26.10.2019
Seven ranks of angelic. The ranks of angels - features of the heavenly hierarchy in Orthodoxy and Catholicism
The world invisible to us; head the third step (hierarchy, triad, choir, level, face, sphere) of the heavenly (angelic, higher) hierarchy, where they stand together with the archangels and angels; spirits of personality (more precisely individuality) and time; "Great powers" (from primary; first primary); their sphere of habitat and action extends all the way to the planet Mercury (occultists called Venus, according to the original name in the ancient Mysteries).
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The evolution of angels-beginnings, as well as their relationship with humanity, was discovered by the German philosopher and clairvoyant Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) in April 1909 when he gave 10 lectures on the topic "Spiritual Hierarchies and their Reflection in the Physical World".
According to Steiner, the spirits of the personality of the Principle, like all creatures of the universe, are part of the universal evolutionary process; they passed their human developmental period on ancient Saturn, where by their inner life and nature they were not yet higher beings, but they were going through a period of becoming and becoming messengers of the gods. In the era of Saturn, they still did not occupy their current position (No. 7) in the third sphere of the higher heavenly (angelic) hierarchy, but they were three steps lower.
The era of ancient Saturn
In appearance, ancient Saturn, the abode of humanity, the Beginning, was not like our Earth. Of the four elements, only the first existed - heat (the element "fire" in philosophy and occultism; the salamander in symbolism). Therefore, Saturn had no shape, its space was hot, as in an oven, and without the slightest blowing of the wind (the “air” element had not yet arisen), without the presence of water — there was no “water” element yet, as there was no fourth element - "Earth", that is, solids. The future Earth was a sphere of heat. The people of Saturn - the Beginnings - possessed bodies of heat (a thermal element or substance; a calorific in the terminology of 1783 by the French chemist Lavoisier). The nature of heat for us is twofold: firstly, the heat that we perceive internally when we are warm or cold, and secondly, that which we perceive externally as the heat of hot objects surrounding us. In the absence of objects on ancient Saturn, heat existed at first exclusively in the internal plane, and in the end it became external, felt. If a person fell into that initial environment on ancient Saturn, he would not feel the heat on the skin, but only inner bliss, a state close to what is called the "warmth of the soul."
At first, the inner heat of the spherical Saturn allowed the spirits of the personality to begin to be embodied. Feeling the inner warmth as bliss, the Beginners gradually switched to the sensation of the external, as if they had realized themselves in the body. Thus, in the process of their embodiment, external heat was formed, and in the later stages of ancient Saturn, a person could already feel warm and cold places. Egg-shaped clots of heat formed on the entire outer surface of ancient Saturn, resembling berries of blackberries or raspberries - these were the bodies of the spirits of the Elements, also called asuras (forces of life). With internal heat, they created external heat, like birds, “hatching” heat from world space. At that time, the Beginning, thanks to its internal mobility, could convert external heat into internal. “Thermal eggs” constantly formed and disappeared, obeying a certain rhythm reminiscent of the breath of ancient Saturn. This process, the rishis, the sages in Hinduism, told their students how a fiery outburst (expiration), turning into countless heat bodies, and then its ebb, suction (inhalation), forming an individuality (see "egotism", fr. Égoïté) or " I "spirits of personality began. This is not air breathing yet; the “air” element does not yet exist, but thermal.
For the purposes of evolution, something like the following happened: individual spirits of the personality of the Beginning began to inhale only part of the exhaled heat so that the eggs did not disappear completely in Saturn, but remained. What led to the duality of heat: the inner heat of the ball of Saturn and the outer Saturn "eggs", and thereby to humanize the Principles. To be a man, to live the stage of humanization, this means to achieve awareness of one's “I”, provided that you separate yourself from the outside world. The spirits of the personality of the Principle already possess individuality, self-awareness. The consequence of this, at the final moment of the era of ancient Saturn, before its dissolution, the onset of pralaya, an intermediate state of nothingness or sleep, on that planet, the progenitor of our Earth, there was a kingdom of a lower order. Only spirits of a higher order, such as Thrones, could bring Saturn to a state of pralaya - planetary night, followed by planetary morning - the era of the Sun, which happened according to Saturn's karma.
The era of the ancient sun
The next division of heat is into light and smoke (compare with a candle that gives both at the same time). After a period of sleep (pralaya), gas, air or smoke (in the occultism the element “air”) was released from the thermal “eggs” on the reborn Saturn, and light began to radiate. The element warmly returned, so to speak, to a higher state.
The sphere of the ancient Sun, smaller in size (according to the universal law of striving towards the center) than the ancient Saturn that preceded it, was a luminous ball, where, in addition to heat, wind, air, gas streams flowed in and out on the surface and surface. In the era of the ancient Sun, a period of humanization passes after the Beginnings in the celestial hierarchy of beings - the Archangels. The soul of the Archangels consists of light, they attached to it an external body of gas substance. That is, the internal essence of the Archangels is able to radiate light, and the external body is airy.
Communication with people
The sphere of habitat and influence The principle extends around the Earth right up to the planet’s orbit
Of all the ranks of heaven, the Seraphs are the closest to God; they are the first participants in the divine bliss, the first shine with the light of the magnificent divine glory. And, what is most striking, amazes them in God, so is His love endless, eternal, immeasurable, unexplored. They, in all their strength, in all depths incomprehensible to us, perceive, feel God precisely as Love, and through this proceeding, as it were, to the very doors, to the Holy of Holies of that “unapproachable Light” in which God lives (1 Tim. 6:16 ), through this entering into the most crowded, most sincere communication with God, for God Himself is Love: “God is love” (1 John 4: 8).
Have you ever seen the sea? You look, you look at its infinite distance, at its vast expanse, you think about the depth of its bottomless, and ... the thought is lost, the heart stops, the whole being is filled with some kind of sacred awe and horror; I want to fall, I want to close before the clearly felt, unlimited majesty of God, displayed by the vastness of the sea. Here is a certain, although very weak, semblance, barely noticeable, subtle shadow of what the Seraphim are experiencing, constantly contemplating the immeasurable, unexplored sea of \u200b\u200bDivine love.
God-Love the fire is eat up, and the Seraphim, constantly clinging to this fiery Divine Love, are filled with the fire of the Divine mainly in front of all other ranks. Seraphim - and the word itself means: fiery, fiery. The fiery burning Divine Love, by the inexhaustibility of His mercy, the immensity of His condescension to all creatures, and most of all to the human race, for which this Love humbled itself even to the cross and death, leads Seraphim always to indescribable sacred awe, thrills them, makes everyone tremble. their being. They cannot bear the great of this Love. They cover their faces with two wings, their legs with two wings and fly with two wings, in fear and trembling, in awe of the deepest, singing, crying, crying and saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of hosts!”
