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About Angels: Angelic Hierarchy
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Introduction
Most Protestant denominations reject the idea of a celestial hierarchy or angelic order beyond Angels, Archangels, Seraphim, and Cherubim. Actually, Dionysius the Areopagite , a supposed Christian Theologian and Philosopher, presented the most influential angelic classifications in his book "De Coelesti Hierarchia" ("The Celestial Hierarchy").
Inspired or Conspired? However, both Protestant and Catholic scholars now agree that the book was not authored by the first-century Dionysius in the Bible. Instead, the book was written by an unknown sixth-century Christian, not Paul's convert. After the discovery, John Calvin wrote that the greatest parts of the book were mere babbling, and contemporary Theologian Karl Barth dismisses Dionysius as "one of the greatest frauds in church history." In fact, today the author of "The Celestial Hierarchy" is referred to as Pseudo-Dionysius ["pseudo" meaning false].1 Why Study Angelic Hierarchy? So, the question is: Are they separate living beings or are they only designations of functions that can, and sometimes do, apply to all angelic beings?
Protestants — or more accurately, opponents of a specific angelic hierarchy — point out that the different words used to rank these celestial beings are never found together in one place. Rather, the Apostle Paul lists five, but not all nine of the proposed hierarchy, and the Apostle Peter lists only three. There is no indication in Scripture that the different designations or attributes represent actual ranks. Rather, Protestant Theologians maintain that the nine terms describe the various functions of angels, but not ranks.
To help you understand the difference between rank and function, think of an Army where members are ranked from Private to General. Let's assume the General's driver is Private Smith. On any given day, we might find Private Smith washing the motor pool [garage and vehicle service area] floor in the morning and driving the General to his staff meeting in the afternoon. The next day, Private Smith is cleaning the equipment and tools in the motor pool in the morning, washing the General's vehicle in the afternoon, and guarding the motor pool at night. Although there are five different tasks being accomplished, there are not five Private Smiths. Rather, there is one Private Smith [rank] doing five different tasks [function] according to the General's needs or assignments. What Does the Bible Say? When it comes to understanding the operations of the celestial realm, we look to our only reliable Authority, that being what the Creator has revealed in His Word. The Apostle Paul tells us: "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 emphasis added) In that brief passage, Paul acknowledges that we exist in mortal bodies subject to and conscious of imperfections and frailties that affect — and sometimes afflict — all humankind. Scripture teaches that we each have a spirit housed in an imperfect flesh-and-bones body. Thus, we must battle according to the spirit and not the physical. Everything associated with our bodies is temporal. It's our spirits and souls that will live on long after our bodies have succumbed to that physical death that afflicts all mortals [and that will be given new bodies in the Resurrection or the Rapture of the Church]. Therefore, our battle against sin, idolatry, and all forms of evil must be waged in the spirit. We must look to a source, or sources, outside of ourselves with which to overcome and conquer the temptations and sins that so easily beset us. We dare not think we can overcome them by our own intellect or effort! Paul says in the verses above that the weapons of our warfare "have divine power to destroy strongholds." Let's look at other verses that speak of spiritual warfare. "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:11-13 NIV emphasis added) "...when he [God] raised him [Christ] from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come." (Ephesians 1:20-21 emphasis added) "For by him [Christ] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him." (Colossians 1:16 emphasis added) "Christ . . . has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him." (1 Peter 3:22 emphasis added) In 2 Corinthians 10:4 above, Paul mentions "strongholds". In the passages in Ephesians, Colossians, and 1 Peter we see a list of other various beings. The fact that the Apostles Paul and Peter use different names or titles for these beings, we may logically and correctly deduce these are not all the same work or function. But can we say with 100% assurance that these also reveal six different classes of celestial beings? Is this a place where the Bible doesn't explicitly tell us something, but implicitly reveals it? Angelic Hierarchies and Orchestras Think about a symphony orchestra, which typically consists of four proportionate groups of similar musical instruments called the: Depending on the composition being played, one or two instruments may be featured over others. Does this make those featured instruments more important or of more value? No. Regardless of what the composition is, all of the instruments bring the harmonic flexibility necessary to create something that would not be possible without all the instruments doing their part — sometimes in the lead and sometimes in support of others. Such is the case when we discuss angelic hierarchy. In God's creation, we can see a natural order or hierarchy at play in every animal and plant. So, it is instinctive for us to assume the same is true for the angelic realm. But really, would the God "who shows no partiality" (Romans 2:11), not even "to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor" (Job 34:19), assign a ranking system among the angelic beings that would seem to favor one group over another? Would He not extend the same grace toward His celestial beings that He extends to humankind? Really, it seems that the "ranking" among these superior beings depends entirely upon the task at hand; but their ranks — if such exist — in no way infers that any of these beings is superior or inferior to any others. Know Your Allies and Your Enemies There is an old adage concerning warfare that says: "Know your enemy!" But for the purpose of logically and correctly waging war in the spiritual realm, I would take it a step further and say, "Know your allies!" Remember, Scripture says that Satan "masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14); so it is no small or unimportant matter to be able to discern God's angels from Satan's demons! In this lesson, we will look at the various functions performed by angelic beings who minister to and on behalf of God — our allies — and we will examine our spiritual enemies — Satan and the other fallen angelic beings — in the next lesson. 