It is not because angels are holier than men or devils that makes them angels, but because they do not expect holiness from one another, but from God alone. ~William Blake

Angel Categories

In simple terms an Angel is a messenger of God. As it states in Webster’s dictionary, an Angel is a spiritual being superior to humans in power and intelligence; especially: one in the lowest rank in the celestial hierarchy: an attendant spirit or guardian.

Also in Webster’s dictionary, the origins of the word Angel is Middle English, from Old English engel & Anglo-French angele; both from Late Latin angelus, which is from Greek angelos, literally meaning messenger.

When most people think of Angels, they think of the Judeo-Christian Religions. However, angels are found in many of eastern and western religions. They are found in Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism. Hinduism has beings known as avatars. And Devas in Buddhism are one of many different types of angel-type beings who share the characteristics of being powerful, having longevity, and living more contentedly than the average human being.

In Islamic traditions, we find the same angels from the Old Testament stories. Shamanism has its own encounters with winged beings; although, they tend to come in the form of beings we don’t associate with the Christian imagery.

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Angels from the Holy Christian Bible
Angels waste no time making an appearance in the Bible. They are found in the 3rd chapter of Genesis as Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden. It says, “After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”

In Biblical terms, angels play a vital role within God’s plan. They guide, protect, and give messages from God. Their appearance varies from angel to angel. For example, the Cherubim are described by Ezekiel and John, the writer of Revelation as being a creature with 4 heads: A lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle. They had wings and eyes all the way around.

Archangels have the appearance of man. The two archangels found in the Holy Bible are Michael and Gabriel. Michael means, “Greatest messenger who is like God” He is mentioned several times in Daniel (10:13, 21, 12:1), once in Jude (1:9), and once in Revelation (12:7). Gabriel means “God is my strength.” He appeared by name four times: twice to Daniel to interpret the meaning of his visions (Daniel 8-9), once to announce John the Baptist’s birth to his father Zacharias (Luke 1:11-20), and once to announce the birth of Jesus to Mary (Luke 1:26-38).

Some versions of the Bible, such as the Catholic canon, included the Book of Tobit which features Raphael. Uriel is feature in the Book of Enoch, which appears in the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible. These two angels are widely considered archangels. Enoch also features Raguel, Zerachiel and Remiel as the additional archangels, but often these Angels are overlooked.

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Discover the Archangels
Archangels are angel of a high order. They are found in the first triad in the angel hierarchy. All Archangels end with the “el” suffix. “El” meaning “in God” and the first half of the name meaning what each individual Angel specializes in. For example, Raphael means “Healing in God.”

Like all angels, Archangels are able to be in many places at one time. They are not restrained to time and space. If you call on an archangel they will be there in an instant to assist as God deems appropriate. They are here for us, but for God first. The most popular Archangels are Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel.

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Angels Known as Guardian Angels
Guardian Angels are in the realm of the 3rd choir of angels the 3rd triad; although, for Angels they don’t see one angel over another angel. They see each other as serving God. Any structure within this system is set up merely to serve God. Guardian Angels serve us as helpers. They work within the Spirit of God to guide us on our path. They bring awareness to our thoughts and give us our lessons along the way. They intervene only when absolutely necessary and know us better than we know ourselves. They will speak to us in a way that doesn’t bring judgment, but understanding. They love us and will come to us in a way that is pleasing and acceptable to us as individuals. You are given your guardian angel before birth and this angel stays with you for a life time.

Guardian Angels are found in the Christian Holy Bible. I Genesis 28-29, angels acted on behalf of God’s wrath and delivered Lot’s family to safety. In Exodus 32:34, God says to Moses: “my angel shall go before thee.” In Psalm 91:11 it says, “For he will command his angels concerning you.”

Christ says in Mathew18:10, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” And Hebrew1:14 makes very clear the service angels provide, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”

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