Burning with love for God Himself, the six-winged Seraphim ignite the fire of this love in the hearts of others, divine with fire, purifying the soul, fulfilling its strength and strength, inspiring the sermon to burn people's hearts with a verb. So, when the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, seeing the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne, surrounded by the Seraphim, began to lament his uncleanness, exclaiming: “Oh, a cursed az! For I am a man with unclean lips ... - and my eyes saw the King, the Lord of hosts! .. Then, - says the prophet himself. One of the Seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was burning coal, which he took with ticks from the altar, and touched my lips and said: Behold, I touch this with your mouth and take away your iniquity and cleanse your sins ”(Isa. 6: 5-7).
Oh, seraphim fiery; With the fire of divine love, purify, light our hearts, and, besides God, we will not wish any other beauty; God bless our hearts with one joy, one delight, one good, beauty, before which all earthly beauty fades!2. The second rank of angelic - Cherubs
If for the Seraphim God appears as a flame-burning Love, for the Cherubim God - I will take out the luminous Wisdom. Cherubim incessantly delve into the divine mind, praise, sing it in their songs, contemplate the divine secrets, penetrate them with trepidation. That is why, according to the testimony of the Word of God, in the Old Testament Cherubim are portrayed as arising over the Ark of the Covenant.
“And do,” the Lord said to Moses, “from the gold of two Cherubs ... Make them on both ends of the lid (Ark). Make one Cherub from one end and another Cherub from another ... And there will be Cherubs with their wings spread upwards, covering their lid with their wings, and with their faces to each other, the faces of the Cherubs will be to the lid ”(Exodus 25: 18- twenty).
Marvelous image! So it is in heaven: Cherubs with tenderness, with fear look at the Divine Wisdom, examine it, learn from it, and as if cover their secrets with their wings, keep them, cherish, reverence them. And this reverence for the secrets of Divine Wisdom is so great among the Cherubs that any daring inquisitiveness, any proud glance at the Mind of God by them is immediately cut off with a fire sword.
Remember the fall of Adam: the ancestors, contrary to the commandment of God, boldly embarked on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, were proud of their minds, wanted to know everything like God; set out to sort of tear off the veil that hides the secrets of Divine Wisdom. And, look, right now one of the guardians of these secrets, one of the servants of God's Wisdom - the Cherubim, with a fiery sword circulating from heaven, expels from the heavens. So great is the jealousy of the Cherubim, so strict are they to those who encroach boldly to penetrate into the unknown secrets of heaven! Be careful not to experience the mind with which to believe!
If, according to St. Of Basil the Great, “one grass or one blade of grass is enough to take our whole thought into a consideration of the art with which it was produced,” so what about the abyss of wisdom that is open to the Cherubim? The wisdom of God, as imprinted in the visible world in a mirror, the wisdom of God in the entire construction of our redemption, is all “the various wisdom of God, ... secret in secret, even before God present our glory before the age” (Eph. 3:10; 1 Cor. 2: 7) ...
What, indeed, “the depth of the riches, wisdom, and reason of God” is before the eyes of the Cherubim! No wonder they are called "many-read." This means: from the ceaseless contemplation of the Divine Wisdom, the Cherubim themselves are full of knowledge, and therefore they see and know everything perfectly, and people are promised knowledge.3. Third Order of the Angel - Thrones
Of course, you know what the throne is, with what sense we often use this word? They say, for example, “The Royal Throne” or “The Royal Throne”, “The Tsar said from the height of the Throne”. They want to show all these with dignity, greatness of a king.
The throne, therefore, is the personification of royal greatness, royal dignity. Here in heaven there are Thrones, not our material, soulless, made of gold, silver, bone or wood and serving only as symbols, but Thrones are rational, living carriers of the greatness of God, the glory of God. The thrones, predominantly before all the angelic ranks, feel, contemplate God as the King of Glory, the King of the whole universe, the King who creates judgment and truth, the King of Kings as “the Great, Strong and Terrible God” (Deut. 10:17). “Lord, Lord, who is like You?” (Psalm 34:10) ... “Who is like You in the Bosezha. Lord, who is like You: glorified in saints, marvelous in glory ”(Exodus 15:11). “The Lord is great and praised with evil and His greatness has no end” (Psalm 144: 3) ... “Great and has no end, high and immeasurable” (Var. 3:25)! All these hymns to the greatness of God, in their entirety, depth and truth, are understandable and accessible only to the Thrones.
The thrones not only feel and glorify the greatness of God, but they themselves are filled with this greatness and glory, and they make others feel it, pour it, as it were, into human hearts, filling the waves of God's greatness and glory with them.
There are moments when a person is somehow particularly clearly conscious of the mind and with some special strength feels the greatness of God with his heart: peals of thunder, a flash of lightning, marvelous views of nature, high mountains, wild rocks, worship in some magnificent large temple - all it often captures the soul so much, so strikes the strings of the heart that a person is ready to compose and sing laudatory psalms and songs; before the felt greatness of God it disappears, is lost, and prostrates itself. Know, beloved, such holy moments of a clear sense of the greatness of God are not without the influence of the Thrones. It is they who, as it were, attach us to their mood, throw our sparkles into his hearts.
Oh, if the Thrones would visit us more often, they would send us a sense of the greatness of God and our own insignificance more often! Then we would not be exalted, we would not have ridiculed ourselves as much as our mind, as we often arrogantly and exalted ourselves, not knowing the prices for ourselves, almost reverending ourselves to God.4. The Fourth Order of the Angel - Dominions
Dominions ... Ponder this name. Does it not remind you of another one like him? "Lord" ... Here, no doubt, from which the "Dominions" are borrowed. So, to understand what these latter are, it is necessary to understand in what sense the name Lord is used.
You heard: in everyday life we \u200b\u200bsay: "master of the house" or "master of such and such an estate." What do you want to express this? And the fact that the person whom we call the lord of the house or estate, holds his house or property in his hands, manages it, cares about his well-being, trades about him, is “a good master,” as they say in our country. So God is called the Lord because he cares about the world He created, trades for it, is its Supreme Master. “He,” says Blessed Theodoret, “is himself both a shipbuilder and a gardener who has grown matter. He created the substance and the ship built, and constantly controls its helm. " “From a shepherd,” sv. Ephraim the Syrian, the flock depends, and everything that grows on the earth depends on God. In the will of the farmer - the separation of wheat from thorns, in the will of God - the prudence of those living on earth in their mutual unity and unanimity. In the will of the king to arrange the regiments of soldiers, in the will of God - a certain charter for everything. " So, another teacher of the Church observes, “nothing on earth or in heaven is left without care and without providence, but the care of the Creator equally extends to everything invisible and visible, small and great: for all creations need the care of the Creator, equal like every single one, by nature and purpose. ” And "not for a single day does God cease from the task of managing the creatures, so that they would not immediately deviate from their natural paths, by which they are guided and directed to achieve the fullness of their development, and each to remain in its own way what it is."
