Angel

In his late work Conjugal Love he describes, that a soul of a man and a soul of a woman are united by the marriage in heaven to become an angel. Holdens have been a staple of domestic touring car racing since the 1960s, and the quasi-factory Holden Racing Team has been dominant in V8 Supercar racing. The Christian mystic Emanuel Swedenborg has a similar imagination. Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Holden selling extensively modified, high-performance Commodore variants (including the Monaro and the Statesman). The Sufi mystic Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi wrote in his poem Masnavi:. It is sold in limited numbers in the UK as the Vauxhall Monaro. When the human body dies, a soul could become an angel. Starting with the 2004 model year, the Monaro has been exported to the United States, rebadged as the Pontiac GTO, and the Middle East, rebadged as the Chevrolet Lumina Coupe.

Some mystics believe, that a soul is growing in steps from minerals, plants and animals to men. The revived Monaro was released in the Australian market in October 2001. Crowley felt that attaining Knowledge and Conversation was so important, that he staked the claim that any other magical operation was, in a sense, evil. A revived Monaro, based on the previous model Commodore, has attracted wide attention since being shown as a concept car at Australian motor shows, and a large waiting list after it was put into production. For Crowley, this event was the single most important goal of any adept:. Between 1968 and 1974, GMH sold a two-door variant of their full-size Holden sedan as the Monaro, with great success. According to most Thelemites, the single most important goal is to consciously connect with one’s HGA, a process termed “Knowledge and Conversation.” By doing so, the magician becomes fully aware of his own True Will. Fiji, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia have also been Holden export markets.

Citing Crowley, people have linked the term with the Genius of the Golden Dawn, the Augoeides of Iamblichus, the Atman of Hinduism, and the Daemon of the gnostics.Guardian Angel. Holden also exports its Statesman sedan to the Middle East as the Chevrolet Caprice, to South Korea as the Daewoo Statesman, and China as the Buick Royaum. Within the system of Thelema, the Holy Guardian Angel is representative of one’s truest divine nature. The Holden Monaro is sold under that name through Vauxhall dealerships in the United Kingdom. Aleister Crowley, tried to teach people to attain what he called "the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel". A modified version of the Holden Monaro is sold in the United States as the Pontiac GTO. Note that if a particular deva has a widespread cult, like Vishnu or Shiva, he is believed not to be an ordinary deva but equated to Ishvara by his followers. HSV's modified vehicles are also sold in the United Kingdom.

Examples of such devas are Indra, Mitra, Ashvins, Varuna, etc. Holden's exports to the Middle East and Brazil were the first left hand drive cars built since the 1960s, when it sold cars in Hawaii. Buddhism and Jainism also believe in the existance of such devas. It is also sold in South Africa, Thailand, and parts of the Middle East badged as a Chevrolet Lumina, and in Brazil as the Chevrolet Omega. They grant material benefits to humans upon praying and sacrificing to them, though they don't carry the message of Ishvara to the humans as in Abrahamic religions (a category of such beings also exit, called "devaduta" or "duta"). The Holden Commodore is as popular in New Zealand (where it has hit the number-one slot in the sales' charts from time to time) as it is in Australia, often being used as a police car. They are celestial beings with supernatural powers, but also weaknesses. The Astra Turbo, and Tigra have also been released in Australia, but will not be sold in New Zealand.

The Devas may be better translated as angels or demigods. It was only in August 2005 that the wagon version of the Holden Astra went on sale in Australia, while in New Zealand, the Astra wagon is to be dropped, like the Zafira in 2004. Many Hindus now say that this is a poor practice, because the best word for God in Sanskrit is Ishvara (the Supreme Lord). There are still differences between the Holden model ranges in Australia and New Zealand. In English, the Sanskrit word Deva is exclusively translated as "god", which certainly gives a polytheistic appearance to Hinduism. For a very brief, and with hindsight anomalous, period during 1998-1999, the Holden Frontera was sold new in New Zealand as the Isuzu Wizard, though things have now been brought into line with Australia. Also, angel-like beings called Tennin and Tenshi appear in Japanese mythology. Similarly, the Isuzu Trooper off-road vehicle was rebadged the Holden Jackaroo, as in Australia, although owing to the widespread availability of the identical Isuzu Bighorn as a used Japanese import, that name was used on brand new models imported by Holden New Zealand.

In Zoroastrianism, the Amesha Spentas have often been regarded as angels, but this is not strictly correct since they don´t convey messages, but are rather emanations of Ahura Mazda ("Wise Lord", God); they appear in an abstract fashion in the religious thought of Zarathustra and then later (during the Achaemenid period of Zoroastrianism) became personalized, associated with an aspect of the divine creation (fire, plants, water...). Later on this was changed to bring the New Zealand model range in line with Australia. Angels are also a part of New Age beliefs. Early models of the Holden Astra and Vectra in New Zealand differed from those sold in Australia, in that they had a distinctive grille with a 'V' containing the Holden badge, similar to that used by Vauxhall in the UK. Michael the archangel was Adam (the first man) when he was mortal, and Gabriel lived on the earth as Noah (the one who built the ark). The Astra was introduced the following year, identical Opel-badged models, imported second hand from Japan, already being sold locally. Names of some known angels who appeared are Moroni, Nephi, Peter, James, John, John the Baptist. The Opel name was dropped, and the Vectra was rebadged as a Holden, even though it was then not available in Australia.

