Phenomenology of
World Religions ©
Chapter 33
Lucifer File: Angels and Demons
Throughout
the universe, the law of physics dictates that there are negative and positive
properties – opposites. Darkness is the absence of light and light is energy. Albert Einstein stated:
Energy cannot be
created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another.
In the
monotheism of Christianity and Judaism, there is a power of evil that matches and
tries to overcome the power of good.
Angelic
Script and Copulation of Angels and Humans
An
interesting passage in the Old Testament’s first book, Genesis, mentions Nephilim
(giants) thought to have been offspring of angels or archangels and human
women. They are assumed to be those that had fallen to Earth with the Fall of
Lucifer.
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Some
scholars state that since the term sons of God were used, it was not fallen
angels, but heavenly angels that took them wives of all which they chose.
The word
Nephilim occurs twice in the Torah, stated as “giants” in the Hebrew Bible.
The Qumran
(Dead Sea Scroll), 4Q417,
has the earliest reference to rebellious children
of Seth, those who mingled with the daughters of Cain referenced by Augustine of Hippo, Julius Africanus, Rabbi Shamon bar Yachai, and letters of Saint Clement. The Amharic Ethiopian Orthodox Bible is
also a reference. The story told in the Book of Enoch describes the Nephilim tale.
Whatever
the source, it has been established, except in Orthodox Judaism, that sons of God were angels that married
human women and the offspring were Nephilim.
The alternate view is the sons of god
were offspring of Adam who married offspring of Cain. The latter view does not
make sense, since the description of the women were daughters of men (human) not daughters of Cain. Certain authors of
ancient texts stated that angels came down from heaven, and mingled
with the daughters of Cain, who bare unto them these giants.
Modern
investigators have established the possibility that alien males married earthly
females. This is based upon their hypothesis that reference to godly or
spiritual beings were actually advanced beings from somewhere in the Universe
who interacted in several ways with humans of Earth.
In Ezekiel 32:27:
…And they shall not lie with the fallen mighty of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
In all
accounts, the Nephilim did not survive the Great Flood – only Noah and his family; although there are flood
accounts among tales of various cultures and religions around the world.
Mythology always has some element of fact about an event or being in its origination.
Lucifer,
the Fallen Archangel
Frequently
called Satan, the archangel Lucifer is the alter ego of God. The Supreme Deity, God, Allah
or many names in different languages, has his archangels and angels;
while Lucifer (Satan) has his demons. The
Christian Church developed an hierarchy of Lucifer’s demons, to match those of
God’s angels.
The planet Venus designated with the name Lucifer because of its brilliance,
derived from King
James Version of the Holy Bible
meaning shining one or morning
star. The name Lucifer is from the Latin Vulgate.
Along with dual deity personifications between good and evil, there are place names
of heaven and hell. The Septuagint (Greek Christian text)
Lucifer means bringer of dawn and in
other texts Prince of Darkness the
alter ego of Prince of Light, the name given to Saint Michael the Archangel.
This idea
of constant battle between good and evil goes far back into human history,
different cultures giving different names, but with a general ideology amongst
them.
Is this mythology
based upon a degree of truth of real personae like myth and folklore often is?
We have
often seen or have read about evil persons within societies, infamous
characters like Vlad the Impaler that inspired Bram Stoker’s 1897 classic novel about a vampire called Count Dracula.
Before
Christianity had been established, Satan received an expanded
role, a more clear biography during the Second Temple Period of Judaism. {SOURCE: Enochic Judaism, David R. Jackson, London, 2004, p. 2}
Interpreted in Isaiah 14: 12-15, Lucifer is a fallen angel cast out of Heaven – part of an angelic war
where archangels loyal to God fight Lucifer and his minion, the lead adversary
being archangel Michael [saint] later embellished
in the New Testament’s Book of Revelation. Lucifer has
become the main name for Satan, the name given to Lucifer
after his fall.
