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{{Short description|Supernatural being in religions and mythologies}}
{{distinguish|Angle}}
{{Hatnote group|
{{About|the supernatural beings}}
{{redirect|Angelology|the novel|Angelology (novel){{!}}''Angelology'' (novel)}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
[[File:Angel of the Annunciation MET DP167921.jpg|thumb|Statue of the angel of the [[Annunciation]]''',''' {{Circa|1430–1440}}, [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]]]
[[File:Bernhard Plockhorst - Schutzengel.jpg|thumb|right|''Schutzengel'' ("Guardian angel") by [[Bernhard Plockhorst]] depicts a [[guardian angel]] watching over two children.]]
[[File:GuidoReni MichaelDefeatsSatan.jpg|thumb|The [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]] wears a Roman military cloak and cuirass in this 17th-century depiction by [[Guido Reni]].]]
An '''angel''' is a [[Spirit (supernatural entity)|spiritual]] (without a physical body), [[heaven|heavenly]], or [[supernatural]] being, usually [[humanoid]] with [[Bird wing|bird-like wings]], often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between [[God]] (the [[Transcendence (religion)|transcendent]]) and humanity (the [[Profane (religion)|profane]]) in various traditions like the [[Abrahamic religions]].<ref>The Free Dictionary: [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/angel "angel"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108092531/http://www.thefreedictionary.com/angel|date=8 November 2012}}, retrieved 1 September 2012</ref><ref name="ReligFacts">{{Cite web |title=Angels in Christianity |url=http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/beliefs/angels.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406134902/http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/beliefs/angels.htm |archive-date=Apr 6, 2015 |website=Religion Facts}}</ref><ref>Mircea Eliade Encyclopedia of Religion Macmillan Publishing (1986) p. 282</ref> Other roles include protectors and guides for humans, such as [[guardian angels]] and servants of God.<ref>[[Augustine of Hippo]]'s [http://www.augustinus.it/latino/esposizioni_salmi/index2.htm ''Enarrationes in Psalmos''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009114455/http://www.augustinus.it/latino/esposizioni_salmi/index2.htm|date=9 October 2011}}, 103, I, 15'', augustinus.it'' {{in lang|la}}</ref> In [[Western religions|Western belief-systems]] the term is often used to distinguish [[Good and evil|benevolent from malevolent]] intermediary beings.<ref>Mircea Eliade Encyclopedia of Religion Macmillan Publishing (1986) p. 282</ref> 

Emphasizing the distance between God and mankind, [[Revelation|revelation-based belief-systems]] require angels to bridge the gap between the earthly and the transcendent realm.<ref>Mircea Eliade Encyclopedia of Religion Macmillan Publishing (1986) p. 284</ref> Angels play a lesser role in [[Monism|monistic belief-systems]], since the gap is non-existent. However, angelic beings might be conceived as aid to achieve a proper relationship with the divine.<ref>Mircea Eliade Encyclopedia of Religion Macmillan Publishing (1986) p. 283</ref>

Abrahamic religions describe [[Hierarchy of angels|angelic hierarchies]], which vary by religion and sect. Some angels have specific names (such as [[Gabriel]] or [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]]) or [[title]]s (such as [[seraph]] or [[archangel]]). [[wikt:Malevolent|Malevolent]] angels are often believed to have been expelled from Heaven and are called [[fallen angel]]s. In many such religions, the [[Devil]] (or devils) are identified with such angels.[[File:The Wounded Angel - Hugo Simberg.jpg|right|thumb|200px|''[[The Wounded Angel]]'', [[Hugo Simberg]], 1903, voted Finland's "national painting" in 2006]]

[[Angels in art]] are often identified with [[Bird wing|bird wings]],<ref>Proverbio (2007), pp. 90–95; compare review in ''[[La Civiltà Cattolica]]'', 3795–3796 (2–16 August 2008), pp. 327–328.</ref> [[Halo (religious iconography)|halos]],<ref>
Didron, Vol 2, pp.68–71.</ref> and [[divine light]]. They are usually shaped like humans of extraordinary beauty, though this is not always the case {{Ndash}}sometimes, they are portrayed as being frightening or inhuman.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last1=Blau |first1=Ludwig |last2=Kohler |first2=Kaufmann |title=Angelology |url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1521-angelology |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520024437/https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1521-angelology |archive-date=May 20, 2016 |access-date=2016-05-02 |website=Jewish Encyclopedia}}</ref>

== Etymology ==
The word ''angel'' arrives in modern English from [[Old English]] ''engel'' (with a hard ''g'') and the [[Old French]] ''angele''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/angel?q=angel|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512181229/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/angel?q=angel|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 May 2013|title=angel – Definition of angel in English by Oxford Dictionaries|website=Oxford Dictionaries – English}}</ref> Both of these derive from [[Late Latin]] ''angelus'', which in turn was borrowed from [[Late Greek]] {{lang|el|ἄγγελος}} ''angelos'' (literally "messenger").<ref>{{cite web|last1=Strong|first1=James|title=Strong's Greek|url=http://biblehub.com/greek/32.htm|website=Biblehub.com|access-date=4 October 2017|language=en|quote=Transliteration: aggelos Phonetic Spelling: (ang'-el-os)|archive-date=4 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304004547/https://biblehub.com/greek/32.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Τhe word's earliest form is [[Mycenaean language|Mycenaean]] ''a-ke-ro'', attested in [[Linear B]] syllabic script.<ref>[http://www.palaeolexicon.com/default.aspx?static=12&wid=193 palaeolexicon.com, ''a-ke-ro''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202231726/http://www.palaeolexicon.com/default.aspx?static=12&wid=193 |date=2 December 2013 }}, Palaeolexicon.</ref> According to the Dutch linguist [[Robert S. P. Beekes|R. S. P. Beekes]], ''ángelos'' itself may be "an Oriental loan, like ἄγγαρος (''ángaros'', 'Persian mounted courier')."<ref>[[Robert S. P. Beekes|Beekes, R. S. P.]], ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 9.</ref>

The rendering of ''ángelos'' is the Septuagint's default translation of the [[Biblical Hebrew]] term [[Angels in Judaism#Etymology|''malʼākh'']], denoting simply "messenger" without connoting its nature. In the [[Latin Vulgate]], this meaning becomes bifurcated: when ''malʼākh'' or ''ángelos'' is supposed to denote a human messenger, words like ''nuntius'' or ''legatus'' are applied. If the word refers to some supernatural being, the word ''angelus'' appears. Such differentiation has been taken over by later vernacular translations of the [[Bible]], early Christian and Jewish exegetes and eventually modern scholars.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kosior|first=Wojciech|title=The Angel in the Hebrew Bible from the Statistic and Hermeneutic Perspectives. Some Remarks on the Interpolation Theory|url=https://www.academia.edu/4426250|journal=The Polish Journal of Biblical Research|date=June 2013|volume=12|issue=1 (23)|pages=55–70|access-date=22 November 2013|archive-date=17 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617133301/https://www.academia.edu/4426250|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Background ==
The concept of angels is historically best to be understood from different ideas of the [[Conceptions of God|concept of God]] [[History of religion|throughout history]]. In [[Polytheism|polytheistic]] and [[Animism|animistic worldviews]], supernatural powers (i.e. deities, [[Spirit (supernatural entity)|spirits]], daemons, etc.) were assigned to different [[Phenomenon|natural phenomena]].<ref name="Abu-Hamdiyyah, Muhammad 2020"/>{{rp|style=ama|p=102}}<ref>al-Suyūṭī’s, Jalāl al-Dīn. "“Panangelon”: Angelology and Its Relation to Polytheism." The Intermediate Worlds of Angels: 153-154</ref> Within a monotheistic framework, these powers were reconsidered to be servants of the [[God in Abrahamic religions|supreme deity]], turning autonomous supernatural beings into "angels".<ref name="Abu-Hamdiyyah, Muhammad 2020">Abu-Hamdiyyah, Muhammad. The Qur'an: an introduction. Routledge, 2020.</ref>{{rp|style=ama|p=102}}

By that, supernatural powers controlling or influencing humanity's perception of the world, including natural phenomena and humans, are ultimately under control of a supreme God.<ref name="Abu-Hamdiyyah, Muhammad 2020"/>{{rp|style=ama|p=102}} Prominent angels, such as Michael and Gabriel, reflect a connection to the Chief Semitic deity [[El (deity)|El]]. Even [[Fallen angel|"bad" angels]] such as [[Satan]], [[Samael]], [[Iblis]] etc., can be understood as an operating force within the nature of humans, as responsible for selfish tendencies.<ref name="Abu-Hamdiyyah, Muhammad 2020"/>{{rp|style=ama|p=102}}

The idea of angels in early Hebrew scripture  as supernatural agents is absent.<ref name="Barr, James 1985">Barr, James. "The question of religious influence: The case of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity." Journal of the American Academy of Religion 53.2 (1985): 201-235.</ref> Instead, the [[Yahweh|Hebrew deity]] intervenes in human affairs, mostly by means of punishment.<ref name="The Encyclopedia of Religion"/> Only in later thought of [[post-exilic]] and [[Prophetic books|prophetic writings]], the Biblical deity is conceptualized as distant and more merciful, his interventions replaced by the idea of angels.<ref name="The Encyclopedia of Religion"/> However, such angels still carry out the gruesome attributes of God and can be both benevolent and malevolent.<ref name="The Encyclopedia of Religion"/> The notion of angels as embodiment of good emerges only under influence of [[Zoroastrianism]], in which [[Devil|the Devil]] is conceived as the principle of evil, with a hosts of demons, in battle with the [[Amesha Spenta|holy entities]] (''Aməša Spəṇta'') created by [[Ahura Mazda]] (principle of good).<ref name="The Encyclopedia of Religion">{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Religion |volume=1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofre01elia/page/283 283] |publisher=Macmillan |publication-place=New York |date=1986 |isbn=0-02-909700-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofre01elia |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Barr, James 1985"/>

Influence of [[Dualism in cosmology|dualistic tendencies]] and replacement of divine powers by angels is evident from the [[Dead Sea Scrolls|Qumram writings]]. In the ''[[Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice|Angelic Liturgy]]'', the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew term]] ''elim'' (deities, heavenly powers) is used for angelic beings and not for God.<ref name="Rees2012">Rees, Valery. From Gabriel to Lucifer: A cultural history of angels. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012.</ref>{{rp|style=ama|p=23}} The ''[[War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness|War Scroll]]'' speaks about angels of light fighting against demonic beings of darkness.<ref name="Rees2012"/>{{rp|style=ama|p=20}}

== Zoroastrianism ==
{{Main|Yazata}}
[[File:فرشته بر روی طاق بزرگ، طاق بستان - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Relief of Angel, [[Taq-e Bostan]]]]
In [[Zoroastrianism]] there are different angel-like figures. They patronize human beings and other creatures, and also manifest God's energy.