Now, it is in this domination, in this management of God's creatures, in this care, the providence of God for all that is invisible and visible, small and great, and the Lords penetrate.
For the Seraphs, God is a fiery burning Love; for the Cherubim, I will take out the luminous Wisdom; for Thrones, God is the King of Glory; for Dominions, God is the Lord-Provider. Mostly, before all other ranks of the Lord, they contemplate God precisely as the Provider, sing His care for the world: they see “both the path and the waves make His strong path” (Prem. 14: 3), they look with fear as “Toy will exchange times and of summer, the king sets and puts down ”(Dan. 2:21). Full of sacred delight and tenderness, the Lord reigns in the various cares of God: he dresses the kryns of the villages, “as though Solomon was clothed in all his glory, as one from these” (Matthew 6:29), as He dresses “the clouds in the sky, makes the earth rain , vegetates grass and grass in the mountains for human service: gives cattle their food, and to the chicks of the corvids calling upon him ”(Psalm 146: 7-9). The Lordships are astonished 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 the Provider - the Builder of the world, the Dominion and people, they teach to build themselves, their soul; teach us to take care of the soul, to think about it; inspire a person to rule over his passions, over various sinful habits, obscure the flesh, giving scope to the spirit. Dominions must be prayerfully called upon to help anyone who wants to free themselves from any passion, wants to prevail over it, to lag behind any bad habit, but cannot do this because of weak will. Let him cry as such: “Holy dominions, strengthen my weak will in the fight against sin, let me reign over my passions!” And, believe, such a prayer invocation will not remain fruitless, but now help and fortress will be sent to you from the host of Dominions.5. Fifth order of the angelic - Forces
Mostly before all other orders, this angelic order contemplates God as creating many powers or miracles. For the Forces, God is a Miracle Worker. “Thou art God work miracles” (Psalm 76:15) - this is what constitutes the subject of their constant praise and glorification. Forces delve into how "even God wants to conquer the nature of order." Oh, how enthusiastic, how solemn, how marvelous these songs should be of them! If we, clothed with flesh and blood, when we are witnesses of some obvious miracle of God, for example, insight of the blind, restoration of a hopelessly sick, come in indescribable delight and awe, we are amazed, we are touched, then what can we say about the Forces when they are given to see such miracles that our mind can not imagine. Yes, while they can delve into the very depths of these miracles, their highest goal is open to them.6. The sixth rank of the angelic - Authorities
The angels belonging to this rite contemplate and glorify God as Almighty, "all authority is in heaven and on earth." The terrible God, “His vision dries up the abyss, and rebuke melts the mountains, walking like dry land along the sea’s shoulder, and forbidding the storm of winds; touching mountains and smoke; calling the sea water and spilling on the face of all the earth. "
The angels of the sixth rank are the closest, constant witnesses of God's omnipotence, preferably before others they are given to feel it. From constant contemplation of the Divine power, from constant contact with it, these angels perform permeate with this power as a red-hot iron penetrates with fire, why they themselves become carriers of this power and are called: Power. The power with which they are clothed and filled is unbearable for the devil and all his hordes, this power turns the devil hordes into flight, to the netherworld, to pitch darkness, to tartar.
That is why all tormented by the devil should prayerfully call for help to the authorities; about all the possessed, different fits, whoopers, spoiled - you need to pray daily to the Authorities: “Holy authorities, by authority from God given to you, drive away from the servant of God (name) or the servant of God (name) the demon who torments him (or her!”)
When the demon of despondency attacks the soul, one must also pray to the Authorities, so that they will drive this demon away with their power. With faith, in the simplicity of the heart called, the Authorities will not be slow to come to the rescue, they will drive away the demon, and the demon-possessed will feel free from him, will feel spaciousness and lightness in his soul.7. Seventh rank angelic - Beginnings
These angels are so called because God entrusted him 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, the Christian teacher Athenagoras says, “set some of the angels over the elements, and over heaven, and over the world, and over what's in it, and over their arrangement.” Thunder, lightning, storm ... All these are governed by the Principles, and they are directed, as it wishes, to the will of God. It is known, for example, that lightning often burns blasphemers; the hail beats one field, leaves the other unscathed ... Who gives the such a reasonable direction to the soulless, unreasonable elements? Beginners do it.
“I saw,” says the cryptographer St. John the Theologian, - A strong angel descending from heaven, clothed with a cloud; there was a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun ... And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the ground, and exclaimed in a loud voice, like a lion roaring; and when he exclaimed, 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 having authority over the fire” (Rev. 14:18). “I saw,” the same St. testifies. John — four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, lest the wind blow on either the earth, the sea, or any tree ... - they are given to harm the earth and the sea ”(Rev. 7: 1 -2).
The authorities also have superiors over entire nations, cities, kingdoms, human societies. In the word of God, for example, there is a mention of the prince or angel of the kingdom of Persia, the kingdom of Hellenes (Dan. 10:13, 20). The beginnings are led, entrusted to their superiors, by the peoples to the highest good goals, which the Lord himself indicates and predestines; "Erect, - according to St. Dionysius the Areopagite - how many can those who willingly obey them, to God, as to their Origin. ” They stand before the Lord for their people, “inspire,” says one saint, “to people, especially kings and other rulers, thoughts and intentions related to the good of nations.”8. Eighth rank - Archangels
This rank, says St. Dionysius teachings. " Archangels are heavenly teachers. What do they teach? They teach people how to arrange their life according to God, that is, according to the will of God.
Different ways of life are presented to man: there is a monastic way, a way of marital status, there are various kinds of service. What to choose, what to decide, what to stop at? This is where the Archangels come to the aid of man. The Lord reveals to them His will for man. The archangels know, therefore, what awaits a famous person on this or that way of life: what adversities, temptations, temptations; therefore, they deviate from one path, and direct the person to another, teach them to choose the right path suitable for him.
Whoever crashes with life, hesitates, does not know which way to go, he should call for help of the Archangels, so that they teach him how to live: “Archangels of God, God’s own, determined for our teaching, enlightenment, teach me which way to choose "I’ll go away, but please my God!"9. Last, ninth order of the angelic - Angels
These are the ones closest to us. Angels continue what the Archangels begin: Archangels teach a person to recognize the will of God, put him on the path of life indicated by God; Angels, on the other hand, lead a man along this path, direct and guard the one who is walking, so that he does not deviate to the side, they support the exhausting one, and raise the falling one.
Angels are so close to us that they surround us from everywhere, they look at us from everywhere, they watch every step of ours, and, according to St. John Chrysostom, "all the air is filled with angels"; Angels, according to the same saint, “appear before the priest during the performance of the terrible Sacrifice”.
From the number of angels, the Lord, from the moment of our baptism, has assigned to each of us a special angel called the Guardian Angel. This Angel loves us so much as no one on earth can love. The Guardian Angel is our loyal friend, an invisible quiet interlocutor, a sweet comforter. He wants only one of us — salvation of the soul; he directs all his concerns to this. And if he sees us also caring for salvation, he rejoices; if he sees us abiding in neglect of his soul, he mourns.
