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

An angel is an inspired being found in many religions. Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an Guido Reni ( 4 November 1575 &ndash 18 August 1642) was a prominent Italian painter of high- Baroque style A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition, in Christianity, Judaism and Islam, they typically act as messengers from God. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Other roles in religious traditions include acting as warrior or guard; the concept of a "guardian angel" is popular in modern Western culture. A guardian angel is an Angel who protects and guides a particular person Western culture (sometimes equated with Western Civilization) are terms which are used to refer to Cultures of European origin Angels are usually viewed as emanations of a supreme divine being, sent to do the tasks of that being. Traditions vary as to whether angels have free will or are merely extensions of the supreme being's will. The question of free will While the appearance of angels also varies, many views of angels give them a human shape.

Etymology

The word "angel" in English (from Old English and German Engel), French (from Old French angele), Spanish, and many other Romance languages are derived from the Latin angelus, itself derived from Koine Greek: άγγελος, angelos, "messenger" (pl. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages, or Neolatin languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Koine Greek (Κοινὴ Ἑλληνική, "common Greek" or, ciˈni ðiˈale̞kto̞s "the common dialect" is the popular form of Greek which emerged in άγγελοι). ^[1] The ultimate etymology of that word in Greek is uncertain. ^[2]

In Hebrew the primary term for "angel" is "malakh," (מַלְאָךְ) derived from the Semitic consonantal root l-'-k (ל-א-ך), meaning "to send. See Aradan for Malach the character from JRR Tolkien 's Middle-earth universe In the terminology used to discuss the grammar of the Semitic languages and some other Afro-Asiatic languages, a triliteral ( Arabic: جذر ثلاثي " This root is attested in Hebrew only in this noun and in the noun "Melakha" (מְלָאכָה), meaning "work". Other words referring to angels include כרוב kruv^[3] describing young children, from which the English word "cherub" is derived. CHERUB is a series of young adult books written by the author Robert Muchamore. Another Hebrew term is Gil-Gulim, meaning "revolving," and angels are sometimes depicted as wheels with wings. Derived from this is the Hebrew term "Gal-Gal," "the rotation of fortune, change. "^[4]

Jewish beliefs

The Bible, Oral Law, Midrash and various mystical texts present angels as heavenly beings created by God who are not endowed with free will. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Midrash ( Hebrew: מדרש plural midrashim, lit "to repeat" is a Hebrew term referring to the not exact but comparative ( homiletic The question of free will They occasionally appear on earth in furtherance of God's will, often as messengers. They are frequently encountered in mystical texts, particularly those of the Merkabah tradition. For the series of Israeli main battle tanks see Merkava. The Hebrew word Merkabah (he מרכבה " Chariot " derived from the consonantal Jewish angelology is far from systematic, and the purpose, nature and personalities of individual angels and the heavenly host as a whole varies greatly across historical eras, texts, genres and traditions. ^[5]

The Bible uses the terms מלאך אלהים (messenger of God), מלאך יהוה (messenger of the Lord), בני אלוהים (sons of God) and הקדושים (the holy ones) to refer to beings traditionally interpreted as angels. Other terms are used in later texts, such as העוליונים (the upper ones). Daniel is the first biblical figure to refer to individual angels by name. ^[5]

In post-Biblical Judaism, certain angels came to take on a particular significance and developed unique personalities and roles. Though these archangels were believed to have rank amongst the heavenly host, no systematic hierarchy ever developed. Archangels are superior or higher-ranking Angels Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions including Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism Metatron is considered one of the highest of the angels in Merkabah and Kabbalist mysticism and often serves as a scribe. Metatron ( Hebrew מטטרון or מיטטרון is the name of an Angel in Judaism and some branches of Christianity and Islam Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. He is briefly mentioned in the Talmud,^[6] and figures prominently in Merkabah mystical texts. Michael, who serves as a warrior and advocate for Israel (Daniel 10:13) is looked upon particularly fondly. Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an Gabriel is mentioned in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 8:15-17) and briefly in the Talmud,^[7] as well as many Merkabah mystical texts. The Book of Daniel (דניאל, originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a Book in both the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) and the Christian

Maimonides and rationalism

In the Middle Ages, some Jews presented a rationalist view of angels that is accepted by many Jews. In Epistemology and in its broadest sense rationalism is "any view appealing to Reason as a source of knowledge or justification" (Lacey 286

The rationalist view of angels, as held by Maimonides, Gersonides, Samuel Ibn Tibbon, etc. Moses Maimonides ( March 30 1135 – December 13 1204) also known as the Rambam, was a Rabbi, Physician, and Levi ben Gershom ( לוי בן גרשום) better known as Gersonides or the Ralbag (1288-1344 was a famous Rabbi, philosopher Mathematician , states that God's actions are never mediated by a violation of the laws of nature. Rather, all such interactions are by way of angels. Even this can be highly misleading: Maimonides harshly states that the average person's understanding of the term "angel" is ignorant in the extreme.