Although Cowdery, Whitmer, and Harris all eventually became disaffected with Smith and left the church, none of them retracted their statement that they had seen and conversed with an angel of the Lord, and indeed, even defended their claim of angelic visitation to their deaths. It was only in 1994, with Holden's future more secure, that General Motors New Zealand finally became Holden New Zealand. People who claimed to have received a visit by an angel include Joseph Smith, Jr., Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris. This, however, created little brand loyalty and consumers did not accept 'GM' as a brand. described his first angelic encounter thus (Joseph Smith History 1:31-33):. Commercials bore the Isuzu name. Joseph Smith, Jr. Therefore, the mainstream range in 1989 consisted of:.

According to the official doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, (Bible Dictionary entry on "Angels"):. In the late 1980s, General Motors New Zealand attempted to use many makes and have 'GM' as the main brand. Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement (Mormonism), and several of his associates, claimed that they were visited by angels on multiple occasions and for a variety of purposes in conjunction with the restoration of the gospel of Jesus. Despite the car's origins and place of manufacture, it was marketed in New Zealand as 'American'. Humans do not turn into angels upon death, rather they are physically ressurected in body and soul and judged by God on judgement day (and that should they end up in Jannah (heaven), they are given perfect bodies). Research showed that Pontiac had a good reputation, so rather than follow the Australian route with a rebadged Toyota Corolla, GM New Zealand brought in the Opel Kadett based LeMans from Daewoo of South Korea, attempting to fill both the compact and mid-sized sectors until the arrival of the Opel Vectra. Every human being is assigned two angels to scribe a record of all actions done by the individual throughout their life, which will be used in evidence for or against the person by Allah on the day of judgement. Therefore, Opel made a small reintroduction with a tiny selection of highly priced models (Kadett GSE, Ascona GT, Senator, Monza).

There are eight massive angels that support the Throne of God (Surat Al-Haaqqa, 69:17). Certainly what was happening in Australia did not instil confidence: rebadged Suzukis, Nissans and Isuzus were occupying the bottom end of the range, while the Commodore was about to shift to a Japanese-designed three-litre engine. The angels Nakir and Munkar are assigned to interrogate the dead before judgement day; and there are nineteen angels over-seeing the punishments of hell unflinchingly (Surat Al-Muddaththir, 74:30). In around 1985, there were strong rumours, and a GM report, that indicated that Holden would cease to exist in its current form, and that its models would be exclusively designed offshore. Other angels include Michael (Mikaeel) who discharges control of vegetation and rain, Sarafiel (Israfil) who will blow the trumpet on Yaum al Qiyamah (the day of resurrection), and Azrael (Izra'il), the angel of death. pondered the reintroduction of other GM brands. The archangel Jibril is attributed with sending the message of Allah to all the Prophets (including the Psalms, Torah, Bible and Qur'an. As the 1980s continued and Holden's future became uncertain, General Motors New Zealand Ltd.

Angels, unlike the fiery nature of jinn, are beings of goodness and cannot choose to disobey God, nor do they possess the ability to do evil. The Isuzu-based model survived until Holden introduced the ultimate Camira, the JE, which made it across the Tasman Sea in 1987. He was one of the jinn..." (Surat Al-Kahf, 18:50). This was known as the JJ Camira, and proved to be much better than its Australian-sourced predecessor. Scholars cite the following Quranic ayat (verse), "And when We said to the Angels; "Prostrate yourselves unto Adam." So they prostrated themselves except Iblis. However, the Australian Holden Camira (JB series) fared so badly in New Zealand that local GM bosses decided to replace it with a completely different model based on the Isuzu Aska (or JJ) from Japan. According to the majority of Islamic scholars, angels are incapable of commiting sin, and therefore cannot fall from grace, excluding Iblis who chose to do evil because he had free-will and is not considered as a fallen angel, but a separate entity made of fire called jinn. As 1983 began, Holden began fielding something close to a full range: the Gemini as the entry-level car, the Camira as the mid-sized one, and the Commodore in the large sector.

As such, angels do not eat, procreate or commit sin as humans do. Isuzu (selling the Gemini) and Vauxhall (with the last Chevette) disappeared on the launch of the Holden Gemini TE series in 1981, while Bedford met its demise with the assembly of the last CF vans in 1984. They can take on human form, but only in appearance. Vauxhall's full line-up was pared back to the Chevette and Viva by 1977 as Holden's range expanded to include mid-sized cars (the Torana and Sunbird). Angels are described as being excessively beautiful and have different numbers of wings (for example, Gabriel is attributed as having six-hundred wings in his natural form). Chevrolet and Pontiac had effectively disappeared from the market by the 1970s, though there were still Chevrolet trucks from the US and a top-end Holden Statesman with a Chevrolet V8 engine, known as the Chevrolet 350. They are completely devoted to the worship of God (Allah) and carry out certain functions on His command, such as recording every human being's actions, placing a soul in a newborn child, maintaining certain environmental conditions of the planet (such as nurturing vegetation and distributing the rain) and taking the soul at the time of death. However, for such a small market, it made little sense to have so many brands, so each was rationalized from the 1960s.

