Angels

Ever since man has had a belief in a higher force or God, that influences our lives, that can be called upon in times of hardship through prayer or chanting sacred mantras, there have been the messengers.

Angel is derived from Latin angelus; Greek aggelos; from the Hebrew for "one going" or "one sent"; messenger, so the power that we perceived as all pervading had messengers or as we call them Angels to bring to Earth and our ears the word of God. The angels are represented throughout the Bible as a body of spiritual beings intermediate between God and men: "You have made him (man) a little less than the angels" (Psalm 8:6). Visions of Angels have been reported by many people and now more than ever there is a revival in the belief of Angels as more and more people experience these visitations. Usually the visitations last only for the duration of the message, and once this has been relayed they appear to vanish! But many experience the presence of angels in their lives acting as guardians, protecting them through all kinds of mishaps.

Traditionally there are 3 Hierarchy of Angels. The first hierarchy consisted of the Seraphim and the Cherubim followed by the Thrones. The second Hierarchy are the Powers, Dominions and Principalities. The third hierarchy was seen as the realm of Virtues, Archangels and Angels.

During the Middle Ages these levels were reconsidered and changes were made. The first Hierarchy became the angels known as Seraphim, Cherubim and Archangels. The Second Hierarchy was seen as Dominions, Virtues, Principalities, Rulers, Authorities, Powers and Thrones. The third Heirarchy was seen as the Angels. These Angels are associated to different realms of Heaven called Spheres . The angels of the first sphere were thought to serve as heavenly counselors.

Seraphim
The Seraphim are the highest order of angels, serving as the caretakers of God's throne and continuously singing his praises. It is said that they surround the throne of God, singing the music of the spheres and regulating the movement of the heavens as it emanates from God.

Cherubim
The Cherubim are beyond the throne of God; they are the guardians of light and of the stars. It is believed that, although they are remote from men's plane of reality, their light still touch their lives; the divine light that they filter down from Heaven. The Cherubim are thought by some as an order or class of angels, though others hold them to be a higher class of heavenly beings than angels. Their rank among angels is uncertain, but they are always categorized in the First Sphere.

Archangels
The Archangels are usually considered the lowest order of the First Sphere; these angels tend the larger arenas of human endeavor and act as the administrative leaders of the Heavenly beings. An archangel is usually given a task of great importance to men. However, the Archangels lie just above the lowest of the angel orders, the common Angels.

The Second Sphere Angels are those who work as heavenly governors.

Dominions
The Dominions, also known as the Hashmallim, hold the task of regulating the duties of lower angels. They receive their orders from the Seraphim, the Cherubim or God Himself, and are responsible for ensuring that the cosmos remains in order. It is only with extreme rarity that the dominions make themselves physically known to mortals, instead quietly concerning themselves with the details of existence.

Powers
The Powers are angelic beings shaped like hazy fumes in bright colors. They are the bearers of conscience and the keepers of history. The angels of birth and death are in this category. They are academically driven, and are concerned with ideology, philosophy, theology, religion, and documents pertaining to those studies. Powers are the brain trusts: a group of experts who serve as advisers and policy planners. Their duty is to oversee the distribution of power among mankind, hence their name.

Rulers and Authorities
These two types of angels are equal in power and authority. Rulers develop ideologies, while Authorities write the documents and doctrines. Both Powers and Rulers are involved in formulating ideologies; the difference is Powers are all encompassing, and Rulers are more focused on specific lines of thought. Authorities specialize in putting those ideas into print and in producing actual documents.

Thrones
The Thrones are angelic beings shaped like shiny orbs of shifting colors. Their duty is to carry the throne of God around in paradise, hence their name.They are the companion angels of the planets. Thrones are fully equal in authority and power in comparison to the Powers. However, Thrones are politically, militarily and economically oriented, and their main concerns revolve around people and world events. Thrones have authority over major divisions of the world.

Principalities
The Principalities are angelic beings shaped like rays of light. They lie beyond the group of archangels. They are the guardian angels of nations and countries, and are concerned with the issues and events surrounding these, including politics, military matters, commerce and trade. One of their duties is to choose who among humanity will rule.

Virtues, Fortresses and Strongholds
The Virtues, also called Fortresses or Strongholds, lie beyond the Thrones and are equal to the Principalities. Their task is to oversee groups of people. They are shaped like sparks of light that inspire humanity to many things, may it be art or science. It is unclear where the name of this order originated from. The Third Sphere Angels are those who function as heavenly messengers.

Angels
The Angels are the lowest order of the angels, and the most familiar to men. They are the ones most concerned with human affairs. Within the category of angels, there are many different kinds, with different functions. The angels are sent as messengers to men.

Hopefully this will help to clarify for many people the type of visitations they have experienced. In these unclear and difficult days for the world it is clear why the Angels are starting to re-connect with humanity, that hopefully the light of God that they emanate will bring peace and order once again to the world.

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