Rather, according to Maimonides, the wise man understands that what the Bible and Talmud refer to as "angels" are actually metaphors for laws of nature, or the principles by which the universe operates. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history This is explained in his Guide of the Perplexed II:4 and II:6, and differs from the more widespread perception of angels in the Torah. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to

II:4

. . . This leads Aristotle in turn to the demonstrated fact that God, glory and majesty to Him, does not do things by direct contact. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. God burns things by means of fire; fire is moved by the motion of the sphere; the sphere is moved by means of a disembodied intellect, these intellects being the 'angels which are near to Him', through whose mediation the spheres [planets] move. . . . thus totally disembodied minds exist which emanate from God and are the intermediaries between God and all the bodies [objects] here in this world.

Zoroastrianism

Main article: Zoroastrian angelology

In Zoroastrianism there are different angel-like animals. Yazata is the Avestan language word for a Zoroastrian concept Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings For example, each person has one guardian angel, called Fravashi. In Zoroastrian doctrine a fravashi ( Avestan fravaši; Middle Persian fraward, frawahr, frohar, frawash They patronize human beings and other creatures, and also manifest God’s energy. The Amesha Spentas have often been regarded as angels, although they don't convey messages,^[8] but are rather emanations of Ahura Mazda ("Wise Lord", God); they initially appear in an abstract fashion and then later became personalized, associated with diverse aspects of the divine creation. ae Amesha Spenta ( ae Aməša Spənta) is an Avestan language term for a class of divinity/divine concepts in Zoroastrianism, and literally means "Bounteous Ahura Mazda ( ae Ahura Mazdā) is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator ^[9]

Christian beliefs

Raphael and Tobias, after Adam Elsheimer, c1610. Raphael ( Standard Hebrew רָפָאֵל Rāp̄āʾēl, "It is God who heals" "God Heals" "God Please Heal" Arabic Adam Elsheimer (1578 &ndash 1610 was an influential artist in the early 17th century The Archangel appears in nearly normal clothes; there is even the suggestion of trousers

New Testament references

In the New Testament angels appear frequently as the ministers of God and the agents of revelation (e. g. Matthew 1:20 (to Joseph), 4:11. (to Jesus), Luke 1:26 (to Mary), Acts 12:7 (to Peter)); and Jesus speaks of angels as fulfilling such functions (e. The Gospel of Luke (Gk Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιον) is a synoptic Gospel, and is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. g. Mark 8:38, 13:27), implying in one saying that they neither marry nor are given in marriage (Mark 12:25). Content Authorship The gospel itself is anonymous but as early as Papias in the early 2nd century a text was attributed to Mark, a cousin Angels are most prominent at the birth of Jesus and at Jesus' resurrection. This article concerns itself with Jesus Christ Christian, Islamic and other religious interpretations of resurrection in general The New Testament takes little interest in the idea of the angelic hierarchy, but there are traces of the doctrine. The distinction of good and bad angels is recognized. Good angels mentioned by name are Gabriel and Michael (Luke 1:19; Daniel 12:1). Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an Scripture also mentions a tempter Satan, the scribes name the ruler of demons as Beelzebub, and the angel of the abyss Apollyon (Mark 1:13, 3:22; Rev. Satan, ( Standard Hebrew Satan'el, English accuser) is a term that originates from the Abrahamic faiths, being traditionally Ba‘al Zebûb, Ba‘al Zəbûb or Ba‘al Zəvûv ( Hebrew בעל זבוב, with numerous variants appears as the 9:11). Apollyon, (Hebrew Abaddon) a name for an angel mentioned in Revelation 9:11, is believed by some to be a good angel that guards the gates to the traditionally known hell. Abaddon ( Hebrew אבדון Avaddon, meaning "destruction" Revelation 10:1 describes another angel, although unnamed, some say it is Metatron. Metatron ( Hebrew מטטרון or מיטטרון is the name of an Angel in Judaism and some branches of Christianity and Islam The Christian Greek scriptures also imply an angelic hierarchy; archangels (namely Michael, mentioned in both Daniel 10:13 and Jude 9, Gabriel, and Raphael), principalities and powers (Rom. 8:38; Col. 2:10), thrones and dominions (Col 1:16). The hierarchies of principalities, powers, thrones, and dominions are questionable by some Christian denominations due to the ambiguity of the context. Romans 8:38 may refer to other things besides angels if the context includes opposition beyond spirits themselves. The scope of Col. 1:16 covering "all things created" also extends far beyond angels by themselves. Other hierarchies accepted from the Old Testament include seraphim and cherubim. A seraph ( Heb. שׂרף, pl שׂרפים Seraphim, lat. seraph'' pl

