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In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!
We have gathered here today, my beloved friends, to glorify the Archangel Michael of God with all the Heavenly angelic army.
The history of the current holiday is briefly as follows. Even in apostolic times, the false teaching about Angels was widespread. The pagans elevated them to the cult of idols, which they worshiped as Gods. Some considered Archangel Michael to be the god of the Jews and especially revered him.
And heretics appeared among Christians, especially in the Colossian and Laodicean Churches, who spread false teaching about Angels, worshiping them as gods. Some of them were sure that the visible world was created not by God, but by Angels, honoring the Angels even above Christ the Son of God.
The Apostle Paul, wanting to dispel this false worship of angels, wrote to the Colossians: “Let no one deceive you with self-willed lowliness... intruding on what he has not seen...” (Col. 2:18-19). And the Apostle Paul had the right to denounce heretics in this way, because he himself, as we know, was caught up to the third heaven, heard unspeakable words there and saw the difference in the ranks of angels.
He explained this to his student Dionysius the Areopagite. And on the basis of this, the God-wise fathers created the Orthodox teaching about the Heavenly angelic hierarchy, consisting of nine angelic ranks.
False angel worship was so dangerous that the holy fathers were forced, even before the First Council, to convene a local council in Laodicea in 319 or 321, at which the 35th rule condemned the evil worship of angels and established pious, correct veneration of Angels as servants of God, guardians of the human race and it was commanded to celebrate the Council of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied Powers on November 8.
The date of the celebration was not chosen by chance. November is the ninth month after March, which is considered the first month after the creation of the world.
In commemoration of the 9 angelic ranks, the Feast of the Angels was established in November, the ninth month of the year. The 8th number indicates the day of the Last Judgment, in which Angels will directly participate. According to the belief of our Holy Church, based on the words of the Savior Himself (Matthew 25:31; 13:39,49; 16:27; Mark 13:26-27), on the Day of the Last Judgment Angels will judge us. The Holy Fathers call the Day of the Last Judgment the eighth day.
To this day, time is measured in weeks. But the day of the Last Judgment itself will not be one of the days of the last week, nor will it be the first day of the new week - it will be the last day of the world, the eighth day. Part of this day will relate to this life and part to the future. Therefore, dedicating the eighth day of the ninth month to the honor and worship of the holy Angels, we pray to them to be our leaders in this life, so that on the terrible eighth day, after the sound of their trumpets, we will be worthy to stand with the elect. And this holiday is called the Council of Angels, because on this day we praise and honor all the holy Angels for their service to our salvation.
It is called “The Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers” because Archangel Michael was the leader of these Angels faithful to God.
We know about the existence of the angelic world from the Holy Scriptures. That he was created by God even before the creation of the visible world and man. We know that the number of Angels is innumerably large and that the Wisdom of God established an amazing order in this Heavenly army, creating an angelic hierarchy, dividing all Angels into nine ranks of three ranks in the hierarchy, subordinating the lower ranks to the higher.
Angels differ from each other both in enlightenment and in varying degrees of grace.
The highest hierarchy of those directly close to God consists of Angels who bear the names: Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. Seraphim, true to their name, have hearts flaming with love for God, and they excite others to ardently love their Creator. Seraphim means “fiery.”
Cherubim have complete knowledge and an abundance of wisdom. They are illuminated by abundant rays of God's light. It is given to them to know everything to the extent that created beings can know.
Thrones - these Angels are so exalted and so illuminated by grace that the Lord dwells in them and through them manifests His justice.
The second, middle hierarchy consists of Angels bearing the names: Dominion, Strength and Authority. The Angels of Dominion teach people to dominate their will, to be above all temptation, and also command those evil spirits who have sworn to destroy a person. The powers are Angels filled with divine strength. These are the spirits through whom the Lord performs his miracles. They were given by God the ability to send down the grace of miracles to the saints of God, who work miracles during their lives on earth. Authorities - Angels who have the power to tame the power of demons and repel enemy temptations. In addition, they strengthen good ascetics in their spiritual and physical labors.
