Angel
From Conservapedia
According to Christian belief, Angels are the servants of God. Angels announce the word of God,[1] protect God's people,[2] and enforce God's will.[3]
The words "angel", angel's" and "angels" occur 295 times in the English Standard Version of the Bible; the singular form is used more often in the Old Testament, while the plural form is employed more frequently in the New Testament. There are also a few additional references to "cherub", which is a type of guardian angel mentioned in the Old Testament.
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Characteristics of Angels
Throughout the Bible there are mentions 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 personal. 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 ruled by the will of God.
There is disagreement among biblical scholars as to whether or not the "sons of God" in Genesis 6:4 are angels.[4]
Forms
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".[5]
Angels in the Bible
Two angels are mentioned by name in the Bible: Michael the Archangel and Gabriel. Catholic and Orthodox tradition in the Book of Tobit also mentions Raphael by name.
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.
According to early tradition, there are nine choirs of angels:
- Seraphim
- Cherubim
- Thrones
- Dominions
- Virtues
- Powers
- Principalities
- Archangels
- Angels
The different groups of these spirits are called choirs because it is said in the Bible they are constantly praising God in song. The exacty hierarchical order of the nine choirs was a matter of dispute among theologians; the order above follows that used by Aquinas, and by Dante in his Paradiso.
References
Reverend Francis J. Connel, Baltimore Catechism #3, pg. 26
- ↑ Luke 1:26-38
- ↑ Dan 6:22
- ↑ Matthew 13:41-42
- ↑ http://www.tektonics.org/gk/gen6.html
- ↑ Genesis 21:17
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