angel

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noun

1. A pure, uncorrupted person: innocent, lamb, virgin. See clean/dirty, right/wrong.
2. One who assumes financial responsibility for another: backer, guarantor, guaranty, sponsor, surety, underwriter. See law, support/oppose.
3. A person who supports or champions an activity, cause, or institution, for example: backer, benefactor, contributor, friend, patron, sponsor, supporter. See help/harm/harmless.

Definition: attendant of god
Antonyms: devil

n

Definition: sweet, kind person
Antonyms: demon, devil, fiend

In the Bible, the existence of angels is assumed. This does not detract from the uniqueness of the One God. Rather it is a function of His transcendence, which implies the need of created intermediaries between the Creator and His World. With the exception of the Book of Daniel (and perhaps Job), angels in the Bible have neither names nor an independent will. Mortals neither pray to nor serve angels in any way (this point is emphasized in Judges 13:16).

Angels of two types (which are not always completely distinct from one another) appear in the Bible. The first type comprises angels that perform some divinely appointed mission, such as delivering a message from God to a particular man, explicating a prophecy, executing God's decrees, etc. These assume a variety of forms depending on their tasks. They appear most frequently as human beings, and in all cases remain obedient to their Divine mandate. These messenger angels bear names (Gabriel and Michael) and distinct personalities only in the Book of Daniel (see for example, Daniel 8:16 and 10:13) and the Book of Job where Satan, or the Satan, appears as a kind of heavenly prosecutor. It is not clear whether Satan is a proper name or a description of this creature's role (cf. Num. 22:22). The Bible does not always distinguish clearly between the angel and God. So, for instance, the angel of God calls to Moses from the Burning Bush (Ex. 3:2), but the ensuing dialogue is conducted with God Himself. Some scholars see this as indicating that angels were considered to have no independent existence, while others speculate that where original texts had God addressing man directly, later scribes may have been uncomfortable with such boldness and injected an intermediary into the narrative.

The second type consists of the members of the heavenly court who surround God and praise Him (see, for example, Isaiah 6:1-7). These are divided into a number of subgroups, each bearing a different name. There are seraphim (Isa. 6:2), cherubim (Ezek. 10:3), Ḥayyot---living creatures (Ezek. 1:5), and Ofannim---wheels (of the Divine chariot) (Ezek. 1:16).

Angels are frequently mentioned in the post-exilic Books of Ezekiel and Zechariah. Ezekiel contains references to both types of angels, with the notion of a heavenly host or court receiving its greatest biblical elaboration in the first chapter of Ezekiel's vision. On the other hand, chapters 11-39 do not mention angels at all. The entire Book of Zechariah is replete with references to angels.

Contemporary biblical scholarship finds the belief in angels, as such, unique to the religion of Israel and daughter religions. Similarities do exist in other ancient Semitic systems which have heavenly hosts, servants of the gods, etc. However, in systems with numerous gods of various rank and status, such phenomena cannot be considered precisely parallel. The messenger angel seems to be even more exclusively Israelite---a function of the inappropriateness of Divine-human encounters becoming daily occurrences. A fully developed belief in created beings that are not human and act in the service of God is probable only in a system that asserts the existence of one all-powerful Creator. Angels are conspicuously absent in large sections of the Bible, most notably in pre-exilic prophecy where only two mentions of angels exist (Isa. 6:2 ff.; Hos. 12:5-6). While this has led some scholars to posit an ancient school of dissent on the existence of angels or their importance, others believe that no suitable explanation has yet been proposed. Rabbinic tradition was not unaware of foreign influences on Israel's belief in angels and mentions that the names of the angels were brought by the Jews from the Babylonian Exile (TJ RH 1:2).

The belief in angels developed in scope and complexity during the Second Temple period. Such development is reflected chiefly in the non-canonical apocryphal literature and the writings of the Dead Sea Sect. Here angels are seen to be numerous, variegated, and discharging a wide range of responsibilities. Angels may fall into different subcategories, and the most important ones have individual names and hierarchical roles (e.g. Enoch 20:1-8). The explanation generally advanced for this phenomenon is the increasing emphasis upon God's transcendence. During this period, the sense of God's immediate presence and involvement in human affairs, so evident in the pre-exilic biblical narratives, has clearly diminished. Reality is conceived as being more complex and God more distant. His involvement in the world is mediated by a ramified apparatus of servants, assistants, and the like. Thus angels are known to become involved in the lives of the righteous (Tobit), and numerous human beings are witness to visions of the heavenly court. Apocalyptic visions are narrated by an angelic spokesman. The Book of Jubilees claims to have been dictated by an angel to Moses. There are angels of the interior, angels of holiness, angels of fire, angels of winds, clouds, hail, etc. There are angels in charge of seasons of the year, and a different angel is in charge of each day (see Jubilees 2:2; 82; 75; 80:1; 60:16-22). The chief angels are known as archangels, and there are various versions of their identity. Among them appear the names Uriel, Raguel, Raphael, Michael, Gabriel, Sariel, Jermiel (see Tobit 12:15; II Esdras 4:38; I Enoch 20, I Enoch 90:21 ff). There are also fallen angels, who have been seduced to earth, or, while they are on earth, by the beauty of mortal women and who may become involved in various evil pursuits (Enoch 6ff.; Jubilees 4:15; 5:1ff.). Satan is portrayed in some sources as a fallen angel, punished for his unwillingness to bow before man (Adam and Eve 12ff.), who becomes a kind of independent evil demon (for possible biblical roots of the fallen angel idea, see also Genesis 6:4, whose meaning remains disputed).

During the talmudic period, the existence of angels was taken for granted by scholars and common people alike. In the Sifra (1:1), for example, Ben Azzai speaks of two categories of angels, clearly assuming their existence as a reality. The Mishnah (a legal work) contains no mention of angels, but other tannaitic sources do. Whereas the importance of angels in rabbinic thinking is clearly less than in apocryphal literature, it would be inconceivable that a literature as broad and colorful as the Talmuds and Midrashim could ignore angels altogether. They contain discussions of the creation of angels (e.g., Gen. R.1:3) and their classification (e.g., Tanḥ.B., Lev. 39). Angels, moreover, are characters in various aggadic tales and heavenly debates, advocates before the heavenly court of justice, etc. Angels, on the one hand, seem to be superior to man, while on the other, it is asserted that righteous mortals are superior to the ministering angels (e.g. TJ Shab. 6:10, 8d). In any case, it is difficult to determine, with regard to any given passage, whether the angels portrayed are truly regarded as existing beings or personified symbols of some idea or value. As in earlier periods, angel worship is nearly unheard of and never normative, this despite (or perhaps because of) the existence of such worship within the Christian Church and its approval by contemporary Church Fathers.

Jewish philosophers differ considerably in their conception of the nature and function of angels. Philo conceives of angels as the incorporeal, rational, and immortal souls which have not entered human bodies. "They convey the bidding of the Father to His children and report the children's needs to their Father." Judah Halevi identifies the angels with the Aristotelian separate intelligences through whose agency God governs the world. For Abraham Ibn Ezra, angels are the immaterial, neoplatonic "eternal forms," the archetypes of all earthly material things.

For Maimonides, angels are to be identified with the immaterial separate intelligences, although in one context, he identifies angels with prophets. The latter view is already to be found in the Midrash and is supported, to some extent, by Haggai 1:13 and II Chronicles 36:15-16. He opposed the common practice of praying to angels for intercession with God.

Angels receive considerable attention in Jewish Mysticism, which groups them in various categories such as angels of severe judgment and angels of mercy, and evil and ministering angels. Mystical texts also contrast between angels of masculine and feminine qualities (Zohar 1:11 9b; 2:4b). Angels have particular roles in heaven and are arranged into various hierarchies (Zohar 1:11-45). These angels may assume human form or appear as spirits when executing their earthly missions (Zohar 1:34a, 81a, 101a); Pardes Rimmonim sect. 24, ch. 11). Every human being has a good angel and a bad one (Zohar 1:144b). Man is accompanied by angels in the world to come as well. There he is met by angels of peace or destruction depending upon his deeds on earth (Zohar Ḥadash to Ruth (1902), 89a). There is also a hierarchy of angels serving the forces of evil. These seduce man to perform evil and then report on his sinful acts (Pardes Rimmonim sect. 26, ch. 1-7). As a result of the extraordinary powers assigned to angels, appeals and supplications were made to angels in Amulets and incantations despite the opposition of many rabbinic authorities. Mystical conceptions, nevertheless, remain essentially monotheistic.

Various conceptions of angels originating in the Bible and later developed in the apocryphal and aggadic literatures appear in the Liturgy. The most common theme is that of angels singing praise to God. The Kedushah prayers of the daily and festival services, for example, are based upon the text of the angels' praises of God that appear in Isaiah (see above). The popular Shalom Aleikhem prayer chanted upon returning home from synagogue on the Sabbath eve addresses the two angels that accompany each man. It is believed that such themes began entering the liturgy primarily during the early geonic period under the influence of mystical movements that flourished at the time. In later eras, the themes of angels as members of the heavenly court and singing hymns of praise received extensive elaboration in various religious poems (Piyyutim). The 16th-century mystics of Safed attributed even greater liturgical significance to particular angels, positing an active role for them in the transmission and processing of prayer.

