All orders of angels. Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied Heavenly Powers, archangels: Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Yehudiel, Barahiel and Jeremiah

NINE ANGEL OFFICES

2) Cherubim - In Judaic and Christian mythology, guardian angels. The cherub guards the tree of life after the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise. The prophet Ezekiel describes the cherubim who appeared to him in a vision of the temple as follows: “... cherubim and palm trees were made; a palm tree between two cherubs, and each cherub has two faces. On the one hand, a human face is turned to the palm tree, on the other hand, the face of a lion is turned to the palm tree ... ”(Ezek 41, 18-19) ...
According to the classification of Pseudo-Dionysius, cherubim, together with seraphim and thrones, constitute the first triad of nine angelic ranks. Dionysius says: “The name of the Cherubim means their power to know and contemplate God, the ability to receive the highest light and contemplate the Divine splendor at its very first manifestation, their wise art to teach and communicate to others the wisdom bestowed by them.”
It is also customary to consider sometimes cherubs as angels - children. The souls of dead children who remain small children in heaven.

3) Thrones - B Christian tradition one of the nine angelic ranks. This is the third rank of the first triad, where he enters along with the seraphim and cherubim. Pseudo-Dionysius reports:
“So, it is right that the highest beings are consecrated to the first of the heavenly Hierarchies, since it has the highest rank, especially because the first Theophany and consecrations originally refer to it, as the closest to God, and heavenly Minds are called burning Thrones and an outpouring of wisdom, because that these names express their God-like properties... The name of the highest Thrones means that they are completely free from any earthly attachment and, constantly rising above the valley, peacefully strive for the heavenly, with all their forces, motionless and firmly attached to the truly Highest Being, accepting the Divine His suggestion is in utter dispassion and insubstantiality; also means that they wear God and slavishly carry out His divine commands.

4) Dominions - In Christian mythological representations, the fourth of the nine angelic ranks, together with the forces and authorities, forms the second triad. According to Pseudo-Dionysius, “the significant name of the holy Dominions ... means some not servile and free from any low attachment to the earthly exaltation to the heavenly, not in any way shaken by any violent attraction to dissimilar to them, but the dominion is constant in its freedom standing above any humiliating slavery, alien to any humiliation, removed from any inequality to itself, constantly striving for true Mastery and, as much as possible, holyly transforming both itself and everything subordinate to it into a perfect likeness to Him, not clinging to anything by chance existing, but always wholly turning to the truly existing and incessantly partaking of the sovereign God-likeness.

5) Forces - In Christian mythology, one of the nine angelic ranks. Together with dominations and powers, forces constitute the second triad. Pseudo-Dionysius says: “The name of the holy Powers means some powerful and irresistible courage, communicated to them as far as possible, reflected in all their God-like actions in order to remove from themselves everything that could reduce and weaken the Divine illuminations bestowed by them, strongly striving for imitation of God, not remaining idle from laziness, but steadfastly looking at the highest and all-strengthening Power and, as far as possible, according to its own forces, is made in Her image, completely turned to Her as the source of Forces and God-like descending to the lower forces to impart power to them.

6) Powers - In Christian mythological representations, angelic beings. According to the Gospels, the authorities can be both good forces and minions of evil. Among the nine angelic ranks, the authorities close the second triad, which, in addition to them, also includes dominions and powers. As Pseudo-Dionysius says, “the name of the holy Authorities signifies equal to the Divine Dominions and Forces, slender and capable of receiving Divine illuminations, the Chin and the device of the worldly spiritual dominion, which does not autocratically use the domineering powers bestowed for evil, but freely and decently to the Divine as ascending itself. who brings others holy to Him and, as much as possible, becomes like the Source and Giver of all power and depicts Him ... in a completely true use of his sovereign power.

7) Beginnings - In Christian mythology, one of the nine angelic ranks. The Bible says, “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come... can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 8.38). By
classification of Pseudo-Dionysius. the beginnings are part of the third triad along with the archangels and the angels proper. Pseudo-Dionysius says:
The name of the heavenly Authorities means the God-like ability to rule and govern in accordance with the sacred order, befitting the commanding Forces, both to turn to the Beginning without Beginning, and others, as it is characteristic of the Authorities, to guide Him, to imprint in oneself, as far as possible, the image of the inaccurate Beginning, etc. finally, the ability to express His premier leadership in the well-being of the ruling Forces .., the Announcement rank of the Principalities, Archangels and Angels alternately rules over the human Hierarchies, so that in order there is an ascent and conversion to God, communion and unity with Him, which also from God graciously extends to all Hierarchies, is inspired through communication and pours out in the most sacred orderly order.

