The nine orders of the angels are divided into three
hierarchies, each of which is divided into three orders: the highest, the
intermediate, the lower.
The first hierarch, the highest and closest to the Most Holy
Trinity, consists of the SERAPHIM, CHERUBIM, and THRONES.
This is the highest level of angels and therefore the
closest to God. These enlightened celestial beings have the deepest
understanding of divinity and manifest to humans as a beam of pure, shining
light, too holy to be looked upon.
Seraphim – protectors of God’s divinity, spreading His word
through praise and song and surrounding His throne
Cherubim – guardians of light and stars and providers
of divine love and wisdom
Ophanim – portals of God’s
intellect and full of divine knowledge, these angels are also known as
‘thrones’
The
God-loving six-winged SERAPHIM stand closer than all before their
Creator and Maker, as the prophet Isaiah saw, saying: "And the seraphim
stood around Him, each having six wings" (Isaiah 6:2). They are fire-like
since they stand before That One of Whom it is
written: "For our God is a consuming fire." (Heb 12:29); "His
throne was a flame of fire" (Dan 7:9); "the appearance of the Lord
was like a blazing fire" (Ex 24:17). Standing before such glory, the
seraphim are fire-like, as it said: "Who maketh his angels spirits; his
ministers a flaming fire" (Ps 103:4). They are aflame with love for God
and kindle others to such love, as I shown by their very name, for
"seraphim" in the Hebrew language means: "flaming".
After the
seraphim, before the All-knowing God, Who resides in inaccessible light, stand
the many-eyed CHERUBIM in ineffable radiance.
More than the other lower orders of angels, they are always radiant with the
light of the knowledge of God, with the knowledge of the mysteries of God and
the depths of His Wisdom; being themselves enlightened, they enlighten others.
Their name "cherubim" in translation from the Hebrew language, means:
"great understanding" or "effusion of wisdom", because
through the cherubim wisdom is sent down to others and enlightenment of the
spiritual eyes is given for the seeing of God and knowledge of God.
Thereafter
stand the God-bearing THRONES before Him Who sits on the high and
exulted throne, being named "thrones" since on them, as on
intellectual thrones (as writes St Maximus the Confessor) God intellectually
resides. They are not called "God bearing" according to essence but
according to grace and according to their office, as the flesh of Jesus Christ
(as St Basil the Great writes) is called "God-bearing" according to
essence since it was indivisibly united with God the Word Himself. The thrones
are then called "God-bearing" not according to essence but according
to grace, given for their service, which is mystically and incomprehensibly to
bear God in themselves. Residing on them in an
incomprehensible manner, God makes His righteous judgement,
according to the word of David: "Thou hast sat upon a throne, O Thou that judges righteousness." (Ps 9:4). Therefore through them
the justice of God is pre-eminently manifested; they serve His justice,
glorifying it and pour out the power of justice onto the thrones of earthly
judges, helping kings and masters to bring forth right judgment.
The middle hierarchy also consists of three orders of holy
angels: the DOMINIONS, the VIRTUES, and the POWERS.
Angels in the second level of the hierarchy function as
celestial governors, presiding over existence on earth without manifesting
their existence to humans.
Dominions – also known as hashmallim,
these angels take orders from the first level in order to lead the lower ranks
of angels and watch over earthly existence
Virtues – the source of spiritual power and often
thought of as ‘miracle angels’, these celestial beings guide human spiritual
growth
Powers – regulate the course of history on the earth to
ensure that God’s good is carried out
The DOMINIONS
are so named because, being themselves free, they dominate over the rest of the
angels which follow behind them. Having abandoned servile fear, as St Dionysius
the Aeropagite says, they voluntarily and with joy
serve God unceasingly. Also they send down power for prudent governing and wise
management to authorities on the earth set up by God. Further they teach how to
control the senses, how to subdue in ones dissolute desires and passions, how
to enslave the flesh to the spirit, and how to rule over one's will and be
above all temptations.
