Angels, as we’ve come to understand them, are beings that reside in a higher plane of our own – celestial beings, if you will, that go about doing God’s bidding and also offer a certain, ambiguous protection to the righteous man. Typically, they are depicted as glorious, beautiful
Winged creatures that gracefully glide across the heavens, humanoid in appearance and the epitome of physical perfection. Some come with halos, some come with wings but a common misconception, at least, according to the bible, is that all of these angelic beings are wonderful to behold. In actuality, nothing could be further from the truth…
We’ve seen angels appear in the bible quite frequently from the very beginning of Genesis and in these pages we’ve come to see the angels perform a variety of roles. Most often, they are seen as messengers – those delivering the word of God to either bring warning,
As we see them do in Genesis 19 where they warn Lot to leave Sodom before its destruction, or to bring hope, as we see them do in Genesis 16 where they bless Hagar with numerous descendants. It’s easy to imagine the angels in these more innocent and nurturing roles as being
Beautiful and graceful and full of such virtue that their physical appearance would reflect that. But in other accounts, we see them behave more violently, such as where David is punished for numbering his people, which sees an angel sent to destroy Jerusalem. Or when Jerusalem is later attacked, which sees an angel of death
Slaughter the one hundred and eighty five thousand Assyrians who were responsible. With these more destructive and vengeful characteristics, it becomes more conceivable that the angels were not these handsome champions of regal charm and glamour, but instead something far more menacing and perhaps something truly terrifying to witness. In today’s episode, we’ll
Be exploring some of these more uncanny angels in detail in an effort to discover what they looked like, what their purpose was and how bizarre and downright fearsome some of them really were. The Cherubim… Sometimes considered to be the highest form of the angelic beings, the cherubim are
Occasionally scattered throughout Scripture and appear to take on a varied set of roles. The Cherubim, or in their singular form ‘Cherub’, were considered to be angelic servants of God, those who performed divine duties upon the earth and set about to ensure his will
Was being carried out. But primarily, their occupation far preceded the antics of man, where they were initially thought to have been created by God to guard the gates of Eden. We’ve all likely seen the Cherubim from western Christian artwork where they appear to be small,
Plump boys with wings – sometimes even babies – that hover around the clouds looking pretty innocent. It’s likely that this was inspired by the putto – a figure in classical artwork depicted by a chubby child and that the use of a child in this
Instance in accordance with the Cherubim, was to exemplify their purity and innocence. The putto would also become closely associated with that of the Roman and Greek god Cupid or Eros and so, it is not uncommon for the Cherubim to be confused with the mythological deities.
But this stout and chunky form of the Cherub would not be its only representation, for it would come across as far more intimidating in the descriptions from the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel. In the bible, Ezekiel is seen to have noticed the Cherubim transporting the throne of God
Across the river Kebar in Ezekiel 1:5-11 titled Ezekiel’s Inaugural Vision, where the beings are described as having the likeness of man, but with the addition of four heads – that of a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle. We are told, “I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out
Of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The centre of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings.
Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead;
They did not turn as they moved.” (Ezekiel 1:4-8) Here, we get a pretty good description of what these beings looked like – that they had four wings, that they were human in form and that
They had four faces made up of animals. We also see that some of their limbs appear to be like those of animals – notably their feet which belong to those of a calf. It is understood that the four
Faces are representations of the four domains of God’s rule – man which stands for humanity, the lion for wild animals, the ox for the domesticated animals and the eagles for the birds. It’s also interesting to note that they moved like flashes of light,
Implying that they were swift and were likely far beyond the power of a regular human man. Interestingly, Ezekiel does not actually refer to them as Cherubim in this part of the bible, but confirms their identity in chapter 10, telling us “I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim
Four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz. As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced;
The wheels did not turn about as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels.
I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and
The fourth the face of an eagle. Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River.” (Ezekiel 10:9-15) Now, you might’ve noticed that his description of them slightly changes from his account in chapter one. You’ll notice that here, the face
Of the ox is replaced by the face of a cherub – though the reasoning for this is ambiguous. There is also an implication here that the Cherub face looked strikingly different from the human face, though Ezekiel does not go on to explain what these differences were. Furthermore, another
Difference that’s quite profound in this chapter, is that the entire cherub is described as being covered with eyes and is either centred within or around a set of ‘whirling wheels’ – that which is also covered with eyes. The wheels themselves are quite an interesting feature for they are
Otherwise referred to as the ophanim in hebrew and are sometimes thought to be the wheels of a chariot used by God – but more on those later. This is an east orthodox art piece from the 5th or 6th century that depicts Ezekiel’s vision and is referred to unofficially as the tetramorph cherub.
In this mosaic and other pieces of Christian art, the tetramorph shows us a being with wings and the four animals as described in Ezekiel 1:4-8. It also believed that each of these four components represent the four Evangelists with Matthew being the man, Mark the lion,
Luke the ox and John the eagle. The mosaic is also thought to be an amalgamation of the seraphim that Isaiah sees in Isaiah’s Commission or the six winged creatures found in Revelations where John sees what might have been another set of Cherubim in chapter 4.
