Angels: who are they? Hierarchy of Angels

Who are Angels? Invisible helpers, called Guardian Angels, according to most people, exist only in the Christian religion and are called upon to protect exclusively supporters of this faith. However, this is not quite true. Christianity is the only religion that reliably describes the Hierarchy of Guardian Angels. An example of this is the numerous paintings, the emphasis of which is on the detailed depiction of the defenders. Despite this, the image of the Most High Heavenly Patrons is different.

Who are Angels?

Angels are not people. Angels are guardians, personal protectors of humans. They are often called pure human Souls who incarnated at one time on Earth. Also, Angels are bright representatives of the Invisible World, given to the human soul by the Forces of Heaven at birth, and often as a reward for choosing the righteous path. If we speak in modern language, then:
An angel is a protection program that protects a representative of the clan (human) from unauthorized intervention of the Dark Forces. Angels appear in a person from the moment of conception, and not from the moment of birth. Their number can be from one to several dozen.

Ministry of Angels

As already indicated, the word Angel does not indicate nature, but service. What is the essence of this ministry? Based on the Holy Scriptures, we can say that the angelic ministry is twofold and consists in glorifying its Creator (Is. 6:3), communicating God's will, helping or punishing a person or community (Job 1:6; Is. 6:72; Sam. 24:16; Dan. 8:16-26; Job 12:12; Luke 22:43; Rev. 5:8; Matthew 16:27, etc.

The number of Angels is not directly indicated in the Holy Scriptures. All the holy fathers, with the exception of St. Gregory of Nyssa, they said that although this number is unknown, it is stable, that is, from the moment when the angels were created by God, their number remained unchanged.

Holy Fathers - St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Cyril of Jerusalem - in the Gospel parable about one lost sheep (Matthew 18:12), for the sake of which the owner leaves 99 and goes to look for her, they saw an indication of the numerical ratio of Angels (99) and the human race (one lost sheep), thus concluding that the number of Angels is incomparably greater, but it is impossible to determine their specific number.

Hierarchy of Angels

The hierarchy of Angels is divided into two main types, on which the potential and influence of your guardian depends.

The first type is the Earthly Hierarchy of Angels. These are the Bright Souls of deceased people. The angels included in this Hierarchy have different powers. In some cases, one Angel can be more beneficial than the other four (for example).
The second type is the Heavenly Hierarchy of Angels. This type is much more powerful than the first. If you have such an Angel, then consider this as a great reward from above.

Angels are assigned to a person based on his mood (positive) and the complexity of karmic tasks.

Who are fallen angels?

In fact, this essence was once also light and pure, created by God. But once having abandoned God, this angel was expelled from the Heavenly Kingdom for his atrocities, which is why he became dark and vengeful, and was now called a “fallen angel.”

In Orthodoxy, fallen angels are also called angels of darkness. The most famous representatives are demons and demons; they serve Satan, the devil.

Satan first appears during the time of Adam and Eve in the form of a tempting serpent, who persuades Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and disobey the will of God, for which they were later punished and expelled from Paradise.

A fallen angel is a cunning tempter whose mission is to destroy a person’s inner peace, his faith in God and virtues, and encourage him to commit sinful actions that alienate a person from God.

The Devil (Lucifer) was also once the supreme angel, among those closest to God. But it so happened that he became proud of himself and equated himself with the Father, for which he was cast into Hell. It was he who became the first of the fallen.

Missions of Guardian Angels

They represent conductors connecting man and the Heavenly Forces through an energetic and spiritual connection. They transmit to heaven all requests, be it a prayer or a thought.
Karmic tasks performed by the human Soul do not take place without the assistance of Guardian Angels. They accompany the Soul along its destiny. It is the invisible Patrons who illuminate the path for a person, warning against falls and mistakes. They give hints.
The subtle world does not exist without Evil, therefore the mission of the Angels is to provide maximum protection to man from deliberate negative influences.
Training of the human Soul, through one’s own phantoms located in the Subtle World of light energy flows.

Prayers to angels

Prayers expressing a request to any Archangel are differentiated depending on the functional characteristics of the Archangel, for example:

They turn to Archangel Michael with a request to overcome their base passions.
Prayer to the angel Gabriel is directly related to his prophetic functions; people turn to him in order to find out their hour of death. Moreover, it is worth remembering that none of the angels has global information, for example, the date of the second Coming of Christ, etc., only God knows this.
Archangel Raphael can fulfill requests for moral and physical healing.
The Holy Archangel Uriel is an enlightener; he can tell the person asking for a solution to a pressing problem.

