A Day in the Life of an Angel

Right away, I'm in trouble using this title for the post. Of course, angels are not subject to time such as day or night. They are immortal beings. But these ones figure into our mortal days and nights throughout history.

Thousands of angels are named in folklore and literature. They are included in the beliefs of every religion on earth and are primarily categorized as either holy or evil. Even though vast numbers of angels are said to be all around us, we humans do not have the faculties to see them unless they choose to make themselves known. What might these ones be doing right now behind the scenes? What is on their schedules for us today? What do we know about them and where did that information come from?

Angels are invisible, supernatural, created beings who can take on different forms. They can visibly appear as humans, animals, or beings of light, fire or lightning. Sometimes they have wings and sometimes, not. Their primary purpose is to be an intermediary or messenger between God and mankind. They give guidance, inflict judgment, and protect. Their characteristic trait is stealth in their encounters with mankind. They do not attempt to draw attention to themselves, and an angel's motivation (at least a holy angel) is to pass any glory they might receive to God and never be worshipped themselves. An angelic visitation is a brief glimpse into the invisible spiritual world.

In Hebrew, the word for angel is "malakh," meaning messenger, and messenger in the Greek is "angelos." In Persian, it is "angaros," meaning courier. The Western concept of angels comes primarily from the mythologies of Babylonia and Persia.

Angels are key figures throughout the Christian Bible, yet only two angels are named, Michael and Gabriel. Raphael is named in the apocryphal Book of Tobit, so the Catholic Church forbids the use of names other than these three. Other works in the Apochrypha and Pseudepigrapha give names to many, many other angels.

For Egyptians, Greeks, Hebrews, Assyrians, Essenes and Gnostics, the proper names of angels held great mystical and magical powers. They believed the vibrations of spoken words released this power. Angelic names were used in prayers, incantations and on amulets in order to access the powers represented by the angel's name. The power of their names was determined by the use of gematria, which is where numerical values are assigned to each letter of the alphabet. The sum of the values of each letter in a particular name is given meaning by comparing it with the same numerical value of other words. Gematria was also used to interpret scripture. For example, early Christians viewed the dove as the symbol of Jesus because the Greek word for dove adds up to 801, the same as the sum of the letters in the Greek words for alpha and omega, representing the Beginning and the End. The possible first use of gematria was by the Babylonian King Sargon II in the 8th century B.C. He built a wall, the length of which corresponded to the numerical value of his name.

Along with names, angels are ranked into groups. The Bible names the groups as angels, archangels, principalities, powers, dominions, virtues, thrones, cherubim and seraphim. Throughout history, theologians, philosophers and artists have built upon these groupings and established hierarchies based upon what they interpreted as angelic duties. Those who wrote about these hierarchies include Pseudo-Dionysius, St. Ignatius Martyr, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose and Gregory the Great. The best-known hierarchy is an arrangement by Pseudo-Dionysius of nine choirs in three tiers. The term "choir" also means "an organized group" as well as referring to singers; therefore, it is not limited to the idea of singing. Following is a brief breakdown of his ideas about each choir of angel and their duties:

* Seraphim - Are closest to God. "Seraphim" means "fire makers," "carriers of warmth" or "ardor." They are the only angels above the throne of God, and they constantly glorify Him, saying "holy, holy, holy." They can appear in a form with four heads and six wings-two for flying, two to cover their faces and two to cover their feet.

* Cherubim - From the Hebrew "kerub," meaning "fullness of knowledge" or "one who intercedes." Cherubim are thought to be the voice of divine wisdom and possessing insight into God's secrets, which they pass on to lower levels of angels. Ezekiel described Cherubim as having four faces-a cherub, a man, a lion and an eagle. In Revelation, they are the living beasts, having many eyes and six wings.

* Thrones - These are the chariots of God which are driven by the Cherubs. God himself rests upon them and they are depicted as wheels with many eyes.

* Dominions - Angels who regulate the duties of other angels and make known God's commandments.

* Virtues - Angels who carry out the orders of Dominions. They are in charge of miracles and provide courage, grace and valor.

* Powers - Angels who fight against evil spirits, protect divine plans initiated by Dominions and carried out by Virtues.

* Principalities - Angels who watch over and govern the visible world of nations and cities and are the protectors of religion.

* Archangels - Angels who are in charge of Heaven's armies and are the supervisors of guardian angels. The Archangel Michael is the only one specifically named as an archangel in the Bible. However, the seven angels spoken of in Revelation 8:2 are thought to be archangels.

* Angels - Angels who are closest to the earth. They go between realms, delivering prayers to God and God's answers and other messages to mankind.

Much difference of opinion exists about the question of whether people have a specific angel attached to them as a guardian angel. Cultures other than Judeo-Christian believe in guardian spirits and spirit guides as well. Guardian angels are not specifically named in the Bible, but the Church fathers agreed on the existence of personal angels even though they disagreed on various aspects of those attachments.

While the ministry of a guardian angel is carried out unbeknownst to us, many have experienced the appearance of a mysterious stranger, who appears out of nowhere, interacts in the current problem, and then disappears into thin air. There is nothing that differentiates these mysterious strangers from the average Joe or Jane on the street. Only their appearance and disappearance after solving the problem at hand creates that sense of awe, of entertaining an angel unaware, after the hair on the back of your neck settles down!

I have often wondered why God created angels. He is all-powerful. Why would he need angels to do anything? But I can see that rather than God needing angels, perhaps he created them because people need them. God only knows how many times his angels have kept us from horrible accidents or ministered peace to us in the dark hour of the night. Even though some angels decided not to keep the place where God placed them, far more angels are committed to staying right there. May we not worship these magnificent beings but work together with them in the accomplishment of God's purposes.

Sources:

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen (1996). Encyclopedia of Angels. New York: Facts On File, Inc.

A History of Angels in Western Thought

The Straight Dope: What's the deal with angels?

Ministering Spirits: Terms and Descriptions of Angels