In ancient Canaanite mythology, the morning star is pictured as a god, Attar, who attempted to occupy the throne of Ba'al and, finding he was unable to do so, descended and ruled the underworld.[32][33] The original myth may have been about a lesser god Helel trying to dethrone the Canaanite high god El who lived on a mountain to the north.[34][35] Similarities have been noted also with the story of Ishtar's or Inanna's descent into the underworld,[35] Ishtar and Inanna being associated with the planet Venus.[36] The Babylonian myth of Etana has also been seen as connected.[37] …the closest parallels with Isaiah's description of the king of Babylon as a fallen morning star cast down from heaven are to be found not in any lost Canaanite and other myths but in traditional ideas of the Jewish people themselves, echoed in the Biblical account of the fall of Adam and Eve, cast out of God's presence for wishing to be as God, and the picture in Psalm 82 of the "gods" and "sons of the Most High" destined to die and fall.[18] This Jewish tradition has echoes also in Jewish pseudepigrapha such as 2 Enoch and the Life of Adam and Eve.[37][18][38]
Early
Christians associated Isaiah 14: 12-15 with who they called the Devil,
this term developing
between the writing of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Thus
Lucifer falls from grace, becomes Satan, and ultimately called Devil by the
Christians. Whatever name given, his original personification as an angel of
light – he becomes the Prince of Darkness.
Even at the time of the Latin writer Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430), "Lucifer" had not yet become a common name for the Devil.[45] But some time later, the metaphor of the morning star that Isaiah 14:12 applied to a king of Babylon gave rise to the general use of the Latin word for "morning star", capitalized, as the original name of the Devil before his fall from grace, linking Isaiah 14:12 with Luke 10:18 ("I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven") and interpreting the passage in Isaiah as an allegory of Satan's fall from heaven.[48][49] However, Christians have continued to understand the mention of the morning star in Isaiah 14:12 as a metaphor referring to a king of Babylon. Theodoret of Cyrus (c. 393 – c. 457) wrote that Isaiah calls the king "morning star", not as being the star, but as having had the illusion of being it.[50] The same understanding is shown in Christian translations of the passage, which in English generally use "morning star" rather than treating the word as a proper name, "Lucifer". So too in other languages, such as French,[51] German,[52] Portuguese,[53] and Spanish.[54] Even the Vulgate text in Latin is printed with lower-case lucifer (morning star), not upper case Lucifer (proper name).[5]
In the Qur’an, the Book of Islam, a Muslim’s scripture, Lucifer, in Arabic is blazing
star. Lucifer’s Arabic name is Iblis who is banished from heaven and becomes Satan because he refuses to prostrate
before Adam as Allah
(God) orders. This difference is that
Lucifer (Iblis) sins against Allah after the creation of man. Satan, jealous of
Allah seemingly having more love for humans than archangels, swears an oath of
revenge by tempting humans to turn away from God and thus the corruption of
human souls.
Iblis is not seen as a fallen angel, as
in Judaic and Christian beliefs, but instead a Jinn
who has disobeyed Allah. Muslims believe that angels are servants of Allah and
cannot disobey Him; however, Jinn are like men who can make choices and choose
to obey or disobey.
When
studying the Gnostics or Gnosticism, we find that they are pre-Christian and early
Christian organized religious people whose ideology was that matter is evil and
to overcome that evil it can only come through gnosis
– knowledge. Some scholars agree that Gnosticism existed before Christ, while
others believe they were those who disagreed with the early Christian Church
concerning doctrine, beliefs, and the idea of spirituality. It is clearly
demonstrated in its differences between early Christians, Hellenistic Judaism, and the Greco-Roman mystery
religions, also including older theological foundations like Zoroastrianism and Neo-Platonism. Some scholars and historical theologians believe
that much of what is believed by Jesus of Nazareth [Christ], the founder of Christianity, was borrowed thought from Zoroastrianism.
The Nag Hammadi library scrolls found at archaeological sites have
reinforced those thoughts. The Gnostic movement originated in the Second
Century AD, until proven otherwise.
This
discussion may have drifted a bit from the main theme, only to provide literary
and historical references as to the nature and history of Lucifer who became
Satan.
Physical
descriptions of Lucifer/Satan occur in early Christianity, later embellished
after Christianity becomes a legitimate state religion during and after the
Roman emperor, Constantine.
Of course,
Satan has his early followers and a Church of Satan was developed as
well as a Satanic Bible.
The Satanic Bible is a collection of essays, observations, and rituals published by Anton LaVey in 1969. It contains the core principles of the religion of LaVeyan Satanism, and is considered the foundation of its philosophy and dogma.[1] It has been described as the most important document to influence contemporary LaVeyan Satanism.[2] Though The Satanic Bible is not considered to be sacred scripture in the way the Christian Bible is to Christianity, LaVeyan Satanists regard it as an authoritative text;[1] it has been referred to as "quasi-scripture."[3] It extols the virtues of exploring one's own nature and instincts. Believers have been described as "atheistic Satanists"[4] because they believe that God is not an external entity, but rather something that each person creates as a projection of his or her own personality—a benevolent and stabilizing force in his or her life.[5][6]
The Satanic
Bible consists of four books: The Book of Satan, The Book of Lucifer, The Book of Belial, and the Book of
Leviathan.
Book of Satan: Challenges the Ten
Commandments, the Golden Rule, and promotes hedonism.
Book of Lucifer: Contains most of the philosophy of
the Satanic Bible consisting of twelve chapters that discusses indulgence,
love, hate, sex, et cetera.
Book of Belial: Anton LaVey (1969) provides
details of rituals and magic.
Book of Leviathan: Consists of four invocations for
Satan, lust, compassion, and destruction. It lists the nineteen Enochian Keys.
The Satanic
Bible has been criticized and condemned as dangerous, especially to adolescents,
and after investigation one can see why. Attempts to ban the book in schools,
public libraries, and prisons have been both successful and unsuccessful. In
the medieval age, the book would have been burned along with those who were in
possession of it. It was originally published in Avon in 1969 and has never
been out of print. According to Wikipedia, over one million copies have been sold and have been
translated into Danish, Swedish, and Spanish.
Book
of Revelations (12:4, 7-9)
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. …And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
The Book of Tobit is found in the Greek
Hebrew Bible (Septuagint) and Aramaic and Hebrew
fragments within the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is listed as a
book of the Apocrypha in Article VI of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England. It
tells the story of an Israelite of the Tribe of Naphtali named
Tobit living in Nineveh after the
deportation of the northern tribes of Israel to Assyria in 721 BC under the
rule of Sargon II. In the story a woman named Sarah prays for death in
despair. She has lost seven husbands to the demon of lust, Asmodeus being the worst of demons, who abducts and ills every
man she marries on their wedding night. Tobit’s father has become blind, so he
suffers emotionally like Sarah in his marriage. God sends Archangel Raphael, who disguises himself as a
human, to heal Tobit and free Sarah from the demon. Raphael tells Tobit about
the beautiful Sarah and instructs him to burn a fish’s liver and heart to drive
away the demon when he attacks Tobit on the wedding night with Sarah. Raphael
reveals his identity and then returns to heaven. Later he saves his son,
Tobias, when he instructs him to leave Nineveh before God destroys it according
to prophecy. Tobit dies a very old man, and Tobias, after burying his father,
returns to Media with his family. It is believed that the book was written in
the 2nd century BC; with no certainty as its date of origin, and believed
to been written in Aramaic. Saint Jerome [Doctor
of the Church] describes his version in the Vulgate copied from Aramaic
text.
Four
fragmentary texts in Aramaic and one in Hebrew were found at Qumran.
Angels are
mentioned in the older books of the Hebrew Bible are without names. Rabbi Simeon ben
Lakish of Tiberias (230-270), stated that the Jews brought all the
specific names for the angels back from Babylon, and modern scholars agree. The
Book of Tobit is accepted as scriptural reference by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox
Church, and the Oriental Orthodox
Church.
The List of Archangels:
 |
| Angel of Death |
- Ariel: Referred in Jewish and Christian mysticism text and the Apocrypha, Ariel is mentioned in Isaiah 29:1-7, personifying Jerusalem. In John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Ariel is a rebel angel who is overcome by the seraph Abdiel in the first day of the War of Heaven. In the Coptic Pistis Sophia, Jesus asks the apostles to preach so they will be delivered from the rivers of smoke of Ariel.
- Azrael: The archangel of death, also an angel of retribution in Islamic and Sikhism theology, as well as in some Hebrew lore. The Qur’an does not use this name, but instead referred to as Malak al-Maut (angel of death). In Hebrew, Azriel, the name means Whom God Helps. Sometimes portrayed as residing in Third Heaven. In Sikh scriptures, God (Waheguru) sends Azrael only to people who are unfaithful and unrepentant for their sins. Appearing on Earth as a human, he hits people on the head with his scythe and extracts their souls from their bodies, taking the soul to Hell.
