Angel of Death in Orthodoxy. Who is an angel? Who is a guardian angel, an angel of death, a fallen angel? Qualities of an angel. Language of Angels Angel of Death is a Christian name

We have all heard the word “angel” more than once. And they not only heard it, but also used it in their speech. What do we know about angels? Who is this, and why is the first association that arises when you mention this word - divine power and something spiritual? What do they look like and what is their mission? We will learn about all this in this article.

Who is an angel?

An angel is a messenger of God, His servant. This is exactly how this concept is described. This is actually a literal translation, which from the Greek ("angelos") is translated as "messenger, messenger."

Who an angel is is known all over the world, in every religion. According to the Holy Scriptures, angels were created long before the creation of the whole world, and their purpose was to serve God. What kind of ministry? They glorify God, convey messages from Him to man, protect people and carry out many other tasks. Many of them have a specific mission.

But there are also those angels who refused to obey the will of God for unknown reasons. They were cast into the underworld as punishment and are called fallen. The fallen angel refers to the misanthropic and evil army of entities that rebelled against God and man.

What does an angel look like?

Many clergy express their opinions regarding the essence of the angel. For the most part, they agree that an angel is a light, fiery, insightful and quick entity. They are also credited with the desire for good and service to God, which is quite appropriate, discipline and infallibility, nobility and humility. Such qualities of an angel come from the purposes they serve.

An angel does not have a physical body, and is endowed with immortality. A rational entity with intelligence and relative freedom. Angels, not surprisingly, have no age or gender and do not change over time. As it was originally created, it remains in this form.

Despite the freedom given to the angel, he is limited by space. That is, he cannot be in several places at the same time, but he is capable of moving at tremendous speed.

Who this angel is can only be learned from the words of clergy and eyewitnesses who managed to see his coming. It is impossible to confirm or deny these facts.

Of course, we can only assign all these traits to angels conditionally, since no one knows exactly what they look like. This is a completely different level of understanding and awareness that people are not given.

We know angels as creatures that look like a person with white wings on their backs. Wings in this case are a symbol of the speed of fulfilling the will of God.

Angels are often depicted in armor or robes, with staffs, spears or axes in their hands as the personification of the Heavenly Host.

Angelic ranks

There is a certain system, a special hierarchy, generally accepted by everyone. Thus, the entire angelic army is divided into three large groups, or triads.

The first triad includes Cherubim (the name means “abundance of knowledge and wisdom”), Seraphim (“flaming ones”) and Thrones (“those withdrawn from earthly things and striving for God”). These are the highest ranks who are the purest and most unbreakable in their devotion to God.

The second triad contains Dominances, Powers and Powers. These angels are constantly enlightened by God's wisdom, and they do not listen to it, but simply contemplate it. Dominions are engaged in instructing earthly kings and rulers to wisely rule. Angels of the rank of Powers send grace to God's saints and work miracles on earth. But in the powers of the Authorities there is the taming of the devil’s plans, the angels of the Authorities take temptation away from us; These church angels also control the natural elements.

Well, the third triad consists of the Principalities, Archangels and Angels. This is the group closest to people. Thanks to them, the will of God is conveyed to us, helping us to improve ourselves. The principles govern all the laws of nature, the Universe, and protect nations and peoples. Archangels are conductors of God's revelations, they bring good news about the mysteries of God. There are angels with every person. They are assigned to protect and instruct us in spiritual life.

Who are fallen angels?

In fact, this essence was once also light and pure, created by God. But once having abandoned God, this angel was expelled from the Heavenly Kingdom for his atrocities, which is why he became dark and vengeful, and was now called a “fallen angel.”

In Orthodoxy, fallen angels are also called angels of darkness. The most famous representatives are demons and demons; they serve Satan, the devil.

Satan first appears during the time of Adam and Eve in the form of a tempting serpent, who persuades Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and disobey the will of God, for which they were later punished and expelled from Paradise.

A fallen angel is a cunning tempter whose mission is to destroy a person’s inner peace, his faith in God and virtues, and encourage him to commit sinful actions that alienate a person from God.

The Devil (Lucifer) was also once the supreme angel, among those closest to God. But it so happened that he became proud of himself and equated himself with the Father, for which he was cast into Hell. It was he who became the first of the fallen.

Guardian Angels: who are they?

The idea that each of us has a personal patron is repeatedly mentioned in literature, cinema, music and everything that surrounds a person. What kind of patron is this, on whose help many people count? This is a guardian angel.