The third, lower hierarchy also includes three ranks: Principalities, Archangels and Angels. The Beginnings are the rank of Angels, who are entrusted with governing the universe, protecting and governing individual countries and peoples. These are the Angels of the People. Their dignity is higher than the Guardian Angels of individual people. From the book of the prophet Daniel we learn that the care of the Jewish people was entrusted to the Archangel Michael (Dan.10:21). Archangels are the great evangelists of the mysteries of God, of all that is great and glorious. They strengthen the holy faith in people, enlightening their minds to the knowledge and understanding of the will of God.
Angels (the last, ninth rank of the hierarchy) are bright spiritual beings who are closest to us and have special care for us. I will talk about them in more detail a little later. And now briefly about the Archangels.
From the Holy Scriptures we know that there are seven Archangels, that is, the senior Angels who rule over everyone else. "
In the book of Tobit (12:15) we read that the Angel who talked with him said: “I am Raphael, one of the seven Angels.” And the Revelation of John the Theologian speaks of seven spirits who are before the throne of God (Rev. 1:4). The Holy Church includes among them: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selafiel, Jehudiel and Barachiel. Tradition also includes Jeremiel among them.
Archangel Michael is the first of the supreme Angels, the champion of the glory of God. He is often depicted in military garb with other Angels faithful to God. Or he is depicted alone in the clothes of a warrior with a sword or spear in his hand, trampling underfoot a dragon or an ancient serpent - the devil.
This is how he is depicted in memory of the fact that once upon a time there was a great war in heaven between Angels - the servants of God and evil spirits - angels who fell away from God and became servants of Satan.
Sometimes he is depicted with a copy, the top of which is decorated with a white banner with a cross. This is a special distinction between Archangel Michael and his army, meaning moral purity and unshakable loyalty to the Heavenly King. »
Archangel Gabriel is the herald of God's destinies and the servant of His omnipotence. Sometimes he is depicted with a branch of paradise in his hand or with a lantern with a candle burning inside in one hand and with a mirror in the other. A candle closed in a lantern means that often the destinies of God are hidden until the time of their fulfillment, but even after their fulfillment they are comprehended only by those who carefully look into the mirror of their conscience and the words of God.
Raphael is depicted with an alabaster vessel filled with healing oil. The name Raphael means “mercy”, “help to all those who suffer”.
Uriel - the Archangel of the light and fire of God - is depicted with lightning lowered down. He illuminates with the fire of fiery love, enlightens the minds of people with the revelation of useful truths. It can be said about him that he is a special patron of people who devote themselves to science.
Selaphiel – Archangel of prayer. He is depicted either with a rosary in his hands, or in a prayer pose with his hands placed in reverence on his chest.
Jehudiel - “praise of God.” Depicted with a golden crown in one hand and with a whip of three cords in the other. The crown is to encourage people who strive for the glory of God, and the scourge is to protect them in the name of the Holy Trinity from enemies.
Barachiel is the Archangel of God's blessings, sent during earthly life to those who work to receive heavenly, eternal blessings.
These are the Archangels.
And now about the Angels.
Among the host of Angels is the Guardian Angel of each of us. And so all of us, my dears, must strive to know our Guardian Angel as best as possible, to know him enough to feel his presence near us. And for this we need to know as much as possible about him.
Our Church teaches that God created Angels in His image. These are incorporeal, intelligent, purest beings, similar to spirit. They are generously endowed by God with natural gifts: intelligence, the ability to know and love both their Creator and people, and to be a living example of God’s perfections. They are faithful servants of God, doers of His will. Not only are they able to understand and converse with each other, but they also understand the language of our souls, and therefore we can turn to them in our prayers. And this is the guarantee of close direct communication with our Guardian Angel available to each of us.
We are sinful people, and with our bodily eyes we do not see Angels, although they are always present in churches during our services. We also do not see our Guardian Angel, although he is constantly near us. But we need to learn to feel with our souls and see with our spiritual eyes the presence of our heavenly patron.
The belief of our Church that every Christian has his own Guardian Angel is based on the testimony of Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Holy Fathers. The Lord Himself in the Holy Gospel points us to this: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones: for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).