- Chamuel: (Camael) – one who sees God, Judeo-Christian angelology. One of the seven archangels listed in the Bible and Torah. Leader of the forces that expelled Adam from the Garden of Eden. Camael is not recognized by the Catholic Church because of the decision to ban the veneration of angels not mentioned in the canon Bible.
- Gabriel: Mentioned twice in the Bible, he appears to Daniel and in the Gospel of Luke he appears to the virgin Mary and to Zechariah foretelling the birth of Jesus and John the Baptist. He is an archangel, considered a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Eastern, and Oriental Churches. In Judaism, Gabriel is one of the Malakhim, a Cherub according to Hebrew angelic hierarchy, mentioned in the Book of Daniel. He is a messenger of YHWH (God) to Daniel during the Babylonian Captivity. He is the man in linen in the Book of Ezekiel. A familiar likeness of Gabriel depict him blowing a trumpet, indeed it was a trumpet that blasted the walls of Jericho. In Islamic tradition, the trumpeter is not Gabriel, but Israfil. The feast of Saint Gabriel was honored for the first time in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, celebrated on March 24th. In 1969, it was transferred to September 29th to celebrate St. Michael and St. Raphael together. The Ethiopian Church celebrates his feast on December 28th with believers making pilgrimage to a church dedicated to Saint Gabriel in Kulubi. Gabriel revealed the scriptures of the Qur’an to Mohammad, prophet and founder of Islam. Other than that, Islamic text corresponds to Judeo-Christian text concerning Gabriel.
- Haniel: Angel in Hebrew angelology, included in the seven archangels mentioned. Generally associated with the planet Venus, he is the archangel of the Sephirah Netzach. In Hebrew the name means joy.
- Jeremiel: The name means Mercy of God, an archangel of prophetic vision who helps crossed over souls to review their lives.
- Jophiel: Name means Beauty of God, helping humans to think beautiful thoughts and be creative, patron angel of artists. He is companion to the angel, Metatron, and one of the chiefs of the choir of Cherubim. Assists Michael in battle with Zadkiel. He is the angel prince of the Torah who is credited with having taught Moses the cabalistic mystery. He is mentioned in medieval text and theologian pseudo-Dionysus. In Christian angelology, he drove Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
- Lucifer: Archangel whose name means morning star, representative to the planet Venus, the light bringer. That was before he started the War in Heaven and subsequently cast to Earth; his name changed to Satan and called the Devil. Referred to as the fallen angel, Lucifer is mentioned in the Latin Vulgate as well as the King James version Bible, the Septuagint, and Hebrew text. In ancient Canaanite mythology, the morning star is depicted as a god, Attar, who attempts to occupy the throne of Ba’al, unable to do so; he becomes the ruler of the underworld. He is a personification of evil, jealous of and hates humans. In Islamic theology, Lucifer is Iblis, banished from heaven, becoming Satan for refusing to prostrate before Adam as ordered by Allah (God). In Gnosticism, Lucifer is not the Devil, but a liberator and guiding spirit. Satanist cults worship Lucifer instead of God.
- Metatron: An archangel of Judaism, according to the Hebrew medieval Apocrypha, he is Enoch, ancestor of Noah, transformed into an angel. The Talmud refers to Metatron and relates that Elisha ben Abuyah, a rabbi in Jerusalem before year 70, became an apostate. Elisha entered Paradise and saw Metatron sitting down in the presence of God and so looked at Metatron as a deity. However, rabbinical explanation states that Metatron was allowed to sit because he is a heavenly scribe. The Babylonian Talmud mentions Metatron twice and in two ways, one as a primordial angel (9:2 – 13:2, and as the transformed Enoch after he went to Heaven. After the Exodus, Metatron led the children of Israel to the Promised Land.
- Michael: Holy Archangel called Archistrategos (chief commander) according to Judeo-Christian scripture and tradition, interceding multiple times as Defender of the Faith. Won battles in the War of Heaven. In the Book of Joshua, he is involved in the fall of Jericho. Although Michael is not mentioned by name in the text, the description of the angel with the sword causes belief it was Michael, who introduces himself as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come. [Joshua 5:13-14) In the Book of Daniel, Michael appears to help Archangel Gabriel defeat the Persians [Daniel 10:13]. Michael is protector of Israel. Legends have it that Michael appeared to Emperor Constantine the Great at Constantinople, appearing in battles, sword in hand, apparently answering the prayers of Pope St. Gregory I the Great (590-604) that a plague in Rome should cease. Since Constantine, Michael [Catholic Church sainted this angel] considered patron saint of healing.
