The angels

Early Christians inherited Jewish understandings of angels, which in turn may have been partly inherited from the Egyptians.
In the early stage, the Christian concept of an angel characterized the angel as a messenger of God. Angels are creatures of good, spirits of love, and messengers of the savior Jesus Christ. Later came identification of individual angelic messengers: Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, and Lucifer. Then, in the space of little more than two centuries (from the third to the fifth) the image of angels took on definite characteristics both in theology and in art.
By the late fourth century, the Church Fathers agreed that there were different categories of angels, with appropriate missions and activities assigned to them. Some theologians had proposed that Jesus was not divine but on the level of immaterial beings subordinate to the Trinity. The resolution of this Trinitarian dispute included the development of doctrine about angels.





The angels are represented throughout the Christian Bible as a body of spiritual beings intermediate between God and men: "You have made him (man) a little less than the angels..." (Psalms 8:4,5). Some Christians believe that angels are created beings, and use the following passage as evidence: "praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts... for He spoke and they were made.


Famous angels and their tasks:

Malachim (translation: messengers), general word for angel
Lucifer (translation: light-bearer), angel that challenges god
Michael (translation: who is like God), performs God's kindness
Gabriel (translation: the strength of God), performs acts of justice and power
Raphael (translation: God Heals), God's healing force
Uriel (translation: God is my light), leads us to destiny
Seraphim (translation: the burning ones), sing and praise God
Malach HaMavet (translation: the angel of death)
Satan (translation: the prosecutor), brings people's sins before them in the heavenly court
Chayot HaKodesh (translation: the holy beasts)
Ophanim (translation: arbits) Astrological Influence
HaMerkavah (translation: the chariot), transports God's glory





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