8) Archangels - The word is Greek origin and is translated as "angel chiefs", "senior angels". The term "Archangels" appears for the first time in the Greek-language Jewish literature of the pre-Christian time (Greek edition of the "Book of Enoch" 20, 7) as a transfer of expressions like (" Grand Duke") in the application to Michael of the Old Testament texts (Dan. 12, 1); then this term is perceived by the New Testament authors (Jude 9; 1 Thess. 4, 16) and later Christian literature. According to the Christian heavenly hierarchy, they occupy a place immediately above angels.Religious tradition has seven archangels.The main one here Michael the Archangel(Greek "supreme commander") - the leader of the armies of angels and people in their universal battle with Satan. Michael's weapon is a flaming sword.
Archangel Gabriel best known for his participation in the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary about the birth of Jesus Christ. As a messenger of the innermost secrets of the world, he is depicted with a flowering branch, with a mirror (reflection is also a way of knowing), and sometimes with a candle inside the lamp - the same symbol of a hidden mystery.
Archangel Raphael is known as a heavenly healer and comforter of the afflicted.
Less frequently, four other archangels are mentioned.
Uriel is a heavenly fire, the patron of those who have devoted themselves to the sciences and arts.
Salafiel is the name of the supreme minister, with whom prayer inspiration is associated. On the icons he is painted in a prayerful pose, with his arms folded crosswise on his chest.
Archangel Yehudiel blesses the ascetics, protects them from the forces of evil. AT right hand he has a golden crown as a symbol of blessing, in his left is a scourge that drives away enemies.
Barahiel was assigned the role of a distributor of the highest blessings to ordinary workers, primarily farmers. He is depicted with pink flowers.
The Old Testament tradition also speaks of the seven heavenly archangels. Their ancient Iranian parallel - the seven good spirits of Amesha Spenta ("immortal saints") finds a correspondence with the mythology of the Vedas. This points to the Indo-European origins of the doctrine of the seven archangels, which in turn correlates ancient ideas people about the septenary structures of being, both divine and earthly.

9) Both Greek and Hebrew words expressing the concept of "angel" mean "messenger". Angels often performed this role in the texts of the Bible, but its authors often give this term another meaning. Angels are the incorporeal helpers of God. They appear as humans with wings and a halo of light around their heads. They are commonly mentioned in Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious texts. Angels have the appearance of a man, “only with wings and dressed in white clothes: God created them from stone”; angels and seraphim - women, cherubs - men or children)<Иваницкий, 1890>.
Good and evil angels, messengers of God or the devil, converge in the decisive battle described in the book of Revelation. Angels can be ordinary people, prophets, inspirers to good deeds, supernatural bearers of all kinds of messages or teachers, and even impersonal forces, like winds, cloud pillars or fire, which led the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. Plague and pestilence are called evil angels. St. Paul calls his illness "the messenger of Satan." Many other phenomena, such as inspiration, sudden impulses, providences, are also attributed to angels.
Invisible and immortal. According to the teachings of the church, angels are sexless invisible spirits, immortal from the day of their creation. There are many angels, which follows from the Old Testament description of God - "the Lord of hosts." They form a hierarchy of angels and archangels of the entire host of heaven. The early church clearly divided nine types, or "ranks," of angels.
Angels served as mediators between God and his people. AT Old Testament it is said that no one could see God and remain alive, so direct communication between the Almighty and a person is often portrayed as communication with an angel. It was the angel who prevented Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. Moses saw an angel in a burning bush, although the voice of God was heard. An angel led the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. From time to time, biblical angels look just like mortals until their true nature is revealed, like the angels who came to Lot before the horrific destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Unnamed spirits. Other angels are mentioned in Scripture, such as a spirit with a fiery sword that blocked Adam's path back to Eden; cherub and seraphim, depicted as thunderclouds and lightning, which recalls the faith of the ancient Jews in the god of thunder; the messenger of God, who miraculously rescued Peter from prison, in addition, the angels who appeared to Isaiah in his vision of the heavenly court: “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and exalted, and the edges of His robe filled the whole temple. Seraphim stood around Him; each of them has six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
Hosts of angels appear several times on the pages of the Bible. Thus, a choir of angels announced the birth of Christ. Archangel Michael commanded numerous heavenly hosts in the battle against the forces of evil. The only angels in the Old and New Testaments who have proper names, - this is Michael and Gabriel who brought the news of the birth of Jesus to Mary. Most of the angels refused to identify themselves, reflecting the popular belief that revealing a spirit's name would diminish its power.

Orders of Angels

The Bible speaks of 8 orders of angels. These are: Archangels, Cherubim, Seraphim, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Forces.

Why such a diversity of the inhabitants of Heaven?.. The teachers of the Church thought about it. Origen (III century) suggested that the difference in ranks of Angels is due to their cooling in love for God. The higher the rank, the more more obedient to God Angel and vice versa. However, the Orthodox Church rejected this interpretation.

St. Augustine (4th century) wrote: “I unshakably believe that there are Thrones, Dominions, Principalities and Powers in the heavenly abodes, and that they differ from each other, I undoubtedly contain; but what they are and in what exactly they differ from each other, I do not know.

The most profound and thoughtful work on this subject belongs to the theologian of the 5th century, St. Dionysius the Areopagite. He wrote an essay, which is called “On the Heavenly Hierarchy” and in which the question is clarified - how do the Angels differ from each other.

St. Dionysius divides all Angels into three triads. In each triad there are 3 ranks (in total, he gets 9 ranks).

The first triad, closest to God, are: Cherubim, Seraphim and Thrones.

The second triad: Dominions, Forces, Powers.

Finally, the third triad: Principles, Archangels, Angels.