- Moroni: An angel of Mormonism that visited Joseph Smith on several occasions, beginning on September 21st, 1823. He was the guardian of the golden plates that the Latter Day Saints believe is the source for the Book of Mormon. Moroni is an important figure in Mormon theology. It is believed it is the same person as the prophet-warrior mentioned in the Book of Mormon with the same name, the last to write in the golden plates. However some believe that the name is Nephi, not Moroni because Smith had initially not identified the angel until 1835. In 1838, Smith identifies the angel he communicated with as Nephi.
- Raguel: Archangel of justice, fairness, and harmony. Raguel is one of the seven archangels mentioned in the Book of Enoch who is to take vengeance on the world upon those who transgressed God’s laws. Raguel is mentioned in the Revelation of John as the angel of the church in Philadelphia (Rev 3:7). He watches over other angels to ensure they work well with mortals according to Divine order (Rev 3:7-13)
- Raphael: Hebrew, God Heals, archangel of Judeo-Christian tradition and scripture performs all types of healing. Also known as Israfil. Mentioned in the Torah, Old Testament of the Holy Bible; Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish of Tiberias (230-270) established that angels had specific names recorded by the Jews while captive in Babylonia. Enoch 10:4-6 … And again the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there forever, and cover his face that he may not see light. And on the day of the great judgment he shall be cast into the fire. Raphael is mentioned in canonical scriptures of Christians, also in the Book of Tobit, accepted by the Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglo-Catholic churches. He first appears disguised as a human and traveling companion of Tobiah, Tobit’s son. In Islam, Raphael is known as Israfil, mentioned in the Hadith, he is the angel that will signal the coming of Judgment Day by blowing a trumpet. The trumpet will be blown three times – the first to signal the beginning of Last Day, second to signal the death of every living thing including angels, demons, and humans, and the third to signal the time when all souls from all ages will gather for the Last Judgment. In tradition, Raphael told the story of the War in Heaven where Lucifer and his legion fell, becoming Satan and demons, as well as how the Earth was created.
The following video is a depiction of what Raphael
told Adam what occurred:
- Sandalphon: Archangel in Hebrew and Christian texts, prominently in mystical traditional text of Rabbinic, Judaism, and early Christianity, notably in the Midrash, Talmud, and Kabbalah. Some early sources refer Sandalphon as the prophet Elijah, elevated to an angel. He is referred to in the Babylonian Talmud as the tall angel, reminiscent of the Greek mythological giants called Titans. In The Greater Key of Solomon, Sandalphon is the left-hand feminine cherub of the Ark. In a liturgy for the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles he is credited with gathering the prayers of the faithful, making a garland of prayers. In Kabbalah, Sandalphon is the angel who presents the Sephirah of Malkhut.
- Uriel: Hebrew-meaning God is my light, one of the archangels of Rabbinic tradition, and certain Christian traditions. Uriel has been confused with Israfil/Raphael. In the Book of the Angels: And Uriel said to me: 'Here shall stand the angels who have connected themselves with women, and their spirits assuming many different forms are defiling mankind and shall lead them astray into sacrificing to demons 'as gods', (here shall they stand,) till 'the day of' the great judgment in which they shall be judged till they are made an end of. And the women also of the angels who went astray shall become sirens.' And I, Enoch alone, saw the vision, the ends of all things; and no man shall see as I have seen. In that book it tells of Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel who were present before God to testify on behalf of humans. It is Uriel who contacts Noah about the coming Great Flood. In an Anglican intercessional prayer to Saint Uriel, the Archangel:
Assist us in co-operating with the graces of our
confirmation that the gifts of the
Holy Spirit may bear much fruit in our souls.
Obtain for us the grace to use the sword of truth to pare
away all that is not in conformity to the most adorable
Will of God in our lives, that we may fully participate
in the army of the Church
Amen. Uriel is also mentioned in Paradise Lost
by John Milton, in charge of the Orb
of the Sun – eyes of God, but mistakenly steers Lucifer (Satan) towards the
newly created Earth. He is also the fourth cardinal point. He is the main
character in a Ralph Waldo Emerson
poem entitled Uriel. The archangel depicted
in various novels, films, and even video fantasy games.
- · Zadkiel: Hebrew (Tzadqiel) for Righteousness of God, this archangel represents freedom benevolence, mercy, and Patron Angel of all who forgive.
The Bible
does not reveal any angelic hierarchy for God is the commander of the Heavenly Host (Isaiah 45: 12).
Some scriptures provide certain delegated authority given to archangels, yet
those who have written about angels have declared there is a hierarchy. The
canon Bible only lists three archangels – Michael,
Gabriel, and Raphael and the fallen archangel, Lucifer who is referred to as Satan
after the fall. In Jewish mysticism and Western ritual magic, Zadkiel is
associated with the planet Jupiter. In the Sephirot, Zadkiel is the fourth in
angel position, attributed to mercy.
Church
Becomes Persecutor in War against Satan and Demons
Since the
Christian Church, the Roman Catholic being the first organized entity, used
depictions of pagan gods and mythological creatures as the foundation of
depiction of what Satan looks like, far from Lucifer the archangel’s
personification. While Satan can fool humans by looking like a dark handsome
male, his pure evilness has made him a symbol of ugliness. Ideas that did not
correspond with or intervened with the Church and its doctrine considered heresy
and influenced by Satan, the latter accusation usually meant the death penalty.
Enlightenment and reasoning gave way to superstition and established church
authority. Heretics were executed in great numbers about 450 years after
Christ’s crucifixion. It also was about the time when Satan took on the
personage of the Greco-Roman god, Pan.
Saint Augustine, [Augustine of Hippo] a Christian bishop, theologian-philosopher, and one of
the church founders, wrote about Satan’s constant temptations provided by his
army of demons totaling to sixty legions.
One
thousand years into the history of the church culminated into wealth and power
using fear and superstition to control the masses. One purge lasted 45 years
with only the plague killing more people.
When the Crusades began, which there
were several after the initial one to attempt to rescue the Byzantine Eastern
Church empire, each side, Christian and Muslim, viewed each other as
infidels and satanic. The Inquisition soon appeared, infamous
for its severe cruelty, using unspeakable tortures that defy imagination always
leading to eventual death. It was mass murder in the name of religion and God.
Indeed, Satan’s work was at hand, but the evil was not so much amidst the
public than it was in within the hierarchy and institution of the Church. The
Inquisition had become the tool to dispatch political and theological enemies
and while the enlightenment of Buddhism was growing in the East, dark,
superstition and evil thoughts festered in the world of the West. Enlightenment
and knowledge outside the Qur’an in the Arab world brought great discoveries in
science, mathematics, and medicine. While people in Europe believed that too
many baths invited sickness, those of the East and Arabian Peninsula encouraged
cleanliness being part of godliness.
The Knights
Templar, once praised for their heroism, duty, and service to the
Church, became a target of the church hierarchy always fearful of their loss of
power, turned against them in a violent purge initiated with the lie that the
Templars had become an instrument of evil and in league with Devil worship. On
October 13th (Friday), the Templars were systematically rounded up
or killed outright, arrested for heresy and other false charges, tortured and
then executed in a number of ways. By 1320, this superstition atmosphere had
escalated toward the infamous search for necromancers and witches – all in the
concept of fighting Satan’s evil purpose.
In 1426,
two German monks published a textbook called Maleficas Et Earvm Mafens Maleficarm – Hammer
of the Witches. It prescribed the policy of how to seek out and
determine who witches, mostly women. It also stated that those who did not
believe in the existence of witches and witchcraft were just as guilty or
influenced by Satan, the Devil. It was a perfect setup. Amazingly it has
survived and still in print, as historical text, for those trying to understand
the medieval mind and ideology of the Church and its doctrine. It was just
another testament of its corruption.
No one
questioned the two monks who wrote it how they obtained such dark knowledge or
its authenticity. It was a medieval best seller.
Around this
time, Martin Luther leads a religious reformation movement (Protestants)
splitting away from the oppression of the Catholic Church; yet witch hunting
continues by both.
King James VI of Scotland wrote a
book about demonology, which really just fed his interest of the subject and
declared that Satan and witchcraft was everywhere and a great threat to the
state.