According to Holy Scripture, such an angel is given by God to every person from birth and baptism. The strength and capabilities of this angel depend on the spirituality of a person, the positivity of his thinking and the good deeds that he performs.

Christian traditions say that every person has two principles - good and evil. Behind his right shoulder stands a good guardian angel, guiding him on the true path, and behind his left shoulder is an evil tempting spirit who wants to turn a person into evil. These two angels accompany a person throughout his life. Afterwards they lead to the gates of Heaven (heavenly angel) or Hell (fallen angel), depending on what path in life a person has chosen - good or more evil.

That is why we cross ourselves from right to left, the handshake is done with the right hand, and the right hand is also applied to the heart. Many more such examples can be given, but the essence remains the same: the right side is very symbolic in Christianity.

Do Guardian Angels Really Exist?

When it becomes clear who the patron angel is, questions arise about whether their existence is true. Is our spiritual protector really with us throughout our lives? Can anyone confirm the existence of such an entity as a guardian angel?

Of course, there is no scientific confirmation of the existence of angels, nor is there a refutation. Many people turn to angels and God in the most difficult moments in their lives, despite the lack of evidence.

There are many different situations in which people miraculously survive. This can be attributed to a happy accident and said that “a man was born wearing a shirt.” That's what the skeptics will do. But we can conclude that since a person survived under incredible conditions, it means that he is kind, and a strong guardian angel is assigned to him, who protects him.

Angel of Death

Before we talk about this angel, it is worth noting that the Bible does not say anything about the existence of a separate angel responsible for being with a person who is dying.

Despite this, there are references to such a creature in other religions. For example, in Judaism the angel of death is known as Sariel, Azrael or Samael, in Islam it is Malak Al-Mawt, in Hinduism it is Yamaraja or Yama.

In different religions and mythologies, this angel is represented in different ways - a skeleton with a scythe in a black robe, a young woman or an old woman, even a child. Despite its appearance, its mission is one: being present at the moment of a person’s death and either contemplating this process or directly participating in it.

In Christianity, such obligations could be placed on any angel solely by the will of God, but the angel of death does not exist separately. Often these angels are mistakenly called fallen angels, but this is not true.

What language do angels speak?

Today it is generally accepted that Enochian is the language of angels. The reliability of this fact cannot be confirmed or refuted. This language was created by occultists J. Dee and E. Kelly, it was classified. As the creators of this theory themselves claimed, Kelly received this knowledge from angels during meditation.

Doesn't exist as a separate one. There is an alphabet, and also the keys to it, since the language is encrypted.

How to pray to an angel correctly?

You can turn to an angel for help. There are special prayers addressed to a personal guardian angel and calling on him for protection and assistance.

It is important to treat with all sincerity and to be pure at heart. In fact, it is not so important what you say and what your prayer to the angel will be. He knows about your thoughts, and if you ask for help in a good deed, he will definitely help.

The fallen angel is a sad and at the same time dark, terrifying image of Lucifer, popular among writers, directors and screenwriters. Why and when the angels of light rebelled under the leadership of the “son of the Dawn” Lucifer is not known for certain; legends speak only of the feeling of superiority that overwhelmed him.

Fallen Angel in the Bible

What does a fallen angel mean in Christianity? The sacred source The Bible talks about angels as sinless and luminous beings surrounding God. Any fallen angel, being at the beginning a being of a higher order, had free will and had the right to choose between good and evil. Some angels were fascinated by Satan, rebelled and betrayed the Lord, for which they were cast down to earth.

Names of fallen angels

The fallen angel Lucifer was the first among a host of others who fell after him. All these entities possessed powerful power in the heavenly kingdom, and were of high rank, but went over to the side of the rebellious Lucifer:

Asmodeus– causes lust in people, attacks of jealousy, lust and hatred;
fallen Angel Lilith- coming to men in dreams and inclining them to sexual intercourse;
Samael– angel of the Judgment of the Underworld;
Beelzebub– lord of demons;
Satan- accuser of man before God;
Leviathan- serpent Tempter.

Why do angels become fallen?

The legend of the fallen angel Lucifer tells where the line of dark angels came from. Lucifer “the luminous” was the most beloved and devoted bright angel of God, who brought him so close to himself that Lucifer became proud and decided to become equal to his Creator; a battle broke out in heaven between the dragon into which Lucifer turned and the archangel Michael with his army. Lucifer was defeated and God in anger cast down the angel who had turned evil to earth. Along with Lucifer, his allies fell. The fallen son created hell.

What do fallen angels look like?

