Medieval Christian theologians identified several levels or angelic choirs in the angelic hierarchy. The most famous of these classifications is presented in the treatise “On the Heavenly Hierarchy” (“Latin: De caelesti hierarchia”), where Dionysius the Areopagite develops a hierarchy of three triads.

However, in the Middle Ages, other schemes were also proposed - both expanding Areopagitica and presenting other, different options. Thus, for some authors the number of ranks was limited to seven. In some variants, the reverse ranking order was justified.

Some scholastics believed that angels and archangels had a lower rank and were the only ones who took a direct part in the affairs of the human world.

At the same time, the authors of “De caelesti hierarchia” and “Summa Theologica”, referring to New Testament, and in particular on Ephesians (1:21) and Colossians (1:16), substantiated the idea of ​​three degrees, spheres, or triads of angels, each containing three orders, or “choirs.”

Method comparative analysis The Old and New Testaments, including etymological and semantic analysis, the above-mentioned theological works (with known variations between individual authors) deduced the angelic hierarchy in the following (descending) order:

First degree (sphere)(according to Old Testament sources)

• Seraphim
• Cherubim
• Thrones (also according to the New Testament)

Second degree (sphere)(according to New Testament sources)

• Dominations
• Authorities

Third degree (sphere)

• Beginnings
• Archangels
• Angels

In the writings of Bonaventura of Bagnoregio, the listed spheres are called, respectively, epiphany, hyperphany and hypophany. At the same time, the ranks of the second and third spheres of his hierarchical list are also combined in pairs.

The theologian deduces the presence of these pairs of ranks from their etymological proximity and the obvious similarity in the description of their functions.

He also explains how the point made in 1 Peter (3:22) applies to these couples:

• Thrones and Dominions
• Principalities and Powers (Eph 6:12)
• Archangels and Angels

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Angelic hierarchy
English Christian angelic hierarchy

First sphere

Seraphim

In Hebrew שׂרף‎ (saraph) - singular. "flaming", "fiery". The ending “-im” indicates plural. h. (Hebrew: שׂרפים‎, read srafiʹm); this distinction is observed in Lat. seraph - seraphi, English. Seraph - Seraphim, etc.

When borrowing into Russian the plural form. seraphim was perceived as singular, and from it a plural was formed: seraphim - seraphim.

Sometimes the etymology is deepened to the original source of the Hebrew word - among the Egyptians, seref meant “griffin” - this is the word form used in Numbers 21:6 and Isaiah 14:29 to designate snake-like lightning.

Actually, the seraphim are mentioned only in Is. 6: 2-3, where, according to the text, they appeared to the eyes of man with six wings, with two wings covering their faces, with two on the lower part of the body (legs), and with two flying, praising the holiness of God.

In the angelic hierarchy, the purpose of the seraphim is also to embody the holy purposes of God on earth.

In biblical usage, seraphim are a rank of angels who worship God and serve the needs of people.

In the apocryphal Book of Enoch it is called Seraphiel. He has the head of an eagle, but he emits such a bright light that no one, not even other angels, can see him.

Cherubim

As in the word “seraphim,” the ending “-im” indicates the plural. h. (Hebrew כרובים‎, read kerubim); this distinction is observed in Lat. cherub - cherubi, English. Cherub - Cherubim or Cherubs.

When borrowing into Russian the plural form. cherubim was perceived as singular, and from it a plural was formed: cherubim - cherubim.

There are several etymological hypotheses, but there are no decisive arguments in favor of any one.

In the Talmud, Hebrew. כרוב‎ derived from Aram. כרביא - “like a young man.”

In the last quarter of the 19th century. Friedrich Delitzsch associated this morpheme with kirubu = shedu, the Assyrian name for a winged bull.

A number of Assyriologists (Feuchtwang, Teloni, Budge, etc.) in 1885 objected to this hypothesis. Later Delitzsch gave another version of the connective - “karubu” (great, powerful).

In 1897, Karppe and then Haupt suggested that כרוב might be Babylonian, in which case it would not mean powerful, but benevolent, benevolent, merciful (synonymous with "damḳu").

In the biblical view, cherubim, along with seraphim, are closest to the Almighty.

In Christianity, the second rank of angels, next after the seraphim.

