The spiritual or angelic world. Conversation about the angelic world
But why, someone will say, is there a difference of degree even among the celestials? Is it really impossible to do without ranks and degrees in Heaven? Moreover, don’t degrees and ranks introduce some discord, some disharmony into the life of the Angels? And is complete bliss possible if it is unequally distributed? If in Heaven some are in charge and presiding, while others obey and follow, then doesn’t it also happen there that almost always happens here on earth: don’t those who obey and those who follow harbor some feeling of envy, some discontent towards those in power and upcoming? Doesn’t the higher state of some and the lower state of others cast even the smallest shadow on the bright angelic life? All such perplexed questions arise in us because we are too attached to the earth, so that we often think about heavenly things in an earthly way, and transfer to Heaven what we became familiar with on earth, completely losing sight of the most important thing. , the most dramatic difference between Heaven and earth: on earth there is sin, in Heaven there is none. And it is from sin that all sorts of abnormalities, all kinds of deviations from truth and truth arise and grow, as if from a root. So it is in this case: it is not the difference in degrees and ranks that gives rise to discontent and envy in those distinguished, but gives the difference its sinful shade of vanity, which fulfills the difference with its poisonous bitterness. Earthly difference often stems from petty vanity, it is nourished and supported by it, introducing into the higher feelings of lust for power, ambition, unmercifulness, even cruelty towards the lower; in the lower classes, sycophancy, people-pleasing, hypocrisy, and servility instill murmuring, develop flattery. All these are distortions of sin. This cannot happen in Heaven. The ranks and degrees of angels are like different tones of the same harmony, different colors of a single picture of the great Artist - the Creator. The difference between Angels is the difference between stars in the blue sky, the difference between fragrant flowers in green meadows; the difference of Angels is the difference of voices in a harmonious choir - a difference that creates harmony, greatness, beauty.
How do we, beloved, know about the ranks and degrees of angels? He said, he told us about this, who himself, with his own eyes, saw these ranks and degrees of angels, who himself heard their touching songs, their victorious hymns - the Supreme Apostle of Languages, Paul. I know,” he tells about himself, “the man in Christ, who is in the body - I don’t know, or outside the body - I don’t know: God knows, - he was caught up to the third heaven... into paradise, and heard ineffable verbs that to man cannot be paraphrased (). It’s impossible because the heart can’t stand it, the mind can’t accommodate it. That is why the Apostle Paul could not retell to anyone the verbs he heard in Heaven. But about what the structure of life of the Angels is, what degrees there are among them - the apostle recounted all this to his disciple, whom he converted from the pagans to Christ when he was in Athens. The name of this disciple of Paul is Dionysius the Areopagite (he was a member of the Areopagus, the supreme court of Athens). Dionysius wrote down everything he heard from Paul and compiled the book “On the Heavenly Hierarchy.”
According to this book, the structure of the angelic world is presented in this form: all Angels are divided into three faces, and in each face there are three ranks.
So, the first face: there are three ranks in it. The first rank is Seraphim; second rank - Cherubim; third rank - Thrones.
Finally, the third face, and in it the following three ranks: the first rank - Beginnings; second rank - Archangels; third rank - Angels.
So, you see, all Angels are divided into three faces and nine ranks. This is how it is customary to say: “nine ranks of angels.” What divine order, what marvelous harmony! Do you not notice, beloved, in the structure of the angelic world a clear imprint of the Divinity Himself? God is one, but threefold in persons. Look: this Trisolar Light also shines in the angelic world. And, notice what a strict sequence, what a wonderful trinitarian arrangement, trinitarian unity: one face and three ranks; and again: one face and three ranks; and again: one face and three ranks. What is this if not a clear reflection of the Holy Trinity, not a deep trace 288 of the Triune God? One God - one face; three Persons - three ranks. And then, this repetition, this is some kind of strengthening, Divine multiplication: one face, one face, one face - one taken three times; ranks: three, three, three - it turns out: three times three. Such multiplication, repetition, as if emphasizing, does not mean that the radiance of the Trisolar Light pours out in the angelic world especially abundantly, not only pours out, but also overflows, that the ever-present life of the Triune Source flows in the Heavenly Forces in a never-interrupted, abundant, multiplied stream.
Yes, the mystery of the Trinitarian Deity is deep, incomprehensible - as if the Spirit of God tests and knows these depths of God; the mystery and three-numbered nature of the angelic world is deep, incomprehensible - and the Angels themselves do not fully comprehend it. Truly, “great art thou, O Lord, and marvelous are thy works, not a single word will be sufficient for the singing of thy wonders!”
Let us now take a closer look at each rank of angels separately.
Seraphim
Of all the ranks of heaven, the Seraphim are the closest to God; they are the first participants in Divine bliss, the first to shine with the light of the magnificent Divine glory. And what amazes and amazes them most about God is His endless, eternal, immeasurable, unsearchable love. They perceive in all their strength, in all their depths incomprehensible to us, they feel God exactly like this, through this they approach, as it were, the very doors, the very Holy of Holies of that inaccessible Light in which God lives (), through this entering into the closest, most sincere communication with God, for God Himself is Love: God is love ().
Have you ever looked at the sea? You look, you look at its boundless distance, at its boundless breadth, you think about its bottomless depth, and... the thought is lost, the heart freezes, the whole being is filled with some kind of sacred awe and horror; I want to prostrate myself and close myself before the clearly felt, boundless greatness of God, reflected by the vastness of the sea. Here is some, albeit the weakest, resemblance, a barely noticeable, subtle shadow of what the Seraphim experience, constantly contemplating the immeasurable, unsearchable sea of Divine love.
God-Love is a consuming fire, and the Seraphim, constantly tapping into this fiery Divine Love, are filled with the fire of the Divine above all other ranks. Seraphim - and the word itself means: fiery, fiery. The fiery burning Divine with the inexplicableness of Her mercy, the immensity of Her condescension towards all creatures, and most of all towards the human race, for the sake of which this Love humbled itself even to the cross and death, always leads the Seraphim into indescribable sacred awe, plunges them into horror, makes their entire being tremble . They cannot bear this great Love. They cover their faces with two wings, their legs with two wings and fly with two, in fear and trembling, in the deepest reverence, aching, crying, crying and saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of hosts!”
Burning with love for God, the six-winged Seraphim ignite the fire of this love in the hearts of others, purifying the soul with Divine fire, filling it with strength and strength, inspiring it to preach - with the verb to burn the hearts of people. Thus, when the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, seeing the Lord sitting on the high and exalted Throne, surrounded by Seraphim, began to lament his uncleanness, exclaiming: “Oh, accursed Az! For I am a man of unclean lips - and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!..”, “then,” the prophet himself says, “one of the Seraphim flew to me, and in his hand he had a burning coal, which he took with tongs from the altar , and touched my lips and said: behold, this has touched your lips, and your iniquity is removed from you, and your sin is cleansed ().
Oh, fiery Seraphim, with the fire of Divine love, cleanse and ignite our hearts, so that we will not desire any other beauty besides God; May God be our heart’s only joy, our only delight, our only blessing, the beauty before which all earthly beauty fades!
Second rank of angels - Cherubim
If for the Seraphim God appears as a fiery burning thing, then for the Cherubim God is luminous Wisdom. The cherubim constantly delve into the Divine mind, praise it, glorify it in their songs, contemplate the Divine mysteries, and penetrate them with trepidation. That is why, according to the testimony of the Word of God, in the Old Testament the Cherubim are depicted touching the Ark of the Covenant.
And make, - the Lord spoke to Moses, - two Cherubim from gold... Make them at both ends of the lid (of the Ark). Make one Cherubim from one edge, and another Cherubim from the other edge... And the Cherubim will have their wings spread upward, covering the lid with their wings, and their faces will be towards each other, the faces of the Cherubim will be towards the lid ().
Marvelous image! So it is in heaven: the Cherubim look with tenderness and fear at the Divine Wisdom, explore it, learn from it and, as it were, cover its secrets with their wings, keep them, protect them, and revere them. And this reverence for the mysteries of Divine Wisdom is so great among the Cherubim that any daring inquisitiveness, any proud look at the Mind of God is immediately cut off by them with a fiery sword.
“Lord, Lord, who is like You...” () “Who is like You, Lord, among the gods? Who, like You, is majestic in holiness, worthy of praise, Creator of miracles? ().
Great is the Lord and worthy of praise, and His greatness is unsearchable... (). It is great and has no end, high and immeasurable! (). All these hymns to the greatness of God, in all their fullness, depth and truth, are understandable and accessible only to the Thrones.
The Thrones not only feel and sing of the greatness of God, but they themselves are filled with this greatness and glory and let others feel it, as if pouring into the hearts of people the waves of greatness and glory of the Divine that fill them.
There are moments when a person somehow especially clearly recognizes with his mind and with some special strength feels in his heart the greatness of God: the peals of thunder, the flash of lightning, marvelous views of nature, high mountains, wild rocks, worship in some magnificent big temple- all this often so captures the soul, strikes the heart strings so much that a person is ready to compose and sing psalms and songs of praise; before the perceived greatness of God he disappears, is lost, falls on his face. Know, beloved, such holy moments of a clear sense of the greatness of God do not happen without the influence of the Thrones. It is they who, as it were, join us to their mood, throw its sparkles into our hearts.
Oh, if the Thrones would visit us more often, if they would more often send us a sense of the greatness of God and our own insignificance! Then we would not have been exalted, we would not have been so puffed up in our minds, as we often become puffed up and puffed up, not knowing our own worth, almost considering ourselves to be God.
The fourth order of angels is Dominion.
Dominance... Think about this name. Doesn't it remind you of another like him? “Lord”... This, undoubtedly, is where “Dominion” was borrowed from. This means that in order to understand what these latter are, it is necessary to understand in what sense the name Lord is used.
Have you heard that in everyday life we say: “the master of the house” or “the master of such and such an estate.” What do they want to express with this? And the fact that the person whom we call the master of the house or estate holds his house or estate in his own hands, manages it, takes care of its well-being, provides for it, is a “good master,” as we also say. Likewise, God is called Lord because he cares about the world He created, provides for it, and is its Supreme Owner. “He,” says blessed Theodoret, “is himself both a shipbuilder and a gardener, who increased matter. He created matter, built the ship, and constantly controls its helm.” “From the shepherd,” teaches St. Ephraim the Syrian, - the flock depends, and everything that grows on earth depends on God. In the will of the farmer is the separation of wheat from thorns, in the will of God is the prudence of those living on earth in their mutual unity and like-mindedness. It is in the will of the king to arrange regiments of soldiers, in the will of God there is a definite charter for everything.” So, notes another teacher of the Church, “neither on earth nor in heaven is nothing left without care and without Providence, but the care of the Creator equally extends to everything invisible and visible, small and great: for all creatures need the care of the Creator, equally like each one separately, according to its nature and purpose.” And “not for a single day does God cease from the work of governing creatures, so that they do not immediately deviate from their natural paths, by which they are led and directed in order to achieve the fullness of their development and each remain in their own kind what they are.”
It is into this domination, into this management of God’s creatures, into this care and providence of God for everything invisible and visible, small and great, that the Dominions delve into.
For the Seraphim, God is fiery burning Love; for the Cherubim - luminous Wisdom; for Thrones God is the King of Glory; for the Dominions, God is the Lord Provider. Above all other ranks of Dominion, they contemplate God precisely as a Provider, they glorify His care for the world: they see a way in the sea, and His strong path in the waves (Book), and look with fear at how He changes times and years, deposes kings and establishes kings (). Full of sacred delight and tenderness, the Lords delve into the manifold concerns of God: “they clothe the grass of the field, which Solomon in all his glory did not dress like any of them...” ().
The Dominions marvel at how God, so great, embraces everyone and everything with His care; stores and protects every blade of grass, every midge, the smallest grain of sand.
Contemplating God as a Provider - the Builder of the world, Dominion and people are taught to arrange themselves, their soul; teach us to take care of the soul, to provide for it; inspire a person to dominate his passions, over various sinful habits, to oppress the flesh, giving space to the spirit. The Dominions must be prayerfully called upon to help anyone who wants to free themselves from any passion, wants to dominate it, or give up any bad habit, but cannot do this due to weakness of will. Let him cry out with this prayer: “Holy Lords, strengthen my weak will in the fight against sin, let me dominate my passions!” And, believe, such a prayerful invocation will not remain fruitless, but now help and strength will be sent to you from the host of Dominions.
Fifth rank of angels – Powers
Above all other ranks, this rank of angels contemplates God as doing many powers or miracles. For the Powers, God is a Miracle Worker. “You are God, who works miracles,” - this is what constitutes the subject of their constant praise and glorification. The forces delve into how “where God wants the order of nature to be overcome.” Oh, how ecstatic, how solemn, how wondrous these songs must be! If we, clothed in flesh and blood, when we witness any obvious miracle of God, for example, the sight of a blind man, the restoration of a hopelessly ill person, we come into indescribable delight and awe, we are amazed, we are touched, then what can we say about the Powers when they are given to see such miracles that our minds cannot even imagine. Moreover, they can delve into the very depths of these miracles, their highest goal is revealed to them.
Sixth rank of angels - Authorities
The Angels belonging to this rank contemplate and glorify God as the Almighty, “having all power in heaven and on earth.” God of the terrible, “His vision dries up the abysses, and the reproach melts away the mountains, who walked as on dry land on the sheets of the sea, and forbade the storms of the winds; touching the mountains and smoking; calling on the water of the sea and pouring it out on the face of all the earth.”
Angels of the sixth rank are the closest, constant witnesses of God’s omnipotence; they are given the opportunity to feel it preferably before others. From constant contemplation of Divine power, from constant contact with it, these Angels are filled, imbued with this power, just as red-hot iron is imbued with fire, which is why they themselves become bearers of this power and are called Powers. The power with which they are invested and filled is unbearable for all his hordes; this power turns the devilish hordes to flight, to the underworld, to pitch darkness, to Tartarus.
That is why everyone tormented by the devil must prayerfully call on the Authority for help; For all those possessed by demons, various epileptics, whoremongers, and the corrupted, one must daily pray to the Authorities: “Holy authorities, by the authority given to you by God, drive away from the servant of God (name) or the servant of God (name) the demon that is tormenting him (or her)!”
When the demon of despondency attacks the soul, we must also pray to the Authorities, so that with their power they will drive away this demon. With faith, in simplicity of heart, the authorities called upon will not hesitate to come to the rescue, they will drive away the demon, and the one possessed by the demon will feel free from it, will feel spaciousness and lightness in his soul.
The seventh rank of angels - Beginnings
These angels are so called because God entrusted them with authority over the elements of nature: over water, fire, wind, “over animals, plants and generally over all visible objects.” “God, the Creator and Builder of the world,” says the Christian teacher Athenagoras, “set some of the Angels over the elements, and over the heavens, and over the world, and over what is in it, and over their structure.” Thunder, lightning, storm... all this is controlled by the Principles and directed according to the will of God. It is known, for example, that lightning often burns blasphemers; hail destroys one field, leaves another unharmed... Who gives such a reasonable direction to a soulless, unreasonable element? Starters are doing it.
“I saw,” says the seer of St. John the Theologian - a mighty angel descending from heaven, clothed in a cloud; over his head was a rainbow, and his face was like the sun... And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the earth, and cried out with a loud voice, like a lion roars; and when he exclaimed, then the seven thunders spoke with their voices" (); The Apostle John saw and heard both the Angel of the water (), and the Angel having authority over the fire (). “I saw,” the same saint testifies. John, - four Angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that the wind would not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree... - they were given the power to harm the earth and the sea" ().
The principles also have authority over entire nations, cities, kingdoms, and human societies. In the word of God there is, for example, a mention of a prince or angel of the Persian kingdom, the Hellenic kingdom (). The principles lead the peoples entrusted to their superiors to the highest good goals, which are indicated and destined by the Lord Himself; “They are erecting,” according to St. Dionysius the Areopagite, - how many can those who willingly obey them, to God, as to their Beginning.” They intercede for their people before the Lord, “inspiring,” notes one saint, “in people, especially kings and other rulers, thoughts and intentions related to the good of the people.”
Eighth rank - Archangels
This rite, says St. Dionysius, “designated for learning.” Archangels are heavenly teachers. What do they teach? They teach people how to organize their lives in God’s way, that is, in accordance with the will of God.
Different paths of life are before a person: there is the monastic path, the path of marriage, there are various types of service. What to choose, what to decide on, what to stop at? This is where the Archangels come to the aid of man. The Lord reveals His will about man to them. The Archangels therefore know what awaits a famous person on this or that path of life: what adversities, temptations, seductions; therefore, they deviate from one path, and direct a person to another, teach him to choose the right path suitable for him.
Whoever is broken in life, hesitates, does not know which way to go, he must call on the Archangels for help, so that they teach him how he should live: “Archangels of God, appointed by God Himself for our teaching and admonition, teach me which path to choose.” “I’ll go ahead and please my God!”
The last, ninth rank of angels - Angels
These are the ones closest to us. The Angels continue what the Archangels begin: the Archangels teach man to recognize the will of God, direct him to the path of life indicated by God; Angels lead a person along this path, guide, protect the walker so that he does not deviate to the side, strengthen the exhausted, and raise the falling.
Angels are so close to us that they surround us from everywhere, look at us from everywhere, watch our every step, and, according to St. John Chrysostom, “the whole air is filled with angels.” Angels, according to the same saint, “stand before the priest during the performance of the terrible Sacrifice.”
From among the Angels, the Lord, from the moment of our baptism, assigns to each of us another special Angel, which is called the Guardian Angel. This Angel loves us as much as no one on earth can love. The Guardian Angel is our close friend, an invisible, quiet interlocutor, a sweet comforter. He wishes only one thing for each of us - the salvation of the soul; This is where he directs all his worries. And if he sees us also caring about salvation, he rejoices, but if he sees us being careless about our souls, he grieves.
Do you want to always be with an Angel? Avoid sin, and the Angel will be with you.
Thanks to the Lord, who has protected us with His Angels and who also sends to each an Angel a peaceful, faithful mentor and guardian of our souls and bodies - glory to You, our Benefactor, forever and ever!
“And I heard,” continues Saint John the Theologian, “a loud voice saying in heaven: now has come salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ, because the slanderer (Hebrew “devil”) has been cast down” ().
Since then, God blessed this zealous Archangel to participate in spiritual battles as the Archangel of the ethereal forces, the senior officer of the angelic army, and named him Michael, which translated means “Who like? Who is equal to God?
Even in the Old Testament period of its existence, our Holy Church revered the Holy Archangel Michael as its patron in the fight against pagans and demon worshipers. For example, this Archangel of God appeared to Joshua during the war, saying: “I am the leader of the army of the Lord, now I have come here” (), and helped him successfully take possession of the capital of pagan Canaan, the city of Jericho.
Since the adoption of Christian statehood by Russia, there has been a Russian Christ-loving army, which gained the patronage of the holy Archangel Michael through his widespread veneration as the conqueror of the devil, the enemy of God and all mankind. On the fresco of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin there is an inscription: “Archangel Michael, conqueror of our adversaries,” confirming the people's faith in his intercession.
The book “Guide to the Writing of Icons of the Holy Saints of God” says that Saint Archangel Michael “is depicted trampling (stomping on) Lucifer and, as a conqueror, holding a green date branch in his left hand on his chest, and in his right hand a spear on top whose white banner with the image of a red cross commemorates the victory of the cross over the devil.”
Our Russian Chrysostom, Archbishop Innocent of Kherson, wrote for edification: “He was the first to rebel against Lucifer (Satan), when he rebelled against the Almighty. It is known how this first one ended terrible war, – the overthrow of the Lucifer (Satan) from Heaven. Since then, Archangel Michael has not ceased to fight for the glory of the Creator and Lord of all, for the cause of salvation of the human race, for the Church and her children. (...) Therefore, for those who are adorned with the name of the first of the Archangels, it is most fitting to be distinguished by zeal for the glory of God, loyalty to the King of Heaven and the kings of the earth, constant war against vice and impiety, constant humility and self-sacrifice.”
Thus, Archangel Michael appeared to Joshua as an assistant during the Israeli conquest of the Promised Land. He appeared to the prophet Daniel during the days of the fall of the Babylonian kingdom and the beginning of the creation of the Messianic kingdom. Daniel was predicted to receive help from the Archangel Michael to the people of God during the period of upcoming persecution under the Antichrist.
The Church reveres Archangel Michael as a defender of the faith and a fighter against heresies and all evil. On icons he is depicted with a fiery sword in his hand or with a spear casting down the devil. At the beginning of the 4th century, the Church established the feast of the Council (i.e., the assembly) of the holy Angels, led by Archangel Michael, on November 8.
According to the church calendar, the memory of St. Archangel Michael is celebrated on the eighth of November and the sixth of September.
Holy Archangel Michael, help me defeat enemies, visible and invisible, and adversaries fighting against my soul and body. And pray to God for me, a sinner. Amen.
Oh, great Archangel of God, Archangel Michael, conqueror of demons! Defeat and crush all my enemies, visible and invisible, and pray to the Lord Almighty, may the Lord save and preserve me from all sorrows and from all illnesses, from deadly ulcers and vain (sudden) death.
Holy Archangel of God Michael! Drive away from me with your lightning sword the evil spirit, the sad spirit that tempts me, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Archangel Gabriel
Archangel Gabriel (Heb. “Man of God”), standing before God, is the evangelist of the great mysteries of God.