In conclusion, it should be noted that church canons do not prohibit praying to angels and honoring them, however, angels are simply the likeness of God, a product of his creativity, therefore, they cannot be an object of worship equal to Him. The 35th canon of the Council of Laodicea ruled that the worship of angels is a manifestation of heresy. There is a separate holiday dedicated to the 7 Archangels, the servants of the Holy Trinity, celebrated on November 8th. The date is extremely symbolic: November is the 9th month, as an analogy of the 9 ranks of angels. The separate honoring of Archangel Gabriel falls on April 8, that is, on the second day after the celebration of the Annunciation.

Current issues

Question 1. Are all people under the protection of Guardian Angels?

Not all. And the problem is not at all about nationality and religion. As mentioned above, Angels are guardians, bright Souls of people previously living on Earth, called upon to protect and promote the growth and development of equally bright people. Simply put, only worthy human Souls are under the protection of Angels.

Mean, treacherous people do not have guardian angels. But they have dark patrons who push them to commit evil deeds every time. Dark patrons show people a dark path. There are also those who are usually called Asuras.

Who are Asuras? Asuras are dark souls (demons) from birth; they do not need the protection of the light ones. Asuras have dark patrons who lead them along a dark path.

Question 2. Do Patrons change throughout a person’s life?

Definitely. Human life is simply unthinkable without setting goals. There are many of them. Good goals require greater strength, and accordingly, Angels who can help achieve them must be of a higher level.

Angelic ranks

There is a certain system of angelic ranks, a special hierarchy, generally accepted for everyone. Thus, the entire angelic army is divided into three large groups, or triads.

The first triad includes Cherubim (the name means “abundance of knowledge and wisdom”), Seraphim (“flaming ones”) and Thrones (“those withdrawn from earthly things and striving for God”). These are the highest ranks who are the purest and most unbreakable in their devotion to God.

The second triad contains Dominances, Powers and Powers. These angels are constantly enlightened by God's wisdom, and they do not listen to it, but simply contemplate it. Dominions are engaged in instructing earthly kings and rulers to wisely rule. Angels of the rank of Powers send grace to God's saints and work miracles on earth. But in the powers of the Authorities there is the taming of the devil’s plans, the angels of the Authorities take temptation away from us; These church angels also control the natural elements.

Well, the third triad consists of the Principalities, Archangels and Angels. This is the group closest to people. Thanks to them, the will of God is conveyed to us, helping us to improve ourselves. The principles govern all the laws of nature, the Universe, and protect nations and peoples. Archangels are conductors of God's revelations; they bring good news about the mysteries of God. There are angels with every person. They are assigned to protect and instruct us in spiritual life.

How can people lose their Angel? Main reasons

Non-acceptance of tasks that come from karma. Example: a person has been given a great gift from above that can make him a great public figure; instead of following the path of his destiny, he prefers to become a hermit. This refusal is a violation of Spiritual Laws. Then the person loses heavenly protection. Angels of the highest levels, leading a person to discover his destiny, also leave him.
Failure to comply with Spiritual Commandments. Protection of the Higher Powers is carried out as long as a person follows the bright path. The transition to the dark side, to the sinful path leads to the removal of the protection of the light. The same thing happens if a person exceeds the limit of bad deeds. Then, the light patron is replaced by a gray or dark one, it all depends on the seriousness of the evil committed.

Despite the reasons, it is possible to return the Guardian Angel. This happens if:

The person sincerely repented of his sins;
I begged an apology from God;
Started to change for the better.

In such cases, the Angels return, displacing dark patronage.

What is usually asked of Patrons and how is it done correctly?

The request may concern truly good, worthy things. For example, develop your abilities. Angels a priori do not intend to help fulfill negative desires aimed at causing harm to others. The patron is always close to the person, he hears all appeals to him.

To turn to an Angel, it is enough to formulate a request and speak it. However, you need to ask correctly, there shouldn’t be any wants. An angel is called to help a person, and not decide everything for him. Therefore, it would be more correct to say, instead of “I want a lot of money,” “help me find a job with decent pay.” A guardian angel does not carry out whims; he directs a person in the right direction, creates situations that prompt the right thoughts, and sends the necessary people. In a word, they communicate with a person through signs.

Rod's help. The angels assigned to you are not the only ones who can help. Often, deceased relatives help cope with difficult situations. Don’t be afraid to ask them for something; help of a kind is sometimes stronger than many prayers. The Bright Souls of departed relatives will always gladly come to your aid if you ask them correctly. In most cases, it is enough to simply go to the temple, write a note about the repose of your loved ones and light a candle. They will certainly help you.