The [[Amesha Spentas]], although rather emanations of [[Ahura Mazda]] ("Wise Lord", God) than distinct messengers, have often been compared to angels.<ref name="autogenerated1">Lewis, James R., Oliver, Evelyn Dorothy, Sisung Kelle S. (Editor) (1996), ''Angels A to Z'', Entry: ''Zoroastrianism'', pp. 425–427, [[Visible Ink Press]], {{ISBN|0-7876-0652-9}}</ref><ref>Piras A. (2016) Angel. In Vocabulary for the stury of religion Brill</ref> Similar to angels in [[Abrahamic religion|Abrahamic tradition]], [[Vohu Manah]] reveals to [[Zoroaster]] the true nature of [[God]].<ref>Reynolds, G. S. (2009). Angels. In K. Fleet, G. Krämer, D. Matringe, J. Nawas and D. J. Stewart (eds.), Encyclopaedia of Islam Three Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_23204</ref>

Additionally to the Amesha Spentas, the [[Fravashi]] have often been compared to angels, functioning as a [[guardian angel]], and have been adopted as such by Zoroastrians themselves since the 19th century.<ref>Kuehn, S., Leder, S., & Pökel, H. P. (2019, December). Introduction: Angels and Their Religious and Cosmological Contexts. In The Intermediate Worlds of Angels. Ergon-Verlag. p. 15</ref> Unlike the Amesha Spentas, the Fravashi appear as individualized warriors of Ahura Mazda's celestial army, descending from heaven to aid  those who summon them against demons.<ref>Piras A. (2016) Angel. In Vocabulary for the stury of religion Brill</ref>

== Judaism ==
{{main|Angels in Judaism}}
In Judaism, angels ({{langx|he|{{Script/Hebr|מַלְאָךְ}}}} ''mal’āḵ''; "messenger"), are understood through interpretation of the Tanakh and in a long tradition as supernatural beings who stand by God in heaven, but are strictly to be distinguished from God (YHWH) and are subordinate to him. Occasionally, they can show selected people God's will and instructions.<ref>Hermann Röttger: Mal'ak jhwh, Bote von Gott. Die Vorstellung von Gottesboten im hebräischen Alten Testament. Peter Lang Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1978, {{ISBN|3-261-02633-2}} (zugl. Dissertation, Universität Regensburg 1977).
Johann Michl: Engel (jüd.). In: RAC, Band 5. Hiersemann Verlag, Stuttgart 1962, p. 60–97. (German)</ref> In the Jewish tradition they are also inferior to humans since they have no will of their own and are able to carry out only one divine command.<ref>Joseph Hertz: Kommentar zum Pentateuch, hier zu Gen 19,17 EU. Morascha Verlag Zürich, 1984. Band I, p. 164. (German)</ref>

=== Hebrew Bible ===
[[File:Abraham-And-The-Three-Angels.jpg|thumb|right|''Three angels hosted by [[Abraham]]'', [[Ludovico Carracci]] (c. 1610–1612), Bologna, Pinacoteca Nazionale]]
[[File:Tobias and the Angel - Filippino Lippi.jpg|thumb|''[[Tobias and the Angel (Filippino Lippi)|Tobias and the Angel]]'' by [[Filippino Lippi]], created between c. 1472 and c. 1482]]
The [[Torah]] uses the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] terms {{lang|he|מלאך אלהים}} ({{lang|he-Latn|mal'āk̠ 'ĕlōhîm}}; "messenger of God"), {{lang|he|מלאך יהוה}} ({{lang|he-Latn|mal'āk̠ [[Yahweh]]}}; "messenger of the Lord"), {{lang|he|בני אלהים}} ({{lang|he-Latn|bənē [[Elohim|'ĕlōhîm]]}}; "[[sons of God]]") and {{lang|he|הקודשים}} ({{lang|he-Latn|haqqôd̠əšîm}}; "the holy ones") to refer to beings traditionally interpreted as angels.

The term {{lang|he|'מלאך'}} ({{lang|he-Latn|'mal'āk̠'}}) is also used in other books of the [[Hebrew Bible]]. In the early stages of Hebrew writings, the term refers to human messengers, not to supernatural entities.<ref name="The Encyclopedia of Religion"/><ref>Jones, David Albert. Angels: a history. Oxford University Press, 2010. p. 3</ref> A human messenger might be a prophet or priest, such as [[Malachi]], "my messenger"; the Greek superscription in the [[Septuagint]] translation states the [[Book of Malachi]] was written "by the hand of his messenger" {{lang|grc|ἀγγέλου}} ({{lang|grc-Latn|angélu}}). Examples of a supernatural messenger<ref name="Lex">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/hebrewenglishlex00browuoft#page/520/mode/2up |title="מַלְאָךְ", Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, eds.: ''A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament'', p. 521 |access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> are the "[[Angel of the Lord|Malak YHWH]]", who is either a messenger from God,<ref>Pope, Hugh. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01476d.htm "Angels."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901141613/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01476d.htm |date=1 September 2006 }} The ''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]''. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. accessed 20 October 2010</ref> an aspect of God (such as the ''[[logos]]''),<ref>Frederick Copleston, ''A History of Philosophy'', Volume 1, Continuum, 2003, p. 460.</ref> or God himself as the messenger (the "[[Theophany|theophanic]] angel.")<ref name="Lex" /><ref>[http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/angel-of-the-lord.html Baker, Louis Goldberg. ''Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology'': Angel of the Lord] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812104425/http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/angel-of-the-lord.html |date=12 August 2011 }} "The functions of the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament prefigure the reconciling ministry of Jesus. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the angel of the Lord; the Messiah himself is this person."</ref>

In the early writings of the Hebrew Bible, both {{langx|he|בְנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים|Bənē hāʾĔlōhīm|Sons of Gods}} as well as the {{langx|he|מַלְאָךְ|mal’āḵ|messenger}} are aspects of God.<ref>Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The devil: Perceptions of evil from antiquity to primitive Christianity. Cornell University Press, 1987. p. 197</ref> In the earliest records, the ''Bənē hāʾĔlōhīm'' are in heaven. They are depicted as the heavenly court or the pantheon of religious belief-system of their time. They reflect the transcendent aspect of the Divine, but become progressively differentiated from the good aspect of the Divine. The ''mal’āḵ'' on the other hand, expresses the Divinties' interaction with the world. As such the ''mal’āḵ'' functions as the voice of the Divine, the Divine spirit, or as God himself. In Exodus 3:2-4, it is both [[Yahweh]] as well as a ''mal’āḵ'' Moses is addressed by.<ref>Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The devil: Perceptions of evil from antiquity to primitive Christianity. Cornell University Press, 1987. p. 197</ref> The fusion of the ''Bənē hāʾĔlōhīm'' with the ''mal’āḵ'' is evident in the Book of Hiob. Here, Satan is both one of the ''Bənē hāʾĔlōhīm'' in the heavenly court, as well as a ''mal’āḵ'' expressing God's interaction with humanity.<ref>Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The devil: Perceptions of evil from antiquity to primitive Christianity. Cornell University Press, 1987. p. 201-202</ref>

[[Michael D. Coogan]] notes that it is only in the late books that the terms "come to mean the benevolent semi-divine beings familiar from later mythology and art."<ref name="Coogan, Michael D. 2009">{{cite book |last=Coogan |first=Michael D. |title=A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament |publisher=Oxford University Press |year= 2009 }}</ref> [[Book of Daniel|Daniel]] is the biblical book to refer to individual angels by name,<ref name="angels">{{cite web|url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1521&letter=A&search=angels|title=Angelology|publisher=The Jewish Encyclopedia|access-date=30 July 2012|archive-date=28 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328231641/http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1521&letter=A&search=angels|url-status=live}}</ref> mentioning [[Gabriel]] in Daniel 9:21 and [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]] in Daniel 10:13. These angels are part of Daniel's apocalyptic visions and are an important part of [[apocalyptic literature]].<ref name="Coogan, Michael D. 2009" /><ref>{{cite book|last=Dunn|first=James D. G.|author-link=James Dunn (theologian)|title=Did the First Christians Worship Jesus?: The New Testament Evidence|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-8xWzXiByKgC&pg=PA67|date=15 July 2010|publisher=Westminster John Knox Press|isbn=978-1-61164-070-0|page=67|quote=God sends an angel to communicate with prophets, and an interpreter angel appears regularly in apocalyptic visions and as companion in heavenly journeys. One of the most fascinating features of several ancient stories is the appearance of what can be called ''theophanic'' angels; that is, angels who not only bring a message from God, but who represent God in personal terms, or who even may be said to embody God.}}</ref>

In [[Daniel 7]], Daniel receives a dream-vision from God. [...] As Daniel watches, the [[Ancient of Days]] takes his seat on the throne of heaven and sits in judgement in the midst of the heavenly court [...] an [angel] like a [[son of man]] approaches the Ancient One in the clouds of heaven and is given everlasting kingship.<ref>{{cite book|last=Chilton|first=Bruce D.|author-link=Bruce Chilton|editor=Craig A. Evans|title=Authenticating the Words of Jesus|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OK8KP5Z9-ZMC&pg=PA276|year=2002|publisher=BRILL|isbn=0-391-04163-0|page=276|chapter=(The) Son of (The) Man, and Jesus|quote=As described in the book of Daniel, "one like a son of man" is clearly identified as the messianic and angelic redeemer of Israel, a truly heavenly redeemer known to Israel as the archangel Michael.}}</ref> Jeffrey Burton Russel writes that "the more the banim and the mal'ak were seen as distinct from the God, the more it was possible to thrust upon the evil elements in the divine character that Yahweh had discarded.".<ref>Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The devil: Perceptions of evil from antiquity to primitive Christianity. Cornell University Press, 1987. p. 198-199</ref>

Coogan explains the development of this concept of angels: "In the postexilic period, with the development of explicit monotheism, these divine beings—the 'sons of God' who were members of the [[Divine Council]]—were in effect demoted to what are now known as 'angels', understood as beings created by God, but immortal and thus superior to humans."<ref name="Coogan, Michael D. 2009" /> This conception of angels is best understood in contrast to [[demon]]s and is often thought to be "influenced by the ancient Persian religious tradition of [[Zoroastrianism]], which viewed the world as a battleground between forces of good and forces of evil, between light and darkness."<ref name="Coogan, Michael D. 2009" /> One of these is ''[[Satan|hāššāṭān]]'', a figure depicted in (among other places) the [[Book of Job]].