Theological development

Angels of about 1400, in the Wilton diptych

Since Saint Gregory and the Pseudo-Dionysian Celestial Hierarchy (5th century), Catholic theology has assumed nine orders of angelic beings; Angels, Virtues, Powers (called Lords), Principalities, Dominions (also called Kings), Thrones (Ophanim), Cherubim, Seraphim and Archangels, endorsed by medieval scholasticism (Summa Theologica). Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, also known as Pseudo-Denys, is the anonymous theologian and philosopher of the late 5th to early 6th century whose Corpus Areopagiticum De Coelesti Hierarchia ( Celestial Hierarchy) is a Pseudo-Dionysian work on Angelology (dated to ca An Ophan ( Lat. ophan'' pl ophani'' from hebrew אְוּפַּנים is one of a class of Celestial beings called Ophanim described in CHERUB is a series of young adult books written by the author Robert Muchamore. A seraph ( Heb. שׂרף, pl שׂרפים Seraphim, lat. seraph'' pl Archangels are superior or higher-ranking Angels Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions including Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism Scholasticism was the dominant form of theology and philosophy in the Latin West in the Middle Ages, particularly in the 12th 13th and 14th centuries The Summa Theologica (or the Summa Theologiae or simply the Summa, written 1265 &ndash 1274) is the most famous This is not official Church doctrine or dogma, however, and in general the faithful are not required to adhere to this categorization.

Angels occur in groups of four or seven (Rev 7:1). The Angels of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor are described in Rev. 1-3; the angels are the representative angels of the seven congregations. Daniel 10:12,13 also appears to depict angels in opposition (presumably fallen angels) to other angels, taking on the roles of prince-angels (of the order of Principalities) for nations, in this case the "prince of the kingdom of Persia. " It is well-known that there are angels for nations, organizations, parishes, families, and individuals (angels presiding over individuals are called guardian angels. )

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in the traditional role of messenger to inform her that her child would be the Messiah, and other angels were present to herald his birth. This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions In Matt. 28:2, an angel appeared at Jesus' tomb, frightened the Roman guards, rolled away the stone from the tomb, and later told the myrrh-bearing women of Jesus' resurrection. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The term Myrrhbearers ( Greek: Μυροφόραι Myrophorae; Slavonic: Жены́-мѷроно́сицы mironosiţe refers to the women who came This article concerns itself with Jesus Christ Christian, Islamic and other religious interpretations of resurrection in general Alternately, in Mark 16:5, the angel is not seen until the women enter the already-opened tomb, and he is described simply as "a young man. " In Luke's version of the resurrection tale (Luke 24:4), two angels suddenly appear next to the women within the tomb; they are described as being clothed in "shining apparel. " This is most similar to the version in John 20:12, where Mary alone speaks to "two angels in white" within the tomb of Jesus.

Two angels witnessed Jesus' ascent into Heaven and prophesied his return. Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond When Peter was imprisoned, an angel put his guards to sleep, released him from his chains, and led him out of the prison. Angels fill a number of different roles in the Book of Revelation. Among other things, they are seen gathered around the Throne of God saying the thrice-holy hymn. A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities

Depiction in art

A Gothic angel in ivory, c1250, Louvre

While angels and demons alike are generally regarded as invisible to human sight, they are frequently depicted as human-like creatures with wings, though many theologians have argued that they have no physical existence, but can take on human form (the traditional Eastern Orthodox term for angels is asomata, "bodiless [ones]"). This article is about Gothic art See also Gothic architecture Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that lasted about 200 Ivory is formed from Dentine and constitutes the bulk of the Teeth and Tusks of animals such as the Elephant, Hippopotamus, The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre located in Paris is the world's most visited art museum a historic monument and a national museum of France Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Descriptions of angels in their angelic form mention wings (as in Isaiah, Zachariah, etc. ) however, when appearing in human form, they look like men, or as young men. Seraphim are shown in art as having six wings (in accordance with Isaiah 6:1-3), and Cherubim four, having a quadruple face of lion, ox, eagle, and man. A seraph ( Heb. שׂרף, pl שׂרפים Seraphim, lat. seraph'' pl CHERUB is a series of young adult books written by the author Robert Muchamore. Putto are often confused with Cherubim, although they are completely different. The putto (pl putti) is a figure of a pudgy Human baby, almost always male often naked and having wings found especially in Italian Renaissance CHERUB is a series of young adult books written by the author Robert Muchamore.