Thrones

Thrones - according to Dionysius: “God-bearing” (Ezek 1:15-21; 10:1-17) - the Lord sits on them as if on a throne and pronounces His Judgment.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” - the Bible begins with these words. By heaven, according to one interpretation, we mean not our earthly sky, but the Higher Heaven - this is the world of disembodied beings, whom we call the Heavenly Forces or angels, who have their own harmonious hierarchy.

Today we are publishing an excerpt from the famous Archpriest Konstantin Parkhomenko, which in an accessible form gave a comprehensive interpretation of all existing angelic ranks and noted their interrelation, based on the works of Saint Dionysius.

Difference in interpretations

The Bible speaks of eight orders of Angels, these are: Archangels, Cherubim, Seraphim, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Powers. Where does such diversity of the inhabitants of heaven come from?..

The teachers of the Church thought about this. Origen(III century) suggested that the difference in ranks of Angels is due to their cooling in love for God. The higher the rank, the more faithful and obedient the Angel is to God, and vice versa. However, the Orthodox Church rejected such an interpretation.

All Angels have the same “temperature” of love for God and zeal for God.

Saint Augustine(IV century) wrote: “That there are Thrones, Dominions, Principalities and Powers in the heavenly abodes, I unshakably believe, and that they differ from each other, I undoubtedly maintain; but what they are and in what way they differ from each other, I don’t know.”

The most profound and thoughtful work on this topic comes from the pen of a 5th century theologian Saint Dionysius the Areopagite. He wrote an essay called “On the Heavenly Hierarchy” and in which the question is clarified - how Angels differ from each other.

Dionysius divides all Angels into three triads. Each triad has three ranks (in total he has nine ranks).

1. First triad, closest to God, are Cherubim, Seraphim and Thrones.

2. Second triad: Dominance, Strength, Power.

3. Finally, third triad: Beginnings, Archangels, Angels.

Saint Dionysius says that the rank of Angel depends on the position in the heavenly hierarchy, that is, on proximity to the King of Heaven - God.

The highest Angels praise God and stand before Him. Other Angels, whose rank in the heavenly hierarchy is lower, carry out various tasks, for example, protecting people. These are the so-called "service" perfume.

The work of Saint Dionysius is a remarkable achievement of Orthodox mysticism, theology and philosophy. For the first time, a coherent teaching appears that seeks to show the principles of God’s interaction with the world through angelic beings; for the first time, the variety of ranks of Angels mentioned in the Bible was brought into order.

However, it should be remembered that classification of angelic ranks by Saint Dionysius is not a scientific work - it is, rather, mystical reflections, material for theological reflection. Angelology Dionysius the Areopagite, for example, cannot be used in the study of biblical angelology, since it comes from other theological principles.

Moreover, it is impossible angelology to somehow interface with the natural scientific research of our world, these are completely different dimensions.

However, for the student of theology, the system of St. Dionysius is indispensable, and here is why:

In his work, the Byzantine thinker shows that the closer the Angelic rank is to God, the more it becomes a participant in the blessed Light and grace of God.

Who is from which triad?

Each of triad of Angels, writes Saint Dionysius, has its own general purpose. The first is purification, the second is enlightenment and the third is improvement.

First triad, first three senior ranks - Cherubim, Seraphim And Thrones- are in the process of purification from all

admixture of something imperfect. Being close to God, in constant contemplation of the Divine Light, they achieve of the highest degree the purity and uncloudedness of his angelic spirit, striving to resemble the Absolute Spirit - God. And there is no limit to this perfection.

No one else among God’s creations can achieve the dizzying degree of purity in which these Angels reside. Nobody...except Maria from Nazareth - Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. We glorify her, who bore under our hearts, gave birth, swaddled, and raised the Savior of the world, as “the Most Honest Cherub and the Most Glorious, without comparison, the Seraphim.”

Second triad - Dominance, Strength, Authority- is constantly enlightened by the light of God’s wisdom, and there is also no limit for it, for the wisdom of God is limitless. This enlightenment is not of a mental nature, but of a contemplative nature.

That is, the Angels contemplate in awe and amazement the infinite and perfect wisdom of God.

Finally, the matter last triad - Began, Archangels, Angels- there is improvement. This is a more understandable and concrete type of service for us. These Angels, familiar with God's perfection and His will, convey this will to us and thus help us improve.

Interpretation of angel names

Dionysius the Areopagite emphasizes the fundamental difference in the nature of the Angels that make up different triads. If the angelic nature of the first, highest, triad can be described as light and fire, then in the second, Dionysius notes power and material characteristics, and the third triad is understood functionally, as serving the will of God addressed to the world.