In Islam, angels are benevolent beings created from light and do not possess free will. While the Holden name was used on virtually all GM products in Australia, in New Zealand other GM products from Vauxhall, Bedford, Isuzu, Pontiac and Opel were sold as well. Angels are thus the ministers of God, as well as the agents of revelation in Islam. The first export of Holdens to New Zealand began in 1954, and for many years they were assembled at the General Motors New Zealand plant in Petone outside Wellington, until it closed in 1990. The belief in angels is central to the religion of Islam, beginning with the belief that the Qur'an was dictated to the Prophet Muhammad by the chief of all angels, the archangel Jibril (Gabriel). Due to tariffs and exchange rates, various Vectra models are more expensive than the larger Commodore in Australia and New Zealand, and the European model is likely to be replaced by a version of the new Daewoo Tosca in 2006. Official doctrines of most Christian churches teach that the virtuous are resurrected in the end of times, having a physical body again, unlike angels (see Swedenborgianism for a church that does officially and systematically teach that people enter heaven immediately after death). The Holden Barina will be based on the Daewoo Kalos, and the entry-level Astra Classic will be replaced by the Holden Viva, based on the Daewoo Lacetti.

The statement of 1Cor 11:10 could be interpreted, as if male angels could be vulnerable to the female attractiveness of worshipping woman. Holden has already established close research and design links with Daewoo, with which it provides the large Statesman model. (Zechariah 5,9) could be interpreted, that there are also female angels. Although its Opel-sourced models have been relatively successful, Holden has now looked to Daewoo in South Korea for replacements. male and female. It has subsequently been imported from Europe. Flavius Josephus (Discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades, VI) teaches of ressurected men and woman, i.e. The Vectra was briefly assembled locally for export to neighbouring countries, but this was dealt a severe blow by the Asian economic crisis in 1997.

The Bible does state that at the resurrection, people will be like the angels with regard to marriage and immortality (Luke 20:35-36), and teaches such a transformation for instance at 1Cor 15:51; it states that the saints (all believers) will judge angels (1 Cor 6:3). The Opel Corsa was sold in Australia as the Holden Barina, replacing another model of that name, originally introduced in 1989, based on the Suzuki Swift. In many informal folk beliefs among Christians concerning the afterlife, the souls of the virtuous dead ascend into Heaven to be converted into angels. Between 1996 and 1997, Holden replaced the Toyota-based Nova and Apollo with the Astra and Vectra, imported from Opel in Europe. Satan and the demons are thought by Christians to be angels who rebelled against God and were expelled from Heaven. In 1995, UAAI was dissolved, and Holden was able to source product offerings from GM rather than from other manufacturers in Australia. However, for all practical purposes most Christian lay people know little or nothing of these views, and do not accept them. This badge engineering proved unpopular with buyers, even though rival Ford had been successful with its Laser and Telstar models, which were just thinly disguised versions of Mazda's 323 and 626.

Today, these views of angels are still technically acceptable within many mainstream Christian denominations. In 1989, Holden began selling rebadged versions of Toyota's Corolla and Camry, as the Nova and Apollo, while Toyota sold the Commodore as the Toyota Lexcen, named after the late America’s Cup yacht designer, Ben Lexcen. Some medieval Christian philosophers were influenced by the views of Maimonides, and accepted his view of angels. In 1988, it then entered a partnership with Toyota in Australia, to form a joint venture company called United Australian Automobile Industries (UAAI). Certain Christian traditions, especially the Reformed tradition within Protestantism hold that references to the "Angel of the Lord" are references to pre-Incarnation appearances of Jesus. Holden sold the Nissan Pulsar as a Holden Astra (not to be confused with the Opel-sourced model of the same name) and used the 3.0 L 6 cylinder RB engine from Nissan's Skyline in the VL Commodore (1986-1988). In the story of the 40 martyrs of Sebaste, in which 40 Christian Roman soldiers were made to stand naked on a frozen lake in the snow until they renounced their faith, angels were seen descending from Heaven placing the crowns of martyrs on their heads. Between the late 1980s and mid-1990s, the Australian government introduced a plan to restructure the local motor industry, which involved local manufacturers sharing models, known as the Button Plan, after the federal minister for trade and industry, John Button.

Each consecrated altar has at least one angel always present offering up prayers, and a number of angels join the congregation when they meet to pray. Bodywork for the Camira wagon was exported to the UK for Vauxhall's Cavalier. For instance, each Christian may be assigned a guardian angel at their baptism (although never defined by the Catholic or Orthodox churches, nevertheless it is personally held by many church members and most theologians). The Torana was replaced by the 1982 Camira, which was GM's medium-sized "J-Car". Some Christian traditions also hold that angels play a variety of specific roles in the lives of believers. The four, later renamed Sunbird, was very sluggish, the eight-cylinder version alarmingly fast: the six was the most popular option. For example the verse in Paul "our struggle is not with earthly things but with principalities and powers" (meaning according to most theologians the fallen angels of those choirs, used as an example of all the fallen angels). The Torana LH/LX series, which consisted of 3 door hatchback and 4 door booted sedan variants (between 1974 and 1978) was unusual in that it was offered with a choice of four (1.9 L cam-in-head), six (2.8 L, 3.3 L OHV) or eight cylinder (4.2 L, 5.0 L OHV) engines.