Often in Christian mythos, the Cherubim are thought to be second to the Seraphim in the angelic hierarchy and whilst details can differ between the two classes depending on the source, the key distinction between them appear to be their closeness to God (with the Seraphim being
Above the Cherubim) as well as their form, with the Seraphim appearing with up to four wings. Yet again, even these details can be altered depending on the author where one can expect to find even the mechanics of their wings to be a point of contention.
Whilst Ezekiel’s account of the Cherubim appears to be one of the most vivid, we are still left in the dark as to who the Cherubim are and what exactly their role is, other than to serve God. We see them carrying his throne across the Kebar river
And we see their presence amongst the whirling wheels in Ezekiel’s vision, but beyond this Ezekiel does not tell us what purpose they serve in the grander scheme of things. Some ideas propose that the Cherubim are merely just another sect of angels or celestial
Beings – similar to the seraphim, or that they are physical representations of God’s judgement. This likely stems from the account in Genesis 3 after God has banished Adam from the Garden, where we are told “So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which
He had been taken. 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.” Here, the role of the Cherubim is primarily to guard the gates of Eden
And to prevent man from getting back in. After Adam had taken fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, his natural progression would have been to take fruit from the tree of life and to gain immortality. But after having betrayed God by falling for the serpent’s words,
God deemed man unworthy of immortality and so denied him from ever supping from the tree. Taking no chances, we even see him here give the Cherubim (as if they weren’t strong enough already) a flaming sword, to fend off man should he dare find his way back to Eden.
Yet another idea regarding the Cherubim also relates to the fall of man, in that they are considered by some to be a symbolic representation of a redeemed humanity – or a humanity who had never sinned. The Cherubim by this idea are perfect in appearance, eternally youthful,
Powerful and the closest to God. By this, they serve as a reminder of what could’ve been had Adam and Eve not given into their temptations and remind believers that they should strive to be better. There is also hope in this idea, in that should one be righteous and not make the same
Mistakes as Adam and Eve, they might yet achieve the Cherubim status and become closer to God. There is also an idea that the Cherubim are a symbol of God’s mercy, for in Exodus 25 we see God make a covenant with the children of Israel as he sets out
Instructions for the construction of the Ark – that which was a golden chest which contained the tablets of the covenant. He tells them, “Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the
Ends of the cover. Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover.
Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant
Law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.” (Exodus 25:17-22) As can be seen, God’s instructions state that two cherubs are to be fashioned out of gold and placed on the cover of the ark. This is otherwise referred to as ‘The Mercy Seat’ – a
Term which has hubraic meaning to ‘cover, appease, cleanse or make atonement for. It was believed that once a year, a high priest would sprinkle blood of a sacrificed animal onto the Mercy Seat so as to atone for his own sins and the sins of the Israelites
In an effort to appease God’s anger. It was also believed that here in the presence of the Ark, was the only place where forgiveness from God could be truly achieved. With that, the inclusion of the Cherubim atop the Mercy Seat certainly make them seem like
Advocates for God’s mercy and figures that represent God’s compassion towards mankind. God also tells the Israelites that “There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.”
(Exodus 25:22) and by this, it might be said that the Cherubim are something of a bridge towards God or perhaps as close as one can ever get on the mortal realm. By promising the Israelites that he will meet them there before the Cherubim, the Cherubim automatically become hallowed tokens or
Characters – those which are still held today in high regard as they signpost the way to God. The Seraphim It is in chapter 6 of the book of Isaiah that we
Are given a look into what exactly the prophet had seen in one of his more compelling visions. It was in the year that King Uzzah had died and Isaiah tells us in what is known as ‘Isaiah’s Commission’
That he had seen God seated upon a throne. But it wasn’t just God that had caught his eye, but also the six winged angelic creatures that floated above him. These, as Isaiah tells us, were the Seraphim (or the singular Seraph), otherwise known as ‘The Burning Ones’ or ‘The Fiery Ones’.
Isaiah tells us, “In the year that King Uzzah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,
And with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and
The temple was filled with smoke. (Isaiah 6:1-4) We understand from this passage, that the Seraphim had six wings and that Isaiah had seen these creatures flying around the exalted throne of God. You’ll notice, he described them as having their wings covering their faces and feet, though
The reasons for this are uncertain. It has been suggested that they cover their faces to protect Isaiah, for they shone so brightly, that they would blind him if they were to reveal themselves. We know that the word Seraphim was the hurbraic root word for ‘Seraph’ meaning, ‘to burn’,
Hence ‘burning ones’, so by this it could be understood that the Seraph were akin to fire and thus, did indeed emit fierce, radiant light that Isaiah would not have been able to bear. You’ll notice that whilst Isaiah recognises that they do have faces, it is unclear whether he gets
To see their features, or is merely assuming they have human facial features based on the rest of their composition. Additionally, the covering of their feet might be in respect to God, who they constantly circle around, for they would not want to reveal any dirt or uncleanness in his presence.