1 Kings 6:15-17 tells us there is an unseen army ready to do battle on our behalf and at God's direction: As we dig deeper into this interesting subject, we will not only increase our knowledge of the spiritual realm, but we will be encouraged by the sure knowledge of a vast Heavenly force whose mission it is to assist us in carrying the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Mission or Commission? Thus, for the purposes of this lesson, we shall study the Seraphim, Cherubim, Wheels/Ophanims, Archangels, and Angels as distinct classes, but none being superior or inferior to another. Then, we'll study the other four designations dealing with function: Virtues/Strongholds, Dominions/Elders, Powers/Authorities, and Principalities/Rulers. Seraph/Seraphim "Then the LORD sent fiery serpents [saw-rawf' naw-khawsh'] among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. . . . And the LORD said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent [saw-rawf'] and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.'" (Numbers 21:6,8) "[Take care lest you forget the LORD your God...] who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock" (Deuteronomy 8:15) See also Isaiah 14:29; 30:6. Isaiah's Vision In Revelation 4:8, they are described as: "full of eyes all around and within". These angelic beings are said to regulate the movement of the heavens as it emanates from God. Such a bright light emanates from them that nothing, not even other divine beings, can look upon them. Their constant burning suggests that they burn eternally from love and zeal for God.2
When thinking about the Seraphim burning with love and zeal for God, recall the story in Exodus 34 about Moses' skin shining so brightly after meeting with God that the people were afraid to look at him? 29"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. 32Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. 33And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 34Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him." (Exodus 34:29-35 emphasis added) In Isaiah 6:2-3, the Seraphim are positioned above the LORD, ready to minister to Him as He sits upon His throne. 2"Above him [the LORD]3And one called to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!'" Their Duties Cherub/Cherubim Cherubim are celestial beings, or symbolical representations on earth of spiritual beings in the Heavens. In the Bible, the Cherubim are largely symbolic, intended to represent spiritual existences in immediate contact with the LORD. Cherubim are mentioned in the Torah [the first five books of the Bible whose authorship is attributed to Moses], Ezekiel, and Isaiah. They are also mentioned in the books of Kings and Chronicles, mainly in the construction of the House of God. There is only one mention in the New Testament, in Hebrews 9:5, referring to the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.4 Because of their physical similarities, some Theologians believe the "beasts" or "living creatures" in Revelation 4:8 also refer to the Cherubim. However, a quick review of the original Greek shows that the words are completely different from each other. The words "Cherub" or "Cherubim" appear in the Bible at least 95 times. Some Bibles translate the terms as "winged ones", "winged creatures", "living creatures", or "angelic sentries" [Genesis 3:24 in the NET Bible]. The Cherubim's Characteristics 5"And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, [Click the image above to enlarge it; double-click to return to this page.]
Is there anything in that description or the above picture that makes you want to run over and tickle its belly?! Who in the world read that description and came away with an image of a cuddly, chubby baby?! Maybe the same person who draws Satan as a red-costumed horned creature sitting on our shoulder with a pitchfork... Be aware! The spirit realm is real! Satan and the demonic are very real, and they're out for blood! Yours! We dare not take lightly what the Bible tells and warns us about the celestial beings — whether God's or Satan's. As we've seen already, they guarded the Tree of Life in Genesis 3:24. Cherubim are said to have perfect knowledge of God, surpassed only by the love of the Seraphim. Cherubim are God's record keepers and guardians of His glory. God instructed Moses to place gold replicas of Cherubim on the Mercy Seat on top of the Ark of the Covenant in Exodus 25:18-22 where He said He would meet with Moses. 18"And you shall make two Cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the Cherubim on its two ends. 20The Cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the Cherubim be. 21And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 22There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two Cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel." (emphasis added) Representations of Cherubim were also embroidered into the Temple veil (cf. Exodus 26:31; 2 Chronicles 3:7), and they lavished Solomon's Temple as related in 1 Kings 6:23-28. Why is this important? Recall that everything in the earthly Temple is symbolic, or a "type", of actual Heavenly things. So, placing images or replicas of Cherubim in the earthly Temple reinforces the idea that they are Heavenly caretakers and guardians of all things sacred. Scripture indicates that the Cherubim engage in continuous adoration and service to God. In describing his magnificent vision of Cherubim and the glory of the LORD, Ezekiel wrote in 1:22-28— 22"Over the heads of the living creatures [Seraphim] there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. 23And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. 24And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 26And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. 27And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. 28Like the appearance of the bow[rainbow] that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking." (emphasis added) It doesn't take much imagination on our parts to understand that God had given to the Prophet Ezekiel a most glorious and awesome vision of His holiness and of the Cherubim serving and worshipping the Lord! "Abiding" between the Cherubim Of course, we know that God does not really live or "abide" between two gold Cherubim or in any earthly structure. As King David said: "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!" (1 Kings 8:27) Thus, God's "abiding" between the Cherubim was emblematic of His supreme glory and holiness. The Priests were to enter the Most Holy Place and approach God with the utmost reverence and only when summoned or scheduled to approach their holy God. He could not and would not be conjured by any rote prayers or man's fanciful attempts to seduce Him on their own terms. [Recall what happened to Aaron's two sons when they irreverently offered an unauthorized sacrifice: "Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD." (Leviticus 10:1-2)] If you wanted to meet with God, it would be on His terms or not at all!
Many people mistakenly believe that God has changed, that He was an angry God in the Old Testament and is now a loving God in the New. But God assures us in His Word that He does not change. "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." (Malachi 3:6) "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) Although we now live in what some refer to as the "age of grace", that does not mean God has changed the rules. The saints in the Old Testament, whom the Bible calls the "children of the promise", are saved, not by their individual achievements, but by their faith in the covenant that God made with Abraham to bless all nations through his seed, that Seed, of course, being Jesus Christ. All people — past, present, or future — must come to Him on His terms, through His one and only Son who gave His life as "a ransom for many" (cf. Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). "...there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Wheels/Ophanim
Because of the engineering impossibility of creating a mechanically-functioning multi-winged wheel-within-a-wheel, some people [mainly scientologists] insist that what Ezekiel saw was a spaceship from another planet! They say the hundreds of eyes would be the aliens looking through the portals. Isn't it strange that some people would rather believe in aliens from other planets than to believe in a God who is fully capable of creating anything He wants? Just because it's outside our ability to manufacture such a mechanical device, it's okay for space aliens to have the super knowledge and technology to do it, but it's not okay for the God of the Universe to do it!? So, how does one begin to draw or paint an image that, by all human accounts, is an engineering and mechanical impossibility? The answer: We can't . . . . but God did! Scripture teaches that these Wheels or Ophanim are closely associated with the Cherubim, as they move in concert with the winged Cherubim beneath the throne of God. "When they [the Cherubim] stood still, these [the Wheels] stood still, and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them." (Ezekiel 10:17) Their Duties/Function
Archangels The word "archangel" is not found in the Old Testament. In fact, it is used only twice in Scripture: "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first." (1 Thessalonians 4:16) "But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you.'" (Jude 9) The canonical Bible gives the names of only two Angels, one of whom we know is an Archangel and the other presumed to be. The word "prince" here is the ancient Hebrew word sar, which means "the head person" [of any rank or class], a "chief", a "general", etc. The Bible also says Michael is a warrior Angel who does battle. "Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon..." (Revelation 12:7a) Daniel 10:21— "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book." (Daniel 12:1 emphasis added)
Although most in the Church believe him to be an Archangel, there is no direct Biblical support for this assumption. Beyond these references, there is nothing in Scripture that enables us to know the unique identities of other Angels. Scripture suggests that the Archangels are Guardian Angels of certain nations and countries. They are concerned with politics, military matters, commerce, and trade among the nations and countries they're guarding. For example, the Archangel Michael is traditionally seen as the protector of Israel and of the New Testament Church. There are three New Testament verses that most Bible scholars believe actually refer to Archangels even though they're translated in the English Bibles as "principality/ies", or "ruler/s" or "other heavenly ruler/s", or "spirit/s", or "demons" [in the NIV]. "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come..." (Romans 8:38 KJV emphasis added) Ephesians 1:21— "For by him [Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him." (Colossians 1:16 emphasis added) They believe these verses actually mean "Archangel/s" because in the original Greek text, each one has the prefix arche in it [which we learned earlier, means "to be first"]. Angels/Messengers It's interesting to note that in all angel hierarchy presentations, the class of "angels" is last or lowest. That is not to infer, however, that they are inferior beings. Rather, they are quite superior to other of God's creation and certainly superior in power and intellect than humankind. Perhaps others who adhere to a celestial hierarchy have ranked Angels lowest because they are the ones who primarily interact with humans and need to be able to relate to humans on a more human-like and less-majestic position. As we've seen in Scripture, whenever other celestial beings represent themselves to mortals in their "natural" form, they cause great fear. However, appearances of human-like beings, with or without wings, not only don't normally engender a fear response but are actually welcomed by most. The Remaining Designations/Classes Regardless of the outcome, this should not be cause for consternation to either school of thought. The fact is, they are all engaged in carrying out God's will on earth and in Heaven and are graciously provided by God to assist all believers in whatever manner the Lord so deigns.