Many of these names come from verses in the bible which would appear at first to be referencing a literal thing, although retroactively suggesting that they really mention angels can also make sense in the context. The name 'Torana' was an Aboriginal word meaning 'to fly'. In this hierarchy, the Cherubim and Seraphim are typically closest to God, while the Angels and Archangels are most active in human affairs. Another notable Holden offering was the mid-size Torana, introduced in the mid-1960s, and initially based on the British Vauxhall Viva. The Celestial Hierarchy is the source of the names that have become part of tradition: Angels, Archangels, Principalities, Powers, Virtues, Dominions, Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim. Holden has offered a reasonably full range of other vehicles, some locally produced but others sourced from various other parts of the General Motors empire, such as Chevrolet, Opel, Isuzu and Suzuki. Some Christian traditions hold that angels are organized into three major hierarchies which are subdivided into orders called "Choirs", and list as many as ten orders of angels. The Kingswood sedan, wagon and ute (utility or pickup truck) was exported and assembled abroad, including New Zealand along with South Africa (badged as the Chevrolet Kommando), Indonesia and Trinidad and Tobago.

The principle of continuity, however, seems to require the existence of beings intermediate between man and God. Despite the arrival of competitors in the 1960s, Holden's locally-produced large six and eight-cylinder cars have remained Australia's top-selling vehicle for most of that time. The creeds and confessions do not formulate any authoritative doctrine of angels; and modern rationalism has tended to deny the existence of such beings, or to regard the subject as one on which we can have no certain knowledge. Better suited to Australian conditions than its competitors, and assisted by tariff barriers, it rapidly became Australia's best-selling car. Religious thought about the angels during the middle ages was much influenced by the theory of the angelic hierarchy set forth in The Celestial Hierarchy, a work of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, an unknown 5th century author or authors writing in the style of Dionysius the Areopagite. Although not particularly mechanically or stylistically sophisticated, it was simple, rugged, more powerful than most competitors, and offered reasonable performance and fuel economy in an affordable package. Furthermore, there are more angels than there are anything else in the universe (although when first written this would have probably not included atoms since atomic structure was not known). The Holden 48/215, introduced in 1948, was a medium-sized vehicle fitted with a 132 in³ (2.15 L) engine, and based on a design proposed for the 1949 Chevrolet, that had been rejected as being too small for that purpose.

Angels possess the beatific vision, or the unencumbered understanding of God (the essence of the pleasure of heaven). After the end of World War II, the Australian government took steps to encourage an Australian automotive industry, and persuaded General Motors to build "Australia's own car". They also teach that angels are intermediaries to some forces that would otherwise be natural forces of the universe, such as the rotation of planets and the motion of stars. . Scholastic theologians teach that angels are able to reason instantly, and to move instantly. In 1998, it was renamed Holden Ltd and in May 2005, it became known as GM Holden Ltd. Starting with the end of the 4th century, angels were depicted with wings, presumably to give an easy explanation for them travelling to and from heaven. It was purchased by General Motors in 1931 and became General Motors–Holden's Ltd.

(Hence the frequently recounted tale of Scholastics arguing about how many angels could fit on a pinhead; if angels possess physical bodies, the answer is "at most a finite number", if they do not, then we rule out any finite number greater than zero as the answer.) Seraphim are often depicted as six wings radiating from a center — either concealing a body, or without a body. Holden began as Holden's Motor Body Builders Ltd., a coachbuilder that made bodies to suit a number of chassis imported from different manufacturers, but particularly Chevrolet. Angels are frequently depicted as human in appearance, though many theologians have argued that they have no physical existence. Holden is an Australian car manufacturer, originally independent but now a subsidiary of General Motors. Indeed, the term "angel" frequently appears to describe not beings of power, but simply announcers of events. Holden Piazza. An interpretation of the angels in the gospels is that angels are simply humans carrying a divine message. Holden Statesman.

Among other things, they are seen gathered around the Throne of God singing the thrice-holy hymn. Holden Commodore and Calais. Angels fill a number of different roles in the Book of Revelation. Opel Calibra. When Peter was imprisoned, an angel put his guards to sleep, released him from his chains, and led him out of the prison. Opel Vectra. Two angels witnessed Jesus' ascent into Heaven and prophesied his return. Pontiac LeMans (imported from Daewoo of Korea).

Alternately, in Mark 16:5 the angel is not seen until the women enter the already-opened tomb, and he is described simply as "a young man." In Luke's version of the resurrection tale (Luke 24:4), two angels suddenly apparate next to the women within the tomb; they are described as being clothed in "dazzling apparel." This is most similar to the version in John 20:12, where Mary alone speaks to "two angels in white" within the tomb of Jesus. Holden Barina (a rebadged Suzuki Cultus/Swift). 28:2, an angel appeared at Jesus' tomb, frightened the Roman guards, rolled away the stone from the tomb, and later told the myrrh-bearing women of Jesus' resurrection. In Matt. The archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary in the traditional role of messenger to inform her that her child would be the Messiah, and other angels were present to herald his birth.

