Глава II. Учение частное. I. Творение мира невидимого или ангельского

§ 11. The concept of angels. The composition of the doctrine of God - the Creator of the angelic world The first place in the time of creation and the highest in the perfections of its nature in created existence belongs to the spiritual world or the angels of God. The name “angel” (ἄγγελος, Heb. maleach), according to the production of the word, is the name of a ministry, position, and not nature, and means actually a messenger or messenger. Therefore, in St. In Scripture, it is sometimes assimilated to people, either as a human messenger or messenger (for example, Gen. 32:3; Num. 20:14; Judges 11:12; 1 Sam. 16:19; 19:11; Proverbs 16:14; Is. 18:2; 30:4; 33:7, etc.), or as messengers or messengers of God. In the latter sense, St. Malachi calls the priest an angel of Jehovah the Lord of hosts (Mal.2:7). The same prophet calls the Forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ an angel (3:1), which name is confirmed by I. Christ: For he is the one about whom it is written: Behold, I send My angel before Thy face (Matthew 11:10). The Son of God Himself, who appeared in the Old Testament in the form of the Angel of Jehovah, is called by the same prophet (according to the economy) the Angel of the Covenant (Mal.3:1). The name angel is also adopted by some other prophets (2 Chronicles 36:15–16; Hagg. 1:13), as well as by the apostles (Luke 9:52), and in the revelation of St. John and the apostolic successors - the bishops (Rev. 2:1, 8, 12; 1:20). This name is even applied to the elements of the world, as instruments of the will of God, for example. in the words of the Psalmist: You make Your angels spirits (Ps. 103:4). 62 But in the proper sense, the angels in St. The Scriptures name special creatures of God, different from man and visible nature, personal beings (and not some soulless forces of nature), endowed with reason and freedom, incorporeal and immortal, superior to man, but serving in relation to God. The essence of the revealed teaching and in view of the existing false opinions, when presenting the doctrine of God as the Creator of the angelic world, it is required to reveal the provisions about the actual existence of angels, their origin and nature, number, differences in the degree of approach to God and their purpose. 63 § 12. Genesis of created spirits or angels Belief in the existence of angels is based on the evidence of revelation that they actually exist. And it is clear that Angels are incorporeal beings and therefore stand outside and above those conditions and experiences that lead to conviction in the existence of beings and objects of the material world. In revelation, the teaching about the real existence of the angelic world is expressed clearly and decisively: it runs through the entire Old and New Testament. The teaching of the old testament. – Old Testament revelation presupposes and affirms the existence of the angelic world in stories about numerous appearances of angels to people (usually in human form) to proclaim to them the will of God and, in general, to carry out His commands. Thus, to guard the path to the tree of life, the Lord, according to the writer of everyday life, placed in the east near the Garden of Eden a Cherubim and a flaming sword that turned (Gen. 3:24). An angel was sent to comfort Hagar (Gen. 16:7–12). Angels brought Lot out of Sodom, who was condemned to be burned (Gen. 19). An angel saved the life of Ishmael, who was dying of thirst (Gen. 21:17–19). An angel restrained Abraham's hand, which was raised to slaughter Isaac (Gen. 22:15–17). Abraham promised an angel to guide his servant (Gen. 24:7) and this one, led by an angel, found Rebekah. Jacob in one case (in a dream vision) saw a multitude of angels ascending the stairs to heaven and descending to earth (Gen. 28:12), in another case (in the waking state) - entire regiments of angels (Gen. 32: 1-2). The Angel - Jehovah, who freed the Jews from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 3:2-12; Numbers 20:16), did this with the participation of angels (Exodus 12:12, where by “destroyer” they mean one or a whole host of angels, different from Jehovah and serving the Angel Jehovah; cf. Gen. 19:13; 2 Kings 24:16; 2 Kings 19:58 ; Ezek.9:1–6 ). The angel was sent to admonish Balaam, who was going to curse Israel (Num. 22:22–25). During the ministry of Angels (Acts 7:53; cf. Deut. 33:2), the Israelites accepted the law of Moses. As the leader of the army of the Lord, he appeared to Joshua (Joshua 5:14) and led the miraculous conquest of Jericho. An angel, instead of a prophet, called the people of Israel to repentance under Joshua (Judges 2:1–6). An angel gave Gideon an order to free the Israelites from enslavement (Judg. 6:11). The Angel visited Samson's parents twice, predicting an extraordinary birth and teaching the mother to protect the fruit of the womb through abstinence (Judg. 13). David saw an angel, at the command of God, striking his people (2 Kings 24:16; 1 Chronicles 22:15), and the angel struck the Assyrians for the pride of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:35). Ave. Elijah was repeatedly guided in his actions by an angel (2 Kings 19:5; 2 Kings 1:15). Ave. Elisha showed his youth a host of angels, like a protective army (2 Kings 6:17); Isaiah Ave. saw the seraphim surrounding the throne of the Lord and from one of them received fiery cleansing (Is. 6 ch.) Ave. Daniel had a vision of thousands of thousands serving Him, and ten thousand angels standing before Him (Dan.7:10). An angel appeared to him in the lion's den (6:22); the archangel Gabriel touched him and explained visions to him (Dan.9:21), and three Jewish youths were saved from death in a Babylonian cave by the hand of a man who appeared in the form of an angel (Dan.3:92) Prov. An angel also appeared to Zechariah several times, conveying to him the will of God and even turned to the prophet with intercession for the Jewish people (Zechariah 1:9–19; 2:3; 3:3–6; 4:1–5). Ave. Ezekiel was honored to see the many-eyed cherubim (Ezekiel 10:8–22). The stories about these and similar other phenomena and visions of angels prove that, according to the Old Testament teaching, angels are real personal beings, and not personifications of natural phenomena, beings different from God and serving in relation to Him, equally different from people to whom they appeared, revealed the will of God, served, admonished and provided assistance. In other Old Testament references to angels, they are depicted as praising God (Ps. 149:2) and as servants of God (Ps. 103:2), it is said about them that they stand before the face of the Lord when He wants to declare His will (Job 1:6; 2:1), that, despite their closeness to the Lord, He sees some kind of shortcomings in them ( Job 14:18). According to the commandment of the Lord, angels take up arms around those who fear Him and deliver them, protecting them in all their ways (Ps. 33:8; 90:11). About man, in comparison with the angels, it is said: Thou hast made him little less than the Angels: Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor (Ps. 8:6). Obviously, all such references to angels also presuppose the actual existence of angels, as personal beings, different from God, from people and from the visible nature of beings higher than man, but servants of God. The falsity of rationalistic opinions regarding the Old Testament teaching about spirits. Belief in the existence of angels has many opponents in the form of rationalists. Rejecting the existence of the angelic world, they subject the Old Testament testimonies about angels to peculiar reinterpretations. Thus, according to some of them, the entire teaching of the Old Testament about angels is only an expression of the Jewish folk faith, which populates heaven with intelligent higher beings (as the earth is inhabited by people), or a childish anthropomorphic idea of ​​the people about the essence and life of God, borrowed from the court states of eastern sovereigns. According to others, the doctrine of angels in the Old Testament is an echo or remnant of ancient Jewish polytheism; as the Jews became worshipers of the one God, they allegedly began to consider the angels as a kind of lower gods in comparison with Jehovah, and the latter appeared as a result of this as His messengers and executors of His will among people. These opinions assume that angels, according to Old Testament teaching, are still personal beings. But some of the rationalists do not at all see in the Old Testament the teaching about angels as personal beings: in their opinion, in the angels of the Old Testament one should see a simple personification of either the actions of God in the world, manifestations of His omnipotence and wisdom, or the personification of forces and natural phenomena expressing the omnipotence of God. Others, finally, like most opponents of the authenticity of biblical books, recognize the doctrine of angels in the Old Testament as borrowing from the ancient Persian religion. All such opinions are nothing more than arbitrary assumptions that have no basis in the Bible and history. I. The first of these opinions of rationalists is an opinion that is more superficial and one-sided than others. The whole spirit and character of the biblical testimonies about angels speaks against this opinion, which deliberately does not depict the existence and life of angels in the heavenly, invisible world, but most of all speaks of their activities in the human world. Meanwhile, it should be the other way around, if the doctrine of angels were only a childish idea of ​​the Jews about a divine court staff or a work of fantasy that peopled the sky with intelligent beings. Such an opinion is also incompatible with the sublime teaching of the Old Testament about God. II. The opinion that the teaching about angels in the Old Testament is a remnant or recollection of the tradition about the former gods is also unfounded. The religion of the Jews never contained the doctrine of the existence of many gods; monotheism from the very beginning was its first distinguishing feature from other religions of the ancient world (see Part I, § 30). If we accept the assumption of rationalism that monotheism in this religion developed from polytheism in later times, then with the development of monotheism among the Jews, the doctrine of angels, as once gods, should gradually disappear and, finally, be completely lost and forgotten, as incompatible with the veneration of the one God. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The doctrine of angels is found not only in the most ancient books of the Old Testament, but also in later writings, and in the latter it is more complete and definite. There is no mixing of angels with God anywhere in the Old Testament. According to the general spirit and meaning of biblical teaching, angels are creations of God, although their created origin is not directly stated. Therefore, they do not assimilate creative participation in the creation of the world by God; They only praised the Creator of the world when He created the world (Job 38:6–7). They are invariably portrayed as beings serving God, instruments of His actions and messengers of His will, and not only in the later, but also in the most ancient books of the Old Testament. In Jacob's vision, for example, angels are represented only as ascending and descending on that ladder, at the top of which stands the Lord Himself, and therefore are persons serving God (Gen. 28:12). Also in other ancient references to them; they surround God (Deut. 33:2), stand before His throne (Job 1:6), worship Him, and are sent by Him to do His will (Ex. 33:2–3). Their being is not as pure and perfect as the being of God; God sees shortcomings in them too (Job 4:18). Man, according to the Psalmist, is lower than the Angels (Ps. 8:6). These and similar references to angels show that, according to biblical teaching, angels are not gods or demigods in the sense of pagan polytheism. - True, angels sometimes speak and act as if God Himself - in descriptions of their phenomena to people. But one cannot conclude from this that angels are represented by biblical teaching as divine beings, albeit inferior to Jehovah. Many of these appearances were truly appearances of the Angel of His face, the Angel of Jehovah. In those cases when angels appeared by nature, they revealed themselves as such, that is, as messengers of God, to people, so that those who were honored with the appearances distinguished the appearance of angels from the appearances of God, and did not give the angels the same worship that they gave to God, who appeared in the form of an angel. If, however, the words and actions of angels are sometimes spoken of as the words and actions of God Himself, then this is said in relation to the custom of those sent to unite themselves with those who sent them. “What is important in the legends about angels is not that, according to the remark of the Reverend. Chrysanthus that an angel appeared, but that he was the messenger of God. The one sent matters only for the sake of the one who sent and speaks in His name. This is why the words and actions of angels are spoken of as the words and actions of God Himself; the sent one is sometimes identified with the Sender” 64. – It is also true that in the Old Testament the angels are sometimes given names: elohim - gods (for example, Gen. 20:13; 35:7; Exod. 15:11; Ps. 58:7) and benei elohim - sons of God (Job.1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Dan.3:92; sn. Ps.28:1; 88:7) But both of these names are adopted by them not in their own, but in a figurative sense, elohim - as bearers of divine power and messengers of heaven, and benei elohim - as especially close to God in the perfections of their god-like, but created nature. In a similar non-proprietary sense in Scripture, these names are sometimes applied to people, for example. judges and other chosen men of God are called by the name elohim (Ex.4:16; 21:6; 22:8, 28; Deut.19:17; Ps.40:9; 81:1, 6; cf. John 10:34–35), the name of the son of God or sons of God is adopted by the pious descendants of Seth (Gen.6:2), the people of Israel (Deut.14:1; 32:5–6; Judges.20:2; Jer.31:9; Hos.2:1. Ps.73:15, etc.), to his kings (Ps.82:6; 2Kings.7:14) and chosen people (Ps.103:13), and in the new covenant – to those reborn from God by the grace of the Holy Spirit (John 1:12; Rom.8:14, etc.). Thus, calling angels gods and sons of God cannot serve as a basis for the assertion that angels are only lower gods in comparison with Jehovah. III. The statement of rationalism that angels, according to the meaning of the Old Testament teaching, are not personal beings, but only personifications of divine power and might, or even personifications of natural phenomena, is also false. In biblical references to angels, they are invariably presented as personal beings. How can one particularly agree with this opinion on all such actions of angels as their glorification of God, worship of God, and humility before Him? What would it also mean for God to see faults in the angels? How can we reconcile with this opinion the designation of angels, common and constant among the prophets, as the army of Jehovah, their distinction by name and degree, which clearly presupposes their personal and separate existence from God and the world? To justify this opinion, they especially point to references and symbolic images of the highest heavenly spirits in the Old Testament - cherubim and seraphim. Such is the reference to the Cherubim and the flaming sword that turns to guard the way to the tree of life (Gen. 3:24; cf. Eze.28:13, 14, 16), images of cherubim with outstretched wings, on the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:18), on the veil and curtains of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:1, 31; 36:8, 35), in Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8:6–7), their name is a chariot ( 1 Chronicles 28:18), the representation of God Himself sitting and flying on cherubim (Ps. 17:11; 98:1; 1 Sam. 4:2; 2 Sam. 6:2), especially the description of the cherubim in St. Ezekiel in a humanoid form, but with four faces - a man, a lion, a calf and an eagle and with four wings in the vision of a chariot showing glory God (Ezek.1:1-28; fn. Sir.49:10), and in the vision of the house in heaven (10:14). Seraphim are symbolically depicted in the vision of St. Isaiah; the prophet says that he saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted, and that the seraphim stood around Him, singing a song of praise to Him, and each of them had six wings: with two they flew, with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet (Is. 6:1-7). Such images of cherubim and seraphim seem to express only personifications of the various properties of God revealed in the world, or in the images they represent abstract concepts about the forces of nature. But such an explanation of these symbols is completely arbitrary. If angels are generally depicted in the Bible as living, personal spirits from the beginning, then cherubim and seraphim - the highest among them - cannot be impersonal. It would be incongruous, e.g. to think, as the defenders of the above opinions claim, that the legend of the writer of everyday life about the cherub placed in paradise to guard the path to the tree of life is only the personification of the formidable greatness of God. If the whole story of the book Since the story of paradise and the fall of the ancestors is undoubtedly a historical story (and not a myth, fiction, allegory or philosopheme), then by the placement of a cherub to paradise (and by a flaming sword) we must understand a real event, and therefore, by the placement of a cherub, a living, personal and real being. The very purpose of placing the cherub in heaven is also assumed. And if the cherub mentioned by the writer of everyday life is a living, personal being, then there is no reason to explain otherwise all other mentions of cherubs. Or, the seraphim standing before the face of Jehovah in the vision of St. Isaiah sings a song of praise to God (they see an indication of a similar glorification of God by cherubim in Eze. 3:12) and covers their faces as a sign of reverence. All this applies only to personal beings. And from this it follows that the symbolic images of cherubim and seraphim also have a different meaning, that is, a meaning consistent with their spiritual and personal existence and the spirit of biblical teaching in general. Thus, the fact that the cherubim guard the entrance to paradise, the shrine of the ark of the covenant and the church - places of the special presence of God, as well as the fact that Jehovah appears to be sitting on them, can be understood as an expression of the idea that they are instruments through which or through which Jehovah manifests His glory both in the field of moral life and in the field of visible nature. This is expressed primarily in Ezekiel's vision of a chariot depicting the glory of God (2:1). Many wings and eyes of cherubs, their fiery gaze (in their symbolic depiction in St. Ezekiel) may indicate their highest knowledge, moral perfection and purity, and at the same time the fact that for the whole world they are the same guardians of the impregnable majesty of God as they were appointed at paradise and the church. The covering of the face, as well as the legs, by the six-winged seraphim serves as an expression of their reverence and humility before the Almighty; flying with two wings is a symbol of their heavenly messengership and detachment from our spatial conditions. 65 IV. Finally, the opinion of rationalism that the belief in angels was borrowed by the Jews from the Persian religion of Zoroaster (the so-called Parsism or Mazdaism) during and after the Babylonian captivity is also unfounded, and until now, they supposedly did not have a clear teaching about spirits as personal beings subordinate to God. If the Persian religion really had an influence on the appearance of the doctrine of angels in the Bible, then this doctrine should only be found in those books of the Old Testament that appeared from the time of the Babylonian captivity. Meanwhile, the teaching about angels extends from the book. Genesis, through all sacred writing. But to attribute the origin of all Old Testament Scripture to the time of the return of the Jews from captivity would be to directly contradict historical evidence. Most of the canonical books were written before the time of Zoroaster, and the canon of sacred books of the Old Testament was concluded before the appearance of the Persian sacred books (Zend-Avesta, with the exception of the Gathas). 66 At the same time, the Jews began to be subjected to foreign, pagan influence later than the Babylonian captivity and only the Jews of the dispersion, and the Palestinian Jews were especially afraid of these influences, and this fear reached them to the point of excessive disgust from everything foreign. Therefore, it is all the more incredible that pagan teaching could be included in their canonical books. The independence of the biblical teaching about spirits from the influences of the religion of Zoroaster is also proven by the fact that it differs significantly from the Persian teaching. There, the doctrine of spirits is based on dualism and emanatism, and in the biblical teaching the concept of the creation of one God. In particular, the differences between the teachings of Zoroaster (Zend-Avesta) and the biblical teaching about spirits are as follows. 1) The spirits of the religion of Zoroaster originate from two principles, the good ones (amshaspands, yatsats and fervers) from Ormuzd (otherwise Agura Mazda), the source of good and light, the evil ones (devas, druks and payriks) - from Ahriman (Angramainiya), the source of evil and darkness. The former were created by Ormuzd from his own light or being, the latter were created by Ahriman from his darkness (darkness) or being. According to biblical teaching, all spirits were created from the beginning by one God and were created good. 2) All spirits created by Ormuzd and Ahriman, like their leaders themselves, are not incorporeal; they, in accordance with their degrees, have a shell more or less detached from materiality. Between them there are male and female spirits. According to biblical teaching, spirits are incorporeal beings; There is no gender division between them. 3) The spirits of the Zoroaster religion do not matter in the strict sense of being independent and personal beings, separate, as in biblical teaching, from God and the world. They are not separate in nature from their creators; as originating from their light or darkness, they are identical with them in nature. On the other hand, they merge and mix with the visible world, representing the personification of various forces and natural phenomena. The good and pure spirits of Ormuzd personify the positive side of existence and life in its various forces, and the kingdom of Ahriman represents the negative side with its various forms. And Ormuzd and Ahriman themselves are the source of life in both sides of it. 67 4) The spirits of the Persian religion are not free beings. Evil spirits are evil by nature, like the offspring of Ahriman; they appeared like this from the very beginning of their existence. But the spirits of Ormuzd are strong in goodness not as a result of free improvement in goodness, but only as the generation of a good principle. The biblical teaching is completely different. Finally, 5) in the Persian religion, good spirits had a widely developed cult. They, being identical in nature with Ormuzd, were given almost the same worship as Ormuzd. But the Bible directly prohibits such worship of angels, which is befitting only one God. Thus, in essence, Zoroaster’s teaching about spirits is completely different from the biblical one, and therefore the latter cannot be recognized as borrowed from the Persian religion. Defenders of the dependence of the biblical teaching about angels on the Persian especially point to the similarity of the teachings of the Bible and the Persian religion about the hierarchy of angels and the protection of kingdoms and nations by angels, which was supposedly unknown to the Jews before the Babylonian captivity. But indications of the angelic hierarchy are contained in the most ancient Old Testament books. The description of the story of the Fall mentions a cherub with a flaming weapon. The leader of the army of the Lord appeared to Joshua (Joshua 5:14). Images of cherubim were on the Ark of the Covenant and in Solomon's Temple. And in itself, the idea of ​​inequality between angels does not represent anything particularly characteristic (original). It cannot be proven that the concept of angels, the patrons of individual kingdoms and peoples (Dan. 10 ch.; 12:1), was borrowed from the Persian teaching about the fervers of clans, i.e., Iranian clans or communities. Spirits, protectors of people, are the most common idea, characteristic even of shamanism; There is nothing typical here either. And the Chinese have an idea about spirits, patrons of cities; however, this does not mean that the Jews borrowed this idea from the Chinese or the Chinese from the Jews. So, the dependence of the biblical teaching on spirits on the Persian religion of Zoroaster is an imaginary dependence, not a real one. The Babylonian captivity and acquaintance with the beliefs of Babylon, if they could have had an influence on the development of Jewish beliefs, then only externally, could have led to a more detailed presentation of the true teaching about spiritual beings. 