Most theologians agree that angels have no gender (see more extended discussion below). Therefore, they usually appear as androgynous, although guardian angels appear more feminine and maternal. Their exceptional beauty was well attested in Scripture. The long plain dress or tunic traditionally given to most angels comes hardly altered from the Byzantine tradition, where it had, if anything, a male connotation. In the Renaissance these were shown often bright-coloured, but before and after were mostly plain white. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere

Byzantine angels were also often shown in military outfits, and, transmitted by icons from Crete in particular, this tradition was transferred to Western art, especially for Gabriel and Michael, who wear versions of Byzantine officer's armour and clothing into the Baroque period and later. An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the Also see articles History of painting, Western painting Western Art' redirects here Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc The same archangels, when in attendance on Christ or the Virgin, wear the loros, a jeweled strip of cloth hanging vertically down the front of the body. Byzantine dress changed considerably over the thousand years of the Empire but was essentially conservative This was worn only by the Imperial family and their bodyguard; the archangels were seen as God's bodyguard. A royal family is the extended family of a monarch. Generally the head of a royal family is a king or queen regnant A bodyguard (or "close protection officer" is a type of Security guard or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous wealthy or politically They also often carry long white staves of office. A staff of office is a staff, the carrying of which often denotes an Official 's position a Social rank or a degree of social prestige. Hence, when a high-ranking Byzantine in a visionary dream in 586 saw two men he took to be bodyguards of the Emperor, they subsequently turned out to be angels. ^[10] For other scenes, the same angels must appear incognito to accord with, for example, their appearance to Abraham. However artists are very reluctant to depict them in normal clothes, or without wings. The wings represent the angels' role as messengers of God (cf. Hermes). Hermes ( Greek,, ˈhɝmiːz in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them of Shepherds and

Angels are often shown making music in heaven, sometimes in bands of a fair size, or in depictions of the Book of Revelation, blowing trumpets in accordance with the text. In the 15th century West in particular, angels are sometimes shown wearing versions of contemporary clerical vestments, especially the alb and crossed stole. Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religions especially the Latin Rite and other Roman Catholics The alb, one of the liturgical Vestments of the Roman Catholic, Anglican and many Protestant churches is an ample garment of white There was a theological comparison developed between the role of Gabriel in the Annunciation and that of the priest saying Mass.

In the Renaissance, the classical putto, usually naked, was first revived in secular and mythological subjects, but they soon appeared, often in great quantity, as newly-created angels, becoming almost the norm in compositions with a number of angels merely in attendance. The putto (pl putti) is a figure of a pudgy Human baby, almost always male often naked and having wings found especially in Italian Renaissance

Islamic beliefs

Main article: Angels in Islam

In the Qur'an, angels are referred to as "Malaaikah" (Arabic مَلَائِكَة) or "Farishtay" (Persian,Urdu فرشته). Angels in Islam are light-based creatures created from light by God to serve and worship Him The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised The belief in angels is central to the religion of Islam, which articles of faith includes Belief in God, Belief in Angels, Belief in Books (Holy Scripture), Belief in Prophets and Messengers, Belief in Qiyamah (Resurrection/Doomsday) and finally Belief in Qada and Qadar (Arabic القضاء و القدر) (predestination) beginning with the belief that the Qur'an was dictated to Muhammad by the chief of all angels, the archangel Jibril (Gabriel). For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. In Islam, Yawm al-Qiyāmah "the Day of Resurrection" (يوم القيامة or Yawm ad-Din "the Day of Faith" (يوم الدين is God's final This article concerns itself with Jesus Christ Christian, Islamic and other religious interpretations of resurrection in general This is a sub-article of Sunni Islam, Aqidah and Predestination. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل Angels are thus the ministers of God, as well as the agents of revelation in Islam.

In Islamic tradition, angels are benevolent beings created from a Divine Light. They do not possess free will, thus are incapable of doing evil or disobeying God. Unlike the Christian tradition, the Islamic tradition considers Satan (Iblis) to be a jinn, not an angel. Satan, ( Standard Hebrew Satan'el, English accuser) is a term that originates from the Abrahamic faiths, being traditionally Jinn, like humans, have free will. With rationality this Islamic actuality affords Satan (Iblis) the opportunity to forego a command by God, causing his eventual fall from Grace.

Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam": They bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrong-doers!
(Qur'an, ^{[Qur'an 18:50]})

Angels are wholly devoted to the worship of God. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran They are regarded as messengers of God, carrying out specific duties on His command. Angels are ranked and vary in their abilities and duties. Duties may include recording every human being's actions, placing a soul in a newborn child, maintaining certain environmental conditions of the planet (such as nurturing vegetation and distributing the rain), taking the soul at the time of death and more.