This could also be another reason why they use two of their wings to cover their faces, for they wish to remain humble in the presence and God and deem themselves to be unworthy to even look upon him. With this constant circling, they repeatedly proclaim the holiness of God and his glory, making
It clear that he is the highest being and that he is the one that they hold in the highest regard. The declaration of him being holy outlines God as being sacred and certainly determines him as greatness personified – an entity that is and should be constantly worshipped – perhaps,
An example to believers that their celebration of God should never be forgotten. What’s interesting about this passage is the Seraphim’s declaration of the word ‘Holy’ three times in a row. In ancient Jewish culture, the number three was considered to be a representation of fulfilment
And so, anything that came in threes was usually a good omen. In this instance, holy is used three times not just as an affirmation of the holiness of God, but also the wholeness of God, which believers see as evident in the past, present and future.
The use of holy thrice, also connotes the appearance of God in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, suggesting that the Seraphim’s repetition of the word Holy three times is not coincidental, but actually meaningful and to promote the greatness of God.
Amongst this, Isaiah also speaks of the sound of the Seraphim voices, those which are so intense that the doors shake and the entire temple in which he stands is flooded with smoke. Whilst this could be merely a sign of their power in that they cause the foundations of the building to rumble
With just the sounds of their voice, it might also be said that this was symbolic of earthquakes or tremors, those which in ancient times could have been equated with the divine presence of God, or associated with God because of the tremors he was seen to evoke in the bible.
Isaiah’s account continues with him becoming painfully aware that he is unprepared for this encounter and that unlike the Seraphim, he has not hidden his face nor his feet, and has not shown the high levels of humility that God would have likely expected. With this, he immediately begins to panic, telling us
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”Then one of the seraphim flew to me
With a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:5-6) As we can see, Isaiah fears the worst. He
Recognises that he is unclean and a sinner and that he has come from unclean sinners, yet he has now seen his God in the flesh – something he deemed himself unworthy of doing. Yet, it is perhaps because of his immediate realisation of this
And his subsequent repenting that the Seraphim take pity on him and rush to absolve him of his sin. They realise that his sorrow is genuine and that going by his reaction, he probably would have taken better precaution to be humble had he been more prepared for this encounter.
As we can see, one of the Seraphim flies over to him and places a coal, which he had taken from the altar, upon his lips. There he tells Isaiah that because this had touched his lips, his sin and guilt was now removed. Because the coal would likely have been boiling hot,
It links in with an idea that Isaiah was purified by the fire – or by the Seraphim who were in essence the ‘fiery ones’. There is also an idea established here that the Seraphim, along with being the eternal worshippers of God, also have the ability to remove people’s
Sins if they believe them to be authentic in their repentance. With his sins cleaned, Isaiah was then able to speak to God directly and proceeded to nominate himself to do God’s bidding. Whilst Isaiah’s account appears to be the only reliable source of Seraphim in the bible,
In that he literally does identify and describe them as such, the Seraphim do exist in other biblical apocrypha including the Book of Enoch, where Seraphim are mentioned alongside Cherubim as they coexist around the throne of God. Both entities are described as relating to the sun,
Or that they are elements of the sun itself, which would fit in quite well with the Seraphim being known as the ‘Burning Ones’. The implication here would of course be that the Seraphim shine so brightly that it would not be possible to perceive them – well,
Not without blinding yourself anyway – or that they can produce such a high intensity of heat, that only God can bear to stand next to them. In other ideas of Christian theology, the Seraphim can be seen as the caretakers of God’s throne and much like Isaiah’s account,
They too continuously sing the words ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’. There are also ideas that the Seraphim assisted God in maintaining order in the world, though the specifics of this are often vague. Other ideas focus on the heat or the fire that the Seraphim have been associated with,
And that the fire is a symbolic notion of themselves and their relationship with God. Fire’s movement is constant and gradually rises upward – much as the Seraphim do as they fly above God, and the constant crackling of the fire could be linked with the constant praising of his name.
The other idea that paints the Seraphim as fire is that fire consumes that which it touches and thus, destroys – or in the case of the Seraphim, destroys the sin of a person, much like that which is done for Isaiah. Some might say that the fires cleanse and in this,
The Seraphim are indeed quite similar. There is also the idea that we’ve already discussed that fire emits light and the Seraphim share that same property, though a far more divine and intense light that can be comparable to the sun itself. In Judaism, Isaiah’s vision is recognised in
Various Jewish services and the Seraphim are acknowledged. In the Kabbalah for example, the Seraphim are seen to drift from God, only to burn up and return to his side. Whilst in other beliefs, the Seraphim become equivocal to that of the Cherubim as seen in
Ezekeil’s vision. But in more conservative Judaism, the Seraphim and angels in general are seen as more symbolic than anything else. In Islam meanwhile, a hadith by Persian scholar Al-Tirmidhi speaks of a conversation between the prophet Muhammed and Allah where they speak of
The ‘Exalted Assembly’ – those being the angels amongst Iblis who disputed the creation of Adam, or who had refused to bow to him. It is believed that the Seraphim are included within this category, or that Iblis had been of the Seraphim himself, or perhaps the only Seraph,
For he was created from fire – fire being a key trope for these angelic beings. Though this belief and idea is not universal, nor is it specified in the Quran. In fact, Seraphim, at least in the way described by Isaiah do not seem to have much of a presence.