And the lives of the saints tell us the same thing. They tell us how the great saints of God and the venerable fathers saw and talked with their Angels. We can find much evidence of this from the desert dwellers (especially the Egyptians), as well as from the lives of ascetics of later centuries and very close to us.
According to the teachings of the Church, each of us is given a Guardian Angel by God at the holy moments of Baptism, and he accompanies us, protecting us throughout our entire life path, and is always in close proximity to us.
Saint Basil the Great teaches that with each of the faithful (that is, believers) there is an Angel who, as a teacher and shepherd, controls his life.
Like Basil the Great, Saint Anastasius of Sinai, expressing the teaching of the Church, says: “Those who have been worthy of Baptism have been given by God Angels who care for them and assist them.”
But, although we, due to our sinfulness and spiritual impurity, do not see Angels as the saints see them, we believe that they surround us, enlighten our minds in the knowledge of God, instruct us in love for God and for people, encourage us to pray and everything holy, pure and sublime. They fill our soul with inner peace.
The Holy Fathers - Dionysius the Areopagite, John of Damascus, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and a number of others - who left us the teaching about the Heavenly Angelic Hierarchy, pointed out that our Guardian Angels, the ministers and organizers of our salvation, occupy the ninth, that is, the very last rank in the hierarchy.
But don't let this bother any of us. Although they stand at the very end of the hierarchy and, therefore, are farther away from God than others, if we were able to see them, we would be amazed at their beauty, their nobility and would not be able to bear the delight and surprise.
We are happy, my dears, from the knowledge that Guardian Angels are the servants of our salvation, that we are not alone in our earthly life, in our labors for the salvation of our immortal soul. We know for sure that our helpers are with us, protecting us from all sorts of troubles encountered on the path of life, and from the wrath of God deserved by each of us. Our Guardian Angel is a being who endlessly loves us. He loves us with the fullness of his love. And his love is great, and its effect is strong, since, contemplating God, he sees eternal Love, which desires our salvation.
Do not be embarrassed, my dears, by the fact that our Guardian Angel occupies the ninth – last place in the Heavenly angelic hierarchy. His ministry is great in the sight of God. He is intended to protect and save us people, and man, as we all know well, is the crown of God’s creation.
Our Guardian Angel is like our second mother. He has the same concern for us, and even more. Mother takes special care of us while we are in infancy and childhood. Our Guardian Angel, from the moment of our baptism until the last days of our lives, is our caring teacher. And, if we ourselves do not push him away from us during our earthly life, he will lead our soul to worship God when the time comes for the soul to be separated from the body.
Don't be embarrassed! – I repeat again, because our Guardian Angel is in ninth place in the Heavenly hierarchy. If God sent an Angel to protect and protect a person, He at the same time gave him the strength to defeat his enemies.
Our Guardian Angels are powerful in their personal virtues, powerful in the strength they receive from God, and powerful in the prayers they send for us to the Almighty God.
Everything that is good, pure, bright in us: every good thought, every good movement of the heart, our prayer, repentance, good deeds - all this is born in us and is accomplished at the inspiration of our invisible Guardian Angel. Acting through our conscience and our heart, it is he (our Angel) who keeps us from sin and temptation, it is he who helps us fight temptations, it is he who instills in us the fear of a serious fall.
When the Guardian Angel sees us walking the path of salvation, he tries in every possible way to encourage us and confirm us on this path. If we fall into sin and stray from the path of salvation, what touching care does he show to bring the lost sheep back into the fold of Christ! At the same time, when, carried away by the vanity of the world, we stop listening to him and fall into sin, the Angel leaves us for the time of our unrepentance, cries for us, watching us from the side, asking God for us to be patient and delay. punishment. But at the same time, he does not stop knocking on the conscience in order to awaken repentance in us.
The Guardian Angel given to us is like our expanded and revealed conscience. He strives with all his might to save us, and we have no right to interfere with him in this. We must help him in his efforts to save us. We must ask him to enrich our mind with an abundance of holy thoughts and strengthen our habit of pious reflection. We are obliged to love him as our older and stronger brother. But in fact, we so often forget about him, do not pray to him, with our sins we insult his shrine, but he again and again shows his concern for us. He intercedes for us before the mercy of God, he begs God for our needs, and the Heavenly Father will never refuse him his requests.