Modern views of angels tend to interpret Biblical and liturgical references symbolically. Reform Judaism has removed most references to angels from the prayerbook. The Conservatives have retained references, but do not take them literally. Modern Orthodoxy, while not dismissing the notion altogether, also tends to rationalize angels or explain them symbolically, avoiding any fundamental argument regarding their existence. In the more traditional branches of Orthodoxy, particularly those with mystical leanings such as the Ḥasidic and Oriental communities, the belief in angels continues relatively unchanged. (See also Angel of Death).

Monotheistic religions arising in the Middle East tended to see a separation between the material world and the spiritual. A wall stands between the experience of everyday life and life that is "other," above or beyond our physical environment. One realm exists for humankind and another for God. On this material side exist space and time. On the transcendent side, infinity and eternity. The wall of separation is not solid but contains windows that enable at least partial communication or mystic vision to take place. The apostle Paul described this concept in 1 Corinthians 13: "Now we see through a glass, darkly, but then we shall see face to face."

One method of communication is for God to use messengers to bridge the gap, to move through the wall and carry God's messages to humans and human prayers to God.

The word "angel," from the Greek angelos, means "messenger." Although the concept of angels becomes more fully developed in later monotheistic religions, it is found in early Canaanite mythological poems and Persian Zoroastrianism. Ancient Hittite texts going back to a time when God was perceived as feminine describe groups of "fairy messengers" attending the mother-goddess.

Although popular misconceptions involve people becoming angels when they die, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all teach that angels are a separate species created before humans. Probably because these are historically male-dominated religions, angels are usually depicted as being masculine, even though they are said to be either sexless or above sex. In one early exception to this notion of sexlessness, a passage in Genesis 6 explains that the judgment of Noah's flood was brought about in part because "the sons of God" (a phrase often interpreted to mean angels) "saw that the daughters of men" (that is, human women) "were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose." The offspring of these unions were the Nephilim, a mysterious term often translated as "giants" but defined in the Bible as "the heroes of old."

Although angelic myths differ, all describe a war in heaven that caused one-third of the angels to sin. They became the demons of Judeo/Christian teaching and a category within the "jinns" of Islam, creatures of smokeless fire. The fallen angels were led by the being Jews and Christians call "the Satan" (the accuser). Muslims call him Iblis.

In Christian scripture, angels generally appear in human form. An angel ordered Abraham to refrain from sacrificing his son Isaac (Gen. 22:11). Angels appeared to Ishmael, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and Muhammad. Either two or three (the account in Genesis 18 and 19 is unclear) had dinner with Abraham on their way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.

By the time of the sixth century bce, angels were beginning to be defined more clearly. While earlier texts spoke simply of "the sons of God" or "holy ones," their hierarchy began to be revealed. By the thirteenth century ce, Saint Thomas Aquinas listed nine "choirs" or ranks of angels, beginning with the seraphim and continuing through cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels. We also learn of the angelic choir who sing eternally in heaven and have been known to give concerts on Earth, specifically to a group of shepherds on the first Christmas.

In Genesis 3 we learn of "cherubim [with] a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the tree of life." This image is quite different from the cute, chubby variety often portrayed in popular culture. Isaiah describes his vision of six-winged seraphim standing in the presence of God. They "were calling to one another" (Isaiah 6:3):

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory.

And in the book of Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 2, readers are reminded: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it."

The apostle Paul understood the church to be the fulfillment of God's eternal plan. It was a mystery revealed to him that "Gentiles are heirs together with Israel." But the purpose of this plan was to demonstrate the "manifold wisdom of God" to "principalities and powers [rulers and authorities; ranks of angels] in the heavens" (Ephesians 3).

Even the individual names of angels are revealed in some cases. From Apocryphal books of the Bible we learn of the names Raphael and Uriel. From the book of Daniel we read about Michael, said to be "captain of the Lord's hosts."

One ecumenical angel who seems to be very busy is Gabriel. He first appears bearing a message to the Jewish patriot, Daniel. Later he comes to Mary to tell her she is about to become the mother of Jesus, the founder of Christianity. Still later he appears to Muhammad, escorting him on his famous "night journey" to the seventh heaven, a journey that marked the beginnings of Islam.

Walter Wink has written an important series of three books about the language of power in the New Testament. His thesis is that early writers intuitively grasped spiritual realities present in the human condition, labeling them "angels." In the New Testament book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, letters are addressed to the "angels of the seven churches." Could it be, he asks, that human institutions develop spiritual realities? In other words, when churches, schools, corporations, and even governments exist long enough, a spirit of tradition, perhaps even a metaphysical reality, forms that becomes bigger than the institution itself. What is "the spirit of America"? Why are soldiers ready to die for it? Why can we fire an entire corporate board of directors, hire new people, and still see no substantial change in the organization? Why does it not seem to matter much to average Americans when Republicans replace Democrats? Do power and tradition combine to form a spiritual but tangible reality? By asking the question, Wink does not imply that an organization attracts or becomes possessed by a passing spirit. Instead, he suggests that such an entity actually develops a "spirit" or tangible tradition of its own. This, he says, is what was intuitively recognized by the early authors, who labeled such a tradition an "angel."

In the case of the seven angels of the book of Revelation, Wink implied that for substantial change to occur, the very "angel" or spirit of the church had to be changed, a far-reaching implication as well for governments and corporations today.

(See also Devil/Demons)

Sources: Bridger, David, ed. The New Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Behrman House, 1962. Bucke, Emory Stevens et al, eds. The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. 4 vols. New York: Abingdon Press, 1962. Douglas, J. D., ed. The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1974. The Holy Qur’an, trans. with a commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Al Arabia, 1968. May, Herbert G., and Bruce M. Metzger, eds. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. Rev. ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973. Wink, Walter. Naming the Powers. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, c. 1984.

The biblical view of angels is that they are celestial beings, superior to mortal man, but always subordinate to the one God. Their primary function is that of messengers (the root of the Hebrew word for angel is "to send"). They are intermediaries between the celestial and terrestrial worlds, who also serve and praise God.

Since the angels sometimes appear in a human image, it is difficult at times to know whether a human or a celestial messenger is being described. Abraham was visited by "three men" (actually angels) who informed him that Sarah would have a son, despite her old age (Gen 18:2). So, too, Joshua, who saw an angel in the guise of a human being standing with a drawn sword (Josh 5:13-14). An angel of the Lord appeared to Balaam (Num 22:22), Manoah and his wife (Judg chap. 13), David (I Chr 21:16) and the shepherds in Bethlehem (Luke 2:9-15). In all these passages the angel delivers a message, performs an act, or sometimes does both. Instances of angels announcing the birth of a divine figure or an important personality are frequently found in the Scriptures, i.e., the birth of Isaac (Gen chap. 18), Samson (Judg chap. 13), John the Baptist (Luke 1:11), Jesus (Luke 1:26).

In several biblical narratives the speech of an angel of the Lord is interwoven with a reference to the presence of God. For example, in the Hagar stories the angel speaks to Hagar, but she acknowledges that it is God who speaks (Gen 16:7-13). In the revelation of God to Moses at Mount Horeb, the angel of the Lord and God himself are evident in the revelationary process. So too, the angel and God appear to Gideon (Judg 6:11 ff). Some scholars believe that the later editors of the narrative introduced the figure of the angel into the stories in order to detract from the obvious anthropomorphisms of God appearing and speaking. In that case the angel serves as the intermediary who appears and who speaks to the recipient of God's word.

Several categories can be distinguished among the angels. One is that of malevolent and benevolent angels. A malevolent angel, Satan, later also called Belial, is an instrument of God's punishment or may function as one who tests man, e.g. Job. Nevertheless Satan in the OT is entirely within God's power, and only in subsequent tradition did he become an independent evil demon. In post-OT literature there arose a belief in fallen angels who, because of their pride or in their attempt to usurp the position of God, were thrown out of heaven.

The majority of angels, on the other hand, are benevolent. Their primary function is to praise and minister to God. As functional extensions of God they sometimes intervene in human situations by rewarding or supporting the faithful or punishing the unjust.

The three faithful men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, though thrown in a fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, were not harmed at all, because they were protected by an angel (Dan 3:25-28); angels in general protect the righteous (Dan 10:13, 20; 11:1; 12:1). The first two angels identified by name are Gabriel and Michael (Dan 8:16; 9:21; 10:13, 21; 12:1). In the apocryphal book of Tobit, the angel Raphael is the constant companion of Tobias, Tobit's son, and reveals to him magic formulas to cure his father's blindness (Tob 5:4-11:19).

Another division is that of angels and archangels. Seven archangels head the world of angels: "the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One" (Tob 12:15). The seven archangels are Uriel, Michael, Jeremiel, Gabriel, Raphael, Raguel and Sariel. These angels are sent to carry out significant tasks or to deliver important messages (Luke 1:19, 26; Rev 8:2, 6). There are also cherubs and seraphs who praise the Lord of hosts (Is chap. 6), stand guard at the entrance of the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:24; cf Ezek 28:14, 16) and transport God through heaven (II Sam 22:11; Ps 18:10). Another name which is used collectively for angels is "hosts": the Lord is the God of the "host of heaven", a celestial army (I Kgs 22:19; II Chr 18:18).

In post-biblical times, Jewish and Christian tradition accepted the idea that righteous people after their death could be greater than angels. Moses was considered in such a way, and in the Epistle to the Hebrews Jesus is also glorified after his death, being made so much better than the angels (Heb 1:4 ff). In apocalyptic literature the descriptions of angels are all characterized by a kind of curiosity in penetrating hidden worlds like those of the angels.

