Ranks of Angels

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Ranks of Angels the Angelic Choirs are enumerated in Jewish and Christian lore. They are categorized by levels of importance and relationship with God. By rank,this is a list of the individual choirs.The First Hierarchy - Those closest to God who contemplate God's goodness.*Seraphim*Cherubim*ThronesThe Second Hierarchy - Those who preside over the ordering of the universe.*Dominions*Virtues*Powers.The Third Hierarchy - Those who have dominion over human affairs.*Principalities*Archangels*AngelsThe SeraphimThe Seraphim Choir is the highest and most magnificent of the nine accepted Angelic choirs. Without question they are the closest in all of heaven to the very Throne of God, and their primary function is to circle the incomprehensibly beautiful Throne in perpetual adoration of the Lord. This is a task that is not nearly as monotonous as it may seem to mortals, given the nature of the angels(who possess perfect powers of concentration) and the delight that such an honor actually brings.The Seraphim are almost always identified with fire, not the burning, painful flames and heat of hell, but the healing flame of Love. They are literally living flames.The intensity of their adoration and pure Love of God portrays them as flawless reflections of the divine Love that emanates from the Lord. Like the rising Sun, each angel radiates such light that even the other holy beings,the Cherubim and the Thrones, cannot look upon them.According to Enoch, each Seraphim has six wings. In the Old Testament Book of Isaiah (6:1-3) he writes "...I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up;and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the Seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew." In the Book of Revelation (4:8) is another possible reference: "And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within,and day and night they never cease to sing 'Holy, holy,holy, is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come!"Members of this Angelic ChoirSeraphiel Metatron Uriel ael Jehoel The Cherubim The Cherubim Choir is the second of the nine accepted choirs of angels, placed second in the first triad of the angelic hierarchy (with the Seraphim and Thrones). They are some of the most powerful and awe inspiring of all angels, standing below only the Seraphim who are in direct contact with God. Their illuminating knowledge and wisdom are thus so great as to be utterly incomprehensible to the mortal mind, blinding the blessed human who has the honor of actually beholding them.In Islamic lore, the Cherubim were allegedly created from the tears shed by the Archangel , for all the sins of humanity. They are the first angels to been countered in the Old Testament, being posted in the Book of Genesis in the East of Eden to ensure that no one entered after the expulsion of Adam and Eve.Their chief task in the celestial hierarchy is to singthe praises of God, but they are also declared in occult lore to have the responsibility of driving the Chariot of the Lord, a key symbol of heaven(Merkabah). The Cherubim are also given the task of maintaining the records of heaven and seeing to the details necessary to maintain orderin the Heavenly Host. Cherubim have the bodies of a winged bull, an eagle,or a sphinx and the faces of men or lions. As is clear from Ezekiel's encounter, the Cherubim possess four wings and four faces, symbolizing their eternal vigilance and knowledge, which pervades all Creation. They are also often portrayed with peacock feathers bearing a host of eyes, again in reference to their all-seeing omniscience.Members of this Angelic Choir Cherubiel Ophaniel Raphael Uriel Zophiel The Thrones.Thrones belong to the first and highest triad of the heavenly host, standing just below the Seraphim and Cherubim. This position makes them some ofthe most powerful angels in service to the Lord.According to St. Aquinas, the Thrones have the task of pondering the disposition of divine judgments. In other words, they carry out or fulfill the divine justice of the Lord. Like their counterparts in the first angelic triad,they rank the closest of all Angels to spiritual perfection and emanate the light of God with mirror-like perfection. They, despite their greatness, are intensely humble, an attribute that allows them to dispense justice with perfect objectivity and without fear of pride nor ambition. Because they are living symbols of God's justice and authority,they are called Thrones and have as one of their symbols the throne.This group of Angelic Princes is often called "Wheels."It is said that they were the actual wheels of the Lord's Heavenly chariot. "The four wheels had rims andthey had spokes, and their rims were full of eyes round about." They are also frequently referred toas the "many-eyed ones."Members of this Angelic Choir:Jophiel Zaphkiel Oriphiel Raziel The Dominions :Also called Lords, Dominions are one of the nine accepted choirs of Angelic Princes, ranked fourth overall. They belong to the second triad of Virtues and Powers. According to Dionysus, the Dominions have the duty in the Heavenly Host of regulating the activities of the angels. Through the efforts of these spirits,the very order of the cosmos is maintained. They handle the minute details of cosmic life and existence,designating tasks to the lower orders of angels.By custom, Dominions are believed to wear green and gold, and their symbols are the sword and scepter.This denotes their lordship over all creation. In turn,the Dominions receive their instructions from the Cherubim or Thrones.Members of this Angelic Choir :Hashmael Zadkiel Muriel Zacharael .The Powers:Function and PhilosophyOne of the nine angelic choirs, Powers are also known as Potentates, Authorities, Dynamics, and Forces. They are placed in the second triad along with Dominions and Virtues, numbered sixth overall.The Powers were supposedly the very first of the angels created by God. However, this conflicts