There seems, however, no parallel to such a use of "angel", and it is doubtful whether the monarchical government of churches was fully developed when the Apocalypse was written. A less likely view is that the "angels" are the human representatives of the churches, the bishops or chief presbyters. These are probably guardian angels, standing to the churches in the same relation that the "princes" in Daniel stand to the nations; practically the "angels" are personifications of the churches. we meet with the "Angels" of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor.

1-3. In Rev. Angels occur in groups of four or seven (Rev 7:1). 2:10), thrones and dominions (Col 1:16).

8:38; Col. 9:11); ranks are implied, archangels (Michael, Jude 9), principalities and powers (Rom. The distinction of good and bad angels is recognized; we have names, Gabriel (Luke 1:19), and Michael (Daniel 12:1), and the evil angels Beelzebub, (Mark 3:22) and Satan (Mark 1:13); while the allegiance of some angels are more ambiguous, such as Abaddon or Apollyon (Rev. The New Testament takes little interest in the idea of the angelic hierarchy, but there are traces of the doctrine.

Naturally angels are most prominent in the Apocalypse. (to Jesus), Luke 1:26 (to Mary), Acts 12:7 (to Peter)); and Jesus speaks of angels as fulfilling such functions (E.g. Mark 8:38, 13:27), implying in one saying that they neither marry nor are given in marriage (Mark 12:25). In the New Testament angels appear frequently as the ministers of God and the agents of revelation (E.g. Matthew 1:20 (to Joseph), 4:11. Others might perhaps view Maimonides's statements as being perfectly in keeping with the continued evolvement of Jewish thought over a period of several millennia.

One can perhaps say that Maimonides thus presents a virtual rejection of the "classical" Jewish view of miracles; he and others substitute a rationalism that seems more appropriate for 20th and 21st century religious rationalists. This is explained in his Guide of the Perplexed II:4 and II:6. Instead, he says, the wise man sees that what the Bible and Talmud refer to as "angels" are actually metaphors for the various laws of nature, or the principles by which the physical universe operates, or kinds of platonic eternal forms. Even this can be highly misleading: Maimonides harshly states that the average person's understanding of the term "angel" is ignorant in the extreme.

Rather, all such interactions are by way of angels. The rationalist view of angels, as held by Maimonides, Gersonides, Samuel Ibn Tibbon, etc., states that God's actions are never mediated by a violation of the laws of nature. In the Middle Ages, some Jews developed a rationalist view of angels that is still accepted by many Jews today. Gabriel and Michael are mentioned in the book of Daniel, Raphael in the book of Tobit (from the Protestant Apocrypha or Catholic and Orthodox Deuterocanon) and the remaining four in the book of Enoch from the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox).

The archangels named in post-exile Judaism are Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Jerahmeel. Such a differing perspective on angels is discovered in the Book of Ezekiel, where these angels bear no relation whatsoever to the former understanding of what an angel was. Later biblical books in the Tanakh present a stunningly different view of angels, as the Jewish beliefs about such things developed over the many years covered in the Bible. The earliest Biblical books present angels as heavenly beings created by God, some of whom apparently are endowed with free will.

Traditional Jewish biblical commentators have a variety of ways of explaining what an angel is. Many Bible chapters mention an "angry God" who sends His angel to smite the enemies of the Israelites. These include the warning to Lot of the imminent destruction of Sodom. Angels appear in several Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) stories, in addition to the ones previously mentioned above.

2). ix. 10) may have been affected by the representation of the seven archangels and also possibly by the seven amesha spentas of Zoroastrianism (compare Ezek. 9, iv.

iii. The notion of the seven eyes (Zech. More than three hundred years before the Book of Daniel was written, Zechariah graded the angels according to their rank, but did not name them. Michael is Israel's representative in Heaven, where other nations—the Persians, for instance—were also represented by angelic princes.

In Daniel, however, there occur the names Michael and Gabriel. 30, the angels, when questioned, refuse to give their names. xxxii. 18, and Gen.

Consequently, they did not individualize or denominate them; and in Judges, xiii. The earlier Biblical writings did not speculate about them; simply regarding them, in their relations to man, as God's agents. 7). 26; Job, xxxviii.

i. In some places, it is implied that angels existed before the Creation (Gen. 18, an angel brought the divine word to the prophet. It is noteworthy that in I Kings, xiii.

Thus the prophet Haggai was called God's messenger (angel); and it is known that "Malachi" is not a real name, but means "messenger" or "angel". In the prophetic books, angels appear as representatives of the prophetic spirit, and bring to the prophets God's word. 7). vi.

This conception was developed after the Exile; and in the Zechariah, angels of various shapes are delegated "to walk to and fro through the earth" in order to find out and report what happens (Zech. 7). 2; Job, xxxviii. xxxiii.

They accompany God as His attendants, when He appears to man (Deut. "assembly of the saints"). V. V.; A.

7, R. lxxxix. 1); hence they are called His "council of the holy ones" (Ps. 6, ii.

19; Job, i. They constitute God's court, sitting in council with Him (I Kings, xxii. 2 et seq.). vi.

2; compare Isa. 20, cxlviii. 1, ciii. xxix.