Angels are described as preternaturally beautiful. Having varying sizes and counts of wings.

Praise be to Allah, Who created (out of nothing) the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels, messengers with wings,- two, or three, or four (pairs): He adds to Creation as He pleases: for Allah has power over all things.
(Qur'an, ^{[Qur'an 35:1]})

Angels are considered genderless, however they only possess male names. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran

Those who believe not in the Hereafter, name the angels with female names.
(Qur'an, ^{[Qur'an 53:27]})

Angels can take on human form, but only in appearance. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran As such, angels do not eat, procreate nor commit sin as humans do. Humans cannot become angels upon death or otherwise, nor can angels become human.

Unlike a Christian tradition, angels and not Satan guard the gates of Hell. Instead, Satan resides on earth, waylaying man until the Day of Resurrection, after which he will be cast into hell along with the unbelievers.

And We have set none but angels as Guardians of the Fire; and We have fixed their number only as a trial for Unbelievers,- in order that the People of the Book may arrive at certainty, and the Believers may increase in Faith,- and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book and the Believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the Unbelievers may say, "What symbol doth Allah intend by this ?" Thus doth Allah leave to stray whom He pleaseth, and guide whom He pleaseth: and none can know the forces of thy Lord, except He and this is no other than a warning to mankind.
(Qur'an, ^{[Qur'an 74:31]})

The archangel Gabriel^[11] is attributed with sending the message of God to all the Prophets, including the Psalms, Torah, Bible and Qur'an (as opposed to the Christian view that Gabriel is the angel of good news). The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Muslims regard as Prophets of Islam ( Arabic: نبي) those non-divine humans chosen by Allah as Prophets Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Other angels include Mikail (Michael) who discharges control of vegetation and rain, Israfeel who will blow the trumpet at the Day of Resurrection,^[11] and Izra'il (Azrael), the angel of death^[11] . Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an Angels in Islam are light-based creatures created from light by God to serve and worship Him In Islam, Yawm al-Qiyāmah "the Day of Resurrection" (يوم القيامة or Yawm ad-Din "the Day of Faith" (يوم الدين is God's final Azrael is the Islamic Archangel of Death. It is an English form of the Arabic name Azra'il (عزرائيل or Azra'eil (عزرایل the name traditionally attributed Azrael is the Islamic Archangel of Death. It is an English form of the Arabic name Azra'il (عزرائيل or Azra'eil (عزرایل the name traditionally attributed The angels Munkar and Nakir are assigned to interrogate the dead before Judgment Day,^[11] Ridwan ( Arabic : رضوان), is the angel guarding the Heaven's Gate while Maalik (Arabic :مالك) is the chief angel in charge of Hell^[11] (as opposed to a popular concept in Western folklore that Satan rules hell). Nakir and Munkar, ( Arabic: منكر و نكير) in Islamic eschatology, are angels who test the faith of the dead in their graves Ridwan ( Arabic: رضوانalso Rizwan, according to Islamic Tradition is the angel in charge of maintaining Jannah or Paradise. In Islamic belief Maalik (مالك denotes an angel who guards the Hellfire assisted by 19 zabaniya or guardians A pair of angels known as Raqib and A'tid (called the Kirama Katibin (Arabic: كراما كاتبين) in the Quran) have the job of recording the daily actions of human beings, one assigned to good deeds and the other to transgressions. Kirama Katibin ( Arabic: كراماً كاتبين or "honourable recorders" are two angels in Islam who record a person's good and bad deeds There are nineteen angels overseeing the punishments of hell (Surat Al-Muddaththir, 74:30). Surat Al-Muddathir (سورة المدثر (The Cloaked One The Man Wearing A Cloak is the 74th sura of the Qur'an with 56 Ayat. ^[11] There are eight angels that support the Throne of God (Surat Al-Haaqqa, 69:17). Surat Al-Ḥāqqä ( Arabic: سورة الحاقة) (The Reality is the 69th sura of the Qur'an with 52 Ayat. ^[11]

Imam `Ali explained the creation of Angels in the following words:

"Then He created the openings between high skies and filled them with all classes of His angels. ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (a=علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب|t=ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib 13th Rajab, 24 BH – 21st Ramaḍān, 40 AH Some of them are in prostration and do not kneel up. Others in kneeling position and do not stand up. Some of them are in array and do not leave their position. Others are extolling God and do not get tired. The sleep of the eye or the slip of wit, or languor of the body or the effect of forgetfulness does not affect them. Among them are those who work as trusted bearers of His message, those who serve as speaking tongues for His prophets and those who carry to and fro His orders and injunctions. Among them are the protectors of His creatures and guards of the doors of the gardens of Paradise. Among them are those also whose steps are fixed on earth but their necks are protruding into the skies, their limbs are getting out on all sides, their shoulders are in accord with the columns of the Divine Throne, their eyes are downcast before it, they have spread down their wings under it and they have rendered between themselves and all else curtains of honour and screens of power. They do not think of their Creator through image, do not impute to Him attributes of the created, do not confine Him within abodes and do not point at Him through illustrations. "^[12]

