Angels in Scripture. The origin of angels, the nature of angels. Angelic Hierarchy. Orthodox teaching about fallen spirits. D. The result of the fall. They were created
II. Orthodox teaching about angels
We know from the words of Christ Himself that at the moment of death the soul is met by Angels: The beggar died and was carried by the angels into the bosom of Abraham(Luke 16:22).
Also from the Gospel we know in what form the Angels appear: Angel of the Lord ... his appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow(Matt. 28: 2,3); young man dressed in white(Mark 16: 5); two husbands in shining clothes(Luke 24: 4); two angels in a white robe(John 20:12). Throughout Christian history, the appearance of Angels has always been in the form shining youths, clothed in white. The iconographic tradition of the appearance of Angels has always been consistent with this over the centuries: only such brilliant young men were depicted (often with two wings, which, of course, are symbolic and are usually not visible during the appearance of Angels). The Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 decreed that Angels should always be depicted in only one form, like men. Western Cupids of the Renaissance and subsequent periods are inspired by paganism and have nothing to do with real Angels.
And in fact, the modern Roman Catholic (and Protestant) West has departed far from the teachings of Holy Scripture and early Christian tradition, not only in the artistic depiction of Angels, but also in the very doctrine of spiritual beings. Understanding this mistake is essential for us if we want to really understand the true Christian teaching about the posthumous fate of the soul.
One of the great Fathers of the recent past, Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov, † 1867), saw this error and devoted an entire volume of collected works to its identification and presentation of the true Orthodox teaching on this issue ( vol. 3. Ed. Tuzova, St. Petersburg, 1886). Criticizing the views of exemplary 19th century Roman Catholic theological work (Abbot Bergier “ Theological dictionary”), Bishop Ignatius devotes a significant part of the volume (pp. 185-302) to the struggle against modern thought, based on the philosophy of Descartes (17th century), that everything outside the kingdom of matter simply belongs to the kingdom of pure spirit. Such a thought, in essence, places the infinite God on the level of various finite spirits (Angels, demons, souls of the dead). This idea has become especially widespread in our time (although those who adhere to it do not see all its consequences), and in many ways explains the misconceptions modern world in relation to "spiritual" things: great interest is shown in everything outside the material world, and at the same time, there is often little distinction between the Divine, the angelic, the demonic, and simply the results of unusual human capabilities or imagination.
Abbot Bergier taught that Angels, demons and the souls of the dead are purely spiritual beings; therefore, they are not subject to the laws of time and space. We can talk about their form or movement only metaphorically, and "they have the need to put on a subtle body when God allows them to act on bodies" ( ep. Ignatius, vol. 3, pp. 193 - 195). Even one otherwise well-informed Roman Catholic work of the twentieth century on modern spiritualism echoes this teaching, claiming, for example, that angels and demons “can borrow the material required (to become visible to humans) from a lower nature, whether animate or inanimate. "( Blackmore, Spiritism: Facts and Frauds, p. 522). Spiritualists and occultists themselves have taken up these ideas of modern philosophy. One such apologist for supernatural Christianity, K.S. Lewis (Englishman), duly criticizes the modern "view of the sky as only about the state of mind ”; but still he seems to be partially subject to the modern opinion that "the body, its location and movement, as well as time now seem to be insignificant for the higher spheres of spiritual life" (CS Lewis, Miracles. The Macmillan Company, New York, 1967, pp. 164-165). Such views are the result of an oversimplification of spiritual reality under the influence of modern materialism; there was a loss of contact with genuine Christian teaching and spiritual experience.
To understand the Orthodox teaching about Angels and other spirits, one must first forget the oversimplified modern dichotomy “matter - spirit”; the truth is more complex and at the same time so simple that those who are still capable of believing in it will perhaps be widely regarded as naive literalists. Bishop Ignatius writes (our italics): “When God opens the (spiritual) eyes of a man, then he becomes able to see spirits in their own form"(P. 216); “Angels, appearing to men, have always appeared in the form of men” (p. 227). Likewise, from “... Scripture makes it clear that the soul of a person has the form of a person in his body and is similar to other created spirits” (p. 233). He cites numerous patristic sources to prove this. Let us now take a look at the patristic teaching for ourselves.
St. Basil the Great in his book about the Holy Spirit states that "in the heavenly Forces, their essence is air, if I may say so, spirit or insubstantial fire ... why they are limited by a place and are invisible, being holy in the image of their own bodies." He further writes: “We believe that each (of the heavenly Powers) is located in a certain place. For the Angel who appeared to Cornelius was not at the same time with Philip (Acts 8:26; 10: 3), and the Angel who talked with Zechariah at censer altar(Luke 1: 11), did not occupy at the same time his proper place in heaven "( “Creations of St. Basil the Great ", ed. Soykina, St. Petersburg, 1911 ch. 16, 23: vol. 1, p. 608, 622).
Likewise, St. Gregory the Theologian teaches: “The lights secondary after the Trinity, having royal glory, are bright invisible Angels. They freely revolve around the Throne, because they are fast-moving minds, fire and divine spirits quickly moving in the air "( Conversation 6 "On Intelligent Entities" in "The Creations of St. Gregory the Theologian ", ed. Soykina, St. Petersburg, vol. 2, p. 29).
Thus, being perfume and blazing fire(Psalm 103: 4; Heb. 1: 7), Angels and dwell in the world where the earthly laws of time and space do not operate in such material (so to speak) ways. Therefore, some of the Fathers do not hesitate to speak of the "air bodies" of the Angels. Rev. John Damascene, summarizing in the 8th century the teachings of the Fathers that preceded him, says:
“An angel is an entity endowed with the mind, always moving, possessing free will, incorporeal, serving God, having by grace received immortality for its nature, of which essence the form and definition is known only by the Creator. It is called incorporeal, and also immaterial, in comparison with us, for everything comparable to God, Who alone is incomparable [with anything], turns out to be both gross and material, because only the Divine in truth is immaterial and incorporeal ". And then he says: “They are describable; for when they are in heaven, they are not on earth; and sent by God to earth - they do not remain in heaven; but they are not limited to walls and doors and door locks and seals, for they are unlimited. I call them unlimited because they are worthy people to whom God wills them to be, not as they are, but in a measured form, depending on how the beholders can see ”( "Exact presentation Orthodox faith", Book. 2, ch. 3, pp. 45-47).
By saying that the Angels are “not what they are”, St. John of Damascus, of course, does not contradict St. Basil, who teaches that Angels appear "in the form of their own bodies." Both of these statements are correct, as can be seen from the numerous descriptions of the Angels' apparitions in Old Testament... So, the Archangel Raphael was a companion of Tobias for several weeks and no one ever suspected that this was not a man. However, when the Archangel revealed at the end, he said: All the days I have been seen by you; but I did not eat or drink - only your eyes saw this(Tov. 12:19). The three Angels who appeared to Abraham also seemed to be eating, and they were thought to be people (Genesis 18 and 19). Likewise, St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his "Catechetical Words" teaches us about the Angel who appeared to Daniel, that "Daniel shuddered at the sight of Gabriel and fell on his face and, although he was a prophet, he did not dare to answer him until the Angel turned into the likeness of a son of man. "(" Catechetical Words ", XI, 1). However, in the book of Daniel (10: 6) we read that even at his first dazzling appearance, the Angel had a human appearance, but only so bright ( his face is like the sight of lightning; his eyes are like burning lamps, his hands and feet look like shiny brass) that he was unbearable to human eyes. Consequently, the appearance of an Angel is the same as that of a person, but since the angelic body is immaterial and the very sight of its fiery, shining manifestation can stun any person still in the flesh, the manifestations of Angels must necessarily be adapted to people looking at them, introducing themselves less radiant and awe-inspiring than it really is. "
As for human soul, then Blessed Augustine teaches that when the soul is separated from the body, the person himself, with whom all this happens, although only in the spirit, and not in the body, sees himself all as similar to his own body, that he cannot see any difference "(" About the City of God», book XXI, 10). This truth has now been repeatedly confirmed by the personal experience of thousands of people who have been brought back to life in our time.
