Hierarchy of angels

{{Short description|Belief that angels are ordered according to rank}} 300px|thumb|Orthodox icon of nine orders of angelsIn the angelology of different religions, a '''hierarchy of angels''' is a ranking system of angels. The higher ranking angels have greater power and authority than lower ones, and different ranks have differences in appearance, such as varying numbers of wings or faces.

==Abrahamic religions== ===Judaism=== {{main|Angels in Judaism#Angelic hierarchy|l1 = Angelic hierarchy in Judaism}}

The Jewish angelic hierarchy is established in the Hebrew Bible, Talmud, Rabbinic literature, and traditional Jewish liturgy. They are categorized in different hierarchies proposed by various theologians. For example, Maimonides, in his ''Mishneh Torah'' or ''Yad ha-Chazakah: Yesodei ha-Torah'', counts ten ranks of angels.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels|last=Davidson|first=Gustav|publisher=Free Press|year=1994|isbn=978-0029070529|page=336}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/904962/jewish/Yesodei-haTorah-Chapter-Two.htm|title=Yesohei haTorah 2:7|website=Chabad.org|access-date=2025-03-19|archive-date=2024-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119125728/https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/904962/jewish/Yesodei-haTorah-Chapter-Two.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Foundations_of_the_Torah.2.7?ven=The_Mishneh_Torah_by_Maimonides._trans._by_Moses_Hyamson,_1937-1949&lang=bi|title=The Mishneh Torah, 2:7 by Maimonides|website=Sefaria|access-date=2025-03-19|archive-date=2023-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128194557/https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Foundations_of_the_Torah.2.7?ven=The_Mishneh_Torah_by_Maimonides._trans._by_Moses_Hyamson,_1937-1949&lang=bi|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism: Second Edition.|last=Dennis|first=Geoffrey W.|publisher=Llewellyn|year=2016|isbn=978-0738745916|pages=128}}</ref> The ''Zohar'', in ''Exodus 43a'', also lists ten ranks of angels.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Davidson |first=Gustav |title=Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels |publisher=Free Press |year=1994 |isbn=978-0029070529 |page=337}}</ref> Jacob Nazir, in his ''Maseket Atzilut'', also listed ten ranks of angels.<ref name=":0" /> Abraham ben Isaac of Granada, in his ''Berit Menuchah'', also listed ten ranks of angels.

All of them are ranked with 1 being the highest, and all subsequent numbers being lower ranks.

{| class="wikitable sortable" ! colspan="5" |Rank ! rowspan="2" |Angelic Class ! rowspan="2" |Notes ! rowspan="2" |Refs |- !''Mishneh Torah'' !''Zohar'' !''Maseket Atzilut'' !''Berit Menuchah'' !''Reshit Chochmah'' |- |1 |4 |N/A |N/A |1 |''Chayot Ha Kodesh/Chayot''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Torah and Torts...|url=http://chicagojewishnews.com/|access-date=Oct 8, 2014|archive-date=October 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012112544/http://chicagojewishnews.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |See {{Bibleref2|Ezekiel|1}} and {{Bibleref2|Ezekiel|10|NASB}} |- |2 |5 |2 |9 |2 |''Ophan'' | |See {{Bibleref2|Ezekiel|1}} and {{Bibleref2|Ezekiel|10|NASB}} |- |3 |2 |10 |1 |5 |''Erel'' | |See {{Bibleverse|Isaiah|33:7|NASB}} |- |4 |6 |7 |5 |7 |''Hashmal'' | |See {{Bibleverse|Ezekiel|1:4|NASB}} |- |5 |3 |1 |10 |3 |''Seraph'' | |See {{Bibleverse|Isaiah|6|NASB}} |- |6 |1 |8 |4 |9 |''Malakh/Malak'' |Messengers, angels | |- |7 |8 |N/A |N/A |N/A |''Elohim'' |"Godly beings", Divine beings who were not the Supreme God | |- |8 |9 |9 |3 |N/A |''Bene Elohim'' |"Sons of God" | |- |9 |N/A |3 |8 |4 |''Cherub'' | |See [http://halakhah.com/pdf/moed/Chagigah.pdf Hagigah] 13b |- |10 |10 |6 |2 |10 |''Ish'' |"manlike beings" |see {{Bibleverse|Genesis|18:2|NASB,}} {{Bibleverse|Daniel|10:5|NASB}} |- |N/A |7 |N/A |N/A |8 |''El'' | |{{Bibleverse|2 Corinthians|13:3}} |- |N/A |N/A |4 |7 |N/A |''Shinan'' | |3 Enoch |- |N/A |N/A |5 |6 |6 |''Tarshish'' | |3 Enoch |}