He taught Moses, who escaped the hand of Pharaoh, the book of books in the desert, told him about the beginning of the world, the creation of the first man Adam, about the life of him and the former patriarchs after him, about subsequent times - about the flood and the division of languages; explained to him the location of the celestial planets and elements, taught him arithmetic, geometry and all wisdom. He appeared to the holy righteous Anna, who in her garden was grieving over her infertility and praying to God with tears, and said to her: “Anna, Anna! Your sighs have been heard, your sighs have passed through the clouds, and your tears have reached God: you will conceive and give birth to a blessed Daughter, in Whom all the tribes of the earth will be blessed, by Her the salvation of the world will be given, and She will receive the name of Mary.”
Saint Gabriel also appeared to righteous Joachim, who was fasting in the desert, and announced to him the same thing as Saint Anna, that they would have a daughter, chosen from the ages as the Mother of the Messiah coming to save the human race. This great Archangel was appointed by God as the guardian of the barren child of God, Mary, and when She was brought into the temple, he nourished Her, bringing Her food daily. He appeared to the holy priest Zechariah, standing on the right side of the altar of incense, announced to him the resolution of the infertility of his elderly wife Elizabeth and the birth of Saint John the Baptist of the Lord, and when he did not believe, he bound his tongue with muteness until the day his words were fulfilled ().
Archangel Gabriel, who commanded fire, water and the process of fruit ripening, helped Eve after the Fall to correctly reveal the meaning and significance of prophetic visions and prophetic dreams. The Book of the Prophet Daniel tells how the Archangel Gabriel, sent by God, reveals to Daniel the meaning of the dream: “And I heard from the middle of Ulai the voice of a man, who called out and said: “Gabriel! Explain this vision to him!” And he came to the place where I stood, and when he came, I was horrified and fell on my face; and he said to me; know, son of man, that the vision refers to the end of the world of time! ().
The most famous and revered is the Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary about the incarnation of the Son of God: “And the Angel said to her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace from God; and behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus” ().
He also appeared in a dream to Joseph, explaining to him that the young woman remained innocent, for what was conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit (). And when our Lord was born in Bethlehem, this Angel of the Lord Gabriel appeared to the shepherds guarding their flocks at night, and said: “I proclaim to you great joy that will be to all people: for today a Savior has been born to you in the city of David, who is Christ the Lord.”
And then immediately with many heavenly warriors he sang: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men” ().
It is believed that it was Gabriel who appeared to the Savior when He prayed in the garden, before His suffering, since the name Gabriel means the strength of God. The same Angel appeared to the myrrh-bearers, announcing to them about the Resurrection of the Lord: thus, being the harbinger of the conception and birth of the Lord, he also appeared as the harbinger of His resurrection. He also appeared to the Most Holy Virgin Theotokos, fervently praying on the Mount of Olives, announced to Her the approach of Her honest dormition and resettlement from earth to Heaven, and gave Her a bright branch of paradise.
The Holy Church, remembering his repeated appearances in the Old and New Testaments and knowing his constant intercession before God for the Christian race, now holds a conciliar celebration for him, so that the people of God will always and ardently resort to the intercession and help of this intercessor and benefactor of the human race and his Through prayers we received remission of sins from Christ our Lord and Savior.
This Archangel, in the work of serving human salvation, is especially the herald and servant of the omnipotence of God.
But, serving miracles, he is therefore a special servant of the mysteries of God. The Holy Church sometimes depicts him with a branch of paradise in his hand, which he brought to the Mother of God, and sometimes in his right hand with a lantern, inside of which a candle is burning, and in his left hand with a jasper mirror. Depicted with a mirror, because Gabriel is the messenger of God's destinies for the salvation of the human race; depicts with a candle in a lantern, because the destinies of God are hidden until the time of their fulfillment and, after their fulfillment, are comprehended only by those who steadily look into the mirror of the word of God and their conscience. Therefore, those who bear the name Gabriel have that faith of God, for which, according to the word of the Savior Himself, nothing is impossible.
A completely different light, the Divine Light, the uncreated grace of the Holy Spirit is brought to earth by the Holy Archangel Gabriel, who, as explained in the “Guide to Painting Icons”: “is depicted holding a lantern with a candle lit inside in his right hand, and a stone mirror in his left.” This mirror made of green jasper (jasper) with black and white spots on it, illuminated by the light of truth, reflects the good and bad deeds of the peoples, proclaims to people the secrets of God's economy of salvation for mankind as a sign that God's ways are not clear until time, but are comprehended through time by studying the word of God and obeying the voice of conscience.
The name Gabriel, received by the Archangel from God, means in Russian the Fortress of God or the Power of God. And since it is God’s, it means that you can and should rely only on her.
Holy Archangel Gabriel, who brought inexpressible joy from Heaven to the Most Pure Virgin, fill my heart, overflowing with pride, with joy and joy.
Oh, great Archangel of God Gabriel, you announced to the Most Pure Virgin Mary the conception of the Son of God. To proclaim to me, a sinner, the day of the terrible death of the Lord God for my sinful soul, may the Lord forgive my sins; and the demons will not keep me from the ordeal for my sins. O great Archangel Gabriel! Save me from all troubles and from serious illness, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Archangel Raphael
Archangel Raphael (God's help) is mentioned in the Book of Tobit. “Whoever wishes to be worthy of Raphael’s heavenly help must first of all be merciful to those in need,” instructs Archbishop Innocent of Kherson. Raphael in Aramaic means Healing of God or Healing of God. “Raphael was sent to heal” ().
“The words spoken by this Archangel during separation from Tobit’s family are very instructive. “A good deed is prayer with fasting and alms and justice, for alms delivers from death and can cleanse all sin... your charity was not hidden from me, but I was with you.” (). Therefore, whoever wishes to be worthy of Raphael’s heavenly help must first of all be merciful to those in need,” instructs Archbishop Innocent of Kherson.
The “Guide to Painting Icons” briefly explains that: “the holy Archangel Raphael, the physician of human ailments: is depicted holding in his left hand a vessel (alavaster) with medicinal means (medicine), and in his right hand - a pod, that is, a clipped bird feather for anointing wounds" (Fartusov, p. 226). Archangel Raphael is revered by the Church as the patron saint of doctors.
Holy Archangel Raphael, heal my ailments, both mental and physical passions. And pray to God for me, a sinner. Amen.
Oh, great Archangel of God Raphael, received gift from God to heal ailments! Heal the unhealed ulcers of my heart and the many diseases of my body.
Holy Archangel of God Raphael! You are a guide, a doctor and a healer, guide me to salvation, and heal all my mental and physical illnesses, and lead me to the Throne of God, and implore His mercy for my sinful soul, may the Lord forgive me and save me from all my enemies and from evil people, from now to eternity. Amen.
Archangel Uriel
Archangel Uriel (fire of God) is mentioned in the Third Book of Ezra.
The Holy Archangel Uriel was sent by God to the pious and learned priest Ezra, who lived in the 5th century BC, to give him an answer to the question about the signs and time of the end of this world.
“I am allowed to tell you about these signs, and if you pray and cry again, as now, and fast for seven days, you will hear even more than that” (), - the holy messenger of God Uriel told Ezra. So, after each night conversation, the Archangel reminded the priest: “Pray to the Almighty unceasingly, and I will come and speak with you” ().
According to the Tradition of the Orthodox Christian Church, the Holy Archangel Uriel was appointed by God to protect after the Fall and the expulsion of Adam. According to the teachings of the holy fathers, Archangel Uriel, being the radiance of the Divine fire, is the enlightener of the darkened, unbelievers and ignoramuses. And the very name of the Archangel, corresponding to his special ministry, means the Fire of God or the Light of God.
Archangel Uriel, according to legend, is the keeper of universal secrets. In the Third Book of the Prophet Ezra it is said about the Archangel: “Then the Angel Uriel, sent to me, answered and said: your heart has gone too far in this age that you understand the path of the Most High. I answered: yes, my lord. He said to me: I was sent to show you three ways and offer you three similarities. If you explain one of them to me, then I will show you the path that you want to see, and I will teach you where the evil heart came from” ().
It is known that the name of the Archangel Uriel was often depicted in the Middle Ages on amulets, which were believed to protect priests, laity and their homes from evil forces and diseases. The prophetic word of the Archangel Uriel, stunning in depth and meaning, attracted ancient mystics and protected them from evil and the despondency and despair they instill in man for the salvation of God: “He answered me (Uriel): the more you experience, the more you will be surprised; because this age is quickly hastening towards its end, and cannot contain what is promised to the righteous in future times, because this age is filled with unrighteousness and weaknesses... Evil has been sown, and the time has not yet come for its eradication. Therefore, until what is sown is uprooted, and the place where evil is sown is abolished, the place where good is sown will not come” ().
The undisguised interest of believers in the name and prophetic words of Archangel Uriel was caused by the significant role that the Creator chose specifically for this Archangel. The Archangel sent by God to man warned against a new fall and the next round of crimes, for which fair punishment was prescribed by the Heavenly Father.
According to the iconographic canon of the Orthodox Church, the holy Archangel named Fire of God “is depicted holding a naked sword in his right hand against his chest, and a fiery flame in his left.”
“Like an Angel of light, he enlightens the minds of people with the revelation of truths that are useful to them; like the Angel of Divine Fire, he inflames hearts with love for God and destroys impure earthly attachments in them,” explains Bishop Innocent, Archimandrite of Kherson.
The fire descending from above means every Divine shrine, which it protects for the enlightenment of darkened people. With a fiery sword, Archangel Uriel threatens and, on occasion, punishes the disobedient and daring as a warning to others who try to unworthily, without the fear of God, touch the shrine of the Lord or who intend to resist it.
Holy Archangel Uriel, enlighten my mind, darkened and defiled by my passions. And pray to God for me, a sinner. Amen.
Oh, great Archangel of God Uriel! You are the radiance of the Divine fire and the enlightener of those darkened by sins, enlighten my mind, my heart and my will with the power of the Holy Spirit, and guide me on the path of repentance, and pray to the Lord God that the Lord will deliver me from the underworld and from all enemies visible and invisible.
Holy Archangel of God Uriel, illuminated by the Divine light and abundantly filled with fire and fiery hot love! Throw a spark of this fiery fire into my cold heart, and illuminate my dark soul with your light, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Archangel Salafiel
Archangel Salafiel (prayer to God) is mentioned in the Third Book of Ezra.
The Holy Archangel Salafiel, according to the belief of the Orthodox Church, appeared to Hagar in the desert when Abraham sent her and her son to Egypt, to their homeland. “She went and got lost in the desert... there was no water... and she left the boy under one bush and went... For she said: I don’t want to see the boy die. And she... lifted up a cry and cried; and God heard the voice of the boy... and an angel of God called from heaven to Hagar, and said to her: what is the matter with you, Hagar? Don't be afraid; God heard the voice of the boy from where he is; stand up, raise the boy and take him by the hand... And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well with living water, and she went, filled a bottle with water and gave the boy a drink” (). So, the heavenly messenger Salafiel explained to Hagar that tears of despair cannot help, but only to God; that “God heard the voice of the boy,” praying to Him with hope, and fulfills his request. The Holy Archangel Salafiel told her to return to her son and take him, praying to God, by the hand, so that she would not only see the well close up, but also see spiritually. Archangel Salafiel offered up his fervent prayer to God, and encouraged her to hold fast to her prayer.
“And so the Lord gave us a whole face of prayerful Angels, with their leader Salafiel,” writes Bishop Innocent of Kherson, “so that with the pure breath of their lips they would warm our cold hearts to prayer, so that they would instruct us about what, when and how to pray, so that we would offer our very offerings are to the throne of grace. When you see, brethren, on the icon the Archangel standing in a position of prayer, with his eyes downcast, with his hands reverently placed on his chest (chest), then know that this is Salafiel.”
The image of the Archangel of God Salafiel both on the building of the Holy Synod and on the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin is fully consistent with the church canon, according to the front iconographic originals. The book “Guide to the Writing of Icons...” says: “The Holy Archangel Salafiel, a man of prayer, always praying to God for people and stirring people up to prayer. He is depicted with his face and eyes bowed (lowered) down, and his hands pressed (attached) with a cross on his chest, as if tenderly praying.”
And how many people are there today who need his help?! Quite a lot. But it’s almost impossible to find his image even in churches.
Holy Archangel Salafiel, stir me up day and night to praise the Divine. And pray to God for me, a sinner. Amen.
Oh, great Archangel of God Salafiel, giving prayer to the one praying! Teach me to pray a fervent, humble, contrite, heartfelt, concentrated and tender prayer.
Holy Archangel of God Salafiel! You pray to God for believers, beg His mercy for me, a sinner, that the Lord will deliver me from all troubles and sorrows, and from illnesses, and from vain death, and from eternal torment, that the Lord will vouchsafe me the Kingdom of Heaven with all the saints, forever centuries. Amen.
Archangel Yehudiel
The name of the Holy Archangel Jehudiel, translated into Russian, means the Glory of God or the Praise of God, because he really, as the inscription on the fresco of the Annunciation Cathedral says, “has the ministry of establishing people who work hard or, for the glory of God, to intercede for them reward.” This name is known only from legends. It does not appear in the Bible or the Gospel.
As explained in the “Guide to the Writing of Icons,” the Archangel of God Jehudiel “is depicted holding a golden crown in his right hand as a reward from God for useful and pious works to holy people, and in his left hand a scourge of three black ropes with three ends as a punishment for sinners for laziness to pious works."
“Each of us, young and old, is obliged to live and work for the glory of God,” writes Archbishop Innocent of Kherson. – The greater the feat, the higher and brighter the reward. The right hand of the Archangel holds not just a crown: it is a reward for every Christian who works for the glory of God.”
According to the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church, God sent the Holy Archangel Jehudiel to precede the people professing the one true God in the conquest of the land of pagan peoples.
Moses, after forty days of fasting and prayer, ascended Mount Sinai, where God gave him a law that the entire Old Testament Church had to observe. And Moses conveyed to the people of God the words spoken by the Lord: “Behold, I am sending My angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared for you; watch yourself before His face and listen to His voice; do not persist against Him, because He will not forgive your sin, for My name is in Him” ().
Then the Lord revealed to people that not only every person, but even the people need the constant help of God’s Angels on the way to the place that “God has prepared for those who love Him” ().
Christians working in the field of art, on the contrary, need to especially venerate the holy Archangel Jehudiel, the helper of all who glorify the Lord, since the true task, true purpose and sole purpose true art can only be man's glorification of his Creator. Labor and creativity precisely for the glory of God is the heavenly adornment of people’s earthly life. This is the kind of art that the Archangel of the Lord Jehudiel encourages us, lazy and careless, in whose hand is a golden crown - a reward for all those who are diligent in their labors for the glory of our God. Only such art, which is surrounded by the care and care of the holy Archangel Jehudiel, makes our earthly fatherland glorious, and us worthy of heavenly, incorruptible, golden crowns.
Holy Archangel Jehudiel, strengthen me in every work and work for the Glory of God. And pray to God for me, a sinner. Amen.
Oh, great Archangel of God Jehudiel, zealous defender of the glory of God! You excite me to glorify the Holy Trinity, awaken me, who is lazy, to glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and beg the Lord Almighty to create a pure heart in me, and renew the right spirit in my womb, and by the Sovereign Spirit confirm me to worship God in spirit and truth.
Holy Archangel of God Jehudiel, ever-present companion and intercessor of all those who struggle on the path of Christ! Arouse me from the heavy sleep of sinful laziness, and fight a good fight, enlighten me and strengthen me, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Archangel Barachiel
The name of Archangel Barachiel is known only from legends. It does not appear in the Bible or the Gospel. The name of this heavenly messenger is translated into Russian - God's Blessing.
The Holy Archangel Barachiel, according to the belief of the Orthodox Church, appeared to the Old Testament Patriarch Abraham at the oak of Mamre, accompanied by two Angels of God. The Lord Himself, through the heavenly embassy of His messengers, symbolically depicting His Three Faces, confirmed His previous promise to Abraham about the birth of Isaac from his wife Sarah (). And then the holy Archangel Barachiel with another Angel of God went from Abraham to his nephew Lot in Sodom. “Before the destruction of wicked cities by heavenly fire,” writes Archimandrite Nikephoros, “only Lot and his family were saved from the general destruction, who were taken out of the city by the command of God by Angels” (Biblical Encyclopedia. M., 1891. P. 436). And Barachiel said to Lot: “Save your soul; do not look back and do not stop anywhere in this vicinity; escape to the mountain so that you don’t die” ().
Thus, righteous Lot and his uncle patriarch Abraham, through a visit to them by the holy Archangel Barachiel, received special mercies and blessings from the Lord.
The book “Guide to the Writing of Icons” says the following about him: “The Holy Archangel Barachiel, the dispenser of God’s blessings and intercessor, asking for God’s benefits to us: he is depicted carrying white roses on his chest on his clothes, as if rewarding at the command of God for prayers, works and moral behavior of people and foretelling bliss and endless peace in the Kingdom of Heaven.” These white roses mean God's blessing. What could be purer and more fragrant than white roses, from which rose oil is extracted? So the Lord, through His Archangel Barachiel, sends His blessing from the depths of his clothing for the prayers and works of people.
“Since the blessings of God are varied,” writes St. Innocent of Kherson, “then the ministry of this Archangel is varied: through him the blessing of God is sent to every good deed, to every good activity in life.”
Holy Archangel Barachiel, intercede for me mercy from the Lord. And pray to God for me, a sinner. Amen.
Oh, great Archangel of God Barachiel, who stands before the Throne of God and from the Throne brings blessings to the homes of God’s servants! Ask the Lord God for mercy and blessing, may the Lord bless from Zion and from His holy mountain, and increase the abundance of the fruits of the earth, and give us health and salvation, victory and victory over our enemies, and preserve us for many years.
Holy Archangel of God Barachiel, bringing blessings from the Lord to us! Bless me to make a good start in correcting my careless life, so that I may please the Lord my Savior in everything, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Apparitions and miracles of the Holy Archangels. M., 2002
What do sensual images of Angelic powers mean?
What do sensual images of angelic Forces mean; what does their fire mean, human appearance, eyes, nostrils, ears, lips, touch, eyelids, eyebrows, blooming age, teeth, shoulders, elbows, hands, heart, chest, spine, legs, wings, nakedness, robe, light clothes, priestly clothing, belts, staffs, spears, axes, geometric tools, winds, clouds, copper, amber, faces, applause, flowers of various stones; what do the types of lion, ox, eagle mean; that - horses and their various flowers; what are rivers, chariots, wheels and what does the mentioned joy of Angels mean?
Let us, if you wish, give our mental gaze a rest from the difficult and intense contemplation befitting Angels; Let us descend to a particular examination of the diverse and multi-formed images of angels and from them, as from images, we will begin to ascend to the simplicity of heavenly Minds...
In explaining the first image, we first need to consider why theology almost most often uses the symbols of fire. For you will find that it not only represents fiery wheels, but also fiery animals and men, as if lightning-shaped, places many fiery coals near the heavenly Beings, represents fiery rivers flowing with a terrible noise; He also says that the Thrones are fiery, and by the very name of the Seraphim he shows that these highest beings are fiery, and attributes to them the properties and actions of fire, and in general, both in heaven and on earth, he especially likes to use fiery images. In my opinion, the appearance of fire indicates the God-like quality of the heavenly Minds. For holy theologians often describe the Highest and indescribable Being under the guise of fire, since fire carries within itself many and, if one can say, visible images of the Divine property. For sensual fire is, so to speak, in everything, passes through everything freely, is not restrained by anything; it is clear and at the same time hidden, unknown in itself, if there is no substance on which it would exert its effect; elusive and invisible by itself; conquers everything, and whatever it touches has its effect on everything; everything changes and is communicated to everything that approaches it in any way; with its life-giving warmth it renews everything, illuminates everything with clear rays; uncontrollable, incomprehensible, has the power to separate, unchangeable, strives upward, penetrating, comes to the surface and does not like to be below; always moving, self-propelled and moving everything; has the power to embrace, but is not embraced; has no need for anything else, multiplies imperceptibly, and shows its great strength in every substance convenient for it; active, strong, inherent in everything invisibly; left in negligence it seems non-existent, but through friction, as if through some search, it suddenly appears in a substance related to it and immediately disappears again, and, abundantly communicating itself to everything, does not decrease. You can find many other properties of fire, as if showing Divine properties in sensual images. Knowing this, godly men imagine heavenly Beings under the guise of fire, thereby showing their likeness to God and the imitation of God possible for them.
Heavenly Beings are also represented in the image of people, because man is gifted with reason and is able to direct his mental gaze to grief; because it is straight and correct appearance, received the natural right of superiority and power, and because although he is inferior in his feelings to other animals, he rules over everything with the overwhelming power of his mind, extensive ability of reasoning and, finally, his spirit, which is by nature free and invincible.
I even think that in each of the many members of our body one can find similar images depicting the properties of the Heavenly Forces. Thus, we can say that the ability of vision means their clearest contemplation of the Divine Light and, together, a simple, calm, unobstructed, quick, pure and dispassionate acceptance of the Divine illumination.
The recognition powers of smell mean the ability to perceive, as much as possible, a fragrance that exceeds the mind, to correctly distinguish from stench and to completely avoid it.
The sense of hearing is the ability to participate in Divine inspiration and intelligently accept it.
Taste is saturation with spiritual food and the acceptance of Divine and nutritional streams.
The sense of touch is the ability to correctly distinguish between useful and harmful.
Eyelashes and eyebrows - the ability to protect Divine knowledge.
Blooming and youthful age - always blooming vitality.
Teeth signify the ability to separate the perfect food taken; for each spiritual being, having received simple knowledge from a being higher than itself, with all diligence divides it and multiplies it, passing it on to lower beings, in accordance with their acceptability.
Shoulders, elbows and arms signify the power to produce, act and accomplish.
The heart is a symbol of God-like life, which generously shares its life force with what is entrusted to its care.
The spine means that which contains all the vital forces.