Do you want to always be with an angel? Run away from sin, and the angel will abide with you. "Like," says Basil the Great, "the bees drive away smoke and pigeons from the stench, and the Guardian of our lives - the Angel removes the mournful and stinking sin." Therefore, be afraid to sin!
Is it possible to recognize the presence of the Guardian Angel when it is near us and when it moves away from us? You can, 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 divine thought, when you repent, you are moved, then, then, there is an Angel near. “When, according to the testimony of John Climacus, with some saying of your prayer you will feel inner delight or tenderness, then stop over it. For then the Guardian Angel prays with you. " When in your heart there is a storm, in your heart there is passion, your mind puffs up puffingly, then know, the Guardian Angel has departed from you, and instead a demon has approached you. Hurry, rather then call the Guardian Angel, kneel before the icons, prostrate, pray, overshadow yourself with the sign of the Cross, cry. Believe me, your Guardian Angel will hear your prayer, he will come, drive away the demon, he will say to the troubled soul, to the heart that is overwhelmed: “Be quiet, stop.” And there will be silence in you. Oh, Guardian Angel, always keep us from the storm, in the silence of Christ!
Why, then, someone asks, you cannot see the Angel, you cannot talk, talk with him like we are talking to each other? Why can't an angel appear in a visible way? Therefore, in order not to frighten us, not to embarrass us with our appearance, for he knows how cowardly, fearful and timid we are before everything mysterious.
The prophet Daniel once appeared in a visible way, an angel; but listen, as the prophet himself tells us, what happened to him at this occurrence. “On the twenty-fourth day of the first month,” the prophet narrates, “I was on the banks of the big Tigris river, and I looked up and saw: behold, there was one man dressed in linen clothes, and his loins were girded with gold. His body is like a topaz, his face is like a kind of lightning; his eyes are like burning lamps, his hands and his legs in appearance are like shiny copper, and the voice of his speeches is like the voice of many people. And I looked at this great vision, but there was no fortress left in me, and the look of my face changed tremendously, I did not become alert. And I heard the voice of his words; and as soon as I heard the voice of his words, I fell on my face in a daze and lay face to the ground, and was speechless, my insides turned in me, and my strength was not in me, and my breath died in me ”(Dan. 10: 4- 6, 8-9, 15-16, 17). The angel needed to purposely encourage the prophet, so that he would not die at all from fear. “Daniel,” says St. "John Chrysostom, who confused the eyes of lions and had a power higher than human in a human body, could not stand the presence of a celestial, but fell lifeless." What would happen to us sinners if the Angel suddenly appeared before us, when the prophet could not bear his radiant appearance!
And then: are we worthy of the appearance of an angel? Here is a momentous event in his life from the Metropolitan of Moscow Innokenty, who used to be a priest (Father John was his name), a missionary in the Aleutian Islands: “Having lived on Unalashka Island for almost 4 years, I went to Great Lent for the first time to the island of Akun to the Aleutians to prepare them for Govin. When approaching the island, I saw that they all stood on the shore dressed up, as if on a festive occasion, and when I went ashore, they all joyfully rushed to me and were extremely affectionate and helpful with me. I asked them: “Why are they so dressed up?” They answered: “Because we knew that you left and should be with us today: we are happy and went ashore to meet you.”
“Who told you that I will be with you today, and why did you recognize me that I was exactly Father John?”
“Our shaman, old Ivan Smirennikov, told us: wait, the priest will come to you today: he has already left and will teach you to pray to God; and described to us your appearance as we now see you. "
“Can I see this old shaman of yours?” “Why, you can: but now he is not here, and when he comes, we will tell him; Yes, he himself will come to you without us. ”
Although I was extremely surprised by this circumstance, I left all this unattended and began to prepare them for Gowan, having previously explained to them the meaning of fasting and other things. This old shaman came to me and expressed a desire to speak and walked very carefully, but I still did not pay much attention to him and, during a confession, I even missed asking him why the Aleutians called him a shaman, and making him about it some guidance. Having introduced him to the Holy Mysteries, I released him ...
And what? To my surprise, he, after the sacrament, went to his toen and showed him his displeasure at me, namely, because I did not ask him in a confession why he was called a shaman by the Aleutians, since it is extremely unpleasant for him to bear such a name from his gatherings, and that he is not a shaman at all. Toen, of course, conveyed to me the displeasure of old Smirennikov, and I immediately sent for him, to explain; and when the messengers set off, Smyrennikov came across them with the following words: "I know that the priest, Father John, is calling me, and I go to him." I began to question in detail about his displeasure with me, about his life, and to my question whether he was literate, he replied that although he was illiterate, he knew the gospel and prayers. Then he asked his explanations why he knew me, that he even described my appearance to his brothers, and how did he know that I should come to you on a certain day and that I would teach you how to pray. The old man replied that his two comrades had told him all this.
“Who are these two of your comrades?” I asked him. “White people,” the old man answered. “In addition, they told me that in the near future you will send your family to the shore, and you will go to the great man with water and will speak with him.”
“Where are these your comrades, white people, and what kind of people are they and what kind of appearance are they?” I asked him.
“They live near here in the mountains and come to me every day,” and the old man introduced them to me as depicted by St. Archangel Gabriel, i.e., in white robes and girdled with a pink ribbon over his shoulder.
“When did these white people come to you for the first time?” “They appeared soon, as hieromonk Makarios christened us.” After this conversation, I asked Smirennikov: “Can I see them?”
“I will ask them,” the old man answered and left me. But I went for a while to the nearest islands to preach the word of God, and upon my return, when I saw Smirennikov, I asked him: “Well, you asked these white people, can I see them, and would you like to accept me? "
“I asked,” the old man answered. “Although they expressed a desire to see and accept you, they said:“ Why should he see us when he himself teaches you what we teach? ”So let's go, I will bring you to them.”
Then something inexplicable happened in me, - said Father John Veniaminov. - Some fear attacked me and complete humility. What, if indeed, I thought, will I see these angels, and they will confirm what the old man said? And how will I go to them? After all, I’m a sinful person, therefore, unworthy of talking to them, and that would be my pride and self-confidence if I decided to go to them; and, finally, by my meeting with the angels, I might have exalted myself by my faith or dreamed a lot about myself ... And I, as an unworthy one, decided not to go to them, having done a decent instruction in advance on this occasion, both to the old Smirennikov and his fellow Aleutians, and so that they no longer call Smirennikov a shaman. ”
No, we will not wish for the appearance of the Angel, but more often we will become clever and cordial to him. In order not to break communication with the Guardian Angel, it is necessary to pray to him daily, in the morning, when waking up from sleep, and in the evening, when going to bed, reading prayers set by the Orthodox Church, as well as the canon of the Guardian Angel.