You should only be wary of dark Souls; such help will not lead to any good.

Mentions in holy books

The Bible mentions angels in both the New and Old Testaments. However, there is no detailed story about how they live and what they are like. Old Testament angels often appeared to the righteous and prophets, both in dreams and in reality, to give the necessary advice or warn against misfortunes. The Old Testament also mentions a fallen angel who fell into the sin of pride and was cast out of heaven by God himself.

The New Testament also speaks more than once about angels. An impressive-looking angel with fiery legs and a rainbow above his head appeared to the prophet John the Theologian to tell about future events and about the Apocalypse and the Last Judgment. When Jesus Christ was asked a question about angels, he answered that they do not get married, but are with God in heaven.

Even more information can be found in Judaism. The Tenakh (the Hebrew Bible) mentions the names of angels and archangels. The most important of them are Raphael, Gabriel and Michael. In the apocrypha of the Old Testament, the Ethiopian Book of Enoch, there are also references to angelic beings. Jews believe that God entrusted the protection of the four cardinal directions to his main archangels - Michael, Gabriel, Oriel and Raphael.

Tips for communicating with Angels

The seriousness of this step leaves no doubt. You should think carefully before making contact.

You need to understand that interaction with an Angel is not a serene dialogue with your best friend. This is a conversation with a representative of the first or second type of patrons.

The truth about yourself is always bitter. Not everyone is ready for this.

Just curiosity sometimes leads to sad consequences. Secrets don't just reveal themselves. Having started communication, a person has two options:

Listen to the advice of the Patron and follow all instructions.
Do it your own way, thereby offending your Angel. For example, a certain person asked a friend for advice, and when he heard the answer, he said: “I’ll still do as I please.” Conclusion, why ask if you are not going to do it?!

The future opens only to those who are ready to change it. You need to have enormous willpower, character, and sacrifice in order to build your bright future.

You don’t need to rely only on praise; as a rule, when turning to the Angels, this is exactly what people expect. Why? So that you can brag to your friends later.

The help of the Higher Powers consists precisely in frankness, and there is no praise there. Guardian angels behave with a person as demanding mentors, trying to protect from wrong actions, showing a bright path.

There are no perfect people. When aiming to communicate with Angels, we usually talk about a person’s shortcomings and ways to change the current state of things.

Origin of Angels

Many attribute angels specifically to the Christian religion. But is this really so?

Contrary to popular belief that angels belong to the Christian religion, these spiritual creatures are also found in many ancient cultures. There is a version about the origin of the Angel from the ancient Greek religion.

For example, the Goddess Iris (whose sacred flower is the Iris) is a winged deity - a messenger who delivers important messages to people from the gods living on Olympus. Or Hypnos (God of Sleep) - he also appears before us in the form of a winged deity.

Therefore, it would be a mistake to consider angels as a creation of the Christian religion. Guardian angels exist in many other cultures and religions.

But can they appear before a person?

Yes, they can, and sometimes they do it at the most unexpected moment and in a very bizarre form. They disguise themselves, turning into people or even animals in order to appear in front of people and convey an important message to them.

The question arises: why do they do this?

Imagine a winged Angel who suddenly appears in front of you and begins to talk like an ordinary person. Agree, you may be shocked by such an advent, you will be blinded by it, amazed, and you will be forced to obey what it tells you.

But the Angels are not trying to force us to do something. They advise and help in a gentle and correct manner. That is why they come to Earth in someone’s guise, clearly not revealing their presence, but influencing us in making many important decisions.

Here are just a few signs that indicate that an Angel has met on your way:

How can Angels inform the one asking?

People never evaluate themselves from the perspective of an outside observer. It is human nature to look better than he is. An unbiased view from the outside is not possible for everyone.

Valuable advice received from the Patron is a warning about danger and wise instructions on how to avoid unpleasant consequences.

No one is immune from troubles; even the most sensible and fortunate people find themselves captive to unpleasant circumstances. Life, like a zebra, has light and dark stripes.

Almost all stories of grief-stricken people begin with the words: “It happened so unexpectedly, nothing foreshadowed trouble. Just think, I thought something like this could only happen to the characters in the film...”

Let's look at real life examples.

Example 1

A young girl, contrary to the advice of the Spirits, marries a guy who is categorically not suitable for her. The future together is a big question. However, the girl is sure that love breaks barriers, a little effort and patience will help her turn her chosen one into the man of her dreams. A prosperous life awaits them ahead. She really didn’t want to trust the unpleasant news.