Interesting word choice there, don't you think? "Deign..." It means to do something that one considers to be below one's dignity. However, God's holy angels — regardless of their titles or activities — derive great joy from doing whatever they can to contribute to God's will working in someone's life or to bring glory and honor to Him. They don't feel that any task — no matter how mundane or supposedly unpleasant — is beneath them. So, even if this particular study about them and their duties is so far off-center as to be laughable, they are not insulted because they know it was done with a heart fully devoted to God and to the truth of His Word. Others may be insulted or enraged at such an audacious display of anti-conventionalism that they might label the work heresy! But not God's angels. No. They will applaud, even if the only thing that's accomplished here is that it draws the author into a closer relationship with, or understanding of, God. And they are happy to have assisted thusly. Dominions Of course, we know Christ is the Creator and that He created all things including the Angels, Archangels, Seraphim, Cherubim, and Ophanim. He also created the laws by which all things in the universe must consist and interact with one another. By virtue of the word "dominions", we are given to understand this may refer to government or law, both of which, of necessity, extend to authority and justice. These, then, may be considered symbols — whether living or representative only — of God's universal and perfect justice and sovereign dominance. Some of the angelic hierarchy charts combine the word "dominions" with "elders" that appear 12 times in the book of Revelation. However, the Greek word for "dominions" which Paul uses in Colossians 1:16 means "mastery, rulers: — dominion, government"; while the word for "elders" in Revelation means "older; as noun, a senior; specifically an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or Christian "presbyter": — elder (-est), old." Strongholds/Virtues Powers/Authorities "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12 emphasis added) "[Jesus Christ] who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him." (1 Peter 3:22 emphasis added) Most angelic hierarchy charts put these two together as having the same meaning. That doesn't seem logical, however, since Paul lists them separately on two occasions. There is also disagreement among them as to whether any "powers" and "authorities" are included among the "fallen angels". Some sources have suggested — without any Biblical support — that these were created after the fall. Well, if these are indeed distinct beings apart from the Seraphim, Cherubim, Wheels, Archangels, and Angels we discussed earlier, then Paul's statement in Ephesians makes it clear that some of them fell from grace. Otherwise, why would we want or need to "wrestle against" them? Paul also used the term "powers" [or "authorities" in some Bible translations] in Colossians 1:16 and Ephesians 1:21. While some scholars believe he was referring to the earthly powers of nations, societies, or individuals, it seems unlikely that he would use the same terms and phrases in one place to refer to the spirit realm and in another place to refer to earthly rule. Nevertheless, there is nothing concrete by which to suggest or assert that they are anything more than attributes of the five clearly-identifiable distinct celestial beings already discussed. Principalities/Rulers
Be sure to write the lesson name with your question or comment. --------------------------------- 1"Seraphim, Virtues, and Angels, Oh My", Beliefnet. np. Web 10 February 2013. 2"Angelic Hierarchy", Archangels and Angels. 17 July 2009. Web. 22 January 2013. 3Ibid. 4"Cherub", Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 19 January 2013. Web. 20 January 2013. 5"Ophanim", Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 22 January 2013. Web. 22 January 2013. 6"Dionysius Hierarchy of Angels", Angel Focus. Copyright © 2009. Web. 25 January 2013. 7Seven Spirits of God are not specifically identified, so it's impossible to give a definite answer. Revelation 1:4 says they are before God's throne, Revelation 3:1 says that Jesus Christ "holds" the seven Spirits of God, Revelation 4:5 links the seven Spirits of God with seven burning lamps that are before God's throne, and Revelation 5:6 identifies the seven Spirits with the "seven eyes" of the Lamb and states that they are "sent out into all the earth." Three possible interpretations are:
 
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In Isaiah 6:1-8, the Seraphim are described as fiery six-winged beings that fly continuously around God's throne, declaring: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" [The image on the right is one artist's rendering of what Isaiah may have witnessed. Click to enlarge; double-click to return to this page.]
9their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went.
Unlike the Seraphim and Cherubim, who at least appear to be living beings somewhat resembling the human form, the Ophanim appear as beryl-colored [pale green or aquamarine] multi-winged wheels-within-a-wheel, the rims of which are covered with hundreds of eyes.