Legs – movement, speed and speed of their striving towards the Divine. That is why theology depicts the feet of holy beings as winged. For krilo means a quick soar upward, a heavenly and lofty flight, which, in its desire, rises above everything earthly. Lightness kril means complete separation from the earthly, a complete, unhindered and easy desire to shoot up [up, up]; nakedness and lack of shoes - everlasting freedom, unrestrained readiness, distance from everything external and possible assimilation to the simplicity of the being of God.
Since the simple and manifold Wisdom sometimes covers their nakedness and gives them certain instruments to wear, let us now explain, as far as is possible for us, these sacred garments and instruments of the Heavenly Minds.
Light and fire-like clothing, as I think, means, in the likeness of fire, their Godlikeness and the power to illuminate, in accordance with their state in heaven, where the light dwells, which spiritually shines and is itself illuminated. Priestly clothing signifies their closeness to Divine and mysterious visions and dedication of life to God.
Belts signify their ability to protect fruitful forces within themselves and the concentration of their action in one goal, established forever in the same state, as in a regular circle.
The wands signify their royal and sovereign dignity and direct execution of everything.
Spears and axes signify the power to separate what is not characteristic of them, sharpness, activity and the action of distinctive forces.
Geometric and artistic tools - the ability to found, create and accomplish, and in general everything that relates to the action of raising lower beings to God and converting them.
Sometimes the instruments with which the holy Angels are depicted serve as symbols of God’s judgments about us. Some of these instruments mean corrective instruction or punishing justice; others are liberation from dangers, or the purpose of instruction, or the restoration of the first beatitude, or the increase of other gifts, small or great, sensual or spiritual. In short, a discerning mind will not doubt that the visible is actually used to signify the invisible.
The fact that they are called winds means the speed of their activity, which constantly penetrates everywhere, their ability to be transferred from top to bottom and from bottom to top, elevating the lower ones to a lofty height, and encouraging the higher ones to communicate with the lower ones and take care of them. It can also be said that through the name winds the Godlikeness of the heavenly Minds is signified; for the wind also has in itself the likeness and image of Divine action, in its natural and life-giving mobility, in its fast, unstoppable desire and in the unknown and hiddenness for us of the beginning and end of its movements: “You do not know where it comes from and where it goes.” ().
Further, theology surrounds them with clouds, meaning that the sacred Minds are incomprehensibly filled with mysterious light, receive the original light without vanity and abundantly transmit it to lower beings in accordance with their nature; that they are gifted with the power to give birth, revive, grow and create in the image of mental rain, which with abundant drops stimulates the subsoil irrigated by it to life-giving birth.
If theology applies to heavenly Beings the form of copper, amber (), and multi-colored stones (): then amber as something golden and silver-like means non-flickering, inexhaustible, irreducible and unchanging shine, as in gold, and as in silver, bright, light-like, heavenly shine.
Copper should include either the property of fire or the property of gold, which we have already discussed.
As for the different colors of stones, one must think that white represents lightness, red – fiery, yellow – golden-like, green – youth and vigor; in short, in every type of symbolic image you will find a mysterious explanation.
But I think we have already said as much as possible about this subject; Now we must move on to the sacred explanation of the mysterious image of the heavenly Minds in the form of certain animals.
And, firstly, the image of a lion (;), one must think, means a dominant, strong, irresistible force and feasible likeness to the incomprehensible and ineffable God in that they mysteriously close the spiritual paths and paths leading to God with Divine enlightenment.
The image of an ox () means strength, vigor and that which makes spiritual furrows capable of receiving heavenly and fruitful rains; horns mean protective and invincible power.
Further, the image of an eagle (ibid.) means royal dignity, pomp, speed of flight, vigilance, vigilance, speed and skill in obtaining food, strengthening strength, and, finally, the ability, with strong visual strain, to look freely, directly, steadily at the full and luminous a ray emanating from the Divine Light.
Finally, the image of horses means submission and quick obedience; white () horses mean lordship or, better, affinity with the Divine light; black (v. 2) – unknown secrets; redheads (v. 2) – fiery and quick activity; variegated (v. 3) – black and white- the power through which extremes are connected and wisely the first is united with the second, the second with the first.
But if we did not care about the brevity of the essay, then all the particular properties and all parts of the bodily structure of the animals shown could be decently applied to the Heavenly Powers, taking the similarity not in the exact meaning. Thus, their angry appearance could be applied to spiritual courage, the extreme degree of which is anger, lust - to Divine love and, in short, all the feelings and parts of dumb animals - to the immaterial thoughts of celestial Beings and simple forces. But for the prudent, not only this, but also the explanation of the mysterious image alone is sufficient to understand objects of this kind.
Now should show the meaning of rivers, wheels and chariots, applied to the celestial Beings. Fiery rivers () mean Divine sources, abundantly and constantly moistening these Beings and feeding them with life-giving fruitfulness. Chariots () mean the harmonious action of equals. The wheels () are rounded, steadily and straightly moving forward, signify the power of heavenly Beings to move in their activities along a straight and correct path, since all their spiritual aspirations from above are directed along a straight and steady path.
It is possible to take the image of spiritual wheels in another mysterious sense. They are given a name, as the Theologian says: galgal (), which in Hebrew means rotation and revelation. The Fiery and Divine wheels belong to rotation, since they constantly revolve around the same good; revelations, because they reveal secrets, elevate the lower ones and bring down the highest illumination.
It remains for us to explain the joy (of) the heavenly ranks. True, they are completely alien to our passive pleasure; however, they rejoice with God, as Scripture says, about the finding of the lost, because of their God-like quiet joy, because of their sincere pleasure in the care of Providence for the salvation of those turning to God, and because of those inexplicable delights that holy men very often felt when the Divine descended on them from above insight.
This is what I could say about sacred images. Although their explanations are not entirely satisfactory, they, in my opinion, contribute to ensuring that we do not have a low concept of mysterious images.
If you say that we have not mentioned all of the angelic powers presented in order in Scripture, then we respond to this with a sincere admission that we partly do not have complete knowledge of supermundane objects and have a need for other things. leader and mentor regarding this subject, but in part they left much, as equivalent to what we said, with the intention of taking care of the brevity of the essay and reverently keeping silent about secrets that are inaccessible to us.
St. Dionysius the Areopagite. About the Heavenly Hierarchy. St. Petersburg, 1997
The Christian heavenly hierarchy in the kingdom of angels was first described in Holy Scripture in the early years of the religion. For then people were closer to their God, and he often spoke to them through his messengers - the highest angelic beings. The angels, in turn, told the selected clergy about the structure of the heavenly world. And they set them out in their books.
Since then, God's personal communication with people has decreased, but angels still carry out their service. And their hierarchy has not changed. In which documents this is revealed, you can find out on Wikipedia, and here is information about the official division of angels in the heavenly office and the palaces of evil.
General structure of the kingdom of angels
The Creator created people after he created higher beings. At first he planned just such a world, where exceptional creatures reign. However, over time, his plans changed, and god-like angels stood at the service of his interests in the arrangement of the world.
Over time, some of the angels decided to separate from the Creator, trying to overthrow him. As a result, the apostates were separated from the Father and cast into a separate hellish kingdom. However, both the faithful and the unfaithful received their qualities and roles according to the plans of their Creators. This is how the hierarchy of angels and demons arose in Christianity, according to which there is control over human souls, the angelic world itself and everything else that the Lord created.
The hierarchical ladder of higher beings on both sides is fundamentally different from each other. Light angels are divided into higher, middle and others only due to the characteristics of their activities. The heavenly table of ranks includes 9 ranks of exceptional entities close to God. This:
- Seraphim.
- Cherubim.
- Thrones.
- Domination.
- Strength.
- Authorities.
- Started.
- Archangels.
- Angels.
Each rank is included in a separate circle according to responsibilities and degree of distance from the Creator. And such a division is typical for most Abrahamic religions; only the names of the ranks differ. The listed positions are fully recognized by the heavenly hierarchy in Orthodoxy, along with Catholic Christianity.
The career of the Devil’s servants follows a different principle. The most ferocious, notorious fallen angels, reborn into demons, or generated by Lucifer himself, dominate here.
The strong keep the weak in fear, making the latter thirst for a higher place next to Satan and giving rise to a struggle for power.
The hierarchy is anarchic in nature, anyone can change it. However, the system of higher and lower members in terms of the degree of influence on human souls is still present.
Upper echelon – seraphim, cherubim, thrones
The first step, which begins the heavenly hierarchy of angels, is the highest servants of God: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones. All of them are the Creator’s personal assistants, appearing to people on the most special occasions. Seraphim—Hebrew for “flame-like”—huge, god-like, six-winged creatures capable of burning entire cities for apostasy. Their face is terrible, but mysteriously beautiful. Unlimited abilities. They can fulfill any wish. Despite their power to punish, they first of all prefer to glorify the Lord with divine songs and open souls to him - this is their main mission.
Seraphim are the very first creatures that the Creator revealed. They are so perfect that they are almost equal to him in beauty and strength. This caused some of them to become inflamed with pride and rebel against the Father. We are talking about God’s most beloved seraphim – Lucifer. Sometimes the angelic hierarchy in Orthodoxy ranks him among the archangels. And the TV series “Supernatural” puts seraphim below archangels. But this is not entirely true.
Cherubim are the servants second closest to the Creator, more flexible and efficient. They defend the palaces of the Creator with huge fiery swords, as well as the heavenly gates of paradise. They are as large in size and beautiful as their predecessors, the four-wings. However, their essence is absolute wisdom. With its help they read souls and lead them to the Father.
You can recognize a cherub by his azure robe, and a seraphim by his scarlet robe. Cherubs often have 4 faces, including animals, looking in 4 directions at once.
The most mysterious helpers of God are the Thrones, the only ones that do not repeat an anthropomorphic image, but are something unlike anything else. These are animated creatures in the form of fiery wheels, along the edge of which there are thousands of unblinking eyes.
Thrones transport God from place to place as needed. And according to their second purpose, they vigilantly monitor the fulfillment of the tasks and rules of the Creator in the angelic kingdom. And if they are violated, then they carry out Righteous judgment. They are the patrons of ordinary judges among people.
This is the scheme of the ranks of the highest servants of God. This is the caste of creatures closest to the Creator. Their number is countless, but not infinite. However, it is enough to fight back against evil.
Middle level - domination, strength, power
If the highest angelic echelons perform the role of personal assistant to God, the middle ranks - Dominion, Strength, Authority - face directly to his creations. To people, the world, creatures.
The rulers, as the hierarchy of paradise prescribes to them, are responsible for the wise decision of affairs by earthly sovereigns, those who occupy a responsible position and on whom the destinies of people depend.
They lead their students to liberation from passions and vice, and teach them to ignore temptations.
Representatives of the Forces personify the Grace of the Almighty. Their mission is to support righteous believers, heal them with miraculous healing, suggest the future, and warn. The powers show miracles to Christians as a good sign. Support those suffering in difficult times. This is an everlasting message to believers that their Father is always near.
The next whom the heavenly hierarchy of angels ranks among the exalted servants of paradise are the Authorities. They close the middle link of the angelic hierarchy and fulfill the order of the Almighty to protect people from the destructive attacks of Darkness on their souls.
Therefore, dark forces can never cause exactly the damage they plan; their blow is always weaker. The authorities soften or completely eliminate attacks dark forces against the spiritual framework of people.
Thus, according to the table of angels in Christianity, the first and second circle of ranks are intended to demonstrate the protection and will of the Lord before people. It is not surprising that these entities have practically no names among mortals, since they rarely personalize anyone. They can only appear in person to saints.
Lower angels in Christianity
At their core, the lower angels are not lower at all. They are called this only because on the ladder between God and his human creatures they stand closer to the very bottom, next to mortals. Their mission is to protect the human kingdom from the forces of the fallen. Their ranks are Principalities, Archangels and ordinary Angels.
The principles are the embodied highest spirits of the world itself. They are in charge of nature, planets, phenomena. They were born on earth, went through the path of self-knowledge and continue to explore the world through its development, simultaneously protecting it from disastrous thoughts.
We can say that the Elements are in charge of science. Believers know about them moderately. But those whom divine hierarchy put it at rank 8, literally all truly enlightened and religious creatures of God know and adore it. We are talking about beautiful archangels.
The most ardent human defenders, capable of protecting them even from the wrath of the Father himself, became so closely integrated into the world of their clients that they received their own names.
Eight angelic messengers, accompanying all souls without exception, from birth to death of the body, to heaven, are known in Orthodoxy under the names:
- Michael is the one who is like God. The leader of all archangels (archangel). The permanent enemy of Lucifer, along with his army, an eternal warrior in the fight against the fallen army. It is nearby during the departure of a dying person to another world and transfers his soul to heaven.
- Gabriel is the left hand of the Creator, his herald, his “mouth” before mortals. The appearance of the Archangel Gabriel preceded the birth of Christ. He appeared before Moses. He defended the parents of the Virgin Mary and Mary herself with her unusual son. The name Gabriel is associated with miracles.
- Raphael is a kind healer, protector of the sick, doctors, travelers, exiles, those who are far, far from home.
These are the brightest archangels in Christianity, whom all adherents know.
However, the others are not inferior to them in strength:
- Barachiel - connects mortals with the Lord and conveys God's blessing to righteous deeds. Patron of the righteous.
- Selafiel - conducts people's prayers to the Creator. "Ears" of the Lord. Applies for righteous prayers mortals.
- Jehudiel - determines who is sinful, who is pure and guides the lost to the true path.
- Uriel is a bright archangel who kindles hope and faith in souls.
- Jeremiel - returns apostates to the Father, accompanies souls on the way to him.
The Archangels preside over the last rank of the angelic hierarchy - the ordinary Angels. This countless number of creatures are called guardian angels, and every person has them as a personal protector and mentor.
Separate Hierarchy of Fallen Angels
Lucifer at one time was able to gather around himself many comrades who supported him during the rebellion against the Father. The rebellion failed, disgraced, the rebel was expelled from heaven along with the ascetics into the damned space, where he created his own kingdom - hell. He sat down at the head and began to be called Satan, the Devil, the Evil One. And he assigned roles to his henchmen.
However, darkness avoids visible order. Therefore, the classification of the angels of the fallen world is individual in nature and depends on the abomination of the acts committed by dark creatures. So their hierarchy is constantly changing.
Only a few closest assistants remain unchanged. Right hand - Baphomet.
There are at least three known types of “career” ladders for demons:
- by type of activity;
- on responsibility for mortal sins;
- according to the angelic ranks.
In the first case, the place of the demon depends on the type of harm it causes. This hierarchy has 10 steps, where at the top there are Parks, interfering in the destinies of people, and at the bottom are petty demons, instilling lies in the elderly. This division also contains: poltergeists, incubi-succubi, spirits of sorcerers and witches, nightmares, demons that seduce men and pure demons that attack only saints.
The second supernatural division occurs according to mortal sins, for which specific demons are responsible. The hierarchy from top to bottom looks like this:
- Lucifer, pride.
- Mammon, greed.
- Asmodeus, lust.
- Satan, anger.
- Beelzebub, gluttony.
- Leviathan, envy.
- Belphegor, idleness.
In last place is Astaroth, who is responsible for despondency - the eighth mortal sin of man.
The list often changes and expands as the demons act. For example, Python, the prince of lies, and Abbadon, the demon of wars, recently appeared in it.
Finally, the third alignment is based on the original rank of fallen angels. Thus, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan and Asmodeus were seraphim, and therefore constitute the highest echelon of the hierarchy. It also includes the former cherub Balberith, the demon of suicide, and four former thrones. The second circle of this division includes former dominations, powers, authorities - 5 demons. In the third - one demon from the beginnings and one from the archangels.
There is also a fourth angelic hierarchical ladder of demons - by location. The highest of them, fiery demons, are waiting for the beginning of the Last Judgment, the lowest - demons of darkness, afraid of light, live next to people. There are also air, earth, water and underground... The devil practices chaos and cunning. Therefore, he confuses the structure of his army in every possible way. After all, his strength is not in order, but in the deception and confusion that he sows in minds and souls.
Angels... What are they? What are these creatures? Are there many of them? What do they do, how do they live in Heaven? Do they ever come to our earth?
What are Angels? Among all peoples at all times, along with the innate thought of God, the thought of one or another concept of the angelic world has always lived. And although we have not seen the Angels with our bodily eyes, we can draw their image, we can say what kind of creatures they are: the thought of them is deeply embedded in our soul; Each of us mentally imagines Angels.
Angel... Isn’t it true, when we pronounce this word with our own lips, or hear it pronounced by the lips of others, or when we think about an Angel, then every time this name evokes in us the idea of something unusually bright, pure, perfect, holy, beautifully tender, about something that the soul involuntarily yearns for, that it loves, that it bows to? And everything that we notice on earth is holy, bright, pure, beautiful and perfect - we have a tendency to call and designate all this by the name of an Angel. We look, for example, at pretty children, admire their trusting eyes, their naive smile and say: “like Angels,” “angel eyes,” “angelic smile.” We hear harmonious, touching singing, sonorous, gentle voices, we listen to their various modulations and melodies, sometimes quietly sad and thoughtful, sometimes enthusiastically, solemn and majestic, and we say: “It’s like in heaven, like angels singing.” Will we visit a family whose members live in mutual harmony, mutual love, prayer, where everything bears the stamp of some kind of quietness, meekness, some extraordinary peace, where the soul involuntarily rests? Let us visit such a family and say: "They live like Angels." Whether any extraordinary beauty strikes our eyes, we will say again: “angelic beauty.” And if we are asked, if we are assigned to draw an Angel, and if we have paint, how will we depict him? Definitely in the form of a beautiful young man in snow-white clothes, with a bright, clear face, clear eyes, with white wings - in a word, we will try to portray something attractive, tender, alien to the earth and everything sensual. And the more clearly in our drawing we imprint this alienation from the earth, this airiness, lightness, spirituality, this ethereality, heavenliness, the more perfect the drawing will be, the more eyes it will attract to itself, the more clearly it will remind those looking of the celestial being. So, this, therefore, is what Angels are, as our inner feeling, inner spiritual sense, our inner direct experience tells us about this, first of all.
With the name of the Angel we associate the concept of everything that is most dear to us, holy, attractive, pure, perfect, beautiful, unearthly. An angel is depicted to our inner gaze as a being not of this world, spiritual, free from all rudeness and sensuality, in a word, as a heavenly being. And what our inner feeling tells us about the Angels, perhaps not entirely clearly, vaguely, is revealed to us by the word of God with particular clarity and obviousness.
The Word of God is news from Heaven and about Heavenly things. And the more often and deeply we read into it, the closer the Heavenly - angelic world becomes to us, the more tangible we will feel it with our hearts, the more clearly its victorious songs will reach our inner ears. Just as the sun and the starry sky are reflected in clean water, so in the word of God - this source of living water - the spiritual sky is reflected - the angelic world; in the word of God we see Angels as if standing before us.
By their nature, the word of God teaches us, Angels are spirits. Are not all spirits of service, says the ap. Paul, - sent to serve for those who will inherit salvation (). “You want to know,” says the blessed one. Augustine, is the name of his (Angel) nature? This is spirit. Would you like to know his position? This is an Angel. In essence he is a spirit, and in activity he is an Angel.” But Angels are spirits, not bound, like our spirit, by flesh, which fights against the spirit, captivates it with the sinful law, constrains it, interrupts its flights to heaven, and constantly pulls it towards the earth. Angels are spirits free from all flesh, its laws are alien to them. They are not tormented by hunger, they are not tormented by thirst. Therefore, all our persistent work in obtaining our daily bread is unknown to them. “Cursed is the earth for your sake; you will eat from it in sorrow all the days of your life; She will bring forth thorns and thistles for you; and you will eat the grass of the field; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread" (). This formidable sentence of Divine justice was pronounced only to fallen man, and the Angels remained faithful to their Creator to the end. Thorns and thistles do not grow in the sky, sweat does not wear out the face of an angel. They do not sow, do not reap, do not gather into barns, they are not dried up by worry about tomorrow; our struggle for bread, for existence, our mutual strife, discord, wars, anger, hatred, envy because of this are unknown to disembodied spirits. True, they experience hunger and feel thirst, but not our hunger with pain, not our thirst with suffering. Their hunger is a never-ending need to be satisfied with the sweetness of contemplating the beauty of the Divine, with the sweetness of knowledge of eternal wisdom, to be satisfied with the one living bread.
“Holy bread,” the priest prays in the words of St. Ambrose of Milan before the liturgy - Holy Bread, Living Bread, Sweetest Bread. Bread is a delight, pure bread, full of all kinds of sweets and incense! The Angels in heaven feed abundantly on You; May even the stranger on earth be satisfied in his strength with You!” “The angels in heaven feed abundantly,” and everyone wants to be satisfied more and more with the sweetness of contemplation of the Divine. What a high, truly heavenly, most blissful hunger! The Angels are captured by thirst, but also by a heavenly and blissful thirst - a thirst for ever closer communion with God, penetration by the Divine, enlightenment by Him. Their thirst is a never-ending yearning for God. A small semblance of this thirst occurs on earth. So the eagle, having spread its mighty wings to its full width, soars up and flies, rising higher... higher... there - into the depths of the sky. But no matter how high he rises, he must come down again. This is how it happens: our mind, in moments of greatest spiritual tension, inspiration, prayer, powerfully breaking the bonds of the flesh, like an eagle, rushes to heaven, contemplates God, is imbued with Him, and thinks about Him. But, alas, our mind, fickle and wavering, again falls from the heavenly heights; breaks into many vain thoughts, dissipates. Not so the Angels: their mind is constantly, invariably directed towards God, does not deviate from Him for a single moment, and does not know any turning back. Angels “with a firm mind and an unwavering desire guide the being” contemplate the Divine, the Church sings about them. “Angels are inflamed by Divine Love.” Inflamed even by this love, kindled by the dawn of the Divine being, from this Divine thirst the Angels themselves become “God-bearing coal,” “a communion of the Divine fire, like a flame.” “Cherubim, Seraphim, Lord, stand before You in fiery fires!” (Octoechos 3, tone 4, Tuesday, canto 8).