St. Dionysius says that the rank of an Angel depends on the position in the Heavenly Hierarchy, that is, on proximity to the King of Heaven - God.

The highest angels glorify God, stand before Him. Other Angels, whose rank is lower in the Heavenly hierarchy, perform various tasks, for example, they protect people. These are the so-called service spirits.

The work of St. Dionysius is a remarkable achievement of Orthodox mysticism, theology and philosophy. For the first time, a coherent teaching appears, trying to show the principles of the interaction of God with the world through angelic beings; for the first time, the diversity of the ranks of Angels, which the Bible mentions, is put in order. However, it should be remembered that the classification of angelic ranks by St. Dionysia is not strictly scientific work- it is, rather, mystical reflections, material for theological reflections. Angelology of St. Dionysius, for example, cannot be used in the study of biblical angelology, since biblical angelology proceeds from other theological principles, develops according to other laws than St. Dionysius. However, for the work of the theologian, the system of St. Dionysius is irreplaceable, and this is why: in his work, the Byzantine thinker shows that the closer the Angelic rank is to God, the more he becomes a partaker of the blessed Light and grace of God.

Each of the triads of Angels, writes St. Dionysius, has its general purpose. The first is purification, the second is enlightenment, and the third is perfection.

The first triad, the first three higher ranks - Cherubim, Seraphim and Thrones - are in the process of being cleansed of any admixture of something imperfect. Being close to God, in constant contemplation of the Divine Light, they achieve the highest degree of purity and clarity of their angelic spirit, striving to resemble the Absolute Spirit - God. And there is no limit to this perfection. No other creature of God can achieve that dizzying degree of purity in which these Angels are. No one ... except Mary of Nazareth - the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. We sing of her, who carried under her heart, gave birth, swaddled, raised the Savior of the world, as “The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious Seraphim without comparison.”

The second triad - Domination, Strength, Power - is constantly enlightened by the light of God's Wisdom, and in this there is also no limit for it, for God's Wisdom is limitless. This enlightenment is not of a mental nature, but of a contemplative one. That is, the Angels in awe and amazement contemplate the boundless and perfect Wisdom of God.

Finally, the work of the last triad - the Beginnings, the Archangels, the Angels - is perfection. This is a more understandable and concrete form of service. These Angels, joined to God's perfection and to His will, convey this will to us and thus help us to improve.

St. Dionysius also emphasizes the fundamental difference in the characteristics of the natures of the Angels that make up different triads. If the angelic nature of the first, highest, triad can be described as light and fire, then in the second, Dionysius notes power and material characteristics, and the third triad is understood completely as serving the will of God, addressed to the world.

St. Dionysius determined not only the general ministry of the triads of Angels, but also the specific ministry of each of the nine ranks.

And to find out what kind of service they carry, the very name of the rank will help us.

So, the name Seraphim, which is worn by the highest Angels, is translated in Hebrew as “flaming”, and the name Cherubim means “an abundance of knowledge or an outpouring of wisdom” (St. Dionysius the Areopagite). Finally, the name of the third rank of the first triad - the Thrones - means the Angels withdrawn from everything earthly, and shows us the desire of these Angels to “cleave motionlessly and firmly” to the Lord.

Accordingly, one can understand the properties and qualities of the other two angelic triads.

Dominations - instruct earthly rulers to wise management.

Forces - work miracles and send down the grace of miracles to the saints of God.

Authorities - have the power to tame the power of the devil. They reflect all our temptations and also have power over the elements of nature.

Beginnings - govern the universe, the laws of nature, protect peoples, tribes, countries.

Archangels - proclaim the great and glorious Mysteries of God. They are the bearers of the revelation of God.

Angels are present in every person, they inspire spiritual life, keep in everyday life.

Certainly, the opinion of St. Dionysius should not be considered indisputable. In the holy fathers (and even in St. Dionysius himself) we come across the idea that there are many more angelic ranks than nine, their ministries are more diverse than those listed above, but this is not revealed to us. The system of St. Dionysius is only an introduction to angelology, a starting point for further theological research on these issues.

The great John of Damascus, who himself greatly appreciated the work of St. Dionysius, so summed up the opinion Orthodox Church on this question: “Whether they are essentially equal or different from each other, we do not know. But God alone knows who created them, Who knows everything. They differ from each other in light and position; or having a degree according to the light, or participating in the light according to the degree, and enlighten each other because of the superiority of rank or nature. But it is clear that the higher angels communicate both light and knowledge to the lower ones.

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Having created people in His image and likeness, the Lord brought into their lives many elements inherent in the Kingdom of Heaven. One of them is the hierarchy inherent in both human society, and the world of angels ─ disembodied forces surrounding the Throne of God. The position of each of them depends on the significance of the mission they perform. About how much Christian religion angelic ranks, and what are the features of each of them, will be discussed in our article.

Messenger of God

Before starting a conversation about the angelic ranks and tracing the differences between them, we should dwell on who the angels are and what their role is in the existing world order. This word itself, which came to us from the Greek language, is translated as “messenger” or “messenger”.

In all Abrahamic religions, that is, those that recognize the union concluded by Patriarch Abraham with God, and this is Christianity, Islam and Judaism, the angel is presented as an incorporeal being, but at the same time possessing reason, will and consciously choosing the path of serving God. In the visual arts, a tradition has developed to give angels the appearance of anthropomorphic (human-looking) creatures endowed with wings.