68 But the main and internal reason for the more fully revealed teaching about spirits in the later Old Testament books, one might think, was the connection of this teaching with the teaching about the Angel of the Covenant. With the approach of the day of the appearance of the Angel of the Covenant, who united heaven and earth (John 1:51), the world of angels, servants of the cause of salvation, naturally became closer to fallen people, and from here the teaching about the spiritual world was revealed in more detail. The teaching of the New Testament. New Testament revelation affirms the truth of the existence of the spiritual world also, first of all, by indicating numerous cases of the appearance of angels to people. So the angel announced to Zechariah the conception of the barren Elizabeth the Baptist (Luke 1:11) and St. Virgin Mary - pregnant conception of the Savior (Luke 1:26); a large army of angels sang the glory of the birth of the Savior (Luke 2:13); the angel resolved Joseph's bewilderment (Matthew 1:20) and commanded him with the baby Jesus and His matter to flee to Egypt (Matthew 2:13); angels served Jesus Christ after His temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:11); an angel appeared to strengthen Him in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43), angels opened His tomb (Matthew 28:2) and announced to the women about His resurrection (John 20:12), and to the apostles, when He ascended to heaven, about His second coming (Acts 10:10–11). The angels loosed the bonds and brought the apostles out of prison (Acts 5:19; 12:7–15). An angel appeared to Cornelius and gave him instructions (Acts 10:3–6), the angel announced to the apostle. Paul during a sea voyage that he must appear before Caesar (Acts 27:23–14). There is also quite a bit of evidence in the New Testament that positively (dogmatically) affirms the existence of angels. So Jesus Christ, explaining the parable of the tares (Matthew 13:37–39), says: he who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the Kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. In the words of the Savior, angels appear to exist in exactly the same way as the Son of men, the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one, and the world itself. In order to encourage His disciples not to despise any of the little ones who believe in Him, I. Christ pointed out: for all their angels behold the face of My Father (Matthew 18:10). Admonishing the Sadducees, who rejected the existence of angels and the resurrection of the dead, He says: you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God, for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but remain as the Angels of God in heaven (Matthew 22:29-30), and speaking about His second coming, He taught that the Son of Man... will come in His glory and Fathers and holy angels (Luke 9:26; fn. Matthew 25:31), but no one knows about that day or hour, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Mark 13:32). In all these testimonies the real and personal existence of angels is clearly shown, as well as their superiority over people and their official position in relation to God. The apostles also clearly affirm the existence of angels in their writings. About angels they teach that angels were created by the Son (Col. 1:16), offer reverent worship to Him as their Creator and God (Heb. 1:4–14) and are submissive to Him (1 Pet. 3:22). Recognizing angels as lower beings and servants of the Son, the apostles denounced those false teachers who considered angels to be superior beings in comparison with Christ and preferred serving them to serving the head of the Church - Christ the Savior (Col. 2:18-19). But compared to people, angels surpass them in strength and power (2 Pet. 2:11; Heb. 2:7). As beings who are rationally free and good, they desire to penetrate into the wonderful and great deeds that have been accomplished for our redemption (1 Pet. 1:12), follow everything that happens in the church of God on earth (Heb. 3:10), are sent to serve those who are to inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14), and believers also enter into communication with thousands of angels (Heb. 12:22). And ap. Paul, as a witness to the truth of his teaching, calls on the chosen angels along with God the Father and Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 5:21). There is an opinion (of rationalism) that I. Christ and the apostles spoke about angels as real beings only in an adaptive way to the concepts of their contemporaries, not wanting to destroy false popular beliefs in their existence, inherited from the Old Testament, and they themselves did not recognize their existence. But such an assumption is incompatible with the dignity and greatness of the personality of I. Christ, His unconditional holiness and the height of His entire teaching. In the same way, it is incongruous with the moral qualities of His disciples and the way they acted that they could deliberately support error in believers with inaccurate expressions or deliberately remain silent about the truth. I. Christ once affirmed the existence of angels before the Sadducees, who rejected it (Luke 20:36; Matt. 22:29–30), and the ap. Paul - before the Colossians, who rendered improper service to the angels (Col. 2:18-19). In both cases there was a reason to express the doctrine of angels without adapting to popular beliefs, but in both cases their existence is definitely affirmed. Church Belief. – The Christian Church invariably from the beginning taught to believe in the existence of angels. This belief, found in many symbols of private churches, was included in the symbol of Nicea-Constantinograd, and at the VII Ecumenical Council it was determined, along with the veneration of icons of the Savior and saints, to honor images of the angels of God. § 13. The universality of belief in the existence of spirits. Justification of belief in their existence by considerations of reason The belief that in addition to the visible world there is another, invisible, supersensible world, the world of spirits, is almost as universal a belief as the belief in the existence of God. It is not contained only in revealed religion, but was widespread both in the ancient pagan world (among the Egyptians, Persians, Arabs, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, etc.), and is now found in all natural religions (among the Indians, Chinese, Mohammedans), not excluding the religions of African, American and Australian fetishists. 69 True, this belief appears in the religions of different peoples in various forms, sometimes more material, sometimes more spiritual. But the basis of ideas about the spiritual world among all peoples lies one idea, namely, that the realm of existence is not exhausted by visible existence, that man is not the only rational being, that besides him there is a higher spiritual world, with which man can enter into one or another relationship. The universality of this belief, which, no doubt, passed into the religions of different peoples from the primitive religion and then more or less distorted, clearly shows that it is based on truth and corresponds to the needs of the rational and moral nature of man. The conviction of humanity in the existence of a world of pure spirits, higher than man, but lower than God, is completely consistent with the principles of sound thinking. In the ancient world, this was shared not only by ordinary pagans, but also by philosophers who rose above popular beliefs (for example, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch, Cicero and especially the Neoplatonists). During the Christian period, this teaching was and is also recognized by all right-thinking scientists and many philosophers (for example, Locke, Leibniz), as having justification for itself in considerations of common reason. These considerations are usually borrowed: 1) from the concept of God as the Creator of the world, who wanted to reflect His glory in His creation, and 2) from observation of world life, its structure, and the position of man in the realm of the universe. 1. The essence of the first consideration is this. In the creation of the world, God wanted to reveal His perfections, in various degrees and forms of world existence, to reflect His eternal power and Divinity (Rom. 1:20). But in the most perfect form possible, the perfections of God are reflected only in the pure, incorporeal spirit, while in the sensory world and in people the image of God appears in a form closed by corporeality. Consequently, if creation were limited to the creation of the sensory world and man, then the universe would not represent a highly complete created image of the Divine being and life. Hence it is necessary to assume that in addition to the visible world and man, God also created a world of higher spiritual beings, free from corporeality, in which the image of God appears in a purer, brighter and closer to its prototype form. - On the other hand, the whole world was created by God so that God, its Creator, would be glorified in it, and so that His creations would be blissful. But only spiritually intelligent beings are capable of cognizing the perfections of the Creator revealed in creation; They alone can glorify Him with intelligent words and pious life; They alone are capable of not only feeling, but also realizing all the sweetness of existence and enjoying true happiness and bliss. It follows from this that the Divine love that prompted God to create the world would not have manifested itself in its possible fullness if He had created only one degree of spirit that alone could consciously love and glorify Him, that is, He had created only the human spirit. One can think this way because man, although a rational being, can recognize the love of his Creator and glorify Him, but not to the extent and degree of perfection that is possible for a created spiritual being; In it, spiritual life cannot reach the highest perfection possible for spiritual nature, because the human spirit is united with the material body. It is obvious that behind the first, least perfect spiritual being, i.e. the human soul, must continue and be followed by a series of other spirits, higher than man, who, the closer they approach God in the perfections of their nature, the more they glorify their Creator. 2. They draw a conclusion about the existence of angels from observations of world life, its structure and the position of man in the realm of the universe. Observation shows that the totality of earthly creatures and objects is like a ladder, having different steps, along which different forms of being rise in rows, starting with the lowest and simplest and ending with the highest, most complex. Between these forms there are no jumps or empty spaces anywhere; on the contrary, in the transition from one form to another, an amazing gradualness is noticed everywhere. Each stage of existence passes so imperceptibly into the next higher that these transitions elude the most accurate and diligent observations, the best testing instruments. At the highest level of earthly existence is man. What position does man occupy in the realm of the universe? By his bodily nature, he stands among all earthly creatures, he is a member of the visible world, but only the highest, final member. But on the other side of his being, namely, in his consciousness, rationality and moral personality, in short, in his spirit, he leaves the realm of visible nature. In this last respect, man is an exceptional being in the visible world. This exclusivity of man’s position on earth, while outside of him there exists in itself visible nature (matter) and in it the greatest variety of gradually rising one over the other kinds and types of material beings and objects, and can serve as the basis for the conclusion about the existence of a world of pure spirits, different in degrees of perfection. It is precisely the following conclusion by analogy that leads to the recognition of the existence of the spiritual world: if beneath a person there exists an unconscious world and non-free beings, i.e. purely material nature, so above man there must certainly be a world of rational beings, pure spirits, the connecting link between which is man; or in other words: if matter manifests itself in countless forms, then the spiritual principle must also be manifested not only in the form of the human spirit, but in various higher forms of the human spirit, i.e. angels. It would be strange for our thought to assume that while matter, which is part of human nature, has thousands of different forms and species, spirit, which is also part of human nature, exists only in one form and in that lower form (as strange as if, for example, there were different types of plants, from herbs to trees, there were only one and, moreover, the lowest type of animal, for example, some kind of slug, while there would be no other species was.). Further (to continue the analogy), if a number of earthly creatures and objects do not have empty gaps or jumps, but represent, as it were, a ladder of gradually ascending forms of being, then it is natural to think that the world of invisible intelligent beings, in accordance with this, also constitutes a ladder, the different steps of which are occupied by their relative dignity by invisible beings - angels, going to God in a gradually ascending order. Without the existence of angels, the gradually rising ladder of beings filling the universe would suddenly end in man, since the highest spiritual world would not have its completion and completeness. Thus, observation of the diversity of forms of existence in the visible world leads our thought to the demand for the existence of disembodied spirits of different dignity. On this basis, blessed. Augustine said: "You created two things, O God, one very close to You (angels), the other very close to nothingness (matter). One has no one above itself except You, the other has nothing below itself except that which is nothing."70 It goes without saying that the above considerations do not have the meaning of proving the existence of the world of disembodied spirits. They can only justify faith in the existence of this world, serving at the same time as a refutation of the objection of opponents of the doctrine of the existence of angels, that reason cannot present anything to justify this faith except the authority of revelation. Note. They also cite an argument to justify belief in the existence of spirits, borrowed from the assumption of the habitability of the heavenly worlds. “It seems,” says one experiment in revealing Christian dogmas, that to the countless multitude of world bodies, varied in size, gravity and location in the universe, but harmoniously moving and constituting an integral organism supported by some invisible force, “that this multitude of moving inanimate bodies corresponds to a multitude of diverse systems of living beings, constituting one harmonious organism of world life... We do not affirm positively, but he believes very it is probable that the richness and diversity of life forms exists not only on earth, but also in other parts of the universe. It would be strange and incomprehensible if our small planet alone was inhabited by life, and other immeasurable areas of the world were empty, uninhabited, lifeless. Therefore, there is almost no doubt that, if not all, then at least many areas of the world are inhabited by numerous genera of living beings.” 