What truly Divine, what the sweetest thirst! Thus, in the unceasing contemplation of God, in constant striving and exaltation towards Him, in the never-ceasing hymn of His immeasurable glory and greatness, Angels live in Heaven.
On the path of constant aspiration and elevation to God, they do not know any stops, obstacles and obstacles, they do not know the most important, the most fundamental, the most difficult obstacle on this path - sin, which every now and then binds the wings of our spirit with its bonds, hampering its flight to Heaven and God. Angels can no longer sin. At first they, according to the doctrine St. Augustine, were created by God with the ability to sin, then, through the steady exercise of their will in goodness, they moved into the state of being able not to sin and, finally, strengthened in obedience to God, by the power of Divine grace they were so improved that they reached the state of the impossibility of sinning.
It is in this most blessed and holy state that the Angels remain in Heaven to this day.
As disembodied spirits, Angels know neither our space nor time; our methods of transportation, which involve many efforts and difficulties, are unknown to them. Angels are fast-flying, fast-moving: An angel is now in one place, in the blink of an eye - in another; there are no walls, no doors, no locks for Angels. “They,” teaches Gregory the Theologian, “walk freely around the great Throne, because they are fast-moving minds, flames and Divine spirits, quickly moving through the air.” And they pass through closed doors, and see through the walls, and no fortress, the most solid, high and impregnable, is able to hold back their flight. Angels fly uncontrollably and freely on their swift wings: before the noise of their spirit (), like smoke, all space disappears.
And not only do the Angels themselves so easily rush about; If an angel approaches a person, takes him, lifts him on his wings, then space ceases to exist for the person; covered with the blood of angelic wings, he is transported across the most distant distances in the blink of an eye.
Wonderful, wonderful, my friends!
For us, bound by flesh, it’s strange, for us, shackled from everywhere by space, it’s incomprehensible how it’s possible: to be here now and in any second be transported across hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, millions of miles and find ourselves immediately in another place, in another country, among other people, to hear a foreign language, to see a different nature. Strange, but not so strange that we are completely unable to accommodate such rapidity in our minds; it is incomprehensible, but not so much that such rapidity is in direct contradiction to our mind. Man, who, according to the Word of God, is lowered before the Angels (), carries within himself the possibility of angelic speed. In fact, tell me, isn’t our spirit quickly moving, isn’t our thought fleeting? For thought, for our spirit also, because there are no barriers or obstacles. In the blink of an eye we can travel across the most enormous distances with our thoughts, in the blink of an eye we can visit different places with our spirit. And this is now more and more intensifying, the desire to conquer, conquer space, cut through it with all kinds of the most fast-moving machines, this ever-increasing thirst to get off the ground and on newly invented airships, as if on wings, to fly there... high - high, where the sky is blue - what does all this mean, if not that man is truly “lower than the Angels,” that his spirit is fast-moving, his thought is fleeting, that in spirit, in thought, man is an Angel and also not bound by space.
Supported by the right hand of God, stand firmly and unswervingly on this path of spiritual growth and improvement in Christ Jesus, and you will become like the Angels - with all your soul you will feel how time, days, weeks, months, years begin to disappear before you, and before your eyes in all its greatness in its own and immensity, as before the Angels, eternity, eternity... eternity will unfold...
Are there many Angels? Is it possible to count them? No. The bliss of the Angels is immeasurable, and their number is immeasurable. They surround the Throne of God with tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. “I saw,” the prophet Daniel narrates, “behold, thrones were set up and the Ancient of Days sat down... A river of fire came out and passed before Him; thousands of thousands served Him and darkness stood before Him” (). And the shepherds of Bethlehem on the holy Christmas night saw a large army of heaven, which sang: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will towards men” (). When the Lord Jesus Christ was taken in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Apostle Peter, in defense of his Teacher, drew his sword, striking the servant of the high priest, the Lord said to Peter: “Return your sword to its place... or do you think that I cannot now beg My Father, and He will present to Me more than twelve legions of Angels" (). Legions of Angels... Numerous hosts... Tens of thousands and thousands... You see how the word of God numbers the Angels: with all this it wants to tell us: the angelic world is immense. That is why in the word of God Angels are compared with stars (). You can admire the stars, you can, looking at them, glorify the Creator, but you cannot count them; So it is with Angels: you can pray to them, you can sing to them, but you cannot say how many there are. So great, so vast is the angelic world! And what order, what wonderful harmony, harmony and peace reign in the angelic world with all its immensity!
Here, firstly, by the position of the cornerstone one cannot understand anything other than the position of the foundation of the earth, the structure of its first principles, and therefore, by the morning stars one cannot understand the stars of the visible world, which did not yet exist at the foundation of the earth, but must understand rational beings, or Angels, who are called morning stars because they constitute the first creation of God, which preceded, like the morning stars of the visible world, the day of the harmonious existence of the universe. Secondly, by the name of the sons of God, which are spoken of here, one cannot also understand anyone other than the Angels of God; so they are named above in the same Book of Job twice (); the people who are also sometimes called sons of God in Scripture did not yet exist at that time.
Thus, the Angels praised God even when the foundations of the earth were laid. From this we can conclude that the creation of Angels preceded the formation of the material world.
The opinion about the creation of Angels before the material world was dominant in the ancient church. The expression of this opinion in St. Gregory the Theologian. “Since it was not enough for Goodness,” he says, “to exercise only in contemplation of Itself, but it was necessary for the good to spread, to go further and further, so that there would be as many benefited as possible (for this is the property of the highest Goodness), then God invents, firstly, the angelic and heavenly powers. And the thought became a deed, which was filled with the Word and accomplished by the Spirit. This is how the second lordships arose... God created the intelligent world... since the first creatures were pleasing to Him, then He invents another world - material and visible; and this is the harmonious composition of heaven, earth, and what is between them” (Homily 38). St. I. Damascene, accepting the opinion of Gregory the Theologian about the time of the creation of Angels, adds: “I agree with the Theologian: for it was more decent to first create an intelligent essence, then a sensory one, and then from both essences of man” (Exact edition in .2, 3).
Holy Scripture does not give precise instructions regarding the time of the creation of Angels. In patristic texts we find at least three opinions regarding the origin of Angels.
According to the first, Angels were created before the material world. This opinion is the most widespread and was included in the Catechisms. He was separated by schmch. Irina of Lyon, Eusebius of Caesarea, St. Athanasius the Great, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Epiphanius of Cyprus.
The word "spirit" means an immaterial and incorporeal being. It has the same meaning in the saying of the apostle, who was taught the sacraments of faith from the Lord Himself.
If the Word of God repeatedly mentions the appearance of Angels in a visible body; then in all such cases they revealed intelligence and will and generally acted as it is common for rationally free, spiritual beings to act.
The image of the person in which they appeared does not constitute themselves, but represents only the appearance of their appearance, therefore it does not at all upset confidence in the spirituality of their nature, just as the Epiphanies do not upset confidence in the spirituality of God’s nature.
These are the foundations of the spirituality of the nature of souls and Angels, extracted from the Word of God by church teachers!
The question arises: where are the subtle bodies stored, in which spirits clothe themselves when they appear to people? I answer: in the same place where the body of the Lord was kept, in which He appeared to Abraham, in which He fought with Jacob, in which we saw Him in paradise, and so on. In all these and similar cases, He took the body for a while, therefore, He took it somewhere. Thus, where the Lord took the body, there the spirits also took it, and where those Lord’s bodies were kept, there the bodies of the spirits are kept.
They will say to this: the Lord will command it, and the elements will gather around Him and form a body; commands again - the elements will be resolved, and the body will no longer exist.
But the same Lord, who created spirits in His image and likeness, could also grant them the ability to gather the elements around themselves and put on a visible body, when this was necessary to fulfill His Holy will. I don't see anything impossible here. This is not impossible on the part of God: He is ready to bestow upon the creature every good that it is capable of containing. The question is: can the spirit accommodate such an ability? I answer: maybe, because he is a force that really exists among other creatures, and the highest force of all material things, no matter how strong and powerful it may be. The higher by nature can naturally dominate over the lower natures, and the lower natures must naturally submit and submit to the higher ones.
So I believe that God gave to disembodied spirits the ability to attract to themselves, when required, certain elements and form a certain shell around themselves from them and then, when the need has passed, detach them from themselves and return them to their first state. In this way, the Angels form for themselves both a body in the form of a human, in which they usually appear, as well as clothing and everything with which they appear; and in the same way all this is again decomposed into its elements. And it seems to me that this method of explanation is the simplest and most natural, and most importantly, it embraces all cases of angelic manifestations.
Take a magnet and place it among iron filings - they will immediately be attracted to it and stick around it on all sides. Paralyze the force of the magnet in any way - the sawdust will all fall off and the magnet will remain bare.
In the same way, spirits have a natural ability to attract and repel the elements, with the only difference that what in a magnet acts mechanically, in spirits is accomplished in subordination to freedom and reason. Our soul, as St. teaches. Gregory of Nyssa, forms her own body. But this process of formation is very long, and moreover, the soul, having formed a body for itself, does not have the freedom to resolve it at will. Higher spirits form bodies for themselves and release them freely, and moreover, according to their own desire or God’s will. Also: our soul in a dream, and sometimes in reality, imagines itself in different states and forms. I transfer this to spirits and say: what the soul can only imagine, the higher spirit can produce, of course, according to the conditions of its highest spiritual mode of existence and action and in subordination to the ruling Supreme Being.
Look what St. says. Damascene about Angels, and you will agree that under no circumstances can one assume in it the idea of the materiality of the angelic nature. Listen, for example, to how St. Damascene explains the mutual communication of Angels among themselves.
“Angels,” he says, “are mental lights, the second from the first and beginningless light, having enlightenment, not needing language and hearing, but without a word spoken by the tongue, transmitting to each other their thoughts and desires.”
What is the substance here? If St. Damascene recognized them as material; he would say that Angels have tongues, eyes and other members, see each other, talk with each other, visit each other. If St. Damascus does not allow anything like this, but on the contrary, he explains the mutual communication of Angels in a spiritual, mental way, it is obvious that he does not recognize the Angels as material. Listen again to how St. understands. The Damascene attitude of Angels to the place.
“As minds, they exist in mental places, without being described like bodies: for, by their nature, they do not have a form or image similar to bodies, they do not even have three dimensions, but they are mentally present and act where they are commanded, and cannot be and act here and there at the same time.”
This completely frees the nature of the Angels from those crude forms in which the new teaching, which wants to give them materiality, presents them, based on the appearances of the Angels and transferring the image of the appearance to the image of nature. And St. Damascus teaches that although they are not in heaven when they are sent to earth, and although they cannot be here and there at the same time, when they are in some place, they are not so that they are outlined here by any shape, extended in height, length and width. They do not have such dimensions, they do not have any form, as bodies tend to have. Therefore, we can only say that they are here, and not there, that they exert their effect here, and not there. So that they do not think that I am arbitrarily interpreting the words of St. Damascene about the relationship of Angels to the place, which he called a “mental place”, I write out how the saint himself understands his “mental place”. Damascene.
“There is a mental place where it is contemplated, and there is a mental and incorporeal nature, where it is present and acts mentally, and not being encompassed bodily or like bodies. For it does not have the form to be embraced bodily” (Book 1, chapter 13).
Well, this is how there is an incorporeal thing in a certain place. It exists, is inherent, acts, but does not occupy it and is not embraced by it. And here are some more of his words about the angelic place.
“An angel is not kept in a place like bodies, so as to take on some form or form. But it is said that he is in a certain place for the sake of what is mentally present in it and acts according to its nature, and that at the same time he does not happen in another place, but mentally imagines himself there, where he acts. For he cannot act in different places at the same time” (Ibid.).
But if, therefore, according to St. Damascus, Angels do not take up space and are not embraced by him, if they do not have any extension and appearance, then it is obvious that, according to his teaching, they do not have any substance, no matter how subtle it may be imagined; because nothing material can exist without these accessories; and what does not have them is no longer material.
“Some argue,” he says, “that the Angels were created before all creation, as St. Gregory the Theologian: “first, (God) conceives the angelic, Heavenly Powers, and thought has become action”... I completely agree with the Theologian. For the mental nature had to be created first, then the sensory and, finally, man, one of both” (Book 1, Chapter 13).
And there are many similar cases in human life when Angels, being themselves invisible to people, send them their help in one or another miraculous way, saving them from obvious danger, from obvious death. So, the Angels are filled with love for us people, so they take care of us. Therefore, the Saint prays to God, calling on Him on behalf of everyone: “Deliver us from all sorrow, evil and disease, protect us with your holy Angels, so that by observing them and with their instructions, we will achieve the union of faith...”
But the Angels are not content with helping only some people and, moreover, in some particular case or as needed. No! This is not enough. The saint believes that every person (Christian) benefits from angelic care individually and, moreover, not just at one time, but throughout his entire life. According to the belief of the Holy Church, every Christian is given his own Angel at baptism, who takes him into his invisible and visible care, protects him visibly and invisibly in spiritual and physical life, which is why he is called the Guardian Angel. Being assigned to a person from the very baptism, the Guardian Angel remains with him and accompanies him until his death. He cares both about his eternal salvation and about his temporary life. It is he who instills in him good, soul-helping thoughts, helps him in doing good deeds, drives the devil away from him, destroying the devil’s machinations, helps him in various difficult circumstances of his life, delivers him from a vain death, and so on, and so on. In a word, the Guardian Angel is a person’s mentor or educator, an invisible leader and protector who walks with him all the days of his life.
And here are examples of how the Guardian Angel saved people from needless death. One day, being late on the way, St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, entered the inn for the night along with his deacon. At midnight, the Guardian Angel pushed him in the side and said: “Polycarp, get up and quickly leave this hotel, for it will immediately collapse.” The Angel gave this warning three times. As soon as St. Polycarp came out, the hotel immediately collapsed, and everyone else who was there was beaten...
Many similar cases happen in our Russian Orthodox Church with God-fearing people. One soldier was walking home from military service. He carried a considerable amount of money with him. It was late autumn, when it usually gets dark early. At dusk he came to one village and decided to spend the night there. There were many inns in the village. Approaching one of these, the soldier saw the owner at the gate and asked to spend the night. The owner, having learned that he was a soldier, at first refused to let him in, thinking that the traveler would not pay for food and lodging, since, in his opinion, the soldier had nowhere to get a penny. But when the soldier reassured him about this, the owner agreed to let him in. The soldier entered the hut. He didn't like either the owner or the hostess. Both of them were gloomy, taciturn, ferocious. But the soldier thought: “I can’t live here forever: I’ve come today, and tomorrow I’ll be out before the light. I’ll spend the night sometime, fortunately I’ve still found peace...”
The soldier had dinner and immediately began to pay so that he could hit the road early in the morning without delay. The owner and hostess, seeing the soldier had a lot of money, became more talkative. The owner suddenly said to the soldier: “You, a soldier, must not be going home with an empty pocket? Apparently you have money? The soldier replied: “There is a small fraction.” “Where did you get them from, servant?” – the old woman asked in turn. The soldier answered her: “I served in the foreign army, and there they gave me a big salary; So I took care of him - I endured the need, but I took care of him. I have a brother and a family in the village: I worked harder for him to come to him with help. God willing, I’ll come, and we’ll get better.”
Rising from the table, the soldier took off his overcoat, put his knapsack under his head and soon fell asleep. Before going to bed, he prayed to God as usual and read a prayer to his Guardian Angel. At night he suddenly woke up, without knowing why - as if someone had doused him with cold water - and immediately began to rise to his feet. He looked, and the owner was standing next to him and holding a knife just above his neck to stab him... The soldier had nothing in his hands with which to defend himself, and he began to think about death. Suddenly it occurred to him to say to the owner: “What are you doing? After all, I’m not the only soldier here - there are many of us here, they’ll catch me.” The owner seemed a little taken aback and thought for a moment, but soon perked up again and said: “It’s too late to start telling tales now. Pray, and karachup for you.” At this time, the hostess shouted to her husband from behind the partition: “Why are you listening to him?” Having said this, she ran out with an ax in her hands and rushed at the soldier. the unfortunate man was hanging by a thread. The soldier had no reason to expect any other help except God’s help, for it was midnight and everyone in the village was asleep.
Expecting that he would now be killed by an ax or a knife, the soldier fell to his knees and began to read a prayer to his Guardian Angel, as he had done more than once in moments of mortal danger. Suddenly someone knocked hard on the window, so hard that all the glass shook. Then a voice was heard from outside: “Master, master! Unlock it quickly, or we’ll break the gates: the gentlemen officers have come to stay.” The owner and hostess saw that things were now going badly for them, and they fell at the soldier’s feet. “Don’t destroy us, don’t betray us,” they begged. “The damned enemy has confused us...” But the soldier had no time for that. He grabbed a knapsack from the shelf, threw on his overcoat, but without boots, and slipped out of the hut. He ran out into the street and saw that there was no one at the gate or anywhere. Yes, it probably wasn’t... But he was incredibly glad that he escaped from under the knife and ran at full speed through the village. He came to his senses when he ran into the middle of the village. Then his heart was relieved: he was saved.
Such benefits for the soul and body are sent to a person by his Guardian Angel. That is why the Saint, in prayer (petition litany) of the Lord God, asks “An angel of peace, a faithful mentor, guardian of our souls and bodies.”
But visible miraculous actions of the Guardian Angel in a person’s life are relatively rare. For the most part, these actions are invisible to bodily eyes. To notice them and distinguish them from various external random circumstances and internal human feelings and desires, for this you need to carefully look at life, think about your actions, and also listen carefully to the voice of your conscience. Then we can discover many things that can only be explained by the action of the Guardian Angel in our lives. For example, should we at least pay attention to how many times each person in his life has to be exposed to one or another danger? Often follows a person on his heels (for example, a stone or log from above a house under construction fell on someone standing below and almost broke his head, a zealous horse rushed off, threw the rider out of the cart and almost killed him to death, etc., etc.) - and yet, in many such cases, a person avoids danger and, thank God, remains unharmed, sometimes not even thinking about staying alive. And if you look at children?.. Who doesn’t know cases when children fell from a considerable height onto the ground, onto stones, etc. and still remained alive? Apparently, they should be crushed to death, but in fact they often do not even receive any bruises or damage. Why does all this happen like this? From the fact that, by the will of God, the Guardian Angel comes to the aid of man in danger and protects him from misfortunes, saves him from vain death according to the word of God, which says: “No evil will come to you, and no wound will come close to your body, like an Angel.” [The Lord God] has given His commandment about you, to keep you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their arms, but not when you dash your foot against a stone” ().
But, looking closely, you can especially often see how the Guardian Angel helps deliver a person from spiritual death, from sinful falls. For example, a man decided to do some criminal deed, to do some evil to his neighbor. He had already completely decided to fulfill his intention, but suddenly his conscience spoke to him and disturbed his peace. The man thought about this, finally realized his mistake and abandoned his planned bad deed. His soul was freed from unnecessary great sin. What happened to the man here? Why did he have the prudent idea to abandon his criminal intention? But because his Guardian Angel stood guard over his heart, who made him think about the criminality of the matter, as a result of which the man, still having some spark of goodness in himself, heeded the voice of his conscience, awakened by the Guardian Angel, and after some struggle with I left my plans behind.
For example, a person, depressed by some unfortunate circumstances, decided to take his own life, decided to commit suicide. He had already become stronger in his destructive intention and went to carry it out. But suddenly, during the journey, a revolution took place in his soul, or a special pity appeared for his family, which would be orphaned without him, about future eternal torment for his so dishonorable deed, or a special love for life was felt, which forced him to abandon his criminal intention. What happened to the man here? After all, a person who decided to commit suicide obviously had time to think carefully about his family, and about future torment, and about everything that would come out of his unfortunate act, but did not abandon his intention, but now he suddenly seemed to come to his senses... Why did it turn out like this? Because at the most necessary, so to speak, the last minute, the Guardian Angel, who was waiting for the man to sober up, came to his aid and acted on his soul, as a result of which the thought that had come to his mind more than once before, which he had already thought through thoroughly , now had a different effect on him, and the man was saved from eternal destruction. And in general, if you look closely at life, you can see many cases when the Guardian Angel helps a person for his spiritual benefit, when he removes obvious death from him.
But it must be said here that the Guardian Angel is close only to those in whom the spark of God has not yet been extinguished, who have the thought of their salvation, who have not yet completely lost their souls. That is why the word of God says: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him (the Lord) and delivers them” (). From those who have lost faith in God and hope in His mercy, who have no thought about the future life and eternal salvation, the Guardian Angel is far from them. He tried everything to get closer to them and help them in the affairs of temporary and eternal life, but their life and deeds drive him away, just as smoke drives away bees and stench drives away pigeons. The place of the Guardian Angel near such people is taken by the devil, and the Guardian Angel is then a formidable accuser of their evil deeds before the court of God. St. Andrew the Fool once saw a formidable Angel near a dying lawless man, whose appearance was like a flame. The angel, who was invisible to others, held a fiery cane in his hand. He approached the dying man and began to beat him with this cane, saying: “Do you still want to commit lawlessness and defile various persons? You pretended that you were going to Matins, but meanwhile you were going about the devil’s work.” At this time, the lawless man gave up his spirit, and his soul was immediately taken by demons (Cheti-Minei, October 2).