A fallen dark angel is believed to be able to appear before a person in any guise: woman, man or child, as well as in the form of mythical characters, such as a dragon. The flesh of a fallen angel is devoid of the usual rough matter, like that of people, and is woven from a subtle ethereal substance. The following external characteristics are found in descriptive religious sources:

Black or dirty-gray bird wings or hard bone wings) are a sign that distinguishes the fallen from the bright angels.
In general, they have human features and only some of the body parts look like those of an animal (horns, hooves, tail) that protects the fallen angel.
They can appear both in an ugly, terrifying form, and in a beautiful, seductive one.

Fallen Angel Abilities

Fallen angels on earth have powers that are many times greater than those of humans, they consist of finer matter than humans, but they have a powerful influence on material nature. Their mind and will are developed to a significant extent, knowledge about the laws of the universe and the universe helps them use their skills a thousand times more efficiently than people. The abilities of angels extend far beyond the limits of the human mind:

teleportation – the ability to instantly move in space;
capable of transporting material substances and people from one place to another;
influence changes in weather, can cause torrential downpours, hurricanes, tornadoes, drought;
masterfully wield various types of weapons;
telepathy - people and can themselves instill thoughts that a person perceives them as their own;
able to change appearance and gender;
can have sexual intercourse with earthly women - this is how Nephilim fallen angels of a lower order are born.

Films about fallen angels

Films about creatures of a different order and world are especially popular among fans of the fantasy genre. Movie about fallen angels:

"Fallen", 2016. Lucinda, the heroine of the film, is grieving the loss of a loved one. At a school for troubled teenagers, she meets a mysterious guy, Daniel. A spark flares up between them. Daniel is shrouded in mystery, and Lucinda tries to unravel his secret: who is he really? The film is based on the book of the same name.
"Legion", 2010. Archangel Michael, who fell to Earth, resisting God’s desires to destroy humanity, intends to save it. Michael fell for the specific purpose of protecting the future savior of the human race, Charlie, who is still just a child. Demonic entities begin to possess people, and everyone has one goal - to get to Charlie.
"Dogma", 1999. A fun film about two fallen angels, Loki and Bartbly, who are stripped of their wings and sent to Earth for disobeying God.

Books about fallen angels

Modern fantasy novels abound with mythical characters, and fallen angels are among the top popular characters among mythology and fantasy fans. Dark entities have always attracted people with their mystery. Series of books about fallen angels:

"Fallen" by Lauren Kate. Trilogy. Unlucky girl Luce Price is involved in a fire case in which a man mysteriously dies. Luce is sent to a reform school, where she has a hard time and the only bright spot in this institution is the sudden feeling of love for her classmate Daniel. But for some reason, Luce is haunted by vague suspicions that they already know each other and are not from this life.
"Dark Forces" by Jennifer Armentrout. The duology, consisting of the books: “Hot Kiss” and “Cold Embraces,” tells the story of Leila, who comes from an ancient family of gargoyles, demon hunters. Leila's dark side is demonic, inherited from her mother Lilith, a fallen angel. Leila, like her mother, can take souls. Astaroth, an ancient demon, saves Leila from death and tempts her; the girl cannot resist him.
"Thirst" by J.R. Ward. The hero of the book, Jim, a vengeful and sinful character, becomes a fallen angel with a mission to save the souls of seven people from mortal sins, with no room for error.

« Say: “The angel of death, to whom you have been entrusted, will put you to death, and then you will be returned to your Lord" (Quran; 32:11)

Death itself is a great sign and demonstration of the omnipotence of Allah.

Each person is given a certain period of life on earth, and when it comes to an end, no one and nothing can avert the coming of the angels of death, the main of which is Azrael.

At the hour appointed by Allah for any specific person, he removes the soul from the body. But he is not the only one in this process and other angels help him, as evidenced by the verse: “T e, whom the angels killed..."(Quran; 16:28. Only the necessary part of the verse is given)

One of the famous commentators of the Koran, Mujahid, who in turn is referred to by another famous commentator, Qurtubi, describes the process of extracting the soul from the body: “Before the angel of death, the whole world is like an open box in which people are scattered like grains, and he snatches those from them that he wants."

He concluded by saying: “O Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon you, everything I tell you is by the will and order of Allah. If I, of my own free will, wanted to take the life of a mosquito, I would not be able to do this until an order comes from Allah.”

In this regard, the question arises, does Azrael take the life of animals?

Imam Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, adhered to this point of view. But other theologians believed that Azrael only takes the souls of people. As for animals, they die at the command of Allah without the mediation of angels. Imam Qurtubi cites this point of view in his tafsir.

Abi ash-Sheikh, Waqili, Daylami adhered to the same position, referring to the hadith transmitted by Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, in which the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “All animals and insects glorify Allah. When they stop this glorification, Allah takes their souls. The Angel of Death is not responsible for the death of animals."

Tafsir Mazhari mentions another hadith, transmitted by Abdullah ibn Umar: “When Allah Taala ordered Azrael, peace be upon him, to kill people, he prayed: “O my Lord, You have placed such a duty on me that all the sons of Adam living in the world will curse me whenever they remember me and consider me evil.”

To this, Allah Taala answered him: “We took care of this and spread in the world some noticeable diseases and other causes of death of people, which they will associate with death and you will be protected from their curses.” (This hadith is cited by Qurtubi in his Tafsir and the work “At-tazkira”)

Imam al-Baghawi also quotes a hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All illnesses, pain and wounds carry the message of death. They remind every person of his death. After this, when the time of death comes, the angel of death turns to the dying person and says: “O servant of God, how many warnings have I sent you one after another! All these illnesses and accidents were to prepare you for death. Now I am here in front of you and no one else will come to you with a warning. Now you must agree to the command of your Lord, whether you like it or not.”

The angel of death himself does not know the time when the death of this or that person occurs in advance. He learns about it only when a command comes from Allah.

Ildar Mukhamedzhanov

Angels in Islam are one of the key pillars of faith that every Muslim should know about. These creatures were created by Allah himself, and their only goal is to embody the will of the Almighty in all worlds. They have names, a certain range of responsibilities and almost limitless possibilities.

Angels in Islam occupy a special place among all unearthly beings. They are considered the most powerful creatures in the whole world - only Allah is stronger than them. In total, from the point of view of the Muslim religion, there are several types of supernatural beings. One of them are genies, who are similar to people in their characteristics. They can be both good and evil, both devout Muslims, who will have their own special paradise, and demon-possessed spirits - shaitans. Iblis himself also belonged to the family of jinn. In addition to genies, there are other incorporeal creatures - these are angels.

The key differences between the angels of Islam and the angels in Christianity and Judaism are their exceptional infallibility and kindness. They do not have free will as such, in the general understanding of the word. If, from the point of view of Christianity and Judaism, angels can be fallen, then Islam directly refutes such an ungodly point of view. Allah is omniscient, and therefore he could not create his faithful servants and guides of his will such as could betray him later.

All angelic beings have no gender, are completely devoid of nafs - temptations, and are completely sinless. They are called by the general word “malaika”, however, not all of them are equal. Many angels have a strictly defined range of responsibilities and capabilities. Some of them have earned great fame and are known by their own names. Hordes of them are nameless or related to a specific area of Muslim life.

Angel of Death in Islam - who are Malaikat al-Maut

A special place in the Islamic religion is given to the punitive function of some of the malai. In Islam there is an angel of death - Azrael, who controls millions of his servants. In general they are called malaikat al-maut, but within this angelic caste there are also divisions of responsibilities.

Azrael is the supreme commander over all of them, and is among the closest associates of Allah. It is believed that he will be the last being to die on the Day of Judgment, as he will carry out his assigned work until the last moment. Unlike Judaism, the angel Azrael, who is in many ways similar to the demon Samael, is an exclusively positive character. Killing for him is only a job and a duty assigned to him by Allah, which he performs with utmost care. Among the subordinates of the angel of death in Islam, there are three different types of malaika:

Naziat, also better known as malaikat al-azab, are punishing angels who come to the souls of all infidels. They brutally and crudely cut souls out of bodies, smell of carrion and hide their faces behind black cloth. Everyone whom the Nazis come for goes to the underworld.
Nashatat are angels who come for righteous Muslims. They are also called malaikat al-rahmat, who have compassion. They have perfectly sharp blades, with which they carefully separate bodies and souls without any pain. They are fragrant with the aroma of paradise and cover their shining faces with thin white silk woven from clouds.
Sabihat and Sabikat are assistants to other angels of death. Some believe that they are responsible for the souls of weak-willed animals. After all, animals are also alive and someone must end their existence in this world. In addition, they can warn the righteous about imminent death and prepare them for death.

According to some interpretations, the angels of death also include Israil or Israfil. He looks like a creepy creature, who, nevertheless, is still closest to Allah. Israfail will have to announce the end of the world by blowing into a huge trumpet, the sound of which will spread throughout the Universe.

Other Muslim angels, their powers and hierarchy

Apart from the angels of death, there are many other malaikas who are capable of accomplishing any task that Allah sets before them. In Islam, as well as in other Abrahamic religions, there is a strict hierarchy of angels. Despite the terrible appearance of some of them and the truly terrible duties, they are all sinless creatures who carry out the will of Allah through themselves. Despite the lack of free will and temptations, they have an intelligence that cannot be comprehended by any person or genie.

The hierarchy in Islam begins with the muqarrabun - the highest angels. Some also call them archangels in Islam. The mukarrabun are considered to be the four strongest beings in the world after Allah. In addition, Isa ibn Maryam, whom Christians call Jesus, was also counted among them. This testifies to the exclusively angelic nature of the prophet. In addition to Isa, the muqarrabun angels themselves are represented by Israfail, Azrael, Mikail and Jibril. All of them are also found in Christianity and Judaism.

The next most powerful are the angels surrounding the Throne of Allah. The strongest of them are considered Hamala al-Arsh. These are four divine creatures who bear the throne of the Almighty. Moreover, their number should double by the time of the Senior Judgment. Some Muslim commentators of the Koran combine them with muqarrabun. There are others close to the Malaika Throne. They are called karubin, which is very similar to the cherub angels from Christianity. This angelic rank in Islam is angels surrounding the throne, and their number is 70 thousand.

Next in power and importance are the Hafaza, or guardian angels in Islam. They are divided into muakkibat and kiryaman katibin. Every devout Muslim has a muakkibat. They follow him all his life, protecting him from harm and retreating only when Allah sends special tests to the chosen ones. Kiryaman katibin, also called Atid and Rakib, are clerks of the heavenly office. Each person or genie has his own pair of such angels, sitting on his right and left shoulders. Their duty is to describe every action and word of a person, and it is according to their records that Allah will pronounce judgment during the End of the World.

Mudabbirat are angels who have nothing to do with human life. Their duty is to monitor the progress of things throughout the Universe. They carry out the commands of Allah regarding the structure of the universe and ensure that the world order remains intact. After these angels, the next step is mukkoshimat. These are messenger angels who carry the instructions of Allah and distribute them among other heavenly powers.

Zaazhirat, malyak al-raat, Rabban-Nau, and malyak al-jibal are angels who report directly to Mikail. The duty of the azhirat is to manage the clouds. Malyak al-raat is the position of one of the angels of Mikail, who monitors the heavenly thunder, and malyak al-jibal is the angel who guards the mountains. Rabban-Nau is the guardian of plants, animals, stones and soils.

The following angels are mentioned by the famous Islamic historian Ibn Abbas, who is related to the Prophet Mohammed. These are the guardians of the seven heavens. The first sky along which the moon walks is guarded by Ismail, who appears in the form of a cow. In the second heaven, holding Mercury, lives the angel Shamail, appearing in the form of an eagle. The third heaven of Venus is ruled by the vulture angel Sayyid. The fourth, middle heaven, holding the Sun, is protected by the angel Salsail, who has the appearance of a horse. The sky of Mars, the fifth, is controlled by Qalkail, who looks like a paradise houria. Samkhail, the guardian of the sixth heaven, looks like a man-headed bird and rules over Jupiter. Saturn, as the planet of the seventh heaven, is ruled by Barmail, who looks like an ordinary person.

Malaikat al-arham are the angels who patronize mothers. Their duty is to predetermine the lives of people in the womb. It is by their will that the child becomes a boy or a girl. And it is they who initially determine the life span and its quality for each person.

After the guards of the womb come the malaikat al-maut, discussed above, and they are followed by the angels guarding heaven and hell. In hell live az-Zabaniyah - nineteen angels who fan the fire of hellish flames and punish sinners. They are controlled by Malik. Some non-Muslim historians and researchers believe that he descended from the fire demon Moloch. Paradise is guarded by Ridwan and Khazanat-ul-Janna - guardian angels.

All warriors of Islam are protected by the Jundallah. They invisibly accompany the jihad of every person - both as a struggle against internal fears and as a war against the aggression of the infidels. It is believed that Allah himself gives them to help, thereby expressing his satisfaction with these righteous people.

After the jundallah come the saffat - angels who stand in one row, guarding Allah and paradise with a single wall. Tailat are angels who constantly reread the Koran and the commandments of Allah so that they always sound in this world. And the sayyahuns are wandering angels who protect travelers and help them, fulfilling all their desires at night during Ramadan. They carry Muslim prayers to Allah.

All the dead are assessed by Munkar and Narib. They interrogate the dead in their graves and have a creepy appearance. At the same time, they come to the righteous twice. The second time - in the form of Mubashir and Bashir, calming and informing that they have passed the test and are worthy of heaven.