“And flights of angels
sing thee to thy rest!” –Hamlet by Shakespeare
We all know of angels right? Those invisible
beings that watch over (or interfere, depending on your view) us throughout
life. They are the beings that mediate
between us and God, and minister everything in the natural order of the universe. Though angels exist in Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam, they are connected helping spirits in mythologies throughout the
world. Actually, the term angel stands for one class in the Angelic Orders.
Today, we’ll just stick with the Christian version, because the others would
make this more confusing.
Angel’s main job is to serve as
messengers between Heaven and Earth.
Those prayers you whisper with your hands clasped and your eyes closed
are delivered to God by angels. They
then give God’s answers in the form of inspiration. They also serve as Guardian
Angels. In Christianity, Angels are the
lowest order of angels. I know, it’s
confusing, but have you read old Christian texts? They’re not exactly clear.
The next are the archangels, who
serve as liaisons between God and mortals and are the supervisors of guardian
angels. It is said that the archangels are the guardians to heads of state and
other important figures. They are also in charge of heaven’s armies against the
legions of Hell. Three of the most popular archangels are Michael, Gabriel, and
Raphael.
Principalities are the seventh
highest order of angels. They watch over entire nations. Each principality is
assigned its own nation to look after. Supposedly, they can help humans call on
secret powers (superpowers anyone?) and help subdue others.
The Powers are responsible for
fighting evil spirits who seek to cause mayhem through humans. They protect the
divine plan initiated by the Dominions (we’ll get to them) and performed by the
Virtues (they’re next). Pretty much they
seem to be the Navy Seals of angels.
The Virtues primary duty is to
perform miracles on Earth. They also provide grace, courage, and valor. God
governs the seasons, elements, and heavens through the virtues even though
lower angels have direct responsibility for the tasks.
The fourth highest order is the
Dominions. They proclaim the orders of God and regulate the duties of the other
angels. You could say they’re middle management. They are also the angels of mercy.
Next up, the thrones are God’s
living beings of justice and authority. Interesting enough, the thrones are
depicted as wheels with many eyes and reside in the cosmos where material form
begins to take shape.
The Cherubim are not the cute
little cherubs you see pictures of. They guard the way to the tree of life in
the Garden of Eden. They’d be God’s secret service so to speak. Cherubim have
four faces and multiple sets of wings. Do you Zachariah in Supernatural? The
way he described himself, he would have been a Cherubim.
The highest order is the Seraphim.
They are the caretakers of God’s throne and shout praises of "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.
All the earth is filled with His Glory." The Seraphim have six wings,
two cover their faces, two cover their body, and two cover their feet.
So, there you have it. Heaven runs
a lot like a nation, with the lowest order still the hardest working one. Are there any particular orders you like
best? In A Prescription for Delirium,
my order of angels is really different from this. There are seven archangels
and the rest of the Host is under each of them.
Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.