71 These supposed kinds of creatures, of course, must be different from the earthly ones, according to special conditions, which, depending on the position, belong to one or another celestial body. Between them, it is natural to assume the existence of spiritual-rational beings belonging to a higher order of being than man, for in man the spiritual-moral world cannot find its completion and end, and in the subtlest celestial spheres one can presumably assume the existence of even higher dwellings, which are inhabited by spiritual, most luminous moral beings. Rev. Sylvester, having outlined a similar consideration of Western theology (developed especially by Lange) in favor of the existence of spirits, notes: “the consideration, it must be said, is very ingenious and solid, although at the same time it does not yet find the necessary confirmation in factual reality.” 72 But is the existence of pure spirits possible? That their existence is possible, that they really exist, the proof of this is the existence of the human spirit; The spirit of man, although connected to the body, can exist separately from the body, and in any case constitutes a special entity, distinct from all material essence. If the existence of the human spirit is possible, then the actual existence of disembodied spirits is also possible. Denial of the existence of the kingdom of pure spirits (angels) serves as a more or less tangible sign of the rejection of the spirit in general, as an independent principle distinct from the body, which in turn consistently leads to the rejection of personal immortality, as well as personal God, in general to materialism. The Sadducees actually said that there is no resurrection, no angel, no spirit (Acts 23:8). § 14. The origin of angels from God. The time of their creation I. Angels are not original, but have their existence from God; He is the one who arranged everything (Heb. 3:4) and is the only original one. And since everything that exists outside and except God came into being through creation - without the creation of the Word, nothing began to be that began to be (John 1:3) - then, therefore, angels have their existence from God through creation, and not through, for example, an outflow from the Divine being or in any other way. The truth of the origin of angels from God through creation in the new testament is especially directly and clearly expressed, precisely in the following words of St. Paul, O Son of God: By Him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible: whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers - all things were created by Him and for Him (Col. 1:16). 73 In the Old Testament there are no such direct indications of the creation of angels, although their created origin is presupposed both by the general teaching about God, the one Creator of everything that exists, and by the teaching about the angels themselves, as ministering spirits dependent on God, sent by Him to serve the salvation of mankind, speaking to God on an equal basis with the creatures and at the head of the latter. To explain why Moses, who detailed the history of the universe, kept silent about the creation of angels, ancient teachers pointed to the Jews' tendency to polytheism. 74 But that the Jews believed in the origin of angels from God precisely through creation is evident from the following prayerful confession of Ezra: You, Lord, are one, You created the heavens, the heavens of heavens and all their hosts, the earth and everything that is on it, the seas and everything that is in them, and You live all these things, and the heavenly hosts worship You (Neh. 9:6). By the name of the army of heaven, created by God, are meant here the angels, who in other places of Scripture are called by this name (for example, Joshua 5:14; Judges 5:20; Job 15:15; 38:7; Ps. 103:21; Luke 2:13; Rev. 19:14), and are represented as surrounding the throne of the Most High in reverence (Is. 6:3; Ps.97:7 ; Rev.7:11 ). The Church introduced the teaching of revelation about the divine creation of angels into its symbols. In the Nicene-Constantinopolitan symbol, she teaches to believe in God as “the Creator of everything visible and invisible.” In the ancient fathers and teachers of the church, with a positive statement of this truth, one can also find a denunciation of Gnostic ideas about angels as outflows of the divine. 75 II. As created beings, angels are not without beginning. But when did they come into being? In St. Scripture does not indicate this with complete clarity. There is no teaching about the time of the creation of angels in the creeds of the universal church. Therefore, the ancient teachers of the church expressed different opinions on this issue. The Orthodox Church has accepted the opinion that angels were created by God before all other creatures, and in general the spiritual world was created before the material world. 76 In St. In Scripture, some basis for such an opinion can be found in the words of God to Job: who laid the cornerstone of it, that is, the earth, with the general rejoicing of the morning stars, when all the sons of God (Heb. Benei Elohim, in the translation of LXX - πάντες ἄγγελοί Μου) shouted for joy? (Job.38:6-7) Here, firstly, by the position of the cornerstone one cannot understand anything other than the position of the foundation of the earth, the structure of its first principles, and therefore by the morning stars one cannot understand the stars of the visible world, which were not yet at the foundation of the earth, but one must understand rational beings, or angels, who are called morning stars because they constitute the first creation of God, which preceded, like the morning stars of the visible world, the day of the harmonious existence of the universe. Secondly, under the name of the sons of God, which are spoken of here, one cannot also mean anyone other than the angels of God; so they are named above in the same book of Job twice (1:6; 2:1); the people who are also sometimes called sons of God in Scripture did not yet exist at that time. Thus, the angels praised God even when the foundations of the earth were laid. From this we can conclude that the creation of angels preceded the formation of the material world. It is suggested that in the first words of the book. Genesis: in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth under the heaven, which is understood by the writer as the heaven of heavens (1 Kings 8:27), the habitat of the powers above (Col. 1:16). From this they conclude that the words of the writer of everyday life contain a hidden indication of the creation of a dwelling and its inhabitants before the material world or together with the creation of its fundamental principle. But there is more reason to connect a different meaning with the word heaven in the above saying (see below, § 20). The opinion about the creation of angels before the material world was dominant in the ancient church. The expression of this opinion in St. Gregory the Theologian: “since it was not content for Goodness, he says, to exercise only in contemplation of Itself, but it was necessary for the good to spread, to go further and further, so that the number of those benefited would be as large as possible (for this is the property of the highest Goodness), then God first invents angelic and heavenly powers. And the thought became a deed that was filled with the Word and completely with the Spirit. This is how the second lordships arose... God created an intelligent world... since the first creatures were pleasing to Him, He invents another world - material and visible; and this is the harmonious composition of heaven, earth and what is between them” 77 St. John of Damascus, accepting the opinion of the Theologian about the time of the creation of angels, adds, “I agree with the Theologian: for it was more decent to first create the mental essence, then the sensory, and then from both the essence of man.” 78 There were other opinions expressed in the ancient church about the time of origin of angels. Thus, some believed that angels received existence during the creation of the universe, namely: either together with the creation of heaven and earth, that is, the world’s primary matter and before the formation of the visible world from it (the opinion of Blessed Theodoret and Gennadius Messal.), 79 or together with the light on the first day (the opinion of Blessed Augustine), 80 or in general “not after the stars and not before heaven and earth” (the opinion of St. Epiphany 81). But these opinions had no followers in the ancient church. Blazh. Augustine points out that in ancient times there were those who thought that angels were created after everything that is listed in the six-day creation, that is, after the creation of man 82, but this opinion directly contradicts the testimony of the book. Job (38:7). In modern times, the same opinion is repeated by defenders of the progressive theory of world formation. They think to see confirmation of this in the story of Moses about the creation of the visible world, which depicts that God gradually ascended during creation from less perfect beings to more perfect ones. But Revelation does not provide grounds for extending this law of gradualism from the creation of the visible world to the spiritual world. On the contrary, the remark of the writer of everyday life that after the creation of man God rested from His works (Gen. 2:2) directly refutes the assumption about the origin of angels after the creation of man. § 15. Nature and properties of angels The angels of God, the first creatures in time, have the first and highest place among other creations and in the perfections of their God-created nature. Above the angels (by nature) St. Scripture presents only the only begotten Son of God (Heb.1:4-14) and the Redeemer of men (1 Pet.3:22; Eph.1:21), although temporarily humiliated before them (Heb.2:9), - God in general, and below the angels - all created beings, not excluding man (Ps.8:6; 2 Pet.2:11). True, the church also honors St. The Virgin is the Mother of God, “more honorable than the cherubs and more glorious than the seraphim without comparison.” But this does not express that the human nature of the Mother of God is higher than the angelic nature, for her nature is the same in origin and properties as the nature of other people, but that “She participates in the grace of God much more than any other creature, for She is the Mother of God,” and as the Mother of the Lord she is in special closeness to Her Son and God. 83 More specifically, the nature and properties of angels are contained in revelation and taught by the church in the following teaching: angels are disembodied spirits, endowed with the powers inherent in the spirit - mind, free will and feeling, the most perfect human souls, but limited in their nature and its properties. Spirituality or incorporeality of the nature of angels. Angels are spirits. The Apostle directly calls good angels ministering spirits (πνεύματα Heb. 1:14). The fallen angels by both the Savior (Matthew 12:43; 8:16) and His apostles (Eph.2:2) are also called spirits by their nature - πνεύματα. In all the testimonies of Scripture about both good angels and sinners (the devil and his angels), both are invariably portrayed as spiritual beings, possessing all the properties of a spiritual nature and acting in the way that rationally free beings tend to act. Angels are disembodied or disembodied spirits. In Scripture, angels are never directly called disembodied or disembodied beings. But nowhere is corporeality attributed to them, and not only that which is characteristic of people in the conditions of real life, but even corporeality in its highest or glorified, spiritualized form, which the bodies of people will have after the general resurrection. If angels had any physicality in the strict sense, such silence in Scripture, given the numerous references to angels, would be inexplicable. Meanwhile, there are some indirect indications in Scripture that lead to the conviction of the incorporeality of angels. Thus, Jesus Christ, answering the question of the Sadducees about the resurrection of the dead, said: in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but remain like the Angels of God in heaven (Matthew 22:30), and can no longer die (Luke 20:36). The Savior’s words clearly deny the nature of angels physicality in its grossly sensual form, with its destructibility. But the glorified corporeality is not assimilated (although it is not directly denied), for those who are resurrected are only likened to angels, and are not identified with them, that is, they will not be angels or will not change into angels. Ap. Paul calls angels invisible (Col. 1:16), i.e. having nothing perceptible to the sense of sight and contrasts them with flesh and blood: our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the spirits of wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12). Finally, the very name of them as spirits - πνεύματα, without mentioning any of their corporeal shells, leads to the conclusion that their nature is incorporeal. The spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see with Me (Luke 24:39), the Savior explained to His disciples when they mistook His appearance after the resurrection for the appearance of the spirit. He also called God Himself spirit - πνεύματα (John 4:24), that is, in the same way as angels are called, but God is incorporeal. True, along with such evidence suggesting the incorporeality of angels, Scripture indicates many cases of the appearance of angels to people in sensual images, usually in human form (sometimes with wings, see, for example, Dan. 9:21; Rev. 8:13, 14:6), mention is made of the language of angels, with which they glorify God, surrounding His throne (Is. 6: 1-3; 1 Cor. 13: 1), which is acquired by them abundance of purity, wingedness (Ezek.1 ch., Is.6 ch.); the manna sent down from heaven to the Jews is called the bread of angels (Ps. 77:25), and about the men who appeared to Abraham, it is directly said that they ate (Gen. 18:8). But it would be a mistake to conclude from this that angels are not incorporeal by nature. The sensual images in which they appeared to people do not belong to them essentially; it is only their temporary state, and not a permanent existence, just as God Himself apparently appeared to people. “When the angels,” says St. I. Damascene, according to the will of God, are worthy, then they are not what they are in themselves, but in some transformed form (ἐν μετασχηματίσμω), so that those who see can see them. They are transformed into whatever the Lord God commands, and thus they appear to people and reveal to them divine secrets.” 84 In accordance with this, we must look at their acceptance of food during appearances to people. They have no need for material food. The angel who appeared to Manoah refused the food offered to him (Judg. 13:16), and the angel of Tobit says about himself that all the days when he was visible, he did not eat or drink, but only to the eyes of those who saw him it seemed that he was eating and drinking (Tov. 12:19). But if angels can take on a body, then they can also take on food 85. By angelic bread we must understand, of course, not material food, but special spiritual food, a weak likeness of which was manna sent down from heaven 86 . Angelic tongues, multiplicity, wingedness are ego figurative representations of the spiritual properties inherent in angels 87 . According to the evidence, revelation and the ancient fathers and teachers of the church, with few exceptions, taught about angels as disembodied beings. Their usual names for angels were the names of their beings “immaterial and immortal”, “incorporeal”, “incorporeal”, “spiritual” and “pure spirits”, not having a bodily image, and therefore possessing complete invisibility, “luminous, invisible angels, quick-moving minds”, which by nature are “simple, spiritual, imbued with light, do not originate from the flesh”, “smart essences,” “intelligent and invisible natures,” etc. 88 The opinion that suggested the existence in the angels of a body similar or close to the sensible body of man was expressed by very few and it was rejected as contrary to Scripture, impious and unreasonable. 89 On the question of how to understand the incorporeality of the nature of angels - in a relative or unconditional sense, among the ancient teachers of the church, who touched upon this issue, the prevailing opinion was about the incorporeality of angels in the first sense (relative incorporeality), namely, that they are incorporeal only in comparison with us, clothed with coarse and heavy flesh. “An angel is a being gifted with intelligence, free, incorporeal...,” said St. I. Damascene... An angel is called mute and immaterial in comparison with us. For everything, in comparison with God, the only incomparable one, turns out to be crude and material. The Divinity alone is entirely (ὄντως) immaterial and incorporeal.” Therefore, angels “although they do not have physical coarseness, they also have the appearance and limitations inherent in their nature. The Divine Being alone is indescribable, completely formless, unimaginable and unlimited.” 90 Some of the ancient teachers understood and expressed the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe relative incorporeality of angels in the sense that although angels do not have bodies in the proper sense (incorporeal and invisible), they have a kind of material shell, fire-like and air-like (so they thought on the basis of Ps. 107:4; Heb. 1:7), which has nothing in common with visible sensory bodies. 91 But this kind of corporeality, super-earthly, which, as those who expressed this opinion imagine, without restricting the spirit in its self-determination, does not prevent angels from moving in space with the speed of thought itself and penetrating where material light does not penetrate, for us is the same as incorporeality, and angels can be called spiritual and incorporeal beings even in this case, if they are actually clothed with this kind of material shell. However, the idea of ​​such a shell of angels is only an assumption and a personal opinion. But that it is generally permissible to understand the incorporeality of angels in a relative, and not an unconditional, sense, evidence can be given by the example of the fathers of the 7th universe. cathedral At the 5th meeting of this council, testimonies of fathers and writers were read in defense of the iconographic depiction of angels. From the words of John, ep. Thessalonica, the following was read. “As for the angels and archangels and other holy powers that are higher than them, I add to this our human souls, the Catholic Church recognizes them as rational, but not completely incorporeal and invisible, but only having subtle, airy and fiery bodies, according to what is said in Scripture: You create flaming fire with Your angels and Your servants (Heb. 1:7). And we see that many St. our fathers hold this opinion; Among them are Basil the Great and St. Athanasius and Methodius the Great and those who were with them. Truly, only the divine nature is incorporeal and indescribable, and rational creatures are not completely incorporeal and invisible, like the divine nature; therefore they are located in certain places and are describable. If you find expressions where angels, or demons, or souls are called voiceless, then they were called so because they do not consist of a mixture of four material elements and their bodies themselves are not so rough and unlike those with which we are clothed. Indeed, compared to us, they are incorporeal; but since they were repeatedly and by many visible in a sensual way in the form of their own bodies, and they were visible by those to whom God opened the eyes, and since they are described by place, it turns out that they are not completely incorporeal, as the divine nature is incorporeal. So, we do not sin by pictorially depicting angels and honoring them, because we do not honor them as gods, but as rational creatures and servants of God, not incorporeal in the primary sense of the word. As for depicting them in human form, this is done because they usually appear in this form to those people to whom they are sent by the one God.” After reading, “His Holiness Patriarch Tarasius said: we have listened to what the father said; the father showed that angels should also be depicted, because they are describable and have appeared to many in human form. “The Holy Council said: yes, sir.” 92 Properties of angels as incorporeal beings. – As beings, disembodied angels are less constrained by the conditions of space than people and are dependent on place in a completely different way than we and any body. This is confirmed by the extraordinary speed and speed with which the angels are transferred from place to place. But as limited beings, they, of course, cannot acquire complete independence from the conditions of space or omnipresence. They are only located where they act. This is also confirmed by Scripture, when you depict angels either descending from heaven to earth, or ascending from earth to heaven (Dan.9:21; Matt.28:2; Luke 1:26, 38; 2:15; 22:43, etc.) “Angels are limited,” says St. I. Damascene, for when they are in heaven, they are not on earth, and when they are sent to earth by God, they do not remain in heaven, and cannot be and act here and there at the same time. However, they are not held in place by walls, doors, locks, or seals.” 93 Therefore, of course, for spirits there must be somewhere their own special world, occupying a certain place in the universe, which is called in St. Scripture is the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2) and the heaven of heavens (1 Kings 8:27). Angels are less dependent than beings clothed with flesh on the conditions of time. They are gifted with immortality (Luke 20:36). But this independence, like immortality, is not unconditional, but relative. Changes occur in their spiritual life: gradual improvement in goodness, in the knowledge of truth, in love, although for them, as those who have been established in goodness through constant exercise in fulfilling the will of God, in their present state it is no longer possible to deviate towards evil, delusion, or sinful feelings. And this kind of changeability in the spiritual life of angels also presupposes their dependence on the conditions of time. In the same way, although they are immortal, “they are immortal, as St. John of Damascus, not by nature, but by grace, for everything that has a beginning by nature also has an end.” 94 Like all created beings, they depend entirely on God for their existence. Spiritual powers and properties of angels. – Angels, as spiritual beings, also possess powers characteristic of the spirit: reason, free will and feeling. Revelation presents the powers of the spirit with which the Creator created the disembodied spirits as perfect as the powers in the primordial man were not perfect. The psalmist testifies that man was created as a little thing, less than the angels (Ps. 8:6; cf. Heb. 1:7), and the ancient fathers of the church often called them, as more than all other creatures reflecting the light of the perfections of the Father of lights (James 1:7; cf. John 1:5), “second lights.” 95 In particular, the mind of angels in Scripture is depicted as so perfect that their knowledge appears to be an example of the extraordinary knowledge that is communicated to the elect of men (2 Samuel 14:20). They always see the face of the Heavenly Father (Matthew 18:10) and their knowledge should therefore be in all respects more perfect than human. About the power and willpower of angels. Peter teaches that the Angels surpass them in strength and power, that is, they surpass all earthly principalities and powers (2 Pet. 2:11; cf. Ps. 103:20). Ap. Peter and Paul prove the greatness and power of Jesus Christ by the fact that the angels themselves submitted to Him (1 Pet. 3:22; Heb. 1:4, 6). The power of angels is also evidenced by the actions they performed at different times, such as the beating by an angel in one night of all the firstborn of Egypt (Ex. 12:23, 4:23), the beating of 185 thousand Assyrian troops in one night (2 Kings 19:35), the defeat of the Jerusalemites under David (2 Kings 24:15-17). The Savior Himself testifies to the depth and strength of their feelings when he says: there is joy among the angels of God even over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). But although the spiritual perfections of the second lights are high, their powers are limited, just as their nature in general is limited. Scripture testifies to the limitations of their mind when it indicates that the being of God is known only to the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:11), therefore, it is not known to angels either; that they do not know and cannot on their own predict the future, the accidental, the knowledge of which is peculiar only to God (Isa. 44:7), they do not fully know the great mystery of our redemption (Eph. 3:10) and are still trying to penetrate into it (1 Pet. 1:12), they do not know the day and hour of the second coming of Christ (Mark 13:32), their knowledge does not even extend to the secrets of the human heart (1 Kings 8:39); Jer.17:9; 2Chron.6:30). A similar limitation is characteristic of angels in terms of their will and feelings. Thus, the power of angels does not extend to the point that they can perform miracles with their own power; only God alone can perform miracles (Ps. 71:18). Right Job confesses that God sees shortcomings in His Angels (Job 4:18), and therefore, both the perfection of the will of the angels and the movements of their feelings do not extend to perfect holiness. § 16. Number of angels. Heavenly hierarchy. Seven Higher Angels I. Angels exist in an incalculably great multitude. Therefore, Scripture