the word "angelos" and later angel took on a much wider meaning. Appearing to become a catch all term for any spirit align with God. It is used that way for the title of this wiki. When angelic hierarchies were made- they made sure to use "angel" to refer to just a single type or station of spirit. Using the word "angel" rigidly becomes difficult in light of the numerous contradictory ways it has been used throughout history. Originally a simple word meaning messenger or servant- then once unmoored from its original language and context- going on to be an elusive species or type of spirit rather than a job that a spirit might hold. An issue it seems common when words are transliterated rather than translated. A dubious tactic that some claim is used to control what becomes considered to be orthodox- there is another word that becomes so grandiose and slippery. "Right belief" or "Right Opinion" There are so many paradigms through which to interpret this or any data. It becomes overwhelming for me to decide how to organize it when I consider each avenue of classification. Perhaps lists that repeat the same subjects but for the purpose of showing the numerous titles or typing's most beings share... anyway...

## List of "Angel" Words

I'm not sure what to call this section. Across the cannons and wittings and common discussion, there are large quantity of words that have become understood as or associated with "angels." (need to make a disclaimer that I will be using "angel" refer to all and "messenger" to refer to the specific category) The following are words or phrases that when we see or hear them we should stop and consider wether or not the author is wanting us to think "angel" or whatever the historically contextually appropriate analog is.

**Angel/Angelo** (duh, I know we're already on this page but it feels weird not to include it)

And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges Me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God (Luke 12:8)

For the Son of Man is to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay everyone for what has been done (Matthew 16:27)

**Archangel**

**Archon**

**Bene Elohim**

**Burning Ones**

**Celestial**

***Chayot Ha Kodesh***

**Chariot(s)/ Chariots of Fire**

Then Elisha prayed: "O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see." So the LORD opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:17).

**Cherub/Cherubim**

**Divine**

**Divine Council**

Let the heavens praise Your wonders, O LORD, Your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones. . . . a God feared in the council of the holy ones, great and awesome above all that are around Him (Psalm 89:5,7).

**Dominions**

for by Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers - all things have been created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

**El/Elohim**

**Elect**

I warn you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism (1 Timothy 5:21).

**Erelim**

**Flames of Fire**

He makes winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants (Psalm 104:4)

**Hashmallim**

**Heavenly Being**

Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength (Psalm 29:1).

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven (Matthew 22:30)

**Holy Ones**

Let the heavens praise Your wonders, O LORD, Your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones . . . In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; He is more awesome than all who surround Him (Psalm 89:5,7)

Those who are ashamed of Me and of My words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels (Luke 9:26)

**Host(s)/Host of Heaven**

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying (Luke 2:13)

And Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left (1 Kings 22:19)

**Ishim**

**Living Creature(s)**

**Messenger**

**Mal'ak/Mal'akim** (malakh/malakhim, many spellings- if it looks or sounds similar, question it's relationship to what you know. That goes for all ancient words. So many variant spellings)

**Mighty Ones**

and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels (2 Thessalonians 1:7)

For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD? (Psalm 89:6).

Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength (Psalm 29:1).

**Morning Stars**

while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (Job 38:7)

**Myriads**

**Ophan/Ophanim**

**Powers**

for by Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers - all things have been created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

**Prince(s)**

**Principality(ies)**

**Rulers**

But the ruler of the kingdom of Persia opposed me twenty-one days. So Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia (Daniel 10:13)

**Seraph/Seraphim**

**Shinanim**

**Sons of God(s)** (yeh I know this is a duplicate but this is a reference list. Perhaps some people will not be familiar with both the English and Hebrew)

One day the "sons of God" came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them (Job 1:6)

"In the Old Testament angels are called "sons of God" while humans are called the "servants of God." In the New Testament the reverse is true - angels are servants and believers are called the sons of God."

https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don\_stewart/don\_stewart\_12.cfm

Is this accurate?

**Spirit**

Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)

**Star(s)**

**Tarshishim**

**Throne(s)**

for by Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers - all things have been created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

**Watchers**

I continued looking, in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and there was a holy watcher, coming down from heaven . . . The sentence is rendered by decree of the watchers, the decision is given by order of the holy ones, in order that all who live may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of humans-He gives it to whom He will and sets over it the lowliest of human beings' (Daniel 4:13,17).

## List of Angel Jobs/Roles... something.

Across the texts that feature angels we see them performing a variety of roles. Guess angels have to make a living too.

### Commander/General

Michael is said to be the captain of the heavenly host. In later angelology, complex lists are created of angels with what and how many legions they command.

### Guard

#### Eden Guard

Not much is said about this job, but Genesis states that "cherubim" were placed to guard the entrance to Eden and a flaming sword that turned all about was also stationed there. at least 2 cherubim are on duty in this role. The flaming sword is either a weapon they wield or a separate type of angel. If Eden is viewed as God's heavenly abode, his throne room, then perhaps these cherubim are the very same that guard his throne in heavenly visions or the artistic depictions within the tabernacle. The tent seems to be representing Eden and merging it with a temple and a throne room. A three layered portrayal... very interesting.

#### Guardian Angel

Angels that are charged with the proctection and guidance of an individual human. Traditionally, this role is thought to be filled by a lower angel, or a unique type of lower angel. Since they are generally imagined as human in appearance they may be the same type of angel as messengers or the ishim.

#### Throne Guardian

These are the angels that control who comes before God, the king of creation. This role is generally portrayed in the old testament as being filled by cherubim. Isaiah seems to fill the role with seraphim. Revelation fills the role with the four living creatures. It could be argued that the Satan attempts to perform a similar role when he mocks Joshua the High Priest in Zachariah's? vision. (is that Zachariah?) Trying to ensure that only the pure are allowed to come before God's throne. Angels in this role are present both when God is on his throne in heaven or the heavenly temple and when God is riding his mobile throne (Ezekiel).

### Musician

Trumpeter

Singer

### Psychopomp

There are a number of angels who are said to have the job of collecting and guiding the souls of the deceased to the afterlife. The Angel of Death is a title that seems to sometimes overlap with this role- when the Angel of Death isn't just outright causing death. Because Michael debates with Satan over the body of Moses in Jude- Michael is sometimes regarded as the one who guides the spirits of the dead to the afterlife. (Each of these jobs may require it's own page to discuss)

### Steed/Mount

God is said to ride the cherubim and the wind. The Chariots above might need horses to pull them?

### Throne

There are of course the angels called thrones but there are also the Ophanim that seem to comprise parts of God's chariot or wheels on his throne. Perhaps God's throne always has wheels on it, Sometimes the thrones and the ophanim are regarded as the same group. It makes sense. The role here seems to be either being God's throne or transporting it.

## Texts

texts should be in chronological order by age.

I'm uncertain how to prevent this section from becoming a list of every reference to every angel ever... Striving to keep this to general texts but may need to include texts about individuals when it presents a novel aspect of angels. Should this page feature only "messengers" or should it reflect the wider usage of the word "angel"? Perhaps this page can be for the wider usage of the word "angel" and there can be a separate page for "messengers."

If the messenger page is just for messengers... then this page will treat "angels" as a homogenous group blending the characteristics of all the "angels". Host, cherubim, sons of gods, messengers, seraphim, living creatures... etc.? I'm not sure, I'll keep working and change things as I get to it.

**Genesis 1:14-19 NIV**

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

Some read this as the creation of angels. (need to find the sources, historical precedence for this teaching... Bible Project? Heisner?) This is based upon the association between angels and stars- which may be related to the relation between stars and the gods. Of note (its definitely Bible Project where I've heard this) is the phrasing of "govern" only the humans are described as ruling. This choice of wording allegedly parallels the stars to humans and communicates autonomy. I've noticed that the exact phrasing may only attribute "governing" to the greater lights and not the other lights. But I suppose the idea extends by association.

This idea would seem to contradict with the following verse.

**Job 38:4-7 NIV**

4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?

    Tell me, if you understand.

5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!

    Who stretched a measuring line across it?

6 On what were its footings set,

    or who laid its cornerstone—

7 while the morning stars sang together

    and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?

This passage indicates that the sons of god were present to witness God creating the earth. This would contradict the reading of Genesis 1:14 as that narrative has the stars being created after the dry land is revealed. The "second" creation story of Genesis 2 doesn't seem to have any indication to the creation of angels.

**Psalm 91:9-13 NIV**

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”

    and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you,

    no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

    to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

Angels are commanded by God to protect those people who take refuge in God. This is one of the passages that the Devil uses to test Jesus in the wilderness.

**Psalm 103:20-21 NIV**

20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,

    you mighty ones who do his bidding,

    who obey his word.

21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,

    you his servants who do his will.

Ezekiel

Daniel

Tobit

Enoch

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

**1 Corinthians 6:3 NIV**

Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!

Jude

Revelation

### The Alchemy of Hapiness by Al-Ghazali

Islam

Dates

"So, from this you learn that the fast of whoever limits his fasting to not eating and not drinking, is a soulless form, for the spirit (ruh) and true nature of fasting is that one make oneself like the angels, for whom there is absolutely no carnal appetite. The beasts are dominated by their appetite and for this reason they are far from (the angels). Any person dominated by appetite is also at the level of the beasts. When his appetite is decreased, he has begun to take on a resemblance to the angels. For this reason he approaches them-an approach in attributes, not in station and the angels are near God Most High. Consequently, he also is near (God). When he makes arrangements to attend to supper and gives full aid to what the appetite desires, the appetite grows stronger, not weaker, and the spirit of the fasting is not obtained."

Alchemy of Happiness

Free online pdf of this text: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The\_Alchemy\_of\_Happiness/pkQMe3nw0GsC?hl=en

This passage represents the belief that angels have no carnal appetite. This could be interpreted that they do not need to eat or that they cannot eat or have the ability to reproduce. However, Al-Ghazali is only saying that the angels do not have appetite not that they have no need to eat or an inability to reproduce. The rest of this text needs to be read as it mentions angels at least 17 times and the meaning of any individual passage cannot be assumed without the whole text and context being known.

At the very least this passage is describing angels as higher than man, closer to God and that the reason for this is at least in part because they have no appetite.

I counter that this conceptualization of angels does not seem to fit with the idea that The Christian devil is a fallen angel or with the idea of evil angels in general. If angels do not suffer carnal appetites then how can they end up sinning? Perhaps pride is not a carnal sin but a spiritual one but the "sons of god" in Genesis 6 and Enoch fall to lust, not pride it seems. However it is my understanding that in Islam the angels and the jinn are not the same species. The angels and jinn are independent types and so Iblis as a jinn is capable of having appetites that the angels do not.

### Angels: God's Secret Agents 1975 A.D./C.E.

Billy Graham

Bill Graham When were angels created?

https://billygraham.org/answer/when-were-the-angels-created-3/

**Blue Letter Bible: Don Stewart :: What Are Some of the Names Given to Angels**

https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don\_stewart/don\_stewart\_12.cfm

## Harmonized History of Angels

The angels are created on the fourth day of creation and given the heavens and seasons and night and day to rule. Genesis 1

The angels witness the creation of earth and sing for joy. Job

Allegedly an angel in the form of a serpent causes the fall of man and the cursing of the earth. Genesis 3

A group of angels take wives of human women. Genesis 6

That group of angels also teaches humans a number of crafts ranging from metallurgy to cosmetics. Enoch 1

The angels referred to as the sons of god present themselves before God shortly before the trials of Job. Job 1

The angels take council with God regarding the deception of king ? Chronicles

The angels are involved in a conflict in Persia. Daniel

A detachment of the heavenly host is seen surrounding the army that besieges Jerusalem.

At some point God rebukes the princes for not guiding the human nations into mercy instead allowing curruption and cruelty and God sentences them with death.

The angels are judged by humans. 1 Corinthians 6:3

The Red Dragon and his rebel angels are cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 21