If St. Angels wish people all sorts of blessings - temporary and eternal, if they are people’s helpers in all their troubles and misfortunes, in all their good undertakings, if, finally, standing before the Throne of God, they bring people’s prayers, intercede for them before God, then, of course, people, for their part, must do everything that could, at least to a small extent, prove worthy of such good deeds of the Angels. First of all, people should honor them as the great servants of God, and therefore give them the worship worthy of them. At the same time, people in their prayers should thank them for the help and blessings they have already sent, and also ask for their intercession in the troubles and misfortunes that have befallen or are just preparing to befall them. A person should especially turn in prayer to his Guardian Angel. After all, the Guardian Angel is assigned to a person precisely to be his assistant in sorrows and misfortunes, and also to help him achieve eternal bliss. Therefore, to whom can a person most likely turn, if not to the Guardian Angel, his great helper and intercessor before God? And let a Christian turn to him more often. When he goes to bed at night and gets up from sleep in the morning, he must certainly pray to his Guardian Angel; along with other prayers, he must certainly bring a prayer to him. Here is the prayer that the Holy Church has established to be read to the Guardian Angel: “To the Angel of Christ, my holy Guardian and patron of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from all the wickedness of the enemy who is opposed to me, and in By what sin I have angered my God, but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may be worthy of showing me the goodness and mercy of the all-holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen".
As has already been said, Angels are spiritual beings. But since, when they appear to people, they take on the appearance of a person, they are depicted by us in the form of people. For the most part, Angels are depicted in white robes. This is, firstly, because in white clothes they often appeared to the eyes of people (for example, during the resurrection of Jesus Christ, during His ascension to Heaven, etc.), and secondly, white clothes signify that spiritual purity, that innocence , which is characteristic of Angels. In addition, Angels are depicted with two wings (sometimes even with more, for example, six, which is why they are called “six-winged” in the sacred song). The wings indicate the special speed with which they fulfill the will of God. Finally, Angels are often depicted with many eyes (“many-eyed”). This signifies that everything is accessible to their gaze, that their gaze penetrates everywhere where the gaze of man cannot penetrate.
Pavel Nikolsky. Holy Angels. Tambov, 1907
Why don't we see Angels?
If Angels are real beings, then why can't we see them? How many people believe that a glass of water is filled with tiny living creatures swarming in the water? We all certainly believe this. Water is filled with microorganisms, and if right now we could examine a drop of water under a microscope, it would immediately come to life before our eyes. There are many things that are absolutely real, but are not perceived by our senses. The place you are in right now is filled with all kinds of voices. At this very moment music fills him, but you cannot hear it. But you just need to turn on the radio to see this. The fact that we may not see or hear something is not proof that that “something” does not exist.
The truth is that people have seen Angels; even animals could see them. In the Book of Numbers, chapter twenty-two, it is described how a man named Balaam was once riding on a donkey. Suddenly the animal stopped moving, stopping in a narrow passage between two walls. And even though Balaam began to mercilessly beat the donkey, she refused to budge, because an Angel stood in their way. A moment later, Balaam saw the Angel; then he understood why the animal did not move forward.
One of the reasons why Angels are not often visible to humans is due to the nature that we possess. In the eighth and ninth verses of the twenty-second chapter of the Book of Revelation we read: “I John saw and heard these things. When I heard and saw, I fell at the feet of the Angel showing me this to worship him; but he said to me: see that you do not do this; For I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and with them who keep the words of this book; Worship God." Here we see how the great Apostle John was reproached for attempting to worship an Angel. If the extraordinary glory of the Angel had such an impact on this man of God, then what can we say about you and me? If God had allowed them to appear often before people, they would certainly have become objects of deification and worship. Generally speaking, Angels appear to people in human form. In the thirteenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, the apostle says: “Do not forget hospitality [hospitality towards strangers], for through it some, unknowingly, showed hospitality to angels.” It is possible that you, without realizing it, met an Angel who took the form of a stranger.
Further, although Angels cannot be the object of our worship, their power should be appreciated. Sometimes God directs them to bring judgment on the wicked. One well-known example of this is the story of the Assyrian army that challenged the Heavenly God during the time of Old Testament. During the night, the destroying angel appeared in the camp, and the next morning 185,000 Assyrian warriors were found dead. This episode contrasts sharply with the usual ministry of protection and protection for Angels. But we should remember that it is in relation to those who fear God that the Angels show their greatest power. “The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them” ().
Angels are so real that they have been seen in person. Let's read about one incident described in verses 15 to 17 of the sixth chapter of the 2nd Book of Kings: “In the morning the servant of the man of God arose and went out; and behold, there was an army around the city, both horses and chariots. And his servant said to him: Alas! my lord, what should we do? And he said: Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them. And Elisha prayed and said: Lord! open his eyes so that he can see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw, and behold, the whole mountain was filled with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
Angels interact closely with members of the human family. They carefully observe everything that happens to a person. They know us by first and last name. They know what we do for a living. They know where we live. They know whether we pray or not. They know whether we are supporting the cause of God or not. They know all the details of our life.
All the facts of our biography are completely open to the angels, since they accompany us from the cradle to the grave. Every person has a Guardian Angel who strives to influence him in such a way that the person chooses the right path. He also protects us from thousands of dangers that we encounter along the path of life. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Heavenly Father” (). How else can we explain the miraculous intervention of invisible forces that keep us from harm? From time to time we are aware of their blessed presence, but more often than not we are not aware of the manifold ways in which they minister to us.
Although you have never seen your Guardian Angel, do not conclude from this that he is not with you. No one saw his soul; While we live on earth, we will not see the Lord God; and yet... we have a soul, the Lord our God was and will always be. We do not see Guardian Angels, firstly, because Angels are incorporeal spirits, and we ourselves are covered with flesh and our eyes are such that they can see only fleshly and material things.
Secondly, we do not see the Angels of God because we are unworthy of it. We are sinners, and they are pure and holy. If you want to see the Angels of God, be like them, sinless and righteous. They actually appeared to such people, for example, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the holy apostles and others. Be like these saints of God, then Angels will apparently appear to you too. However, do you want to know how, even without seeing your Guardian Angel, you can be sure that he is with you? Listen to what Holy Father John Climacus says: “When you feel inner pleasure or tenderness in any saying of your prayer, then stop there. For then the Guardian Angel prays with us.” Even without seeing the Guardian Angels, we can feel their saving action in our hearts.
How exciting will be the day when we can talk to our Guardian Angel, who has accompanied us throughout our entire life on earth. On this day we will be able to learn about countless unconscious encounters with and how Angels saved us.
Compiled from the book “Conversations of a Rural Priest with Parishioners.” M., 1900
About the Guardian Angels of human societies
Angels are given to preserve cities, kingdoms, regions, monasteries and churches.
According to the teachings of the Orthodox Eastern Church, in the hosts of the Angels of God there are those who are appointed by God as guardians and guardians of cities, kingdoms, regions, monasteries, churches and other human societies. To be convinced of the truth of this teaching, which some of the Western Christians do not accept, let us see on what basis it is based: is there any basis for it in Holy Scripture and other sources of Christian doctrine, and does anything speak in its favor? human reason and experience, at least both do not contradict it?
In Holy Scripture we do not find many places that speak of Guardian Angels of societies. Moreover, these few passages are subject to various violent interpretations. Therefore, when indicating such places, we consider it necessary to pay special attention to how the ancient teachers and church fathers understood and interpreted them. In this way, the true meaning of the controversial subject will be revealed to us by itself. So, where does the Holy Scripture say about the Guardian Angels of societies? In the Old Testament we find two especially remarkable and clearer indications on this subject than others - one in Moses, the other in Daniel. In the Book of Deuteronomy () we read: “When the Most High gave inheritance to the nations and scattered the sons of men, then he set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the Angels of God.”
St. John Chrysostom, pointing to these words, directly concludes that every nation has a Guardian Angel. St. Basil the Great also concludes from the words of Moses about the existence of Angels guarding the nations. He says: “That there are Angels who are appointed to care for the nations, Moses teaches us this when he says: When the Most High gave inheritance to the nations... and so on.” Further, in the Book of the Prophet Daniel, the Angels of the Persian, Greek and Jewish people are mentioned: “the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood against me for twenty-one days” (). “Now I will return to fight the prince of Persia; and when I go out, then behold, the prince of Greece will come... And there is no one who would support me in this except Michael, your prince” ().
Here the Angel who appeared to Daniel speaks not about some earthly rulers of the Persian, Greek and Jewish peoples, but about the Guardian Angels of these peoples. This is very clear from the entire course of speech; why the ancients did not interpret the above passage differently. Dionysius the Areopagite in the ninth chapter of his book “On the Heavenly Hierarchy” explains it this way: “Showing that Israel, like other nations, is entrusted to one of the saints. Angels, for the knowledge through him of the one beginning of everything, Holy Scripture says that Michael was placed over the Jewish people.” In the same sense, the words of the Angel who appeared to the Prophet Daniel, St. Basil the Great and Blessed Theodoret. The latter says: “The archangels are entrusted with overseeing the nations, as blessed Moses teaches, with whom blessed Daniel also agrees; for he mentions the prince of the Persian kingdom, and then the prince of the Greek kingdom, calling Michael the prince of Israel.” But how can we understand that the Angel of the Jewish people wants to fight the Prince of Persia? Some explain this by saying that a good angel is given to a good people, and an evil angel to an evil people. But at St. fathers we find the following interpretation: The angel in charge of the Jewish people, together with Daniel, sent prayers to God for the return of the Jews from captivity to Jerusalem, considering this a good thing for the captives. The angel of the Persian people prayed to God for the continuation of captivity, bearing in mind the benefit and benefits that people receive from captivity. Therefore, although they prayed with good intentions, since neither one nor the other knew the will of God, this is where their mutual competition arose. Be that as it may, however, from the passage cited by the prophet Daniel it is clear that there really are Angels who care about entire nations, and moreover, with such jealousy that they even go to war for them. Finally, in the New Testament, precisely in the Revelation of St. John, you can find some indications that there are Angels who watch over entire communities of people, namely communities of believers, or churches. These Angels are depicted here under the symbol of the stars (the seven stars are the Angels of the seven churches), and each of them is called the Angel of his particular church. What is said here about the Guardian Angels of churches, the ancient teachers and holy fathers serve as our guarantee.
Origen says: “From what John wrote in the Apocalypse, it is clear that an Angel is assigned to every church.” “I have no doubt,” says St. Gregory Nazianzen, “that other Angels are the Guardians and patrons of churches, as John teaches me in the Apocalypse.” We do not find any other clearer indications of the Guardian Angels of societies in the Holy Scriptures; but from the above it is sufficiently clear that such Angels really exist.
The entire primate Church did not doubt this truth at all, as we have already seen in part, citing the testimonies of the ancients. But in order to be even more convinced that belief in the existence of Guardian Angels of human societies was universal, ubiquitous in the ancient Christian world, let us cite some more testimonies of the teachers of the primal Church. St. Dionysius the Areopagite in his book “On the Heavenly Hierarchy”, by the way, writes: “And other peoples were not ruled by some alien gods. But there is a single beginning of everything, and the Angels, each in charge of his people, led their followers to it.” Clement of Alexandria clearly says that “the angels have been entrusted with the government of nations and cities.” St. Basil the Great writes with confidence, alien to any doubt: “Just as every believer has an Angel companion, so do entire nations.” In another place, he consoles the Nicopolitan presbyters in this way: “If you lament the fact that you are cast out outside the city walls, then you are installed in the blood of the Heavenly God, and the Guardian Angel of the church accompanies you.” In St. Augustine we read: “The Lord did not imprison the source of his goodness even in relation to foreign nations, but entrusted them to the supervision of Angels, taking the people of Israel as his inheritance.” St. Ambrose testifies to the Angels of the churches. “To protect the flock of God,” he says, “he not only appointed bishops (Jesus Christ), but also appointed angels.” Finally, St. John of Damascus, the first of the theologians to systematically set out all the dogmas of the Christian doctrine, clearly says that “Angels protect the countries of the earth, and are the protectors of peoples and revenge, for which they are assigned by the Creator himself.” There are many similar testimonies from other ancient teachers and fathers of the Church, such as: Origen, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Isidore Pelusiot, Blessed Theodoret and others, both eastern and western. From this it is clear that belief in the existence of Guardian Angels of human societies in the first centuries of Christianity was universal, ubiquitous; for it is expressed by persons who belonged to various churches, lived in various Christian countries, the most famous at that time, and had nothing in common with each other except faith. Therefore, even if the Holy Scripture did not set forth a clear teaching about Angels guarding societies, we still could not doubt its truth. For its universality alone in the first centuries of Christianity, when, in addition to Scripture, the oral word of the apostles was also alive, this universality of the teaching about the Angels of societies could assure us that it was not invented by people, but borrowed from a Divine source, from traditions or oral apostolic instruction, just as some other dogmas of faith were borrowed from there.
Why do some Western Christians not recognize the teachings of our Orthodox Church about Angels guarding societies? Why don’t they want to believe in the existence of these Angels? Justifying their unbelief by the fact that Holy Scripture does not say anything positive about this subject, the groundlessness of which we have already seen, they add to their justification the fact that the doctrine of Guardian Angels contains various inconsistencies with which they cannot reconcile common sense. Isn’t it strange, they say, to think that, in caring for the fate of peoples and kingdoms, he makes Angels his assistants? Isn’t He, omniscient and omnipotent, able to watch over and protect them by Himself? But God entrusts the Angels with the protection of the peoples, not because he himself cannot, so to speak, look after them, and is not able to protect them on his own - such a thought is strange, absurd - but because he wants to provide the Angels with an occupation inherent in their nature, equally as well as because he does not need to act directly by the power of his omnipotence where he can achieve his goals, acting through the creatures he himself created.
Really, what are Angels? And what are they created for? Is it really just to silently sing songs of praise to God and, immersed in the contemplation of His endless perfections, to remain in complete alienation from everything that exists outside of Him? No, being in the closest relationship to the Creator, Angels cannot but have a relationship with God’s creatures, especially with people who are related to them in their spiritual nature. In the endless chain of the universe, disembodied spirits are not some separate, alien link that has nothing in common with other links. They are closely connected with their lower rational creatures, which constitute the crown of visible nature, just as these latter are closely connected with other creatures that are lower than them. But this natural connection of Angels with people, this, by their very nature, is a necessary mutual relationship, how else can it be expressed, if not by the care of the former, as the highest and strongest, about the fate of the latter, as the lowest and weakest? If man, with all his corruption, so often acting destructively on everything that surrounds him, often takes an involuntary part in the fate of his lower creatures, either sympathizing with them only in their pitiful situation, or even saving them from natural disasters, then all the more Angels - pure, immaculate spirits, capable only of loving and not hating, of doing good and not of harm, of creating and not of destroying - cannot help but take fraternal participation in the fate of their kindred creatures and not care about them. And since the Angels are not all with the same perfections, but differ among themselves in certain degrees of dignity (to which reason agrees), it is natural that their care for the fate of people should be unequal: for some this care should have a very wide range, for others - closest; Some should care only about private individuals, others - about entire societies. So, it is obvious that if God appoints Angels as guardians of kingdoms, regions, monasteries, churches and other human societies, then through this He provides them only with what is characteristic of them by their very nature. It is also obvious that, in doing this, He does the same thing that we see in general in all the affairs of His Providence, although He Himself watches over everything as the Supreme Ruler and Lord of everything, but watches, so to speak, mediocrely, performing His oversight through various , the means contained in the world itself.
Paying attention to visible nature, we notice that here everything is so arranged by the Wise One that He supports and preserves one thing through another, without using the direct influence of His omnipotence. The earth, for example, dries up and closes its fertile depths to creatures. What and how does God deliver her from such evil? A single wave of His almighty right hand, a single word from his creative lips would be enough for Him to transform the barrenness of the earth into fertility; but He does not do this, but instead of the direct power of His omnipotence, He uses natural forces: the warmth of the sun and the moisture that it sends down in the form of rain. The same can be true for the human race. And why, in fact, when he is exposed to such many different types of evil, both moral and physical, why shouldn’t the Supreme Provider of everything protect him from all these types of evil in an ordinary, natural way, through the mediation of other forces and creatures capable of doing so? by its nature, and by that place? What has been assigned to them by the Almighty among rational beings? This course of action, being similar to what we notice in all visible nature, is completely natural and does not contain anything contrary to common sense.
Those who do not accept the teaching about Guardian Angels of societies justify themselves by the fact that it is not at all confirmed by experience. No one, they say, living in society sees such Angels, sees or experiences their beneficial actions. It is fair that none of us sees Guardian Angels; but it would be strange to demand that they appear to the peoples or societies they protect in a sensual form, and it would be even stranger and more absurd to doubt their actual existence for such a reason. If we decided to reject everything that is invisible and imperceptible to our senses, we would have to part with the most sacred beliefs of our soul, we would have to reject the most comforting and saving truths of religion for us. As for the fact that experience does not represent the actions of the Guardian Angels to us, this is a lie. If we really do not see the beneficial influence of the Guardian Angels on human societies, then this is because we often do not see any traces of Providence in the management of the universe, because we do not want to see. And what happens to be the work of a heavenly patron, we attribute either to ourselves, or, even worse, to some beneficent occasion. Whoever looked attentively at the destinies of human societies, at the saving changes to which they are subjected, while they themselves do not contribute at all, at those dangers and disasters from which they often get rid of in some unforeseen and as if miraculous way, he could not not to notice here the mysterious participation of higher, beneficent forces. They will say that there is a single Providence of the Almighty operating here over everything. Quite fair; No one will argue against this. But if, as mentioned above, wherever possible one is provided for through the medium of another, then why not conclude that various benefits apparently sent down from Heaven to human societies are accomplished through the mysterious mediation and assistance of Guardian Angels, especially when we know from Holy History , that the Angels not only mysteriously, invisibly, but also openly revealed their participation in the situation of human societies to everyone? We know, for example, that the Angel of God protected the people of Israel from the Egyptian army (); at another time, the Angel beat one hundred eighty-five thousand hostile Assyrians under the walls of Jerusalem (). Who is this Angel? Nothing prevents us from thinking that this is none other than the Guardian Angel of the Jewish people. Consequently, in experience it is more likely to find confirmation than refutation of the teaching of the Orthodox Church about the Guardian Angels of human societies.
There are other objections to this teaching, which is so comforting and edifying for us in many respects, but all these objections are such that their groundlessness is obvious to everyone at first glance. Such objections only prove that people who have willfully deviated from the straight path of faith are ready to use every most insignificant excuse just to avoid following this path and justify their crooked interpretations.
Vasily Chubinsky. Guardian Angels of human societies. M., 1842
Sayings of the Holy Fathers about Angels
Holy Fathers and Pastors Ancient Church not only did they teach that there really are Angels, but, if possible, they set out this teaching even in detail.
St. Gregory the Theologian expresses the following thoughts:
“Angels walk freely around the Great Throne - and diligently serve the high commands of God. They have neither marriage nor sorrows, neither members nor abodes separate them from each other. They are all like-minded, and each is identical to himself: one nature, one thought, one love - around the great King God. They do not seek consolation either in children or in spouses, or in carrying out sweet labors for them. They do not desire wealth, nor do they desire those thoughts of evil that the earth brings to mortals. They do not sail the seas, they do not sow to please the unbridled womb, this source of sin. They have one perfect food - to saturate the mind with the greatness of God and draw immeasurable light from the Light Trinity. These pure servants lead a lonely life pure God. They are simple, spiritual, imbued with light, they do not originate from the flesh and do not acquire flesh, but remain as they were created. For them in virginity the path of Godlikeness is prepared, leading to God, in agreement with the intentions of the Immortal, Who wisely rules the helm of the great world.”
“They (Angels) expressed and imprinted goodness in themselves in such a way that they became secondary lights and, through outpourings and transmission of the first Light, can enlighten others. Servants of God’s will, they are strong both in their natural and acquired strength, they go around everything, they readily appear to everyone and everywhere - due to their zeal for service and the lightness of their nature.”
“Some of them stand before the Great God, others support the whole world with their assistance, and each is given special authority from the King to have people, cities and entire nations under his supervision...”
“Imagine,” says St. Cyril of Jerusalem - how numerous are the Roman people; imagine how numerous other rude peoples currently exist, and how many of them have died in a hundred years; imagine how many are buried in a thousand years; Imagine people, starting from Adam to the present day: their multitude is great. But it is still small in comparison with the Angels, of whom there are more! There are ninety-nine sheep, and the human race is only one sheep. The vastness of the place should also judge the number of inhabitants. The earth we inhabit is, as it were, a certain point located in the center of the Sky, therefore the Sky surrounding it has as many inhabitants as the space is larger; the heavens of heavens contain an immense number of them. If it is written that “thousands upon thousands served Him, and ten thousand thousand stood before Him,” then this is only because the prophet could not express a greater number.”
“It (the soul) is supported by the holy Angels in its procession through the air and, rising, meets the ordeals that guard the sunrise, hold and stop the ascending souls.”
This is what St. John Chrysostom says about the Guardian Angels: “God created the Angels and Archangels all at once, and there are so many of them that they exceed any number.” “Angels are isolated forms taken out of the flow of time.”
“Just as on a clear noon the sky appears clear, not obscured by any cloud, so the nature of the Angels necessarily remains bright and brilliant, not darkened by any lust. It is our duty to glorify the Angels. By chanting the Creator, they reveal His mercy and goodwill towards people. Angels not only protect, but also guide believers so that they do not stumble.”
“There are Angels and Archangels, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities and Powers; but not only these hosts exist in Heaven, but endless hordes and innumerable tribes, which no word can depict. The ministry of Angels is that they are sent everywhere for us. God commanded that the higher Powers serve the abiding realm because of the dignity of the image with which man is clothed. Just as God created all the luminaries at once, so He created the Angels and Archangels at once, and there are so many of them that they exceed any number.”