But if we are talking about the bodies of Angels and other spirits, we must be careful not to ascribe any gross material characteristics to them. Ultimately, as St. John Damascene, only the Creator knows the appearance and definition of this essence "( "An Exact Statement of the Orthodox Faith", Vol. 2, ch. 3, p. 45). In the West, Blessed Augustine wrote that there is no difference when we prefer to speak of "air bodies" of demons and other spirits, or call them "incorporeal" ( "On the City of God", XXI, 10).
Bishop Ignatius himself was perhaps somewhat overly interested in explaining angelic bodies in terms of 19th century scientific knowledge about gases. For this reason, a certain dispute arose between him and Bishop Theophan the Recluse, who considered it necessary to emphasize the simple nature of spirits (which, of course, do not consist of elementary molecules, like all gases). But on the main issue - about the "thin shell" that all spirits have, he agreed with Bishop Ignatius ( see: Archpriest George Florovsky. The paths of Russian theology. Paris, 1937, pp. 397-395). It seems that some similar misunderstanding on an unimportant issue or because of terminology led in the 5th century in the West to polemics with the teachings of the Latin Father, St. Favst Lirinsky about the relative materiality of the soul, based on the teachings of the Eastern Fathers.
If the exact definition of angelic nature is known to God alone, understanding of the activities of Angels (at least in this world) is available to everyone, for there is a mass of evidence about this both in Scripture and patristic literature, and in the lives of the saints. To fully understand the phenomena that are dying, we, in particular, must know how are fallen angels (demons). Real Angels always appear in their own form (only less dazzling than they really are) and act only to fulfill the will and commands of God. The fallen angels, although sometimes they appear in their own form (St. Seraphim of Sarov describes him from his own experience as "vile"), but usually take on different forms and perform many "miracles" by the power that they receive in submission to the prince of the air(Ephesians 2: 2). Their permanent place of residence is the air, and their main business is to seduce or intimidate people and thus drag them along to destruction. It is against them that the Christian is fighting: our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spirits of evil in heaven(Eph. 6: 12).
Blessed Augustine, in his little-known treatise "The Definition of Demons", written in response to a request to explain some of the many demonic phenomena in the ancient pagan world, gives a good general idea about the works of demons:
“The nature of demons is such that through the sensory perception characteristic of the air body, they greatly surpass the perception that earthly bodies have, and also in speed, due to the better mobility of the air body, they incomparably surpass not only the movement of people and animals, but even the flight of birds ... Endowed with these two abilities, insofar as they are the properties of the air body, namely the acuity of perception and the speed of movement, they predict and report many things that they learned about much earlier. And people are surprised at this because of the slowness of earthly perception. Moreover, over their long lives, demons have accumulated much more experience in various events than people get in a short period of their lives. Through these properties, which are inherent in the nature of the air body, demons not only predict many events, but also perform many miraculous deeds ”(Ch. 3)
Many "miracles" and demonic spectacles are described in the lengthy conversation of St. Anthony the Great, included St. Athanasius in his Life, which also mentions "the light bodies of demons" (Ch. 11). The life of st. Cyprian, a former sorcerer, also contains numerous descriptions of demonic transformations and miracles reported by their actual participant (See: “ The Orthodox Word ", 1976, no. 5).
The classic description of demonic activity is contained in the seventh and eighth " Interviews"St. John Cassian, the great Gallic father of the 5th century, who was the first to impart to the West the full teachings of Eastern monasticism. St. Cassian writes: “And so many evil spirits fill this air, which spreads between heaven and earth and in which they fly in anxiety and not idle; so that the providence of God for good has hidden and removed them from the sight of men; otherwise, from the fear of their attack, or of the monsters of persons into which they, of their own accord, when they want, are transformed or transformed, people would have been amazed with unbearable horror to the point of exhaustion ...
And that unclean spirits are ruled by more evil authorities and are subject to them, this, except for those testimonies of Holy Scripture, which we read in the Gospel, in describing the Lord's answer to the Pharisees who slandered Him: if I [by force] beelzebub, prince of demons, I cast out demons ...(Matthew 12: 27), - clear visions and many experiences of the saints will also teach us. “When one of our brothers was traveling in this wilderness, at the approach of evening he found a certain cave, stopped there and wanted to perform the evening prayer in it. While he was chanting the psalms as was his custom, the time had passed after midnight. At the end of the prayer rule, wishing to calm his tired body a little, he lay down and suddenly began to see countless crowds from everywhere gathering demons, who passed in an endless line and very long side, some preceded their boss, others followed him. Finally, the prince came, who was taller than everything and more terrible in appearance; and upon the establishment of the throne, when he sat on an elevated tribunal (judicial seat), then with zealous research began to analyze the actions of each, and those who said that they could not yet seduce their rivals, ordered them to be expelled from their face with remarks and abuse as inactive and the negligent, with a furious growl reproaching that they have wasted so much time and labor. And those who announced that they had deceived those appointed to them, he released with great praise, with the delight and approval of all, as the bravest warriors in the model for all who were glorified. From among them, one evil spirit, approaching, with malicious joy reported as of the most famous victory that he was a well-known monk whom he named, after thirteen years, during which he had incessantly tempted, finally overcame - on that very night he was drawn into fornication. At this report there was an extraordinary joy among everyone, and he, the prince of darkness, exalted with high praises and crowned with great glory, left. At dawn ... all this multitude of demons disappeared from my eyes. " Later, a brother who witnessed this spectacle learned that the message about the fallen monk was indeed true ”( "Interviews", VIII, 12, 16, Russian, trans. ep. Peter. Moscow, 1892, p. 313, 315).
This has happened to many Orthodox Christians up to this century. These, quite obviously, are not dreams or visions, but meetings in the waking state with demons as they are - but only, of course, after a person opens his spiritual eyes in order to see these creatures, which are usually invisible to the human eye. ... Until recently, perhaps only a handful of "old-fashioned" or "simple-minded" Orthodox Christians could still believe in the literal truth of such stories; even now, some Orthodox Christians find it difficult to believe them, so convincing was the modern belief that Angels and demons are “pure spirits” and do not act in such “material” ways. Only because of big stature demonic activity in last years these stories are beginning to seem at least plausible again. The now widespread reports of "posthumous" experiments have also opened the area of non-material reality to many common people that have no contact with the occult. A clear and truthful explanation of this kingdom and its beings has become one of the needs of our time. Such an explanation can only be provided by Orthodoxy, which has preserved the true Christian teaching even to this day.
Now let's take a closer look at how Angels and demons appear at the time of death.