Another interesting idea regarding the Seraphim paint them in a more malevolent light where they adopt the form of serpents. In Numbers 21:6 for example, God sends venomous serpents amongst the Israelites after their rebellion in the wilderness, but in some translations and ideas,
The serpents are replaced with that of the Seraphim. This is also true for Deuteronomy 8:15, where the wilderness is described as being a thirsty and waterless land with venomous snakes and scorpions. In the original hubraic, the term ‘seraph’ can be found instead of ‘snakes’,
Suggesting that God might have sent the Seraphim as a means to punish those who had rebelled. Some have interpreted the meaning of this translation as a particular type of snake – this ‘Seraph Snake’ and that they might be referring not to an angel, but instead a reptile
Of some kind. There is also the idea that the snakes were venomous and so, their bite could be linked with the burning sensation one might feel should they have come across a fiery Seraph. Another cool idea is that the snakes in the wilderness are described as flying – something
They certainly would have in common with the Seraph. Other ideas propose that the Seraphim were the angels who supported Lucifer in his rebellion, or that Lucifer himself was a Seraph which some believe facilitated his transformation into a serpent in the garden of eden. The Ophanim One of the most strangest and
Downright weirdest creatures that are thought to exist within scripture are the Ophanim – those that are believed by some to be just a mechanism of God’s chariot and by others to be angelic beings with significant powers. The reason why they are called the Ophanim
Is because in ancient hubraic, the word Ophanim was thought to have meant wheels. It was also believed that the word could be spelled as auphanim or ofanim, as well as a third variation as ‘galgalim’. In other beliefs, Ophanim are also described as spheres or
Whirlwinds, or again the very wheels that were attached to the chariot of god and the reason for all three of these ideas can likely be pinpointed once in the visions seen by Ezekiel. As mentioned earlier, Ezkiel’s Inaugural Vision consists of some pretty wild and extraordinary
Things, but as far as the Cherubim and the Ophanim go, Ezekiel tells us, “As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four
Looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures were faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims
Were full of eyes all round.” (Ezekiel 1:15-18) The ‘living creatures’ that Ezekiel sees here are indeed the cherubim as we’ve already established, but he spends an equal amount of time taking in the sight of these four wheels – these Opahnim. He describes them as glistening
Like topaz and that all four assembled to make the shape of one wheel intersecting another. He also adds that whilst they appeared independently mobile, they only moved wherever the cherubim were facing, which has since led some to believe that the Cherubs controlled the Ophanim,
Or was a symbol for their outranking of them. He continues to state that they do not appear to ever change their direction, and that all the rims of their being were covered with eyes. But with this passage alone, it only raises our intrigue as to what these wheels were
And what exactly their function was. Ezekiel is able to paint a somewhat vivid picture of what these wheels looked like, but perhaps what makes them so stark and fascinating is how elusive they are. These wheels are not something that appear frequently throughout the bible
And the fact that God allows Ezekiel to see them only teases the idea that they do have some significance that we are not grasping. One interesting idea that further supports the notion that these wheels were the wheels of God’s chariot comes from a song of praise
By David in Psalm 18, where we are told “He (God) mounted the Cherubim and flew. He soared on the wings of the wind.” (Psalm 18:10) In this rather unique imagery, it could be said that Cherubim had more of a practical function as they served as God’s
Vehicle, or a means for which to transport him across the sky, or from heaven to earth. The Cherubim in this instance become the chariot and by this, the wheels that they are seen to manipulate become the wheels of that very chariot. Those being, the Ophanim.
But Ezekiel does not make this connection, but is instead taken aback by what he continues to witness. He tells us, “When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit would go,
They would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures
Rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.” (Ezekiel 1:19-21) Here, he essentially confirms the idea that the wheels were controlled by the Cherubim, and that they did indeed have power over these elements,
And that wherever the cherubim went, the Ophanim would go too. He also adds that the very spirit of the Cherubim exists within the Ophanim, suggesting that on some level, perhaps these strange creatures are extensions of the angels, as opposed to being angels themselves.
Touching once again upon the chariot idea as hinted by the song of David in Psalm 18, one might also say that the Cherubim were the drivers of the chariot and the wheels were merely just that – wheels. With this idea, they are not angelic and they do not have sentience,
But instead are more along the lines of machinery. Yet, the idea that the Ophanim were indeed angels – perhaps, the weirdest of angels given their appearance, remains to be consistent within some communities and traditions. We can agree from
Ezekiel’s account that despite their association to the Cherubim, there is nothing particularly angelic about the Ophanim. They do not appear to have human characteristics like all other angels, they do not speak and bring prophecies and they do not appear to even have wings. Reference of
Them is made in the second book of Enoch, where we see Enoch ascend before the throne of God. He tells us, “ I saw there a very great light, and fiery troops of great archangels, incorporeal forces, and dominions, orders and governments, Cherubim and seraphim, thrones and many-eyed ones,
Nine regiments, the Ioanit stations of light, and I became afraid, and began to tremble with great terror, and those men took me, and led me after them, and said to me:Have courage, Enoch, do not fear, and showed me the Lord from afar, sitting on His very high throne.” (2 Enoch 20:1-2)
Whilst again not specifically mentioned as ‘Ophanim’, Enoch does refer to them as the ‘many-eyed ones’, which correlates with Ezekiel’s description. What’s interesting here is that he later identifies all the present entities including the Cherubim, Seraphim and these ‘Many Eyed Ones’ as being men and that these men took
Him and led him to the throne of God, where they reassured him he was safe. Whilst hard to say given that Enoch does not explicitly determine these Many Eyed Ones to be the Ophanim, it could be said that in this story, that the Many Eyed Ones did maintain some characteristics of men
And that instead of wheels, they possessed a more expected and relatable form. They also share the same compassion as the Cherubim and the Seraphim and seek to comfort Enoch when he would otherwise panic, thus suggesting another layer of benignity to these otherwise misunderstood creatures.
The second book of Enoch continues to tell us of the Many Eyed Ones that, “And the Cherubim and Seraphim standing about the throne, the six-winged and many-eyed ones do not depart, standing before the Lord’s face doing his will,
And cover his whole throne, singing with gentle voice before the Lord’s face: Holy, holy, holy, Lord Ruler of Sabaoth, heavens and earth are full of your glory.” (2 Enoch 21:1) Here, we get a sense that the Many Eyed Ones guard the throne of heaven and along with the
Cherubim and the Seraphim, they will remain here for eternity at the beck and call of God. It is also established that they sing with gentle voices, which yet again humanizes the Many Eyed Ones and portrays them as more relatable, perhaps even as a charming set of characters.
With the Many Eyed Ones singing, it could also be associated with several Jewish prayers known as the Kedusha, where the Ophanim are told to offer praise upon God and glorify him as the creator.
Whilst the second book of Enoch refers to them as the Many Eyed Ones, the first book of Enoch refers to them directly as Ophanim and they are said here to also guard the throne of heaven and that together with the Seraphim and the Cherubim, they do not sleep. Enoch tells us here,
“And round about were Seraphim, Cherubim and Ophanim: And these are they who sleep not. And guard the throne of His glory.” (1 Enoch 71:1) There appears to be some variation in these very angels when it comes to both their ranking and their closeness to God.
Most commonly in Jewish expositions of angelic hierarchy, the significance and purpose of the Cherubim, Seraphim and the Ophanim seldom seem to coincide across all traditions. To some, the Cherubim are the closest to God and as mentioned before, they are his chariot. More significantly, they are much more prominent in the bible
And actually appear to Ezekiel, thus giving them the edge at least in terms of recognition. The Seraphim by comparison are also seen in a variety of ways including as a caretaker to God’s throne, and as the bible shows in Isaiah’s vision, the Seraphim can be viewed as absolvers of guilt.
To more conservative Judaisim though, the Seraphim are more symbolic in nature. These inconsistencies, if you will, are the same for the Ophanim in Jewish beliefs, with some believing them to be the closest of all the angels to God (as told to us by
Medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides) or as ‘the thrones’, another classification of angels. Many other Jewish philosophies confirm this idea that the thrones and the Ophanim are one in the same and one of the ways that this is done is by one interpretation of Daniel’s Vision,
Where Daniel tells us he sees God in his chariot. He states, “As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire,
And its wheels were all ablaze.” (Daniel 7:9) With this idea, the thrones become established as the wheels of God’s vehicle and are set in place before he takes his seat upon it. A quote from American spirituality writer Rosemary Ellen Guiley sums up the notion of the thrones
And the Ophanim being the same quite concisely, where we are told “The ‘thrones’; also known as ‘ophanim’ (offanim) and ‘galgallin’, are creatures that function as the actual chariots of God driven by the cherubs. They are characterized by peace and submission; God rests upon them. Thrones
Are depicted as great wheels containing many eyes, and reside in the area of the cosmos where material form begins to take shape. They chant glorias to God and remain forever in his presence. They mete out divine justice and maintain the cosmic harmony of all universal laws.”