=== Christianity === {{main|Angels in Christianity}} [[File:Florenca133b.jpg|300px|thumb|The ceiling mosaic of the Baptistery in Florence (c. 1240–1300) depicts (in the innermost octagon of images) all nine of the orders of angelic beings: the Seraphim and Cherubim are shown with Christ at lower center, while the other ranks each occupy a separate field, above which are their Latin designations.]]

The most influential angelic hierarchy was that put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th or 6th century in his book ''De Coelesti Hierarchia'' (''On the Celestial Hierarchy''). Dionysius described nine levels of spiritual beings which he grouped into three orders:<ref>{{Cite book | isbn = 978-0-8091-3948-4 | page = 264 | last = Chase | first = Steven | title = Angelic spirituality | year = 2002 | publisher = Paulist Press }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | isbn = 978-0-14-043632-7 | page = 841 | last = McInerny | first = Ralph M. | title = Selected writings of Thomas Aquinas | year = 1998 | publisher = National Geographic Books }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Pseudo-Dionysius|first=the Areopagite|title=Pseudo-Dionysius : the complete works|date=1987|publisher=Paulist Press|others=Colm Luibhéid, Paul Rorem|isbn=0-8091-0383-4|location=New York|pages=161–173|oclc=15282383}}</ref>

*Highest orders *:Seraphim *:Cherubim (chayot) *:Thrones (ophanim, erelim) *Middle orders *:Dominions (hashmallim) *:Virtues (malakim, tarshishim) *:Powers *Lowest orders *:Principalities *:Archangels *:Angels [[File:Francesco Botticini - The Assumption of the Virgin.jpg|thumb|300px|The ''Assumption of the Virgin'' by Francesco Botticini (1475–77) at the National Gallery London, shows three hierarchies and nine orders of angels, each with different characteristics.]]

During the Middle Ages, various schemes were proposed, some drawing on and expanding on Pseudo-Dionysius, others suggesting completely different classifications.

Pseudo-Dionysius (''On the Celestial Hierarchy'') and Thomas Aquinas (''Summa Theologiae'') drew on passages from the New Testament, specifically Ephesians {{bibleverse-nb|Ephesians|1:21|9}} and Colossians 1:16, to develop a schema of three Hierarchies, Spheres or Triads of angels, with each Hierarchy containing three Orders or Choirs. Bonaventure summarized their nine offices as follows: announcing, declaring, and leading; regulating, enforcing, and commanding; receiving, revealing, and anointing.<ref>Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, ''De Eccles. Hierarchy.'', chapter 4, section 20. As quoted in {{cite book|author=Saint Bonaventure|title=Itinerarium mentis in Deum|trans-title=Journey of the mind into God|chapter=4|date=3 December 2020 |page=25|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rwl7DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA25}}</ref> Thomas agreed with Jerome's commentary on {{bibleverse|Mt|18:10}} that every living human possesses a guardian angel. Of the angelic orders, he asserted that only the lowest five are sent by God to manifest themselves in the corporeal world, while the four highest remain in Heaven at His presence.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=15XABtvHcEsC&pg=PA350|title=The Encyclopedia of Angels'author=Rosemary Guiley|year= 1950|page=350|publisher=Facts on File, Incorporated|isbn=9781438130026|oclc=1105905798}}</ref>