Angels and Demons

According to the Holy Scriptures, angels were created by God even before the arrangement of the visible world by Him, and carried only a good beginning. But later some of them, filled with pride, fell away from their Creator and were cast down from Heaven for this. Those who, remembering their true destiny, remained faithful to the Lord (they are usually called " bright angels” as opposed to demons ─ “angels of darkness”), became His faithful servants. In each of these opposing groups, there is a certain hierarchy of angelic ranks.

Teachings of an unknown theologian

The correspondence of incorporeal forces to one or another rung of the hierarchical ladder leading to the Throne of God was the subject of study by many prominent theologians of the past centuries. In Christianity angelic ranks it is customary to distribute in accordance with the classification, the author of which is an unknown theologian who lived at the turn of the 5th and 6th centuries and went down in history under the name of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. So unusual name he received due to the fact that for a long time his works were erroneously attributed to the Greek philosopher and thinker of the 1st century, Dionysius the Areopagite, who, according to legend, was a disciple of the Apostle Paul.

From the system proposed by Pseudo-Dionysius, based on the texts of the Holy Scriptures, it follows that the whole world of light spirits is divided into three groups, or triads, each of which, in turn, consists of three specific types of incorporeal servants of God. The angelic ranks are distributed by the author in a strict hierarchy, illustrating the meaning of each of them.

His work, on which many prominent theologians of subsequent centuries relied, was called the Treatise on the Heavenly Hierarchy, and the system proposed in it became known as the Nine Orders of the Angels. Based on the system proposed in it, today the entire hierarchy of angelic ranks in Orthodoxy is being built, as well as most western directions Christianity. For almost one and a half millennia, it has remained dominant.

Higher ranks of incorporeal forces

According to this teaching, the highest level of the nine ranks of angels is occupied by spirits called seraphim, cherubim and thrones. Seraphim are considered the closest of them to God. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah likens them to fiery figures, which explains the origin of this word, translated from Hebrew as “fiery”.

Behind the seraphim, who make up the highest angelic rank, are the cherubim. They are the main intercessors of the human race before God and prayer books for the salvation of the souls of the departed. That is why they bear the name, translated from the Hebrew language as "intercessor." Sacred tradition tells of them as the keepers of the Heavenly Book of Knowledge, who have such extensive information about everything in the world that they are not able to accommodate human mind. Their most important property is the ability to help people on the path of gaining knowledge and vision of God.

Heavenly support of earthly rulers

And, finally, one more angelic rank included in the highest triad - thrones. The name of the group of these disembodied spirits comes from the fact that it was they who were granted the grace of God to support the earthly rulers and help them to create a right judgment over their peoples. In addition, the peculiarity of the thrones is that the Creator was pleased to lay in them the knowledge of the paths along which human society is destined to move and develop.

It is generally accepted that the thrones never interfere in human conflicts, but at the same time they are next to us, helping to gain spiritual insight and be filled with love for God. All representatives of the first higher triad are able to enter into direct communication with a person.

Bearers of wisdom and creators of good undertakings

The middle triad is opened by the angelic rank ─ domination. This, according to the classification of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, is the fourth rank of angels. They embody the freedom that underlies the life of the entire visible world and is proof of their boundless and sincere love for the Creator. Dominations, like thrones, are in constant interaction with earthly rulers, giving them wisdom and directing thoughts only to good undertakings.

In addition, these servants of God help people overcome the outbursts of passion that overwhelm them and fight the temptations of the flesh, not allowing it to prevail over the spirit. Dominions got their name due to the fact that they are entrusted with the control of all other angels, whose position on the hierarchical ladder is lower.

Doers of the will of the Creator

The next step of the middle triad is occupied by forces. From the treatise of Pseudo-Dionysius it is known that this category is made up of angels, gifted with an indestructible divine fortress and capable of fulfilling the will of their Creator in the blink of an eye. It is they who are the conductors of the grace of God, given to people through their prayers and petitions.

All the miracles that the Lord reveals to his children take place with their direct participation. Being conductors of divine energy, the forces bring pious Christians deliverance from ailments and the fulfillment of their innermost desires. They also help the chosen sons of God see the future. An important feature of the forces is the ability to strengthen the spirit of a person, give him courage and ease grief. Thanks to the angels standing on this ─ the fifth hierarchical level, people cope with their life problems and overcome adversity.

Dark forces fighters

Complete the middle triad of power. They are entrusted with an unusually important mission - to keep the keys to the dungeon in which the devil is imprisoned, and to put obstacles in the way of his innumerable army. They protect the human race from demonic obsessions and help fight the temptations sent by the enemy of the human race.

Without stopping the fight against the fallen angels, who are the embodiment of evil, the authorities at the same time protect pious people, affirming them in virtue and filling their hearts with love for God. They are entrusted with the duty to drive away evil thoughts from them, strengthen them in good intentions, and those who have succeeded in serving God, to forward after death to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Patrons of peoples and kingdoms

At the lowest level of the hierarchical ladder of angelic ranks are the last three categories of incorporeal spirits, the oldest of which are the beginnings. They are an invincible legion of defenders of the faith. The beginnings got their name because of the mission entrusted to them to lead the remaining two categories of angels and direct their labors to fulfill the will of God.