Oh, if only we could get to know our Guardian Angel in such a way that it bursts out of our chest: “Angel of God, Angel of heaven, my comforter Angel, appear to me, reveal yourself to my heart! Unfortunately for me, I still didn’t know you. Speak to my heart, it will listen to you, listen to your suggestions and fulfill them.”
Let us try, my dears, to acquire such a mood in our soul.
But why do the Angels of God show such concern for people?
Firstly, because they are servants of God and received a command from God to protect and save people. Secondly, they themselves are creations of God and the words apply to them, as well as to people: “Be merciful, as your Father in heaven is merciful” (Matthew 5:23). They understand this and try, imitating their Creator and God, to show both their mercy and their long-suffering towards people.
On earth, among people, there is a vast field of activity for Angels in their desire to imitate God. And therefore, with what desire and with what joy they bring the rich gifts of God to people on earth! They come to us to nourish an unfortunate person with the bread of grace, to give him a few drops from the source of heavenly pleasures, to help a person break the bonds of sin and bring him in triumph to the house of the Heavenly Father. They give help to those in need, strengthen the weak, resurrect the dead, that is, lead to sincere contrite repentance of sinners, resurrecting them for eternal life.
What joy it gives them to save souls which Christ has redeemed with His Blood and who (with their help) will share with them their glory and their blessedness!
If we were just a little more sensitive, we would notice how carefully our Guardian Angel helps us return through repentance to the path of salvation. He not only encourages us to repent, but he also promises to remind us of all our sins, all of life’s mistakes and missteps.
He tells us: “When you are about to repent, I will stand next to you and remind you of your sins, because I have witnessed them. I stood only a little distance from you when you sinned, but I saw all your bad deeds and regretted and cried about them.”
And how good it would be if a person could answer these words of his Angel: “Your suggestions, my Guardian Angel, penetrate into my hardened heart, and from the depths of the abyss, which I myself dug with my sins, I cry to you: bring me to my Heavenly Father!
Remember firmly, my dears, that when you go to bring your repentance to a minister of the Church, your Guardian Angel will be with you. And how happy he will be to see that a sincere confession has cleansed your soul of sins.
Our Guardian Angels, messengers to us from God, freely and quickly make their way from God to us and from us to God (as long as our deeds do not interfere with this). They come from God to us to bring us His grace; They also ascend from us to God in order to convey to Him our prayers and thanksgivings.
How close our Guardian Angel should be to each of us! What confidence we should have in him! During our lifetime we can tell him the most intimate secrets of our soul. Those secrets that we would not trust to our closest people. And this is because in the Guardian Angel we see the wisest in advice, the most selfless in love and help, tender in his affection for us, caring for our needs.
That is why our Church, during divine services, daily offers up the prayer, as if on our behalf: “An angel of peace, a faithful mentor, a guardian of our souls and bodies, we ask the Lord.” Why is this daily petition if, as has already been said, God gave everyone his own Guardian Angel?
The reason is in ourselves. We, with our carelessness and our sins, force him to simply move away from us, for he, being holy himself, does not tolerate sin.
Oh, how we need him in all circumstances of our lives! And how happy is that person who makes his way before the face of God under the guidance of his Guardian Angel. His life is clean and calm. Such a person is afraid of even the shadow of sin, so as not to offend his Angel.
But woe to us if by our actions we force him from our protector to turn into our accuser. According to the teachings of the Church, the Guardian Angel will appear before each of us at the mysterious, terrible, sacred and inevitable moment of our death.
Then we will ask and beg him not to leave us. He did not leave us during the ordeal, because we would be very afraid without him. And how deeply we will then regret that during our lives we ourselves moved away from him, forgot to pray to him, especially in moments of danger.
And how blessed will be those of us who have accustomed ourselves during our lifetime to prayerfully address him: “My Guardian Angel! When the hour of my death comes, hasten to my aid in the separation of my soul from my body; be my comforter in the fight against death; take me under your protection when I move into the realm of eternity, when I leave this world and enter a world unknown to me; encourage me with your presence... May I see you standing at my right hand, bright, quiet, my protector...” If a person’s soul turns out to be worthy, then the Guardian Angel will accompany it in worshiping God on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death and will not leave you in the afterlife.