Thanks be to the Lord, who has shielded us with His angels, and yet sends each angel peacefully, is faithful to the guide and guardian of our souls and bodies, - glory be to You, our Benefactor, forever and ever!Source Information
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"Orthodoxy and the world ..On the whole, the life of any person determines the subtle world, having a huge influence on it. In ancient times, anyone knew that it was the subtle world that determined the physical plane. At the moment, few people remember this and want to think in this direction. And this is a very important aspect of life, because there are beings that help us in life, and there are those who try to lead us astray and sometimes even destroy us.
To see all the 9 ranks of the angelic, it is worth paying attention to the "Assumption" of Botticini. On it are three triads of angels. Before creating our world, visible and physical, God created the heavenly, spiritual forces and called them angels. It was they who began to fulfill a mediating role between the Creator and people. The translation of this word from Hebrew literally sounds like a "messenger", from Greek - "messenger".
Angels are called ethereal beings who have a higher mind, free will and great power. According to information from the Old and New Testaments in the Angelic Hierarchy, there are certain angelic ranks, the so-called steps. Most Jewish and Christian theologians have been creating a unified classification of these ranks. At the moment, the angelic hierarchy of Dionysius the Areopagite, which was created in the fifth century and called the "nine ranks of the Angels," has spread most.
Nine officials
It follows from this system that there are three triads. The first, or the highest, included the Seraphim and the Cherubim, as well as the Thrones. The middle triad includes the angelic ranks of Dominance, Power and Power. And in the lowest caste of ranks are the Beginnings, Archangels and Angels.
Seraphim
It is believed that the six-winged Seraphim are located closest to God. It is Seraphim who can be called those who occupy the highest angelic rank. It is written about them in the Bible that the prophet Isaiah became a witness to their arrival. He compared them with fiery figures, therefore the translation of this word from Hebrew means "Flaming."
Cherubs
It is this caste in the angelic hierarchy that follows the Seraphs. Their main purpose is to intercede for the human race and prays for souls before God. In addition, it is believed that they serve as a memory and are the guards of the Heavenly Knowledge Book. The knowledge of the Cherubim extends to everything that a creature can know. Translated from the Hebrew cherub - intercessor.
The mysteries of God and the depth of his wisdom are in their power. It is believed that this particular caste of angels is the most enlightened among all. It is their responsibility to discover in man the knowledge and vision of God. Seraphim and Cherubim along with the third representatives of the first triad interact with people.
Thrones
Their location in front of a seated God. They are called God-bearing, but not in the literal sense of the word, but because of the goodness within them, and because they faithfully serve the Son of God. In addition, evolutionary information is hidden in them. Basically, it is they who perform God's justice, help earthly representatives of power to judge their people fairly.
According to medieval mystic Jan van Ruysbrock, representatives of the higher triad under no circumstances interfere in human conflicts. But at the same time they are next to people in moments of insight, love of God and knowledge of the world. It is believed that they are able to carry the highest love in the hearts of people.
Domination
The angelic ranks of the second triad begin with the Dominions. The fifth rank of angels, Dominions, has free will, thanks to which the daily work of the Universe is ensured. In addition, they rule the angels that are lower in the hierarchy. Due to the fact that they are completely free, their love for the Creator is impartial and sincere. It is they who give strength to earthly rulers and managers so that they act wisely and fairly, owning lands and managing people. In addition, they are able to teach how to manage feelings, protecting them from unnecessary impulses of passion and lust, to enslave the flesh to the spirit so that it is possible to control their will and not succumb to all kinds of temptations.
Forces
This caste of angels is filled with Divine fortress, in their power is the fulfillment of the instantaneous will of God, manifesting its strength and strength. It is they who work the miracles of God and are able to give a person grace with which he can see what is coming or heal earthly diseases.
They are able to strengthen a person’s patience, remove his grief, strengthen his spirit and give courage, so that he can cope with all life's hardships and problems.
Authorities
The duties of the authorities include preserving the keys to the Devil’s cage and restraining its hierarchy. They are able to tame demons, repel an attack on the human race, rid themselves of demonic temptation. Their duties also include the affirmation of good people for their spiritual exploits and labors, their protection and preservation of their right to the kingdom of God. They help to drive away all evil thoughts, passions and lust, as well as take away the enemies of man and help defeat the Devil in themselves. If we consider the personal level, then the mission of these angels is to help a person during the battle of good and evil. And when a person dies, they accompany his soul and help not to go astray.
Beginnings
These include entire legions of angels whose purpose is to protect religion. Their name is such, due to the fact that they direct the lower angelic ranks, it is they who help them to do things pleasing to God. In addition, their mission is to control the universe and protect everything that the Lord has created. According to some reports, every nation and every ruler has its own angel, called to protect it from evil. The Prophet Daniel said that the angels of the Persian and Jewish kingdoms make sure that all the rulers who have been enthroned do not seek enrichment and glory, but to spread and increase the glory of God, so that they benefit their people by serving their needs.
Archangels
The archangel is a great evangelist. His main mission is the discovery of prophecies, understanding and cognition of the will of the Creator. They get this knowledge from the highest ranks in order to convey it to the lower ones, which will subsequently bring it to people. According to St. Gregory Dvoeslov, the purpose of angels is to strengthen faith in man, the discovery of its sacraments. Archangels, whose names can be found in the Bible, are best known to man.
Angels
This is the lowest rank in the hierarchy of heaven and the closest being to humans. They guide people on the path, help them in everyday life not to leave their path. Each believer has his own guardian angel. They support each virtuous person from falling, everyone who spiritually fell, they try to raise, regardless of how sinful he is. They are always ready to come to the rescue of a person, the main thing is that he himself desires this help.
It is believed that a person receives his Guardian Angel after the rite of Baptism. He is obliged to protect the subordinate from misfortunes, troubles and help him throughout his life. If a person is threatened by dark forces, you need to pray to the Guardian Angel, and he will help fight them. It is believed that depending on the mission of man on earth, he may be associated not with one, but with several angels. Depending on how a person lives and how spiritually developed he is, not only the lower ranks can work with him, but also the Archangels, the names of which most people know. It is worth remembering that Satan will not stop and will always tempt people, so the Angels will always be with them in difficult times. Only by living according to the laws of God and developing spiritually can all the mysteries of religion be known. That's basically all the information that relates to the ranks of heaven.
The basis for creating the church doctrine of angels is writtenin the V century the book of Dionysius Areopagitus “On the heavenly hierarchy” (Greek “Περί της ουρανίας”, lat. “De caelesti hierarchia”), better known in the edition of the VI century. Nine angelic ranks are divided into three triads, each of which has a peculiarity.
First triad – seraphim, cherubim and thrones - characterized by close proximity to God;
Second triad – power, domination and power - emphasizes the divine basis of the universe and world domination;
Third triad – beginnings, archangels and angels proper - is characterized by close proximity to a person.