=== Rabbinic Judaism ===
[[Rabbinic Judaism]] has been an orthodox form of [[Judaism]] since the 6th century [[Common era|CE]], after the codification of the [[Babylonian Talmud]]. In post-Biblical [[Judaism]], certain angels took on particular significance and developed unique personalities and roles. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the angels have no bodies, but are eternally living creatures created out of fire. The [[Babylonian Talmud]] reads as "The Torah was not given to ministering angels." (לא נתנה תורה למלאכי השרת) usually understood as a concession to human's imperfection, in contrast to the angels.<ref>Hayes, Christine. ''The Torah was not Given to Ministering Angels: Rabbinic Aspirationalism.'' Talmudic Transgressions. Brill, 2017. 123–160.</ref> Thus, they occasionally appear in [[Midrash]]im as competition with humans.<ref name="Reinhard Gregor Kratz 2006">Reinhard Gregor Kratz, Hermann Spieckermann: Götterbilder, Gottesbilder, Weltbilder: Griechenland und Rom, Judentum, Christentum und Islam. Mohr Siebeck, 2006, {{ISBN|978-3-16-148807-8}} (German)</ref> 

The angels as heavenly beings, strictly following the laws of God, become jealous of God's affection for man. Humans, by following the Torah, in prayer, by resisting evil instincts (''[[yetzer hara]]'') and by ''[[teshuva]]'', are preferred to the flawless angels. As a result, they are also inferior to humans in the Jewish tradition. In the Midrash, the plural of ''[[El (deity)|El]]'' ([[Elohim]]) used in Genesis in relation to the creation of human beings is explained by the presence of angels: God therefore consulted with the angels, but made the final decision alone. This story serves as an example, teaching that the powerful should also consult with the weak. God's own final decision highlights God's undisputable omnipotence.<ref name="Reinhard Gregor Kratz 2006"/>

Although [[archangels]] were believed to rank among the [[heavenly host]], no systematic hierarchy ever developed. [[Metatron]] is considered one of the highest of the angels in [[Merkabah mysticism|Merkabah]] and [[Kabbalah]] mysticism and often serves as a scribe; he is briefly mentioned in the [[Talmud]]<ref>Sanhedrin 38b and Avodah Zerah 3b.</ref> and figures prominently in Merkabah mystical texts. Michael, who serves as a warrior<ref>Aleksander R. Michalak, Angels as Warriors in Late Second Temple Jewish Literature, Tuebingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012.</ref> and advocate for Israel ({{bibleverse||Daniel|10:13|KJV}}), is looked upon particularly fondly.<ref>Hannah Darrell D., ''Michael and Christ: Michael Traditions and Angel Christology in Early Christianity'', Tuebingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1999</ref> Gabriel is mentioned in the [[Book of Daniel]] ({{bibleverse||Daniel|8:15–17|KJV}}) and briefly in the Talmud,<ref>cf. Sanhedrin 95b</ref> as well as in many Merkabah [[Jewish mysticism|mystical texts]]. There is no evidence in Judaism for the [[worship of angels]], but there is evidence for the [[invocation]] and sometimes even [[Conjuration (summoning)|conjuration]] of angels.<ref name="angels" />

[[Philo]] of Alexandria identifies the angel with the ''[[Logos]]'' inasmuch as the angel is the immaterial voice of God. The angel is something different from God himself, but is conceived as God's instrument.<ref>Copleston, Frederick Charles (2003). ''A history of philosophy, Volume 1''. Continuum International Publishing Group, p. 460. {{ISBN|0-8264-6895-0}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|Four classes of ministering angels minister and utter praise before the Holy One, blessed be He: the first camp (led by) Michael on His right, the second camp (led by) Gabriel on His left, the third camp (led by) Uriel before Him, and the fourth camp (led by) Raphael behind Him; and the Shekhinah of the Holy One, blessed be He, is in the centre. He is sitting on a throne high and exalted<ref>Friedlander, Gerald. ''Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer'' Varda Books</ref>}}

==== Later interpretations ====
According to [[Kabalah|Kabbalah]], there are four worlds and our world is the last world: the world of action (Assiyah). Angels exist in the worlds above as a 'task' of God. They are an extension of God to produce effects in this world. After an angel has completed its task, it ceases to exist. The angel is in effect the task. This is derived from the [[book of Genesis]] when [[Abraham]] meets with three angels and [[Lot (biblical person)|Lot]] meets with two. The task of one of the angels was to inform Sara and Abraham of their coming child. The other two were to save Lot and to destroy [[Sodom and Gomorrah]].<ref name="angels" />

[[Jewish philosopher]] [[Maimonides]] explained his view of angels in his ''[[Guide for the Perplexed]]'' II:4 and II
{{blockquote|...&nbsp;This leads [[Aristotle]] in turn to the demonstrated fact that God, glory and majesty to Him, does not do things by direct contact. God burns things by means of fire; fire is moved by the motion of the sphere; the sphere is moved by means of a disembodied intellect, these intellects being the 'angels which are near to Him', through whose mediation the spheres move&nbsp;... thus totally disembodied minds exist which emanate from God and are the intermediaries between God and all the bodies [objects] here in this world.|''Guide for the Perplexed'' II:4, Maimonides}}[[Maimonides]] had a neo-Aristotelian interpretation of the Bible. Maimonides writes that to the wise man, one sees that what the Bible and Talmud refer to as "angels" are actually allusions to the various laws of nature; they are the principles by which the physical universe operates.{{blockquote|For all forces are angels! How blind, how perniciously blind are the naive?! If you told someone who purports to be a sage of Israel that the Deity sends an angel who enters a woman's womb and there forms an embryo, he would think this a miracle and accept it as a mark of the majesty and power of the Deity, despite the fact that he believes an angel to be a body of fire one third the size of the entire world. All this, he thinks, is possible for God. But if you tell him that God placed in the sperm the power of forming and demarcating these organs, and that ''this'' is the angel, or that all forms are produced by the [[Active Intellect]]; that here is the angel, the "vice-regent of the world" constantly mentioned by the sages, then he will recoil. – ''[[Guide for the Perplexed]]'' II:4}}[[File:Da Forli - Music-Making Angel.jpg|thumb|150px|One of [[Melozzo]]'s musician (seraphim) angels from the Basilica dei Santi Apostoli, now in the sacristy of St. Peter's Basilica]][[File:Blake - angel of revelation.jpg|thumb|''Angel of the Revelation'' by [[William Blake]], created between c. 1803 and c. 1805]]

== Christianity ==
[[File:PL Wwa, kos Franciszka - konfesjonal, Nowe Miasto, 2023.04.08, fot Ivonna Nowicka (2)corr.jpg|thumb|An angel on a [[confessional]] in a [[Roman Catholic church]] in [[Warsaw]] as a [[metaphor]] of the [[Seal of confession in the Catholic Church|seal of confession]]]]
{{Main|Angels in Christianity}}
Christian Medieval concept of angels derives from Hebrew and Greek scriptures.<ref>Marshall, P., & Walsham, A. (Eds.). (2006). Angels in the early modern world. Cambridge University Press.
p. 3</ref> In the [[Bible]] angels are anthropomorphized intermediaries between God and humanity.<ref>Marshall, P., & Walsham, A. (Eds.). (2006). Angels in the early modern world. Cambridge University Press.
p. 3</ref> Few angels appear to be impersonal forces of the divine will, while others have individual names and personalities.<ref>Marshall, P., & Walsham, A. (Eds.). (2006). Angels in the early modern world. Cambridge University Press.
p. 4</ref>

In the formative stage, the Christian concept of an angel characterized the angel as a 'messenger' of God. The word "angel" can be drawn to the term or role of a "messenger" throughout the Bible in both old and new testaments - ([[Hebrews 1|Hebrews 1:14]]) calls them "ministering [or serving] spirits", sent by God to aid the "heirs of salvation". Later came identification of individual angelic messengers: [[Gabriel]], [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]], [[Raphael (archangel)|Raphael]], and [[Uriel]].<ref name="Barker, Margaret 2004">Barker, Margaret (2004). ''An Extraordinary Gathering of Angels'', M Q Publications.</ref> Then, in the space of slightly over two centuries (from the 3rd to the 5th) the image of angels took on definite characteristics both in theology and in art.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hoepli.it/libro.asp?ib=9788887472691&pc=000021001000000|title=LA FIGURA DELL'ANGELO NELLA CIVILTA' PALEOCRISTIANA – PROVERBIO CECILIA – TAU – Libro|date=2008-12-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227004018/http://www.hoepli.it/libro.asp?ib=9788887472691&pc=000021001000000|archive-date=2008-12-27|access-date=2017-09-23}}</ref> [[Ellen Muehlberger]] has argued that in [[Late antiquity|Late Antiquity]], angels were conceived of as one type of being among many, whose primary purpose was to guard and to guide Christians.<ref name=Muehlberger />

In systematic Christian theology, angels are imagined as incorporeal entities and in opposition to corporeal humans, as in the writings of [[Origen]] and [[Thomas Aquinas]].<ref>JONES, David Albert. Angels: a history. Oxford University Press, 2010.</ref><ref>HAECKER, Ryan. Origen's Speculative Angelology. 2021. p. 9</ref>

===Bible===
Angels are represented throughout [[Bible]]s as [[non-physical entity|spiritual beings]] which are intermediate between God and humanity: "For thou hast made him [man] a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour" ({{bibleref2|Psalms|8:4–5|KJV}}). Christians, based on Psalms and Genesis 2:1, believe that angels were the first beings created by God before the creation of Earth ({{bibleref2|Psalms|148:2–5|NRSV}}; {{bibleref2|Colossians|1:16|NRSV}}). Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible refer to intermediary beings as angels, instead of ''[[daimon]]s'', thus giving raise to a distinction between [[demon]]s and angels.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Martin |first=Dale Basil |date=2010 |title=When Did Angels Become Demons? |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25765960 |journal=Journal of Biblical Literature |volume=129 |issue=4 |pages=657–677 |doi=10.2307/25765960 |jstor=25765960 |issn=0021-9231}}</ref> In the [[Old Testament]], both benevolent and fierce angels are mentioned, but never called [[demon]]s. The symmetry lies between angels sent by God, and intermediary spirits of foreign deities, not in good and evil deeds.<ref name=Martin>{{Cite journal|jstor=25765960|last1=Martin|first1=Dale Basil|title=When Did Angels Become Demons?|journal=Journal of Biblical Literature|year=2010|volume=129|issue=4|pages=657–677|doi=10.2307/25765960|issn = 0021-9231}}</ref>

In the [[New Testament]], the existence of angels, just like that of demons, is taken for granted.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Loren T. Stuckenbruck|author2=Gabriele Boccaccini|title=Enoch and the Synoptic Gospels: Reminiscences, Allusions, Intertextuality|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eeMPDQAAQBAJ&q=angels+in+the+synoptic+gospels&pg=PA105|year=2016|publisher=SBL Press |isbn=978-0-88414-118-1|page=119}}</ref> They can intervene and intercede on behalf of humans. Angels protect the righteous ({{bibleref2|Matthew|4:6|NRSV}}, {{bibleref2|Luke|4:11|NRSV}}). They dwell in the heavens ({{bibleref2|Matthew|28:2|NRSV}}, {{bibleref2|John|1:51|NRSV}}), act as God's warriors ({{bibleref2|Matthew|26:53|NRSV}}) and worship God ({{bibleref2|Luke|2:13|NRSV}}).<ref>{{cite book|author1=Loren T. Stuckenbruck|author2=Gabriele Boccaccini|title=Enoch and the Synoptic Gospels: Reminiscences, Allusions, Intertextuality|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eeMPDQAAQBAJ&q=angels+in+the+synoptic+gospels&pg=PA105|year=2016|publisher=SBL Press |isbn=978-0-88414-118-1|pages=112–113}}</ref> In the parable of the [[Rich man and Lazarus]], angels behave as [[psychopomp]]s.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} The [[Resurrection of Jesus]] features angels, telling the woman that Jesus is no longer in the tomb, but has risen from the dead.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Loren T. Stuckenbruck|author2=Gabriele Boccaccini|title=Enoch and the Synoptic Gospels: Reminiscences, Allusions, Intertextuality|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eeMPDQAAQBAJ&q=angels+in+the+synoptic+gospels&pg=PA105|year=2016|publisher=SBL Press |isbn=978-0-88414-118-1|page=123}}</ref> Angels don't marry ({{bibleverse|Matthew|22:30|NKJV}}, {{bibleverse|Mark|12:25|NKJV}}, and {{bibleverse|Luke|20:34-46|NKJV}}).<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yVD1AAAAQBAJ&pg=PT75|page=75|chapter=Created in the Beginning|title=Angels Who They Are and How They Help--What the Bible Reveals|author=[[David Jeremiah]]|year=2013|publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group]]|isbn=9780307831293|oclc=859530086}}</ref>