Here, very briefly, of course, is the main thing I wanted to tell you about our Guardian Angels.
All of the above obliges each of us to reverently honor our Guardian Angel and pray to him. Participants of today! I especially urge you, when you approach the holy chalice, remember that it is only due to our unworthiness that we do not see how many Angels surrounded the chalice with the Life-giving Body and Blood of Christ, and they rustle their wings inaudibly for us, singing the glory of Almighty God. And next to each of you is your faithful friend, whom you also do not see, and he advises: “Don’t rush, don’t rush and don’t crowd those walking next to you (as, unfortunately, we often do), give way to the one who wants to go before you. Walk with reverence."
This will please your Guardian Angel. I wish all of you, my friends, that you not only love your Guardian Angel as something unattainably high and holy, but that each of you, to the best of your spiritual strength and capabilities, feels your Guardian Angel constantly standing next to you - your closest and most sincere friend.
And this is the feeling I sincerely wish for you all with all my heart. Amen.
From the book “Sermons of Archimandrite John (Peasant)”
Dionysius the Areopagite
The basis of angelogy - a kind of science that studies the inhabitants of the higher worlds - was the essay “On the Heavenly Hierarchy”, signed with the name of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite.
This theological work had a great influence on the ideas of Orthodox Christians about the Kingdom of God. The Gospel of Luke describes the acts of the holy apostles, who in the 1st century AD, after the death of Jesus Christ, dispersed to different countries, preaching a new religion. The speech of the Apostle Paul in the building of the Athens Areopagus (supreme court) made a great impression on those gathered.
Saint Luke especially points out that after listening to the sermon, Dionysius the Areopagite believed in the resurrection of Christ. He was a judge respected by society, a talented speaker and philosopher. Actually, the word “Areopagite” denotes the saint’s belonging to the power structure of Athens. Soon the newly-minted Christian became the first bishop of the Greek capital, managing to bring many new adherents into the fold of the nascent church.
Literature
- Ivan Benchev. Angel icons. Images of heavenly messengers. M., Interbook-Business, 2005.
- Andreev I. Apocrypha. — In: Christianity: Encyclopedic Dictionary.
- Averintsev S. Angels, Archangels. — In: Myths of the peoples of the world, T. 1. M.,
- Sophie Burnham. A book about angels: Reflections on angels from the past to the present day, and how they relate to our lives. M., Home shopping, 2001.
- Vasily (Krivoshein), archbishop. Brussels and Belgian. Angels and demons in spiritual life according to the teachings of the Eastern Fathers. St. Petersburg, Satis, 2002, 56 p.
- The Book of Angels: An Anthology of Christian Angelology. St. Petersburg, Amphora, 2005, 560 p.
- Ya. E. Zelenina, M. N. Krechetova.
Guardian Angel // Orthodox Encyclopedia. Volume II. - M. : Church-scientific, 2000. - pp. 308-310. — 752 p. — 40,000 copies. — ISBN 5-89572-007-2 - M. S. Ivanov.
Heavenly Host // Orthodox Encyclopedia. Volume IX. - M. : Church-scientific, 2005. - pp. 209-210. — 752 p. — 39,000 copies. — ISBN 5-89572-015-3
General structure of the kingdom of angels
The Creator created people after he created higher beings. At first he planned just such a world, where exceptional creatures reign. However, over time, his plans changed, and god-like angels stood at the service of his interests in the arrangement of the world.
Over time, some of the angels decided to separate from the Creator, trying to overthrow him. As a result, the apostates were separated from the Father and cast into a separate hellish kingdom. However, both the faithful and the unfaithful received their qualities and roles according to the plans of their Creators. This is how the hierarchy of angels and demons arose in Christianity, according to which there is control over human souls, the angelic world itself and everything else that the Lord created.