The Pharisees, who represented the popular opinion, showed little interest in angels, while the Sadducees, who were more aristocratic in their thinking, completely denied their existence (Acts 23:8).

In the NT angels are prominent in the stories of the infancy of Jesus, the Resurrection and elsewhere. However, the role of the angel – as messenger or member of the heavenly host – is similar to that in the OT. Any worship of angels is condemned (Col 2:18). They are prominent in revelations but with their role unchanged from that of the earlier parts of the Bible.

The word "angel" ("angelos" in Greek, "malak" in Hebrew) means a person sent or a messenger. It is a name not of nature but of office, and is applied also to humans in the world who are ambassadors or representatives. In another sense, the word denotes a spiritual being employed in occasional offices; and lastly, men in office as priests or bishops. The "angel of the congregation" among the Jews was the chief of the synagogue. This later usage is also found in Revelation 1 and 2, where the"angel of the church" is regularly addressed. Today, the term is now limited to its principal meaning, and pertains only to the inhabitants of heaven.

Biblical Angels

Mark, the apostle of the Gentiles, speaks of the angels as "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation," in strict keeping with the import of the term itself. In Mark 1:2, it is applied to John the Baptist: "Be-hold I send my messenger (i.e., angel) before my face," and the word is the same ("malak") in the corresponding prophecy of Malachi. In Hebrews 12: 22, 24, we read: "Ye have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the spirits of the just," and this idea of their great number is sustained by the words of the Lord, where, for example, he declares that "twelve legions" of them were ready upon his demand. In the Revelation of St. John, a vast idea of their overwhelming number is indicated. Their song of praise is described as "the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings."

The angels form the armies of heaven, and military terms are commonly quoted. It is mentioned in the Bible that the angel host or army will fight God's cosmic battle. For example, an angel destroyed Sennacherib's army encamped around Jerusalem. They appeared to the shepards to announce the birth of Jesus, and Jesus will lead the armies of God in the final conflict at the end of time (Revelation 19:14). The idea of angelic armies would come to the forefront during World War I in the myth of the Angels of Mons.

As to the nature of angels, it is essentially the same as that of humans, for not only are understanding and will attributed to them, but they have been mistaken for humans when they appear, and seem capable of disobedience (Hebrews 2:7, 16). The latter possibility is exhibited in its greatest extent by Jude, who speaks of the "angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation," and upon this passage would later lay the foundation of the differences and definitions concerning angels and demons. The former term limited its meaning only to the obedient ministers of the will of the Almighty, and the influence of evil angels is concentrated only on the devil or Satan. These ideas were common to the whole Eastern world, and were probably derived by the Jewish people from the Assyrians. The Pharisees charged Jesus with casting out devils "by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." The idea that evil spirits acted in multitudes under one person appears in Mark 5:9, where, when he is asked his name, the evil spirit answers: "My name is 'Legion' for we are many."

In the Bible two orders are mentioned in scripture, "angels" and "archangels;" but the latter only occurs twice, namely, in Jude, where Michael is called "an archangel," and in I Thessalonians 4:16, where it is written: "the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God."

Gabriel and Michael are the only angels mentioned by name. The archangel Michael appeared to Daniel and will lead his angelic army against the people of God (Revelation 12:7). The mention of Michael by name occurs five times in scripture, and always in the character of a chief militant. In Daniel, he is the champion of the Jewish church against Persia; in the Revelation, he overcame the dragon; and in Jude he is mentioned in a personal conflict with the devil about the body of Moses. He is called by Gabriel, "Michael, your prince," meaning the prince of the Jewish church. Gabriel first appeared as an angel to give Daniel an interpretation of a dream (Daniel 8:16-27) but earned his lasting fame as the one to announce both the birth of John the Baptist to Zachariah and the coming birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:11-38).

Developing Notions about Angels

In the intertestimental period (the centuries just prior to the Christian era) as the Jewish notion of angelic orders developed, Michael and Gabriel were named as two of the seven archangels. The alleged prophecy of Enoch states, "Michael, one of the holy angels who, presiding over human virtue, commands the nations." The same volume notes that Raphael, "presides over the spirits of men." And other angels who will become integral to Western angelic and magical lore appear: Uriel, who reigns "over clamor and terror"; and Gabriel, who reigns "over Paradise, and over the cherubims."

As the Roman Catholic mass evolved, Michael, now a saint, was invoked as a "most glorious and warlike prince," "the receiver of souls," and "the vanquisher of evil spirits." His symbol is a banner hanging on a cross; he is armed and represents victory, with a dart in one hand and a cross on his forehead. It may be noted that God himself is called the angel of the Covenant, because he embodied in his own person the whole power and representation of the angelic kingdom, as the messenger, not of separate and temporary commands, but of the whole word in its fullness.

Dionysius, or St. Denis, the supposed Areopagite (sixth century C.E.), describes three hierarchies of angels in nine choirs: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Virtues, Angels, and Archangels. These were created by assembling various biblical passages (such as Exodus 25:18-20; Isaiah 6:2-3; Ephesians 3:10) and the book of Enoch. Vartan (or Vertabied), the thirteenth-century Armenian poet and historian, described them under the same terms, but expressly stated: "these orders differ from one another in situation and degree of glory, just as there are different ranks among men, though they are all of one nature."

This description, and all others resembling it (the twelve heavenly worlds of Plato, and the heaven of the Chinese, for example), can be understood as landmarks serving to denote the heights human intelligence has reached at various times in the attempt to represent the eternal and infinite in precise terms. Seventeenth-century mystic Jakob Boehme recognized the "whole deep between the stars," as the heaven of one of the three hierarchies, and placed the other two above it; "in the midst of all which," he says, "is the Son of God; no part of either is farther or nearer to him, yet are the three kingdoms circular about him." The visions of Emanuel Swedenborg date a century later, and describe his intimacy with the angelic world. The angels described to him in great detail a level of spiritual existence qualitatively different from the visible world of sensation.

Angelic Realms in Jewish Thought

Jewish teachers have developed an elaborate doctrine of a heavenly hierarchy. Some, such as Bechai and Joshua, teach that "every day ministering angels are created out of the river Dinor, or fiery stream, and they sing an anthem and cease to exist; as it is written, they are new every morning." This idea appears to be a misunderstanding of biblical intent—to be "renewed" or "created" in the scriptural sense is to be regenerated. Thus, to be renewed every morning is to be kept in a regenerate state; the fiery stream is the baptism by fire or divine love.

In later doctrine, the angelic hierarchies were understood in correspondence to the ten divine names. Both Christian and astrological elements eventually could be discerned in the presentation that reached its height in the teachings of the Kabala.

The following represents the angelic hierarchies answering to the ten divine names: 1. Jehovah, attributed to God the Father, being the pure and simple essence of the divinity, flowing through Hajoth Hakados to the angel Metratton and to the ministering spirit, Reschith Hajalalim, who guides the primum mobile, and bestows the gift of being on all. These names are to be understood as pure essences, or as spheres of angels and blessed spirits, by whose agency the divine providence extends.

2. Jah, attributed to the person of the Messiah or Logos, whose power and influence descends through the angel Masleh into the sphere of the Zodiac. This is the spirit or word that actuated the chaos and ultimately produced the four elements and all creatures, by the agency of a spirit named Raziel, who was the ruler of Adam.

3. Ehjeh, attributed to the Holy Spirit, whose divine light is received by the angel Sabbathi, and communicated from him through the sphere of Saturn. It denotes the beginning of the supernatural generation, and hence of all living souls.

The ancient Jews considered the three superior names to be those above, to be attributed to the divine essence as personal or proper names, while the seven noted below denote the measures (middoth) or attributes that are visible in the works of God. But modern Jews, in opposition to the tripersonalists, consider the whole as attributes. The higher three denote the heavens, and the succeeding ones the seven planets or worlds, to each of which a presiding angel is assigned.

4. El, strength, power, and light, through which flows grace, goodness, mercy, piety, and munificence to the angel Zadkiel, and passing through the sphere of Jupiter, fashions the images of all bodies, bestowing clemency, benevolence and justice on all.

5. Elohi, the upholder of the sword and left hand of God. Its influence penetrates the angel Geburah (or Gamaliel) and descends through the sphere of Mars. It imparts fortitude in times of war and affliction.

6. Tsebaoth, the title of God as Lord of hosts. The angel is Raphael, through whom its mighty power passes into the sphere of the sun, giving motion, heat, and brightness to it.

7. Elion, the title of God as the highest. The angel is Michael. The sphere to which he imparts its influence is Mercury, giving benignity, motion, and intelligence, with elegance and consonance of speech.

8. Adonai, master or lord, governing the angel Haniel, and the sphere of Venus.

9. Shaddai. The virtue of this name is conveyed by Cherubim to the angel Gabriel and influences the sphere of the moon. It causes increase and decrease, and rules the jinn and protecting spirits.

10. Elohim, the source of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, received by the angel Jesodoth, and imparted to the sphere of the Earth.

The division of angels into nine orders or three hierarchies, as derived from Dionysius Areopagus, was made in the Middle Ages, which gave the prevalent division much of its symbolism. With it was held the doctrine of their separate creation; the tradition of the rebellious hierarchy, headed by Lucifer, was rendered familiar to society by the epic poetry of John Milton. The medieval development of angelology was passed on to occultists and a description of the angelic orders became integral to magic and in the practices of magical rituals.

