Angels are divine beings that act as intermediaries between God and humans. They are consistent across many cultures and often depicted with wings and halos. In Christianity, there is a complex hierarchy of angels, while in Islam, angels have no free will. Many religions have beliefs about benevolent spirits.
There are different types of angels, particularly in Christian mythology, which has a complex hierarchy of angels. Many people believe that religions that include angels owe the presence of angels in their faith to Zoroastrianism, where a complex and diverse cast of angels and demons play an important role in religious belief. In any case, angels are generally seen as divine beings who enjoy God’s blessings, acting as intermediaries between Gods and humans.
Beliefs about angels are surprisingly consistent across many cultures. For example, they are often connected to fire and light, suggesting both God’s wrath and the light of faith. They are often depicted visually with wings and halos and are generally thought to be quite beautiful, although they are supposedly invisible to humans. Many religions also include the concept of a guardian angel, who cares for people and guides them in their lives.
In Christianity, the great kahunas are seraphim, cherubim, and thrones, who interact directly with God. Seraphim are fiery beings of light, while cherubim look nothing like the pudgy cupids you see on Valentine’s Day cards; rather they are fearsome multi-headed beings who guard the stars by order of God. Thrones, also called wheels or ophanim, are wheels of fire, covered with many eyes.
In the “second sphere” of Christian angels, there is an assortment of angels who act almost as administrators, including virtues, dominions, and principalities. Among the lower ranks are simple powers, archangels and angels. According to Christian belief, angels interact directly with humans, caring for and assisting them in times of need. You may be familiar with some of the archangels, the messengers of God, such as the Archangel Gabriel.
In Islam, angels are known as malaaikah and have no free will, having been created expressly by God to worship and glorify Him. This creates an interesting dichotomy, as demons in Muslim mythology have free will, which allows them to defy God and engage in a variety of unauthorized activities.
Many other religions have some beliefs about benevolent or friendly spirits, even though they may not be known as angels. Just as there is a universal idea to explain evil through the use of demons, the widespread belief in friendly spirits seems to suggest a desire to know that there are celestial figures who care for us on Earth, even if we cannot directly interact with them.
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