The hierarchical ladder of higher beings on both sides is fundamentally different from each other. Light angels are divided into higher, middle and others only due to the characteristics of their activities. The heavenly table of ranks includes 9 ranks of exceptional entities close to God. This:
- Seraphim.
- Cherubim.
- Thrones.
- Domination.
- Strength.
- Authorities.
- Started.
- Archangels.
- Angels.
Each rank is included in a separate circle according to responsibilities and degree of distance from the Creator. And such a division is typical for most Abrahamic religions; only the names of the ranks differ. The listed positions are fully recognized by the heavenly hierarchy in Orthodoxy, along with Catholic Christianity.
The career of the Devil’s servants follows a different principle. The most ferocious, notorious fallen angels, reborn into demons, or generated by Lucifer himself, dominate here.
The strong keep the weak in fear, making the latter thirst for a higher place next to Satan and giving rise to a struggle for power.
The hierarchy is anarchic in nature, anyone can change it. However, the system of higher and lower members in terms of the degree of influence on human souls is still present.
Upper echelon – seraphim, cherubim, thrones
The first step, which begins the heavenly hierarchy of angels, is the highest servants of God: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones. All of them are the Creator’s personal assistants, appearing to people on the most special occasions. Seraphim—Hebrew for “flame-like”—huge, god-like, six-winged creatures capable of burning entire cities for apostasy. Their face is terrible, but mysteriously beautiful. Unlimited abilities. They can fulfill any wish. Despite their power to punish, they first of all prefer to glorify the Lord with divine songs and open souls to him - this is their main mission.
Seraphim are the very first creatures that the Creator revealed. They are so perfect that they are almost equal to him in beauty and strength. This caused some of them to become inflamed with pride and rebel against the Father. We are talking about God’s most beloved seraphim – Lucifer. Sometimes the angelic hierarchy in Orthodoxy ranks him among the archangels. And the TV series “Supernatural” puts seraphim below archangels. But this is not entirely true.
Cherubim are the servants second closest to the Creator, more flexible and efficient. They defend the palaces of the Creator with huge fiery swords, as well as the heavenly gates of paradise. They are as large in size and beautiful as their predecessors, the four-wings. However, their essence is absolute wisdom. With its help they read souls and lead them to the Father.
You can recognize a cherub by his azure robe, and a seraphim by his scarlet robe. Cherubs often have 4 faces, including animals looking in 4 directions at once.
The most mysterious helpers of God are the Thrones, the only ones that do not repeat an anthropomorphic image, but are something unlike anything else. These are animated creatures in the form of fiery wheels, along the edge of which there are thousands of unblinking eyes.
Thrones transport God from place to place as needed. And according to their second purpose, they vigilantly monitor the fulfillment of the tasks and rules of the Creator in the angelic kingdom. And if they are violated, then they carry out Righteous judgment. They are the patrons of ordinary judges among people.
This is the scheme of the ranks of the highest servants of God. This is the caste of creatures closest to the Creator. Their number is countless, but not infinite. However, it is enough to fight back against evil.
Alternative views on planetary beings
All the names of angels discussed in the previous sections can be conditionally called “Kabbalistic”. All of them come from Hebrew, or at least with a claim to Hebrew. This is, first of all, indicated by the characteristic ending “-el” in each name. Here we could also add the names of planetary intelligences and spirits associated with magic squares. However, they represent a fundamentally different category, since the main thing in their writing is the equality of gematria with the numbers of squares. Some of them are also organized “in the Jewish manner.”
Olympic spirits from “The Magic of Arbatel”
The names of the so-called “Olympic spirits,” also considered as rulers of the planets and certain macro-historical cycles, look completely different. You can meet them in the “Secret Grimoire of Turiel” or in the “Book of Magic of Arbatel”. Among these names, only Ophiel, related to Mercury, can be considered “kabbalistic”. These “Olympic” names are much less widespread in practice - firstly, because of their unclear origin and lexical meaning; secondly, because of the warnings of the author of “Arbatel”, who himself says that names become outdated and cease to cause the desired effect.
How do things work for them?
According to the Orthodox, the Kingdom of God is a well-organized structure designed to implement the will of the Creator, resist hostile forces and help believers. The heavenly hierarchy is an example of how wise and effective management should be structured at all levels of existence. This organization is headed by the Lord himself.