As we can see, going by this interpretation, the thrones – or the Ophanim – lose their more typical angel appearance and again resume the more biblically accurate depiction as a mechanism. In any case, one might say that the function of the Ophanim, whilst intriguing and novel,
Is not essential to believers, which is why concrete information about them is so scarce. Whether it be from the characters of the bible themselves or scholars who studied them, the wheels are only vital in their accordance to God. They serve to remind believers that
Their mystique and uncanny form is just one of many of the creations that God has made that man cannot understand and in some cases, it might serve to humble believers into realising that they do not have all the answers. It also brings God’s enginerial ingenuity into the limelight,
For whilst many may take for granted the way in which the world was created, elements like the Ophanim remind them of how much of mechanical mastermind a supreme being like God must be – especially given we to this day would not be able to create something so unusual.
Others might see the Ophanim as a representation of God himself, in that because they are covered with eyes, the eyes become symbolic of God being all-seeing. If the Ophanim have a multitude of eyes and spin omnidirectionally, then it would be believed that they can see everything from
Every angle. This would imply then that God could very well do the same – as we know he can from very specific mentions in the bible that God is everywhere and God knows everything. Thrones
As previously mentioned, the Thrones are a class of angels that are similar to the Ophanim – and sometimes, are outrightly assumed as being the same as the Ophanim. Very little is actually known about this type of angel and its appearance in the bible is scarce.
One of its more notable appearances is in Collisians where we are told “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers
Or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” (Collisians 1:15-16) What the Thrones actually looked like is up for some speculation, with some believing them to look similar or identical to the Ophanim or for them to appear as a combined image of the Throne of God
-hence their name. In some interpretations, it is believed that the Thrones are also wheels within wheels and that these wheels are also spinning and covered with eyes. In another interpretation that coincides with the idea that the Ophanim are the
Wheels of God’s chariot, some believe that the Thrones take on the form of the chariot itself. Another interesting idea proposes that the Thrones show up much later in Revelations 11 as ‘Elders’. John of Revelation tells us that these Elders appear to be gathered around the throne of God
And are all praising him. Whilst the Elders are not described, it is their proximity to God that is most interesting to us. It could be the case that these are not just older men, but instead the very Thrones that are described in Collisians. Of course, this can also be dismissed
Given that the only reason this is speculated is because the Elder men appear to have actual thrones of their own, those that are gathered around the one throne of God. Others believe that if these are the Thrones, they have likely taken the form of old men so as to make it easier for
John to digest what he is seeing, for John had by this point seen so many ghastly and bizzare things that it may have pushed him over the edge to see the Thrones in their truest appearance. In his work De Coelesti Hierarchia, Greek author and Christian theologian
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite tells us that the Thrones were the third highest of the 9 classes of angels, ranking just below the Seraphim and the Cherubim. In many classifications, these are considered to be the ‘First Sphere’ of angels,
And these are the angels that serve God directly and thus, are closer to him than any others. It should be noted that many angels in the Old Testament do not even get a description and instead are believed to have appeared simply as men. They had no halos, no wings and no
Tangible physical aspect that separated them from the common man if not for a certain demeanour. For example, the men who appear to Abram to bear prophecy and also have their feet washed by him are not visibly angels, but Abram can tell that there is something special about them.
The same could be said for the angel who wrestles all night with Jacob, and whilst this character was later depicted as an angel in classical art, the bible simply describes him as a man. These angels, you might say, were what 12 century Jewish scholar Maimonides described as the
Mal’ak – the ancient Hebrew word for ‘Messenger’ and whilst they had a certain distinction about them, they were not as outlandish in appearance as the Cherubim, Seraphim or Ophanim. You might say that they adopted a guise that was more suited to their task, choosing to appear in a more humanoid
Form to deliver their message, instead of scaring the living daylights out of the recipients. The Mal’ak, or the Malakim (plural), were just one type of angel that appeared in Maimonides’ classification of angels – a sort of angelic hierarchy, if you will,
But the question still remains that if these Mal’ak, these messengers, took the form of men instead of appearing in their natural state… what horrors were they sparing us from seeing? On the subject of angels appearing before man, there is a concept from several classifications
That incorporate the ‘Second Sphere’ of angels, these being the angels that govern over earth and thus, are not as close to God as the aforementioned angels. Of this second sphere, the angels adopt a more familiar look… Dominions The classifications of these ‘Second Sphere angels’ do not appear in the bible as such.
However, several of the angels who do appear in the bible have been classified into these various groups. The Dominions for example can be angels who help keep the world in order. They act on behalf of God, often carrying out his tasks and or directly implementing his divine plan.
According to many classifications, these angels also bring about God’s judgement against sinful situations within the world, and whilst humanity might not understand or agree with the work that takes place, the Dominions are believed to enforce the biblical God’s perspective.