does not determine approximately their number, but only makes it clear that it is very large. Yes, Patr. Jacob saw entire armies of God's angels (Gen. 32:1–2); tens of angels were intermediaries in the legislation at Sinai (Deut. 33:2; cf. Acts 7:53; Gal.3:19). The Prophet Daniel saw that when the Ancient of Days sat on His throne, then thousands of thousands (i.e. millions) of angels served Him and ten thousand thousand (billions) stood before Him (Dan.7:9-10). The New Testament seer also saw around the throne of God and heard the voice of many Angels... and their number was ten thousand thousand and thousands (Rev. 5:11). The numerous army of heaven praised the birth of the Savior of the world (Luke 2:13) and they will accompany Him in darkness at His second coming (Jude 1:14; Matt. 16:27; 24:31; 25:31). Jesus Christ, when ap. Peter drew his sword in His defense, saying that through His prayer more than twelve legions of angels could have come to help Him, if it had pleased Him (Matthew 26:53). Believers are united with thousands of angels by entering the church of Christ (Heb. 12:22). Based on such indications from Scripture, the ancient fathers and teachers of the church asserted that “the innumerable blessed army of premium minds”, that “it surpasses the small and insufficient counting of the numbers we use.” 96 “There are,” says St. John Chrysostom, myriads of myriads of angels, there are thousands of thousands of archangels, thrones, dominions, principles, powers, countless hosts of incorporeal forces and their inscrutable genera,” 97. To clearly represent the innumerable multitude of angels, some of them used the well-known parable of the Savior about the lost sheep (one of a hundred), to find which ninety-nine sheep were left in the wilderness (Luke 15:4–5; Matt. 18:12). By one lost sheep they meant the entirety of the human race, and by the other ninety-nine sheep the entirety of the angelic order not involved in sin. “Count how numerous the Roman people are,” says St. Cyril of Jerusalem, count how many barbarians are now still alive, and how many of them have died in a hundred years, count everyone from Adam to this day. This number is great, but it is still small; because there are even more angels. They are ninety-nine sheep, and humanity is one hundredth sheep.” 98 The angels who exist in such an innumerable multitude all received existence through the action of God's creativity (Col. 1:16), and did not increase to such a number through gradual reproduction. In the words of the Savior to the Sadducees: in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but remain as the Angels of God in heaven (Matthew 22:30), the possibility for angels of reproduction through birth is rejected. But since their number cannot decrease through death, for they cannot die (Luke 20:36), it is clear that angels at the very beginning were created by God in that innumerable number, in whatever quantity it pleased the Creator so that they would always exist. But whether they were all created at the same time, or were created in any sequence, Scripture is silent about this. Ancient teachers expressed the idea that angels were created by God in an innumerable multitude regarding the opinion of some about the marriage of angels (based on an incorrect understanding of Gen. 6: 2–4) with the daughters of men. “We do not divide the incorporeal nature into female and male sex, we condemn indecent mixtures of invisible forces,” says Bl. Theodorite... For the immortal nature, the division of the sexes is unnecessary, because, as those who do not decrease in number, they have no need to reproduce... And God is the teacher of this, the Scripture, For God did not create only two angels, like two men, in the beginning, but He brought forth as many darknesses as He pleased; because a nature that is not subject to decay does not require reproduction.” 99 II. All the countless numbers of angels constitute a special kind of kingdom in which God Himself reigns as the true King of all things. Between the members of this kingdom there are angelic ranks that are higher and lower in dignity and degree of closeness to God; in general, there is a special kind of hierarchy or hierarchy, just as there is disparity of talents and positions in the human world and degree of diversity in the entire sensory world. In St. The Scriptures indicate precisely the following nine degrees of the heavenly hierarchy: seraphim (Is.6:2), cherubim (Gen.3:24; Exod.25:16–22; Ps.79:2, 17:11, 98:1; Is.37:16; Ezek.1:10 and 11; Ezek.41:18, 25; Rev.4:6, 8, 5:8–14), powers (Eph.1:21; Rom.8:38), thrones, principalities, dominions, powers (Col.1:16; Eph.1:21, 3:10), archangels (1 Thess. 4:16; Jude 1:9) and angels (1 Pet. 3:22; Rom. 8:38). That these names are different invisible forces, and not different names of the same angelic rank, this is revealed partly from the names themselves: it would be strange, for example. to assume that the names angel and archangel denote the same degree; Obviously, these names indicate that archangels are higher than angels. It is also clear from the very image of the priest’s expression. writers' thoughts about the ranks of angels. These are the names: ap. Peter, that after Jesus Christ ascended into heaven the angels and authorities and powers were subject to themselves (1 Pet. 3:22); – ap. Paul, that by the Son were all things created... whether thrones (εἴτε), or dominions (εἴτε), principalities (εἴτε), or powers (εἴτε) ( Col. 1:16 ), or that God seated Jesus Christ at his right hand in the heavens, far above all principality and authority and power and dominion ( Eph. 1:20–21 ). All the sayings speak of invisible spirits, and not of earthly principalities and powers, and the existence of degree differences between them is clearly indicated. Ave. Daniel calls the archangel Michael (Jude 1:9) one of the first princes (Dan. 10:13), also the great prince (12:1), a name indicating the existence of other celestial beings, angels similar to him, and the existence of spirits who do not have such a position of authority. Based on such indications of revelation, the church, in the person of the fathers and teachers of the church, has always recognized the gradual distinction between angels and their division into classes. The ancient fatherly teaching about the ranks of angels is expressed with particular clarity in the book “On the Heavenly Hierarchy,” known as the work of Dionysius the Areopagite. The doctrine set forth here about the nine ranks of angels was also included in the symbolic books of the Orthodox Church (Right. Rev. Part 1, Rep. 20). The nine orders of angels mentioned in Scripture in the said creation are divided into three hierarchies (ἱεραρχία) and each hierarchy into three faces (χόροι). Their order, according to the degree of perfection of their God-created nature and approach to the One God in the Holy Trinity, is as follows: Higher hierarchy (έπαρχία): Seraphim (Heb. Seraphim) 100. Cherubim (Heb. cherubim) 101. Thrones (θρόνοι, throni). Middle hierarchy (μεσάρχιαι): Dominations (κυριότητες, dominationes). Forces (δυνάμεις, exercitus). Power (ίξουσίαι, potestates). Lower hierarchy (ύπάρχιαι): Beginnings (άρχαί, principatus). The writer of the book “On the Heavenly Hierarchy” makes this division of the ranks of angels from his mentor, the apostle. Paul, saying: “For the sake of clarity, the word of God designates all heavenly beings by nine names. Our divine guide divides them into three triple degrees." 102 The same division of the angelic ranks into three triple degrees is given (based on the teaching in the book “On the Heavenly Hierarchy”) by St. John of Damascus. All nine angelic ranks and St. are listed in almost the same order. Grigory Dvoeslov. 103 But the belief that in the angelic world there is a division into classes or degrees was the general belief of the ancient church, although not all the fathers and teachers of the church counted exactly nine ranks, mainly because they did not have the goal of counting all the angelic ranks, and partly, as for example. Gregory of Nyssa, due to the identification of cherubim with thrones. 104 All calculated degrees of the angelic world are indicated in Scripture. But do they embrace all the ranks of angels? In ancient times there was an opinion that they do not hug and that there are many other names and faces that are not revealed to us in the present life, but will become known in the future life. Yes, St. John Chrysostom says: “there are angels and archangels, thrones and dominions, principalities and powers; but not only these hosts exist in heaven, but endless hordes and innumerable tribes, which no word can depict. How do we know that besides these forces there are many others that we do not know by name? Paul, having spoken about the first, also mentions the second, expressing himself about Christ this way: He has set Him above all principality and authority and power and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the future (Eph. 1:21). Do you see that there are some names that will be known there that are now unknown? That’s why Paul said: not only in this age, but also in the age to come.” 105 The same opinion was shared by Origen, blessed. Theodorit and Theophylact. 106 The basis for the division of angels into degrees and ranks is the difference in the perfections of the God-created nature of angels, otherwise, the greater or lesser strength of their spiritual powers received during creation. An indication of this can be seen in the words of the Apostle Paul about the Son of God: By Him were all things created... whether thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers - all things (hence, other degrees, besides those enumerated, angelic) were created by Him and for Him (Col. 1:16). If the ranks of angels were created, then the division into ranks did not appear ever after. Therefore, the Church condemned Origen's opinion that all angels were originally equal in nature and powers and that degrees between them appeared after some of them had fallen. 107 In accordance with the perfections of God-created nature and the position of various angelic ranks in the heavenly hierarchy, the church fathers presented their knowledge and mutual relations. “Angels see as much as they can, and archangels as much as they can see,” says St. Cyril Hierus., thrones and dominions see more in comparison with the first, but less in comparison with the dignity of God,” that is, they do not comprehend the very essence of God. 108 They are enlightened, according to St. Gregory the Theologian, “in proportion to their nature and rank.” 109 “Thrones, cherubim, seraphim are taught from God, as the highest and closest to God, and the lower ranks are also taught from them.” says St. Afanasy. 110 “They enlighten each other,” argues St. John of Damascus, primarily by rank or nature. 111 Such a teaching was also included in the Orthodox Confession of Faith (answer to question 20), which says: “they (angels) are placed in such an order that the lower angels receive enlightenment and the benefits of God through the higher ones.” In accordance with this, one must think, the secrets of the hierarchy are carried out in the angelic world, but only God, the author of their hierarchy, knows exactly about this, and they themselves also know. 112 In view of the different strengths of the spiritual powers and perfections of the angels, some of the church fathers assigned different heavens to different degrees of angels. 113 III. In St. In addition to mentioning the nine ranks of angels, the Scriptures give proper names to some of the angels, the highest ones. The names indicate, first of all, their occupations, but together they also make it possible to see the properties of these angels. Holy Scripture indicates five such names (three in canonical and two in non-canonical books), and two names are indicated by Tradition. These seven highest angels by name and “order in their rank” (St. Demetrius Rost.), are: Michael, whose name from Hebrew means: who is like God, or who is equal to God (Dan.10:13; 12:1; Jud.1:9; Rev.12:7 - 8), Gabriel - the man of God, the power of God (Dan.8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19, 26). Raphael - help, healing of God (Tov.3:16; 12:12-15), Uriel - fire or light of God (3 Ezra 4:1; 5; 20), Salafiel - prayer to God (3 Ezra 5:16). These angels also include: Jehudiel - the glorifier of God or the praise of God, and Barachiel - the blessing of God, whose names are not found in St. Scripture. 114 These angels in church liturgical hymns are called the archangels of the heavenly armies. They, according to the belief of the church, are closest to the majesty of God, above all the heavenly ranks, directly before the throne of the Trinitarian Godhead and, by the will of God, govern all the ranks and hierarchies of the angels. 