Angels and Giants

Another leading belief, not so much interwoven with the popular theology, was that of angels' intercourse with women, producing the race of giants. The idea derived from Genesis 4:2, in the adoption of which the Christian fathers followed the opinion of ancient Jewish interpreters, Philo-Judaeus, and Josephus. A particular account of the circumstances is given in the book of Enoch, which makes the angels—Uriel, Gabriel, and Michael—the chief instruments in the subjugation of the adulterers and their formidable offspring. The classic writers have perpetuated similar beliefs of the "hero" race, all of them born either from the love of the gods for women, or of the preference shown for a goddess by some mortal man.

The Persian, Jewish, and Muslim accounts of angels all evince a common origin, and they alike admit a difference of sex. In the latter, the name of Azazil is given to the hierarchy nearest the throne of God, to which the Mohammedan Satan (Eblis or Haris) is supposed to have belonged; also Azreal, the angel of death, and Asrafil (probably the same as Israfil), the angel of the resurrection. The examiners, Moukir and Nakir, are subordinate angels who are armed with whips of iron and fire, and interrogate recently deceased souls as to their lives.

The parallel belief in the Talmud is an account of seven angels who beset the paths of death. The Koran also assigns two angels to every man—one to record his good and the other his evil actions. They are so merciful that if an evil action has been done, it is not recorded until the man has slept, and if at that time he repents, they place on the record that God has pardoned him. The Siamese, besides holding the difference of sex, imagine angels have offspring; but their beliefs concerning the government of the world and the guardianship of the human race are similar to those of other nations.

The Christian fathers, for the most part, believed angels possessed bodies of heavenly substance (Tertullian calls it "angelified flesh"), and, if not, they could assume a corporeal presence at their pleasure. In fact, all the actions recorded of angels in Scripture imply human bodies and attributes.

Some Theosophists regard angels as related to fairy life, part of the "Devic" kingdom (from the Sanskrit term "deva," or "divine being"). Reports of encounters with visitors from flying saucers often suggest a secular form of angel life.

Contemporary Interest in Angels

The existence of angels, especially guardian angels, has been a common theme of popular Western lore. It has been the subject of numerous Christian texts and been championed in metaphysical lore by the likes of Flower A. Newhouse, founder of Christward Ministry in Escondido, California. In the late 1980s a significant revival of interest in angels occurred and a number of new books and reprints of old books began to appear. While many of these repeated traditional themes, the majority flowed out of the New Age movement and concerned present contact and channeling of messages from angelic beings—a source more acceptable and familiar to many with a Christian background than communication with spirits of the deceased.

One interesting variation on the current interest in angels are the writings of artist Leilah Wendell, who has written a series of books concerning her communications with Azrael, the angel of death, and who created a popular museum built around artistic representations of death in New Orleans.

Sources:

Clayton, Rev. George. Angelology; Agency & Ministry of Holy Angels. New York, 1851.

Davidson, Gustav. A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels. New York: Free Press, 1967.

Duke, H. H. The Holy Angels: Their Nature & Employments. London, 1875.

Hodson, Geoffrey. The Kingdom of Faerie. London, 1927.

Miller, C. Leslie. All About Angels: The Other Side of the Spirit World. Glendale: G/L Regal Books, 1973.

Newhouse, Flower A. Natives of Eternity. Vista, Calif.: The Author, 1950.

O'Kennedy, Rev. R. Book of the Holy Angels. London, 1887.

Swedenborg, Emanuel. Earths in Planets & in Starry Heavens: Inhabitants, Spirits & Angels. London, 1758.

Wendell, Leilah. The Book of Azrael. New York: Westgate Press, 1988.

Spirits who live in heaven with God; also the devils of hell, who are angels fallen from goodness. In the Bible, angels are often sent to Earth, sometimes with a human appearance, to bring the messages of God to people, to guide and protect them, or to execute God's punishments. (See Abraham and Isaac, Annunciation, cherubim, Daniel in the lions' den, Gabriel, Jacob's ladder, Lot's wife, Lucifer, Michael, Passover, plagues of Egypt, Satan, and Sodom and Gomorrah.)

Tutor's tip: Look at every person from a right "angle," and you'll probably see an "angel."

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

Quotes:

"Christians should never fail to sense the operation of an angelic glory. It forever eclipses the world of demonic powers, as the sun does a candle's light." - Billy Graham

"There are nine orders of angels, to wit, angels, archangels, virtues, powers, principalities, dominations, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim." - St. Gregory The Great

"We cannot pass our guardian angel's bounds, resigned or sullen, he will hear our sighs." - John Keble

"Peace is the first thing the angels sang." - Leo The Great

"If an angel were ever to tell us anything of his philosophy I believe many propositions would sound like 2 times 2 equals 13." - Georg C. Lichtenberg

"An angel is a spiritual creature created by God without a body for the service of Christendom and the church." - Martin Luther

See more famous quotes about Angels

Angels symbolize purity and goodness. They are also thought of as protectors and guides. Traditionally, they are conceived of as messengers of God to humanity. In psychological terms, one may think of them as messengers from the unconscious or the higher self. If an angel (who in a dream may simply be a figure clothed in white) conveys a message to the dreamer, it is an indication that the message is important and that one should pay careful attention to it.

The successful 1997 television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, introduced several new vampire characters as objects of the Slayer's deadly intentions. However, one of the vampires proved distinct, Angel or Angelus (David Boreanaz). He was young and handsome. He appeared to be only a few years older that Buffy, but in fact was some 240 years old. He originally hailed from Greece and spent the first decades as a vampire in Europe. He killed freely, like other vampires lacking any conscience, killing his own family and neighbors. His search for further victims eventually led him to Budapest. While there he met a young Gypsy who eventually became another victim, and her family retaliated by punishing Angelus. Although they left him a vampire, they restored his conscience. (When one becomes a vampire, he or she loses the soul, and there is no remorse over the killing.) From that time forward, in spite of the blood lust, he found himself unable to feed on a human being. He changed his name from Angelus to Angel, and shortly thereafter, around World War I, he moved to America . He lived alone and shunned the company of other vampires.

Flash forward to the town of Sunnydale in the mid 1990s, where Angel meets some of his old friends, Darla and The Master. Darla had originally turned him, and The Master invited him back into the fold. He refused their offer. In the meantime Angel took a liking to Buffy and made himself her self-appointed guardian, warning and protecting her. One evening, as three vampires sent by the Master attacked Buffy, Angel helped defeat them. His intervention warned her of the Master's initial attempt to establish himself in Sunnydale, taking advantage of a particular moment each century, the Harvest. And still another time he came to her aid and during the process he was injured. Buffy cared for his wounds and found herself falling in love with this vampire.

Angel soon had to confront two new vampires who arrived in Sunnydale tofill the vacuum caused by the death of the Master, Spike and Drusilla. While Buffy was concentrating on Spike and Drusilla, Angel placed his ability to feel human emotion in jeopardy when he and Buffy shared an intimate moment.

The result was disastrous; Angel lost his soul (conscience) and reverted tohis previous persona of Angelus. As the second season ended, Buffy now realized that she had to destroy the evil vampire with whom she had fallen in love. As Buffy readjusted her relationship with Angel, and as Angel, who still remembered his feelings for Buffy, began toying with her, the stage was set for their future confrontations.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Spectrum 13 (May 1998): 8-23.

• Beautiful, attractive, or well-formed
• Good, Sincere, Honest, or Just

For other uses, see Angel (disambiguation).

"Angelology" redirects here. For the novel, see Angelology (novel).

Song of the Angels by Bouguereau, 1825–1905.

Angels, in a variety of religions, are regarded as spirits. They are often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles and the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος (aggelos), a translation of מלאך (mal'akh) in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh); a similar term, ملائكة (Malāīkah), is used in the Qur'an. The Hebrew and Greek words originally meant messenger, and depending on the context may refer either to a human messenger (possibly a prophet or priest, such as Malachi, "my messenger", but also for more mundane characters, as in the Greek superscription that the Book of Malachi was written "by the hand of his messenger" (ἀγγήλου)) or to a supernatural messenger,^[1] such as the "Mal'akh YHWH," who (depending on interpretation) is either a messenger from God,^[2] an aspect of God (such as the Logos),^[3] or God Himself as the messenger (the "theophanic angel.")^[1][4]

The term "angel" has also been expanded to various notions of spirits found in many other religious traditions. Other roles of angels include protecting and guiding human beings, and carrying out God's tasks.^[5]

The theological study of angels is known as angelology. In art, angels are often depicted with wings; perhaps reflecting the descriptions in Revelation 4:6–8 of the Four Living Creatures (Greek: τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα) and the descriptions in the Hebrew Bible of cherubim and seraphim (the chayot in Ezekiel's Merkabah vision and the Seraphim of Isaiah). However, while cherubim and seraphim have wings in the Bible, no angel is mentioned as having wings.^[6]

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Judaism 2.1 Famous angels and their tasks 2.1.1 Individual Angels 2.1.2 Kinds of Angels 3 Christianity 3.1 Interaction with angels 3.2 Iconography 3.3 Latter Day Saints 4 Islam 5 Bahá'í Faith 6 Non-Abrahamic traditions 6.1 Neoplatonism 6.2 Zoroastrianism 6.2.1 Sikhism 6.3 Brahma Kumaris 7 New religious movements and occultism 7.1 Theosophy 8 Contemporary belief in angels 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links

Etymology

Three angels hosted by Abraham, Ludovico Carracci (1555–1619), Bologna, Pinacoteca Nazionale.