2 years have passed, the “man of dreams”, in another scandal, almost crippled the girl. This made her believe that the Guardian Angel's advice was not an empty phrase. The paradox is that only a few, having communicated with the Patron, are able to unconditionally believe him. Others filter out unpleasant moments, concentrating on what is pleasant for themselves.

Example 2

A woman working in government agencies was concerned about her promotion. Turning to her Guardian Angel, she received a very clear answer. The patron said that she would soon have troubles at work, the person who would provoke them was named and advice was given on how to avoid this. Smiling, the woman left, ignoring all the instructions of her Angel.

She turned to her Patron again when trouble came, in the form of the removal of her candidacy from office. What happened forced her to listen to every word of the Guardian Angel, but it was too late. People are designed in such a way that they begin to ask for help only at the moment of irreversibility. While everything is good in their lives, rarely does anyone think about the future. In essence, by turning to the Higher Powers, a person wants to quench his thirst for curiosity. Therefore, only a few, endowed with wisdom and the desire to change everything, receive real help from the Patrons.

Example 3

A woman came to see a clairvoyant; after a long session, she was pleased with the meeting with an excellent interlocutor and left the meeting place. A carefree woman had difficulties regarding the upcoming divorce and division of property.

This is what she said: “I am in awe of the medium. We chatted so much that I completely forgot to ask the Angels how the divorce would go and what to expect from it, what should I do in general?” However, everything was exactly the opposite. The young lady, in principle, was not interested in the help of the Higher Powers, she conducted her monologue about the dishonest husband she got, and that she was all so poor and unhappy. The angels tried to give her advice regarding the divorce situation and subsequent life, but the woman interrupted the clairvoyant in every possible way, telling the same story in a new way.

As a result, the medium had to silently listen to the speeches of this person, waiting for his client to speak. It's no secret that the best conversationalist is the silent one. Having spoken, the woman was satisfied, but there was no benefit from the session as such. It is not surprising that again, the Angels simply did not contact her.

They see the future

Having decided on such a session in order to ask for advice from the Guardian Angel, you should be prepared for anything. Their advice is often strange and unusual, but this is only at first. They see the future, unlike people, so do not neglect everything that is said; the meaning of the words will become clear after time.

Heavenly Patrons should not be forced to help, or demand their condescension. Sincerity of the request, often tearful prayers, will help people attract the attention of the Guardian Angels. This is where the help will begin.

Angels love absolutely all people, but this does not mean that they are obliged to help them, wasting their energy on human curiosity. The love of your Patrons must be earned.

The most important advice is that greed does not make anyone look good.

Having received help from the Almighty Heavenly Patrons, you should definitely thank them. Mentally praise is given to them and all their requests are unconditionally fulfilled.

It happens that the advice of the Guardian Angels brings good money to the person asking, in this case, the right decision would be to contact the Patrons again, with the main goal of how exactly to manage the amount of money received.

One of the main requirements imposed on the asking person by the Guardian Angels is the manifestation of humanity, generosity, and compassion.

A person must certainly help his neighbors, be they relatives, friends or ordinary strangers. In a word, to those who need help. This law is considered strict; to challenge it means to incur troubles associated with the departure of the Guardian Angel. And this means being left without protection. It’s not for nothing that they say, if you are even a little lucky, share this luck with others. Fortune is on the side of generous people, otherwise luck will be gone forever, and with it all dreams of a wonderful and carefree future.

What does an angel look like?

Many clergy express their opinions regarding the essence of the angel. For the most part, they agree that an angel is a light, fiery, insightful and quick entity. They are also credited with the desire for good and service to God, which is quite appropriate, discipline and infallibility, nobility and humility. Such qualities of an angel come from the purposes they serve.

An angel does not have a physical body, and is endowed with immortality. A rational entity with intelligence and relative freedom. Angels, not surprisingly, have no age or gender and do not change over time. As it was originally created, it remains in this form.

Despite the freedom given to the angel, he is limited by space. That is, he cannot be in several places at the same time, but he is capable of moving at tremendous speed.

Who this angel is can only be learned from the words of clergy and eyewitnesses who managed to see his coming. It is impossible to confirm or deny these facts.

Of course, we can only assign all these traits to angels conditionally, since no one knows exactly what they look like. This is a completely different level of understanding and awareness that people are not given.

We know angels as creatures that look like a person with white wings on their backs. Wings in this case are a symbol of the speed of fulfilling the will of God.

Angels are often depicted in armor or robes, with staffs, spears or axes in their hands as the personification of the Heavenly Host.