Dionysius summarized what had been accumulated before him. Seraphim, cherubim, powers and angels are already mentioned in the Old Testament; dominions, beginnings, thrones, powers, and archangels appear in the New Testament.
According to the classification of Gregory the Theologian (4 c.) The angelic hierarchy consists of angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principles, forces, radiance, ascents and intelligences.
By their position in the hierarchy, the ranks are arranged as follows:
seraphim - the first
cherubs - Second
thrones - the third
domination - fourth
forces - fifth
power - the sixth
beginning - seventh
archangels - eighth
angels - the ninth.
Jewish hierarchical structures differ from Christian ones, because they appeal only to the first part of the Bible - the Old Testament (TaNaH). One source has ten ranks of angels, starting with the highest:1. high; 2. ofanim; 3. arelim; 4. hashalim; 5. seraphim; 6. malakim, actually “angels”; 7. elohim; 8. Bene Elohim (“sons of God”); 9. cherubs; 10. Ishim.
At Maseket Azilut ten angelic ranks are given in a different order:1. Seraphim led by Shemuel or Yehoel; 2. Ofanim led by Raphael and Ofaniel; 3. cherubim led by Cherubiel; 4. The Shinanim over whom Zedekiel and Gabriel are placed; 5. Tarshishim, whose chiefs are Tarshish and Sabriel; 6. Ishim with Cefaniel at the head; 7. Hashmalim, whose leader is Hashmal; 8. Malakim, led by Uzziel; 9. Bene Elohim, led by Hofniel; 10. Arelim, which is led by Michael himself.
The names of senior angels (archangels) vary in different sources. Traditionally, the highest rank is attributed to Michael, Gabriel and Raphael - the three angels named by name in the Bible books; the fourth is usually added to them by Uriel, found in the noncanonical 3 Book of Ezra. There is a widespread belief that there are seven higher angels (associated with the magical properties of number 7), attempts to list them by name have been made since the time of 1 Book of Enoch, but there are too great differences. We confine ourselves to listing the “magnificent seven”, adopted in the Orthodox tradition: these are Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Salafiel, Jehudiel, Varahiel, Jeremiel, headed by the eighth - Michael.
The Jewish tradition also assigns an extremely high position to the archangel Metatron, who in earthly life was the patriarch Enoch, but in heaven turned into an angel. He is the vizier of the heavenly court and almost the substitute of God Himself.
1. Seraphim
Seraphim are angels of love, light and fire. They occupy the highest position in the hierarchy of ranks and serve God, taking care of his throne. Seraphim express their love for God by constantly singing laudatory psalms.
In the Hebrew tradition, the endless singing of seraphs is known asTrisagion - Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh ("Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of the Powers of Heaven, the whole earth is full of its radiance"), which is considered a song of creation and celebration. Being the creatures closest to God, seraphim are also considered “fiery” because they are enveloped in the flame of eternal love.
According to medieval mystic Jan van Ruysbrock, the three orders of seraphim, cherubim and thrones never take part in human conflicts, but are with us when we peacefully contemplate God and experience constant love in our hearts. They give rise to divine love in people.
St. John the Evangelist on the island of Patmos had a vision of angels: Gabriel, Metatron, Kemuel and Nathaniel among the seraphim.
Isaiah is the only prophet to mention the seraphim in Hebrew Scripture (Old Testament) when he talks about his vision of fiery angels above the See of the Lord: “Each had six wings: two covered their faces, two covered their legs, and two were used for flight.”
Another mention of the seraphim can be considered the book of Numbers (21: 6), which refers to the "fiery serpents." According to the “Second Book of Enoch" (apocrypha), the seraphim have six wings, four heads and faces.
Lucifer emerged from the rank of seraphim. In fact, the Fallen Prince was considered an angel who overshadowed everyone else until he lost God's Grace.
Seraphim - In Judaic and Christian mythologyangels especially close to God. The Prophet Isaiah describes them as follows: “In the year of the death of King Uzziah, I saw the Lord sitting on a high throne, and the edges of His robe filled the whole temple. Around him stood the seraphim; each of them has six wings: each covered its face with two, and covered its legs with two, and flew with two. And they cried out to each other and said: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts! The whole earth is full of His glory / "(Isa. 6. 1-3). According to the classification of Pseudo-Dionysius, together with cherubim and thrones, the seraphim belong to the first triad: “... the Holy See, the many-winged and many-winged Rites, called in the language of the Jews the Cherubim and Seraphim, according to the explanation of the Holy Scriptures, are in a greater and more immediate before other
proximity to God ... as for the name of the Seraphim, it clearly shows their constant and everlasting desire for the Divine, their ardor and quickness, their ardent, constant, relentless and unswerving swiftness, as well as their ability to genuinely lower the higher ones, to excite and kindle them to the like heat: it also means ability, singeing and burning. thereby purifying them - always open. the unquenchable, constantly the same, light-transmitting and enlightening power of them. chasing away and taking away all obscurity.
2. Cherubs
Word “Cherub” means “fullness of knowledge” or “outpouring of wisdom.” This choir has the power to know and contemplate God and the ability to understand and pass on divine knowledge to others.
3. Thrones
Term “Thrones,” or “many-eyed,” indicates their proximity to the throne of God. This is the order closest to God: they receive their divine perfection and consciousness directly from Him.
Pseudo-Dionysius reports:
“So, it is true that the highest beings are consecrated in the first of the heavenly Hierarchies, because it has the highest rank, especially because the first Epiphany and sanctification are originally related to it, and the burning Thrones and the outpouring of wisdom are called
heavenly Minds because these names express their God-like properties ... The name of the highest Thrones means that they
completely free from all earthly affection and, constantly rising above the dolny, premiumly strive for the mountain, by all means
motionless and firmly stuck to the true Supreme Being,
accepting His Divine suggestion in complete impassivity and immateriality; also means that they bear God and obediently carry out the Divine to His commandments.
4. Dominance
The holy dominions are endowed with sufficient strength to rise above earthly desires and aspirations and free themselves from them. Their duty is to distribute the responsibilities of the angels.
According to Pseudo-Dionysius, “the significant name of the Holy Dominions ... means a certain slavish and free from any low attachment to earthly elevation to the high, not a single violent attraction to dissimilar to them in any case, but domination constant in its freedom, standing above all humiliating slavery, alien to all humiliation, removed from any inequality to oneself, constantly striving for true Dominance and, as much as possible, sacredly transforming into His perfect likeness to to itself, and all his subordinate, not cling to anything accidentally exist, but always fully converted to the truth-that exists and continually partake of state-sponsored godlike "
5. Forces
The forces known as “brilliant, or shining,” are the angels of miracles, help, blessings that appear during battles in the name of faith. It is believed that David received the support of the Forces in the battle with Goliath.