[[Paul the Apostle]] acknowledges good (2 Cor 11:14; Gal 1:8; 4:14) and evil angels in his writings.<ref>MARTIN, DALE BASIL. “When Did Angels Become Demons?” Journal of Biblical Literature 129, no. 4 (2010): 674. https://doi.org/10.2307/25765960.</ref><ref>JONES, David Albert. Angels: a history. Oxford University Press, 2010. p. 8</ref> According to 1 Corinthians 6:3, angels will be judged by God, implying that angels can be both good and evil. Some scholars suggest that Gal 3:19 means that the Law of Moses was introduced by angels rather than God, combined with his statements in [[Epistle to the Galatians|Galatians]], implies a negative role.<ref>MARTIN, DALE BASIL. “When Did Angels Become Demons?” Journal of Biblical Literature 129, no. 4 (2010): 674. https://doi.org/10.2307/25765960.</ref> In [[Epistle to the Colossians|Colossians 2:18]], he criticizes the worship of angels.<ref>JONES, David Albert. Angels: a history. Oxford University Press, 2010. p. 58</ref>

==== Interaction with humans ====
[[File:Gethsemane Carl Bloch.jpg|thumb|right|''Kristus i Getsemane'' (1873), an angel comforting Jesus before his arrest in the [[Garden of Gethsemane]], by [[Carl Heinrich Bloch]] (1834–1890)]]
{{cquote|Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.—{{bibleref2|Hebrews|13:2|ASV}}}}
Three separate cases of angelic interaction deal with the births of [[John the Baptist]] and [[Jesus]]. In ([[Luke 1|Luke 1:11]]), an angel appears to [[Zechariah (priest)|Zechariah]] to inform him that he will have a child despite his old age, thus proclaiming the birth of [[John the Baptist]]. In Luke 1:26, [[Gabriel]] visits [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Mary]] in the [[Annunciation]] to foretell the [[birth of Jesus]]. Angels proclaim the birth of [[Jesus]] in the [[Adoration of the shepherds]] in Luke 2:10.<ref name="Pope">{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01476d.htm|title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Angels|website=www.newadvent.org|access-date=29 October 2005|archive-date=1 September 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901141613/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01476d.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to Matthew 4:11, after Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, "...the [[Devil]] left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him." In Luke 22:43 an angel comforts Jesus during the [[Agony in the Garden]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2022:43&version=NIV |title=BibleGateway, Luke 22:43 |publisher=Biblegateway.com |access-date=30 July 2012 |archive-date=15 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715063304/http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2022:43&version=NIV |url-status=live }}</ref> In Matthew 28:5 an angel speaks at the empty tomb, following the [[Resurrection of Jesus]] and the rolling back of the stone by angels.<ref name="Pope" />

In 1851 [[Pope Pius IX]] approved the [[Chaplet of Saint Michael]] based on the 1751 reported [[private revelation]] from [[archangel Michael]] to the [[Carmelites|Carmelite]] nun Antonia d'Astonac.<ref>Ann Ball, 2003 ''Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices'' {{ISBN|0-87973-910-X}} page 123</ref> In a biography of [[Gemma Galgani]] written by Germanus Ruoppolo, Galgani stated that she had spoken with her [[guardian angel]].
[[File:Jacob Wrestling with the Angel.jpg|thumb|''[[Jacob wrestling with the angel|Jacob Wrestling with the Angel]]'', by [[Gustave Doré]] in 1855]]
[[Pope John Paul II]] emphasized the role of angels in Catholic teachings in his 1986 address titled "Angels Participate In History Of Salvation", in which he suggested that modern mentality should come to see the importance of angels.<ref name="jpII">{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud19860806en.html |title=Angels Participate In History Of Salvation |publisher=Vatican.va |date=6 August 1986 |access-date=30 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020131133/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud19860806en.html |archive-date=20 October 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref>

According to the Vatican's [[Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments]], "The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html|title=Directory on popular piety and the liturgy. Principles and guidelines|website=www.vatican.va|access-date=15 March 2020|archive-date=23 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623013300/https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Theology ===
{{Further|Christian theology}}
By the late 4th century, the [[Church Fathers]] agreed that there were different categories of angels, with appropriate missions and activities assigned to them. There was, however, some disagreement regarding the nature of angels. Some argued that angels had [[wikt:physical|physical]] bodies,<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ludlow|first=Morwenna|title=Demons, Evil, and Liminality in Cappadocian Theology|journal=Journal of Early Christian Studies|year=2012|volume=20|issue=2|pages=179–211 [183]|doi=10.1353/earl.2012.0014|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_early_christian_studies/v020/20.2.ludlow.pdf|access-date=11 November 2012|editor1-first=David|editor1-last=Brakke|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore|s2cid=145816767|issn=1067-6341|hdl=10871/15370|hdl-access=free}}</ref> while some maintained that they were entirely spiritual. Some theologians had proposed that angels were not [[Divinity|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.<ref>Proverbio (2007), pp. 29–38; cf. summary in [http://www.hoepli.it/libro.asp?ib=9788887472691&pc=000021001000000 Libreria Hoepli] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227004018/http://www.hoepli.it/libro.asp?ib=9788887472691&pc=000021001000000 |date=27 December 2008 }} and review in ''[[La Civiltà Cattolica]]'', 3795–3796 (2–16 August 2008), pp. 327–328.</ref>

According to [[Augustine of Hippo]], the term 'angel' refers to "the name of their office, not [...] their nature", as they are pure spirits who act as messengers, clarifying: "If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel'."<ref>Augustine, En. in Ps. 103, 1, 15: PL 37, 1348</ref> [[Gregory of Nazianzus]] thought that angels were made as "spirits" and "flames of fire", following Hebrews 1, and that they can be identified with the "thrones, dominions, rulers and authorities" of Colossians 1.<ref name=Muehlberger>{{Cite book|last=Muehlberger|first=Ellen|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/806291246|title=Angels in late ancient Christianity|date=2013|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-993193-4|location=New York|oclc=806291246}}</ref>

''Forty Gospel Homilies'' by [[Pope Gregory I]] (c. 540 – 12 March 604) noted angels and archangels.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Pope Gregory I|author-link1=Pope Gregory I|author2=David Hurst (OSB.)|title=Forty Gospel Homilies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=acbYAAAAMAAJ|year=1990|publisher=Cistercian Publications|isbn=978-0-87907-623-8|page=287|chapter=Homily 34|quote=You should be aware that the word "angel" denotes a function rather than a nature. Those holy spirits of heaven have indeed always been spirits. They can only be called angels when they deliver some message. Moreover, those who deliver messages of lesser importance are called angels; and those who proclaim messages of supreme importance are called archangels. And so it was that not merely an angel but the archangel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary.}}</ref> The [[Fourth Lateran Council]]'s (1215) ''Firmiter credimus'' decree (issued against the [[Catharism|Albigenses]]) declared that the angels were created beings and that men were created after them. The [[First Vatican Council]] (1869) repeated this declaration in ''[[Dei Filius]]'', the "[[Lumen gentium|Dogmatic constitution on the Catholic faith]]".

In the Middle Ages, theologians had to address Augustine's ideas of "angelic knowledge", as set out in ''[[De Genesi ad litteram]]'', which he divided into "morning" knowledge, knowledge of Creation before it is created derived from direct access to the Word of God, and "evening" knowledge, knowledge of Creation derived from perceiving it after it has been created.{{sfn|Scribano|2022|p=11}}
[[Thomas Aquinas]] (13th century) related angels to [[Aristotle]]'s [[metaphysics]] in his ''[[Summa contra Gentiles]]'',<ref>{{cite book|author=Thomas Aquinas|title=[[Summa contra Gentiles]]|volume=2|chapter=46|chapter-url=http://dhspriory.org/thomas/ContraGentiles2.htm#46|access-date=2 February 2011|archive-date=3 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303160141/https://dhspriory.org/thomas/ContraGentiles2.htm#46|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Summa Theologica]]'',<ref>{{cite book|author=[[Thomas Aquinas]]|title=Summa Theologiae: The substance of the angels absolutely considered (Prima Pars, Q. 50)|chapter=Treatise on The Angels (Spirit)|url=http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1050.htm|publisher=Newadvent.org|access-date=2 February 2011|archive-date=2 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102161638/http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1050.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> the 8th question of ''[[Quaestiones Disputatae de Veritate]]'',{{sfn|Scribano|2022|p=11}} and in ''De substantiis separatis'',<ref>{{cite book|first=Thomas |last=Aquinas |title=De substantiis separatis|url=http://www.josephkenny.joyeurs.com/CDtexts/SubstSepar.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212112433/http://www.josephkenny.joyeurs.com/CDtexts/SubstSepar.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2010-12-12 |publisher=Josephkenny.joyeurs.com}}</ref> a treatise on angelology.