Of course, because the Dominions operate on Earth, they are believed to take the form of humans, much like the Malakim, perhaps in an effort to avoid scaring the humans they interacted with. An example of Dominions at work could be when angels are sent down to Sodom and Gomorrah to inspect the
Land of what the biblical God perceived as ‘sin’. These Dominions took the form of men so as to not arouse suspicion, although ironically, this is exactly what they ended up doing. The Dominions are also believed to deliver the wisdom of God to humans,
Most notably to those in leading positions such as world leaders. In essence, it is believed those that pray or seek the aid of God will be answered by the Dominions who may appear in physical form to guide one into taking the best course of action.
To some, these angels are led by the Archangel Zadkiel, an angel whom some believe prevented Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac. Dominions in this essence are believed to take on the same role, intervening (often at the last minute) to spare someone from making a terrible decision.
Naturally, to those of us with a more sceptic nature, it would be natural to argue that angelic beings do not descend from the heavens to stop us from making mistakes. However, some rationalise that these Dominions act from the shadows and or are imperceptible to the human eye.
In this, they can alter our fate without us really knowing it, or may put obstacles in our path so as to prevent us from making a wrong choice. Virtues One of the more baffling entity of angels that appear in the ‘Second Sphere of Angels’
Are the Virtues. Unlike the Dominions, the Virtues aren’t necessarily believed to possess a form at all, but instead appear as a flash of light, which would explain their secondary moniker as ‘The Shining Ones’. Their role within the universe is much less understood,
Though it is believed that they have some influence over the elements and over nature. To others, the Virtues can be interpreted as a sort of ‘divine energy’, one that can both encourage and strengthen one’s belief in God. In some classifications,
The Virtues are believed to perform miracles to the deserving, where they reward the noble, the righteous and those who are doing their best to get back into the algorithm. Hi. Powers or Authorities The Powers or Authorities are angels that as you might imagine, ensure order within the earthly
And the celestial realms. You wouldn’t be wrong for considering these angels as ‘warrior angels’, those who do battle against evil spirits and demons. Whilst not specified in Revelation where the ultimate battle between good and evil took place, it is not a stretch to assume that
The angels who battled against Lucifer in his rebellion were likely the Powers and Authorities, those who would’ve been donned in full shining armour and wielding fantastic weapons. However, in other beliefs, it is these very angels who were swayed by Lucifer
Given that he was believed to be the Chief of Powers. This may have led to the strength of Lucifer’s army and why the rebellion was not so easily thwarted by God in the first place. Despite maintaining a human appearance, the sight of such an angel is believed to be quite an
Intimidating one. These were mean faced soldiers that probably stood a whole head height taller than the tallest man, with wings that were sharp to the touch and with weapons too heavy for any mortal to wield. To some, these angels could be viewed as God’s taskforce against evil entities,
Those that don’t necessarily have to be of the demonic persuasion. The angel of death that is sent to destroy Jerusalem may very well have likely been of the Powers or the Authorities, which goes to show their immense and dastardly strength given that God only sends one of them.
Yet again though, the original authors do not give a vivid description of these angels, making their actual image all the more elusive. Principalities Beyond the ‘Second Sphere’ of angels, we have the ‘Third Sphere’, these being angels
That are believed to exist on the earth, and thus are the most likely set of angels that a human might run into. Luckily for us, these angels, much like the Dominions and the Malakim, adopt the form of humans and so out of all the angels, it’s probably these ones that you’d have the
Most in common with. Unlike the other angels the Principalities also live on the earth, and by this you might say that these angels are more in touch with what is happening in the world and thus, more relatable. To some, these Principalities, or ‘Princes’, directly inspire world leaders,
Nations and in some cases churches, in an effort to keep things running smoothly. Given their status as ruling various areas of the earth, or at least, imparting power to various people, these angels are believed to wear crowns and carry with them a staff or a sceptre. To some believers,
It is the Principalities who bless mankind with art, science, maths or some wholesome intention that will benefit the world in some way. In other cases, the Principalities are believed to give strength to those who will go on to do something miraculous. Ideally, as mentioned,
If you were going to run into an angel, the Principalities might be your safest bet. Or maybe not, if you ask St Paul. St Paul believed that it was actually the Principalities who joined Lucifer
In his rebellion (as well as the Powers), where he tells us in his letter to the church of Ephesus “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
And against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12) Here, St Paul speaks of man’s struggle not being with each other, but instead with a more spiritual threat – the principalities and the powers. This leans into the idea that the principalities,
Along with the powers now worked against mankind in an effort to corrupt them. With the idea that these angels joined Lucifer, you may very well label them as fallen angels – those who now do the opposite of what the Principalities were originally created for.
Indeed, where they were once dolled out wisdom, inspiration and even strength, St Paul gives us the idea that they would now sooner give out lies, demotivate man and even sap away his strength. Nephilim The Nephilim predominantly appear in the Book of Enoch, where they are described as
Performing exceptionally evil deeds. Whilst not actually angelic beings themselves, the Nephilim were produced by the angels and the mortal women in the times before the flood. Now, if you thought some of the angels were scary to behold, you’ll likely find that their offspring are simply the stuff of nightmares.