Satan
followed those who explored and colonized the New World in the 1600s. The
Puritans, escaping from religious persecution, were strong believers in the
powers of Satan. Mary Glover becomes the first American colonist to be charged
officially and arrested for witchcraft, and in 1688 she is also the first to be
executed for witchcraft. Most Americans today are familiar with the Salem witch
trials that resulted in 150 people being arrested and 19 men and women hung or
crushed to death as their punishment. Seventeen other dies in prison from
mistreatment and torture or illness from poor food and conditions. When it
finally ended, the Salem judiciary had blamed the crafty Devil of fooling them
into sentencing innocent people – in an attempt to soothe their guilty
conscious, if they had any left.
By the
1700s, the witch-hunts ceased in Europe and science and enlightenment replaced
superstition.
The Devil,
Satan, is no longer the horned, grotesque cloven footed beast of Church
invention, but now is among the aristocracy – wealthy, handsome and decadent.
Satan becomes a beguiling figure whose love of power, wealth and sexual
perversions knows no bounds. The Satan worshippers have come out of their
secret places and formed the Church of Satan since the late 1960s.
The moral
is that everything comes with a price or consequence. The anti-establishment
generation became the establishment of today, oddly in conjunction with the
founding of the Church of Satan, and the Internet has afforded great
opportunities to learn from information available worldwide and in many
languages. Wicca was formed to bring back the
pagan mother goddess and the celebration of all that is natural and of nature.
Druidism is reborn and regularly attends ceremonies at the sites of the
ancients.
The Church
has reformed itself many centuries after organized in Rome and the Vatican
still sways power, but with benevolence instead of maliciousness. It retains
its wealth and still has its faithful without using fear as a tool. The Vatican
is the repository of theological history and philosophy that includes holy
objects venerated by historians and the faithful alike – artwork and artifacts
that are priceless. Thanks to the worldwide web, the Roman Catholic Church can
now spread their wisdom and sermons and words of the Pope globally much faster
than ever before. Researchers can now read text only viewed by special
permission and appointment within the Vatican Library, downloaded or bookmarked
for reference when writing articles and essays.
Satan too
has adapted, where his perceived personage can also be found on the Internet
and various stories are represented on film, now digital, where audiences may
view them in a theater or at home. The never-ending and ageless battle between
good and evil enacted in venues like video games, PC games, Hollywood films,
and bestselling novels. According to legend, wars occur in heaven just as they
do on earth, angels fighting angels; and has occurred before God created humans
or as some believe, because God created humans and provided them with souls.
Evil seems
to be prevailing in a technological world where the media portrays mostly the
negative aspects of human civilization and ignoring or suppressing the modern
warriors who combat evil. Descriptions of the New Testament Book of Revelation of
the apocalypse and the end of days, the final confrontation between the army of
God and the army of Satan, Lucifer,
once an archangel. Constantly reminding us that humans intertwined and placed
in the middle of the epic battle between good and evil must choose sides, and
Hollywood makes billions of dollars depicting the raising of the dead prophesized
in the Book of Revelations in Zombie horror genre films.
The
Crusades have returned in a modern venue, but with the same medieval purpose,
religions growing intolerant of each other despite their common origin as
Abrahamic religions. Israel fights for its survival, as it has done in
centuries past. Violence, intolerance, and chaos has returned in different form
– but with the same malevolent purpose once again pushing aside enlightenment
and reasoning feeding evil and encouraging its growth. The Inquisition has not been resurrected, as of yet, when it does
it too will be in a different form, spearheaded and encouraged by governments
who have forsaken and forgotten what makes nations great and constitutes a
civil and moral society by breaking down tried and proven traditions that came
from the ancients and amidst the darkness of medieval chicanery. All the while,
the people replace the universal Golden
Rule with liberalism and other political philosophies, encouraging tyranny,
and inviting misery upon them because they have not learned from their
ancestors’ mistakes.
It is a
cycle, like that which constitutes an individual’s life, where families become
dysfunctional and disconnecting, leaving the heirs of civilization nothing to
look forward to or learn classic established reasoning and wisdom; doomed to
bear the consequences, whether they choose to accept that responsibility or
not, and find themselves no longer sure of the difference between good or evil.
In many
religions, there is the constant battle between good and evil, angels and
demons, humans intertwined and caught in the middle. In many religions, humans
were given freedom of choice by a higher order or being, or endowed by the
Creator. The War of Heaven has not
ended; Lucifer lost the first battle
and lost, cast from the grace of heaven, as described in the three major
religions of the world. Apparently, good and evil will be a never-ending battle
across the Universe.