Saint Dionysius defined not only the general ministry of the triads of Angels, but also the specific ministry of each of the nine ranks. The very name of the rank will help us find out what kind of service they perform:

1. Yes, name Seraphim, which is worn by the highest Angels, is translated in Hebrew as "flaming",

2. Name Cherub means "abundance of knowledge or outpouring of wisdom"(Saint Dionysius).

3. Finally, the name of the third rank of the first triad is Thrones denotes Angels removed from everything earthly, and shows us the desire of these Angels to “clean immovably and firmly to the Lord.”

Accordingly, one can understand the properties and qualities of the other two angelic triads.

Dominations instruct earthly rulers to wisely govern.

Powers perform miracles and send down the grace of miracles to the saints of God

Authorities have the power to tame the power of the devil. They reflect all our temptations and also have power over the elements of nature.

Beginnings govern the Universe, the laws of nature, protect peoples, tribes, countries.

Archangels preach the great and glorious mysteries of God. They are the conductors of God's revelation.

are present in every person, they inspire spiritual life and preserve them in everyday life.

Opinion Dionysius the Areopagite should not be considered indisputable. In the holy fathers (and even in Saint Dionysius himself) we come across the idea that there are many more angelic ranks than nine, their ministries are more varied than those listed above, but this is not revealed to us. The system of Saint Dionysius is just an introduction to angelology, a starting point for further theological exploration.

Great John of Damascus, who himself greatly appreciated the work of Dionysius, summed up his opinion as follows: Orthodox Church about this question:

“Whether they are essentially equal or different from each other, we do not know. Only God, who created them, knows, and He knows everything. They differ from each other in light and position; either having a degree according to the light, or participating in the light according to the degree, and enlighten each other due to the superiority of rank or nature. But it is clear that the higher Angels communicate both light and knowledge to the lower ones.”

The celebration of the Council of the Archangel Michael of God and other disembodied Heavenly Powers was established at the beginning of the 4th century at the Local Council of Laodicea, which took place several years before the First Ecumenical Council. The Council of Laodicea, by its 35th canon, condemned and rejected the heretical worship of angels as creators and rulers of the world and approved their Orthodox veneration. The holiday is celebrated in November - the ninth month from March (with which the year began in ancient times) - in accordance with the number of the 9 ranks of Angels. The eighth day of the month indicates the future Council of all Heavenly Powers on the day Last Judgment God, which the holy fathers call the “eighth day,” for after this age, which runs in weeks of days, the “eighth day” will come, and then “the Son of Man will come in His Glory and all the holy Angels with Him” (Matthew 25:31).

The Angelic ranks are divided into three hierarchies - highest, middle and lowest. Each hierarchy consists of three ranks. The highest hierarchy includes: Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. Closest Holy Trinity the six-winged Seraphim (Flaming, Fiery) are coming (Isa. 6, 2). They burn with love for God and encourage others to do so.

After the Seraphim, the many-eyed Cherubim stand before the Lord (Gen. 3:24). Their name means: outpouring of wisdom, enlightenment, for through them, shining with the light of knowledge of God and understanding of the mysteries of God, wisdom and enlightenment are sent down for true knowledge of God.

Behind the Cherubim come the God-bearing Ones by grace given to them for service, the Thrones (Col. 1:16), mysteriously and incomprehensibly bearing God. They serve God's justice.

The average Angelic hierarchy consists of three ranks: Dominance, Strength and Authority.

Dominions (Col. 1:16) rule over the subsequent ranks of Angels. They instruct God-appointed earthly rulers in wise governance. Dominions teach one to control one's feelings, tame sinful lusts, enslave the flesh to the spirit, dominate one's will, and overcome temptations.

The powers (1 Pet. 3:22) fulfill the will of God. They work miracles and send down the grace of miracles and clairvoyance to the saints of God. The forces help people to obey, strengthen them in patience, and bestow spiritual strength and courage.

The authorities (1 Pet. 3:22; Col. 1:16) have the power to tame the power of the devil. They ward off demonic temptations from people, confirm ascetics, protect them, and help people in the fight against evil thoughts.

The lower hierarchy includes three ranks: Principalities, Archangels and Angels.