The Nephilim – these sons of the fallen angels could technically be considered as part fallen angel, part human and part giant. Indeed, they were large, hulking beasts that were more animal than man, and when they weren’t tearing apart the landscape
And devouring the fields for food, they were spilling blood like it was going out of style. We see that when man can no longer sustain the Nephilim’s diet, they begin to hunt man, devouring them without hesitation, and when they run out of men to hunt,
They turn cannibal, consuming their own kind to satiate their ungodly appetite. There’s an idea that these Nephilim obtained their tremendous size and strength through the merging of angelic DNA and human biology, something that even the biblical God shudders at the sight of. In
Fact, he is so disgusted by the offspring of the angels that he is seen to send down his archangels to destroy them. In other ideas, some believe that this purge of the Nephilim wasn’t enough for God
And that he deemed the Nephilim to be so hideous, that their existence is what warranted the flood. What you might take away from this is that these sons of the angels must’ve been truly ghastly monsters, for if even Enoch’s God is disgusted by them, then surely man would be outright repulsed. Fallen Angels
The Fallen Angels certainly have a lot to answer for given that in the case of the Powers and Principalities, they still conspire against mankind. Meanwhile, in the Book of Enoch – where they are known as ‘The Watchers’,
It is they who fornicate with the mortal women and bring to life the dreaded abominations that are the Nephilim. But would you believe it, there’s another trick the Fallen Angels are believed to do in some Christian Mythos, and that is to transform themselves into demons.
Whilst this belief was not shared by the original authors and translators of the Hebrew bible, it has since become a popular trope – especially when used in conjunction with the fall of Lucifer, where the angels who side with him appear to go through something of a demonic transition.
As you might’ve guessed, these are probably the worst kind of angels you could come into contact with, for like Lucifer, they hate mankind and will do whatever needs to be done to lure them away from their god.
As far as what these now evil angels look like, the bible doesn’t really give us much to go on. Instead, we have to look to more mythological sources or even rely on literature. John Milton’s Paradise Lost shows us several fallen angels that are unique from one another,
Including Beelzebub, Moloch, Chemos, Baal, Dagon, Belial and even the Egyptian Gods themselves. In various classifications, the likes of Beelzebub, Moloch and Baal have each earned colourful depictions, showing us that if we were to come into contact with these entities, we’d probably faint from shock. The fallen angel Beelzebub, after his demonic transition,
Can be seen in some stories as being made up of flies – likely owing to his moniker as the ‘Lord of the Flies’. In other depictions, he appears as a grim, bloated fly. Moloch on the other hand is often portrayed with a bull’s head and with his arms outstretched
Over a fire. His role is to sacrifice children and so, you can imagine that running into this fallen angel would be pretty detrimental, depending on how old you are. Baal, often determined to be the nemesis of Yahweh, also appears similarly to Moloch,
Opting to wear a bull’s head. Despite being listed in Milton’s Paradise Lost as a fallen angel, Baal was also considered to be a Cannanite deity, showing us that perhaps Lucifer isn’t the only angel wishing to step out of his God’s shadow.
There is an idea that the reason the bible is not keen to describe the angels that appear before men, is because to do so would either be impossible, in that there were no words to illustrate such a creature, or that they were so horrendously abnormal that to do so
Would scare anyone out of ever being open to seeing one. You might’ve noticed that on more than one occasion, the first words out of an angel’s mouth is ‘Do not be afraid!’. We see this shortly after the birth of Jesus when an angel appears to the shepherds in the nearby field,
And we see it when Paul sails for Rome and an angel appears to him to declare the very same thing. Now, this may simply be the angels being courteous for having dropped in unannounced and attempting to placate the sudden alarm one might experience after being snuck up on. But some argue
That this is because the angels in question are so inexplicably strange or even monstrous, that they have to first convince the recipient of their message that they are not a threat. In this sense ‘Do not be afraid’ is not a directive, it is an earnest request from the angels, seeking
To soothe man’s fears and anxieties in the wake of beholding something that they cannot comprehend. The exact nature of an angel’s appearance is still relatively unknown to us, though it would not be out of the realm of possibility to assume that angels can pretty much take whatever form
They want – or that perhaps more likely, God has specifically designed each one with an intended purpose. It should also come as no surprise that in heaven, or a cosmic environment that is beyond us in some spiritual plane, there will likely be elements and characteristics that simply cannot be
Explained, much less imagined. The Cherubim, Seraphim and Ophanim for example may be the least weird angels that exist in such a celestial region. Indeed, it is not farfetched to suggest that there are probably far more diabolical things lurking in our own universe, let alone
A spiritual plane that we know even less about. Let me know in the comments below which angel stuck out for you the most and which angel you think you’d be most scared of. As always guys, if you’ve enjoyed today’s episode then don’t forget to give it a thumbs up and don’t forget
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