The Chaplet of Saint Michael the archangel, a Catholic devotion also called the rosary of the angels, approved by Pope Pius IX, includes prayers and specific invocations for each of the nine choirs of angels.<ref>Ann Ball, 2003 ''Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices'' {{ISBN|0-87973-910-X}} page 123</ref><ref>[https://books.google.it/books?id=7GLjLQAACAAJ&dq=Michael+Archangel+Pius+chaplet&hl=it&sa=X&redir_esc=y|The Chaplet of Saint Michael the Archangel in Latin and English] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211174413/https://books.google.it/books?id=7GLjLQAACAAJ&dq=Michael%20Archangel%20Pius%20chaplet&hl=it&sa=X&redir_esc=y%7CThe |date=2024-12-11 }}, Geoffrey W. M. P. Lopes Da Silva, Domina Nostra Publishing, 2020.</ref>

===Islam=== {{main|Angels in Islam}} There is no standard hierarchical organization in Islam that parallels the Christian division into different "choirs" or spheres, and the topic is not directly addressed in the Quran. However, it is clear that there is a set order or hierarchy that exists between angels, defined by the assigned jobs and various tasks to which angels are commanded by God. Some scholars suggest that Islamic angels can be grouped into fourteen categories, with some of the higher orders being considered archangels. Qazwini describes an angelic hierarchy in his ''Aja'ib al-makhluqat'' with Ruh on the head of all angels, surrounded by the four archangelic cherubim. Below them are the seven angels of the seven heavens.<ref>Mehdi Amin Razavi Aminrazavi, Seyyed Hossein Nasr ''The Islamic Intellectual Tradition in Persia'' Routledge, 16.12.2013 {{ISBN|9781136781124}} p.17</ref>

Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 1209) divided the angels into eight groups, which shows some resemblance to Christian angelology:<ref>Serdar, Murat. "Hıristiyanlık ve İslâm’da Meleklerin Varlık ve Kısımları." Bilimname 2009.2 (2009). </ref> * Hamalat al-'Arsh, those who carry the {{transliteration|ar|'Arsh}} (Throne of God),<ref>{{Cite quran|40|7|s=ns}}</ref> comparable to the Christian Seraphim. * Muqarrabun (Cherubim), who surround the throne of God, constantly praising God (''tasbīḥ'') * Archangels, such as Jibrāʾīl, Mīkhā'īl, Isrāfīl, and 'Azrā'īl * Angels of Heaven, such as Riḍwan. * Angels of Hell, Mālik and ''Zabānīya'' * Guardian angels, who are assigned to individuals to protect them * The angels who record the actions of people * Angels entrusted with the affairs of the world, like the angel of thunder.

==Zoroastrian==

There is an informal Zoroastrian angelic hierarchy, with the specific angelic beings called {{transliteration|ae|yazatas}} having key positions in the day-name dedications on the Zoroastrian calendar segregated into the {{transliteration|ae|ameshaspentas}} (the second to seventh of the 30 days of the month), {{transliteration|ae|yazatas}} and {{transliteration|ae|minoos}} (the last six of the 30 days of the month).

==Role-playing games== Angels are occasionally presented in role-playing games as having ordered hierarchies, within which higher level angels have more power and the ability to cast more spells or exercise other magical abilities. For example, Angels in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', a subgroup of the beings called Celestials, come in three different types, the progressively more powerful Astral Deva, Planetar, and Solar.<ref>Jon Schindehette, ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20141017034449/http://archive.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4dreye/20130109 Celestials, Angels, Devas: Dragon's-Eye View]'' (January 9, 2013).</ref><ref>Christopher Perkins, ''Warriors of Heaven'' (TSR, 1999).</ref> Another game which has summonable angels is ''Shin Megami Tensei'', often classified under Divine, or Heralds. In the game series ''Bayonetta'', Black Angels are supporting and all seven spheres are present, each divided in the same seven way as the traditional hierarchy.

==References== {{Reflist}}

* Category:Classes of angels