115 In the revelation of John the Theologian there is a mention of them in the following connection of speech: grace to you and peace from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne (1:4). Angel Raphael calls himself one of the seven holy angels who offer the prayers of the saints and ascend before the glory of the Holy One (Tov.12:15). § 17. The purpose of the world of pure spirits The purpose of the world of pure spirits is in accordance with the general goal of peacemaking. God created the great world for the sake of His glory, uniting inseparably with the revelation of His glory the perfection and bliss of creatures. It is clear from here what the purpose of the world of pure spirits is. In them, more fully than in all other creations, the perfections of the Creator and the glory of God were reflected. And if the visible heavens are intended to continuously proclaim the glory of God (Matthew 18:2), then all the more so can this be the purpose of the highest intelligent inhabitants of the invisible heavens. The angels, who remained faithful to their purpose, are indeed presented in Scripture day and night as glorifying the Creator: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts! the whole earth is full of His glory! (Isa.6:3; Rev.4:8; Dan.7:10), and together participating in His bliss. But, as rationally free beings, angels, of course, are not intended to be unconscious bearers and organs of the glory of God, but must consciously glorify the Creator, and through this achieve bliss. But they can consciously and freely glorify God only through the revelation and perfection of God-given powers, that is, mind, will and feelings, by striving and becoming like God, in whose image, only more fully imprinted in them than in man, they were created. 116 In revelation, confirmation of this thought can be seen in images of the life of angels, for example, in the instructions that they glorify God, do His will, etc., which presupposes free self-determination and self-improvement in them, as well as in the teaching that they were created with the ability to choose good and evil, that the matter of freedom was the strengthening of some of them in goodness and the fall of others, and in connection with this, the bliss and unity with God of those strengthened in the goodness of spirits and the rejection of fallen angels. Finally, there is an indication in Scripture that for the moral self-development of angels, God assigned special ministries to angels and special places for the field of their activity. Yes, app. Jude teaches that some angels did not retain their dignity (τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχήν), but left their home (τὸ ίδίον οἰκητήριου - 6 v.). The words of the apostle clearly suggest that some of the angels observed the ministries assigned to them (ἀρχή, especially in sacred language, connects with the thought of primacy the thought of service - Luke 20:20; Deut. 17:18; Jer. 34:1) and places of residence (in the word οἰκητήριον it is usually expressed as a place of temporary residence, such as the stay of a warrior), and from this we can conclude that ministries and places of residence are assigned to all angels in general, and, of course, for the purpose of their moral improvement and elevation in bliss. This understanding of these words of the Psalmist is considered more consistent with the original text and the connection of speech. But the translation of the LXX, with which the Vulgate also agrees, understands angels here in its own sense. At ap. Paul (Heb.1:7) these words are given according to the LXX translation. You can read about various translations and explanations of this passage from Glagolev A. Vetho. head biblical teaching about angels. Kyiv. 1900–292 – 295 pp. and in Vigouroux F. Rukov. to reading and studying the Bible. II vol. 1 sex. Transl. V.V. Vorontsova, Moscow. 1902 767 pp. Muretova M.D. prof. Towards the interpretation of the text of Ps.104:4 and Hebrews 1:7. God. Vestn. 1902 Oct. Literature, – Glagoleva A. Vetkhoz. bib. doctrine of angels. 1900 (about this work. - Yastrebova M., Prof. On the question of the Angel of Jehovah in Tr. Kyiv. Ak. 1900 Nov. and Pokrovsky A. - Bibliographical notes. in Bog. Vestn. 1901 June.). – Glubokovsky N.P. prof. Teachings of the Ap. Paul about good and evil spirits - in Chr. Thurs. 1900 I–II volumes – Lebedeva A, A. prot. Old Testament doctrine in the time of the patriarchs. St. Petersburg 1886 137–144 pp. – Bishop. Chrysanthes. Ancient religions peace. III vol. 121–143 pp. – Ep. Ignatius (Brianchaninova). Art. about perfumes in added. to "The Word about Death." St. Petersburg 1886 120–236 pp. – Bishop. Feofan. The soul and angel are not the body, but the spirit. Moscow. 1891 – Innocent Archbishop. Collection essay, XI volume - Matveevsky P. priest. Opinions of St. fathers and teachers of the church on the nature of spirits - Wanderer, 1864 Nov. - Verzhbitsky T. The invisible, spiritual world of angels and its existence, - in the same place, 1896 Aug. – Kudryavtseva L. prot. Lectures on rights. Theologian 1889 - Gottinger, Apology of Christ. II part 3 hours Ep. Chrysanthes. Religions of the ancient world. III vol. 126 pp. Ep. Chrysanthes. Religions of the Ancient World III vol. 129–130 pp. – Ancient patristic explanations of symbolic images of angels can be read in the book. “On the heavenly hierarchy” (XV chapter; fn. II chapter), as well as in the interpretations of the fathers on various places of Scripture, in which symbolic images of the heavenly forces are found. The life of Zoroaster and the emergence of Parsism date back to the 6th century. BC, and the appearance of the Persian priests. books - by the time of the 6th century. BC and through the 7th century. according to R. X., and some think that the entire Avesta, not excluding the most ancient parts of it, such as the Gathas, was written after the conquests of Alexander the Great. Moreover, the ancient teaching is not contained in it in its pure form, but processed in the spirit of the time, under the influence of foreign religions and philosophies. Meanwhile, the Jews in the 5th century. Before R. X., the last sacred writer lived - Ave. Malachi (445-408 BC), and the first - Moses (1651-1531 BC) lived a thousand years before Zoroaster. Under Ezra, the canon of sacred Jewish books had already been concluded (during the period from 459 to 445 BC_). See Istochnikova M. priest. The imaginary dependence of biblical doctrine on the religion of Zoroaster. Kaz. 1897 III ch. Yungerova P. prof. General historical-critical introduction to the sacred. dilapidated books. Kaz. 1892 Chapter I Amshaspandas, six in number, are the highest spirits - personifications of the highest spiritual, mental and moral principles of life, and in the physical sense - the general, elemental forces of nature; yatsats or izeds, numbering up to 24, divided into heavenly and earthly - personifications of predominantly physical and, moreover, private forces and elements of nature (sun, moon, stars, sky, air, water, fire, etc.) and, finally, fravashisi or ferver - personifications of private forms of life, souls of living people, protectors and guardians of individuals and individual creatures, as well as individual human communities and institutions, why their countless. The army of the spirits of Ahriman - the “killing spirit”, consisting of devas, druks (almost all female) and payriks (female geniuses) serves as the personification of all the negative properties opposite to the positive properties of the spirits of Ormuzd. See Ep. Chrysanthes. Rel. ancient myth. I vol. 523–541 pp. cf. Istochnikova M. priest. Imaginary stuck. etc. Chapter II Edward. Apologetics II vol. 2 ch. One can accept as undeniable the influence of Parsism on the teaching of spirits, not the biblical one, in the canonical books, but on the teaching of the Talmud and Kabbalah, which actually has a purely naturalistic character (for example, the teaching about the Sephiroth and the angels subordinate to them, about Metatron, etc.). See art. From Talmudic mythology (Tr. K. Ak. 1870, Apr.). Wed. Ep. Chrysanthes. Rel. other world. I vol. 631–632 pp. The opinion about the influence of Parsism on the teaching of non-canonical books of the Old Testament about spirits cannot be considered firmly founded. See about this article. Drozdova N. M. Parsism in the book. Tobit - in Tr. Kyiv Ak. 1901 June. According to the English scientist Taylor, a very impartial researcher of primitive culture, “belief in the existence of the supersensible world (i.e., the world of incorporeal spirits) constitutes the minimum of religion, without which no religion is conceivable.” See Rozhdestvensky N. prof. Apologetics. I, 144 pp. Confession XII, 7. Creation. bl. Augustine in Russian lane Part I 376 pp. Belyaeva A.D. prof. Love Divine. 132 and 134 pp. This opinion is not alone in Russian theological literature. As far as is known, the first to speak out, but in a very cautious manner, in favor of recognizing the stellar worlds as angelic abodes was Archbishop. Anatoly in st. “Astronomy and Man” (Strannik, 1866, Aug. 49–50 pp.). The idea of ​​the habitability of the celestial worlds is more decisively affirmed in the book. prof. Svetlova. Theology course (apologetic). Kyiv, 1899, pp. 152–155, and in art. on this issue Kremlevsky A. Celestials. (Strannik, 1901 Dec.) In Western theology, this opinion is shared by many, and some (for example, the Catholic theologian Ortolan in the book Astronomie et Theologie. Paris, 1891) find it possible to see hidden indications of the habitability of the heavenly worlds in Scripture itself, namely: John 10:16; 14:2; Luke 15:7; Eph.1:10, 2Cor.12:1-5. – Among modern representatives of natural science, a particularly zealous defender of the idea of ​​​​the multiplicity of inhabited worlds is the famous Frenchman. astronomer K. Flammarion. See his op. “The Many Inhabited Worlds” (the last translation into Russian from the 30th Paris edition appeared in 1896. and made by K. Tolstoy), “Pictorial Astronomy” (translated by E. Predtechensky. St. Petersburg, 1897). The same idea is carried out in many of his other works. Ep. Sylvester. Op. Dogma. God. III volume § 23. Prof. Glagolev, having analyzed Ortolan’s opinion and evidence on the question of the habitability of the celestial worlds, notes: “it must be admitted that the Bible says nothing about the habitability or uninhabitability of the celestial bodies. Science says nothing about them either. This question is hitherto usually decided with the heart, and not with the mind (Astronomy and Theology. Serg. Settlement, 1898, 44 pages). Indirect passages expressing the same truth: Heb. 1:3, 7, 14; 3:4; Rom.11:36; Rev.4:11. Moses, according to St. Chrysostom, “does not speak about invisible forces, so that they (the Jews), having learned the Artist from works, would worship the Creator, and not stop at creatures” (Demons on Gen. 11:2). “The Israelis lacked firmness and constancy,” notes the blessed one. Theodorite. “Soon after many and untold miracles, they proclaimed the golden calf as God.” What would not these people, who so easily deify bestial likenesses, do if they had acquired knowledge of the invisible natures” (Answer to question 2 on Genesis)? See, for example, Irenea. Prot. heresy, 2 books, II, 3–4 Evsev. kes. Demonstr. evang. IV p. 1. – Vasily V. K Amfil. About the Holy Spirit, Chapter 16. - Chrysostom, N. last. to Col. demon III, 2. Prot. Anomeev, II, 4. – Theodorit. On the book Life Question 2. Abbreviation exposition god dogma. Chapter VII About angels. Afanasia alec. To Serap. 1 last (3 hours 19–21. 47 pages, etc.). - Epiphany. Oblich. heresy (Gnostic, eg heresy 31) – Augustine. About the city of God. XI book. 9; n. about the book Life letters VII, 2–Z. Damascene. Accur. izl. right faith. II, 2–3. This teaching about the time of the creation of angels is also contained in the symbolic books of rights. churches (Rights, Confession 18 questions; Space Katikh. About 1 part) and in church hymns (Can. archapg. Pes. 1). Gregory B. Sl. 38. In Russian lane III vol. 240–241 pp. Damascus. Accur. izl. faith. Book II Chapter 3 The same opinion about the time of the creation of angels was definitely expressed by: Vasily V. (Demon 1 on the Shestodn. I part of the work in Russian translation, page 10, according to the 1891 edition), Jerome (Talk, on ate, to Titus, 1 ch.) to Ambrose (on the Hestodn. I book, 5 ch.), Hilaria (De Trinit. II and Lib. contra Aufnt. p. 6), Gregory. V. (Moral. XXVIII, 14), as well as Dionysius Ariopagite, (On the names of God, ch. 5), St. Demetrius of Rostov (Chronicles, part 1, p. 10) and others. Bl. Theodoret based his opinion on the following consideration: “Angels have a limited essence,” and therefore “they need a place, because the Divinity alone, as not limited, is not contained in a place. But if angels are limited by place, then how can they exist before heaven and earth? For if there is no containing, can there be content? Therefore, “it is probable that angels were created at the same time as heaven and earth... I say this not in the affirmative, for I recognize it as ridiculous to assert decisively, which God does not say in exact words. Scripture... But even to such a cautious judgment he adds: “It is necessary to know that all beings, except St. Trinity has a created nature. And if this is recognized, then it will not harm the teaching of piety if we say that hosts of angels received existence before heaven and earth” (in the book of Genesis, answers to questions 3 and 4). Here is a sample of patristic reasoning on issues that do not have the meaning of dogmas of faith, but relate to the field of theological opinions. Bl. Augustine (On the gr. of God. XI books. 7 and 9 chapters) referred to the words of the Creator: let there be light specifically to the creation of angels, as sons of light. St. Epiphanius expressed his opinion this way: “The Word of God makes it clear that angels did not come into being after the stars (Job 38:7) and not before heaven and earth, since it is obviously and immutably said that before heaven and earth there was nothing created; that at the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1), when there was the beginning of creation and before that there was nothing created (Er. 65, 4 and 5 ch.). Augustine. About gr. God XI book. 9 chapters, Right Spanish Rep. to the question 42. In the Orthodox Church. Catechism; The teaching about the dignity of the Mother of God in comparison with the angels is expressed as follows: “in terms of the quality of the Mother of the Lord, She surpasses in grace and proximity to God, and consequently in dignity, every created being, and therefore the Orthodox Church honors her above the cherubim and seraphim” (O 3rd chapter). Exposition faith, II book. Chapter 3 According to Chrysostom, when they see an angel, they see only the presence of the angel, the image they perceive, and not the nature itself, which, as incorporeal, cannot be seen. By God’s condescension towards people, they take on this image, so that they are visible, like all other visible objects (On the book of Gen. Bes. XXII, 2; Prot. Anom. VII ff.). Blazh. Theodoret says: “we know that the nature of angels is incorporeal, but they take on an image for the benefit of those who see, and are often meek for condescension, and sometimes strict for admonition (On Dan. 12:7). Explaining Genesis 18:8, blessed. Theodoret says: “If we take the Scripture unfounded, then the poison is men, not angels; and if we delve into the meaning, they only seemed to be eating. Just as they themselves (i.e., the angels) and their Lord, having an incorporeal nature, seemed to have bodies (because through this they became visible), so they seemed to eat, not bringing food into their mouths and bellies (because they did not have bodies), but destroying it as they pleased. For it is a matter of extreme foolishness to be curious about how the unspeakable was accomplished” (On Gen. Issue 70). Manna is called “the bread of angels,” according to the blessed one. Theodoret, because “it was granted during the service of angels. But incorporeal nature has no need for food” (On Ex. Issue 29). For explanations of the different symbolic images of angels, see e.g. in the book “On the Heavenly Hierarchy”, Chapter XI; n. Chapter II See eg. Afanasia al. - To Seran. 1 last (3 parts 19 pages in Russian translation), Gregory Nisek. - About prayer, lyrics. 4 (in Russian translation of his work. I volume 436 pp.), Gregory Bogos. - Song. sacraments Sl. 6, About intelligent entities (IV volume 235 pp.), Bl. Theodorit - Ill. god dogma Chapter 7 (about angels); On Life Questions 21 and 48, on Ex. 29 questions Vasil. V. - Demon. I on the Sixth Day, Chrysostom - On the book. Life Dem.22:2. To Stagir.1:2. Kirill Alex. On ev. John 4:2 Epiphania – Ep. 69, 17 chapters; 76 ep. Chapter 31, Jerome - Pis. 100, to Avitus (prot. teaching of Origen). Lactation - God. present VII book. Chapter 21, Damascene - Tochi. izl. faith II. book, 3 chapters This opinion was expressed by: Justin (Apol. 2:5; Conversation with Trif. 57). Tatian (Prot. Hellen. Ch. 12), Athenagoras (Prot. about Christ. Ch. 24–25; About the Resurrection. Ch. 16), Clement Alex. (Strom. IV, 3), Origen (On the principles I, 6; II, 2; IV), Tertullian (On the flesh of Christ. 6 chapters; Prot. Hermog. 7 chapters; On the attire of women). Dsmask. Exposition faith, II book. 3 and 12 ch. Tin 3 about icons, chapter 24. - In a similar way, Gregory the Great says: “An angel, compared with our bodies, is certainly a spirit, but compared with the Holy Spirit, the highest and infinite, there is a body” (Moral lib. II, p. 3). St. Gregory of God: the idea of ​​the relative incorporeality of angels is expressed as follows: angels are “second lordships, servants of the first lordship, whether by them we mean either intelligent spirits, or, as it were, an immaterial and incorporeal fire or some other creature that is closest to what has been said (Sk. 38, in the Russian translation of his work. III part 240 p.). “Heavenly nature... is not corporeal... why is it called (Ps. 106:4) fire and spirit, or is it really so... However, let it be with us not corporeal, or, as close as possible, close to that” (Sk. 28, - III vol. 50 pp. in Russian translation). Gregory of Nyssa, calling angels “incorporeal,” notes about their nature: “spiritual nature (i.e., angels) is something subtle, pure, not heavy and easily mobile” (About babies, prematurely abducted by death. IV part 339 pp. in Russian translation). Yes, St. Vasily V. says: “in the heavenly Powers, their essence is airy, so to speak, spirit or immaterial fire (according to the writing of Heb. 1:7), which is why they are limited in place and are visible, appearing holy in the image of their own bodies” (On the Holy Spirit, to Amphil. 16 ch.). In the word of John, ep. Thessalonian, who shared this opinion, indicates that in addition to Basil V., “many saints” held the same opinion about the nature of angels. fathers" and between them St. Athanasius (in the original works of Athanasius there is no opinion assimilated to him, but there is in the work Quaest. ad Antiochum, incorrectly attributed to him) and Methodius the Great and “those who were with them” (Acts of all. Sob. in Russian translation. Kaz. 1873, VII vol. 388 pp.). A similar thought about the nature of angels was expressed, although hesitantly, by Blessed. Augustine (On the gr. of God. XV chapter 23; Scripture 157), as well as Ambrose (De Noet. et arcan. c. 4). Acts everyone Councils, VII vol. 388–389 pp. In one very well-known and authoritative recent apologetic work, by the way, among the arguments for understanding the incorporeality of angels in a relative sense, the following is given as the most important one. “The Lord Himself - Christ, after His earthly life, ascended to heaven in a body, albeit a spiritual one (σῶμα πνευμάτικον). But if the King of heaven and earth (1 Cor. 15:24-28) has physicality, then the inhabitants of heaven subordinate to Him must also have some physical substance.” (In Defense of the Christian Faith, II. issue 2, part 105 pp.) Damascus. Accur. izl. faith, II book. Chapter 3 Eg. Gregory the Theologian (Sk. 40; Canticles of the Sacraments, line 6) and I. Damascene (Accurate ex. century II, 3). Dionysia Areops. , On the heavenly hierarchy, Chapter XIV. Zlatoust, Ave. Anomeev, Sl. II, 4. Sn. Theodorit, Abbr. izl. god dogma Chapter 7 Cyril jerus. Publicity instructive XV, 24. Sn. Gregory nis. Rebuttal opinions of Apollinaris 16 ch. Brief izl. god dogma Chapter 7 - The opinion that angels only gradually increased to a certain number and had some special method of reproduction was expressed among the ancients only by Gregory of Nyssa. “But what method of reproduction does the angelic nature have,” he said, “this is indescribable and unthinkable according to human fortune-telling; however, what is certain is that he exists.” (On the structure of man. 17th chapter.) Claiming this, however, he taught that angels in full number received existence before the creation of man and even the visible world (Bol. eng. chapter 6). But this opinion had no basis; St. himself did not indicate such reasons. father. The name is seraphim, when derived from saraph - to burn, to burn, which means: fiery, fiery creatures, i.e. in the sense of burning with love for God, whose throne is a flame of fire (Dan.7:9). Others derive this name from saraph from Arabic - to be high, famous, noble and assimilate its meaning: commanding forces, heads, chiefs, leaders, (see Solyarovsky Archpriest, Op. Bible, words of proper names III, 531 pages. See also Glagolev. Old Testament teaching about angels. 517–527 pages) In the vision of the prophet Isaiah (chap. 6) they are presented as surrounding the throne of the Lord of glory and incessantly proclaiming His glory - six-winged and having a human form. There are no other mentions of them in Scripture. The etymological meaning of the name Cherubim and its origin have not been established, which is why there are different opinions about its meaning. Many of the ancient fathers saw in this name, as well as in the images of them with many eyes (in St. Ezekiel and in Revelation), an indication of the cherubim’s possession of full knowledge and understanding (cherub from nachar - to recognize, know, delve into, understand, and rav - to be many). Of the many newer productions of this name, the one most consistent with the idea of ​​cherubim as beings close to God is the production of cherub from Heb. karab - to be close (see Glagolev in the op. book. 510–513 pp. sn. 506 pp.). Scripture presents the cherubim as gifted by God with special perfections: in them is the fullness of the highest life and the highest reflection of the glory of God (Rev. 4:6–8; cn. Eze. 28:14). They are awarded a special closeness to God: God appears to be seated on cherubim (Ps. 17:11; 79:2; Is. 37:15, 1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 6:2; 22:11, etc.). In St. Ezekiel’s vision of the likeness of the glory of God, they are depicted as the closest participants in the unapproachable greatness and glory of God, and in the revelation of the apostle. John - constantly standing before the throne of the Almighty and the Lamb and incessantly glorifying His endless perfections not only in the work of creation, but also in our redemption and blessedness (Rev. 4: 6-11; 5: 6-14; 6: 1-7; 7: 11-12; 15: 7; 19: 4). They are not simply messengers and messengers, like other angels (5:11, 14; 7:11), but have a special ministry: the cherubim guards the mysterious tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24), the cherubim overshadowed the ark of the covenant and the purification, penetrating into the secrets of salvation (Solyarsky G. Archpriest Op. Bibl. vol. IV 353–366 pp.). The distinctive properties of other angelic ranks are not indicated in Scripture. Therefore, it cannot be recognized as based on the teachings of St. The Scriptures sometimes provide detailed descriptions of the distinctive properties of all angelic ranks (see, for example, Archpriest G. Debolasky, Days of Worship. St. Petersburg, 1894, 1 volume, 250 pages). See the judgment about this by St. Cyril jerus. Ogl. instructive XI, 12. Oh heaven. hierarchy, VI ch. § 2. Damascus. Accur. izl. faith, II, 3. – Grigor. Vel. per ev. John, II book. 34 demons 7. The belief in a gradual difference between angels was expressed, for example. Ignatius God. (To Thrall. 5th chapter), Irenaeus Lyon. (Prov. heresy II. 30). Clement Alex. (Strom., VI, 7, VII, 2), Kiril. Hier. (Obl. s. VI, 6, XI, 11–12), Grigor. God. (Sl. 28, in Russian translation III vol. 50 pp.), Vasily Vel. (Prototype Evlam. 3 books - in Russian ver. III vol. 128–133 pp.), Athanasius al. (To Serap., 1st sequence - in Russian translation, III, part 22 and 45 pages) Gregory n. (Prot. Eunom. I book. 23 chapter. explanatory. Song. Song. 15 demons.), Chrysostom (Prot., anom. III book. 5 chapter.; IV book. 2 chapter.), Augustine (To Orosius, chapter 11), etc. Zlat. Against apomoea, 4 words. Chapter 2 sl. Sn. Demon. 3 To Ephesus. Origen, O began, I, 5. - Blessed. Theodoret, Interpretation. on the last to Eph.1:22. – Theophylact, Tolk. to the same place. Condemnation of the opinion of Origen and his followers was pronounced first at a local council in 400, chaired by Theophilus of Alexandria, and then at the fifth ecumenical council. Council along with other errors of Origen (Prav. 2 and 14). Kiril. Hier. Ogl. instructive XI, 12. St. Cyril Alex. He also said in the same way: “the angels have a different knowledge, the archangels have a different higher vision, and the higher powers have an even higher vision” (Thesaur. assert 31). Grigor. B. Sl. 28 – III part. 50 pages in Russian. lane his creation Afanas. alec. Sl. about the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit - Part II in Russian. trans.) Damascus. Izl. faith, II, 3. Sn. Oh heaven. hierarchy VII, 3; VIII, 2. About the heavenly hierarchy VIII chapter. § 1; IX, § 2. Kirill jerus. eg said: “The sky that embraces the earth has as many inhabitants as its breadth. The heavens of heavens are filled with an incomparably large number” (English lecture XV, 24). “Ascend to the first heaven, and look there at such innumerable myriads of angels... Ascend to the second and third heaven, reach, if you can, to the thrones, to the dominions, to the principalities, to the authorities”... (Occupational lectures XVI, 23; XI, 11). A similar thought was expressed; Chrysostom (Demon 6 on the last Heb.), Hilary (On Ps. 135:10), Ambrose (On Ps. 38:17). In 3 books. Ezra (4:36), the archangel Jeremiel is also mentioned - the high one of God or the height of God. St. Demetrius Rost. Cheti-Minea on November 8th. Metropolitan Philareta Moscow Word and Speech. 1874 II. v. 270 pp. “God,” says St. I. Damascene is the Creator and Maker of angels, who brought them from non-existence into existence and created them in His image” (Accurate statement of faith, II, 3). The same idea - about the creation of angels in the image of God - was expressed by some other teachers of the church, for example. Dionysius the Areopagite (On the names of God, ch. 4), Justin (Apologist I, 6), Cyril Alex. (Prot. anthropomorph. 4). This idea is also found in the liturgical books of the Orthodox Church (see, for example, in the service to ethereal forces, November 8, as canto 5th, trop. 2nd). You might be interested in: