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An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body) or heavenly supernatural being. It is often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God and humanity in various traditions like the Abrahamic religions [ 1 ] [ 2 ] .
Learn the various meanings and uses of the word angel, from a spiritual being in religion to a person who is pure or good. See synonyms, examples, etymology, and related words of angel.
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angel and demon, respectively, any benevolent or malevolent spiritual being that mediates between the transcendent and temporal realms.
Throughout the history of religions, varying kinds and degrees of beliefs have existed in various spiritual beings, powers, and principles that mediate between the realm of the sacred or holy—i.e., the transcendent realm—and the profane realm of time, space, and cause and effect. Such spiritual beings, when regarded as benevolent, are usually called angels in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and those viewed as malevolent are termed demons. In other traditions, such intermediate beings are less categorical, for they may be benevolent in some circumstances and malevolent in others.
The term angel, which is derived from the Greek word angelos, is the equivalent of the Hebrew word mal’akh, meaning “messenger.” The literal meaning of the word angel thus points more toward the function or status of such beings in a cosmic hierarchy rather than toward connotations of essence or nature, which have been prominent in popular piety, especially in Western religions. Thus, angels have their significance primarily in what they do rather than in what they are. Whatever essence or inherent nature they possess is in terms of their relationship to their source (God, or the ultimate being). Because of the Western iconography (the system of image symbols) of angels, however, they have been granted essential identities that often surpass their functional relationships to the sacred or holy and their performative relationships to the profane world. In other words, popular piety, feeding on graphic and symbolic representations of angels, has to some extent posited semidivine or even divine status to angelic figures. Though such occurrences are not usually sanctioned doctrinally or theologically, some angelic figures, such as Mithra (a Persian god who in Zoroastrianism became an angelic mediator between heaven and earth and judge and preserver of the created world), have achieved semidivine or divine status with their own cults.
In Zoroastrianism there was a belief in the amesha spentas, the holy or bounteous immortals, who were functional aspects or entities of Ahura Mazdā, the Wise Lord. One of the amesha spentas, Vohu Manah (Good Mind), revealed to the Iranian prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster; died c. 551 bce) the true God, his nature, and a kind of ethical covenant, which humans may accept and obey or reject and disobey. In a similar manner, about 1,200 years later, the archangel Gabriel revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (5th–6th century ce) the Qurʾān (the holy book of Islam) and the true God (Allah), his oneness, and the ethical and cultic requirements of Islam. The epithets used to describe Gabriel, the messenger of God—“the spirit of holiness” and “the faithful spirit”—are similar to those applied to the amesha spentas of Zoroastrianism and to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), in Christianity. In these monotheistic religions (though Zoroastrianism later became dualistic) as also in Judaism, the functional characteristics of angels are more clearly enunciated than their ontological (or nature of being) characteristics—except in the many instances in which popular piety and legend have glossed over the functional aspects.
The term demon is derived from the Greek word daimōn, which means a “supernatural being” or “spirit.” Though it has commonly been associated with an evil or malevolent spirit, the term originally meant a spiritual being that influenced a person’s character. An agathos daimōn (“good spirit”), for example, was benevolent in its relationship to humans. The Greek philosopher Socrates, for example, spoke of his daimōn as a spirit that inspired him to seek and speak the truth. The term gradually was applied to the lesser spirits of the supernatural realm who exerted pressures on humans to perform actions that were not conducive to their well-being. The dominant interpretation has been weighted in favour of malevolence and that which forbodes evil, misfortune, and mischief.
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In religions of nonliterate peoples, spiritual beings may be viewed as either malevolent or benevolent according to the circumstances facing the individual or community. Thus, the usual classification that places demons among malevolent beings is not totally applicable in reference to these religions.
Learn about the definition, nature, types, and facts of angels and demons in various religions and traditions. Explore how they mediate between the transcendent and temporal realms, and how their roles and identities have changed over time.
- Angels were created by God. In the second chapter of the Bible, we are told that God created the heavens and the earth, and everything in them. The Bible indicates that angels were created at the same time the earth was formed, even before human life was created.
- Angels were created to live for eternity. Scripture tells us that angels do not experience death. ... nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
- Angels were present when God created the world. When God created the foundations of the earth, the angels had already been in existence. Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm.
- Angels do not marry. In heaven, men and women will be like the angels, who do not marry or reproduce. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
Mar 21, 2017 · Learn about angels, heavenly beings that serve as messengers of God in many religions. Discover their origins, orders, purposes, symbols, and appearances in this comprehensive guide.
Jan 11, 2024 · Learn about the symbolism of angels in different religions and cultures, from ancient Mesopotamia to modern New Age. Explore how angels represent hope, guidance, protection, and divine connection across time and space.
A centuries-old vampire cursed with a conscience, Angel left the small California town of Sunnydale and the only woman he ever loved to take up residence in Los Angeles, the City of Angels.