The forces are also angels from which Abraham received his strength when God told him to sacrifice his only son - Isaac. The main responsibilities of these angels are to work miracles on Earth.
They are allowed to intervene in everything related to the physical laws on earth, but they are also responsible for complying with these laws. By this rank, the fifth in the Hierarchy of Angels, mankind has been given valor as well as mercy.
Pseudo-Dionysius says: “The name of the Holy Powers means a certain powerful and irreplaceable courage, as far as possible communicated to them, reflected in all their God-like actions in order to remove from itself everything that could reduce and weaken the Divine insights granted to them, strongly aspiring to the Imitation, not remaining idle from laziness, but steadily gazing at the highest and all-strengthening Strength and, as far as possible, making Her way in her strength, completely turned to Her as the source of Strength and Bogopo upgrade equ downward to the lower forces to report their power. "
6. Authorities
Authorities are on the same level as dominance and power, and are endowed with power and reason, second only to God. They provide the balance of the universe.
According to the Gospels, authorities can be both good forces and minions of evil. Among the nine angelic ranks, the authorities close the second triad, which, in addition to them, includes dominions and forces. As stated in Pseudo-Dionysius, “the name of the Holy Authorities signifies an equal to Divine Dominions and Powers, a slender and capable of accepting Divine illumination Chin and a device of premium spiritual dominion, which does not use the self-bestowed dominant powers, but freely and deignly to the Divine as the ascendant itself , and others it is sacred to Him that leads and, as far as possible, likens to the Source and Submitter of all power and depicts Him ... in the completely true use of his sovereign power. ”
7. The Beginning
The beginnings are legions of angels defending religion.They constitute the seventh choir in the hierarchy of Dionysius, following immediately before the archangels. The beginnings give strength to the peoples of the Earth in order to find and survive their destiny.
It is also believed that they are the guardians of the peoples of the world. The choice of this term, as well as the term "power", to designate the ranks of the angels of God is somewhat doubtful, since c. The Epistles to Ephesians refers to the “authorities and authorities” as “the spirits of the wickedness of heaven”, against which Christians must fight (“Ephesians” 6:12).
Among those who are considered the “chief” in this rank are Nisrok, the Assyrian deity, who is considered by the occult scriptures as the main prince - the demon of hell, and Anail - one of the seven angels of creation.
The Bible says: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
The beginning, neither the Force, nor the present, nor the future ... can excommunicate us
from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 8.38). By
pseudo-Dionysius classification. beginnings are part of the third triad
along with the archangels and the angels themselves. Pseudo-Dionysius says:
“The name of the heavenly Authorities means the God-like ability to rule and govern in accordance with the sacred order, appropriate for the commanding Powers, how to fully address the Initial Principle, and others, as is characteristic of the Authority, to guide and decorate in itself, as much as possible, the image of the inaccurate Principle and. finally, the ability to express His superior leadership in the improvement of the commanding Forces .., the Forerunner’s order of the Authorities, Archangels and Angels alternately dominates the human Hierarchies, so that ascension and conversion to God, communion and unity with Him, which also from God beneficially spreads, are in order all Hierarchies, begins through communication and pours out in a sacred orderly order. ”
8. Archangels
Archangels - The word is of Greek origin and is translated as “angelic leaders”, “elder angels”. The term “Archangels” appears for the first time in Greek-Jewish literature of the pre-Christian period (Greek version of the Book of Enoch 20, 7) as a transfer of expressions like (“Grand Duke”) in the appendix of Old Testament texts to Michael (Dan. 12, 1); then this term is accepted by New Testament authors (Jude 9; 1 Thess. 4, 16) and later Christian literature. According to the Christian heavenly hierarchy, they take their place directly above the angels. Religious tradition has seven archangels. The main here is Michael the Archangel (Greek “supreme commander”) - the leader of the armies of angels and people in their universal battle with Satan. Michael’s weapon is a fiery sword.
Archangel Gabriel - best known for participating in the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary about the birth of Jesus Christ. As a messenger of the innermost secrets of the world, he is portrayed with a flowering branch, with a mirror (reflection is also a way of knowing), and sometimes with a candle inside the lamp - the same symbol of hidden mystery.
Archangel Raphael - known as the heavenly healer and comforter of the afflicted.
Four other archangels are less commonly mentioned.
Uril - This is heavenly fire, the patron saint of those who have devoted themselves to science and the arts.
Salafiel - the name of the supreme minister with whom prayer inspiration is associated. On the icons they write it in a prayer pose, with hands folded crosswise on the chest.
Archangel Yehudiel - blesses the ascetics, protects them from the forces of evil. In his right hand he has a golden crown as a symbol of blessing, in his left - a scourge driving away enemies.
Varahielu - assigned the role of distributor of the highest benefits to simple workers, especially farmers. He is depicted with pink flowers.
The Old Testament tradition speaks of the seven heavenly archangels. Their ancient Iranian parallel is the seven good spirits of Ame sha Spent(“Immortal saints”) finds the correspondence of the mythology of the Vedas. This indicates the Indo-European origins of the doctrine of the seven archangels, which in turn is correlated with the most ancient ideas of people about the septenary structure of being, both divine and earthly.
9. Angels
Both Greek and Hebrew words expressing the concept"Angel" means "messenger". Angels often performed this role in the texts of the Bible, but its authors often give this term a different meaning. Angels are the bodiless helpers of God. They appear in the form of people with wings and a halo of light around their heads. They are usually mentioned in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious texts. Angels have the appearance of a man, "only with wings and dressed in white robes: God created them from stone"; angels and seraphim - women, cherubs - men or children)<Иваницкий, 1890>.
Good and evil angels, messengers of God or the devil, converge in the decisive battle described in the book of Revelation. Angels can be ordinary people, prophets, inspiring good deeds by supernatural bearers of all sorts of tidings or mentors, and even impersonal forces like the winds, pillars of cloud or fire that led the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. The plague and pestilence are called evil angels. St. Paul calls his illness "messenger of Satan." Many other phenomena, such as inspiration, sudden impulses, providence, are also attributed to angels.
Invisible and immortal. According to church doctrine, angels are sexless invisible spirits, immortal from the day of their creation. There are many angels, which follows from the Old Testament description of God - “Lord of the host”. They form a hierarchy of angels and archangels of the entire host of heaven. The early church clearly divided nine types, or “ranks,” of angels.