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- Dear Father Vladimir, we congratulate you on the holiday of the Archangel Gabriel. On this day, I would like to hear answers to some questions related to the angelic world. When does the Church think the angels of God were created?- Thank you for your congratulations and, in turn, I congratulate the readers of the portal on this holiday. Most of the Holy Fathers believed that angelic forces were created before the creation of the material world. They deduced this idea from the words "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1: 1).
Blessed Augustine, in particular, believed that under “heaven” the God-seer Moses meant the angelic world, and under “earth” - the material world. This point of view was natural from the point of view of the Neoplatonic perspective - the idea of the primacy of the ideal, the immaterial and the secondary of the material. Here is how St. Gregory the Theologian reflects on Divine goodness, striving for “so that the good spreads further and further, so that the number of those benefited is as large as possible”: “God invents, first, angelic and heavenly powers. And thought became a deed, which was filled with the Word and perfected by the Spirit ... Since the first creatures were pleasing to Him, then he invents another world - material and visible ... ”.
Of course, in such a perspective there was a danger of the idea that they were almost inseparable from God, but the Holy Fathers imperiously prevented this possibility. Saint Ambrose of Mediolan writes: "Angels, dominions and powers, although they once accepted their beginning, nevertheless already existed when this world was created." The Holy Fathers also denied any participation of angels in creation. That is why some of them assumed that angels were created in the process of creating the world. This opinion was held, in particular, by Blessed Theodorite. He believed that angels were created simultaneously with the creation of the material world, since, according to his statement, they are “limited by place,” that is, by space. The latter arose at the same time as the material world. However, Blessed Theodorite does not insist on his opinion. “I say this,” he writes, “not in the affirmative, for I admit that it is bold to affirm decisively, which does not speak in exact words of the Divine Scripture.”
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- Naturally, he is not born with us. From time immemorial angels have been entrusted with the ministry of protecting man and helping in the fight against evil. A classic example: an angel - a companion of Tobias, which is described in the book of Tobit.
Angels can protect entire nations, as stated in the book of Deuteronomy: "The Most High set the limits of nations according to the number of God's angels" (Deut. 32: 8. The text is given according to the Septuagint and the Slavic Bible). As the Monk John of Damascus says, they "protect the regions of the earth and rule over peoples and countries, according to the way the Creator commanded them." “These minds,” writes St. Gregory the Theologian, “each accepted one part of the Universe or were assigned to one something in the world, as the One Who Arranged and Distributed was aware of this ...”. In the Book of Daniel, such angels are called "princes" (ie, rulers) of the Jewish, Greek and Persian kingdoms (Dan. 10: 13-21). The Revelation of John the Theologian speaks of the Angels of the seven Churches of Asia Minor. On this basis, some Church Fathers (Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, etc.) asserted that every Christian Church has guardian angels. “It grieves you,” St. Basil addresses to the presbyters of the Church of Nikopolis, “that you have been cast out of the enclosure of the walls; but you will be placed in the roof of the Heavenly God, and the angel is with you - the overseer of the Church. "
It is a fact of the Old Testament and New Testament revelation that every person can have a guardian angel if his life, like the life of angels, is expressed in serving God and people. Such an angel, according to the testimony of the Psalmist, “camps around those who fear the Lord and delivers them” (Psalm 33: 8) In New Testament times, according to Church Tradition, he is given to a person during his baptism and stays with him throughout his life, if the Christian strives for becoming God. Jesus Christ, calling us to be “like children” (Matthew 18: 3), pointed out that due to the purity and integrity of children, their angels are with them and “in heaven they always see the face of the Heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10).
And naturally, what passes from person to person after the first end of his life path.
Due to our close relationship with the guardian angel, we must constantly pray to him and call on his help and assistance on our path in life. And may God help us to be sensitive to his quiet admonishing voice, instructing us to salvation.
The concept of angels. Testimonies of angels in the Holy Scriptures.
Every Orthodox Christian should have a dogmatically correct teaching about angels, because this is the area of religious knowledge where there are many false opinions that have nothing to do with church teaching. Interest in the angelic world is currently quite large, in various countries there are special societies for the study of angels, literature is published, magazines are regularly published in which details from the life of angels are printed. At the same time, the patristic texts are mixed with the "revelations" of the mystics and theosophists of the past and present.
The dogmatic teaching about angels in Orthodoxy is mostly negative. We know very little for certain about angels, and the study of the topic "Angels" in a Dogmatic Theology course aims not so much to communicate positive knowledge about angels as to dispel misconceptions about the subject.
The very word "angel" (Âggelo ~) in translation from Greek literally means "messenger, messenger, messenger" (from the verb # gg1llw - to announce, to communicate) and indicates not nature as such, but the service performed. In the Holy Scriptures, the word "angel" refers to prophets, for example, the prophet Moses (Num. 20, 16). Prophet Malachi, prophesying about the Lord Jesus Christ, calls him the Angel of the Covenant (Mal. 3: 1). The Second Person of the Holy Trinity in the Old Testament in a number of places is called the Angel of God (Angel of Yahweh).
In Holy Scripture, incorporeal spirits are called angels in the proper sense: in Gen. 30 speaks of the Cherubim standing at the gates of paradise with a fiery sword; in Gen. 28 - about the vision of the ladder by the patriarch Jacob. The prophet Isaiah had a vision of seraphim in the temple (Isa. 6), the psalms repeatedly speak of angels, for example: For he will command his angels about you(Psalm 90: 11).
In the New Testament, the existence of these creatures is also undoubted: the Archangel Gabriel announced the good news to the Virgin Mary, during the temptations in the wilderness, the Lord was with the angels, the Resurrection, Ascension and other events in the life of the Savior are marked by the presence of angelic forces. In the history of the early Church, you can also see the actions of angels. Thus, an angel led the Apostle Peter out of prison. Angels, as executors of the will of God, are repeatedly spoken of in the book of Revelation.
False teachings about angels.
The first misconception about angels is the denial of their existence. In the Christian world, the existence of angels is denied only by extreme Protestants, the rest of the Christian confessions recognize their existence. It is impossible to deny what is said about angels in the Holy Scriptures, therefore opponents of faith in angels have to interpret the biblical texts. There are three main arguments against belief in the existence of angels.
Angels are sometimes said to represent personifications natural disasters... At a certain, rather low level of religious consciousness, belief in angels and their veneration arises. However, it is difficult to believe in this, since in the Holy Scripture angels have pronounced personal characteristics, and it is impossible to seriously assert that the ancient Jews understood angels as the personification of natural elements.
The second objection boils down to the fact that the Bible found expression in popular beliefs, according to which spiritual world arranged according to the model of the court of the eastern monarch. It is also difficult to agree with this, because if these were folk ideas, then they would undoubtedly abound in various implausible, fantastic details, as is the case in the mythology of various peoples.
On the contrary, in the Holy Scriptures they speak of angels very carefully and, in fact, we know about them only insofar as their activity manifests itself in relation to man. Nowhere in the Holy Scripture is it said about the angelic world in itself, we do not know about any details from the life of angels that are not related to man. Such caution in the approach to the depiction of the angelic world does not give any reason to believe that some folk performances, which have always been distinguished by violent imagination, have found a place here.
The third objection is that the belief in angels was borrowed by the Jews from the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism during the Babylonian captivity. In fact, this is not so, because the captivity took place in the 6th century, and the Pentateuch of Moses and most of the books of prophecy, as is indisputably proven by modern science, were written before the Babylonian captivity, and faith in angels is undoubtedly present there. It is simply not serious to argue that all the texts that speak of angels are later interpolations.