In addition, the beginnings have another important purpose ─ to manage the construction of hierarchies among people. It is believed that none other than the beginnings invisibly anoint earthly monarchs to the kingdom and bless the rulers of other ranks. In this regard, it is generally believed that the Lord sends an angel of this category to each nation, called to protect it from troubles and upheavals. The basis for such a judgment may be the words of the Old Testament prophet Daniel about the angels of the Jewish and Persian kingdoms, who ensure that the rulers anointed by them are jealous not of personal wealth, but of increasing the glory of God.

World of Angels and Archangels

And finally, the representatives of the last two groups are closest to people ─ these are archangels and angels. The word archangel in Greek means "great messenger". In most cases, it is through his prophecies that people learn the will of the Creator. An example is the good news brought by the archangel Gabriel Virgin Mary Mary. Archangels, on the other hand, sometimes become the watchful guardians of the Lord. Suffice it to recall in this connection the Archangel Michael, who blocked the entrance to Eden with a fiery sword.

The lowest ranks of the heavenly hierarchy are angels. They can also be called the closest incorporeal spirits to people, helping in Everyday life. The Holy Church teaches that at baptism, the Lord sends each person a special guardian angel who protects him for the rest of his life from spiritual falls, and if they occur, directs him to the path of repentance, regardless of the severity of the sins committed.

Depending on how rich spiritual world a person, how firm his faith in God is and what is his purpose in life, he can be under the care of not one angel, but several, or even have direct communication with the archangels. It is important to remember that the enemy of the human race does not cease to tempt people and turn them away from serving the Creator, therefore angels and archangels until the end of time will be next to those in whose hearts the fire of faith burns and protect them from the attacks of dark forces.

Nine angelic ranks

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Nine angelic ranks

In the Christian mythological tradition, the hierarchy angelic creatures, developed by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (5th or early 6th century). Nine angelic ranks divided into three triads, each of which has a particular feature.

The first triad - seraphim, cherubim and thrones - is characterized by immediate proximity to God;

The second triad - strength, domination and power - emphasizes the divine basis of the universe and world domination;

The third triad - beginnings, archangels and angels proper - is characterized by close proximity to man.

Pseudo-Dionysius summarized what had been accumulated before him. Seraphim, cherubim, powers and angels are already mentioned in the Old Testament; dominions, principalities, thrones, powers, and archangels appear in the New Testament. According to the classification of Gregory the Theologian (4th century), the angelic hierarchy consists of angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, heads, forces, radiances, ascensions and understandings.

According to their position in the hierarchy, the ranks are arranged as follows:

1. SERAPHIM - In Jewish and Christian mythology, angels, especially close to God. The prophet Isaiah describes them as follows: "In the year of the death of King Uzziah, I saw the Lord sitting on a high throne, and the edges of His robe filled the whole temple. Seraphim stood around Him; each of them had six wings: with two each one covered his face, and with two He covered his feet, and with two he flew. And they called to each other and said: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts! The whole earth is full of His glory /" (Is. 6. 1-3).

According to the classification of Pseudo-Dionysius, together with the cherubim and thrones, the seraphim belong to the first triad: "... the most holy Thrones, the many-eyed and many-winged Orders, called in the language of the Jews Cherubim and Seraphim, according to the explanation of Holy Scripture, are in greater and immediate proximity to others to God ... as for the name of the Seraphim, it clearly shows the unceasing and everlasting e

Nine angelic ranks

their striving for the Divine, their ardor and swiftness, their ardent, constant, unrelenting and unswerving impetuosity, also their ability to actually raise the lower to the higher, to excite and inflame them to a similar heat: it also means ability, scorching and burning. thereby clean them - always open. inextinguishable, constantly the same, light-like and enlightening power, driving them away and clearing away all obscuration.

2. CHERUVIMS - In Judaic and Christian mythology, guardian angels. The cherub guards the tree of life after the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise. The prophet Ezekiel describes the cherubim who appeared to him in a vision of the temple as follows: "... cherubim and palm trees were made; a palm tree between two cherubim, and each cherubim has two faces. On the one hand, a human face is turned to the palm tree, on the other hand to the palm tree - lion's face...

According to the classification of Pseudo-Dionysius, cherubim, together with seraphim and thrones, constitute the first triad of nine angelic ranks. Dionysius says: "The name of the Cherubim means their power to know and contemplate God, the ability to receive the upper light and contemplate the Divine splendor at its very first manifestation, their wise art to teach and communicate to others the wisdom bestowed by them."

3.THRONES - In the Christian tradition, one of nine angelic ranks. This is the third rank of the first triad, where he enters along with the seraphim and cherubim. Pseudo-Dionysius reports:

So, it is right that the highest beings are consecrated to the first of the heavenly Hierarchies, since it has the highest rank, especially because the first Theophany and consecrations originally refer to it, as the closest to God, and heavenly Minds are called burning Thrones and an outpouring of wisdom, because that these names express their God-like properties...