Angels served as intermediaries between God and his people. The Old Testament says that no one could see God and stay alive, therefore direct communication between the Almighty and man is often depicted as communication with an angel. It was the angel who did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Moses saw an angel in a burning bush, although the voice of God was heard. An angel led the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. From time to time, biblical angels look quite mortal until their true nature is revealed, like the angels who came to Lot before the terrifying destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Unnamed perfume. Other angels are mentioned in scripture, for example the spirit with a fiery sword, which blocked the path of Adam back to Eden; a cherub and seraph depicted in the form of thunderclouds and lightnings, which recalls the faith of the ancient Jews in the god of a thunderstorm; the messenger of God, who miraculously rescued Peter from prison, in addition, the angels who appeared Isaiah in his vision of the heavenly court: “I saw the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne, and the edges of his robe filled the whole temple. Around him stood seraphim; each of them has six wings; he covered his face with two, and covered his legs with two, and flew with two. "
A host of angels appear several times on the pages of the Bible. So, the choir of angels announced the birth of Christ. Archangel Michael commanded numerous heavenly armies in the battle with the forces of evil. The only angels in the Old and New Testaments that have their own names are Michael and Gabriel, who brought Mary the news of the birth of Jesus. Most angels refused to name themselves, this reflected the prevailing belief that the disclosure of the name of the spirit reduces its power.
On the whole, the life of any person determines the subtle world, having a huge influence on it. In ancient times, anyone knew that it was the subtle world that determined the physical plane. At the moment, few people remember this and want to think in this direction. And this is a very important aspect of life, because there are beings that help us in life, and there are those who try to lead us astray and sometimes even destroy us.
Angels of heaven
To see all the 9 ranks of the angelic, it is worth paying attention to the "Assumption" of Botticini. On it are three triads of angels. Before creating our world, visible and physical, God created the heavenly, spiritual forces and called them angels. It was they who began to fulfill a mediating role between the Creator and people. The translation of this word from Hebrew literally sounds like a "messenger", from Greek - "messenger".
Angels are called ethereal beings who have free will and great power. According to information from the Old and New Testaments in the Angelic Hierarchy, there are certain angelic ranks, the so-called steps. Most Jewish and Christian theologians have been creating a unified classification of these ranks. At the moment, the angelic hierarchy that was created in the fifth century and is called the "nine angelic ranks" has spread the most.
Nine officials
It follows from this system that there are three triads. The first, or the highest, included the Seraphim and the Cherubim, as well as the Thrones. The middle triad includes the angelic ranks of Dominance, Power and Power. And in the lowest caste of ranks are the Beginnings, Archangels and Angels.
Seraphim
It is believed that the closest to God are precisely Seraphim who can be called those who occupy the highest angelic rank. It is written about them in the Bible that the prophet Isaiah became a witness to their arrival. He compared them with fiery figures, therefore the translation of this word from Hebrew means "Flaming."
Cherubs
It is this caste in the angelic hierarchy that follows the Seraphs. Their main purpose is to intercede for the human race and prays for souls before God. In addition, it is believed that they serve as a memory and are the guards of the Heavenly Knowledge Book. The knowledge of the Cherubim extends to everything that a creature can know. Translated from the Hebrew cherub - intercessor.
The mysteries of God and the depth of his wisdom are in their power. It is believed that this particular caste of angels is the most enlightened among all. It is their responsibility to discover in man the knowledge and vision of God. Seraphim and Cherubim along with the third representatives of the first triad interact with people.
Thrones
Their location in front of a seated God. They are called God-bearing, but not in the literal sense of the word, but because of the goodness within them, and because they faithfully serve the Son of God. In addition, evolutionary information is hidden in them. Basically, it is they who perform God's justice, help earthly representatives of power to judge their people fairly.
According to medieval mystic Jan van Ruysbrock, representatives of the higher triad under no circumstances interfere in human conflicts. But at the same time they are next to people in moments of enlightenment, love of God and knowledge of the world. It is believed that they are able to carry the highest love in the hearts of people.
Domination
The angelic ranks of the second triad begin with the Dominions. The fifth rank of angels, Dominions, has free will, thanks to which the daily work of the Universe is ensured. In addition, they rule the angels that are lower in the hierarchy. Due to the fact that they are completely free, their love for the Creator is impartial and sincere. It is they who give strength to earthly rulers and managers so that they act wisely and fairly, owning lands and managing people. In addition, they are able to teach how to manage feelings, protecting them from unnecessary impulses of passion and lust, to enslave the flesh to the spirit so that it is possible to control their will and not succumb to all kinds of temptations.
Forces
This caste of angels is filled with Divine fortress, in their power is the fulfillment of the instantaneous will of God, manifesting its strength and strength. It is they who work the miracles of God and are able to give a person grace with which he can see what is coming or heal earthly diseases.
They are able to strengthen a person’s patience, remove his grief, strengthen his spirit and give courage, so that he can cope with all life's hardships and problems.
Authorities
The duties of the authorities include preserving the keys to the devil’s cage and restraining its hierarchy. They are able to tame demons, repel an attack on the human race, rid themselves of demonic temptation. Their duties also include the affirmation of good people for their spiritual exploits and labors, their protection and preservation of their right to the Kingdom of God. They help to drive away all evil thoughts, passions and lust, as well as take away the enemies of man and help defeat the devil in themselves. If we consider the personal level, then the angels help a person during the battle of good and evil. And when a person dies, they accompany his soul and help not to go astray.
Beginnings
These include entire legions of angels whose purpose is to protect religion. Their name is such, due to the fact that they direct the lower angelic ranks, it is they who help them to do things pleasing to God. In addition, their mission is to control the universe and protect everything that the Lord has created. According to some reports, every nation and every ruler has its own angel, called to protect it from evil. The Prophet Daniel said that the angels of the Persian and Jewish kingdoms make sure that all the rulers who have been enthroned do not seek enrichment and glory, but to spread and increase the glory of God, so that they benefit their people by serving their needs.
Archangels
The archangel is a great evangelist. His main mission is the discovery of prophecies, understanding and cognition of the will of the Creator. They get this knowledge from the highest ranks in order to convey it to the lower ones, which will subsequently bring it to people. According to St. Gregory Dvoeslov, the purpose of angels is to strengthen faith in man, the discovery of its sacraments. Archangels, whose names can be found in the Bible, are best known to man.
Angels
This is the lowest rank in the hierarchy of heaven and the closest being to humans. They guide people on the path, help them in everyday life not to leave their path. Each believer has his own guardian angel. They support each virtuous person from falling, everyone who spiritually fell, they try to raise, regardless of how sinful he is. They are always ready to come to the rescue of a person, the main thing is that he himself desires this help.
It is believed that a person receives his Guardian Angel after the rite of Baptism. He is obliged to protect the subordinate from misfortunes, troubles and help him throughout his life. If a person is threatened by dark forces, you need to pray to the Guardian Angel, and he will help fight them. It is believed that depending on the mission of man on earth, he may be associated not with one, but with several angels. Depending on how a person lives and how spiritually developed he is, not only the lower ranks can work with him, but also the Archangels, the names of which most people know. It is worth remembering that Satan will not stop and will always tempt people, so the Angels will always be with them in difficult times. Only by living according to the laws of God and developing spiritually can all the mysteries of religion be known. That's basically all the information that relates to the ranks of heaven.