In addition, there are other significant differences between the teaching about angels in the Holy Scriptures and the teaching about angels in Zoroastrianism. First, dualism is characteristic of Zoroastrianism in the doctrine of angels: good angels were created by the good god Ormuzd, evil angels come from the evil god Ahriman. According to the teachings of Holy Scripture, all angels are good by nature, they are all created by one good God, the presence of evil angels among them is due to the fall of the latter.
Secondly, in Zoroastrianism, angels are bisexual creatures who even enter into a marriage relationship. In Holy Scripture, angels appear as sexless. Finally, the Jews did not have the cult of angels, there was no practice of worshiping angels, which was the case in Zoroastrianism. For Christians, the main reason for confidence in the real existence of angels is that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself spoke about the existence of angels.
Other false opinions about angels, which we will refute below, concern, for example, their origin - not created by God, but emanated from His being; it is believed that fallen spirits are evil by nature; there is an opinion, borrowed from Islam, about the presence, in addition to good and evil spirits, of neutral ones (jinn in Islam).
Introduction
Angelic ranks
Archangels
1 Archangel Michael
2 Archangel Gabriel
3 Archangel Raphael
2.4 Archangel Uriel
2.5 Archangel Selafiel
6 Archangel Yehudiel
7 Archangel Varchiel
8 Archangel Jeremiel
3. Prayers to the Archangels for every day
Conclusion
List of sources
Introduction
By Christian doctrine all angels are ministering spirits. They were created by God before the creation of the material world, over which they have significant power. There are significantly more of them than all people. The purpose of the angels is to glorify God, the embodiment of His glory, to direct and embody grace for the glory of God (therefore they are a great help to those who are being saved), their lot is the glorification of God and the fulfillment of His commissions and will. Angels, just like people, have a mind and their mind is much more perfect than a human one. Angels are eternal. Most often, angels are depicted in the form of beardless youths, in light deacons (a symbol of service) vestments (surplice, orarion, instructors), with wings behind their backs (a symbol of speed) and with a halo over their heads. However, in visions, angels appeared to people as six-winged (when the Angels are not similar to humans in outward appearance, then their wings are like flowing streams of grace) and in the form of wheels studded with eyes, and in the form of creatures with four faces on their heads, and like fiery swords rotating, or even in the form of bizarre animals (sphinxes, chimeras, centaurs, pegasi, griffins, unicorns, etc.).
1. Angelic ranks
In the angelic world, a strict hierarchy of 9 angelic ranks was established by God: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominance, Strength, Power, Beginnings, Archangels, Angels. Who led the entire angelic army, Dennitsa - the most powerful, talented, beautiful and close to God, was so proud of his highest position among other angels that he refused to recognize man as a being equal in abilities to God (meaning the ability of man to create and see the essence of things), that is, higher than him, he himself wanted to become higher than God, and because of which he was overthrown. Moreover, he managed to seduce many angels from different ranks. And at this moment the Archangel Michael called on those who hesitated to remain faithful to God, led the army of bright angels and defeated Dennitsa (who began to be called the devil, Satan, the evil one, etc., and other fallen angels - demons, demons, devils, etc.). And there was a war in Heaven, as a result of which the evil spirits fell into the "underworld of the earth," that is, into hell, where they organized themselves into the kingdom of Beelzebub, with the same angelic hierarchy. Fallen spirits are not completely deprived of their former power and, by the permission of God, they can inspire people with sinful thoughts and desires, guide them and hurt them. But people are also helped by good angels, of whom there are more than demons (the Apocalypse says that the serpent (Lucifer) carried away a third of the stars (angels)).
However, the name of the spirit is not the same as the name of a person. God is a Spirit, and as a Spirit, He calls the being not according to the transitory, but according to the Glory. The name of the Angel is the name of his glory. The names of some (in the Orthodox tradition - seven) Angels (Archangels) are open to people: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Yehudiel, Selafiel, Barachiel. Moreover, the first four Angels are considered "biblical", that is, their names are directly named in Scripture, and the last three are known from Tradition.
In Orthodoxy, there is an idea of guardian angels sent by God to each person immediately after his baptism: "See, do not despise any of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in Heaven" (Matthew 18, ten). Every person is also hunted by demons who want to destroy his soul with the help of instilled fears, temptations and temptations. In the heart of every person, an "invisible war" is waged between God and the devil. But almost always God does not Himself personally appear to people, but trusts His angels (or holy people) to convey His will. Such an order was established by God so that a greater number of persons would be involved (and thereby sanctified) in the providence of God, and so as not to violate the freedom of people who are unable to withstand the personal manifestation of God in all His glory. Therefore, the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, many saints and monks, are called angels in the Church.
In addition, for each Christian, the earthly Church with heavenly patrons offers special prayers, and God has special care for him.
Each Angel (and the demon) has different abilities: Some "specialize" in the virtue of non-possession, others strengthen faith in people, and still others help in something else. Likewise, demons - some catch up with lustful passions, others - anger, others - vanity, etc. In addition to personal Guardian Angels (assigned to each person) there are Angels - patrons of cities and entire states. But they never enmity, even if these states are at war with each other, but pray to God for the enlightenment of people and the granting of peace on earth.
In the three Epistles of St. Paul (between 48 and 58) are named in addition to the angels: thrones, dominions, beginnings, authorities and powers.
In his commentary "The Canon of the Holy Apostles" St. Gregory of Nyssa (d. C. 394) writes that there are nine angelic ranks: angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, beginnings, strength, radiance, ascent and clever powers (understanding).
St. Cyril of Jerusalem also singles out nine ranks, although in this order: "... Therefore, we remember ... all creation ... invisible, Angels, Archangels, Power, Dominance, Beginning, Power, Thrones, many Cherubims (Ezek. 10.21 and 1.6 ), as if speaking to David: magnify the Lord with me (Ps. 33: 4). We also remember the Seraphim, whom Isaiah saw by the Holy Spirit, standing around the Throne of God, and with two wings covering their face, two legs, and two flying, and exclaiming: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts (Isa. 6: 2-3). And for this we repeat this Theology, which has been faithful to us from the Seraphim, so that we may become partakers of the chant together with the premier armies. "
St. Athanasius the Great (d. 373) singled out "... heavenly lights, thrones, dominions, there is heaven, cherubim and seraphim and many angels."
In one of his sermons, St. Amphilochius of Iconium (d. 394) lists: Cherubim, Seraphim, Archangels, Dominions, Strengths and Authorities.