They glorify God, whence the term "glorifying angels" comes (Ps. "Evil" is here to be taken in the causative sense, as "producing evil"; for, as stated above, angels are generally considered to be by nature beneficent to man. 49 are to be regarded as personifications of this kind. lxxviii.

It would seem that the pestilence was personified, and that the "evil angels" mentioned in Ps. 15, who annihilates thousands. xxiv. Avenging angels are mentioned, such as the one in II Sam.

5, 6). xxxv. 9); the enemy is scattered before the angel like chaff (Ps. xxx.

35); messengers go forth from God "in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid" (Ezek. There are angels militant, one of whom smites in one night the whole Assyrian army of 185,000 men (II Kings, xix. 11). 7, xci.

xxxiv. 5); and as God watched over Jacob, so is every pious person protected by an angel, who cares for him in all his ways (Ps. An angel brought Elijah meat and drink (I Kings, xix. 1), a human messenger of God is meant—addressed the whole people, swearing to bring them to the promised land.

iii. 13, Mal. i. 19, Ḥag.

xlii. 1) an angel of the Lord—unless here and in the preceding instances (compare Isa. In Judges (ii. 20.16).

23.20, Num. God sent an angel to protect the Hebrew people after their exodus from Egypt, to lead them to the promised land, and to destroy the hostile tribes in their way (Ex. Guardian angels were mentioned, but not, as was later the case, as guardian spirits of individuals and nations. Angels foretold to Abraham the birth of Isaac, to Manoah the birth of Samson, and to Abraham the destruction of Sodom.

Angels reveal themselves to individuals as well as to the whole nation, in order to announce events, either good or bad, affecting humans. In the Bible, angels are a medium of God's power; they exist to execute God's will. 10]; certainly in Daniel), and there came to be various kinds of angels; some even being provided with names, as will be shown below. 9, iv.

In post-Biblical times, the heavenly hosts became more highly organized (possibly as early as Zechariah [iii. 5 et seq.) and ofanim as heavenly beings who carry God's throne. i. 2) as having six wings; and Ezekiel describes the ḥayyot (Ezek.

The seraphim are described by Isaiah (vi. 24). iii. 2, Gen.

lxxx. 4, Ps. iv. God is described as riding on the cherubim and as "the Lord of hosts, who dwelleth between the cherubim"; while the latter guard the way of the Tree of Life (I Sam.

When, however, the heavenly host is regarded in its most comprehensive aspect, a distinction may be made between cherubim, seraphim, ḥayyot ("living creatures"), ofanim ("wheels"), and arelim (another name for Thrones). V.). 49, R. lxxviii.

9; Ps. lxiii. 1; Isa. iii.

16; Mal. xxiv. 23; II Sam. 16; Job, xxxiii.

xlviii. Angels are referred to in connection with their special missions as, for instance, the "angel which hath redeemed," "an interpreter," "the angel that destroyed," "messenger of the covenant," "angel of his presence," and "a band of angels of evil" (Gen. The inference, however, is not to be drawn that God Himself or one particular angel was designated: the expression was given simply to God's power to accomplish through but one angel any deed, however wonderful. Though the older writings usually mention one angel of the Lord, embassies to men as a rule comprised several messengers.

3): "Is there any number of his armies?" In the book of Revelation, the number is "a thousand thousands, and many tens of thousands". The general conception is the one of Job (xxv. 23). 6; Job, xxxiii.

lxxxix. 1; Ps. 6, ii. 19; Job, i.

14, 15; I Kings, xxii. v. 2; Josh. xxxii.

Jacob meets a host of angels; Joshua sees the "captain of the host of the Lord"; God sits on His throne, "all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on his left"; the sons of God come "to present themselves before the Lord" (Gen. The number of angels is enormous. 2). 18, xxv.

5; Job, iv. xiv. 28; Zech. 17, 20, xix.

xiv. 25; II Sam. 20, lxxviii. ciii.

When their duties are not punitive, angels are beneficent to man (Ps. Angels are portrayed as powerful and dreadful, endowed with wisdom and with knowledge of all earthly events, correct in their judgment, holy, but not infallible: they strive against each other, and God has to make peace between them. The use of wings suggests an original artistic convention merely intended to denote the figure as a spirit. Images of angels in Christian art are identical to prior depictions of gods such as Zeus, Eos, Eros, Thanatos and Nike, in pre-Christian classical art, and some divine beings in Mesopotamian art.

They are commonly depicted with halos. 21), as they are described in the Bible, and depicted in Christian, Jewish and Zoroastrian art. ix. Angels are thought to possess wings (Dan.

This imagery is very similar to the description of Jesus in the book of Revelation. 5, 6). x. In the Book of Daniel, reference is made to an angel "clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude" (Dan.

16, 30, as standing "between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand". xxi. A terrible angel is the one mentioned in I Chron. It is worth noting that these angels carry items that are contempory to the time in which they visit (perhaps angels are bound by the technology which humans have achieved).

8 et seq.). i. 2, Zech. ix.

13, Ezek. v. 23, Josh. xxii.