And Saint Nilus, a disciple of Saint John Chrysostom, adds: “Know that the holy Angels stir us up to prayer and stand with us in it, rejoicing and praying together for us.” “Angels are present everywhere, and especially in the house of God they stand before the King, and everything is filled with these incorporeal forces.”
St. Basil the Great: “An Angel is assigned to each of the faithful, worthy of seeing the Heavenly Father”; and in another place: “With each of the faithful there is an Angel who, as a teacher and shepherd, controls his life, no one will argue against this, remembering the words of the Lord, who said: “Do not look down on one from these little ones, for the Angels will take them out and they see the face of my Heavenly Father" (). “Before the existence of the world there was a certain state befitting the heavenly forces, superior to time, supreme, ever-present, and in it the Creator and Founder of everything created rational and invisible beings and the entire cosmos of intelligible creations.”
“The angels, who do not have any covering similar to our flesh, are nothing prevented from constantly looking at the face of the glory of God. Angels do not undergo changes. Among the Angels there is neither a child, nor a youth, nor an old man; they remain in the state in which they were created in the beginning, and their composition remains pure and unchanged.”
“If you have in your soul deeds worthy of angelic guardianship, and your mind is enriched with the knowledge of the truth, for virtues God will inevitably assign guards and guardians to you and protect you with Angels. Look what the nature of Angels is! One Angel is equal to a whole army and numerous militia. So, in the greatness of your guardian, the Lord gives you a militia, and in the fortress of the Angel, as it were, he protects you from everywhere with his protection. The angel will not depart from all those who believe in the Lord, unless we drive him away ourselves with bad deeds. Just as bees are driven away by smoke and doves by stench, so the guardian of our life, the Angel, is driven away by the deplorable and stinking... Since each of us has a holy Angel, who takes up arms around those who fear the Lord, then sins can become the cause of disaster: the wall will no longer cover us, then there are holy powers that make people invincible while they remain with them.”
“The business of Angels is to praise God. For the entire heavenly Host, it is one thing to give glory to the Creator. Ministering spirits have their being by the will of the Father, are brought into being by the action of the Son, and are brought into being by the presence of the Spirit. The fulfillment of Angels is a shrine and abiding in a shrine. Angels do not tolerate change. Among the Angels there is neither a child, nor a youth, nor an old man, but in whatever state they were created at the beginning, in that they remain, and their composition remains pure and unchanged. The Heavenly Powers are not holy by nature, otherwise they would have no difference with the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, according to the superiority of some over others, they have from the Spirit a certain measure of holiness. Just as the concept of burning includes the concept of fire, but another is the substance being burned and another is fire, so in the Heavenly Forces... their essence is airy, so to speak, spirit, or immaterial fire, according to what is written: You create with Your Angels spirits and their servants flaming fire (), why they are limited by place and are visible, appearing holy in the image of their own bodies; but the Holy, being outside the essence, gives them perfection through the communication of the Spirit. They preserve their dignity by remaining in goodness, as having freedom in choice and never losing their incessant striving for true good. Therefore, if we mentally take away the Spirit, the angelic faces will be upset, the Archangelic principalities will be destroyed, everything will come into confusion...”
Angels do not leave us at the very end and take the souls of the dead to the land of eternity (). Theodore the Studite writes about this: “always keep in your mind the thought of death... think about the very separation of the soul from the body - the separation that will be under the commanding supervision of your Angel; think also about the subsequent transfer of the soul to the heavenly land.”
Hilary of Pictavia wrote: “the righteous will be filled with joy when they are taken by the Angels to the abode of eternal peace, turning their thoughts to the reward deserved by sinners.”
Evagrius of Pontus speaks about the help provided to us by Angels during the spiritual struggle that most people face during prayer. “The Angel of God,” he says, “appearing, with just one word stops all the action of the enemy in us and sets in motion the light of the mind so that it acts without delusion.” Angels help us in our prayers. The grace of prayer is communicated to us by an Angel. He gives us the knowledge of true prayer, so that we then stand without any disorderly movement, despondency or neglect of mind. “Know,” he says in another place, “that the holy Angels encourage us to prayer and stand in it with us, at the same time rejoicing and praying for us. Therefore, if we become careless and accept nasty thoughts, we will irritate them greatly. After all, they fight so much for us, and we don’t even want to beg God for ourselves, but, despising their service and abandoning their God and Master, we encounter unclean demons.” Angels also help us in contemplation. They enlighten us in such a way that we become capable of perceiving the ideal foundations of created beings, which are grounded in God. This is one of the stages of contemplation in the spiritual teaching of Evagrius. “If you pray truly,” he says, “you will find complete confidence, and the Angels will come to you and illuminate for you the ideal foundations (“logoi”) of creatures.” "In contemplation religious life relating to the commandments of God (i.e. in active life), holy powers cleanse us from vice and make us dispassionate.”
We should not, however, desire to see Angels, just as in general we should not desire to have any vision in a sensory form, even a vision of Christ. This is dangerous, because demons can take on the appearance of Angels. “Do not strongly desire,” says Evagrius, “to see sensually Angels or Powers or Christ, lest you become completely crazy, accepting a wolf instead of a shepherd and worshiping enemies, demons.”
St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov): “Angels and the soul are called incorporeal, as they do not have our flesh, they are called spirit, as subtle beings, completely different from the objects that make up the material world.”
St. Demetrius of Rostov: “Do the chosen ones and the Angels have faith and hope in Heaven? The Angels have neither faith nor hope, because from the time they were established in grace, they saw Him in Whom they must believe and in Whom they must hope.
They always see the face of the Heavenly Father, and there is no longer room in them for either faith or hope, for faith and hope have as their object the invisible. God's elect in Heaven also have no faith and hope, because they see the One in whom they believed and have the One in whom they hoped. Both the Angels and the chosen ones have only one immortal love.”
Ephraim the Syrian: “In Heaven, although everyone, being ministering spirits, is incorruptible and immortal, God did not deign that everyone should be in the same rank; on the contrary, it was established that the Divine servants should also have principles, powers and advantages.”
In conclusion, we quote the words of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh: “On the day of remembrance of the saint, whose name we bear, we say that this is “the day of our Angel.” And in a sense, in the sense of our dedication to the saint, this is true; But with different holy people - just like with the people around us - our communication develops differently. Some are closer to us personally through prayer and through their life, which we would like to imitate; others we admire as if from afar. Our relationship with the Guardian Angel is completely different. We are entrusted to him, and he is our Guardian, regardless of whether we turn to him, whether we remember him, or not - like our mother and father, with whom we have an indestructible connection, no matter what we think, how no matter what they do to them, no matter how they behave...”
“Angels are messengers; An angel is someone whom the Lord can send and who will completely fulfill His instructions to the end. It may seem strange that we call a whole group of the Lord's creatures by a name that denotes their office, their service, as if there was nothing else about them. And in fact this is so, and this is their holiness: purified, shining with God’s light, they are second lights, reflections of the eternal light of the Divine. They do not have that opacity, that darkness that allows us to be called by a name, and this name is the definition of our place in the face of God and our place in the Lord’s creation. They are the second lights. What does it mean? This means that some Divine Light flows through them unhindered, freely, like a wide river; but not just like through an empty chute, not just like through a lifeless glass, but the way the light flows, sparkles, shines, and multiplies, when it falls on a precious stone, reaches his heart and from there shoots out to the sides with an answering radiance, illuminating, and sometimes blinding with its beauty. This is an image of true holiness, and in this respect they are truly Angels, because we recognize them, experience them only as the radiance of Divine light, an undarkened radiance, but multiplied and joyful, bringing life - and the essence of their being and the essence of their holiness remains a mystery between them and God, Who knows the depths of His creation.”
Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow and Kolomna (Bulgakov Mikhail Petrovich). Orthodox dogmatic theology. St. Petersburg, 1868
The word “Angel” is Greek and means messenger. The Angels received this name from their service to the salvation of the human race, for which they are used by the All-Good God and which they perform with holy zeal and love. The Apostle Paul said: “Are not all souls of service sent into service for those who want to inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14).
So “the Angel Gabriel was quickly sent from God to the city of Galilee, whose name is Nazareth” (Luke 1:26) to the Blessed Virgin Mary to announce to Her that She is chosen to be the Mother of the Word of God, who receives humanity for the redemption of humanity. So, the Angel of the Lord at night opened the doors of the prison in which the twelve apostles were imprisoned by envious Jews, and, bringing them out, said: “Go and speak to the people in the church all the words of this life” (Acts 5:20), that is, the teaching of Christ, which is life. Another time, an Angel brought the Apostle Peter out of prison, who had been thrown there by the wicked King Herod, who had already killed the Apostle James Zebedee and wanted to amuse the murderous Jewish people with a second execution that was pleasant for him. The Apostle, miraculously delivered from prison, convinced that he was not seeing a vision, but the deed itself, said: “Now truly we know that God has sent His angel, and has taken me out of the hand of Herod and from all the hope of the people of the Jews” (Acts 12:11) . However, the ministry of the Angels does not consist in promoting the salvation of the human race alone: but from this ministry they received their name among people, and this name was given to them by the Holy Spirit in the Holy Scriptures.
The time of the creation of Angels is not clearly defined in the Holy Scriptures; but, according to the teaching generally accepted by the Holy Church, the creation of Angels preceded the creation of the material world and man.
Angels are created from nothing. Suddenly seeing ourselves created in wonderful grace and bliss; what gratitude, reverence and love they felt for the Creator, who together gave them existence and spiritual pleasure! Their continuous occupation became contemplation and praise of the Creator. The Lord Himself said about them: “When the stars were created, you My angels praised Me with a great voice” (Job 38:7). These words of Holy Scripture most clearly prove that the Angels were created before the world we see and, being present at its creation, glorified the wisdom and power of the Creator. They were created, like the visible world, by the Word of God: “By this,” says the holy Apostle Paul, “all things were created, both in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, whether dominions, whether principalities, whether powers: all kinds of By this I also agreed about Him” (Col. 1:16).
Here the Apostle, under the name of thrones, dominions, principalities and authorities, means the various ranks of Angels. The Holy Church recognizes three such ranks; Each rank, or hierarchy, consists of three ranks.
The first hierarchy consists of Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones; the second - Dominance, Strength and Authority; the third - Principalities, Archangels and Angels.
The doctrine of this division of Angels was set forth by Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, a disciple of the Holy Apostle Paul, who, as we have seen, names some ranks in his writings. Those closest to the Throne of God are the six-winged Seraphim, as the prophet Saint Isaiah saw in his vision. “I have seen,” he says, “the Lord sitting on the throne, high and exalted, and the house is filled with His glory. And the Seraphim stood around Him, six kril to one, and six kril to another: and two were the veils of their faces, and two were the veils of their feet, and two were the veils of the fly. And I cried to one another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isa. 6:1-3).
According to the Seraphim, the God-wise, many-eyed Cherubim stand before the Throne of God, then the Thrones and, in order, the other angelic ranks. The Angels stand before the Throne of God with great reverent fear, which is poured into them by the incomprehensible greatness of the Divine, not with the fear that repentant sinners feel and which is taken away by love, but with the fear that endures for centuries and constitutes one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit - the fear that God is terrible for everyone around Him. From the unceasing contemplation of the immeasurable greatness of God, they are in an unceasing blissful frenzy and rapture and express it with unceasing praise. They burn with love for God and in self-forgetfulness, in which they exist in God, and no longer in themselves, they find inexhaustible and endless pleasure. In accordance with their ranks, they are endowed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of wisdom and reason. The spirit of advice and strength. The Spirit of the Fear of God.
This variety of spiritual gifts and different degrees of perfection do not at all produce competition or envy in the Holy Angels: no! They have one will, as Saint Arsenius the Great said, and they are all filled with gracious consolation in God and do not feel any lack. According to this grace-filled unity of will, the Holy Angels of the lower ranks with love and jealousy show obedience to the Angels of the highest ranks, knowing that this obedience is obedience to the will of God. “We clearly see,” says Saint Demetrius of Rostov, “in the book of the prophet Zechariah, that while the Angel was talking with the Prophet, another Angel came out to meet this Angel, commanding him to go to the Prophet and announce what was to happen to Jerusalem. We also read in Daniel’s prophecy that the Angel commands the Angel to interpret the vision to the Prophet.”
In general, all Angels are sometimes called the Heavenly Forces and the Heavenly Host. The Leader of the Heavenly Host is the Archangel Michael, who belongs to the seven spirits who stand before God. These seven Angels are: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Salafiel, Uriel, Jehudiel and Barachiel: These seven spirits are sometimes called Angels, sometimes Archangels; Saint Demetrius of Rostov classifies them as the rank of Seraphim.
Angels were created in the image and likeness of God, just as man was subsequently created.
The image of God, as in man, lies in the mind, from which it is born and in which thought is contained, and from which comes the spirit, which promotes thought and animates it. This image, like the Prototype, is invisible, just as it is invisible in people.
He controls the whole being in the Angel as well as in man. Angels are creatures limited by time and space, therefore, having their own external appearance. Only nothing and an infinite being can be formless: an infinite being is formless because, having no limit in any direction, it cannot have any outline; and nothing is formless, as having no being and no properties. On the contrary, all limited beings, the greatest and the smallest, no matter how subtle, have their limits. These limits, or ends of a being, constitute its outline, and where there is an outline, there is certainly a view, even if we do not see it with our crude eyes. We do not see the limit of gases and most of the vapors, but these limits certainly exist, because gases and vapors cannot occupy infinite space, they occupy a certain space, corresponding to their elasticity, that is, the ability to expand and contract.
God alone is formless, as an infinite being. In relation to us, Angels are called disembodied and spirits. But we, humans, in our state of fall, cannot in any way be taken as a basis for forming correct concepts about the visible and invisible world. We are not what we were created to be; and again renewed by repentance, we become different from what we are in an ordinary passionate state. We are an unstable and incorrect measure. But it is precisely by this standard that Angels are called incorporeal, immaterial, spirits. ( From the book of St. Ignatius Bryanchinov )
Angels in Scripture
What can we say about Angels? What are our literary sources? Naturally, Holy Scripture. Our Russian word “Angel” itself is in fact not a Russian word at all, but the Greek “ἄγγελος”, which literally means “messenger, messenger”. But this is also not the original form of this word, but a literal translation of the Hebrew word מלאך “malakh”. This word also means "messenger, messenger" and comes from a Hebrew root that means the verb "to send." What can we conclude from this? The word "Angel" does not describe to us the nature of these creatures. What kind of spirits these are, what their nature is, we cannot say. We can only say of their ministry that they are “ministering spirits.”
In Hebrew, instead of the word "Angels", the word "malachim" is used. If you read the Old Testament in Hebrew, this word will be used very often. Moreover, the word “malachim”, as “message”, can be used in two meanings. On the one hand, this is the message of God as such, impersonal, addressed to man, on the other hand, the word “malakh” can designate a living being, the spirit that transmits this message.
In the Holy Scriptures, among other things, the word “Angel” can be used to refer not only to disembodied spirits, but also to prophets. Before you is the icon “John the Baptist Angel of the Desert.” It is no coincidence that John the Baptist is depicted with wings, since here there is a direct reference to the text of the Gospel of Matthew (11:10), which quotes an even more ancient text (Malachi 3:1): “For he is the one about whom it is written: Behold, I send My angel before You, who will prepare Your way before You.” Here you go, we call John the Baptist “Angel, Messenger.”
Another word that is used to designate heavenly spirits is אלוהים “Elohim.” If you open the first Book of Holy Scripture, the Book of Genesis, in Hebrew, in the first chapter, the first verse: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” the word “Elohim” will be used. The word "Elohim" will be used in the Bible both to designate God, along with "Yahweh", and to designate Angels.
Angels in the Old Testament
An important role in the development of the doctrine of angels was played by the ancient Jewish apocrypha, called the Book of Enoch. This is a work of the 3rd-2nd century BC. The Apostle Jude in particular refers to this book in his epistle (verse 14), quoting it: “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them, saying: “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand times His holy angels...”. The same text is mentioned by ancient writers, by Origen, by Tertullian, and until the late Middle Ages the Book of Enoch was very popular. But what’s interesting is that its text was unknown to us until the 18th century. It was preserved in full only in the canon of the Ethiopian Bible, only in the sacred language of Gyiz. By the way, Ethiopians believe that the original language of this book was originally the Gyiz language. Let me remind you that this is the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Church.
Angels in the New Testament
There are also many references to angels in the New Testament. Archangel Gabriel preaches the gospel
Zechariah about the coming birth of John the Baptist, preaches to the Virgin Mary about the coming birth from Her of the Savior of the world. And also the Resurrection, Ascension and most other events of Sacred history take place in the presence of Angels. In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles we also meet Angels, for example, an Angel leads Peter out of prison. We'll talk about this later. So, in the New Testament, in addition to the mention of the word “Angel” itself, for the first time we meet the mention of Archangels. Archangel in both Latin and Greek means “chief of angels.” We'll talk about them a little later too. In addition, the Apostle Paul, in his letters to the Romans, Ephesians and Colossians, also mentions such Heavenly Powers as Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers and Powers.
Angelic world
We also know about the angelic world that there was a fall of some angels. We can read details about this only in the apocrypha. Since the details of the fall of part of the angelic world are not directly related to the matter of our salvation, we will find practically no mention of this in the Holy Scriptures. The Apostle Jude says (1:6): “God reserves the angels who did not retain their dignity, but left their habitation, in everlasting bonds, under darkness, for the judgment of the Great Day.” The Lord testifies in the Gospel of Luke (10:18) that “He (the Lord) saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning.” It is believed that the fall of the angels did not occur simultaneously, that Dennitsa fell first and carried away countless angels. There is a legend that the end of the world will come when the number of righteous people replaces the number of angels who have fallen away. By the way, the Holy Fathers suggest that even the fallen angels retained their hierarchy, due to the fact that the hierarchy originally existed in the angelic world. The Holy Scripture speaks of the world of evil spirits as a kingdom headed by Satan, which is translated as “the one who resists,” this is not a personal name.
The Nature of Angels
In the Holy Scriptures, angels appear to us as rational and free beings; if they were not free beings, then some of the angels would not have fallen away from the Lord in due time, this was their free expression of will. John of Damascus gives the following definition of an angel: “An angel is a rational nature, endowed with intelligence and free will.” The same John of Damascus testifies to the incomprehensibility of angelic nature: “Only the Creator knows the form and definition of this (angelic) essence.” But what we can say for sure about them is that they are spiritual and incorporeal. “The spirit does not have flesh and bones,” we read in the Gospel of Luke (24:39). According to the interpretation of the Holy Fathers, the sensory images in which Angels appear (numerous phenomena are described in Sacred History, in the Old and New Testaments) are not a reflection of their nature, but only their temporary state.
Blessed Theodoret explains: “we know that the nature of angels is incorporeal; they take on images, in accordance with the benefit of those who see,” so that the one looking at them will not be afraid, but at the same time understand that in front of them is not an ordinary person, but truly a messenger of the Lord. St. John of Damascus says: “Angels, appearing, according to the will of God, to worthy people, do not appear as they are in themselves, but are transformed in accordance with how those who look can see them.”
We can also say about the relationship of Angels to space and time that they, in the words of John of Damascus, “are not restrained by walls, doors, locks, or seals... and reside in places comprehended only by the mind.” Numerous testimonies from both the Holy Scriptures and later descriptions of miracles associated with angels tell us that angels instantly move from one point of the universe to another, and nothing holds them back. Accordingly, they have greater freedom than humans in relation to space and time.
The perfection of the Angelic nature is expressed in their special approach to God. They are endowed with the highest knowledge and understanding, but not omniscient, like the Lord God. Only part of the knowledge that they possess is revealed to angels, and thanks to which, according to apocryphal texts, they control the Universe. The Holy Fathers also raise the question of the relationship between Angel and man: who is more worthy in his calling? There are two points of view on this matter. On the one hand, we can say that the Angel is certainly more majestic and his nature is more perfect than human nature. On the other hand, many holy fathers claim that Angels are inferior to man because, unlike him, they do not have the ability to create. In this, man is even higher than the Angels, and more like God.
God is the Creator, and man can be a creator, but Angels are not creators. And many holy fathers insist on this as a matter of principle. John of Damascus speaks of the Lord: “The Creator of Angels, who brought them from non-existent into being and created them in His image” and denounces those who “call angels creators of whatever nature... For... Angels are not creators.”
About the number of angels we can only say that it is limited, but very large. The prophet Daniel (7:10) describes the angelic army as “thousands of thousands and tens of thousands” (that’s millions and tens of millions). Cyril of Jerusalem wrote about it this way: “Imagine people, starting from Adam to this day: their multitude is great, but it is still small in comparison with the Angels, who are more numerous. They are ninety-nine sheep; and the human race is but one sheep.” Here Cyril of Jerusalem refers us to the parable told by the Lord that the good shepherd leaves 99 sheep for the sake of one lost sheep and goes in search of it in order to carry the lost sheep on his shoulders and return it to the flock. In this, the holy fathers from ancient times saw the image of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ, incarnate, leaves the perfect world, the Divine world, leaves the Angelic world faithful to Him and goes down for one fallen sheep - in order to save humanity. Before you is the Sucevita Monastery in Romania, a painting on the outer wall of the temple that depicts the Ladder of John Climacus. This is a clear attempt by the artist to depict the countless celestial forces.
