What are angels?
How do we know angels exist?
The Nine Choirs of Angels
Guardian Angels
Angels of the Church (from Revelation)

An angel is a pure spirit created by God. The Old Testament theology included the belief in angels: the name applied to certain spiritual beings or intelligences of heavenly residence, employed by God as the ministers of His will.

How do we know angels exist?

The Scriptures give us no indication of the precise time of the creation of angels; their existence is assumed at the earliest times.

Our Lord often spoke of angels; in the New Testament they are numerous and seven orders are mentioned: Angels, Powers, Principalities, Dominions (ations), Thrones and Archangels the Old Testament specifically mentions two others Seraph and Cherub.

God bestowed upon angels great wisdom, freedom, and power, and their many appearances in the New Testament are indication of the lead role assigned to them.

Angels are purely spiritual or bodiless persons (Mt 11:30), some of whom behold the face of God and thus are in bliss (Mt 18:10). These spiritual beings comprise the celestial court and are called angels (from the Greek for "messenger") because, according to the Bible, they carry out missions at God's command. In order to complete these missions, they can at times assume bodily form. According to the Bible, their missions are sometimes of great importance - eg, the Annunciation (Lk 1:26; 2:9-14).

Perhaps the most significant continuing activity of the good angels is to be the agents of God's particular providence for mankind. Thus, the Church teaches that everyone has a guardian angel, based on references to them throughout the Bible.(top of the page)

The Nine Choirs of Angels

According to Church Theology Angels are ranked in the celestial hierarchy of Nine Orders:

• Seraphim
• Cherubim
• Thrones
• Dominions
• Virtues
• Powers
• Principalities
• Archangels
• Angels (Regular)

Who are our Guardian Angels?

No evil shall befall you, nor shall affliction come near your tent, for to His Angels God has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways. Upon their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Psalm 91: 10-12

A heavenly spirit assigned by God to watch over each of us during our lives. The role of the guardian angel is both to guide us to good thoughts, works and words.

(top of the page)

Angels of the early Church

In Revelations the Lord addresses each of the seven Churches by means of instructing angels to record His dictation. These 'secretary' angels are the angels of the Churches:

• Church of Ephesus (Rv 2:1)
• of Smyrna (Rv 2:8)
• of Pergamum (Rv 2:12)
• of Thyatira (Rv 2:18)
• of Sardis (Rv 3:1)
• of Philadelphia (Rv 3:7)
• of Laodices (Rv 3:14)

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Life is full of infinite absurdities, which, strangely enough, do not even need to appear plausible, since they are true.
--Luigi Pirandello Six Characters in Search of an Author

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch of their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
--Luke 2:8-11

A woman has two smiles that an angel might envy, the smile that accepts a lover before words are uttered, and the smile that lights on the first born babe, and assures it of a mother's love
--Thomas C. Haliburton

The highest point of philosophy is to be both wise and simple; this is the angelic life.
--John ChrysoStom (c347-407)

The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly.
--G.K. Chesterton

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.
--Anonymous

There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil. The triumph of anything is a matter of organisation. If there are such things as angels, hope that they are organised along the lines of the Mafia.
--Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. The Sirens of Titan

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love I gain nothing Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away...And now these things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
--1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13

We are, each of us angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another.
--Luciano De Crescenzo

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
--Hebrews 13:2

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.
--Unknown

Everything I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother
--Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

Dear George, Remember no man's a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings. Love, Clarence
--Clarence, the angel It's a Wonderful Life

We are, each of us, angels with one wing and we can only fly by embracing one another.
--Lucian de Creszenza

Angels do find us in our hour of need.
--Amy Huffman