Aquinas varied significantly from the Augustinian view in two major respects: angels were not created in an initial state of bliss, and only beatified angels have "morning" knowledge.{{sfn|Scribano|2022|p=12}}
In other words: angels have an angelic nature, but in their natural states have no access to Divine "morning" knowledge of Creation, which they only gain with supernatural assistance.{{sfn|Scribano|2022|pp=12&ndash;13}}
This was Aquinas' most original contribution to Christian angelology.{{sfn|Scribano|2022|p=12}}
Although angels have greater knowledge than men, they are not [[omniscient]], as Matthew 24:36 points out.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2024:36&version=NASB |title=BibleGateway, Matthew 24:36 |publisher=Biblegateway.com |access-date=30 July 2012 |archive-date=15 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715054459/http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2024:36&version=NASB |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to the ''Summa Theologica'', angels were created instantaneously by God in a state of [[Grace in Christianity|grace]] in the Empyrean [[Heaven]] (LXI. 4) at the same time when he created all the contents of the corporeal world (LXI. 3). They are pure spirits whose life consists in knowledge and love. Being bodiless, their knowledge is intellectual and not through senses (LIV. 5). Differently from humans, their knowledge is not acquired from the exterior world (having acquired all knowledge they would ever receive in the moment of their creation); moreover they attain to the truth of a thing at a single glance without need of reasoning (LV. a; LVIII. 3,4). They know all that passes in the external world (LV. 2) and the totality of creatures, but they don't know human secret thoughts that depends on human free will and thereby are not necessarily linked up with external events (LVII. 4). They don't know also the future unless God reveals it to them (LVII. 3).<ref>{{cite book |first1=R.P. Thomas|last1=Pegues, O.P.|title=Cathechism of the "Summa Theologica" of Saint Thomas Aquinas for the Use of the Faithful|translator-first1=Aelred|translator-last1=Whitacre, O.P.|publisher=St Athanasius Press|year=1922|location=Leipzig|pages=26–27|isbn=978-1-7216-9547-8}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>

According to Aquinas, angels are the closest creatures to God. Therefore, like God, they are constituted by pure [[substantial form|form]] without [[philosophy of matter|matter]].<ref>{{cite book|author=[[Edward Feser]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Bm9DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT35|page=35|title=Aquinas A Beginner's Guide|year=2009| publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-78074-006-5|quote=An angel, says Aquinas, is a form without matter, and thus its essence corresponds to its form alone (DEE 4). ... Does this mean that an angel, as a pure form, is also pure actuality, devoid of potency? By no means.|access-date=22 February 2023|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404053537/https://books.google.com/books?id=9Bm9DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT35|url-status=live}}</ref> While they do not have a physical composition of matter and form (called [[ilemorphysm]]), they possess the metaphysical composition of act (the [[Actus essendi|act of being]]<ref name="JSTOR_24636655">"... of essence and actus essendi in angels, and from their consequent caused character to their potency-act composition)" ... As quoted in {{cite book|url=
https://books.google.com/books?id=yddDEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA106|page=106|author=[[John F. Whippel]]|title=Metaphysical Themes in Thomas Aquinas III|publisher=[[CUA Press]]|year=2020|isbn=978-0-8132-3355-0|series=Studies in philosophy and the history of philosophy|volume=63|issn=0585-6965}} and {{JSTOR|24636655}}</ref>) and potency (their finite essence, yet without being<ref name="JSTOR_24636655"/>).<ref>''ideo est in eo compositio actus et potencie''. Cfr. Quodlibet IX, question 4, article 1, corpus, Rome: [[Leonine edition]], 1996, vol. 25, fasc. 2/1, p. 102 Column B, lines 115-124 and p. 103 column A, lines 125-132). As quoted in {{cite journal |date=March 2, 2015 |title=Commentary on ''actus essendi'' |url=http://aquinasactusessendi.blogspot.com/2015/03/0395-commentary-on-actus-essendi-text.html?m=1 |url-status=live |journal=Actus Essendi |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230515145032/http://aquinasactusessendi.blogspot.com/2015/03/0395-commentary-on-actus-essendi-text.html?m=1 |archive-date=15 May 2023 |access-date=May 15, 2023}}; also quoted in {{cite journal |author=[[Juan José Herrera]] |year=2015 |title=El "actus essendi" en Tomás de Aquino: Distinción, evolución y síntesis personal |url=https://www.academia.edu/13121898 |journal=La fascinación de ser metafísico |publisher=[[Academia.edu]] |pages=55–90}}</ref> Each angel is a [[species]] which a unique individual belongs to; angels differ one from another by way of their unique and irrepetible form. In other words, form - and not matter - is their [[principle of individuation]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CJGVEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA196|page=196|title=Cosmology Translated, with Notes by Francisco J. Romero Carrasquillo|author=[[Edouard Hugon]]|publisher=Editiones Scholasticae|year=2013|isbn=978-3-86838-531-1|access-date=22 February 2023|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404053535/https://books.google.com/books?id=CJGVEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA196|url-status=live}} Quote: "Another requirement is that there be a principle of individuation. But certain beings, namely angels, lack a principle of individuation, which is signate matter. Hence, the angelic form, even though it is communicable in itself as species, is not in fact communicated, because there are no numerically distinct subjects that can receive it."</ref>

== Islam ==
[[File:Islamic angel, persian miniature.jpg|thumb|Depiction of an angel in a [[Iran|Persian]] miniature (Iran, 1555)]]
{{Main|Angels in Islam}}
Belief in angels is fundamental to Islam. The Quranic word for angel ({{langx|ar|ملاك}} ''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|Malāk}}'') derives either from ''Malaka'', meaning "he controlled", due to their power to govern different affairs assigned to them,<ref>Syed Anwer Ali ''Qurʼan, the Fundamental Law of Human Life: Surat ul-Faateha to Surat-ul-Baqarah (sections 1–21)'' Syed Publications 1984 University of Virginia
Digitalized 22. Okt. 2010 p. 121</ref> or from the root either from ''ʼ-l-k'', ''l-ʼ-k'' or ''m-l-k'' with the broad meaning of a "[[Courier|messenger]]", just like its counterparts in [[Hebrew]] (''malʾákh'') and [[Greek language|Greek]] (''angelos''). Unlike their Hebrew counterpart, the term is exclusively used for heavenly spirits of the divine world, but not for human messengers. The Quran refers to both angelic and human messengers as "rasul" instead.<ref>S.R. Burge ''Journal of Qurʼanic Studies The Angels in Sūrat al-Malāʾika: Exegeses of Q. 35:1'' Sep 2011. vol. 10, No. 1 : pp. 50–70</ref> 

The Quran is the principal source for the Islamic concept of angels.<ref>Stephen Burge ''Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik'' Routledge 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-136-50473-0}} p. 23</ref> Some of them, such as [[Gabriel]] and [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]], are mentioned by name in the Quran, others are only referred to by their function. Most Muslim theologians, such as [[al-Suyuti]], based on a hadith stating that the angels have been created through [[Nūr (Islam)|light]] (''nūr'') or fire (''nār''), depict angels as entities consisting of substance, in contrast to [[Medieval philosophy|philosophers]] who argued for angels being disembodied spirits.<ref>Stephen Burge Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik Routledge 2015 ISBN 978-1-136-50473-0</ref> Additionally, angels are thought to be endowed with reason and be subject to God's tests. [[Abu Mansur al-Maturidi|Al-Maturidi]] (853–944 CE) states that the inhabitants of heaven were tested by adorenments, just as humans and jinn on earth were tested, pointing at Sūrat al-Kahf [Q. 18:7].<ref>Saleh, Walid A. "Rereading al-Ṭabarī through al-Māturīdī: New light on the third century hijrī." Journal of Qur'anic Studies 18.2 (2016): 180-209.</ref><ref name="ISBN_9789004100237_p54-56">Ulrich Rudolph Al-Māturīdī und Die Sunnitische Theologie in Samarkand Brill, 1997 {{ISBN|9789004100237}} pp. 54-56</ref> When angels fail their tests, they might end up on earth, such as [[Harut and Marut]]. If the [[Shaitan|devils]] (''šayāṭīn'') have been angels once or form a separate type of creature from the beginning, is discussed in Islamic tradition.<ref>Erdağı, Deniz Özkan. "Evil in Turkish Muslim horror film: the demonic in “Semum”." SN Social Sciences 4.2 (2024): 1-22.</ref> Contrary to popular belief, angels are never described as agents of revelation in the Quran, although interpretation credits Gabriel with that.<ref>Welch, A.T., Paret, R. and Pearson, J.D., "al-Ḳurʾān", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E.
van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 05 May 2022 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0543>
First published online: 2012
First print edition: {{ISBN|978-90-04-16121-4}}, 1960-2007 section 2</ref> Angels are not limited to benevolent tasks, but can also carry out grim orders.<ref>Yazaki, Saeko. "Classes of Beings in Sufism." Sufi Cosmology. Brill, 2022. 68-88.</ref> Not demons, but angels are tasked to guard and punish sinners in hell.<ref>Lange, C. R. "Locating hell in Islamic traditions-conference booklet." International symposium in Islamic Traditions. 2012.</ref>

Angels play a significant role in [[Isra and Mi'raj|Mi'raj literature]], where Muhammad encounters several angels during his journey through the heavens.<ref>Stephen Burge ''Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik'' Routledge 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-136-50473-0}} p. 29</ref> Further angels have often been featured in Islamic eschatology, [[kalam|Islamic theology]] and [[Islamic philosophy]].<ref>Stephen Burge ''Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik'' Routledge 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-136-50473-0}} p. 22</ref> Individual angels are further evoked in [[Exorcism in Islam|exorcism rites]], with their names engraved in talismans or amulets to call upon their powers.<ref>Patrick Hughes, Thomas Patrick Hughes ''Dictionary of Islam'' Asian Educational Services 1995 {{ISBN|978-81-206-0672-2}} page 73</ref>

=== Theology (''Kalām'') ===
==== Classical period ====
[[File:Biblioteka Czartoryskich 3885 II, rękopis Safran 93 fol 38v The angels face Adam.png|thumb|517x517px|The Angels meet Adam, the prototypical human being, before they are being tested to prostrate themselves before Adam. They share, albeit to a lesser degree, the defiant reaction of Iblis, the future devil, who, in contrast to the angels, is depicted with a dark face. Painting from a manuscript of 
the Manṭiq al-ṭayr (The Conference of the Birds) of Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār. Iran, Shiraz, 899/1494.{{sfnp|Kuehn|2019}}]]
[[Kalam|Islamic theology]] usually distinguishes between three types of invisible creatures: [[Angels in Islam|angels]] (''malāʾikah''), [[djinn]], and devils (''šayāṭīn'').<ref>Egdunas Racius ISLAMIC EXEGESIS ON THE JINN: THEIR ORIGIN, KINDS AND SUBSTANCE AND THEIR RELATION TO OTHER BEINGS pp. 132–135</ref> Islamic theologian [[al-Ghazali]] (c. 1058 – 1111) divides human nature into four domains, each representing another type of creature: animals, beasts, devils and angels.<ref>Zh. D. Dadebayev, M.T. Kozhakanova, I.K.Azimbayeva Human's Anthropological Appearance in Abai Kunanbayev's Works World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology Vol:6 2012-06-23 p. 1065</ref> Reconciling the literal meaning (''Ẓāhir'') with the Avicennan cosmology of ''[[Islamic philosophy|falsafa]]'' of angels, he identified angels with the "[[active intellect|celestial intellects]]" or "immaterial souls".<ref>Tamer, Georges. Islam and Rationality: The Impact of al-Ghazālī. Papers Collected on His 900th Anniversary. Vol. 1. Vol. 94. Brill, 2015. p. 103</ref> Angels, made from light (''Nūr'') and thus associated with [['Aql|reason]] ('''aql''), represent the intellectual capacity of a human and the ability to bound the devilish qualities from within.<ref>Amira El-Zein (2009). Islam, Arabs, and Intelligent World of the Jinn. Syracuse University Press. pp. 34–51.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-06-24 |title=Meleklere İman » Sorularla İslamiyet |url=https://sorularlaislamiyet.com/kaynak/meleklere-iman#_Toc201395583 |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=Sorularla İslamiyet |language=tr}}</ref> By that, Ghazali does not deny the literal reality of angels, but rejects that they could be perceived directly.<ref>Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1986). Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-9429-1. p. 60</ref>