The principalities (Col. 1:16) rule over the lower angels, directing them to fulfill Divine commands. They are entrusted with managing the universe, protecting countries, peoples, tribes. They began to instruct people to give everyone the honor due to their rank. They teach superiors how to perform job responsibilities not for the sake of personal glory and benefits, but for the sake of the honor of God and the benefit of others.

Archangels (1 Thessalonians 4:16) preach great and glorious things, reveal the mysteries of faith, prophecies and understanding of the will of God, strengthen the holy faith in people, enlightening their minds with the light of the Holy Gospel.

Angels (1 Pet. 3:22) are closest to people. They proclaim God's intentions and instruct people to lead a virtuous and holy life. They protect believers, keep them from falling, raise the fallen, never leave us and are always ready to help if we wish.

All ranks of the Heavenly Forces bear the general name of Angels - in essence of their service. The Lord reveals His will to the highest Angels, and they, in turn, enlighten the rest.

Over all nine ranks, the Lord placed the holy Archangel Michael (his name translated from Hebrew as “who is like God”) - a faithful servant of God, for he cast down from Heaven the proud star with other fallen spirits. And to the rest of the Angelic Powers he exclaimed: “Let us take notice! Let us become good before our Creator and not think anything displeasing to God!” According to Church tradition, recorded in the service of Archangel Michael, he took part in many Old Testament events. During the Israelites' exit from Egypt, he led them in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Through him the Power of the Lord appeared, destroying the Egyptians and Pharaoh who were pursuing the Israelites. Archangel Michael protected Israel in all disasters.

He appeared to Joshua and revealed the will of the Lord to take Jericho (Joshua 5: 13 - 16). The power of the great Archangel of God appeared in the destruction of 185 thousand soldiers of the Assyrian king Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:35), in the defeat of the wicked leader of Antiochus Iliodor and in protecting from the fire the three holy youths - Ananias, Azariah and Mishael, who were thrown into the oven to be burned for refusal bow to the idol. (Dan. 3, 92 - 95).

By the will of God, the Archangel transported the prophet Habakkuk from Judea to Babylon to give food to Daniel, imprisoned in the den of lions (kontakion akathist, 8).

Archangel Michael forbade the devil to show the body of the holy prophet Moses to the Jews for deification (Jude 1:9).

Saint Archangel Michael showed his power when he miraculously saved a youth thrown into the sea by robbers with a stone around his neck off the coast of Athos (Athos Patericon).

Since ancient times, Archangel Michael has been glorified for his miracles in Rus'. The Volokolamsk Patericon contains the story of St. Paphnutius Borovsky from the words of the Tatar Baskaks about miraculous salvation Novgorod the Great: “And since Veliky Novgrad was never taken from the Hagarians... sometimes, by God’s permission, it was a sin for our sake, the godless Hagaryan king Batu captured the Rosi land and burned it and went to the New City and covered it with God and the Most Pure Mother of God with the appearance of Michael the Archangel, etc. forbid him to come at him. He went to the Lithuanian cities and came to Kyiv and saw the great Archangel Michael written above the doors of the stone church and said to the prince with his finger: “Forbid me from going to Velikiy Novgorod»«.

Representations for Russian cities of the Most Holy Queen of Heaven were always carried out by Her appearances with the Heavenly Host, under the leadership of the Archangel. Grateful Rus' sang the Most Pure Mother of God and Archangel Michael in church hymns. Many monasteries, cathedrals, palace and town churches are dedicated to the Archangel. In ancient Kyiv, immediately after the adoption of Christianity, the Archangel Cathedral was erected and a monastery was established. The Archangel Cathedrals stand in Smolensk, Nizhny Novgorod, Staritsa, monastery in Veliky Ustyug (beginning of the 13th century), cathedral in Sviyazhsk. There was no city in Rus' where there was not a temple or chapel dedicated to the Archangel Michael. One of the most important churches in the city of Moscow - the tomb temple in the Kremlin - is dedicated to him. The icons of the Chief of the Supreme Powers and his Cathedral are numerous and beautiful. One of them - the icon “Blessed Host” - was painted for the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, where the holy warriors - the Russian princes - are depicted under the leadership of the Archangel Michael.