Gender of angels

Although the religions mentioned above do not view angels as having gender in the human sense, however, angels are given a masculine aspect. For example, in the Jewish Tanakh the Hebrew form of the words used to denote angels are always masculine, and their described roles are masculine. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is Angelic roles in the Tanakh are those of a warrior, herald, guard (at the gates of Eden), wrestler (of Jacob; "a man," according to Genesis 32:24, or "the angel," according to Hosea 12:4). According to the Random House Dictionary, the term warrior has two meanings A herald, or more correctly a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between Pursuivant and King of arms. Not to be confused with Eden Gardens.The Garden of Eden ( Hebrew "pleasure" גַּן עֵדֶן Arabic: جنات عدن, Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two people in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of the opponent Jacob ( Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard   Yaʿaqov Tiberian   Yaʿăqōḇ; In Christianity and Islam, the masculine tone of angels is also adopted, as in the story of the mover of large stones (at the tomb of Christ). Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " The suggestion in each religion is that in traditional societies these would all have been tasks typically performed by men. The few canonical names of angels (e. g. , Michael, Raphael and Gabriel) are recognized in Judaism as masculine names, and have been widely adopted by other cultures. Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an Raphael ( Standard Hebrew רָפָאֵל Rāp̄āʾēl, "It is God who heals" "God Heals" "God Please Heal" Arabic Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل The base of the English word angel is the Koine Greek term άγγελος, a grammatically masculine noun, and the Latin derivation angelus is also grammatically masculine. Koine Greek (Κοινὴ Ἑλληνική, "common Greek" or, ciˈni ðiˈale̞kto̞s "the common dialect" is the popular form of Greek which emerged in In Linguistics, grammatical genders, sometimes also called Noun classes are classes of nouns reflected in the behavior of associated words every noun must belong Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The word "angel" in English (from Old English engel), French (from Old French angele), German, Spanish, and many other European languages are derived from the Latin, and are viewed as grammatically masculine nouns in those languages which assign grammatical gender to nouns. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Most of the many Languages of Europe belong to the Indo-European Language family.

Latter-day Saint beliefs

Further information: Translation (LDS Church)

Bern Switzerland Temple statue of the angel Moroni

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (generally called "Mormons") views angels as the messengers of God sent to mankind to deliver messages, minister to humanity, teach doctrines of salvation, call mankind to repentance, give priesthood keys, save individuals in perilous times, and guide mankind. In the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, translation refers to being physically changed by God from a mortal human being to an immortal The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known ^[13]

Joseph Smith, Jr. described his first angelic encounter thus (Joseph Smith History 1:30-33):

"While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. "He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also, were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom. "Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me. "

People who claimed to have received a visit by an angel include Joseph Smith, Jr., and the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon: Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. The Three Witnesses were a group of three early leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement who signed a statement in 1830 saying that an Angel had shown them The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery ( 3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith Jr David Whitmer ( January 7, 1805 &ndash January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became Martin Harris ( May 18, 1783 &ndash July 10, 1875) underwrote the first printing of The Book of Mormon and also served as one of Although Cowdery, Whitmer, and Harris all eventually became disaffected with Smith and left the church, none of them retracted their statement that they had seen and conversed with an angel of the Lord, and indeed, even defended their claim of angelic visitation to their deaths. Countless other Latter-day Saints, both in the early movement and modern church, claimed or have claimed to have seen angels.

The majority of the angelic visitations in the early Latter Day Saint movement were witnessed by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, who, prior to the establishment of the Church, both claimed to have been ministered to by the prophet-historian Moroni, the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi, John the Baptist, and the Apostles Peter, James, and John. Please see the talk page for this article and the "See also" list before adding content or adding a hyphen to Latter Day Saint This article is about the mythological Moroni from the Book of Mormon. Nephi (ˈniːfaɪ is one of the main people described in the Book of Mormon. Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. James son of Alphaeus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus of Nazareth. Saint John the Apostle ( Greek Ιωάννης, see Names of John) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Later, at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery claimed to have been visited by Jesus, and subsequently by Moses, Elias, and Elijah (see D&C 110). The Kirtland Temple is a registered National Historic Landmark in Kirtland Ohio, USA, on the eastern edge of the Cleveland metropolitan area Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ Elias is the Latin transliteration of the Greek name Ἠλίας pronounced either [[IPA|elias] ] in most European languages or [[IPA|ə'lajəz] ] in English-speaking Elijah or Elias ( was a Prophet in Israel in the 9th century BC