The word angel in English is a fusion of the Old English word engel (with a hard g) and the Old French angele. Both derive from the Latin angelus which in turn is the romanization of the ancient Greek ἄγγελος (angelos), "messenger",^[7] which is related to the Greek verb ἀγγέλλω (angellō), meaning "bear a message, announce, bring news of" etc.^[8] The earliest form of the word is the Mycenaean a-ke-ro attested in Linear B syllabic script.^[9][10]

Judaism

Main article: Angel (Judaism)

The Bible uses the terms מלאך אלהים (mal'akh Elohim; messenger of God), מלאך יהוה (mal'akh YHWH; messenger of the Lord), בני אלהים (b'nai Elohim; sons of God) and הקודשים (ha-qodeshim; the holy ones) to refer to beings traditionally interpreted as angels. Later texts use other terms, such as העליונים (ha'elyoneem; the upper ones).

Scholar Michael D. Coogan notes that it is only in the late books that the terms "come to mean the benevolent semidivine beings familiar from later mythology and art."^[11] Daniel is the first biblical figure to refer to individual angels by name,^[12] mentioning Gabriel (God's primary messenger) in Daniel 9:21 and Michael (the holy fighter) in Daniel 10:13. These angels are part of Daniel's apocalyptic visions and are an important part of all apocalyptic literature.^[11] Coogan explains the development of this concept of angels: "In the postexilic period, with the development of explicit monotheism, these divine beings—the 'sons of God' who were members of the divine council—were in effect demoted to what are now known as 'angels', understood as beings created by God, but immortal and thus superior to humans."^[11] This conception 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 forces of evil, between light and darkness."^[11] One of these "sons of God" is "the satan", a figure depicted in (among other places) the Book of Job.

Philo of Alexandria identifies the angel with the Logos as far as the angel is the immaterial voice of God. The angel is something different than God Himself, but is conceived just as a God's instrument.^[13]

In post-Biblical Judaism, certain angels took on particular significance and developed unique personalities and roles. Though these archangels were believed to rank among the heavenly host, no systematic hierarchy ever developed. Metatron is considered one of the highest of the angels in Merkabah and Kabbalist mysticism and often serves as a scribe; he is briefly mentioned in the Talmud^[14] and figures prominently in Merkabah mystical texts. Michael, who serves as a warrior and advocate for Israel (Daniel 10:13), is looked upon particularly fondly. Gabriel is mentioned in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 8:15–17), the Book of Tobit, and briefly in the Talmud,^[15] as well as in many Merkabah mystical texts. There is no evidence in Judaism for the worship of angels, but there is evidence for the invocation and sometimes even conjuration of angels.^[16]

Medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides explained his view of angels in his Guide for the Perplexed II:4 and II:6:

...This leads Aristotle in turn to the demonstrated fact that God, glory and majesty to Him, does not do things by direct contact. God burns things by means of fire; fire is moved by the motion of the sphere; the sphere is moved by means of a disembodied intellect, these intellects being the 'angels which are near to Him', through whose mediation the spheres [planets] move... thus totally disembodied minds exist which emanate from God and are the intermediaries between God and all the bodies [objects] here in this world.

— Guide for the Perplexed II:4, Maimonides

According to Kabalah, there are four worlds and our world is the last world: the world of action (Assiyah). Angels exist in the worlds above as a 'task' of God. They are an extension of God to produce effects in this world. After an angel has completed its task, it ceases to exist. The angel is in effect the task. This is derived from the book of Genesis when Abraham meets with three angels and Lot meets with two. The task of one of the angels was to inform Abraham of his coming child. The other two were to save Lot and to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.^[17]

Famous angels and their tasks

^[18]

Individual Angels

One of Melozzo's musician (seraphim) angels from the Basilica dei Santi Apostoli, now in the sacristy of St. Peter's Basilica

• Michael (translation: who is like God?), performs acts of justice and power
• Gabriel (translation: the strength of God), performs God's kindness
• Raphael (translation: God Heals), God's healing force
• Uriel (translation: God is my light), leads us to destiny
• Samael (translation: the severity of God), angel of death - see also Malach HaMavet (translation: the angel of death)
• Sandalphon (translation: bringing together), battles Samael and brings humankind together
• Camael/Chamuel (translation: one who seeks God), expelled Adam from the Garden of Eden and punishes those who transgress against God
• Sataniel/Satan (translation: the adversary^[19]), tempts humans, serves as an adversary, and brings people's sins before them in the heavenly court
• Metatron (translation is disputed, may mean "keeper of the watch", "guardian", or "he who sits behind the throne of Heaven"), God's heavenly scribe recording the deeds of all that is

Kinds of Angels

• Malachim (translation: messengers), general word for angel
• Seraphim (translation: the burning ones), sing and praise God
• Cherubim (translation: great, mighty), the chariot of the Lord
• Ophanim (translation: arbiters), Guardians of the Throne of God
• Chayot HaKodesh (translation: living beings)

Christianity

Main article: Christian angelic hierarchy

The Archangel Michael wears a late Roman military cloak and cuirass in this 17th century depiction by Guido Reni

Early Christians inherited Jewish understandings of angels, which in turn may have been partly inherited from the Egyptians.^[20] In the early stage, the Christian concept of an angel characterized the angel as a messenger of God.^{[citation needed]} Angels are creatures of good, spirits of love, and messengers of the savior Jesus Christ.^{[citation needed]} Later came identification of individual angelic messengers: Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, and Satan/Lucifer.^{[citation needed]} Then, in the space of little more than two centuries (from the third to the fifth) the image of angels took on definite characteristics both in theology and in art.^[21]

By the late fourth century, the Church Fathers agreed that there were different categories of angels, with appropriate missions and activities assigned to them. Some theologians had proposed that Jesus was not divine but on the level of immaterial beings subordinate to the Trinity. The resolution of this Trinitarian dispute included the development of doctrine about angels.^[22]

The angels are represented throughout the Christian Bible as a body of spiritual beings intermediate between God and men: "You have made him (man) a little less than the angels..." (Psalms 8:4-5). Some Christians believe that angels are created beings, and use the following passage as evidence: "praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts... for He spoke and they were made. He commanded and they were created..." (Psalms 148:2-5; Colossians 1:16). The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) declared that the angels were created beings. The Council's decree Firmiter credimus (issued against the Albigenses) declared both that angels were created and that men were created after them. The First Vatican Council (1869) repeated this declaration in Dei Filius, the "Dogmatic constitution on the Catholic faith". Of note is that the Bible describes the function of angels as "messengers" and does not indicate when the creation of angels occurred.^[23][24]

Thomas Aquinas (13th century) relates angels to Aristotle's metaphysics in his Summa contra Gentiles,^[25] Summa Theologica,^[26] and in De substantiis separatis,^[27] a treatise on angelology.

Many Christians regard angels as asexual and not belonging to either gender as they interpret Matthew 22:30 in this way. Angels are on the other hand usually described as looking like male human beings. Their names are also masculine. And although angels have greater knowledge than men, they are not omniscient, as Matthew 24:36 points out.^[28]

Interaction with angels

An angel comforting Jesus, by Carl Heinrich Bloch, 1865-1879.

The New Testament includes many of interactions and conversations between angels and humans. For instance, three separate cases of angelic interaction deal with the births of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. In Luke 1:11, an angel appears to Zechariah to inform him that he will have a child despite his old age, thus proclaiming the birth of John the Baptist^[29] And in Luke 1:26 the archangel Gabriel visits the Virgin Mary in the Annunciation to foretell the birth of Jesus Christ.^[30] Angels then proclaim the birth of Jesus in the Adoration of the shepherds in Luke 2:10.^[31] Angels also appear later in the New Testament. In Luke 22:43 an angel comforts Jesus Christ during the Agony in the Garden.^[32] In Matthew 28:5 an angel speaks at the empty tomb, following the Resurrection of Jesus and the rolling back of the stone by angels.^[33] Hebrews 13:2 reminds the reader that they may "entertain angels unaware".^[34]

Since the completion of the New Testament, the Christian tradition has continued to include a number of reported interactions with angels. For instance, in 1851 Pope Pius IX approved the Chaplet of Saint Michael based on the 1751 private revelation from archangel Michael to the Carmelite nun Antonia d'Astonac.^[35] And Pope John Paul II emphasized the role of angels in Catholic teachings in his 1986 address titled "Angels Participate In History Of Salvation", in which he suggested that modern mentality should come to see the importance of angels.^[36]

As recently as the 20th century, visionaries and mystics have reported interactions with, and indeed dictations from, angels. For instance, the bed-ridden Italian writer and mystic Maria Valtorta wrote The Book of Azariah based on "dictations" that she directly attributed to her guardian angel Azariah, discussing the Roman Missal used for Sunday Mass in 1946 and 1947.^[37]

Iconography

12th-century icon of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel wearing the loros of the Imperial guards.

The earliest known Christian image of an angel—in the Cubicolo dell'Annunziazione in the Catacomb of Priscilla (mid-third century)—is without wings. In that same period, representations of angels on sarcophagi, lamps and reliquaries also show them without wings,^[38] as for example the angel in the Sacrifice of Isaac scene in the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus (although the side view of the Sarcophagus shows winged angelic figures).