Angels bear drawn swords or other destroying weapons in their hands—one carries an ink-horn by his side—and ride on horses (Num. Gradually, and especially in post-Biblical times, angels came to be bodied forth in a form corresponding to the nature of the mission to be fulfilled—generally, however, the human form. Though superhuman, angels can assume human form; this is the earliest conception. V.): "Who makes winds his messengers; his ministers a flaming fire." Some verses in the Apographya depict angels wearing blue or red robes but no such refrence occurs in the Protestant books.

4, R. civ. 15), as the Psalmist said (Ps. They are described as pure and bright as Heaven; consequently, they are said to be formed of fire, and encompassed by light (Job, xv.

2). iii. 11; Ex. 21, 22; II Kings, ii.

13; Judges, vi. xvi. Angels, or the Angel, appeared in the flames of the thorn bush (Gen. 9); some fly through the air; some become invisible; sacrifices touched by them are consumed by fire; and they may disappear in sacrificial fire, like Elijah, who rode to heaven in a fiery chariot.

xxix. 6; II Sam. 17, xiii. 5; Judges, vi.

2, xix. xviii. In the Hebrew Bible, angels often appear to people in the shape of humans of extraordinary beauty, and often are not immediately recognized as angels (Gen. In Jewish apocalypses especially, the imagination ran riot on the rank, classes and names of angels; and such works as the various books of Enoch and the Ascension of Isaiah supply much information on this subject.

100. The development of the doctrine of an organized hierarchy of angels belongs to the Jewish literature of the period 200 BC to A.D. The guardian angels of the nations in Daniel probably represent the gods of the heathen, and we have there the first step of the process by which these gods became evil angels, an idea expanded by Milton in Paradise Lost. above), but they belong to a different order of thought from the angels of Judaism and of Christian doctrine; and the passage in no way suggests that the bne Elohim suffered any loss of status through their act.

It is true that the bnē Elohim of that chapter are subordinate superhuman beings (cf. 6:2, as interpreted by the Book of Enoch. The Fall of the Angels is not properly a scriptural doctrine, though it is based on Gen. But in Tobit, we find Asmodeus the evil demon, τὸ πονηρὸν δαιμόνιον, who strangles Sarah's husbands, and also a general reference to "a devil or evil spirit", πνεῦμα (Tobit 3:8, 17; 6:7).

In Daniel, the princes, or guardian angels, of the heathen nations oppose Michael, the guardian angel of Judah. The statement (Job 4:18) that God "charged his angels with folly" applies to all angels. In the canonical Hebrew/Aramaic scriptures, angels may inflict suffering as ministers of God, and Satan may act as accuser or tempter; but they appear as subordinates to God, fulfilling His will, and not as independent, morally evil agents. In Tobit, too, we find the idea of the demon or evil angel.

12:15.). (Tob. Again in Tobit a leading part is played by Raphael, "one of the seven holy angels". 8:16; 10:13, 20-21), he is the guardian of Israel's leading Kingdom of Judah.

160 BC, 71 angels, usually spoken of as "men" or "Angel-princes", appear as guardians or champions of the individual nations, defending them as God sits in council with them over the world; grades are implied, there are "princes" and "chief" or "great princes"; and the names of some angels are known, Gabriel, Michael; the latter is pre-eminent (Dan. In Daniel, c. During the Persian and Greek periods, the doctrine of angels underwent a great development, partly, at any rate, under foreign influences. 400 BC, there is no reference to angels, apart from the possible suggestion in the plural in Genesis 1:26.

In the Priestly Code, c. The latter have been connected by Ewald and others with the later doctrine of seven chief angels (Tobit 12:15; Revelations 8:2), parallel to and influenced by the Ameshaspentas (Amesha Spenta), or seven great spirits of the Persian mythology. The seven angels of Ezekiel may be compared with the seven eyes of Yahweh in Zecharias 3:9, 4:10. In Psalms 78:49 the "evil angels" of the Authorized Version conveys a false impression; it should be "angels of evil", i.e. angels who inflict chastisement as ministers of God.

91:11, 103:20 &c.); they appear as ministers of God. Occasional references to "angels" occur in the Psalter (Pss. I Chronicles 21:1). Cf.

Similarly in the Job the bne Elohim, sons of God, appear as attendants of God, and amongst them, Satan (Hebrew ha satan), again in the role of public prosecutor, the defendant being Job (Job 1, 2. The Satan also appears to prosecute (so to speak) the High Priest before the divine tribunal (Zecharias 3:1). Somewhat later, in the visions of Zechariah, angels play a great part; they are sometimes spoken of as "men", sometimes as mal'akh, and the Mal'akh Yahweh seems to hold a certain primacy among them (Zecharias 1:11). As in Genesis, they are styled "men"; mal'akh, for "angel", does not occur in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 9 gives elaborate descriptions of cherubim (a class, or type of angels); and in one of his visions, he sees seven angels execute the judgment of God upon Jerusalem. Ezekiel, as a prophet of the Exile, may have been influenced by the hierarchy of supernatural beings in the Babylonian religion, and perhaps even by the angelology of Zoroastrianism (it is not, however, certain that these doctrines of Zoroastrianism were developed at so early a date). Once the doctrine of monotheism was formally expressed, in the period immediately before and during the Exile (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Isaiah 43:10), we find angels prominent in the Book of Ezekiel. Nevertheless we may well suppose that polytheists in ancient Israel believed in superhuman beings other than Yahweh, but that the inspired writers have mostly suppressed references to them as unedifying.