Although belief in angels remains one of [[Iman (concept)#The Six Articles of Faith|Six Articles of Faith]] in Islam, one can not find a dogmatic angelology in Islamic tradition. However, theologians generally distinguish between the angels in heaven ({{transliteration|ar|karubiyin}}), fully absorbed in the ''[[ma'rifa]]'' (knowledge) of God, and the messengers (''rasūl'') who carry out divine decrees between heaven and earth.<ref>Wensinck, A. J. (2013). The Muslim Creed: Its Genesis and Historical Development. Vereinigtes Königreich: Taylor & Francis. p. 200</ref><ref>Imam Abu Hanifa's Al Fiqh Al Akbar Explained By أبو حنيفة النعمان بن ثابت Abu 'l Muntaha Ahmad Al Maghnisawi Abdur Rahman Ibn Yusuf"</ref> Others add a third group of angels, and categorize angels into ''İlliyyûn Mukarrebûn'' (those around God's throne), ''Mudabbirât'' (carrying the laws of nature), and ''Rasūl'' (messengers).<ref>Serdar, Murat. "Hıristiyanlık ve İslâm'da Meleklerin Varlık ve Kısımları." Bilimname 2009.2 (2009). p. 156</ref> [[Al-Baydawi]] based this divide into two groups on Quranic verses: angels who are self-immersed in knowledge of "the Truth" (al-Haqq), based on "they laud night and day, they never wane" (21:29), they are the "highmost" and "angels brought near" and those who are the executors of commands, based on "they do not disobey Allah in what He commanded them but they do what they are commanded" (66:6), who are the administers of the command of heaven to earth.<ref name="Baydawi-2016">{{cite book |translator1-first=Gibril Fouad |translator1-last=Haddad |first=ʿAbd Allah |last=ibn ʿUmar al-Baydawi |date=2016 |title=The Lights Of Revelation And The Secrets Of Interpretation |publisher=Beacon Books and Media Limited |isbn=9780992633578}}</ref>{{rp|p=509}}

==== Modern and Contemporary movements ====
Some [[Islamic Modernism|modern scholars]] have emphasized a metaphorical reinterpretation of the concept of angels.<ref>{{cite book|first=Nidhal |last=Guessoum|title=Islam's Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science|url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=zaL3AgAAQBAJ|page=165}}|date=2010|publisher=I.B. Tauris|isbn=978-0-85773-075-6}}</ref>

[[Salafism]] and [[Wahhabism]] generally emphasize a literal interpretation of angels against modernistic interpretations, as for example, suggested by [[Nasr Abu Zayd]]. Simultaneously, many traditional materials regarding angels accepted during the Classical period are often disregarded by Wahhabis and Salafis. The [[Muslim Brotherhood]] scholars [[Sayyid Qutb]] and [[Umar Sulaiman Al-Ashqar]] reject much established material during earlier periods, for example, the story of ''Harut and Marut'' or calling the Angel of Death ''Azrail''. Sulayman Ashqar not only rejects the traditional material itself, but also disapproves of previous scholars who used such reports.<ref>Stephen Burge ''Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi Akhbar al-malik'' Routledge 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-136-50473-0}} p. 13-14</ref>

=== Iconography ===
[[File:Siyer-i Nebi 298a.jpg|thumb|Muhammad advancing on Mecca, with the angels [[Gabriel#Islam|Gabriel]], [[Michael (archangel)#Islam|Michael]], [[Israfil]] and [[Azrail]]. ([[Siyer-i Nebi]], 16th century)]]
In Islam, just like in Judaism and Christianity, angels are often represented in [[anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic forms]] combined with [[supernatural]] images, such as wings, being of great size or wearing heavenly articles.<ref>Stephen Burge ''Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik'' Routledge 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-136-50473-0}} pp. 97–99</ref> The Quran describes them as "messengers with wings—two, or three, or four: He [God] adds to Creation as He pleases..."<ref>{{Cite quran|35|1|style=ref}}, {{Harvtxt|Esposito|2002|pp=26–28}}, {{Cite encyclopedia | title=Malā'ika | encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam Online | author=W. Madelung }}, {{Cite encyclopedia | title=Angel | encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of the Qurʼan Online | author=Gisela Webb }}</ref> The 13th century book ''Ajā'ib al-makhlūqāt wa gharā'ib al-mawjūdāt'' ''[[ʿAjā'ib al-makhlūqāt wa gharā'ib al-mawjūdāt|(The Wonders of Creation)]]'' by [[Zakariya al-Qazwini]] describes Islamic angelology, and is often illustrated with many images of angels. The angels are typically depicted with bright, vivid colors, giving them unusual liveliness and other-worldly translucence.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wdl.org/en/item/8961/|title=The Wonders of Creation|date=1750|website=www.wdl.org|access-date=2019-03-09}}</ref> While some angels are referred to as "Guardians of the Kingdom of God," others are associated with hell. An undated manuscript of ''The Wonders of Creation'' from the Bavarian State Library in Munich includes depictions of angels both alone and alongside humans and animals.<ref name=":1"/> Angels are also illustrated in [[Timurid Empire|Timurid]] and [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] manuscripts, such as ''The Timurid Book of the Prophet Muhammad's Ascension'' ({{transliteration|ar|Mir'ajnama}}) and the ''[[Siyer-i Nebi]]''.<ref name="Gruber, Christiane J. 2008 p. 254">Gruber, Christiane J. (2008). The Timurid "Book of Ascension" (Micrajnama): A Study of the Text and Image in a Pan-Asian Context. Patrimonia. p. 254</ref>

== Baháʼí faith ==
In his ''[[Kitáb-i-Íqán]]'' [[Baháʼu'lláh]], founder of the [[Baháʼí Faith]], describes angels as people who "have consumed, with the fire of the love of God, all human traits and limitations", and have "clothed themselves" with angelic attributes and have become "endowed with the attributes of the spiritual". [[ʻAbdu'l-Bahá]] describes angels as the "confirmations of God and His celestial powers" and as "blessed beings who have severed all ties with this nether world" and "been released from the chains of self", and "revealers of God's abounding grace". The [[Baháʼí writings|Baháʼí]] writings also refer to the [[Concourse on High]], an angelic host, and the [[Maid of Heaven]] of Baháʼu'lláh's vision.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last= Smith |first= Peter |encyclopedia= A concise encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith |title= angels |year= 2000 |publisher= Oneworld Publications |location= Oxford |pages= [https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/38 38–39] |isbn=1-85168-184-1 |url= https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/38 }}</ref>

{{blockquote|I raised my hand another time, and bared one of Her breasts that had been hidden beneath Her gown. Then the firmament was illumined by the radiance of its light, contingent beings were made resplendent by its appearance and effulgence, and by its rays, infinite numbers of suns dawned forth, as though they trekked through heavens that were without beginning or end. I became bewildered at the pen of God's handiwork, and at what it had inscribed upon Her temple. It was as though She had appeared with a body of light in the forms of the spirit, as though She moved upon the earth of essence in the substance of manifestation. I noticed that the houris had poked their heads out of their rooms and were suspended in the air above Her. They grew perplexed at Her appearance and Her beauty and were entranced by the raptures of Her song. Praise be to Her creator, fashioner, and maker--to the one Who made Her manifest.

Then she nearly swooned within herself, and with all her being she sought to inhale My fragrance. She opened Her lips, and the rays of light dawned forth from Her teeth, as though the pearls of the cause had appeared from Her treasures and Her shells.

She asked, "Who art Thou?"

I said, "A servant of God and the son of his maidservant."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bahai-library.com/bahaullah_lawh_huriyyih|title=Tablet of the Maiden|website=bahai-library.com|access-date=6 June 2019|archive-date=6 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606005551/https://bahai-library.com/bahaullah_lawh_huriyyih|url-status=live}}</ref>|Tablet of the Maiden|[[Baháʼu'lláh]]}}

== Metaphysics ==
{{Expand section|date=December 2024}}
In [[Ancient Greek philosophy]], there is no significant distinction made between good and evil spirits.<ref name="10.1163_1877-5888_rpp_COM_04337">Woschitz, Karl M., Görg, Manfred, Wischmeyer, Oda, Sparn, Walter, Lohberg, Gabriele, Stubbe, Ellen, Herrmann, Klaus and Schöck, Cornelia, “Angels”, in: Religion Past and Present. Consulted online on 08 February 2024, {{doi|10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_COM_04337}}, First published online: 2011, First print edition: {{ISBN|9789004146662}}, 2006-2013</ref> Under Iranian influence, the [[sublunary sphere]] was traced to inspiring angels.<ref name="10.1163_1877-5888_rpp_COM_04337"/>
[[Philo of Alexandria]] already identified the Neo-Platonic interpretation of [[Daimon|daemon]]s as angels. The daemons were thought to be intermediary between the supernatural and earthly realm, interpreted by Philo as the [[Greek language|Greek]] term for angels.<ref name=Martin/>

In the commentaries of [[Proclus]] (4th century) on the [[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]] of [[Plato]], Proclus uses the terminology of "angelic" (''aggelikos'') and "angel" (''aggelos'') in relation to metaphysical beings. According to [[Aristotle]], just as there is a [[Primum movens#Aristotle's ontology|Prime Mover]],<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Aristotle]] |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0051:book=12:section=1072a|title=Metaphysics|at=1072a ff.}}</ref> so too, must there be spiritual secondary movers.<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Aristotle]] |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0051:book=12:section=1073a |title=Metaphysics|at=1073a13 ff.}}</ref>

[[Ibn Sina]], developed an angelological hierarchy of Intellects, which are created by "[[Monad (philosophy)|the One]]" (God). Accordingly, the first creation by God is the supreme intellect. From that intellect, intermediary spirits (angels) emanate. From these intellects, the intellect corresponding to the soul finally emerges. It is by the last Intellect that matter is animated and illuminates the mind.<ref>Abdullah Saeed ''Islamic Thought: An Introduction'' Routledge 2006 {{ISBN|978-1-134-22565-1}} p. 101</ref><ref>Mark Verman ''The Books of Contemplation: Medieval Jewish Mystical Sources'' SUNY Press 1992 {{ISBN|978-0-7914-0719-6}} p. 129</ref>

[[Materialism]] removed angels from philosophical and scientific consideration. [[Thomas Hobbes]] declared angels to be "accidences of the brain" without any external reality. [[Immanuel Kant]]’s critique of knowledge further diminished the rational justification for angels.<ref>Lang, B. (2015). Angel. In F. Jaeger (ed.), Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_018765</ref>