The basis for the creation of the church doctrine of angels is a book written in the 5th century, attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite, "O heavenly hierarchy"(Greek." Περί της ουρανίας ", lat." De caelesti hierarchia "), better known in the 6th century edition. According to this book, the angels are arranged in the following order: First face · Seraphim (Heb. ùÒøôéíý - burning, flaming, fiery, ancient Greek. σεραφίμ (Is 6: 2-3)) - six-winged angels. "Flaming", "Fiery". They are aflame with love for God and encourage many to love it. · Cherubim (ancient Greek. χερουβίμ from Hebrew ëøåáéíý, kerubim - intercessors, minds, disseminators of knowledge, outpouring of wisdom (Gen. 3:24; Eze 10; Ps 17:11)) - four-winged and four-faced angels. Their name means: outpouring of wisdom, enlightenment. · Thrones (ancient Greek. θρόνοι), according to Dionysius: "God-bearing" (Eze 1: 15-21; 10: 1-17) - the Lord sits on them as on a throne and pronounces His Judgment. Second face · Dominance, ancient Greek. κυριότητες, lat. dominationes (Col. 1:16) - instruct the earthly rulers set by God to wise management, teach to control the senses, tame sinful desires. · Forces, ancient Greek. δυνάμεις, lat. potestates (Rom. 8:38; Eph. 1:21) - work miracles and send down the grace of miracles and clairvoyance to the saints of God. · Authorities, ancient Greek. ἐ ξουσίες, lat. virtutes (Col. 1:16) - have the power to tame the power of the devil. The third face · Authorities (Beginnings) (archons), ancient Greek. ἀ ρχαί, lat. principates (Rom. 8:38; Eph. 1.21; Col. 1:16) - they are entrusted with managing the universe and the elements of nature. · Archangels (chiefs of angels), ancient Greek. ἀ ρχάγγελοι - Michael (Rev 12: 7) - heavenly teachers, teach people how to act in life. · Angels, ancient Greek. ἀ γγελοι - closest to people. They proclaim the intentions of God, instruct people to a virtuous and holy life. Gabriel (Luke 1:26) Raphael (Tov 5: 4); (For Pseudo-Dionysius, the archangel Michael is an "angel"); Seven Angels with golden bowls filled with the wrath of God (Rev 15: 1); Angel of the Abyss Abaddon with a chain and a key to the abyss (Rev 9: 1, 11; 20: 1); Seven Angels with trumpets (Rev 8: 6). The first hierarchy surrounds God in eternal worship (the tables support him); the second rules the stars and the elements; the third - Principalities - protects the earthly kingdoms, Angels and Archangels are divine messengers. Seraphim belonging to the first hierarchy are absorbed in eternal love for the Lord and reverence for Him. They directly surround His throne. Seraphim, as representatives of Divine Love, most often have red wings and sometimes hold lighted candles in their hands. Cherubim know God and worship Him. They, as representatives of Divine Wisdom, are portrayed in golden yellow and blue tones. Sometimes they have books in their hands. Thrones uphold the throne of the Lord and express Divine Justice. Often they are depicted in the robes of judges with a rod of power in their hands. They are believed to receive glory directly from God and bestow it on the second hierarchy. The second hierarchy consists of dominions, forces and powers, which are the rulers of the heavenly bodies and elements. They, in turn, shed the light of glory they received on the third hierarchy. Dominions are worn by crowns, sceptres, and sometimes orbs as symbols of power. They symbolize the authority of the Lord. The forces are holding in their hands white lilies or sometimes red roses, which are symbols of the Passion of the Lord. The authorities are often dressed in the armor of warriors - the victors of evil forces. Through the third hierarchy, contact is made with the created world and with man, for its representatives are the executors of the will of God. In relation to man, the beginnings rule the destinies of nations, archangels are heavenly warriors, and angels are God's messengers to man. In addition to these functions, the host of angels serves as a heavenly choir. Seraphim and Cherubim are depicted as only heads with one, two or three pairs of wings. The seraphim, by tradition, is red and can hold a candle; Cherub - blue or sometimes golden yellow, sometimes with a book. These two ranks are often depicted by those around God the Father in heaven. The angels of the next seven ranks are far from always clearly distinguishable. They usually have human bodies; Thrones can hold thrones, Dominions can be crowned, have powers and scepters; for Sil - lilies or red roses; Authorities and sometimes other lower ranks can be depicted in military armor. 2. Archangels Arkha ́ ngel (Greek. αρχι- - "chief, senior" and άγγελος - "messenger, messenger") - in Christian ideas, the senior angel. In the system of the angelic hierarchy of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, this is the eighth of the nine ranks of the angels. In the canonical books of the Bible, only Michael is directly called the archangel, but according to the traditions of the church, there are several archangels. According to the classification of angels, set out in the work of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (5th - early 6th centuries) "On the Heavenly Hierarchy", the Archangel is the name of the second rank in the third, lower face of the angelic hierarchy (1st rank - angels, 2nd - archangels, 3rd - beginning). According to another, more ancient classification - in the Jewish Apocrypha "Book of Enoch" (II century BC) - there are seven Archangels. 1.Uriel, reigning over the heavenly bodies; 2.Raphael, the ruler of man's thought and his healer; 3.Raguel, punishing the world of the luminaries; 4.Michael, Chief Archangel; 5.Sariel, the ruler of the spirits that seduce and lead people into sin; 6.Gabriel, the guardian of paradise and the ruler of the spirits that help people; 7.Jeremiel watching the resurrection of the dead. Apparently, the seven Archangels of the "Book of Enoch" correspond to the seven Amesha Spenta of the Zoroastrian pantheon and the seven planetary spirits of the Babylonians. According to the mystical legends of Judaism, each archangel is connected to one of the planets. The seven Archangels as leaders over the myriads of angels (heavenly hosts) are also called archangels in the Christian tradition. We know from the Holy Scriptures that there are seven Archangels, that is, the senior Angels who rule over everyone else. In the book of Tobit, we read: "I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels" (Comrade 12.15). And in the Revelation of John the Theologian it is said about seven spirits, who are like before the throne of God (Rev. 1: 4). The Holy Church refers to them: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Yehudiel and Barachiel. Tradition also combs Jeremiel with them. Currently in Orthodox Church eight Archangels are revered: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selafiel, Jehudiel, Barahil and Jeremiel. Sikhail, Zadkiel, Samuel, Jophiel and many others are also known. The celebration of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied Heavenly powers takes place in the Orthodox Church on November 8 (21). Its establishment is associated with the decision of the Laodicean Council (c. 343), which took place several years before the First Ecumenical Council, and condemned as heretical worship of angels as creators and rulers of the world. angel archangel prayer christian 2.1 Archangel Michael Archangel Michael (Heb. îéëàìý, Mihae ́ l - "Who is like God"; Greek Αρχάγγελος Μιχαήλ) - the main archangel, who is one of the most revered biblical characters. Michael's name is mentioned several times at the end of the Book of Daniel: "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood against me for twenty-one days; but behold, Michael, one of the first princes, came to help me, and I remained there with the kings of Persia" (Dan 10:13). "However, I will declare to you what is written in the true scripture; and there is no one who would support me in that, except Michael, your prince" (Dan 10:21). And also in the prophecy about the Last Judgment and the role of the Archangel Michael in it. Christian tradition also identifies with the actions of the Archangel Michael the following references to unnamed angels: · the appearance to Balaam: "and the Angel of the Lord stood on the way to hinder him" (Num.22: 22); · the appearance to Joshua: "and behold, a man stands before him, with a drawn sword in his hand" and further on he is called the Leader of the Lord's army (Josh. 5: 13-15); · salvation of three youths in a cave of fire: "Blessed be the God of Sedrakh, Misach and Abdenago, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants" (Dan.3: 95). The book "A Guide to Writing Icons of Saints" says that the holy Archangel Michael "is depicted as trampling (trampling) Lucifer and, as a conqueror, holding a green date branch in his left hand on his chest, and a spear in his right hand, on top of which a white banner depicting a red cross to commemorate the victory of the Cross over the devil. " "He was the first to rebel against Lucifer (Satan), when this one rebelled against the Almighty. It is known how this war ended with the overthrow of the box (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 the salvation of the family. human, for the church and her children. Therefore, for those who are adorned with the name of the first of the Archangels, it is most appropriate to be distinguished by zeal for the glory of God, loyalty to the Heavenly King and the kings of the earth, constant war against vice and wickedness, constant humility and self-sacrifice "- Innocent, Archbishop Kherson. Celebration in the Orthodox Church on November 21 (November 8, old style) and September 19 (September 6, old style) in remembrance of the miracle of the Archangel Michael in Khoneh (Colossi). Prayer: "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." 2 Archangel Gabriel Archangel Gabriel (Heb. âáøéàì - the man of God). Mentioned in the following Bible books: Dan 8:16, 9:21 and Luke 1:19, 1:26. In the Bible he is called an angel, but in the tradition of the Christian church he appears as an archangel - one of the highest angels. In the Old and New Testaments he appears as a bearer of joyful evangelism. He announces to the priest Zechariah in the temple, during the ascension of incense, about the birth of John the Baptist, the Virgin Mary in Nazareth - about the birth of Jesus Christ. It is considered the guardian angel of the chosen people. On the icons, he is depicted with a candle and a mirror made of jasper, as a sign that the ways of God are not clear before time, but are comprehended through time by studying the word of God and obeying the voice of conscience. The Archangel Gabriel, as explained in the "Guide to the Writing of Icons", "is depicted holding a lantern in his right hand with a candle lit inside, and in his left a stone mirror." 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 peoples, proclaims to people the secrets of God's economy, the salvation of mankind. The Archangel Gabriel is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on March 26 and July 13 (according to the Julian calendar). Prayer: "Holy Archangel Gabriel, bring me joy and the salvation of my soul. And pray to God for me, a sinner. Amen." 3 Archangel Raphael Archangel Raphael (Heb. øôàìý, Rafa ́ el - "the Lord healed"). Mentioned only in the non-canon book of Tobit (3:16; 12: 12-15). Raphael in Aramaic means "Healing of God" or "Healing of God". According to the Jewish midrash, Raphael healed the pain that Abraham suffered after he was circumcised. In the "Guide to the writing of icons" it is reported that: "Archangel Raphael, doctor of human ailments: he is depicted holding a vessel (alavastr) with medicinal means (medicine) in his left hand, and in his right hand is a string, that is, a cut feather for anointing wounds." Prayer: "Holy Archangel Raphael, heal my ailments, both mental and physical passions. And pray to God for me, a sinner. Amen." 4 Archangel Uriel Archangel Uriel (Heb. àåÌøÄéàÅìý - "the light of God, or God is the light"). Mentioned in the non-canonical book of Ezra (3 Ezra 4: 1; 5:20). According to the tradition of the Orthodox Church, the holy Archangel Uriel was appointed by God to guard Paradise after the fall and expulsion of Adam. According to Orthodox theologians, Uriel, being the radiance of the divine fire, is the enlightener of the dark, unbelievers and ignorant, and the very name of the archangel, corresponding to his special ministry, means "Fire of God" or "Light of God". By iconographic canon Uriel "is depicted holding a naked sword in his right hand against his chest, and a fiery flame in his left." Innocent of Kherson, in his work about the archangels, writes about Uriel the following: "As an Angel of light, he enlightens the minds of people with the revelation of truths useful to them; as an Angel of Divine fire, he ignites hearts with love for God and destroys in them the impure earthly attachments." Prayer: "Holy Archangel Uriel, enlighten my darkened mind and defiled by my passions. And pray to God for me, a sinner." 5 Archangel Selafiel Archangel Selafiel (Salafiel; Heb. ùàìúéàìý - "prayer to God"). Mentioned only in the non-canonical book of Ezra (5:16). "And so the Lord has given us the whole face of prayer angels, with their leader Salafiel, so that with the pure breath of their lips they warm our cold hearts to prayer, so that they admonish us when and how to pray, so that our very offerings may be lifted up to the throne of grace. When you will see, brethren, on the icon of the Archangel, standing in a prayer position, with eyes downcast, with hands attached with reverence to the Persians (to the chest), then know that this is Salafiel. " The "Guide to the Writing of Icons" says about him: "The Holy Archangel Salafiel, a prayer book, always praying to God for people and arousing people to prayer. on the chest, like a tenderly praying " Prayer: "Holy Archangel Salafiel, stir me up in days and nights, to the Divine praise. And pray to God for me, a sinner. Amen." 6 Archangel Yehudiel Archangel Jehudiel (praise of God). This name is known only from legends; his name is not mentioned in the canonical texts. The name of the archangel Yehudiel, translated into Russian, means "the Glorifier of God" or "Praise of God". Guided by these translations, icon painters placed similar epithets on his images. So, the inscription on the fresco of the Cathedral of the Annunciation says: "to have the service of affirming the people who work in good or, for the glory of God, to seek reward for them." As explained in the "Guide to the Writing of Icons," Yehudiel "is depicted holding a golden crown in his right hand as a reward from God for useful and pious labors 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 godly labors. " Innocent of Kherson writes about him: “Every one of us, young and old, is obliged to live and work for the glory of God. The greater the deed, the higher and brighter the reward. In the right hand of the Archangel is not just a crown: it is a reward for every Christian working for glory Of God ". Prayer: "Holy Archangel Yehudiel, confirm me for every work and work. And pray to God for me a sinner. Amen." 7 Archangel Barachiel Archangel Barahiel (God's blessing) - not mentioned in the Bible, known only from legend. In the book "Guide to the Writing of Icons" it is reported about him: "The Holy Archangel Barachiel, the dispenser of God's blessings and an intercessor who asks us for God's blessing: he is depicted carrying white roses on his clothes on his clothes, as if rewarding by the command of God for prayers, labors and moral behavior of people and foreshadowing bliss and endless peace in the Kingdom of Heaven. " White roses are a symbol of God's blessing. "Since the blessings of God are different, then the ministry of this Angel is diverse: through him the blessing of God is sent for every deed, for every good everyday occupation "- Saint Innocent of Kherson Prayer: "Holy Archangel Barachiel, seek mercy from the Lord. And pray to God for me, a sinner. Amen." 2.8 Archangel Jeremiel Archangel Jeremiel (the height of God). Mentioned only in the non-canonical book of Ezra (3 Ezra 4:36.). In the 3rd book of Ezra (4:36), the Archangel Jeremiel (the height of God) is also mentioned. He was present at the first conversation of the Archangel Uriel with the priest Ezra and answered the latter when asked about the signs preceding the end of the sinful world and about the beginning of the eternal kingdom of the righteous. Based on the meaning of the name (Jeremiel - "The height of God"), theologians believe that he is sent from God to man in order to facilitate the exaltation and return of man to God. He is depicted holding a balance in his right hand. 3. Prayers to the Archangels for every day On Monday Holy Archangel of God Michael, drive away from me with your lightning sword the evil spirit that tempts me. Oh, the great Archangel of God Michael - the conqueror of demons! Conquer and crush all my enemies, visible and