The earliest known representation of angels with wings is on the "Prince's Sarcophagus", discovered in the 1930s at Sarigüzel, near Istanbul, and attributed to the time of Theodosius I (379-395).^[39] From that period on, Christian art has represented angels mostly with wings, as in the cycle of mosaics in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (432–440).^[40] Four- and six-winged angels, drawn from the higher grades of angels (especially cherubim and seraphim) and often showing only their faces and wings, are derived from Persian art and are usually shown only in heavenly contexts, as opposed to performing tasks on earth. They often appear in the pendentives of church domes or semi-domes. Prior of the Judeo-Christian tradition in the Greek world, the Greek goddess Nike and the god Eros were also depicted in human-like form with wings.

Saint John Chrysostom explained the significance of angels' wings:

"They manifest a nature's sublimity. That is why Gabriel is represented with wings. Not that angels have wings, but that you may know that they leave the heights and the most elevated dwelling to approach human nature. Accordingly, the wings attributed to these powers have no other meaning than to indicate the sublimity of their nature."^[41]

In terms of their clothing, angels, especially the Archangel Michael, were depicted as military-style agents of God and came to be shown wearing Late Antique military uniform. This uniform could be the normal military dress, with a tunic to about the knees, an armour breastplate and pteruges, but was often the specific dress of the bodyguard of the Byzantine Emperor, with a long tunic and the loros, the long gold and jewelled pallium restricted to the Imperial family and their closest guards. The basic military dress was shown in Western art into the Baroque period and beyond (see Reni picture above), and up to the present day in Eastern Orthodox icons. Other angels came to be conventionally depicted in long robes, and in the later Middle Ages they often wear the vestments of a deacon, a cope over a dalmatic; this costume was used especially for Gabriel in Annunciation scenes—for example the Annunciation in Washington by Jan van Eyck.

Latter Day Saints

Bern Switzerland Temple statue of the Angel Moroni

Adherents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (generally referred to as "Mormons") view angels as the messengers of God. They are sent to mankind to deliver messages, minister to humanity, teach doctrines of salvation, call mankind to repentance, give priesthood keys, save individuals in perilous times, and guide humankind.^[42]

Latter Day Saints believe that angels are the spirits of humans who are deceased or who have yet to be born,^[43] and accordingly Joseph Smith taught that "there are no angels who minister to this earth but those that do belong or have belonged to it."^[44] As such, Latter Day Saints also believe that Adam (the first man) is now the archangel Michael,^[45][46] and that Gabriel lived on the earth as Noah.^[43] Likewise the Angel Moroni first lived in a pre-Columbian American civilization as the 5th-century prophet-warrior named Moroni.

Joseph Smith, Jr. described his first angelic encounter thus:^[47]

While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.

He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant....

Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me.

Most angelic visitations in the early Latter Day Saint movement were witnessed by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, who both claimed (prior to the establishment of the Church in 1830) to have been visited by the prophet Moroni, John the Baptist, and the Apostles Peter, James, and John. Later, at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, Smith and Sidney Rigdon claimed to have been visited by Jesus, and subsequently by Moses, Elias, and Elijah.^[48] Angels are typically depicted in Mormon art as having no wings based on a quote from Joseph Smith ("An angel of God never has wings").^[49]

People who claimed to have received a visit by an angel include the other two of the Three Witnesses: David Whitmer and Martin Harris. Many other Latter Day Saints, both in the early and modern church, have claimed to have seen angels, though Smith posited that, except in extenuating circumstances such as the restoration, mortals teach mortals, spirits teach spirits and resurrected beings teach other resurrected beings.^[50]

Islam

Depiction of an angel in Islamic Persian miniature

Main article: Islamic view of angels

Angels (Arabic: ملائكة , Malāʾikah; Turkish: Melek) are mentioned many times in the Qur'an and Hadith. Islam is clear on the nature of angels in that they are messengers of God. They have no free will, and can do only what God orders them to do. An example of a task they carry out is that of testing individuals by granting them abundant wealth and curing their illness.^[51] Believing in angels is one of the six Articles of Faith in Islam.

Some examples of angels in Islam:

• Jibrail - the archangel Gabriel and Jibrail is an archangel who serves as a messenger from God.
• Michael - the angel of nature.
• Darda'il - the angels who travel in the earth searching out assemblies where people remember God’s name. Harut and Marut are two angels mentioned in Qur'an, who were sent down to test the people at Babylon.
• Kiraman Katibin - the two angels who record a person's good and bad deeds.
• Mu'aqqibat - a class of guardian angels who keep people from death until its decreed time.
• Azrael - the angel of death.
• Munkar and Nakir - the angels who test the faith of the dead in their graves.
• Israfel - the angel of doom trumpet.
• Ridwan - the angel in charge of maintaining Jannah or Paradise.
• Maalik - the angel who guards the Hellfire.

Bahá'í Faith

In his Book of Certitude Bahá’u’lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith, describes angels as people who ‘have consumed, with the fire of the love of God, all human traits and limitations’, and have ‘clothed themselves’ with angelic attributes and have become ‘endowed with the attributes of the spiritual’. 'Abdu’l-Bahá describes angels as the ‘confirmations of God and His celestial powers’ and as ‘blessed beings who have severed all ties with this nether world’ and ‘been released from the chains of self’, and ‘revealers of God’s abounding grace’. The Bahá’í writings also refer to the Concourse on High, an angelic host, and the Maid of Heaven of Bahá’u’lláh's vision.^[52]

Non-Abrahamic traditions

"Angel" is sometimes used as a translation of related concepts in non-Abrahamic traditions.

Neoplatonism

In the commentaries of Proclus (4th C, under Christian rule) on the Timaeus of Plato, Proclus uses the terminology of "angelic" (aggelikos) and "angel" (aggelos) in relation to metaphysical beings. According to Aristotle, just as there is a First Mover,^[53] so, too, must there be spiritual secondary movers.^[54]

Zoroastrianism

Main article: Zoroastrian angelology

In Zoroastrianism there are different angel-like figures. For example, each person has one guardian angel, called Fravashi. They patronize human beings and other creatures, and also manifest God’s energy. The Amesha Spentas have often been regarded as angels, although there is no direct reference to them conveying messages,^[55] but are rather emanations of Ahura Mazda ("Wise Lord", God); they initially appear in an abstract fashion and then later became personalized, associated with diverse aspects of the divine creation.^[56]

Sikhism

This section improperly uses one or more religious texts as primary sources without referring to secondary sources that critically analyze them. Please help improve this article by adding references to reliable secondary sources, with multiple points of view.

In Sikhism, the references to angelic or divine deities is often objected as the religion focuses on the liberation of the soul and ultimately joining with Waheguru. However, in early scriptures written by Guru Nanak Dev Ji indicate specific heavenly deities to help in the judgment of the soul.

Azrael (as Azraa-eel) is named as the angel of death in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture and the final Guru of the Sikhs.^[57]

In So Dar and Raag Asa Sat Guru Nanak mentions clearly two beings Chitar and Gupat who record the deeds of men. These beings are Angels assigned with this Divine task by the Creator. Chitar records the deeds that are visible to all and Gupat records that which is hidden in thought or secret action. Their names themselves allude to the tasks which the All Mighty has bestowed upon them. The celestial beings are often seen at the gates of heaven, dressed in the most adorned and decorated gowns, holding the records on the actions and feelings of the soul in the line for judgement.^[58][59]

Brahma Kumaris

In Brahma Kumaris, it is taught that every member becomes an angel of light (faristha in Hindi)^[60] and that founder Dada Lekhraj has already become perfect man and angel Brahma through practise of Raja Yoga.^[61][62][63]

New religious movements and occultism

Theosophy

In the teachings of Theosophy, Devas are regarded as living either in the atmospheres of the planets of the solar system (Planetary Angels) or inside the Sun (Solar Angels) (presumably other planetary systems and stars have their own angels) and they help to guide the operation of the processes of nature such as the process of evolution and the growth of plants; their appearance is reputedly like colored flames about the size of a human. It is believed by Theosophists that devas can be observed when the third eye is activated. Some (but not most) devas originally incarnated as human beings.^[64]

It is believed by Theosophists that nature spirits, elementals (gnomes, undines, sylphs, and salamanders), and fairies can be also be observed when the third eye is activated.^[65] It is maintained by Theosophists that these less evolutionarily developed beings have never been previously incarnated as humans; they are regarded as being on a separate line of spiritual evolution called the “deva evolution”; eventually, as their souls advance as they reincarnate, it is believed they will incarnate as devas.^[66]

It is asserted by Theosophists that all of the above mentioned beings possess etheric bodies that are composed of etheric matter, a type of matter finer and more pure that is composed of smaller particles than ordinary physical plane matter.^[66]

Contemporary belief in angels

Seal of Sant'Angelo (rione of Rome)

A 2002 study based on interviews with 350 people, mainly in the UK, who said they have had an experience of an angel, describes several types of such experiences: visions, sometimes with multiple witnesses present; auditions, e.g. to convey a warning; a sense of being touched, pushed, or lifted, typically to avert a dangerous situation; and pleasant fragrance, generally in the context of somebody's death. In the visual experiences, the angels described appear in various forms, either the "classical" one (human countenance with wings), in the form of extraordinarily beautiful or radiant human beings, or as beings of light.^[67]

In the US, a 2008 survey by Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion, published by TIME Magazine,^[68][69] which polled 1,700 respondents, found that 55 percent of Americans, including one in five of those who say they are not religious, believe that they have been protected by a guardian angel during their life. An August 2007 Pew poll found that 68 percent of Americans believe that "angels and demons are active in the world",^[70] and according to four different polls conducted in 2009, a greater percentage of Americans believe in angels (55%) than those who believe in global warming (36%).^[71][72] In 2009 a biologist from University College London published a paper exploring the physiology of angels based on representations in artwork, concluding that they would be unable to fly.^[73]

According to the Gallup Youth Survey, in a Teen Belief in the Supernatural poll in 1994, 76% of 508 teenagers (aged 13–17) believe in angels, a greater percentage than those who believe in astrology, ESP, ghosts, witchcraft, clairvoyance, Bigfoot, and vampires. In 1978, 64% of American young people believed in angels; in 1984, 69% of teenagers believed in angels; and by 1994, that number grew to 76%, while belief in other supernatural concepts, such as the Loch Ness monster and ESP, have declined. In 1992, 80% of 502 surveyed teenage girls believe in angels, and 81% of Catholic teens and 82% of regular church attendees harbored beliefs in angels.^[74][75] According to another set of Gallup polls, designated towards all Americans, in 1994, 72% of Americans said they believed in angels, while in 2004, 78% of the surveyed Americans indicated belief in angels, with the percentage of Americans that did not believe in angels dropping from 15% to 10%, and the percentage of Americans that were "not sure" dropping from 13% to 11%.^[76][77]

In Canada, a 2008 survey of over 1000 Canadians found 67 percent believe in angels.^[78]

See also

• Apsara
• Archangel
• Dakini
• Fallen angel
• Gandharva
• Guardian angel
• Hierarchy of angels
• List of films about angels
• Nephilim
• Shoulder angel
• Sons of God
• Watcher or Grigori

References

This section's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (April 2012)

1. ^ ^{a b} "‏מַלְאָךְ," Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, eds.: A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament , p. 521.
2. ^ Pope, Hugh. "Angels." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. accessed 20 Oct. 2010
3. ^ Frederick Copleston, A History of Philosophy, Volume 1, Continuum, 2003, p. 460.
4. ^ Louis Goldberg Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Angel of the Lord "The functions of the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament prefigure the reconciling ministry of Jesus. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the angel of the Lord; the Messiah himself is this person."
5. ^ According also to Augustine of Hippo's Enarrationes in Psalmos (Latin), 103, I, 15
6. ^ "Angel," The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia James Orr, editor, 1915 edition.
7. ^ ἄγγελος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus project
8. ^ Henry George Liddell; Robert Scott [1940], A Greek-English Lexicon; Machine readable text (Trustees of Tufts University, Oxford) online, retrieved 12 February 2011.
9. ^ a-ke-ro, Palaeolexicon (Word study tool of ancient languages)
10. ^ Mycenaean (Linear b) - English Glossaryy
11. ^ ^{a b c d} [Coogan, Michael D.; A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament (Oxford University Press, 2009)]
12. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia, accessed Feb. 15, 2008
13. ^ Copleston, Frederick Charles (2003). A history of philosophy, Volume 1. Continuum International Publishing Group, p. 460. ISBN 0-8264-6895-0
14. ^ Sanhedrin 38b and Avodah Zerah 3b.
15. ^ cf. Sanhedrin 95b
16. ^ Angels, Jewish Encyclopedia, 1914
17. ^ The Jewish Encyclopedia Retrieved January 31, 2010
18. ^ The Jewish Encyclopedia, retrieved January 31, 2010
19. ^ Sizing Up Satan in the Bible, retrieved July 4, 2011
20. ^ The development of Jewish ideas of angels : Egyptian and Hellenistic connections, ca. 600 BCE to ca. 200 CE Evans, Annette Henrietta Margaretha [1]
21. ^ Proverbio(2007), pp. 25-38; cf. summary in Libreria Hoepli
22. ^ Proverbio(2007), pp. 29-38; cf. summary in Libreria Hoepli and review in La Civiltà Cattolica, 3795-3796 (2–16 August 2008), pp. 327-328.
23. ^ http://www.christiananswers.net/q-acb/acb-t005.html#2
24. ^ http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/468
25. ^ Thomas Aquinas. "46". Summa contra Gentiles. 2. http://dhspriory.org/thomas/ContraGentiles2.htm#46. 
26. ^ Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica. Treatise on Angels. http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1050.htm. 
27. ^ Thomas Aquinas. De substantiis separatis. http://josephkenny.joyeurs.com/CDtexts/SubstSepar.htm. 
28. ^ BibleGateway, Matthew 24:36
29. ^ BibleGateway, Luke 1:11
30. ^ BibleGateway, Luke 1:26
31. ^ BibleGateway, Luke 2:10
32. ^ BibleGateway, Luke 22:43
33. ^ BibleGateway, Matthew 28:5
34. ^ BibleGateway, Hebrews 13:2
35. ^ Ann Ball, 2003 Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices ISBN 0-87973-910-X page 123
36. ^ Angels Participate In History Of Salvation, Vatican website
37. ^ Maria Valtorta 1972, The Book of Azariah ISBN 88-7987-013-0
38. ^ Proverbio(2007), pp. 81-89; cf. review in La Civiltà Cattolica, 3795-3796 (2–16 August 2008), pp. 327-328.
39. ^ Proverbio(2007) p. 66
40. ^ Proverbio(2007), pp. 90–95; cf. review in La Civiltà Cattolica, 3795–3796 (2–16 August 2008), pp. 327–328.
41. ^ Proverbio(2007) p. 34
42. ^ "God's messengers, those individuals whom he sends (often from his personal presence in the eternal worlds), to deliver his messages (Luke 1:11–38); to minister to his children (Acts 10:1–8, Acts 10:30–32); to teach them the doctrines of salvation (Mosiah 3); to call them to repentance (Moro. 7:31); to give them priesthood and keys (D. & C. 13; 128:20–21); to save them in perilous circumstances (Nehemiah 3:29–31; Daniel 6:22); to guide them in the performance of his work (Genesis 24:7); to gather his elect in the last days (Matthew 24:31); to perform all needful things relative to his work (Moro. 7:29–33)—such messengers are called angels.", McConkie, Bruce R.. "Angels". Angels. LightPlanet. http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/doctrines/angels_eom.htm#brm. Retrieved 2008-10-27 ;
    ^ Deseret (1966) p.36.
43. ^ ^{a b} LDS Bible Dictionary-Angels
44. ^ D&C 130:5
45. ^ "Chapter 6: The Fall of Adam and Eve," Gospel Principles, 31, see also the entry for Adam in “Glossary,” Gospel Principles, 376
46. ^ D&C 107:24
47. ^ Joseph Smith History 1:30-33
48. ^ D&C 110
49. ^ History of the Church, 3:392
50. ^ The Fulness of Times
51. ^ Sahih al-Bukhari, 4:56:670
52. ^ Smith, Peter (2000). "angels". A concise encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 38–39. ISBN 1-85168-184-1. 
53. ^ Aristotle. Metaphysics. 1072a ff.. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0051:book=12:section=1072a. 
54. ^ Aristotle. Metaphysics. 1073a13 ff.. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0051:book=12:section=1073a. 
55. ^ Lewis, James R., Oliver, Evelyn Dorothy, Sisung Kelle S. (Editor) (1996), Angels A to Z, Entry: Zoroastrianism, pp. 425-427, Visible Ink Press, ISBN 0-7876-0652-9
56. ^ Darmesteter, James (1880)(translator), The Zend Avesta, Part I: Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 4, pp. lx-lxxii, Oxford University Press, 1880, at sacred-texts.com
57. ^ Section 7, part 165 (Raag Gauree), and section 25, part 31 (Raag Maaroo). Hosted on the Internet Sacred Text Archive
58. ^ Shri Guru Granth Sahib: So Dar
59. ^ Shri Guru Granth Sahib: Raag Aasaa
60. ^ Basava Journal, Volume 19. Basava Samiti, 1994 (Bangalore, India).
61. ^ Peace & purity: the story of the Brahma Kumaris : a spiritual revolution By Liz Hodgkinson
62. ^ The Descent of incorporeal God into the human body of Brahma: a brief biographical account. Jagdish Chander 1984
63. ^ Illustrations on raja yoga: the science for attaining purity, peace, and bliss. Jagdish Chander 1975
64. ^ Hodson, Geoffrey, Kingdom of the Gods ISBN 0-7661-8134-0—Has color pictures of what Devas supposedly look like when observed by the third eye—their appearance is reputedly like colored flames about the size of a human. Paintings of some of the devas claimed to have been seen by Hodson from his book "Kingdom of the Gods":
65. ^ Eskild Tjalve’s paintings of devas, nature spirits, elementals and fairies:
66. ^ ^{a b} Powell, A.E. The Solar System London:1930 The Theosophical Publishing House (A Complete Outline of the Theosophical Scheme of Evolution) See "Lifewave" chart (refer to index)
67. ^ Emma Heathcote-James (2002): Seeing Angels. London: John Blake Publishing.
68. ^ Guardian Angels Are Here, Say Most Americans TIME Retrieved August 25, 2010
69. ^ Half of Americans believe in angels ABC News
70. ^ Harris, Dan (2008-09-18). "Most Americans Believe in Guardian Angels: More Than Half of Americans Say Guardian Angels Watch Over Us". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/US/Story?id=5833399&page=1. 
71. ^ More Americans believe in angels than global warming
72. ^ More Americans believe in angels than humans’ role in global warming The Raw Story
73. ^ Paton, Graeme (2009-12-23). "Angels can't fly, says study". Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/6826652/Angels-cant-fly-says-study.html. 
74. ^ Malcovitz, Hal; George Gallup (Introduction) (2005). The Gallup Youth Survey: Teens and the Supernatural and Paranormal. Mason Crest Publishers. ISBN 1-59084-876-4. 
75. ^ Hux, Clete (1994), "Angelmania: Close Encounters of the Celestial Kind", The Watchman Expositor (Watchman Fellowship ministry) 11 (6), http://www.watchman.org/na/anglmani.htm 
76. ^ Americans More Likely to Believe in God than the Devil
77. ^ Angels and Demons in Christianity
78. ^ News Service, Canwest (2008-12-23). "Believe in angels? You're not alone". ABC News. http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=1108760. ^{[broken citation]}