What is the ministry of angels? This, naturally, is serving God, chanting His greatness and fulfilling His will, because... Angels are ministering spirits and their purpose is to serve God. If we remember the book of the prophet Isaiah (6:2-3), it talks about his vision of the Lord sitting on the throne, and in front of the throne stood the seraphim, constantly singing a song to God: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts! The whole Earth is full of His Glory!” Constant, unceasing, eternal praise. Similar images are found in the book of Revelation, which speaks of animals, of the tetramorph, which also serves before the throne of God. “The angels contemplate God... and have this as food,” says John of Damascus. We read examples of the service of Angels to God as an instrument of God’s Providence in relation to the visible world and man in the Holy Scriptures. This includes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the salvation of Lot and his daughters, whom the Angels lead from the destroyed city. This is also Jacob’s dream, when Jacob dreams of a ladder along which numerous Angels ascend and descend from heaven. This is Jacob's battle with the Angel in the night. An angel frees the Apostle Peter from prison.
All this is a manifestation of the ministry of the Angels and their fulfillment of the will of God. One type of indirect service of angels to God can be the service of Guardian Angels. After baptism, each person is assigned a Guardian Angel, who must lead the soul of this person to salvation. This also reveals the Providence of God, which means this is one of the options for serving angels to God. In ancient times, it was believed that cities, kingdoms, and nations also had guardian angels. In particular, Archangel Michael was considered the patron saint of the Jewish people. By the way, Guardian Angels of private individuals are mentioned in the Holy Scriptures in the Gospel of Matthew (18:10): “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.” When the Angel leads Peter out of prison, the apostle comes to the house where the meeting of Christians is located, stands at the door and knocks. The maid, seeing him, went and said that it was Peter, but they did not believe her, deciding that it was Peter’s Angel, and not Peter himself.
How angels are portrayed
The classic vestment of an angel is a chiton, a himation (a cloak thrown over the chiton). The attributes are wings, as a symbol of speed, lightning speed of action. A ribbon in the hair, which in our tradition is called toroki or rumors. There must be a rod, a sphere or a globe, or a mirror (called differently). Since angels are the leaders of the heavenly army, since they are the guards of the throne of God, they are often depicted in court robes.
Angelic ranks
From the Holy Scriptures it follows that there are different orders of angels. The Holy Scriptures mention 9 ranks of angels.
Seraphim
Of all the ranks of heaven, the Seraphim are the closest to God; they are the first participants in divine bliss, the first to shine with the light of the magnificent divine glory. And what amazes them most about God is His endless, eternal, immeasurable, unsearchable love. In all their strength, in all their incomprehensible depths, they perceive and feel God precisely as Love, through this they approach, as it were, the very doors, the very Holy of Holies of that “impregnable Light” in which God lives (1 Tim. 6:16 ), through this entering into the closest, most sincere communication with God, for God Himself is Love: “The God of love is” (1 John 4:8).
Have you ever looked at the sea? You look, you look at its boundless distance, at its boundless expanse, you think about its bottomless depth, and... the thought is lost, the heart freezes, the whole being is filled with some kind of sacred awe and horror; I want to prostrate myself and close myself before the clearly felt, boundless greatness of God, reflected by the vastness of the sea. Here is some, albeit the weakest, resemblance, a barely noticeable, subtle shadow of what the Seraphim experience, constantly contemplating the immeasurable, unsearchable sea of Divine love.
God-Love is a consuming fire, and the Seraphim, constantly tapping into this fiery Divine Love, are filled with the fire of the Divine above all other ranks. Seraphim - and the word itself means: fiery, fiery. Fiery burning Divine Love, by the unsearchableness of Its mercy, the immensity of Its condescension towards all creatures, and most of all towards the human race, for the sake of which this Love humbled itself even to the cross and death, always leads the Seraphim into indescribable sacred awe, plunges them into horror, makes everything tremble their being. They cannot bear this great Love. They cover their faces with two wings, their feet with two wings, and fly with two wings, in fear and trembling, in the deepest reverence, singing, crying, crying out and saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of hosts!”
Burning with love for God, the six-winged Seraphim ignite the fire of this love in the hearts of others, purifying the soul with divine fire, filling it with strength and strength, inspiring it to preach - with the verb to burn the hearts of people. Thus, when the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, seeing the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne, surrounded by Seraphim, began to lament his uncleanness, exclaiming: “Oh, accursed Az! For I am a man with unclean lips... - and my eyes saw the King, the Lord of Hosts!.. Then, - the prophet himself says. One of the Seraphim flew to me, and in his hand he had a burning coal, which he took with tongs from the altar, and touched my mouth and said: “Behold, I will touch this with your mouth, and it will take away your iniquity and cleanse your sins” (Is. 6: 5-7).
Cherubim
If for the Seraphim God appears as fiery burning Love, then for the Cherubim God appears as luminous Wisdom. The cherubim constantly delve into the divine mind, praise it, glorify it in their songs, contemplate the divine mysteries, and penetrate them with trepidation. That is why, according to the testimony of the Word of God, in the Old Testament the Cherubim are depicted touching the Ark of the Covenant.
“And make,” the Lord said to Moses, “of gold two Cherubim... Make them at both ends of the lid (of the Ark). Make one Cherubim on one side, and another Cherubim on the other side... And the Cherubim will have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces will be towards each other, and the faces of the Cherubim will be towards the mercy seat” (Ex. 25:18-20) .
Marvelous image! So it is in heaven: the Cherubim look with tenderness and fear at the Divine Wisdom, explore it, learn from it, and, as it were, cover its secrets with their wings, keep them, protect them, and revere them. And this reverence for the mysteries of Divine Wisdom is so great among the Cherubim that all daring inquisitiveness, all proud looking at the Mind of God is immediately cut off by them with a fiery sword.
Remember the Fall of Adam: the forefathers, contrary to the commandment of God, boldly approached the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, became proud of their minds, and wanted to know everything like God; they set out, as it were, to tear off the veil hiding the secrets of Divine Wisdom. And, look, now one of the guardians of these secrets, one of the servants of God’s Wisdom - the Cherub, descends from heaven, with a flaming reversing sword, expels the ancestors from paradise. So great is the jealousy of the Cherubim, so strict are they towards those who dare to boldly penetrate into the unknown mysteries of heaven! Be afraid to test with your mind what you need to believe!
If, according to St. Basil the Great, “one piece of grass or one blade of grass is enough to occupy our whole thought by considering the art with which it was produced,” then what can we say about that abyss of wisdom that is revealed to the Cherubim? The Wisdom of God, as if imprinted in a mirror in the visible world, the Wisdom of God in the entire construction of our redemption, is all “the manifold Wisdom of God,... hidden in secret, which God hath before ordained before the world for our glory” (Eph. 3:10; 1 Cor. 2:7)…
Thrones
You, of course, know what a throne is, with what meaning do we often use this word? They say, for example, “The Tsar’s Throne” or “The Tsar’s Throne”, “The Tsar spoke from the height of the Throne.” They want to show everyone their dignity and royal greatness.
The throne, thus, is the personification of royal greatness, royal dignity. So in heaven there are their own Thrones, not our material, soulless ones, made of gold, silver, bone or wood and serving only as symbols, but reasonable Thrones, living bearers of the greatness of God, the glory of God. The thrones, especially in front of all ranks of angels, feel and contemplate God as the King of Glory, the King of the entire universe, the King who creates justice and righteousness, the King of Kings, as “the Great, Mighty and Terrible God” (Deut. 10:17). “Lord, Lord, who is like You?” (Ps. 35:10)… “Who is like You in God? Lord, whoever is like You is glorified in the saints, wondrous in glory” (Ex. 15:11). “Great is the Lord and greatly praised, and His greatness has no end” (Ps. 144:3)... “Great and has no end, high and immeasurable” (Bar. 3:25)! All these hymns to the greatness of God, in all their fullness, depth and truth, are understandable and accessible only to the Thrones.
The Thrones not only feel and sing of the greatness of God, but they themselves are filled with this greatness and glory, and they let others feel it, pouring, as if into the hearts of men, waves of greatness and glory of the Divine that fill them.
There are moments when a person somehow especially clearly recognizes with his mind and with some special strength feels in his heart the greatness of God: the peals of thunder, the flash of lightning, marvelous views of nature, high mountains, wild rocks, worship in some magnificent large temple - everything this often so captures the soul, so strikes the strings of the heart, that a person is ready to compose and sing psalms and songs of praise; before the perceived greatness of God he disappears, is lost, falls on his face. Know, beloved, such holy moments of a clear sense of the greatness of God do not happen without the influence of the Thrones. It is they who, as it were, join us to their mood, throw its sparkles into our hearts.
Domination
God is called Lord because He cares about the world He created, provides for it, and is its Supreme Owner. “He,” says Blessed Theodoret, “is himself both a shipbuilder and a gardener, who increased matter. He created matter, built the ship, and constantly controls its helm.” “From the shepherd,” teaches St. Ephraim the Syrian, - the flock depends, and everything that grows on earth depends on God. In the will of the farmer is the separation of wheat from thorns, in the will of God is the prudence of those living on earth in their mutual unity and like-mindedness. It is in the will of the king to arrange regiments of soldiers, in the will of God there is a definite charter for everything.” So, notes another teacher of the Church, “neither on earth nor in heaven is nothing left without care and without providence, but the care of the Creator equally extends to everything invisible and visible, small and great: for all creatures need the care of the Creator, equally like each one separately, according to its nature and purpose.” And “not for a single day does God cease from the work of governing creatures, so that they do not immediately deviate from their natural paths, by which they are led and directed to achieve the fullness of their development, and each to remain in its own kind what it is.”
Now, it is into this domination, into this management of God’s creatures, into this care and providence of God for everything invisible and visible, small and great, that the Dominions delve into.
For the Seraphim, God is fiery burning Love; for the Cherubim I will take out luminous Wisdom; for Thrones God is the King of Glory; for the Dominions, God is the Lord Provider. Above all other ranks of Lordship, they contemplate God precisely as a Provider, they glorify His care for the world: they see “his way in the sea, and his strong path in the waves” (Wisdom 14:3), they look with fear at how “he will change the times and summer, he appoints kings and marks” (Dan. 2:21). Full of sacred delight and tenderness, the Lord plunges into the manifold concerns of God: He dresses the villages, “as Solomon in all his glory was clothed, as one of these” (Matthew 6:29), as He dresses “the heavens with the clouds, He prepares rain for the earth.” , grows grass and grain on the mountains for the service of man: he gives their food to the cattle, and to the chicks of the corvids that call upon Him” (Ps. 147:7-9). The Lords marvel at how God, so great, embraces everyone and everything with His care; stores and protects every blade of grass, every midge, the smallest grain of sand.
Contemplating God as a Provider - the Builder of the world, Dominion and people are taught to arrange themselves, their souls; teach us to take care of the soul, to provide for it; inspire a person to dominate his passions, over various sinful habits, to oppress the flesh, giving space to the spirit. The Lords must be prayerfully invoked to help anyone who wants to free themselves from any passion, wants to dominate it, or give up any bad habit, but cannot do this due to weakness of will.
Powers
Above all other ranks, this rank of angels contemplates God as working many powers or miracles. For the Powers, God is a Miracle Worker. “You are the God who works miracles” (Ps. 76:15) - this is what constitutes the subject of their constant praise and praise. The forces delve into how “where God wants the order of nature to be overcome.” Oh, how ecstatic, how solemn, how wondrous these songs must be! If we, clothed in flesh and blood, when we witness any obvious miracle of God, for example, the sight of a blind man, the restoration of a hopelessly ill person, we come into indescribable delight and awe, we are amazed, we are touched, then what can we say about the Powers when they are given to see such miracles that our minds cannot even imagine. Moreover, they can delve into the very depths of these miracles, their highest goal is revealed to them.
Authorities
The angels belonging to this rank contemplate and glorify God as the Almighty, “having all power in heaven and on earth.” God of the terrible, “His vision dries up the abysses, and the reproach melts away the mountains, who walked as if on dry land on the sheets of the sea, and forbade the storms of the winds; touching the mountains and smoking; calling on the water of the sea and pouring it out on the face of all the earth.”
Angels of the sixth rank are the closest, constant witnesses of God’s omnipotence; they are given the opportunity to feel it preferably before others. From constant contemplation of Divine power, from constant contact with it, these fulfilling angels are imbued with this power just as red-hot iron is imbued with fire, which is why they themselves become bearers of this power and are called: Power. The power with which they are invested and filled is unbearable for the devil and all his hordes; this power turns the devilish hordes to flight, to the underworld, to pitch darkness, to Tartarus.
That is why everyone tormented by the devil must prayerfully call on the Authority for help; for all those possessed by demons, various epileptics, whoremongers, and the corrupted - we must daily pray to the Authorities: “Holy Authorities, by the authority given to you by God, drive away from the servant of God (name) or the servant of God (name) the demon that is tormenting him (or her)!”
Beginnings
These angels are so called because God entrusted them with authority over the elements of nature: over water, fire, wind, “over animals, plants and generally over all visible objects.” “Creator and Builder of the world. God,” says the Christian teacher Athenagoras, “placed some of the angels over the elements, and over the heavens, and over the world, and over what is in it, and over their structure.” Thunder, lightning, storm... all this is controlled by the Principles, and directed according to the will of God. It is known, for example, that lightning often burns blasphemers; hail destroys one field, leaves another unharmed... Who gives such a reasonable direction to a soulless, unreasonable element? Starters are doing it.
“I saw,” says the seer of St. John the Theologian - a mighty angel descending from heaven, clothed in a cloud; over his head was a rainbow, and his face was like the sun... And he placed his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the earth, and cried out with a loud voice, like a lion roars; and when he cried, then the seven thunders spoke with their voices” (Rev. 10:1-3); The Apostle John saw and heard both the “angel of the water” (Rev. 16:5) and the “angel who has authority over the fire” (Rev. 14:18). “I saw,” the same saint testifies. John, - four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that the wind would not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree... - they were given power to harm the earth and the sea” (Rev. 7:1-2 ).
The principles also have authority over entire nations, cities, kingdoms, and human societies. In the word of God there is, for example, a mention of a prince or angel of the kingdom of Persia, the kingdom of Greece (Dan. 10:13, 20). The principles, entrusted to their superiors, lead the peoples to the highest good goals, which are indicated and destined by the Lord Himself; “They are erecting,” according to St. Dionysius the Areopagite, - how many can those who willingly obey them, to God, as to their Beginning.” They intercede for their people before the Lord, “instill,” notes one saint, “in people, especially kings and other rulers, thoughts and intentions related to the good of the people.”
Archangels
This rite, says St. Dionysius of teaching." Archangels are heavenly teachers. What do they teach? They teach people how to organize their lives according to God, that is, in accordance with the will of God.
Different paths of life are before a person: there is the monastic path, the path of marriage, there are various types of service. What to choose, what to decide on, what to stop at? This is where the Archangels come to the aid of man. The Lord reveals His will about man to them. The Archangels know, therefore, what awaits a famous person on this or that path of life: what adversities, temptations, seductions; therefore, they deviate from one path, and direct a person to another, teach him to choose the right path suitable for him.
Whoever is broken in life, hesitates, does not know which way to go, he must call on the Archangels for help, so that they teach him how he should live: “Archangels of God, appointed by God Himself for our teaching and admonition, teach me which path to choose.” “I’ll go ahead and please my God!”
Angels
These are the closest to us. The Angels continue what the Archangels begin: the Archangels teach man to recognize the will of God, put him on the path of life indicated by God; Angels lead a person along this path, guide, protect the walker so that he does not deviate to the side, strengthen the exhausted, and raise the falling.
Angels are so close to us that they surround us from everywhere, look at us from everywhere, watch our every step, and, according to St. John Chrysostom, “the whole air is filled with angels”; Angels, according to the same saint, “stand before the priest during the performance of the terrible Sacrifice.”
Guardian angel
From among the angels, the Lord, from the moment of our baptism, assigns to each of us a special angel, which is called the Guardian Angel. This Angel loves us as much as no one on earth can love. The Guardian Angel is our close friend, an invisible, quiet interlocutor, a sweet comforter. He wishes only one thing for each of us - the salvation of the soul; This is where he directs all his worries. And if he sees us also caring about salvation, he rejoices, but if he sees us being careless about our souls, he grieves.
Do you want to always be with an Angel? Flee sin, and the Angel will be with you. “Just as,” says Basil the Great, “bees are driven away by smoke and doves by stench, so the Guardian of our life, the Angel, is driven away by lamentable and stinking sin.” Therefore, be afraid to sin!
Is it possible to recognize the presence of a Guardian Angel when he is near us and when he moves away from us? It is possible, according to the inner mood of your soul. When your soul is light, your heart is light, quiet, peaceful, when your mind is occupied with thoughts of God, when you repent and are touched, then it means that an Angel is nearby. “When, according to the testimony of John Climacus, at some utterance of your prayer you feel inner pleasure or tenderness, then stop over it. For then the Guardian Angel prays with you.” When there is a storm in your soul, passions in your heart, and your mind is arrogant, then you know that the Guardian Angel has left you, and instead of him a demon has approached you. Hurry, hurry, then call your Guardian Angel, kneel before the icons, fall on your face, pray, make the sign of the cross, cry. Believe, your Guardian Angel will hear your prayer, come, drive away the demon, say to your troubled soul, to your overwhelmed heart: “Be silent, stop.” And great silence will come within you. Oh, Guardian Angel, always protect us from the storm, in the silence of Christ!
Why, someone will ask, is it impossible to see the Angel, cannot speak, talk with him the way we talk with each other? Why can't an Angel appear visibly? Therefore, so as not to frighten or confuse us with his appearance, for he knows how cowardly, fearful and timid we are in front of everything mysterious.
Angel's Day, name day
Every Orthodox Christian bears the name of the saint after whom it is named. The name is chosen according to the church calendar, each day of which is dedicated to the memory of a particular saint. The day of remembrance of the saint whose name an Orthodox Christian bears is called: Angel Day, or.
After the Sacrament of Baptism has been performed, the saint whose name is chosen for the child or adult being baptized becomes his heavenly patron. You yourself can choose from among several saints the one who is especially close to you. If you don’t know anything about any of them, consider as your heavenly patron the one whose memorial day on the calendar is closest to your birthday.
“The Lord gives each of us two Angels, - Fyodor of Edessa teaches us, - one of whom - the Guardian Angel - protects us from all evil, from various misfortunes and helps us do good, and the other Angel - the holy saint of God, whose name we bear, intercedes for us before God, prays to God for us. His prayers, as more worthy and pleasing to God, are more likely to be accepted than our sinners.
Angels“, being servants of love and peace, they rejoice over our repentance and success in good deeds, try to fill us with spiritual contemplation (according to our receptivity) and assist us in all good.”
“The saints,” wrote the Monk Silouan of Athos, “see our life and our deeds in the Holy Spirit. They know our sorrows and hear our fervent prayers... The saints do not forget us and pray for us... They also see the suffering of people on earth. The Lord gave them such great grace that they embrace the whole world with love. They see and know how exhausted we are from sorrows, how our souls have dried up, how despondency has bound them, and, without ceasing, they intercede for us before God.”
The name given to a person at baptism no longer changes, except in a few, very rare cases, such as, for example, when taking monastic vows. The name given to a person at baptism remains with him throughout the rest of his life, and he passes into the next world with it; his name, after his death, is repeated by the Church when prayers are offered for the repose of his soul.
Prayer to the Guardian Angel, Canon to the Guardian Angel
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.”(Matt. 18:10).
Troparion, tone 6
Angel of God, my holy guardian, keep my life in the passion of Christ God, strengthen my mind in the true path, and wound my soul to heavenly love, so that I may be guided by you, I will receive great mercy from Christ God.
Glory, and now:
Theotokos
Holy Lady, Mother of Christ our God, who perplexedly gave birth to all the Creator, pray to His goodness always, with my guardian angel, to save my soul, obsessed with passions, and grant me remission of sins.
Canon, tone 8
Song 1
Let us praise the Lord, who led His people through the Red Sea, for He alone was gloriously glorified.
Sing and praise the song, O Savior, worthy of Your servant, the disembodied Angel, my mentor and guardian.
Chorus: Holy Angel of God, my guardian, pray to God for me.
I am the only one lying in foolishness and laziness now, my mentor and guardian, do not leave me, perishing.
Glory: Direct my mind with your prayer, do God’s commandments, so that I may receive remission of sins from God, and teach me to hate the evil ones, I pray to you.
And now: Pray, Maiden, for me, Thy servant, to the Benefactor, with my guardian Angel, and instruct me to do the commandments of Thy Son and my Creator.
Song 3
You are the affirmation of those who flow to You, Lord, You are the light of the darkened, and my spirit sings of You.
I place all my thoughts and my soul on you, my guardian; Deliver me from every misfortune of the enemy.
The enemy tramples me, and embitters me, and teaches me to always do my own desires; but you, my mentor, do not leave me to perish.
Glory: Sing a song with thanksgiving and zeal to the Creator and God give me, and to you, my good guardian angel: my deliverer, rescue me from the enemies who embitter me.
And now: Heal, Most Pure One, my many ailing scabs, even in the soul, heal the enemies who always fight with me.
Sedalen, voice 2
From the love of my soul I cry out to you, the guardian of my soul, my all-holy Angel: cover me and always protect me from evil deception, and guide me to heavenly life, admonishing and enlightening and strengthening me.
Glory, and now: Theotokos:
The Blessed Most Pure Mother of God, Who without seed gave birth to all the Lord, Pray Him with my Guardian Angel to deliver me from all bewilderment, and to give tenderness and light to my soul and purification through sin, Who alone will soon intercede.
Song 4
I heard, O Lord, Thy sacrament, I understood Thy works, and glorified Thy Divinity.
Pray to God, the Lover of Mankind, my guardian, and do not forsake me, but keep my life in peace forever and grant me invincible salvation.
As the intercessor and guardian of my life, you are received from God, Angel, I pray to you, holy one, free me from all troubles.