7, or the passage, at any rate in its present form, may be exilic or post-exilic. An angel of I Kings 13:18 might be the Mal'akh Yahweh, as in 19:5, cf. Thus, the pre-exilic literature rarely mentions angels, or other superhuman beings other than Yahweh and manifestations of Yahweh; the pre-exilic prophets hardly mention angels. In Isaiah 6 the seraphim, superhuman beings with six wings, appear as the attendants of Yahweh.

Similarly the "man" who wrestles with Jacob at Peniel is identified with God (Genesis 32:24, 30). In all these cases the angels, like the Mal'akh Yahweh, are connected with or represent a theophany. At Bethel, Jacob sees the angels of God on the ladder (Genesis 28:12), and later on they appear to him at Mahanaim (Genesis 32:1). 18:1 with 18:2, and note change of number in 19:17).

(J) the appearance of Yahweh to Abraham and Lot is connected with three, afterwards two, men or messengers; but possibly in the original form of the story Yahweh appeared alone (Cf. In Genesis 18, 19. There are the cherubim who guard Garden of Eden. However, there are a few passages which speak of subordinate superhuman beings other than the Mal'akh Yahweh or Elohim.

In earlier literature the Mal'akh Yahweh or Elohim is almost the only angel mentioned. Christians think that this foreshadows the doctrine of the Trinity, whereas Kabbalist Jews would show how it developed into kabbalistic theological thought and imagery. The identification of the Mal'akh Yahweh with the Logos, or Second Person of the Trinity, is not indicated by the references in the Hebrew scriptures; but the idea of a Being partly identified with God, and yet in some sense distinct from him, illustrates a tendency of Jewish religious thought to distinguish persons within the unity of the deity. The phrase Mal'akh Yahweh may have been originally a courtly circumlocution for the Divine King; but it readily became a means of avoiding anthropomorphism, and later on, when angels were classified, the Mal'akh Yahweh meant an angel of distinguished rank.

The Mal'akh Yahweh (or Elohim) appears to Abraham, Hagar, Moses, Gideon, &c., and leads the Israelites in the Pillar of Cloud (Exodus 3:2). Those who see the Mal'akh Yahweh say they have seen God (Genesis 32:30; Judges 13:22). Exodus 3:2, with 3:4; 13:21 with 14:19). The Mal'akh Yahweh is an appearance or manifestation of Yahweh in the form of a man, and the term Mal'akh Yahweh is used interchangeably with Yahweh (cf.

Prior to the emergence of monotheism in Israel the idea of an angel was the Mal'akh Yahweh, Angel of the Lord, or Mal'akh Elohim, Angel of God. The New Testament often speaks of "spirits," πνεύματα (Revelation 1:4). It is probable that the "hosts" were also identified with the armies of Israel, whether this army is human, or angelic. However, YHWH is very jealous of the distinction between Himself and angels, and consequently, the Hebrews were forbidden by Moses to worship the "host of heaven".

The identification of the "hosts" with the stars comes to the same thing; the stars were thought of as being closely connected with angels. The "hosts," צבאות Sebaoth in the title Yahweh Sebaoth (alternatively, Adonai Tzivo'ot), Lord of Hosts, were probably at one time identified with the angels. They are spoken of as the "host of heaven" (Deuteronomy 17:3) or of "Yahweh" (Joshua 5:14). Angels are referred to as "holy ones" (Zechariah 14:5) and "watchers" (Daniel 4:13).

See also: Names of God in Judaism. Genesis 6:2; Job 1:6; Psalms 8:5). Hence they came to be used collectively of super-human beings, distinct from Yahweh and, therefore, inferior and ultimately subordinate (e.g. judges or alternately, some kind of super powerful human beings).

members of the class of divine beings) were general terms for beings with great power (i.e. According to Jewish interpretation, 'Elohim is almost entirely reserved for the one true God; but at times 'Elohim (powers), bnē 'Elohim, bnē Elim (sons of gods)(i.e. 6, 8). 1]) and "the Holy Ones" (Psalms lxxxix.

v. V. 6 [R. 4; Job, i.

Other appellations are "Sons of God", (Genesis vi. 8). xii. The Biblical name for angel, מלאך ('malakh"), obtained the further signification of "angel" only through the addition of God's name, as "angel of the Lord," or "angel of God" (Zech.

"Angel" is also used in the English Version of the Bible for the following three Hebrew words:. The closest Hebrew word for angel is מלאך, mal'ach Hebrew word #4397 in Strong's, also meaning "messenger". The English word originated from Latin, angelus, which is itself derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, ángelos, meaning "messenger" (double gamma "γγ" is pronounced "ng" in Greek). .

An angel is an ethereal being found in many religions, whose duties are to assist and serve God or the gods. the obscure שנאן, shin'an Hebrew word #8136 in Strong's, in Psalms 68:17. אלהים, Elohim Hebrew word #430 in Strong's, Psalms 8:5. "mighty").

אביר, abbir Hebrew word #47 in Strong's, Psalms 78:25 (lit.