ANGELS

Angels

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of Angels in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on Angels and diverse concepts regarding Angels in different religions and theologies. According to diverse sources, the concept of Angels is supported by distinct grounds and beliefs in diverse religions. Every religion has its own concept and conviction regarding the existence of Angels. This paper will explore different concepts regarding Angels in light of different religions. In addition, the paper will enlighten the ancient concepts regarding Angels and the contemporary beliefs in order to explore each and every dimension regarding the study.

Table of Contents

Introduction4

The Concept of Angels in Christianity5

The Prehistoric Concept of Angels9

Zoroastrianism10

Mesopotamia12

Judaism13

Islam15

Gnosticism and Manichaeism17

The Concept of Angels in Medieval and Modern World19

Conclusion22

References24

Angels

Introduction

Angels are pure spirits devoted to worship and service of God. Most developed religious traditions have a class of beings that range between the human realm and the supreme God or Ultimate Reality. They include lesser gods, saints, ancestral spirits, bodhisattvas, and today even aliens from other planets. Angels are among the most prominent, especially in monotheistic (believing in one God) religions. They are believed to be pure spirits created directly by God to praise and honor him in heaven and to serve as his messengers (the word angel comes from the Greek angellos, messenger) on Earth.

Angels are important in the Western religious traditions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Angels have several roles. A hierarchy, including the mighty archangels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and others, is believed to praise and serve God in heaven. According to ancient sources, there are ranks of angels, in descending order. A well-known story, hinted at in the Bible but developed by the poet John Milton and others, says that Satan, the devil, was once a very high angel, Lucifer (Lightbearer).

Second, angels are messengers of God. Archangels and angels have performed missions for God crucial to the central narratives of these three faiths. In the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament to Christians) angels guarded the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve were driven out of that garden. They visited Abraham with the promise of a son, and the prophet Isaiah saw six-winged cherubim, a kind of angel, in the temple. In Christianity, it was the archangel Gabriel who visited Mary to inform her she would become the mother of the Savior, Jesus, and angels appeared singing in the skies at the time of his birth in Bethlehem. In Islam, the same archangel, Gabriel, delivered the sacred scriptures, the Quran to the prophet Muhammad. On a more personal level, these faiths have traditionally believed that each individual has a guardian angel that guides and protects him or her. There is some popular belief that the departed become angels after death, but this is not considered orthodox.

Third, angels are pictured as protectors. Great archangels are patrons of nations and cities; lesser angels of individuals are "guardian angels," designated to help those persons and fend off temptations from the ...