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The name of the highest Thrones means that they are completely free from any earthly attachment and, constantly rising above the earthly, peacefully strive for the heavenly, with all their forces, motionless and firmly attached to the truly Highest Being, accepting His Divine suggestion in complete dispassion and immateriality; also means that they wear God and slavishly carry out His divine commands.

4. DOMINATIONS - In Christian mythological representations, the fourth of nine angelic ranks, together with forces and authorities forming the second triad. According to Pseudo-Dionysius, "the significant name of the holy Dominions ... means some non-servile and free from any low attachment to the earthly exaltation to the heavenly, not in any way shaken by any violent attraction to dissimilar to them, but the dominion is constant in its freedom, standing above all humiliating slavery, alien to all humiliation, removed from all inequality to itself, constantly striving for true Mastery and, as much as possible, holyly transforming both itself and everything subordinate to it into a perfect likeness to Him, not clinging to anything that accidentally exists but always wholly turning to the true-existent and unceasingly partaking of the sovereign likeness of God.

5. FORCE - In Christian mythology, one of nine angelic ranks. Together with dominations and powers, forces constitute the second triad. Pseudo-Dionysius says: “The name of the holy Powers signifies some powerful and irresistible courage, communicated to them as far as possible, reflected in all their God-like actions in order to remove from themselves everything that could reduce and weaken the Divine illuminations bestowed by them, strongly striving for the imitation of God, not remaining idle from laziness, but steadily looking at the highest and all-strengthening Power and, as far as possible, according to one’s own strength, making Her image, completely turned to Her as the source of Powers and God-like about

Nine angelic ranks

descending to the lower forces to impart power to them."

6.POWER - In Christian mythological representations, angelic beings. According to the Gospels, the authorities can be both good forces and minions of evil. Among the nine angelic ranks powers complete the second triad, which, in addition to them, also includes dominions and powers. As Pseudo-Dionysius says, “the name of the holy Authorities signifies equal to the Divine Dominions and Forces, slender and capable of receiving Divine illuminations, the Chin and the device of the worldly spiritual dominion, which does not autocratically use the domineering powers bestowed for evil, but freely and decently to the Divine as ascending itself. who brings others holy to Him and, as much as possible, becomes like the Source and Giver of all power and depicts Him ... in a completely true use of his sovereign power.

7. BEGINNING - In Christian mythology, one of nine angelic ranks. The Bible says, “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor the present, nor the future ... can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

According to the classification of Pseudo-Dionysius. the beginnings are part of the third triad along with the archangels and the angels proper. Pseudo-Dionysius says:

The name of the heavenly Authorities means the God-like ability to rule and govern in accordance with the sacred order, befitting the commanding Forces, both to turn to the Beginning without Beginning, and others, as it is characteristic of the Authorities, to guide Him, to imprint in oneself, as far as possible, the image of the inaccurate Beginning, etc. finally, the ability to express His premier leadership in the well-being of the ruling Forces .., the Announcement rank of the Principalities, Archangels and Angels alternately rules over the human Hierarchies, so that in order there is an ascent and conversion to God, communion and unity with Him, which also from God graciously extends to all Hierarchies, is inspired through communication and pours out in the most sacred orderly order.

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8. ARCHANGELS - The word is of Greek origin and is translated as "angel chiefs", "senior angels". According to the Christian heavenly hierarchy, they rank directly above the angels. Religious tradition has seven archangels. The chief here is Michael the Archangel (Greek "supreme commander") - the leader of the armies of angels and people in their universal battle with Satan. Michael's weapon is a flaming sword.

Archangel Gabriel is best known for his participation in the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary about the birth of Jesus Christ. As a messenger of the innermost secrets of the world, he is depicted with a flowering branch, with a mirror (reflection is also a way of knowing), and sometimes with a candle inside the lamp - the same symbol of a hidden mystery.

Archangel Raphael is known as a heavenly healer and comforter of the afflicted.

Less frequently, four other archangels are mentioned.

Uriel is a heavenly fire, the patron of those who have devoted themselves to the sciences and arts.

Salafiel is the name of the supreme minister, with whom prayer inspiration is associated. On the icons he is painted in a prayerful pose, with his arms folded crosswise on his chest.

Archangel Yehudiel blesses the ascetics, protects them from the forces of evil. In his right hand he has a golden crown as a symbol of blessing, in his left - a scourge that drives away enemies.

Barahiel was assigned the role of a distributor of the highest blessings to ordinary workers, primarily farmers. He is depicted with pink flowers. The Old Testament tradition also speaks of the seven heavenly archangels. Their ancient Iranian parallel - the seven good spirits of Amesha Spenta ("immortal saints") finds a correspondence with the mythology of the Vedas. This points to the Indo-European origins of the doctrine of the seven archangels, which in turn correlates with the most ancient ideas of people about the septenary structures of being, both divine and earthly. (hierarchy of the heavenly host)

9. ANGELS: Both Greek and Hebrew words expressing the concept of "angel",

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means "messenger". Angels often performed this role in the texts of the Bible, but its authors often give this term another meaning. Angels are the incorporeal helpers of God. They appear as humans with wings and a halo of light around their heads. They are commonly mentioned in Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious texts. Angels have the appearance of a man, "only with wings and dressed in white clothes: God created them from stone"; angels and seraphim are women, cherubim are men or children.