Further reading

• Proverbio, Cecilia (2007). La figura dell'angelo nella civiltà paleocristiana. Assisi, Italy: Editrice Tau. ISBN 88-87472-69-6. 
• Cheyne, James Kelly (ed.) (1899). Angel. Encyclopædia Biblica. New York, Macmillan.
• Driver, Samuel Rolles (Ed.) (1901) The book of Daniel. Cambridge UP.
• Davidson, A. B. (1898). "Angel". In James Hastings. A Dictionary of the Bible. I. pp. pages 93–97. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/hastings/dictv1/Page_93.html. 
• Oosterzee, Johannes Jacobus van. Christian dogmatics: a text-book for academical instruction and private study. Trans. John Watson Watson and Maurice J. Evans. (1874) New York, Scribner, Armstrong.
• Smith, George Adam (1898) The book of the twelve prophets, commonly called the minor. London, Hodder and Stoughton.
• Bamberger, Bernard Jacob, (March 15, 2006). Fallen Angels: Soldiers of Satan's Realm. Jewish Publication Society of America. ISBN 0-8276-0797-0
•  Bennett, William Henry (1911). "Angel". In Chisholm, Hugh. Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
• Briggs, Constance Victoria, 1997. The Encyclopedia of Angels : An A-to-Z Guide with Nearly 4,000 Entries. Plume. ISBN 0-452-27921-6.
• Bunson, Matthew, (1996). Angels A to Z : A Who's Who of the Heavenly Host. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-88537-9.
• Cruz, Joan Carroll, OCDS, 1999. Angels and Devils. TAN Books and Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-89555-638-3
• Davidson, Gustav. A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels. Free Press. ISBN 0-02-907052-X
• Graham, Billy, 1994. Angels: God's Secret Agents. W Pub Group; Minibook edition. ISBN 0-8499-5074-0
• Guiley, Rosemary, 1996. Encyclopedia of Angels. ISBN 0-8160-2988-1
• Jastrow, Marcus, 1996, A dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic literature compiled by Marcus Jastrow, PhD., Litt.D. with and index of Scriptural quotatons, Vol 1 & 2, The Judaica Press, New York
• Kainz, Howard P., "Active and Passive Potency" in Thomistic Angelology Martinus Nijhoff. ISBN 90-247-1295-5
• Kreeft, Peter J. 1995. Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know About Them? Ignatius Press. ISBN 0-89870-550-9
• Lewis, James R. (1995). Angels A to Z. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 0-7876-0652-9
• Melville, Francis, 2001. The Book of Angels: Turn to Your Angels for Guidance, Comfort, and Inspiration. Barron's Educational Series; 1st edition. ISBN 0-7641-5403-6
• Ronner, John, 1993. Know Your Angels: The Angel Almanac With Biographies of 100 Prominent Angels in Legend & Folklore-And Much More! Mamre Press. ISBN 0-932945-40-6.
• Swedenborg, E. Heaven and its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen Swedenborg Foundation 1946 ISBN 0-554-62056-1 (Detailed information on angels and their life in heaven)
• Swedenborg, E. Wisdom's Delight in Marriage ("Conjugial") Love: Followed by Insanity’s Pleasure in Promiscuous Love Swedenborg Foundation 1979 ISBN 0-87785-054-2 (Extensive review of angelic marriage)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Angels

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Angels

• Catholic Encyclopedia entry on angels
• Zoroastrian angels
• Jewish Encyclopedia entry on angels
• Angels in Islam

Christian angelic hierarchy v t e
First Sphere (liberated)	Seraphim • Cherubim • Ophanim • Thrones
Second Sphere (active)	Dominions • Virtues  • Powers or Authorities
Third Sphere (active)	Principalities or Rulers • Archangels • Angels

v t e Catholic saints Holy Mary Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Laus Our Lady of Lourdes Our Lady of Fátima Angels Michael Gabriel Raphael Patriarchs Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph Prophets John the Baptist Job Isaiah Jeremiah Lament Baruch Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Zechariah (priest) Simeon Anna Agabus Judas Barsabbas Apostles Peter Paul Andrew James the Greater James the Lesser John Philip Bartholomew Matthew Thomas Jude Simon Matthias Evangelists Matthew Mark Luke John Disciples Seventy disciples Mary Magdalen Stephen Timothy Titus Barnabas Silvanus Apollos Priscilla and Aquila Martyrs Holy Innocents Stephen Irish Martyrs Vietnamese Martyrs Korean Martyrs North American Martyrs Uganda Martyrs Carthusian Martyrs Drina Martyrs Martyrs of Japan Spanish Civil War martyrs Cristero War saints Forty Martyrs of England and Wales Great Martyr Martyrology Fathers Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch Polycarp of Smyrna Irenaeus of Lyons Clement of Alexandria Athanasius of Alexandria John Chrysostom Cyril of Alexandria Maximus the Confessor John of Damascus Cyprian of Carthage Hilary of Poitiers Ambrose of Milan Jerome of Stridonium Augustine of Hippo Gregory the Great Isidore of Seville Cappadocian Fathers Desert Fathers Confessors Maximus the Confessor Edward the Confessor Theophanes the Confessor Paul I of Constantinople Michael of Synnada Paphnutius the Confessor Chariton the Confessor Doctors Gregory the Great Ambrose of Milan Augustine of Hippo Jerome of Stridonium John Chrysostom Basil the Great Gregory Nazianzus Athanasius Thomas Aquinas Bonaventure Anselm Isidore of Seville Peter Chrysologus Leo the Great Peter Damian Bernard of Clairvaux Hilary of Poitiers Alphonsus Liguori Francis de Sales Cyril of Alexandria Cyril of Jerusalem John Damascene Bede Ephrem Peter Canisius John of the Cross Robert Bellarmine Albert Magnus Anthony of Padua Lawrence of Brindisi Teresa of Ávila Catherine of Siena Thérèse de Lisieux Virgins Maria Goretti Agnes of Rome Agatha of Sicily Lucy of Syracuse Euphemia Genevieve Cecilia Rose of Lima Kateri Tekakwitha Narcisa de Jesús Clare of Assisi Portal

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - engel

idioms:

• angel cake    sandkage
• angel dust    englestøv, phencyclidin

Nederlands (Dutch)
(bescherm)engel, liefje, nobel iemand, sponsor (m.n. in theaterwereld), vijandelijk vliegtuig, onverklaarde radarecho

Français (French)
n. - ange, amour, (Théât) commanditaire

idioms:

• angel cake    gâteau de Savoie
• angel dust    phencyclidine hydrochloride

Deutsch (German)
n. - Engel

idioms:

• angel cake    Biskuitkuchen
• angel dust    Phencyclidin Hydrochlorid (halozygene Droge)

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (θρησκ.) άγγελος, άνθρωπος, αγγελούδι, (μυστικός) χρηματοδότης (θεάματος), χορηγός

idioms:

• angel cake    ελαφρό γλύκισμα
• angel dust    (καθομ.) αγγελόσκονη (παραισθησιογόνο)

Italiano (Italian)
angelo

idioms:

• angel cake    pane degli angeli
• angel dust    eroina sintetica

Português (Portuguese)
n. - anjo (m) (Teol.)

idioms:

• angel cake    papo-de-anjo (m) (Culin.)
• angel dust    pó (m) dos anjos, droga (f) psicodélica (Quím.), fenciclidina (f) (Quím.)
• guardian angel    anjo (m) da guarda

Русский (Russian)
ангел

idioms:

• angel cake    суфле
• angel dust    наркотик
• guardian angel    ангел-хранитель

Español (Spanish)
n. - ángel

idioms:

• angel cake    bizcochuelo blanco
• angel dust    especie de droga alucinógena

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - ängel, finansiär

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
天使, 守护神, 天使般的人, 赞助人

idioms:

• angel cake    蛋糕
• angel dust    天使粉

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 天使, 守護神, 天使般的人, 贊助人

idioms:

• angel cake    蛋糕
• angel dust    天使粉

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 천사, 재정적 후원자, 레이다 화면에 나타난 정체불명의 신호

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 天使, 天使のような人, 守護神

idioms:

• angel cake    エンゼルケーキ
• angel dust    合成ヘロイン

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) ملاك‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מלאך‬

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