From Holy Scripture And Sacred Tradition The Archangels are also known: Gabriel - the fortress (power) of God, the herald and servant of Divine omnipotence (Dan. 8, 16; Luke 1, 26); Raphael - the healing of God, the healer of human ailments (Tob. 3, 16; Tov. 12, 15); Uriel - fire or light of God, enlightener (3 Ezra 5, 20); Selaphiel is God’s prayer book, encouraging prayer (3 Ezra 5, 16); Jehudiel - glorifying God, strengthening those who work for the glory of the Lord and interceding for reward for their exploits; Barachiel is a dispenser of God's blessing for good deeds, asking people for God's mercy; Jeremiel - exaltation to God (3 Ezra 4, 36).

On the icons the Archangels are depicted in accordance with the type of their ministry:

Michael - tramples the devil underfoot, in his left hand he holds a green date branch, in his right hand - a spear with a white banner (sometimes a flaming sword), on which a scarlet cross is inscribed.

Gabriel - with a branch of paradise brought by him Holy Virgin, or with a luminous lantern in right hand and a jasper mirror on the left.

Raphael holds a vessel with healing potions in his left hand, and with his right he leads Tobiah, who is carrying a fish.

Uriel - in his raised right hand - a naked sword at chest level, in his lowered left hand - a “flame of fire”.

Selafiel - in a prayer position, looking down, hands folded on his chest.

Yehudiel - holds a golden crown in his right hand, and a scourge of three red (or black) ropes in his shuitz.

Barachiel - there are many pink flowers on his clothes.

Jeremiel holds scales in his hand.

The ranks of the heavenly powers and saints in Orthodoxy. Heavenly hierarchy.

Since the creation of the world and man, there have always been creatures that hinder people, and those that help. Angels, Cherubim, Seraphim - perhaps there is not a single person on earth who has not heard about these disembodied forces. Since ancient times, people have known about the existence of angels, they were revered, and continue to be revered in many religions; angels are revered by almost all peoples of the world. Angels are mentioned more than once in the Holy Scriptures; their actions are described in fulfilling the will of God, helping the righteous, as well as protecting people from troubles and misfortunes with their angelic cover. But angels are mentioned not only in the main Christian book, information about them was also left by the Holy Fathers, to whom heavenly beings appeared more than once and conveyed to them the will of the Almighty; they are called angels, that is, messengers.

The Lord endowed his disembodied messengers with many gifts and powerful powers, with the help of which God’s spiritual essences can influence the world of things and man, but only according to the will of the Lord and his desire, fulfilling his will. With all their essence, angels love their Creator and remain in tireless gratitude to him for the bliss in which they reside, and this bliss cannot be compared with anything. There are a lot of angels, sometimes a person’s mind gets lost in their countless number. In fact, everything is much simpler, because among the heavenly angels there is their own harmony, order and hierarchy, which is described in the work of the disciple of the Holy Apostle Paul - the passion-bearer and martyr Dionysius the Areopagite. According to the writings of Saint Dionysius, the heavenly hierarchy has three degrees, each of which has three ranks, respectively, a total of nine spiritual entities:

1. Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones - are distinguished by their closeness to the Almighty God. Dominance;
2. Forces and Powers - emphasize the basis of the universe and world dominion;
3. The principles - Archangels and Angels - are distinguished by their closeness to every person.

Our Lord Jesus Christ pours out his love on all his angels, starting with the highest ranks, therefore the ranks of angels are in complete harmony and subordination of the lower ranks to the higher ones, according to the hierarchy.

Seraphim - this name means “Flaming, Fiery.” They are always close to the Lord, of all the angels they are closest to the Heavenly Father. Blaze divine and great love to the Lord, they pass it on to other faces, inflaming them. This is their main purpose and their main task.

Cherubim - This name means "Chariot". The prophet Ezekiel saw them in the form of a lion, an eagle, an ox and a man. This means that Cherubim combine intelligence, obedience, strength and speed, are God's chariot and stand before the throne of God. Cherubim know everything that the Lord allows His children to know; through them God sends wisdom and knowledge into the world.

Thrones are spiritual entities shining with the light of knowledge of God. God Himself rests on them not sensually, but spiritually, and carries out His just judgment. Their purpose is to help the children of God, to be honest and to act only in justice.

Dominions - rule over subsequent ranks of angels. Their direct purpose is to protect from the fall, tame obstinacy, conquer the thirst for temptation and piously control your feelings.

Powers - created by the Lord in order to work miracles, to bestow the gifts of clairvoyance, healing from illnesses, and miracles to saints God's saints and righteous holy fathers. They help people to endure hardships and hardships, bestow wisdom, fortitude and prudence.

Authorities- They are endowed with special power by the True God, they are able to tame the actions and power of Satan. Their direct purpose is to protect earthly inhabitants from the machinations of the devil, to protect ascetics in their pious life, and to pacify the natural elements.

Beginnings- lead the lower degree of angels, direct their actions to fulfill the will of God. They rule the universe, the world and the peoples inhabiting the earth. They teach earthlings to live not for their own benefit, but for the glory of God.

Archangels- created to bring good news to the world of people, to reveal the mystery of the Christian faith, and to convey the will of the Lord to people. They are conductors - Revelations.

Angels- main defenders ordinary people, every person has, they guide him on the righteous path, protect him from evil spirits and evil spirits, keep from falling and help the fallen to rise.

According to the Holy Scriptures, Archangel Michael, the heavenly warrior and commander-in-chief of the angelic army, is placed above all the angelic ranks. Led by the Archangel Michael, the Divine Angels cast down the proud angel and everyone who followed Satan into the underworld. The great warrior of the heavenly forces, Archangel Michael, took part in many heavenly battles and defended the people of Israel in troubles and adversity.

In addition to the disembodied forces, there is a distribution of all saints into ranks of holiness, which are understood in different categories, namely:

1. Old Testament Saints - Holy Fathers and Prophets
2. New Testament Saints - Apostles, Equal-to-the-Apostles and Enlighteners, Saints, Great Martyrs and Martyrs, Confessors and Passion-Bearers, Reverends, Fools, Faithful, Silverless.

So, who are these New Testament saints?

The True God created his spiritual essences intelligent and strong, and distributed them according to the type of service. According to merit, lifestyle and degree of holiness - Old Testament and New Testament Saints are distributed.

The ranks of angels are an important part Christian culture. After all, even in heaven there is a strict hierarchy.

We will help you understand angelic chinaz in this article.

The ranks of angels - what are they and why are they needed

The kingdom of God is like any organization. If these words seem blasphemous to you, then think about where people got their structure of society from? God made man in his own image and likeness, which means he handed down the hierarchy to us. Moreover, let us remember that Archangel Michael bears the title of Archangel, that is, the commander-in-chief of the heavenly army. This alone can say that the ranks of angels really exist.

Ancient icon Image of St. Michael the Archangel, leader of the heavenly army. Russia XIX century

What are they created for? As in any organization, so in heaven, there must be a chain of command. Without it, disorder and anarchy will reign in the organization. And it was precisely for refusing to obey that the angel Lucifer was expelled. And let us remember that each of the angels has its own, so to speak, field of activity. So, without a clear hierarchy, it is simply impossible to establish order in such a structure. In general, the nine angelic ranks were created by God precisely in order to manage the heavenly kingdom as effectively as possible.

The Creator, naturally, is endowed with limitless power and possibilities - how else would he create the whole world? But you should understand that even he sometimes needs to escape from one problem in order to take care of another. Especially real world too fragile to withstand direct divine intervention. Let's not forget about Archangel Gabriel, who is the Voice of God. After all, if the Creator turns to a person directly, then he simply will not withstand the power of the true voice and will die. This is why God needs help. Excessive strength imposes its own limitations.

Nine angelic ranks

Yes, this seemingly monolithic organization has its problems. On at least one occasion, a rift was brewing among the angels. But it happened because of the first fallen angel, who was able to attract a few rebels to his side. From this we can conclude that the basis of the problems is not the reasonableness of the hierarchy, which no one questions. The problem is that only the Lord himself can be perfect in this world. Even Adam and Eve, his beloved children, succumbed to the temptations of the Serpent. Yes, you can make a discount on the freedom of choice given to them. But if their souls were completely pure, then the flattering speeches of the Enemy would not have had their destructive effect.

If we sum up all of the above, it turns out that there is no hierarchy in Heaven. Everything is like people. But should this be surprising? Unlikely. Any organization is designed to eliminate, so to speak, the human factor. In our case - angelic. It doesn’t always work out, but how could it be otherwise? Even such a perfect being as God can have mistakes.

9 angelic ranks of the heavenly hierarchy

We have already talked about how many angelic ranks there are in the Christian religion. There are 9 angelic ranks. Now let's get to the bottom of it - what are the ranks of angels and their names? The story needs to begin with the fact that the ranks are divided into triads of angels. They were created for a reason - each triad unites a certain group of angels. The first is those who are directly close to the Lord. The second emphasizes the divine basis of the universe and world dominion. The third is those who are directly close to humanity. Let's look at each in more detail.

Angelic ranks in Orthodoxy

The first triad consists of seraphim, cherubim and thrones. Seraphim are the creatures closest to God. These six-winged creatures live in constant motion. They are often confused with muses, who can also kindle the fire of life in the souls of mortals. But at the same time, seraphim can scorch a person with their heat. Cherubim are guardian angels. They are the ones that guard the tree of life, which appeared after the expulsion of Adam and Eve. The first representatives of the great Mistrust, because before the Expulsion the tree did not need to be protected. Thrones are not part of the interior. They are the third rank of the first triad, they are often called the Mirrors of Wisdom. They reflect divine providence, and with their help, heavenly souls can predict the future.

The second triad includes powers, dominations and authorities. The forces are engaged in transferring a piece of divine power to mortals. Help in Hard time grab your head, so to speak, and don’t despair. Dominions - the middle rank in the angelic hierarchy, personify the craving for freedom and independence, convey to people the craving to remove themselves from inequality. Authorities are the rank that closes the second triad. Some texts, the Gospels, for example, say that authorities can be both helpers of good and minions of evil. Carry out manifestations of divine power in the human world.

The third triad completes the hierarchy ladder. It includes the principles, archangels and angels. The Principles are the angelic rank that governs the human Hierarchies. There is a version that it was with their permission that the monarchs were anointed. Archangels are senior angels who control the angels themselves. As an example, Archangel Michael the Archangel, the chief of the angelic army. Angels are those who are most involved in people's lives. They bring messages from God, they fight in his name, they give him honor and glory.

These are all the angelic orders that exist in the Christian religion. In different interpretations there may be a different number of them, from 9 to 11. But the most reliable is the one mentioned in the works of Dionysius by the Areopagite. They were written at the end of the 5th or early 6th century. This is a whole collection of research texts, the purpose of which was to bring clarity to the lives of celestial beings. The theologian wondered complex issues and tried to answer them as clearly as possible. He did it. The key to such success was the researcher’s spirituality and the most powerful power of thought. He read many texts just to satisfy his and our curiosity. We can say that the theologian simply summarized everything that had been written before him. And this is true, but partially. Even such a seemingly simple job required titanic efforts.

Angelic ranks in Orthodoxy

There is a difference between Orthodox and Catholic culture. She also touched upon the roles assigned to the angelic ranks. Yes, if you look in general, the differences will not be striking. Still, even if they are different confessions, they are of the same religion. How are the angelic ranks different in Orthodoxy?

All 9 angelic orders are depicted in “The Assumption” by Francesco Botticini.

Firstly - in Orthodox religion no triads. There are degrees here. There are also three of them, and they are called - Higher, Middle, Lower. They differ from each other in their “distance” from the divine throne. This in no way means that God loves the Lower degree less than the Higher. Of course not. It’s just that if the first is in direct contact with people, doing the will of God, then mortals almost never see the second.

The next big difference is the degree of personalization. In Orthodoxy, individual angelic personalities appear more often. They are given honor as intercessors and guardians. In Catholicism this happens much less often. Although here, like Catholics, there are 9 angels, 9 ranks of angels. Both faiths used the same texts, and minor differences can be attributed to different interpretations. Cherubic angels, for example, represent wisdom rather than guardianship. They have the highest spiritual wisdom and can use it. For the good, of course, by telling his fellow men how best to carry out this or that command of the Lord.

Let us dwell on the last degree, the lower angelic rank, their description and meaning. In Orthodoxy they are given the most attention, because they are more often shown to people. Some higher archangels are given names such as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael. Ordinary angels communicate most closely with people, even becoming personal guardians and intercessors. Guardian angels take custody of every mortal, instructing and helping him, pushing him along the path of God's Plan, the so-called Great Plan.

Angels are invisible, immortal, but just as invisible and immortal human soul. That is, to the extent that God grants them this prosperity. In Orthodoxy, angels are associated with two elements - fire and air. With fire they cleanse sinners, bring divine wrath and retribution. And they are like the wind, because they are transported across the earth with great speed in order to carry out the highest will as quickly as possible.

Angelic ranks are an important part heavenly kingdom, because without them there will be no order, no discipline. It is with their help that it becomes clear how the hierarchy of divine essences works. It was from them that humanity gained an understanding of how their own society should work.