Ангелы.

Of the Angels, the one who dared to cause indignation and raised his neck above his dignity 2 against the Lord Almighty or, according to the prophetic word, conceived a throne above the clouds (see Isa. 14: 13-14), suffered a punishment worthy of arrogance, condemned to be darkness instead of light, or, more correctly, he himself became darkness. Meanwhile, others remain in their dignity, in which the main thing is peace and serenity, because from the All-Praiseable and Holy Trinity, from Whom they have luminosity, they also received the ability to be one (1). There are Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Lordships, Ascensions, intelligent Powers or Minds, natures pure, unalloyed, inflexible or unyielding to evil, constantly rejoicing around the first Cause. These natures, as another would sing about them, are either illuminated by the purest illumination from the first Cause, or, according to their nature and rank, they receive another illumination in a different way; they so imagined and imprinted the Good in themselves that they became secondary lights and through the outpourings and transmissions of the first Light they can enlighten others; they are servants of God's will, strong both in their natural and acquired strength, they go around everything, they readily appear to everyone and everywhere, due to their zeal for service and the lightness of their nature. These minds have each accepted one particular part of the Universe or are assigned to one thing in the world, as the One who arranged and distributed it all knew, and they all lead to one end, at the behest of the Creator of all, they sing songs of God’s greatness, contemplate the eternal glory, and, moreover, forever, not in order for God to be glorified (there is nothing that could be attached to what has been fulfilled, Who is also the giver of blessings to others) and so that even those who are first in nature according to God do not cease to receive benefits (1). The second 3 light is an Angel - a certain stream, or communion of the first Light, he finds his enlightenment in the pursuit of the first Light and in serving It; and I don’t know whether he receives enlightenment based on the rank of his position, or whether he accepts his rank as he becomes enlightened (1). But since for goodness it was not enough to exercise only in contemplation of oneself, but it was necessary that the good spread, go further and further, so that the number of those benefited was as large as possible (for this is characteristic of the highest goodness), then God invents, firstly, Angelic and Heavenly Powers. And the thought became a deed, which was filled with the Word and accomplished by the Spirit. This is how the second lordships arose, the servants of the first lordship, whether by them we mean intelligent spirits, or a kind of immaterial and incorporeal fire, or some other nature closest to what has been said. I would like to say that they do not move towards evil and have only movement towards good, as existing around God and directly illuminated by God (for earthly things use secondary illumination), but to recognize and call them not motionless, but unmovable, the angel convinces me - by lordship, but because of exaltation he became and is called darkness, with the god-apostate forces subordinate to him, which, through their removal from good, became the perpetrators of evil and we are being drawn into it. So, for such reasons, God created the intelligent world, as far as I can philosophize about it 4, weighing the great with a small mind (1). The lights secondary to the Trinity, which has royal glory, are luminous, invisible Angels. They walk freely around the great throne, because they are fast-moving minds, flames and Divine spirits, quickly transported through the air. They diligently serve high commands. They are simple, spiritual, imbued with light, do not originate from the flesh (because all flesh barely begins to thicken before it is destroyed) and do not enter into the flesh, but remain as they were created. I would like to say that they are completely invincible by evil, but I will restrain the too greyhound rushing horse, pulling with the reins of my mind. Of these, some stand before the great God, others support the whole world with their assistance; and each was given special authority from the King: to have people, cities and entire nations under supervision, and even to dispose of the verbal sacrifices of earth-born people. But what will you decide on, my spirit? The mind comes into awe as it approaches the heavenly beauties; A dark cloud appeared before me, and I was perplexed whether to extend my word forward or stop it. A traveler came to a steep river and wanted to cross it, but suddenly his thought wavered; he hesitates in his crossing, struggles for a long time in his heart, standing on the shore: either necessity has put courage into him, or fear has bound his determination; more than once he put his foot into the water and more than once retreated back; however, after all the struggle, need defeated fear. So I, approaching the invisible Divinity, on the one hand, about those who stand before the pure All-Tsar and are filled with light, I am afraid to say that they too are accessible to sin, so that through this I would not pave the way for many to vice; and on the other hand, I am afraid to portray unchanging kindness in my song, since I also see the prince of malice gone astray. For it was not in the nature of the Good One to plant an evil quality in us and to incite rebellion and hatred in those whom he loves. It also cannot be assumed that evil is equal in power to good and has a special nature, either subsequently occurring, or without beginning, like the Tsar Himself. But when I was perplexed about this, God gave me the following thought. The first pure nature of the Divine is always unchangeable and is never many instead of one. For is there anything more perfect than the Divine, into which It could deviate? And multiplicity is the deviation of a being from itself. The second place is occupied by the great servants of the highest Light, as close to the original kindness as the ether is to the sun. And on the third we follow - air. And one nature of God is completely unchangeable; The angelic nature is inflexible towards sin; and we, the third generation, are complaisant, and the further we are from God, the closer we are to sin (2). They (Angels) walk freely around the great throne, because they are fast-moving minds, flames and divine spirits, quickly transported through the air. They diligently serve high commands. They have no marriages, no sorrows, no worries, no terrible and criminal rebellion of passions. Neither members nor abodes separate them from each other. They are all of the same mind with each other, and each is identical with himself. One nature, one thought, one love around the great King God. They do not seek pleasure either in children or in spouses, or in carrying out sweet labors for them; They do not desire wealth, nor do they desire those thoughts of evil that the earth brings to mortals. They do not sow, do not sail the seas to please the unbridled womb - this source of sin. They all have one perfect food - to saturate the mind with the greatness of God and draw immeasurable light from the bright Trinity. These pure servants of the pure God lead a lonely life. They are simple, spiritual, imbued with light, do not originate from the flesh (because all flesh, as soon as it thickens, is destroyed) and do not enter into the flesh, but remain as they were created. For them in virginity, the path of godlikeness is ready, leading to God, in agreement with the intentions of the Immortal, Who wisely rules the helm of the great world, as well as strong-hearted mortals, together in heaven and on earth - this sacred race of distressed people - this glory of the King (2). Insubstantial nature – Angel, first creature (2) After Trinity. – Approx. ed. To philosophize is to philosophize. – Approx. ed. You might be interested in: