Difference between revisions of "Angel"

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(Angels are the very powerful servants of God.)
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[[File:The Archangel Michael by Guido Reni. ca. 1636 .jpg|right|thumb|The Archangel Michael by Guido Reni]]
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Apparently Angels are super based, super epic servants of God. If they were so based, why did Satan betray God? :thinking:
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'''Angels''' are the very powerful servants of [[God]]. Angels announce the word of God,<ref>Luke 1:26-38</ref> protect God's people,<ref>Dan 6:22</ref> and enforce God's will.<ref>Matthew 13:41-42</ref> 
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God hates minority groups?????
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The first chapter of the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]], probably spoken or written by [[Jesus]],<ref>See [[Mystery:Did Jesus Write the Epistle to the Hebrews?]]</ref> fully explains his relationship to angels who were being discussed at [[Luke 17-24 (Translated)#24:23|Luke 24:23]] when Jesus, initially unrecognized, joined the discussion.
 
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Angels, often taking the form of men, can be incredibly forceful, as illustrated by their role in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.<ref>Genesis 18-19.</ref>  Overall, the words "angel", angel's" and "angels" occur 295 times in the [[English Standard Version]] of the [[Bible]].  The Old Testament features a few additional references to "cherub", a type of guardian angel.
 
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The [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] indicates there are an [[infinite]] ("innumerable") number of angels.<ref>Hebrews 12:22 (ESV).</ref>
 
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==Characteristics of Angels==
 
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The [[Bible]] mentions a number of people interacting with angels and of angels intervening on behalf of people. Angels, as far as their relation to man, seem to be devoid of natural affection. That is, they relate and interact, and involve themselves with the affairs of man not motivated by personal attachments, attractions, choices, affinities, etc. They come to us from God, with a message, an act, that expresses the will and choice of their Creator alone. This provides them a certain authority transcending their own personal free will. Demons, on the other hand, involve themselves totally with their subjects, merging themselves with their oppressed, dominating all to their own evil spirit, until all seem to be "one" in destruction. Expelling a demon is therefore freeing a man to be himself once again. All this is not to say that angels have no natural affection among each other. Just that, in their relationship to mankind, they are willingly ruled by the will of God.
 
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There is disagreement among biblical scholars as to whether or not the "sons of God" in Genesis 6:4 are angels.<ref>http://www.tektonics.org/gk/gen6.html</ref>
 
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==Forms==
 
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Though the popular notion of an angel is that of a celestial, vaguely human being with improbably bird-like wings, the original word in [[Hebrew]] is best translated as "messenger"; thus, it is possible that many of the angels featuring in the [[Torah]] were meant to be mortal human beings doing God's work, rather than an actual supernatural manifestation ''per se.'' Of course this is not always the case such as when an angel calls to [[Hagar]] "from heaven".<ref>Genesis 21:17</ref> 
 
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==Angels in the Bible==
 
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[[Image:Paradiso Canto 31.jpg|right|thumb|200px|God and the nine angelic choirs, as envisioned in Dore's illustrations to Dante's Paradiso]]
 
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Two angels (both of whom are "archangels", who lead other angels) are mentioned by name in the [[Bible]]: [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]] and [[Gabriel]]. [[Catholic]] and [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] tradition in the [[Book of Tobit]] also mentions [[Raphael (archangel)|Raphael]] by name.
 
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In pictures angels are usually depicted as very beautiful creatures with golden hair, wings and long robes making them appear feminine. In contrast pictures depicting Michael the Archangel show him in armor usually crushing [[Satan]] beneath his feet.
 
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See [[Revelation, Book of (historical exegesis)]].
 
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== Hierarchy and Types ==
 
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According to early tradition, there are nine choirs of angels:
 
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* Seraphim
 
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* Cherubim
 
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* Thrones
 
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* Dominions
 
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* Virtues
 
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* Powers
 
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* Principalities
 
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* Archangels
 
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* Angels
 
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The different groups of these spirits are called choirs because it is said in the [[Bible]] they are constantly praising God in song. The exact hierarchical order of the nine choirs was a matter of dispute among [[theologian]]s; the order above follows that used by [[Aquinas]], and by [[Dante]] in his ''[[Paradiso]]''. Other speculative orderings of the ranks of the angelic choirs agree with Aquinas and Dante only on the relative positions of the Seraphim and Cherubim at the top and the Archangels and Angels at the bottom. Dominions have been placed above Thrones or above Principalities, Powers above Virtues, and Principalities above Powers, or Powers above Dominions.
 
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The [[Bible]] reveals the existence of a multitude of spirits, and even the existence of a spiritual hierarchy. Within the ranks of hierarchy, the Bible refers to archangels, seraphim, cherubim, principalities, powers and authorities as well as angels. There are beings known as the sons of God, who, from the context, are clearly spiritual beings, whether they are or are not angels is not stated.
 
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=== The Angel of the Lord ===
 
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: ''Main Article: [[Jesus Christ]]''
 
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At various places, the Bible refers to the Angel of the Lord who seems to be more than an ordinary angel. This name is generally taken to describe a christophany (appearance of Jesus) within the times of the Old Testament.
 
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=== Sons of God ===
 
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: ''Main Article: Benei Ha'Elohim''
 
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The ''Benei Ha'Elohim'' are a group of beings mentioned in passing in the [[Old Testament]] book of {{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=6|verses=4}}. It is unclear what the Sons of God were, but they are distinguished from the daughters of men. There are at least three schools of thought regarding these beings. In {{Bible ref|book=Job|chap=1|verses=6}} {{Bible ref|book=Job|chap=2|verses=1}}, it states that one day, the "''Sons of God''" (Hebrew "''ben 'elohiym''") came to present themselves before God, with Satan among them. The same phrase, Sons of God, is used in {{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=6|verses=2-4}}, in stating that the Sons of God saw the daughters of men were fair, and that they took themselves wives. Verse 4 then says their children became mighty men of renown. The phrase is also used in {{Bible ref|book=Job|chap=38|verses=4-7}} where it states that when God laid the foundations of the earth, the morning stars (the name 'Lucifer' means "Morningstar" - {{Bible ref|book=Isaiah|chap=14|verses=12}} and Jesus was called the Morning Star - {{Bible ref|book=Revelation|chap=22|verses=16}}) sang together, and all the Sons of God shouted for joy.
 
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=== Cherubim ===
 
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Cherubim is the plural translation of the singular form of the Hebrew word, "''k@ruwb''", pronounced "''ker-oob''", and is used 91 times in the Old Testament.<ref>Strong's Hebrew Dictionary. [http://strongsnumbers.com/hebrew/3742.htm 3742.kerub].</ref> The suffix "-im" in Hebrew indicates the plural, whether referring to spirit messengers or names of various peoples or nations. Cherub is singular, cherubim is plural. The KJV reading "cherubim'''s'''" is not proper. While Cherubim appear to be Angels, whether they are a distinct species of them is uncertain. The following traits about them are known, however:
 
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* Guards: They guarded the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were cast out. ({{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=3|verses=24}}) They were always used, even in statue, to show the guarding of God's Mercy Seat.({{Bible ref|book=Exodus|chap=25|verses=18-22}}, {{Bible ref|book=Exodus|chap=37|verses=7-9}}, {{Bible ref|book=1Samuel|chap=4|verses=4}}, {{Bible ref|book=2Samuel|chap=6|verses=2}})
 
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* Winged: They are described as having huge wings which they used to cover the Mercy Seat. ({{Bible ref|book=Exodus|chap=25|verses=20}}, {{Bible ref|book=Exodus|chap=37|verses=7-9}}) Their wings were also used to cover the Ark of the Covenant. ({{Bible ref|book=1Kings|chap=8|verses=6-7}}, {{Bible ref|book=1Chronicles|chap=28|verses=18}}, {{Bible ref|book=2Chronicles|chap=5|verses=7-8}}) The wings appear to make sound volume comparable to a helicopter, being heard from far away.({{Bible ref|book=Ezekiel|chap=10|verses=5}})
 
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* Transporters: God used them to get around, riding on them as winged vehicles. ({{Bible ref|book=2Samuel|chap=22|verses=11}}, {{Bible ref|book=Psalms|chap=18|verses=10}}, {{Bible ref|book=Ezekiel|chap=9|verses=3}})
 
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* Huge: Likenesses of them were made ten cubits tall, and with outstretched wings that made them ten cubits wide. ({{Bible ref|book=1Kings|chap=6|verses=23-27}}, {{Bible ref|book=2Chronicles|chap=3|verses=10-13}}) Egypt also used the cubit as a standard of linear measurement, and it was approximately 1.5-2.0 feet long, making them at least 15–20 feet tall and equally wide when their wings are outstretched.<ref>''Merriam Webster''. "[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cubit Cubits]."</ref><ref>C.I. Scofield  & Rikkers (2003). "[https://books.google.com/books?id=FCPBVjNnF2oC&printsec=frontcover&dq=2003+scofield+study+Bible&source=bl&ots=g6N8K9Aaiy&sig=ZZZUZzgVle1B1MiFzmsiNZ0EvBs&hl=en&ei=-h15Td3ZJIjfrAGLurCABg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=2003%20scofield%20study%20Bible&f=false The Scofield Study Bible III]." ''Oxford University Press''. p. 611.</ref>
 
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* Close to God: God sits between two Cherubim.<ref>The Bible. 2 Kings 19:15, Psalms 99:1, Isaiah 35:16.</ref>
 
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=== Seraphim ===
 
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Seraphim is translated from the Hebrew word "''saraph''", pronounced "''saw-rawf''", a word roughly translated meaning "burned" or "to burn", and is only used 9 times in the Old Testament.<ref>Strong's Hebrew Dictionary. [http://strongsnumbers.com/hebrew/8313.htm 8313.seraph].</ref>
 
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Two of these usages occur in {{Bible ref|book=Isaiah|chap=6}}, verses 2 and 6, where it states that the Seraphim had 6 wings, 2 to cover their faces, 2 to cover the feet, and 2 with which to fly, while they proclaimed, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."(KJV) They are also said to have hands in verse 6, with which one used tongs to take a coal from an altar.
 
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Interestingly, the other 7 times the word is used, it is in relation to fiery serpents, ({{Bible ref|book=Numbers|chap=21|verses=6-8}}, {{Bible ref|book=Deuteronomy|chap=8|verses=15}}) in some cases said to fly. ({{Bible ref|book=Isaiah|chap=14|verses=29}}, {{Bible ref|book=Isaiah|chap=30|verses=6}})
 
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== Fallen Angels ==
 
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Although all spirits were created by God and therefore were originally good, at some point in time a large number of them rebelled against God and became evil, which is the implication regarding {{Bible ref|book=Matthew|chap=25|verses=41}}. Biblically, the angels which did not keep their first estate, sinning, God cast into Hell and has reserved in eternal chains under darkness until the great day's Judgment. ({{Bible ref|book=Jude|chap=1|verses=6}}, {{Bible ref|book=2 Peter|chap=2|verses=4}}) Given the account of this in {{Bible ref|book=Judges|chap=9|verses=8-15}} and {{Bible ref|book=Ezekiel|chap=31}}, 'Eden' was not only a garden for the creation of mankind, but the original dwellingplace of the angels ({{Bible ref|book=Ezekiel|chap=28|verses=13}}, {{Bible ref|book=Ezekiel 31|chap=9}}), with a rebellion that began by many of the angels seeking a king to reign over them. The Fig Tree, Olive Tree, and Vine, each symbolizing an angel or type of angel, refused, while the bramble, Satan, became their leader. Sometime after the fall of the angels, Eden was destroyed and turned into a "desolate wilderness". ({{Bible ref|book=Ezekiel|chap=36|verses=35}}, {{Bible ref|book=Joel|chap=2|verses=3}})
 
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=== Satan ===
 
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: ''Main Article: [[Satan]]''
 
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Satan is the highest ranking of the angels who rebelled against God.  He is stated to have corrupted and dragged down with him a third of the angels.  These became [[demon]]s and unclean spirits, according to the Bible. Satan was called "The Anointed Cherubim Who Encloses", and it was said God made him that way. He was on the holy mountain of God, and walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. He was perfect in all his ways until iniquity was found in him, after which he was cast as profane from the mountain of God. ({{Bible ref|book=Ezekiel|chap=28|verses=14-16}})
 
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== Symbolized as trees ==
 
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The following are examples where angels (perhaps Cherubim specifically) are symbolized by [[trees]]:
 
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* In {{Bible ref|book=Judges|chap=9|verses=8-15}} it tells a parable of the trees seeking to anoint a king, with the Olive Tree, Fig Tree, and Vine all refusing promotion, and the Bramble accepting, and telling them to put their trust in him or fire will come out to devour the Cedars of Lebanon.
 
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* In {{Bible ref|book=Psalms|chap=52|verses=8}} David compares himself to an Olive Tree in the house of God who trusts in the mercy of God forever and ever. This is similar also to {{Bible ref|book=Psalms|chap=92|verses=12-13}}.
 
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* In {{Bible ref|book=Isaiah|chap=2|verses=13-14}} it speaks of bringing all the proud low, including the Cedars of Lebanon and Oaks of Bashan.
 
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* In {{Bible ref|book=Isaiah|chap=14|verses=6-12}} it refers to [[Satan|Lucifer]] the fallen angel (v. 12) and when punished by [[God]], the earth is at rest, with the Fir Trees rejoicing, and the Cedars of Lebanon saying, "since you are laid down, no feller is come up against us."
 
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* In {{Bible ref|book=Isaiah|chap=34|verses=4}} it is said, "And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree." This prophecy is repeated similarly in {{Bible ref|book=Revelation|chap=6|verses=13-14}}.
 
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* In {{Bible ref|book=Ezekiel|chap=17}} it speaks a parable of the Cedars of Lebanon, ending in v. 24 by saying that the Lord has brought down the high tree, has exalted the low tree, has dried up the green tree, and has made the dry tree flourish.
 
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* In {{Bible ref|book=Ezekiel|chap=31}} the entire chapter speaks of Satan as being [[Pharaoh]], who was a mighty Cedar in Lebanon, how his height was exalted above all the other Cedars of Lebanon (v. 5), and how no other trees were like him in beauty (v. 8) so that they envied him (v. 9). Because of this, he lifted himself up in height and became proud (v. 10) so that God delivered him to the mighty of the gentiles (v. 11). The result is to be that none of the trees will exalt themselves, and are delivered to death, and sent down to the lower parts of the earth and the pit (v. 14). When he went to the grave, God caused a great mourning and mourning among Lebanon, with the trees of the field fainting for him (v. 15). In verses 9 and 16-18 it calls them the "trees of Eden", including Satan among them.
 
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* In {{Bible ref|book=Ezekiel|chap=34|verses=4}}
 
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* In {{Bible ref|book=Zechariah|chap=4|verses=11-14}} the prophet is shown a pair of Olive Trees which are said to be the "two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth."
 
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* In {{Bible ref|book=Revelation|chap=11|verses=3-6}} John is told God will give power to his two witnesses, and that these are the two olive trees, and two candlesticks. They also have special powers to burn assailants with fire from their mouths, prevent rain, turn water to blood, and smite the earth with plagues.
 
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Also of note is that Solomon in {{Bible ref|book=1Kings|chap=6|verses=23-34}} carved statues of the cherubims out of Olive Trees and Fir Trees. In {{Bible ref|book=Ezekiel|chap=41|verses=12-26}} it says Palm Trees were spaced between the Cherubim.
 
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==References==
 
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''Reverend Francis J. Connel'', Baltimore Catechism #3, pg. 26
 
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<references/>
 
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{{DivineComedy}}
 
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[[Category:Bible]]
 
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[[Category:Abrahamic Religions]]
 
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[[Category:Divine Beings]]
 

Revision as of 07:13, September 20, 2021

Apparently Angels are super based, super epic servants of God. If they were so based, why did Satan betray God? :thinking: God hates minority groups?????

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