The VIRTUES,
filled with divine strength, quickly fulfill the will of the All-High and
Omnipotent Lord, strong and powerful. They both work very great miracles and
send down the grace of miracle-working to God's saints, who are worthy of such
grace, in order that these may work miracles, such as heal every sickness and
foretell the future. The holy virtues also help people laboring and those
overburdened by the bearing of obedience placed on them by someone - by which
their names "virtues" is explained - and they bear the infirmities of
the weak. They also strengthen every man in patience, so that he does not faint
away in affliction but rather bears all misfortune with a strong spirit,
courageously, and with humility, giving thanks for everything to God, arranging
all for our benefit.
The POWERS
are so called because they have power over the devil, in order to restrain the
power of the demons, to repulse the temptations brought upon people by them,
and to prevent the demons from harming anyone to the degree that they would
wish. The powers strengthen the good ascetics in spiritual struggles and
labors, protecting them so that they may not be deprived of the spiritual
kingdom. They help those wrestling with passions and vices to cast out evil
thoughts and slanders of the enemy and to conquer the devil.
In the lowest hierarchy there are also three orders: the
PRINCIPALITIES, the ARCHANGELS, and the ANGELS.
These angels are spiritual messengers, acting as a link
between humankind and the celestial world.
Principalities – guide countries and nation
groups to keep the earth in balance
Archangels – provide guidance in matters of great human
importance
Angels – these are the angels with whom we are most
familiar, as they are concerned with all matters in our personal lives and
guide everyone on earth, whether we know it or not.
The PRINCIPALITIES
are named thus because they have command over the lower angels, directing them
to the fulfillment of divine orders. The management of the universe and the
keeping of all the kingdoms and princedoms, of lands and all peoples, races and
nations, is also entrusted to them since each kingdom, race and people have for
themselves a special deeper and manager from the heavenly order called the
principalities, for all their country. Further, the service of this angelic
order (according to the explanation of St Gregory the Dialogist) consists in
teaching the people to requite each person in authority according to his
calling. Finally, the angels of this order raise worthy people to various
honorable offices and direct them so that they take power not for the sake of
their own gain and benefit, nor for the sake of love of honor and vain renown,
but for the sake of honor from God, for the sake of spreading and augmenting of
His holy glory, and for the sake of the benefit of their neighbors - as serving
the general needs of all their subordinates.
The ARCHANGELS
are called the great heralds of good news, announcing the great and most
glorious. Their service (as the great Dionysius the Aeropagite
says) consists in revealing prophecies, knowledge, and understanding of God's
will which they receive from the higher orders of angels and announce to the
lower order, i.e. the angels, and through them, to men. St Gregory the
Dialogist says that the archangels strengthen people in the holy faith,
enlightening their mind with the light of knowledge of the holy Gospel and
revealing the mysteries of devout faith.
The ANGELS
are the lowest of all the orders in the heavenly hierarchy and the closest to
man. They announce the lesser mysteries and intentions of God and teach people
to live virtuously and righteously before God. They are appointed to guard each
of us who believe: they sustain virtuous people from fallen, and never leave us
though we have sinned, but are always ready to help us, if only we ourselves
want it.
All of
the heavenly orders are also called by the common name "angels".
Although they have different names according to their situation and grace given
by God (as seraphim, cherubim, thrones and the rest of the orders), yet all in
general are called angels, because the word "angel" is not a
denomination of essence, but of service, as it is written: "Are they not
all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister" (Heb 1:14). But their
service is different and not identical: each order has its own service; for the
All-Wise Creator does not reveal the mystery of His design to all to the same
degree, but from the one to the others, through the higher He enlightens the
lower, revealing to them His will and commanding it to be as in the book of the
Prophet Zachariah. There it is said that one angel, after conversing with the
prophet, met another angel who ordered him to go again to the prophet and
reveal the future fate of Jerusalem: "And behold, the angel that talked
with me went forth and another angel went out to meet him, and said unto him,
Run, speak to these young man (that is, the prophet Zachariah), saying,
Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men
and cattle therein: For I, saith the Lord will be
unto her a wall of fire round about" (Zach 2:3-5).
Deliberating
about this, St Gregory the Dialogist says, "When one angel says to the
other: 'Run speak to this young man' there is no doubt that certain angels send
others that the lower ones are sent, that the higher send".
We find
exactly the same thing in the prophecy of Daniel, that one angel orders another
to interpret the vision to the prophet. From this it is evident that angels of
higher orders reveal the divine will and intention of their Creator to angels
of the lower orders, that they enlighten them and send them to people.