Latter-day Saints also believe that Michael the Archangel was Adam (the first man) when he was mortal, and that Gabriel lived on the earth as Noah. Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an Adam (אָדָם ʼĀḏām, "dust man mankind" آدم; Ge'ez: አዳ and Eve (חַוָּה Ḥawwā, "living Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل Noah (or Noe, Noach;; Nūḥ; Arabic: نوح; "Rest") was according to the Bible, the tenth and last of

Other religions

The Etruscans depicted winged beings - benevolent psychopompian personal guardians with wings- called "Vanths. Vanth is a Chthonic figure in Etruscan mythology shown in a variety of forms of Funerary art, such as in tomb paintings and on sarcophagi "

Angel-like beings called Tennin and Tenshi appear in Japanese mythology. Tennin (天人 including the female tennyo (天女 ( Sanskrit: Apsaras) and tenshi (天使 are Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculture-based Folk religion.

There are a number of books describing encounters with angels or angel-like beings.

Bahá'í

An angel, often termed a "Maiden of Heaven", also appears in Bahá'í literature. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Bahá'ís generally see her as a symbol of the holy spirit, the spirit of Bahá'u'lláh's revelation, or even as his "higher self". Bahá'u'lláh ( ba-haa-ol-laa "Glory of God" ( November 12, 1817 – May 29, 1892) born Mírzá Ḥusayn-`Alí Nuri Bahá'u'lláh taught that his ministry began when he was visited by a Maiden of Heaven while incarcerated in a dungeon of Tehran. Tehran (or Teheran) ( Persian: تهران Tehrān) is the capital and largest City of Iran, and the administrative center of While always depicted as desirable and attractive, she also appears as a transcendent spiritual figure, and sexual desire is understood to be a metaphor for spiritual longing. While other angels appear in Bahá'u'lláh's works, they are generally depicted as the personification of a divine virtue, such as trustworthiness.

'Abdu'l-Bahá also defined angels as "those holy souls who have severed attachment to the earthly world, who are free from the fetters of self and passion and who have attached their hearts to the divine realm and the merciful kingdom". ^[14]

Furthermore, he said that people can be angels in this world:

"Ye are the angels, if your feet be firm, your spirits rejoiced, your secret thoughts pure, your eyes consoled, your ears opened, your breasts dilated with joy, and your souls gladdened, and if you arise to assist the Covenant, to resist dissension and to be attracted to the Effulgence!"^[15]

Hinduism

Hinduism also acknowledges the existence of higher world angelic beings. The Sanskrit word used is deva ('being of light'). Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Devas reside in the higher Antarloka, or the astral plane, and are usually the astral forms of people who are dead, and presently in between births. This article is about a plane of existence In the context of Unicode, Astral characters consist of planes above the Basic Multilingual Plane. In other words, devas are the spirits of those who have passed, and reside in the Antarloka (also known as the Devaloka), until they either take on another physical body or ascend to higher worlds. The devas, or angels, are not so much worshiped, but looked at as inner-plane helpers, guiding each person along throughout life. Each person is said to have many, as many as thousands, looking after them. Incidentally, the Antarloka is also the realm throughout which we travel and stay during our sleeping hours.

Hindu scriptures and sages tell us that the entire purpose of devas' involvement with us, is to help both us and them evolve spiritually. It is the inner-plane duty of these beings of light to help unfold and work out the karma of people living in physical bodies. Karma ( Sanskrit: कर्म, kárman - "act action performance" Pali: kamma) is the concept of "action" Many Hindus view the devas as very real beings, not mere symbols or concepts.

To use Western terminology, devas are likened to angels, whereas "Mahadevas" ('Great Beings of Light') are likened to Archangels. In Hinduism, such beings, also known as the gods, are worshipped, whereas the devas are not worshipped to same degree, but thanked and recognized for their good works.

Hindus also acknowledge that every religion and sacred tradition possessed within it its own set of devas and Mahadevas (angels and Archangels). Whereas the Supreme God is looked upon as One and the same God of all, the inner-plane, hierarchical beings are distinct, perform certain functions, serve and are served by different people of different faiths. Hinduism can this be denoted as Henotheistic, having one Supreme God along with other gods, of His creation, that are acknowledged and worshipped. Henotheism ( Greek heis theos "one god" is a term coined by Max Müller, to mean devotion to a Single god while accepting

Differing views, of course, exist on this, as Hinduism is an intensely eclectic and diverse system of beliefs.