Good and evil angels, messengers of God or the devil, converge in the decisive battle described in the book of Revelation. Angels can be ordinary people, prophets, inspirers to good deeds, supernatural bearers of all kinds of messages or teachers, and even impersonal forces, like winds, cloud pillars or fire, which led the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. Plague and pestilence are called evil angels. St. Paul calls his illness "the messenger of Satan." Many other phenomena, as in inspiration, sudden impulses, providences, are also attributed to angels.

Invisible and immortal. According to the teachings of the church, angels are sexless invisible spirits, immortal from the day of their creation. There are many angels, which follows from the Old Testament description of God - "the Lord of hosts." They form a hierarchy of angels and archangels of the entire host of heaven. The early church clearly divided nine types, or " ranks", angels.

Angels served as mediators between God and his people. The Old Testament says that no one could see God and remain alive, so direct communication between the Almighty and a person is often portrayed as communication with an angel. It was the angel who prevented Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. Moses saw an angel in a burning bush, although the voice of God was heard. An angel led the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. From time to time, biblical angels look just like mortals until their true nature is revealed, like the angels who came to Lot before the horrific destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

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Unnamed spirits. Other angels are mentioned in Scripture, such as a spirit with a fiery sword that blocked Adam's path back to Eden; cherub and seraphim, depicted as thunderclouds and lightning, which recalls the faith of the ancient Jews in the god of thunder; the messenger of God, who miraculously rescued Peter from prison, in addition, the angels who appeared to Isaiah in his vision of the heavenly court: “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted, and the edges of His robe filled the whole temple. Seraphim stood around Him; each of them had six wings; with two each one covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

Hosts of angels appear several times on the pages of the Bible. Thus, a choir of angels announced the birth of Christ. Archangel Michael commanded numerous heavenly hosts in the battle against the forces of evil. The only angels in the Old and New Testaments who have their own names are Michael and Gabriel, who brought the news of the birth of Jesus to Mary. Most of the angels refused to identify themselves, reflecting the popular belief that revealing a spirit's name would diminish its power. .

God immediately created various kinds of angelic forces. The difference between them in nature was not the result of different degrees of "cooling" of the Angels in love, as Origen taught. Dionysius the Areopagite brought into the system the church doctrine of the nine angelic ranks. He writes that the Heavenly World has a hierarchical structure, since not all angelic ranks equally accept divine enlightenment. The lower ranks receive enlightenment from the higher ones. The angelic world is a single whole and, at the same time, a ladder. All Angels to a certain extent participate in the Divine and the Light communicated from Him, but the degrees of their knowledge and perfection are not the same.

The angelic hierarchy consists of three triads. The first, the highest, is - Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. All of them are in the closest and immediate proximity to God, "as if on the threshold of the Divine", at the very Trinity sanctuary. They have access to direct and immediate knowledge of the Divine mysteries. They live in inexpressible illumination, contemplate God in a bright light.

six-winged seraphim(Heb. - flaming, fiery), which are mentioned only by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:2), burn with love for God and incite others to it.

Cherubim(Heb. - chariots) - spiritual creatures that the prophet Ezekiel saw in the images of a man, an ox, a lion and an eagle (Ezek. 1). These symbols mean that the Cherubim combine the qualities of intelligence, obedience, strength and speed. Cherubim stand before the throne of God (Rev. 4:6-7). They are the spiritual vehicle of the Supreme (Ezekiel 1:10) so God is called sitting on cherubs (1 Sam. 4:4).

The cherub guarded the entrance to paradise (Gen. 3:24). Images of two Cherubim overshadowed the Ark of the Covenant, the place of the direct presence of God (Ex. 25:18-20). The king of Tire, symbolizing, according to the holy fathers, Satan, is called the overshadowing cherub (Ezekiel 28:14), which indicates his initial closeness to God.

The many-eyed Cherubim, according to Dionysius the Areopagite, shine with the light of knowledge of God. They send down wisdom and enlightenment for knowledge of God to the lower ranks. They are "rivers of wisdom" and "places of God's rest"; hence some of the Cherubim are called " Thrones", since God Himself rests on them not sensually, but spiritually, with a special abundance of grace.

The middle hierarchy is: Dominions, Powers and Powers.

dominance (Col. 1:16) rule over the successive ranks of Angels. They instruct earthly rulers appointed by God in wise management. They teach to control feelings, to tame sinful lusts, to enslave the flesh to the spirit, to overcome temptations. Forces (1 Pet. 3:22) they work miracles and send down the grace of wonderworking and clairvoyance to the saints of God. They help people in carrying out labors, strengthen them in patience, bestow spiritual strength and courage. Authorities (1 Pet. 3:22; Col. 1:16) have the power to tame the power of the devil. They repel demonic temptations from us, protect ascetics, help them in the fight against evil thoughts. They also have power over the forces of nature, such as wind and fire. (Rev. 8:7).

The lower hierarchy includes: Principles, Archangels and Angels.