== Esotericism ==
===Graeco-Roman world===
{{main|Magic in the Greco-Roman world}}
The [[Greek magical papyri]], a set of texts forming into a completed [[grimoire]] that date somewhere between 100 BC and 400 AD, also list the names of the angels found in monotheistic religions, but they are presented as [[deities]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Betz |first=Hans |publisher=University of Chicago Press |title=The Greek Magical Papyri In Translation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K0hCj5u3HNQC |date=1996|isbn=978-0-226-04447-7 }} Entries: "Introduction to the Greek Magical Papyri" and "PGM III. 1-164/fourth formula".</ref> Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel, though of Jewish origin, were popular figures in Hellenistic Egyptian paganism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ahuvia |first=Mika |title=On My Right Michael, On My Left Gabriel}}</ref>

===Gnosticism===
{{main|Gnosticism}}
In [[Gnosticism|Gnostic cosmologies]], angels are generally hostile celestial powers. Numerous references to angels present themselves in the [[Nag Hammadi Library]], in which they both appear as malevolent servants of the [[Demiurge#Gnosticism|Demiurge]] and innocent associates of the [[Aeon (Gnosticism)|aeons]].<ref>{{cite book |author=[[James M. Robinson]] |title=The Nag Hammadi Library |date=1988}} [https://archive.org/details/TheNagHammadiLibraryPartial/mode/2up Read online for free at the Internet Archive].</ref>

The angels are credited with creating the world and also its rulers in constant battle against each other. They are usurpers of spiritual powers to whom the Gnostic must strive against to become free from envy and greed, and eventually obtains salvation in the immaterial realms.<ref>Piras A. (2016) Angel. In Vocabulary for the stury of religion Brill</ref>

On the other hand, the soul may act as an angel-like messenger who reveals mysteries and awakens knowledge in human consciousness.<ref>Piras A. (2016) Angel. In Vocabulary for the stury of religion Brill</ref>

=== Hermetic Qabalah ===
{{main|Hermetic Qabalah}}
According to the [[Kabbalah]] as described by the [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn|Golden Dawn]] there are ten [[archangel]]s, each commanding one of the choirs of angels and corresponding to one of the [[Sephirot]]. It is similar to the Jewish angelic hierarchy.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Rank
!Choir of Angels
!Translation
!Archangel
!Sephirah
|-
|1
|[[Living creatures (Bible)|Hayot]] Ha Kodesh
|Holy Living Ones
|[[Metatron]]
|[[Keter]]
|-
|2
|[[Ophanim]]
|Wheels
|[[Raziel]]
|[[Chokmah]]
|-
|3
|[[Er'el|Erelim]]
|Brave ones<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/691.htm|title=Strong's Hebrew: 691. אֶרְאֵל (erel) – perhaps a hero|website=biblesuite.com|access-date=5 December 2012|archive-date=17 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130217044200/http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/691.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
|[[Tzaphqiel|Tzaphkiel]]
|[[Binah (Kabbalah)|Binah]]
|-
|4
|[[Hashmal]]lim
|Glowing ones, Amber ones<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/2830.htm|title=Strong's Hebrew: 2830. חַשְׁמַל (chashmal) – perhaps amber|website=biblesuite.com|access-date=5 December 2012|archive-date=28 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828024514/http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/2830.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
|[[Tzadkiel]]
|[[Chesed]]
|-
|5
|[[Seraph]]im
|Burning Ones
|[[Camael (archangel)|Khamael]]
|[[Gevurah]]
|-
|6
|[[Angels in Judaism|Malakim]]
|Messengers, angels
|[[Raphael (archangel)|Raphael]]
|[[Tipheret]]
|-
|7
|[[Elohim]]
|Godly Beings
|[[Uriel]]
|[[Netzach]]
|-
|8
|[[Sons of God|Bene Elohim]]
|Sons of Elohim
|[[Michael (archangel)|Michael]]
|[[Hod (Kabbalah)|Hod]]
|-
|9
|[[Cherub]]im
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/3742.htm|title=Strong's Hebrew: 3742. כְּרוּב (kerub) – probably an order of angelic beings|website=biblesuite.com|access-date=5 December 2012|archive-date=9 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009061146/http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/3742.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
|[[Gabriel]]
|[[Yesod]]
|-
|10
|[[Ishim (angel)|Ishim]]
|Men (man-like beings, phonetically similar to "fires")
|[[Sandalphon]]
|[[Malkuth]]
|}

=== Theosophy ===
{{main|Theosophy}}
In the teachings of the [[Theosophical Society]], ''[[Deva (New Age)|Devas]]'' are regarded as living either in the [[atmosphere]]s of the [[planet]]s of the [[Solar System]] (''Planetary Angels'') or inside the [[Sun]] (''Solar Angels'') and they help to guide the operation of the processes of [[nature]] such as the process of [[evolution]] and the growth of [[plants]]; their appearance is reputedly like colored flames about the size of a human. It is believed by Theosophists that devas can be observed when the [[third eye]] is activated. Some (but not most) devas originally incarnated as [[human being]]s.<ref>Hodson, Geoffrey, ''Kingdom of the Gods'' {{ISBN|0-7661-8134-0}}—Has color pictures of what Devas supposedly look like when observed by the [[third eye]]—their appearance is reputedly like colored flames about the size of a human. [https://web.archive.org/web/20040820064159/http://www.geocities.com/athens/Olympus/3987/devas2.html Paintings of some of the devas claimed to have been seen by Hodson from his book ''Kingdom of the Gods'':]</ref>

It is believed by Theosophists that [[nature spirit]]s, [[elementals]] ([[gnome]]s, [[undine (alchemy)|undine]]s, [[sylphs]], and [[Salamander (legendary creature)|salamanders]]), and [[Fairy|fairies]] also can be observed when the [[third eye]] is activated.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://geocities.com/athens/Olympus/3987/devas4.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021121131124/http://geocities.com/athens/Olympus/3987/devas4.html |archive-date=21 November 2002 |title=Eskild Tjalve's paintings of devas, nature spirits, elementals and fairies |date=21 November 2002 |access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> It is maintained by Theosophists that these less evolutionarily developed beings have never been previously incarnated as humans; they are regarded as being on a separate line of spiritual evolution called the "deva evolution"; eventually, as their [[Soul (spirit)|soul]]s advance as they [[Reincarnation|reincarnate]], it is believed they will incarnate as devas.<ref name="Powell">Powell, A.E. ''The Solar System'' London:1930 The Theosophical Publishing House (A Complete Outline of the Theosophical Scheme of Evolution) See "Lifewave" chart (refer to index)</ref>

It is asserted by Theosophists that all of the above-mentioned beings possess [[Etheric body|etheric bodies]] that are composed of ''[[Etheric plane|etheric matter]]'', a type of matter finer and more pure that is composed of smaller particles than ordinary [[Matter|physical plane matter]].<ref name="Powell" />

== Yazidism ==
{{Main|List of Yazidi holy figures|Yazidism#Holy figures}}
In [[Yazidism]], there are seven Divine Beings (often called 'angels' in the literature) who were created by God prior to the creation of this world. God appointed [[Tawûsî Melek]] as their leader and assigned all of the world's affairs to these seven Divine Beings.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Omarkhali |first=Khanna |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/994778968 |title=The Yezidi religious textual tradition, from oral to written : categories, transmission, scripturalisation, and canonisation of the Yezidi oral religious texts : with samples of oral and written religious texts and with audio and video samples on CD-ROM |date=2017 |isbn=978-3-447-10856-0 |location=Wiesbaden |oclc=994778968}}</ref> These Divine Beings are referred to as Tawûsî Melek, [[Sheikh Shems|Melek Şemsedîn]], [[Nasirdîn|Melek Nasirdîn]], [[Fexredîn|Melek Fexredîn]], [[Sicadîn|Melek Sicadîn]], [[Sheikh Hasan ibn Sheikh Adi II|Melek Şêxsin]] and [[Sheikh Obekr|Melek Şêxûbekir]].

== In art ==
{{main|Angels in art|Putto}}
[[File:Lenz Entwurf zu einem Engel.jpg|thumb|414x414px|Draft for an Angel by Desiderius Lenz]]
According to mainstream Christian theology, angels are wholly spiritual beings and therefore do not eat, excrete or have sex, and have no gender. Although their different roles, such as warriors for some archangels, may suggest a human gender, Christian artists were careful not to given them specific gender attributes, at least until the 19th century, when some acquire breasts for example.<ref>"Because angels are purely spiritual creatures without bodies, there is no sexual difference between them. There are no male or female angels; they are not distinguished by gender.", p. 10, "Catholic Questions, Wise Answers", Ed. Michael J. Daley, St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2001, {{ISBN|978-0-86716-398-8}}. See also [https://www.catholic.com/qa/can-angels-be-male-or-female Catholic Answers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190302024510/https://www.catholic.com/qa/can-angels-be-male-or-female |date=2 March 2019 }}, which gives the standard, unchanged, Catholic position.</ref>
[[File:Three Loves Next to a Cartouche MET DP825513.jpg|thumb|''Three Putti Next to a [[Cartouche (design)|Cartouche]]'', after [[François Boucher]], 1727–1760, etching and engraving, 26.5 × 21.5 cm, [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]], New York City]]
In an address during a General Audience of 6 August 1986, entitled "Angels participate in the history of salvation", Pope John Paul II explained that "[T]he angels have no 'body' (even if, in particular circumstances, they reveal themselves under visible forms because of their mission for the good of people)."<ref name="jpII" /> Christian art perhaps reflects the descriptions in [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 4:6–8 of the [[Living creatures (Bible)|Four Living Creatures]] ({{langx|el|τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα}}) and the descriptions in the Hebrew Bible of [[cherub]]im and [[seraph]]im (the [[chayot]] in [[Ezekiel]]'s [[Merkabah]] vision and the Seraphim of [[Isaiah]]). However, while cherubim and seraphim have wings in the Bible, no angel is mentioned as having wings.<ref>"Angel", ''The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' James Orr, editor, 1915 edition.</ref>
The earliest known Christian image of an angel—in the ''Cubicolo dell'Annunziazione'' in the [[Catacomb of Priscilla]] (mid-3rd century)—is without wings. In that same period, representations of angels on [[sarcophagi]], lamps and [[reliquaries]] also show them without wings,<ref>Proverbio (2007), pp. 81–89; cf. review in [[La Civiltà Cattolica]], 3795–3796 (2–16 August 2008), pp. 327–328.</ref> as for example the angel in the ''[[Sacrifice of Isaac]]'' scene in the [[Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus]] (although the side view of the Sarcophagus shows winged angelic figures).

The earliest known representation of angels with wings is on the "Prince's Sarcophagus", attributed to the time of [[Theodosius I]] (379–395), discovered at Sarigüzel, near [[Istanbul]], in the 1930s.<ref>Proverbio (2007) p. 66.</ref> From that period on, Christian art has represented angels mostly with wings, as in the cycle of mosaics in the [[Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore|Basilica of Saint Mary Major]] (432–440).<ref>Proverbio (2007), pp. 90–95</ref> Four- and six-winged angels, drawn from the higher grades of angels (especially [[cherubim]] and [[seraphim]]) and often showing only their faces and wings, are derived from Persian art and are usually shown only in [[Heaven (Christianity)|heavenly contexts]], as opposed to performing tasks on earth. They often appear in the [[pendentive]]s of church [[dome]]s or [[semi-dome]]s. Prior to the Judeo-Christian tradition, in the Greek world the goddess [[Nike (mythology)|Nike]] and the gods [[Eros]] and [[Thanatos]] were also depicted in human-like form with wings.