with the theory that all angels came into existence in a single instant.Powers have the task of defeating the efforts of the demons in overthrowing the world. They are declared awesome defenders of the cosmos against all evil and the maintainers of all cosmic order and equilibrium.They are the guardians of the heavenly paths, policing the routes to and from heaven to the Earth. This means they concern themselves with humanity as well. The great harmonizers, they assist each soul to overcome the temptations place before it to do evil. Powers promote the love and worship of God.Powers colors are green and gold, and their symbol is a flaming sword.Members of this Angelic Choir: Raphael Camael Verchiel .The Virtues:The Virtues are ranked fifth in the heavenly host of the nine choirs of angels. They are members of the second triad with Dominions and Powers. As a member of this triad, they take part in the duties given to the three choirs, namely the ordering of the universe. The virtues specifically preside over the elements of the world and the process of celestial life. Thus all heavenly bodies, the stars, planets and galaxies, are shepherded in their divinely appointed orbits. On Earth the angels maintain a watch over nature, marking and guiding every facet of natural life: rain, sow, wind, etc. It has also been speculated that Virtues are in charge of miracles.As if these duties were not enough, the Virtues also assist humanity by sowing grace and valor within the mortal heart. They encourage humans to turn always to do the good, and help enhance the person's will to endure hardship and suffering and to nurture the personal strength to turn ever toward the light of God.As the angels in charge of miracles, they receive their orders from the Powers, but they also closely interact with the Saints, and all the blessed ones.Members of this Angelic Choir: Tarshish Peliel Barbiel Uziel .The PrincipalitiesThe Principalities are placed first in the third of angels among Archangels and Angels. They are ranked seventh overall. Also called Princedoms and Princes, these angels are the first of the choirs primarily concerned with the Earth and are traditionally declared to have roles of caretakers over every nation, province, county,district, city, town, village,and house.They work with Guardian Angels who are assigned to every locale and person. It is debated that the Guardian Angels function as the personal angelic protectors and the principalities and are the administrative and technical authors. They are supposedly empowered with greater strength by God than the Guardian Angels and thus receive permission more frequently to have a direct involvement in the affairs of humanity. They use their incalculable strength of heaven to enlighten the hearts and minds of those mortals with whom they have direct contact.The symbols of Principalities are the scepter, the cross, and the sword.Members of this Angelic Choir:Haniel Cerviel Amael .The Angels ArchangelsThe ninth and final order of angels belongs to the third and final triad of Choirs, their primary focus being the care of humanity and the Earth.While this lowest ranked of all angelic beings,(if one accepts the idea of a regulated angelic organization), Angels are nevertheless members of the heavenly host and thus possess profound and beautiful attributes imparted to them by their Creator. They are beings of pure spirituality and exist to fulfill duties assigned them by God. They are charged to act in the capacity of messengers of the Lord to the Earth and to perform as guardians of the human soul.The Guardian Angel is the angelic being assigned not only to every living soul, but to locales, churches,and nations. They proclaimed the birth of Christ and spoke to Abraham, Moses, and a host of other prophets and patriarchies in the Old Testament. It is humans that the members of the ninth angelic choir are most often concerned with. They deliver messages of impending destruction and woe. This is done through both physical and spiritual means.Angels also observe all of human history, perhaps recording every human act to chronicle the evolutionary development of each soul.In heaven, Angels provide a valuable service through fulfillment of their natures as purely spiritual beings in service to the Creator.Members of this Angelic Choir Raphael Chayyliel Phaleg Adnachiel ARCHANGELSArchangels are ranked eighth in the angelic choir,above Angels and below Principalities. In the division of the angelic hierarchy into three triads of three choirs each, the Archangels belong to the third and lowest triad. The Archangels are perhaps the most ubiquitous of the angelic orders, for aside from being a distinct part of the heavenly host, their name is used frequently for virtually every angelic being superior to the ordinary Angels.Archangels are among the few angelic beings who are mentioned specifically by name in the Old Testament.Even more pointed are references in the New Testament,such as the Letter of Jude (1:9): "But when the archangel, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce are viling judgment upon him, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you.'"As is clear from their appearances in Scripture, the primary duty of the Archangels is to carry out the Will of God as it relates directly to humanity. They bring to the world the prayerful blessings of the Lord.It is for that reason that the Archangels, similar to their close counterparts, the Angels, are said to intervene often in the affairs of men and women.Members of this Angelic Choir The number of Archangels has long been a source of great discussion among angelologists. Traditionally there are seven Archangels, although who they are and what they do has been enumerated in different sources. Islam recognizes only four Archangels, while other doctrines list twelve. Here is the list of Dionysus the Areopagite. Raphael Metatron Uriel Chamuel Zadkiel Jophiel** A Special Thanks Goes To Shellar! for all his help knowledge! **