Beginnings (Col. 1:16) they rule over the lower Angels, directing their activity towards the fulfillment of Divine commands. They are entrusted with managing the universe, protecting countries, peoples and tribes. They teach earthly authorities to fulfill their duties not for the sake of profits and personal glory, but in everything to seek the glory of God and the benefit of others.

Archangels (1 Thess. 4:16) proclaim great and glorious things. They reveal the secrets of faith, prophecy and will God's people, that is, they are the conductors of Revelation.

Angels (1 Pet. 3:22) closest to people. They proclaim the intentions of God, instruct in the virtues and a holy life. They protect the faithful, keep us from falling, raise the fallen.

Saint Dionysius the Areopagite is aware of the imperfection of such a systematization. He writes: “How many ranks of celestial beings, what they are and how they perform the secrets of the hierarchy, only God knows exactly, the Culprit of their hierarchy; they themselves also know their own powers, their own light, their sacred and supreme rank and file. And we can be told about this as much as God has revealed to us through them, as those who know themselves.”

Argues in a similar way Blessed Augustine: “That there are Thrones, Dominions, Principles and Powers in the heavenly abodes, I unshakably believe and that they differ from each other, I undoubtedly contain; but what they are and how they differ from each other, I do not know.

Some holy fathers believe that the listed nine ranks do not cover all the existing angelic ranks, there are others that will open only in the Future Age (Eph. 1:21).

The well-known Orthodox theologian, Archpriest John Meyendorff, believes that for the Christian tradition, the hierarchical structure of the angelic world proposed by Dionysius the Areopagite presents great inconvenience. “Old Testament angelology is complex and does not fit into the hierarchy of Dionysius. So, Seraphim in the book of the prophet Isaiah is a direct messenger of God (in the system of Dionysius, Seraphim would have to use the underlying hierarchy). The Church honors the Archangel Michael as the head of the heavenly host (in the Epistle of the Apostle Jude he fights Satan), however, in the system of Dionysius, the archangel rank is one of the lowest in the heavenly hierarchy. This was noticed by the holy fathers, so they accepted the hierarchy of Dionysius with reservations. Thus, St. Gregory Palamas claims that the Incarnation of Christ violated the original order: in violation of all hierarchical ranks, God sent the Archangel Gabriel, that is, one of the lower Angels, to announce to the Virgin Mary the good news of the Incarnation. Reflecting the same thought, the hymns of the feasts of the Ascension and the Assumption proclaim that the Angels were surprised that the human nature of Christ and the Mother of God "ascends from earth to heaven" completely independently of the angelic hierarchy.

So, it should be borne in mind that the classification of the Heavenly Powers of Dionysius the Areopagite is rather arbitrary and schematic, it is unable to satisfactorily explain some of the facts of Revelation and the phenomena of spiritual life. For example, if we strictly follow the scheme of Dionysius, then our communication with God is possible only through Angels. However, in the Holy Scriptures there are any number of examples of people communicating with God without the mediation of Angels.

Archangels

In the canonical books of the Bible, only two names of the Archangels are mentioned:

1) Michael(from Heb. - “who is like God”; Dan. 10:13; Jude 1:9) - Archangel of the incorporeal Forces.

2) Gabriel(from Heb. - "man of God"; Dan. 8:16; Luke 1:19) - a servant of the Divine fortress and a messenger of the mysteries of God.

Four names appear in non-canonical books:

3) Raphael(from Heb. - "God's help"; Tov. 3:16) - a healer of ailments.

4) Uriel(from Heb. - “the fire of God”; 3 Ezra 4: 1) - a servant of Divine love, kindling love for God in hearts and enlightening with the light of God-knowledge.

5) Selaphiel(from Heb. - “prayer to God”) - a minister of prayer, teaching prayer.

6) Jeremiel(from Heb. - "the height of God"; 3 Ezra. 4:36).

In addition, pious tradition speaks of two more Archangels:

7) Yehudiel(from Heb. - “Praise of God”) - an assistant in labor and an advocate for rewards for those who work for the glory of God.

8) Barahiel(from Heb. - "God's blessing") - a servant of God's blessings.

There is an opinion that seven of them are coming to the throne of God. In this sense, the following words from the Revelation of John the Theologian are interpreted: Grace to you and peace from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne” (Rev. 1:4). This is, of course, a rather arbitrary interpretation. The exact meaning of this text is hidden from us.

There are prayers with petitions to each of the Archangels according to their ministry.

1. Holy Archangel Michael, conqueror, conquer my passions.

2. Holy Archangel Gabriel, messenger of God, announce to me the hour of death.

3. Holy Archangel Raphael, healer, heal me from mental and physical illness.

4. Holy Archangel Uriel, enlightener, enlighten my feelings of soul and body.

5. Holy Archangel Yehudiel, glorifier, glorify me with good deeds.

6. Holy Archangel Selaphiel, prayer book, pray to God for me, a sinner.

7. Holy Archangel Varahiel, bless me, a sinner, spend my whole life in spiritual salvation.

8. Holy Angel of God, my Guardian, save my sinful soul.

9. About Holy Lady my Mother of God, all the Heavenly Powers of the holy Angel and Archangel and all the saints, have mercy on me, help me in this life, in the outcome of my soul and in the Future Age. Amen

Psychology of betrayal