[[John Chrysostom]] explained the significance of angels' wings:
{{blockquote|They manifest a nature's sublimity. That is why Gabriel is represented with wings. Not that angels have wings, but that you may know that they leave the heights and the most elevated dwelling to approach human nature. Accordingly, the wings attributed to these powers have no other meaning than to indicate the sublimity of their nature.<ref>Proverbio (2007) p. 34.</ref>}}

Angels are typically depicted in Mormon art as having no wings based on a quote from Joseph Smith ("An angel of God never has wings").<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/si/institute/manuals?lang=eng&cid=rdb_v_si-institute_eng_manuals |title=History of the Church, 3:392 |publisher=Institute.lds.org |access-date=30 July 2012 |archive-date=23 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200123160943/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/si/institute/manuals?lang=eng |url-status=live }}</ref>

In terms of their clothing, angels, especially the Archangel Michael, were depicted as military-style agents of God and came to be shown wearing [[Late Antique]] military uniform. This uniform could be the normal military dress, with a tunic to about the knees, an armour breastplate and ''[[pteruges]]'', but was often the specific dress of the bodyguard of the [[Byzantine Emperor]], with a long tunic and the ''[[loros]]'', the long gold and jewelled ''[[pallium]]'' restricted to the Imperial family and their closest guards.

The basic military dress was shown in Western art into the [[Baroque]] period and beyond (see Reni picture above), and up to the present day in [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] [[icon]]s. Other angels came to be conventionally depicted in long robes, and in the later Middle Ages they often wear the vestments of a [[deacon]], a [[cope]] over a [[dalmatic]]. This costume was used especially for [[Gabriel]] in [[Annunciation]] scenes—for example the [[Annunciation (van Eyck, Washington)|Annunciation in Washington]] by [[Jan van Eyck]].

Some types of angels are described as possessing more unusual or frightening attributes, such as the fiery bodies of the [[Seraphim]], and the wheel-like structures of the [[Ophanim]].

<gallery widths="170" heights="170">
File:Angel MET DP-14477-001.jpg|Southern German [[Baroque]] angel, by [[Ignaz Günther]], circa 1760–1770, lindenwood with traces of gesso, 26.7 x 18.4&nbsp;cm, Metropolitan Museum of Art
File:Warriorangel.jpg|[[Ángeles arcabuceros|Arquebusier Angels]], hundreds of colonial paintings depicting these angels, Colonial Bolivia and Peru, 17th century, were part of the [[Cusco School|Cusco Colonial Painting School]]
File:Ezekiel-Vision-Merkaba.jpg|The extraordinary-looking [[Cherubim]] (immediately to the right of Ezekiel) and Ophanim (the nested-wheels) appear in the [[Merkabah|chariot vision]] of [[Ezekiel]]
File:Tenhola.vaakuna.svg|An angel in the former coat of arms of [[Tenala]]
File:Arielsopo.jpg|[[Sopó Archangels]], a series of archangels painted around 1650 in colonial Colombia.
File:La aparición de San Miguel - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg|''Apparition of Saint Michael'', ca. 1686 by [[Cristóbal de Villalpando]]. [[Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral]] collection. Colonial Mexico.
File:Heraldic Angel, from the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, by Diogo Pires-o-Moco, 1500-1525 - Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro - Coimbra, Portugal -DSC09916.jpg|16th century stone statue depicting the [[Angel of Portugal]], at the Machado de Castro National Museum, in Portugal.
File:Forlorn-hope-p20.png|An illustration of a dying woman witnessing angels, presumably depicting a [[Deathbed phenomena|deathbed vision]], by [[Frederick William Fairholt]] for the 1844 short story "A Forlorn Hope".
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{cmn|colwidth=20em|
* ''[[Angel of the North]]''
* [[Angels in art]]
* [[Apsara]]
* [[Chalkydri]]
* [[George Clayton (writer)|George Clayton]]
* [[Classification of demons]]
* [[Cupid]] and [[Erotes]]
* [[Dakini]]
* [[Demigod]]
* [[Elioud]]
* [[Eudaemon (mythology)]]
* [[Exorcism]]
* [[Gandharva]]
* [[Ghost]]
* [[Genius (mythology)]]
* [[Hierarchy of angels]]
* [[Holy Spirit]]
* ''[[In paradisum]]''
* [[List of angels in theology]]
* [[List of films about angels]]
* [[Non-physical entity]]
* [[Substance theory#Ancient Greek philosophy|Substance theory]]
* [[Uthra]]
* [[Valkyrie]]
* [[Watcher (angel)]]
* [[Yaksha]]
}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Esposito |first=John |title=What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |date=2002 |isbn=978-0-19-515713-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Kuehn |first=Sara |chapter=The Primordial Cycle Revisited: Adam, Eve, and the Celestial Beings |pages=173–199 |title=The Intermediate Worlds of Angels: Islamic Representations of Celestial Beings in Transcultural Contexts |year=2019 |place=Germany |publisher=Ergon Verlag |isbn=978-3-95650-623-9 |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/43195695 |via=Academia.edu}}
* {{cite book|title=Descartes in Context: Essays|author1-first=Emanuela|author1-last=Scribano|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2022|isbn=9780197649558|chapter=Descartes' Innatisms as Anti-Augistinianism}}
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
* [https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/61896 Angels in Art by Clara Erskine Clement Waters]
* Barker, Margaret (2004). ''An Extraordinary Gathering of Angels'', M Q Publications. {{ISBN|978-1-84072-680-0}} 
* {{cite EB1911 |mode=cs2 |last=Bennett |first=William Henry |wstitle=Angel |volume=2 |ref={{harvid|EB|1911}} |pages=4–6}}
* Briggs, Constance Victoria, 1997. ''The Encyclopedia of Angels : An A-to-Z Guide with Nearly 4,000 Entries.'' Plume. {{ISBN|0-452-27921-6}}.
* Bunson, Matthew, (1996). ''Angels A to Z: A Who's Who of the Heavenly Host.'' Three Rivers Press. {{ISBN|0-517-88537-9}}.
* Cruz, Joan Carroll, [[Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites|OCDS]], 1999. ''Angels and Devils.'' TAN Books and Publishers, Inc. {{ISBN|0-89555-638-3}}
* Cummings, Owen F., 2023. ''Angels In Scripture and Tradition'', Paulist Press, New Jersey.  {{ISBN|978-0-8091-5633-7}}
* {{Cite encyclopedia |last=Davidson|first=A. B. |author-link=Andrew B. Davidson|editor=[[James Hastings]] |encyclopedia=[[Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible|A Dictionary of the Bible]] |title=Angel |url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/hastings/dictv1/Page_93.html |year= 1898|volume=I |pages=93–97 }}
* Davidson, Gustav, (1967). ''A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels''. Free Press. {{ISBN|0-02-907052-X}}
* Driver, Samuel Rolles (Ed.) (1901) ''The book of Daniel.'' Cambridge UP.
* Guiley, Rosemary, 1996. ''Encyclopedia of Angels.'' {{ISBN|0-8160-2988-1}}
* Jastrow, Marcus, 1996, ''A dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic literature compiled by Marcus Jastrow, PhD., Litt.D. with an index of Scriptural quotations'', Vol 1 & 2, The Judaica Press, New York
* Kainz, Howard P., ''"Active and Passive Potency" in Thomistic Angelology'' Martinus Nijhoff. {{ISBN|90-247-1295-5}}
* Kreeft, Peter J. 1995. ''Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know About Them?'' Ignatius Press. {{ISBN|0-89870-550-9}}
* {{Cite journal|author= Leducq, M. H.|year= 1853|title= On the Origin and Primitive Meaning of the French word Ange|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3917316;view=1up;seq=52|journal= Proceedings of the Philological Society|volume= 6|issue= 132|access-date= 20 September 2018|archive-date= 3 February 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190203052319/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3917316;view=1up;seq=52|url-status= live}}
* Lewis, James R. (1995). ''Angels A to Z.'' Visible Ink Press. {{ISBN|0-7876-0652-9}}
* Michalak, Aleksander R. (2012), ''Angels as Warriors in Late Second Temple Jewish Literature.''Mohr Siebeck. {{ISBN|978-3-16-151739-6}}.
* Miller, Stephen. (2019), ''The Book of Angels: Seen and Unseen.'' Cambridge Scholars Pub. {{ISBN|978-1-5275-3434-6}}. https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-3434-6
* Muehlberger, Ellen (2013). ''Angels in Late Ancient Christianity.'' Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-993193-4}}
* Oosterzee, Johannes Jacobus van. ''Christian dogmatics: a text-book for academical instruction and private study.'' Trans. John Watson Watson and Maurice J. Evans. (1874) New York, Scribner, Armstrong.
* {{Cite book
  | last = Proverbio
  | first = Cecilia
  | title = La figura dell'angelo nella civiltà paleocristiana
  | publisher = Editrice Tau
  | year = 2007
  | location = Assisi, Italy
  | language = it
  |isbn=978-88-87472-69-1
  }}
* Ronner, John, 1993. ''Know Your Angels: The Angel Almanac With Biographies of 100 Prominent Angels in Legend & Folklore-And Much More!'' Mamre Press. {{ISBN|0-932945-40-6}}.
* Smith, George Adam (1898) ''The book of the twelve prophets, commonly called the minor.'' London, Hodder and Stoughton.
* von Heijne, Camilla, 2010. ''The Messenger of the Lord in Early Jewish Interpretations of Genesis''. BZAW 412. De Gruyter, Berlin/New York, {{ISBN|978-3-11-022684-3}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
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{{Commons category|Angels}}
{{Wikiquote|Angels}}
* [https://st-takla.org/Lyrics-Spiritual-Songs/Words-of-Coptic-Alhan-Tasbeha-Kodas/Arabic-Coptic-04-Epsalmodia-Tasbeha/Tasbe7a-Coptic-Transliteration-Annual-Psalmody/Praise-Epsalmodya-Tasbeha-155-Doxology-Samaeieen_Shashf-En-Arshi.html Coptic Doxology of Heavenly Order]
* [http://www.persiandna.com/angels.htm Zoroastrian angels]
* [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1521&letter=A&search=angelology Jewish Encyclopedia entry on angels]
* [https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html Directory on popular piety and the liturgy. Principles and guidelines] Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. ''Directory of Popular Piety and the Liturgy'', §§ 212–217, ''The Holy Angels'', Vatican City, December 2001]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003k9gf Angels], BBC Radio 4 discussion with Martin Palmer, Valery Rees & John Haldane (''In Our Time'', Mar. 24, 2005)

{{Angels in Abrahamic Religions}}
{{Christian angelic hierarchy}}
{{Qur'anic people}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Angels| ]]
[[Category:Heraldic charges]]
[[Category:Heaven]]
[[Category:Avian humanoids]]

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