Glory: Cleanse my depravity with your shrine, my guardian, and may I be excommunicated from the part of Shuiya by your prayers and become a partaker of glory.
And now: I am bewildered by the evils that have befallen me, O Most Pure One, but deliver me from them quickly: I am the only one who has come to You.
Song 5
We cry out to You in the morning: Lord, save us; For you are our God, don’t you know anything else?
As if I had boldness towards God, my holy guardian, I begged Him to deliver me from the evils that offend me.
Bright light, brightly enlighten my soul, my mentor and guardian, given to me by God to the Angel.
Glory: Sleeping me with the evil burden of sin, keep me vigilant, Angel of God, and raise me up for praise through your prayer.
And now: Mary, Lady of the Brideless Mother of God, the hope of the faithful, lay down the heaps of the enemy, and those who sing make you glad.
Song 6
Give me a robe of light, dress yourself in light like a robe, O most merciful Christ our God.
Free me from all misfortunes, and save me from sorrows, I pray to you, holy Angel, given to me by God, my good guardian.
Illuminate my mind, O blessed one, and enlighten me, I pray to you, holy Angel, and always instruct me to think usefully.
Glory: Tidy my heart from real rebellion, and be vigilant, strengthen me in good things, my guardian, and guide me wonderfully to the silence of animals.
And now: the Word of God dwells in You, Mother of God, and man shows You the heavenly ladder; Because of you, the Most High has come down to us to eat.
Kontakion, tone 4
Appear to me, merciful, holy Angel of the Lord, my guardian, and do not separate from me, the foul one, but enlighten me with inviolable light and make me worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Ikos
My humble soul has been tempted by many, you, holy representative, vouchsafed the ineffable glory of heaven, and a singer from the face of the disembodied powers of God, have mercy on me and preserve me, and enlighten my soul with good thoughts, so that with your glory, my Angel, I will be enriched, and overthrow the evil-minded enemies of me , and make me worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Song 7
The youths who came from Judea to Babylon sometimes quenched the fire of the fire with the Trinity's faith, singing: God of the fathers, blessed art thou.
Be merciful to me and pray to God, O Lord Angel, for I have you as an intercessor in my whole life, a mentor and guardian, given to me by God forever.
Do not leave my accursed soul on its journey, killed by a robber, holy Angel, who was betrayed by God without blame; but I will guide you on the path of repentance.
Glory: I bring all my disgraced soul away from my evil thoughts and deeds: but first, my mentor, grant me healing with good thoughts, so that I always deviate onto the right path.
And now: Fill everyone with wisdom and Divine strength, Hypostatic Wisdom of the Most High, for the sake of the Mother of God, for the sake of those who cry out with faith: Our father, God, blessed art thou.
Song 8
Praise and exalt the Heavenly King, Whom all the angels sing, to all ages.
Sent from God, strengthen the belly of my servant, your servant, most blessed Angel, and do not leave me forever.
You are a good angel, my soul's mentor and guardian, most blessed, I sing for ever.
Glory: Be my protection and take away all people on the day of testing; good and evil deeds are tempted by fire.
And now: Be my helper and silence, O Ever-Virgin Mother of God, Thy servant, and do not leave me deprived of Thy dominion.
Song 9
We truly confess You, the Mother of God, saved by You, a pure Virgin, with your disembodied faces magnifying You.
To Jesus: Lord Jesus Christ my God, have mercy on me.
Have mercy on me, my only Savior, for You are merciful and merciful, and make me a partaker of righteous faces.
Grant me to think and create continually, O Lord Angel, who is good and useful, as she is strong in weakness and blameless.
Glory: Because you have boldness towards the Heavenly King, pray to Him, along with other incorporeal ones, to have mercy on me, the accursed one.
And now: Having much boldness, O Virgin, to Him who became incarnate from You, deliver me from my bonds and grant me permission and salvation through Your prayers.
Prayer to the Guardian Angel
Holy Angel of Christ, falling to you I pray, my holy guardian, given to me for the protection of my sinful soul and body from holy baptism, but with my laziness and my evil custom I angered your most pure lordship and drove you away from me with all the cold deeds: lies, slander , envy, condemnation, contempt, disobedience, brotherly hatred, and resentment, love of money, adultery, rage, stinginess, gluttony without satiety and drunkenness, verbosity, evil thoughts and crafty ones, proud custom and lustful indignation, driven by self-will for all carnal lust. Oh, my evil will, which even dumb animals cannot do! How can you look at me, or approach me like a stinking dog? Whose eyes, angel of Christ, look upon me, entangled in evil in vile deeds? How can I already ask for forgiveness with my bitter and evil and crafty deed, I fall into misery all day and night and at every hour? But I pray to you, falling down, my holy guardian, have mercy on me, your sinful and unworthy servant. (Name) Movies about angels
Angels and demons. Who are they?
Orthodox stories. N. Agafonov “The Tale of How Angels Fell from Heaven”
Angels and demons (lecture by a teacher at Sretensky Theological Seminary)
Orthodox stories. A story about angels and demons
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Orthodox theory of personality: , .
Passions, their essence and ways to overcome: , .
Diseases and their origin. Ways to overcome: , .
The connection between sins, passions and illnesses: , .
Repentance, its essence. The main sins of our time: , .
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov. "About the beauty": , .
Asceticism, prayer (essence and varieties). Jesus Prayer: , .
About salvation in the world: ; .
Freemasonry and globalism: , .
Lecture text
We are opening a very important topic. What is its importance? And the fact, my dears, is that we experience the impact, enter into communication with the invisible world - the angelic world and the demonic world. Regardless of whether a person wants it or doesn’t want it, wants it or doesn’t want it, this influence and communication still occurs. But if a person does not know the laws of the spiritual world, if he is not familiar with this world, then instead of the positive influence that comes from the angelic world, he can be exposed to the influence of the demonic world, fall into slavery, which will manifest itself in illnesses - in physical and mental, and in the destruction of one’s life path, and in intensifying passions and can lead to the death of the soul. Ignorance does not save us from the reality of impacts. Look - there are laws of nature, there is a universal law of gravity - you may not agree with it, you can swear at it, but it still exists. And if any of you decides to jump from the tenth floor and fly, then, of course, he will crash. And in order to live, we must take these laws into account.
You have all heard and remembered that “... God is love“1 John 4:8, God is goodness, God created man to participate in this love and goodness in which He Himself abides. So, in the last lecture, referring to the writings of the Old Testament, we said that “ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth» Genesis 1:1. By the creation of heaven, all the Holy Fathers understand the creation of the invisible world, the creation of the angelic world, that is, the invisible, immaterial world, in our understanding, the world is created before the rest of creation.
What is he and who are the angels? As Saint Demetrius of Rostov points out: “ Angels were created in the image and likeness of God, just as man was subsequently created.» . « The image of God, as in man, lies in the mind from which it is born, and". Notice this expression, fix it internally, this is a very important thought: “ in which the thought is contained, and from which comes the spirit that assists the thought and animates it" That is, a thought, and the expressed thought is a word; it, of course, also contains spirit. This spirit, it also has an impact on people, on the world around us, which we will talk about when there is a lecture on the word and its impact on humans. “This image, like the Prototype, is invisible, just as it is invisible in people. He controls the whole being in the Angel as well as in man. Angels are creatures limited by time and space, therefore, having their own external appearance." On the reasons for the creation of angels " Saint Gregory the Theologian, in his homily for Holy Pascha, says: “The goodness of God was not satisfied with the contemplation of Itself: it had to pour out and spread goodness, so that many would become partakers of goodness, and this is characteristic of the greatest goodness. She, firstly, invented Angels and heavenly spirits. Thought was a deed, produced by the Word, accomplished by the Spirit". You see - the whole Trinity is involved in this: “ thought was deed"(With God, thought and deed are one and the same; we may have thoughts, but when they will be embodied in deed is unknown; with God, thought is deed), " which was accomplished by the Word was accomplished by the Spirit", that is, accomplished by the Holy Spirit. " Thus the second lights were created(meaning the angelic world - note by Father Alexy) , serving the first Light» . « With the unceasing face of singers, they surround the original Cause or bring something more, according to their ability, than song praise, illuminated by the purest light, illuminated by it in a variety of ways, according to either their nature or their rank...". Let's stop here. What does it mean: illuminated with a special light depending on one’s rank or one’s characteristics? We say to you that God is light, God is spirit. And this light, this spirit is the cause and foundation of all things. Just imagine the sun. The sun emits its rays. And if we take gems: emerald, sapphire, or diamond and put them in the sun, then the sun's rays, refracting in each stone, will give their own special, beautiful light. It will still be the same sunlight, but each stone will give its own refraction. In the same way, the divine light, the Holy Spirit, entering the angels, is refracted. It gives them a special identity, a special effect, depending on how they were created and depending on the place in the hierarchy to which they belong.
According to the great theologian, disciple of the Apostle Paul, Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, all angels have the following hierarchy: there is a higher, middle and lower hierarchy. The highest angelic hierarchy includes: Seraphim, Cherubim And Thrones. The average angelic hierarchy consists of three ranks: Dominations, Powers, Authorities. And the lower hierarchy includes the following three ranks: Beginnings, Archangels And Angels. Let us now dwell on this in more detail and try to understand to the extent to which the veil of this angelic invisible world is revealed to us, and to the extent to which we are generally able to understand it.
« Hexaptera Seraphim(Hebrew - flaming, fiery), which are spoken of only by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:2), blaze with love for God and encourage 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 (Ezekiel 1). These symbols mean that 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 chariot of the Most High (Ezek. 1:10), which is why God is called riding on the cherubim (1 Sam. 4:4).
Cherubim guarded the entrance to paradise (Gen. 3:24). Images of two Cherubim overshadowed the Ark of the Covenant, the place of God's immediate presence (Ex. 25:18-20).<…
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The many-eyed Cherubim, according to Dionysius the Areopagite, shine with the light of knowledge of God. They send down wisdom and enlightenment for the knowledge of God to the lower ranks". That is, the Cherubim were given the special wisdom of God and therefore they are “many-read.” Many eyes means omniscience, knowledge. Then we will touch on this separately. Once upon a time, one of the Cherubim, who was entrusted with guarding the Earth, and whose name was Dennitsa, fell from a height and turned into the vile Satan.
« They (Cherubim) 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» .
« Dominations (Col. 1:16) rule over the subsequent orders of Angels. They instruct God-appointed earthly rulers in wise governance. They teach to control feelings, tame sinful lusts, enslave the flesh to the spirit, overcome temptations". That is why people experiencing strong temptations can turn directly to the Dominions, asking them for spiritual strength and help. And those who turn to them really receive such help.
« Powers (1 Pet. 3:22) work miracles and send down the grace of miracles and clairvoyance to the saints of God. They help people in carrying out labors, strengthen them in patience, bestow spiritual strength and courage". That is, they share these powers that God gives them with people.
« Authorities (1 Pet. 3:22; Col. 1:16) have the power to tame the power of the devil. They ward off demonic temptations from us, protect ascetics, and 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)". When people turned to the authorities for help during fires, this help came. Unfortunately, if earlier people understood the power and strength of angels, their ability to help, and therefore often turned to them, then at the present stage, due to our atheistic upbringing, many have lost this knowledge, many see it as a kind of fairy tale without an understanding of reality ongoing processes.
Now let's consider lower hierarchy .
« Beginnings (Col. 1:16) rule over the lower Angels, directing their activities to fulfill Divine commands. They are entrusted with managing the Universe, protecting countries, peoples and tribes". Every nation has its own guardian angel, and every city also has its own guardian angel. Often he comes from the hierarchy of Origins. " They teach earthly authorities to fulfill their duties not for the sake of benefits and personal glory, but to seek in everything the glory of God and the benefit of others". But this happens when a person is truly open to God and to faith and wants it, and when he does not want it, then the angels cannot influence him. The angelic world can influence a person when a person is open to goodness and light and seeks this help. The same applies to the demonic world. But more on that later.
« Archangels (1 Thess. 4:16) preach great and glorious things. They reveal the secrets of faith, prophecy and the will of God to people, that is, they are conductors of Revelation» .
« Angels (1 Pet. 3:22) are closest to people. They proclaim the intentions of God, instruct in virtues and holy life. They protect the faithful, keep us from falling, raise the fallen» .
All angels have free will, but unlike humans, whose will constantly fluctuates between good and evil, you and I constantly choose, and our death is a transition to another world, it seems to complete our choice. Here you and I are constantly in a choice. Our every thought, our every action is either an application to the divine, to the angelic, to the light, or a choice of the evil, demonic, negative. And in the process of his life, a person can either repent until the end of his life and come to goodness, or, having labored all his life, he can fall into sin at the end of his life, become rigid in this sin and die in it. As it is said: " Where I find you, that’s what I judge". What does “what will I find you in” mean? Yes, at the hour of death, whatever a person finds himself in, this is the state that will be with him in the future. So, our death determines our final choice - where our will leans at the end of our life. This is the result of everything. If a person makes this choice throughout his entire life, then in the angelic world it has already happened. And it happened at the moment when the unclean spirit, Satan, rebelled against God... But more on that later.
Those angels who chose good serve God and can no longer turn away from Him due to the fact that they have completely attached themselves to Him. " All ranks of the Heavenly Forces bear the general name of Angels - in essence of their service" . "Angel" translated from Greek means "messenger" or "messenger". " The Lord reveals His will to the highest Angels, and they, in turn, enlighten the rest» . « Thus, the secrets of God go in a descending hierarchy from the Seraphim to the Angels, and each subsequent hierarchy is dedicated only to the knowledge that they can accommodate at a given level of their spiritual development. The mysteries of God are revealed to people as they become spiritually enlightened or, in other words, as they acquire the Holy Spirit» .
The Apostle Paul said: “ Are they not all ministering spirits sent to serve those who are to inherit salvation?? Hebrews 1:14. That is, their activities are aimed at saving the human race. According to St. Gregory the Theologian, being servants of God’s will “ strong, both by their natural and acquired strength, they go around everything, they readily appear to everyone and everywhere, by their zeal for service and by their lightness of nature". However, according to Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, “ The ministry of the Angels lies not only in promoting the salvation of the human race: but from this ministry they received their name among men, and this name was given to them by the Holy Spirit in the Holy Scriptures". But the time of the creation of angels is not precisely indicated in the Holy Scriptures, but it preceded the creation of the material world and man himself.
How do angels take part in our lives?
Let's look at the Holy Scriptures, what it says about this. " Archangel Gabriel initially announced to Saint Zechariah that the Forerunner of the Lord John would be born from him; six months after the conception of John, the same Archangel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary the greatest joy for Angels and men - the conception of the God-Man by the Blessed Virgin. An angel appeared in a dream to righteous Joseph, the Betrothed of the Mother of God, announced to him his conception from the Holy Spirit and commanded him to call the Son who was to be born the name Jesus (Matthew 1: 20. 21). When this longed-for all-holy birth took place in Bethlehem, an Angel announced it to the shepherds, who, not far from this city, spent the night in vigil over their flock. “I bring you great joy,” said the Angel to the pious and humble shepherds, “that this day shall be born unto you the Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.” And behold a sign for you: you will find a midwife lying in a manger.” As soon as the Angel uttered these words, a multitude of the heavenly army suddenly appeared, singing the praises of God. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”: these were the words of the Angel’s song (Luke 2:8-14). An angel commanded Joseph to flee with the newborn God-Infant and the Mother of God to Egypt from the murderous plans of Herod; An angel informed the holy Betrothed of the death of Herod, commanded him to return to Judea and settle in Nazareth, a small and humble city in Galilee (Matthew 2:19.20). During the Lord’s presence in the flesh on earth, the Angels of God ascended and descended to the Son of God, serving Him (1 John 1:51)". An angel warned the wise men against returning to Herod (Matt. 2:12). An angel appeared to strengthen the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). The angel announced to the myrrh-bearers about the Resurrection of Christ, and to the apostles about the ascension of Christ into heaven (Matt. 28: 1-8). An angel told the Apostle Paul that he must appear before Caesar (Acts 27:23-24). " through His Angel"(Rev. 1:1) Jesus Christ conveyed the Revelation to John the Theologian. That is, we see the constant presence and participation of angels in all events that are important for the human race. Not only specific people have guardian angels, but also nations and states. When performing holy Baptism, the priest prays to God for this. so that he would assign a Guardian Angel to the person being baptized. However, angels help not only the baptized, but also other people. But it is during Baptism that the Angel who is co-present with a person receives great power to help him, to constantly remain with him and instill in him good, holy, pure thoughts. It is as if the Angel duplicates our voice of conscience, strengthens it, denouncing evil and encouraging a person to do good. He can warn us of impending danger. It has happened to each of us more than once that we really don’t want to go somewhere, we feel some kind of dull resistance, reluctance to do something, and if we still force ourselves, based on logical necessity, to perform this action - then it turns out that we went there in vain, that it would be better not to do this and not to appear there - this is the voice of the Guardian Angel. But it must be said that the help of angels is not unconditional. If a person has decided to sin, if he has decided to do evil, an angel cannot force him to abandon his decision. He can inspire him with an idea, encourage him to repent, but a person always chooses for himself. Both the angelic world and the demonic world cannot force a person to either good or evil. A person always chooses for himself. What happens to the Guardian Angel if a person sins? Then the Guardian Angel moves away from such a person, because an invisible stench of passions emanates from him. Every passion and sin has an invisible spiritual smell, a vile smell, a spiritual stench that the Guardian Angels cannot endure...
One saint, a holy fool, had a vision, during which those around him drew attention to his strange behavior. Approaching the brothel where the young men entered, he suddenly began to cry, kiss the walls of this house, and when he approached the church, he suddenly took stones and began to throw them at the walls of the temple. And everyone was wondering what this strange behavior meant. And then he revealed to his student that at the walls of this whorehouse he saw the Guardian Angels of the poor young men who could not enter there during this vile and offensive act. And he cried and prayed with them for those who went to sin and destroy their souls. And when he approached the church, he saw unclean spirits who could not enter the temple, and he threw stones at them and drove them away from the church. Thus, we see that they are present, but it is up to the person himself to accept the will of either angels or unclean spirits. Therefore, if a person persists, the Guardian Angel will retreat.
It must be said that the ability to accept spiritual help also depends on the spirituality of the person himself. The more sinful a person is, the further he drives the Guardian Angel away from himself. And on the contrary, being cleansed of sin, a person brings the Guardian Angel closer to him, comes into contact with him and begins to hear him. I know several people who saw their Guardian Angel and even heard his instructions periodically, and who received real help from the Guardian Angel. And the closer a person is to God, the more he feels his Guardian Angel and hears his word. There are many cases when a Guardian Angel really helped a person. I'll tell you just a few of them.
« An amazing incident shocked the residents of the small Don town of Semiluki: a nine-year-old girl, Oksana Danilevich, fell from a fifth-floor balcony. How it happened, she and herself doesn’t remember: most likely, hanging over the railing, she lost her balance and fell down. According to doctors, falling even from the third floor is fraught with injuries incompatible with life. And here is the fifth. Nevertheless, Oksanka, despite all the abrasions, scratches and bruises received during the fall, was conscious. She responded adequately to the questions of a traumatologist at a local hospital, who did not leave his side for a day with a young patient who miraculously escaped death. Having finally come to her senses, the girl gave a version of why she did not crash for good: “Next to me,” she said, “someone else was flying on the right and supported me. So I hit the asphalt not very painfully.” It was probably Oksana’s guardian angel. Who else besides him?» .
Interesting statistical facts. " It turns out that falling planes, trains derailing, sinking ships, buses turning into a pile of scrap metal as a result of an accident are usually filled with 15-17.5% fewer passengers than those with whom nothing happens. Here it is more logical to talk not about happy cases, but about a certain pattern. Some secret higher power helps people feel trouble and avoid it» . « Disasters claim thousands and thousands of lives. But every tragedy is accompanied by a mysterious phenomenon: there are always those who, by some miracle, escaped trouble. More precisely, because of something they didn’t hit it. Who helped?» . « Moscow scientists are not the first to come up with the idea of measuring the degree of intervention higher powers into a person's life. Back in 1958, American sociologist James analyzed more than 200 train wrecks over the previous 30 years. It turned out that the trains that ended their journey tragically were, on average, filled with 61 percent of the maximum possible number of passengers. While at least 76 percent went on safe trips. Shocked by the results, Staunton concluded: the mysterious difference of 15 percent can only be explained by the existence of higher powers. They were the ones who warded trouble away from people, simply by not letting them near it". Indeed, my dears, if a person listens to the Guardian Angel and leads a correct lifestyle, the Guardian Angel takes him away from mortal danger and helps him.
It must be said that angels cannot exist outside of time and space. This is possible only for God. " Angels, being created beings and, therefore, limited, depend on time and space as categories of created existence, although in relation to space and time Angels have incomparably greater freedom than people". Thus, angels, not being able to be in two places at the same time, nevertheless move at tremendous speed. Neither walls, nor fences, nor any physical laws can contain them. Angels have immortality, the ability to know things, and experience sadness and joy. The power of angels is very great, but not unlimited. The number of angels is very large and defies description. However, their number is not infinite. And in the Holy Scriptures, when it speaks of their falling away from God, it is indicated that the number of fallen angels amounted to one third of their total number. If we compare the degrees of perfection of angels and people, we can see that at the present time, when man is in a state of fall, the angels are certainly superior to him. However, in the future, when the general resurrection from the dead takes place, righteous people will turn out to be no less perfect than the angels, since sin and distance from God will disappear, and people themselves will unite two natures: the human soul will be like the angels, and the body will be like the visible world . But even the body will have special properties, such as those of the risen Christ. After Christ was resurrected, he was instantly transferred from one place to another, that is, he possessed such special properties as resurrected people will have.
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