invisible, and pray to the Lord Almighty, may the Lord save and preserve me from sorrows and from all illness, from deadly ulcers and vain death, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen. Oh, holy six-winged Seraphim, lift up your blessed prayer to the Lord, may the Lord soften our hardened sinful hearts, let us learn to entrust to Him, our God, all: both evil and good, teach us to forgive our offenders, so that the Lord will forgive us. On Tuesday Holy Archangel Gabriel, who brought inexpressible joy from Heaven to the Most Pure Virgin, fill my heart with joy and joy, which is bitter with pride. Oh, great Archangel of God Gabriel, you proclaimed to the Most Pure Virgin Mary the conception of the Son of God. To erect also to me, a sinner, the day of the terrible death of the Lord God for my sinful soul, may the Lord forgive my sins. O great Archangel Gabriel! Save me from all troubles and from a serious illness, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen. O many-read Cherubim, look at my madness, correct my mind, renew the meaning of my soul, let the wisdom of heaven descend on me, unworthy, so that I do not sin with a word, in order to bridle my tongue, so that every deed is directed to the glory of Heavenly Father. Oh, the great Archangel of God Raphael, who received the gift from God to heal ailments, heal the incurable ulcers of my heart and many diseases of my body. Oh, the great Archangel of God Raphael, you are a guide, doctor and healer, guide me to salvation and heal all my diseases, mental and physical, and lead me to the Throne of God, and pray His blessing for my sinful soul, may the Lord forgive me and He will keep from all my enemies and from wicked people, both now and forever. Amen. Oh, holy God-bearing Thrones, teach us the meekness and humility of Christ, our Master, grant us the true knowledge of your weakness, your insignificance, grant us victory in the struggle against pride and vanity. Grant us simplicity, an eye of pure and humble consciousness. On Thursday Holy Archangel of God Uriel, illuminated by the Divine Light and abundantly filled with the fire of fiery ardent love, throw a spark of this fiery fire into my cold heart and my soul dark light light up yours. 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, my will with the power of the Holy Spirit, and guide me on the path of repentance, and pray the Lord God, may the Lord deliver me from the hell of hell and from all enemies, visible and invisible, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen. Oh, holy Dominions, always abiding before the Heavenly Father, pray Jesus Christ, our Savior, may he seal his royal power in weakness and grant us grace, may we be cleansed by this grace, may we grow by this grace, may we be filled with faith, hope and love. On Friday Holy Archangel of God Selafiel, give a prayer to the one who is praying, teach me to pray a prayer that is humble, contrite, concentrated and tender. Oh, great Archangel of God Selafiel, you pray to God for the people of faith, pray to His Grace for me, a sinner, may the Lord deliver me from all troubles and sorrows, and diseases, and from vain death, and from eternal torment, and the Lord of the Kingdom will grant me Heavenly with all the Saints forever. Amen. Oh, holy Heavenly Forces, pray to our Lord let him bring down into our souls the consciousness of weakness, weakness and limitation, may there always be a place in us for Divine action, at the hour of our end give us grace, given by God, may we gain mercy from the Lord of Forces, to Him praise and worship befitting. On Saturday Holy Archangel of God Yehudiel, inherent in the haste of all ascetics on the path of Christ, excite me from grievous laziness and strengthen me with a good deed. Oh, the great Archangel of God Yehudiel, you are a zealous defender of the glory of God, you excite me to glorify the Holy Trinity, awaken me too, the lazy one, to glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and pray to the Lord Almighty to build a pure heart in me and renew the right spirit in my womb , and by the Lord's Spirit he will establish me in truth both to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen. Oh, holy Heavenly Authorities, pray for us to the Heavenly Father, grant wisdom and discernment in order to discern, so that with the Jesus prayer we can crush all devilish thoughts by your intercession, so we acquire a pure, clear, prayerful mind, a benevolent heart, will turned to the Lord. On Sunday Holy Archangel Barachiel, who brings us blessing from the Lord, bless me to put a good beginning, to correct my negligent life, may I please the Lord my Savior in everything forever and ever. Amen. Oh, holy Heavenly Beginnings, pray our Lord Jesus Christ to enable us to start a good beginning! Conclusion The rank of the holy Archangels, as the middle one in the last Hierarchy, unites the extreme ranks by its communion with them. The Archangels communicate with the Most Holy Principles and through them turn to the premium Principle, conform to Him as much as possible; keep unity between the Angels in accordance with their slender, skillful, invisible leadership. The rank of the Archangels is communicated with the Angels as an order determined for teaching. Archangels receive Divine insights through the first Forces by the nature of the hierarchy, transmit them with love to the Angels, who are closest to people, and in special cases directly to worthy people who are close in spirit to the holy Angels. What is the structure of the life of angels, what degrees are among them - the Apostle Paul told about all this to his disciple, whom he converted from pagans to Christ when he was in Athens. The name of this student of Pavlov is Dionysius the Areopagite (he was a member of the Areopagus, the supreme court of Athens). Dionysius, everything he heard from Paul, wrote down and compiled a book: "On the Heavenly Hierarchy." Although the number of Angels is immeasurable - there is great darkness, so - but there are only seven Archangels. I am one of the seven holy Angels, - so the Archangel Raphael said to the righteous Tobit, - they bring the prayers of the saints and enter the glory of the Holy One. (Comrade 12, 15). Similar to the seven lamps before the throne of the Most High, there are seven Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selafiel, Jehudiel and Barachiel. List of sources 1. Wikipedia (Angelic Ranks) URL: # "justify">. Wikipedia (Angel) URL: # "justify">. Wikipedia (Archangels) URL: # "justify">. Prayers to help those in need URL: # "justify"> 5. Icons of Archangels, Angels and other Ethereal Heavenly Forces URL: http://pravicon.com/a
This is the devil (from the Greek diabolos), sowing discord and confusion. This determines the essence of evil. Anything that disturbs God's order and interferes with the plans of the Lord is evil, and the force that prompts such a violation is anger and resistance to God's will. This is what the evil one is doing. Thus, evil is any being or phenomenon from which comes opposition to God (Deut. 1:34). But malice is not only a desire to oppose the fulfillment of God's plan of salvation, it is a rebellion against God, an attempt on God's sovereignty. Thus, evil is not just a passive "adversary": evil forces constantly want to take possession of God's property. At the same time, evil (the wicked one), as well as "the spirits of wickedness" (Eph. 6:12), strive for incarnation (Luke 8:32). Following the example of the incarnation of the Spirit of God in the Christian Church, evil also seeks to acquire a bodily form (Psalm 63: 3). The Hebrew text of this verse uses the same word - sod, which usually denotes the "counsel" of the people of God (Ezek. 13: 9), the "host" of saints (Ps. 88: 8), and even the "counsel" of the Lord (Jer. 23:18).
Evil seeks to spread. The wicked (Satan) and evil people are not satisfied with denying the divine order for themselves, they want to destroy it in the human body (Mark 9: 20-22), in marriage (1 Cor. 7: 5), in matters of property (Micah 2 : 1) and in human relationships (Proverbs 15:28). Any manifestation of God's will revolts them, and they make every effort to prevent its fulfillment (Job 1-2). Ever since evil entered the world through man (Rom. 5:12), it seeks to challenge the Creator's rights to this world. The Bible speaks of a "wicked age" (Gal. 1: 4), of a land defiled by wickedness (Jer. 3: 2), of evil beasts (Gen. 37:20), etc. The rebellious man lost communion with God and was at the mercy of disease and death (Rom. 7:24).
To honor
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This word in the Bible conveys both the state of God and the state of man at the end of affairs. The expression "to rest from works" is found both at the beginning of the Bible (Genesis 2: 2) and at its end (Rev. 14:13). True rest means fellowship with God and presupposes keeping His ordinances. The peace that was established after the creation of the world was destroyed by the fall of man. Since then, anxiety has reigned in the world (Eccl. 2:23), manifested in various forms. Sin led man to the fact that he was now forced to earn his bread by hard labor (Genesis 3: 17-19). Instead of living in peace, enjoying God's gifts (Eccl. 4: 6), man seeks to secure his existence by accumulating wealth (Ps. 54: 17-23). It is especially difficult to find peace for people possessed by evil spirits (Matthew 12: 43-45). The world in which people live, too, knows no rest, it is filled with wars or the expectation of them (Mark 13: 7). In this world of vanity, God created a people who are called to rest. Therefore, God takes care of sufficient material provision for Israel (Exodus 3: 8), so that every seventh day could be a day of rest for them. Arable land must also rest every seventh year (Lev. 25: 2-7). God gives His people the institutions that give each person his rights. Where these regulations are not observed, God offers His help and protection to the disadvantaged (Psalm 54:19). The people of Israel dwell in a state of rest as long as they remain in the ways of God (Josh. 21:44). Salvation will be complete when God is at rest among His people. The prerequisite for such rest was the obedience of the covenant people, but Israel, which "walked in other ways," rarely remained in this state. The consequence of this was the fact that the Israelites did not achieve the final fulfillment of God's promises in Canaan (Heb. 4: 3,6). The people of Israel did not attain a rest that continues to be a promise (v. 8). Therefore, the prophets speak of the coming unbroken peace (Is.32: 18), to which the Spirit of God will lead His. These promises were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, on whom the Spirit of the Lord rested (Isa. 11: 2) and Who gives peace of mind to those who bear His yoke, i.e. sharing His work with Him (Matthew 11:29). Those who belong to His people no longer burden themselves with the care of physical existence, since everything is received from the hands of God. They participate in labor (2 Thess. 3:10) and, content with what they have (1 Tim. 6: 6-10), they are in love and peace with God. Despite this, peace is still the goal, for believers are constantly faced with temptations from outside (Eph. 6:11), and from the Church itself (Acts 20: 28-31); all the hatred of the world falls on them (Matthew 10:22). But these are transient sufferings that cannot disturb the soul, since the life of believers is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3: 3), Christ lives in them (Gal. 2:20). He conquered the world (John 16:33); those belonging to Him are partakers of His victory (1 John 5: 4), if they have not lost the safe and strong anchor of hope (Hebrews 4:11), they will find perfect rest from all their works (Rev. 14:13) under the protection of eternal communion with God (Rev. 7: 14-17).
MELCHISEDEK
(King of Truth) - the king of Salem, the priest of the Most High God. On the return of Abraham with the people and property taken from the four eastern kings, he went out to meet him with bread and wine, blessed him and took from him a tenth of all the spoils taken from the enemy. His stay, in all likelihood, was the place on which Jerusalem was later built. However, there are different opinions regarding him. His priesthood was recognized not only by Abraham, but also by those persons from whose property tithes were given. By all accounts, Melchizedek was very well known (Heb. 7: 1); but we are completely unknown about the time of his birth, years, life and about his ancestors (Heb. 7: 3). He is so mysterious both in relation to his face and to his ministry that there have been and still are many different opinions, some of which seem very strange and unfounded. According to the latest Jewish tradition, it was Shem, who could live another 150 years at the same time as Abraham. According to another legend, he belonged to the family of Ham or Japheth. But neither the one nor the other tradition existed in the apostolic age. Some have argued that under the face of Melchizedek is meant an embodied angel or other supernatural being who lived for some time between people. Finally, there were still people who saw in the person of Melchizedek the Old Testament appearance of the Son of God. One sect called the Melchizedean claimed that he was the embodiment of some divine power or even the Holy Spirit. One thing is certain, that Melchizedek was a simple descendant of Adam by natural descent from him; but we know nothing about him, except perhaps that he was a particularly great and significant person. However, the very silence of Holy Scripture about him is in itself significant and representative. The Psalmist prophesied about the Messiah that He is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, and the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews repeatedly points out that this prophecy was fully fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Heb. 5: 5-10). Like Melchizedek, the Lord Jesus Christ is King and High Priest (Zech. 6: 12,13); like Melchizedek, He is incomparably superior to Abraham or his descendants. He is eternal in the same way as Melchizedek is presented without a father, without a mother, without a genealogy, having neither the beginning of days nor the end of life (Heb. 7: 3). "Being like the Son of God," the Apostle Paul finally notes about him, "he remains a priest forever" (v. 3).
TURNES AND WHOLES
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It is difficult to decide which plant species are meant by these words. The words thorns and thistles are generally inseparable in Holy Scripture and very often mean all vegetation useless, harmful, unsuitable, such as tares, etc. In an allegorical sense, the use of these words means desolation (Proverbs 24:30), a visit to God's providence ( Num. 33:55), difficulty and obstacles (Proverbs 22: 5). Thorns and thistles were awarded by God to the land doomed to damnation due to the fall of the forefathers (Genesis 3: 17-19). Cursed is the land in your deeds, said the Lord to Adam, pronouncing His righteous judgment; with sorrow you will eat from it; thorns and thistles she will grow for you ... (Genesis 3: 17-19). However, one cannot think that it was from this time that thorns and thistles appeared on earth. The land blessed by God could grow them, but for those creatures whom they served for the benefit and good; now she grows them to man and at volume there where he plants flowers or sows wheat, so that the memory of sin haunts him in both needs and pleasures. These unusable and weedy plants grew in Palestine, especially in ruins and in places of neglect; so they now abundantly cover the ruins of Capernaum and many places in the Saronic valley.
DESYATINA
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The poor widow in the Temple donates whatever she has. |
A kind of gift known to Jews long before the time of Moses. This offering, which constituted a gift to God, consisted of a tenth of the produce of the land, flocks, etc. And went in favor of the Levites, who did not have land portions and therefore needed the means of their subsistence. Tithing, in this case, was a kind of rent paid by him in return for land. The Levites, in turn, contributed one tenth of their tithes to the maintenance of the high priest (Num. 18: 21-32). The remaining nine parts were again divided into tithes, and from the second tithes a feast was prepared in the courtyard of the sanctuary, or in some adjacent sanctuary. However, if a Jew found it inconvenient for himself to pay his tithe in kind, he was allowed to sell it and deposit the money with the addition of one-sixth of the proceeds; for the feast and then went to the sanctuary (Deut. 14: 22-27). At this festival, they treated their families, friends, and Levites. Based on the words of Deuteronomy (14: 28,29), one can think that in every third year, a third tithe was required from the Jews, eaten in the company of the poor and Levites, the elderly and the weak. The livestock was brought as tithes in the following way: it was released from the stable under a staff in someone's hands, which touched every tenth animal, after which it became the property of the Levites, regardless of whether it was good or bad, and to replace it was no longer allowed (Lev. 27: 32,33). It is not clear whether or not tithes were required from plants and herbs. It is only known that the Pharisees gave tithes from mint, anise and caraway seeds (Matthew 23:23).
The material for the reference sheet was drawn from the following sources:
1. Nikifor, Bible Encyclopedia, (Moscow: Printing House of A. I. Snegireva), 1891.
2. Nyström, E., Bible Dictionary, 1989
3. Rinekerd, F., Brockhaus Bible Encyclopedia, (Kremenchuk: Christliche Verlagsbuchhandlung Paderborn), 1999
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