Thelema

Aleister Crowley tried to teach people to attain what he called "the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel". Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer The term Holy Guardian Angel was possibly coined either by Abraham of Würzburg, a French Cabalist who wrote a book on Ceremonial magick during the 15th century Within the system of Thelema, the Holy Guardian Angel is representative of one’s truest divine nature. Thelema is a philosophy of life based on the rule or law "Do what thou wilt The term Holy Guardian Angel was possibly coined either by Abraham of Würzburg, a French Cabalist who wrote a book on Ceremonial magick during the 15th century Citing Crowley, people have linked the term with the Genius of the Golden Dawn, the Augoeides of Iamblichus, the Atman of Hinduism, and the Daemon of the gnostics. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (or more commonly the Golden Dawn) was a magical order of the late 19th and early 20th centuries practicing a form of Augoeides is an obscure term meaning "luminous body" and thought to refer to the Planets. The Ātman ( IAST: Ātman Sanskrit: आत्मन्‍ is a philosophical term used within Hinduism and Vedanta to identify the Soul Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The words daemon, dæmon, are Latinized spellings of the Greek δαίμων ( daimôn) used purposely today to distinguish the daemons Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems

According to most Thelemites, the single most important goal is to consciously connect with one’s HGA, a process termed "Knowledge and Conversation. " By doing so, the magician becomes fully aware of his own True Will. True Will is a term found within the mystical system of Thelema, adapted from the philosophy of François Rabelais in 1904 with Aleister Crowley 's writing For Crowley, this event was the single most important goal of any adept:

It should never be forgotten for a single moment that the central and essential work of the Magician is the attainment of the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. Once he has achieved this he must of course be left entirely in the hands of that Angel, who can be invariably and inevitably relied upon to lead him to the further great step—crossing of the Abyss and the attainment of the grade of Master of the Temple. (Magick Without Tears, Ch. 83)

Crowley felt that attaining Knowledge and Conversation was so important, that he staked the claim that any other magical operation was, in a sense, evil.

Development step of the soul

Some mystics believe that a soul grows in steps from a mineral, to a plant, then an animal, and then to a human. The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living When the human resolves to die, a soul could become an angel. The Persian Sufi mystic poet Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi wrote in his poem Masnavi:

I died as inanimate matter and arose a plant,

I died as a plant and rose again an animal. Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف This article is about the Masnavi-i Ma'navi of Rumi for the masnavi poetic form see Masnavi (poetic form.

I died as an animal and arose a man.

Why then should I fear to become less by dying?

I shall die once again as a man

To rise an angel perfect from head to foot!

Again when I suffer dissolution as an angel,

I shall become what passes the conception of man!

Let me then become non-existent, for non-existence

Sings to me in organ tones, 'To him shall we return. '

(Translation from Wikisource, Masnavi I Ma'navi, Book III, Story XVII)’’

The Christian (Swedish) writer Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) wrote in his book Conjugial Love that a soul of a man and a soul of a woman who are (happily) united by marriage enter heaven and become an angel. (born Emanuel Swedberg; February 8 1688–March 29 1772 was a Swedish Scientist, Philosopher, Christian mystic, and Theologian This could be a married couple on earth or a couple that met after their earthly deaths.

Occult author Samael Aun Weor argues that a soul cannot evolve to become an angel through mechanical evolution — the Buddhist Wheel of Life has involution of nature as well as evolution - as such the steps would be mineral, plant, animal, human, animal, plant, mineral. Samael Aun Weor ( March 6, 1917 - December 24, 1977) was a spiritual teacher Occultist esotericist and author To evolve to become an angel involves conscious work and voluntary suffering: marriage is treated as a sacrament, and is the means which Swedenborg was referring to. The mystics were not referring to the death of the human body, but to the "dissolution of the ego"; the psychological death; the Buddhistic annihilation; the death of "myself"; the method of the removal of all our sins which Jesus Christ so wisely pointed out, and which was emulated by innumerable Saints.

References

Bibliography

Documentaries

• "Angels: Good or Evil", The History Channel, TV documentary, originally aired May 10, 2003

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia entry on angels
• PersianDNA Zoroastrian angels
• Jewish Encyclopedia entry on angels
• Angels in Islam
• Christian/occult-oriented A-Z guide to names of individual angels, angelic hierarchies and other reference materials
• Entheomedia.org
• Nine Orders of Angels
• Angelology forum

Christian angelic hierarchy v • d • e
First Sphere (liberated)	Seraphim • Cherubim • Thrones •
Second Sphere (active)	Dominions • Virtues  • Powers
Third Sphere (active)	Principalities • Archangels • Angels