The hierarchical structure of the Kingdom of God is a pyramid, which includes three degrees: highest, middle, lowest. Each of them, in turn, is divided into three ranks. So there are nine of them in total.
It is believed that there are very few angels closest to the Creator, and the further away from the Almighty, the more massive the contingent of these wonderful creatures becomes. However, it cannot be argued that angels occupying a lower position in the hierarchy are less important. In Orthodoxy, it is generally accepted that God loves all of his creatures equally, and each of them fulfills his will on an equal basis with everyone else.
The highest degree in the Kingdom of God is occupied by three angelic ranks: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones. The first ones are closest to God. Their name can be translated as “flaming”. Possessing six wings and being in constant motion, each seraphim is capable of kindling the fire of life in the soul of a mortal.
Cherubim are carriers of the highest divine wisdom. These are guardians who guard the Tree of Knowledge itself, the fruits of which, contrary to the will of the Creator, were eaten by Eve and Adam. Cherubim teach their brothers to correctly understand the plans of the Almighty. And the Thrones are so named because they are located directly next to the throne of the Creator. They reflect divine providence, through them the will of God is transmitted to the lower levels of existence, therefore, with the support of the thrones, holy souls are able to foresee the future.
The middle degree of the heavenly triad consists of Dominances, Powers, and Powers. Occupying an intermediate level in the hierarchy, these angels transmit the will of divine providence from the higher plane to the lower. For example, the Forces bestow various abilities on holy ascetics and give them confidence in the implementation of righteous undertakings. Dominations oppose any injustice, support the desire for freedom, and advocate respectful treatment of all God's creatures. And the Authorities are the direct conductors of the Creator’s will, realized in the world of people.
All of the above angelic ranks are inaccessible to mere mortals. They are too far from our understanding, so they have no contact with representatives of humanity.
The ranks of angels - what are they and why are they needed?
The kingdom of God is like any organization. If these words seem blasphemous to you, then think about it: where did people get their structure of society? God made man in his own image and likeness, which means he handed down the hierarchy to us. Moreover, let us remember that Archangel Michael bears the title of Archangel, that is, the commander-in-chief of the heavenly army. This alone can say that the ranks of angels really exist.
Ancient icon Image of St. Michael the Archangel, leader of the heavenly army. Russia XIX century.
What are they created for? As in any organization, so in heaven, there must be a chain of command. Without it, disorder and anarchy will reign in the organization. And it was precisely for refusing to obey that the angel Lucifer was expelled. And let us remember that each of the angels has its own, so to speak, field of activity. So, without a clear hierarchy, it is simply impossible to establish order in such a structure. In general, the nine angelic ranks were created by God precisely in order to manage the heavenly kingdom as effectively as possible.
The Creator, of course, is endowed with limitless power and possibilities - how else would he create the whole world? But you should understand that even he sometimes needs to escape from one problem in order to take care of another. Moreover, the real world is too fragile to withstand the direct intervention of a deity. Let's not forget about Archangel Gabriel, who is the Voice of God. After all, if the Creator turns to a person directly, then he simply will not withstand the power of the true voice and will die. This is why God needs help. Excessive strength imposes its own limitations.
Nine angelic ranks
Yes, this seemingly monolithic organization has its problems. On at least one occasion, a rift was brewing among the angels. But it happened because of the first fallen angel, who was able to attract a few rebels to his side. From this we can conclude that the basis of the problems is not the reasonableness of the hierarchy, which no one questions. The problem is that only the Lord himself can be perfect in this world. Even Adam and Eve, his beloved children, succumbed to the temptations of the Serpent. Yes, you can make a discount on the freedom of choice given to them. But if their souls were completely pure, then the flattering speeches of the Enemy would not have had their destructive effect.
If we sum up all of the above, it turns out that there is no hierarchy in Heaven. Everything is like people. But should this be surprising? Unlikely. Any organization is designed to eliminate, so to speak, the human factor. In our case - angelic. It doesn’t always work out, but how could it be otherwise? Even such a perfect being as God can have mistakes.