Some may
not believe in angels or demons, if anything they are symbolic of the truth
that there is the negative (evil) and positive (good) elements within the
universe and that darkness is only the absence of light – an energy.
Biblical
References of Angels
- Genesis 6 – And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. … There were giants [Nephilim] in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
- Genesis 18: 1-5 - And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
- Hebrews 1:6 - And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
- Hebrews 1:14 - Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
- Hebrews 12:22 – But ye are come unto mount Sion, and onto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
- Hebrews 13:2 – Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
- Colossians 1:16 – For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him …
- Colossians 2:18 – Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind …
- II Thessalonians 1:6-7 – Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels …
- Jude 1:9 – Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
- Daniel 6:22 – My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
- Daniel 8:16 – And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
- Daniel 9:21 – Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
- Daniel 10:13 – But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kinds of Persia.
- II Peter 2:11 – Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
- Matthew 22:3 – And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
- Matthew 4:11 – Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
- Matthew 13:41 -- The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
- Matthew 18:10 – Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
- Matthews 26:53 – Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
- Psalm 78:49 – He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
- Psalm 91:11 – For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
- Psalm 103:20 – Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
- Psalm 149:2 – Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
- Revelation 9:13-14 – And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
- Revelation 21:12 – And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
- Revelation 22:8-9 – And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things.
- John 20:11-12 – But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
- Acts 5:19-20 – But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
- Acts 10:3-5 – He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter.
- Acts 10:43-44 – To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive submission of sins. While Peter yet spake those words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
- Mark 13:27 – And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
- Luke 1:19 – And the angel answering unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings.
- Luke 1:26 – And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth.
- Luke 16:22 – And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried.
- Luke 20:36 – Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
- I Corinthians 6:3 – Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?
- Isaiah 6:2 – [Seraph or Seraphim(s) (plural) – not archangels or angels] … Above it stood seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
- Leviticus 17:7 – And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute forever unto them throughout their generations.
- Isaiah 14:12 – How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
- Jude 1:6 – And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
- Job 1:6-9 – Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
- I Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
- Ezekiel 28:12-17 – Son of man, take up lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou has been in Eden in the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore, I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
- Matthew 4:6 – And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
- Matthew 25:41 – Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
- Matthew 8:31 – So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
- Matthew 10:1 – And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
- Matthew 12:25 – And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
- Matthew 12:28 – But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
- Matthew 12:45 – Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
- Mark 1:27 -- And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
- Mark 3:11 – And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
- Mark 16:9 – Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
- Revelation 3:7-13 -- And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
- Revelation 9:11 –- And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, [Lucifer] whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
- Revelation 16:13-14 – And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of the devil, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
- Revelation 20:10 – And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
- Revelation 20:1-3 – And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
- Luke 8:2 – And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils.
- Luke 8:29 – For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it has caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.
- James 2:19 – Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
- I Timothy 4:1 – Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.
- Ephesians 4:27 – Neither give place to the devil.
- II Corinthians 11:14 – An no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Angels
in Islam
Angels,
heavenly beings, are mentioned several times in the Qur’an and Hadith.
Angels, unlike human or jinn, have no free will so can
only follow orders of Allah (God).
Angelic belief is one of the six Articles of Faith of
Islam. Humans were created with clay, jinn made from smokeless fire, and angels
created from light. Islam does not have a standard of hierarchical organization
of angels, Islamic scholars feeling it is an unimportant topic. Angels,
however, are assigned tasks or jobs commanded by Allah. Some scholars believe
there are fourteen categories of angels. The holy scriptures only mention a few
by name. The Islamic angels mentioned are:
Jibrail [Gabriel] – The angel of
revelation, said to be the greatest of angels, an archangel responsible for
revealing the Qur’an to Muhammad. The angel that
communicates with all the prophets.
Israfil [Raphael] –- An archangel who will blow
the trumpet twice at the end of time. According to the Hadith, Israfil is the
angel is the angel responsible for signaling the coming of Qiyamah (Judgment Day) by blowing a horn.
Prophet Muhammad told us that angels witness the gatherings of Muslims in which Allah is remembered. He said: "Allah has some angels who look for those who celebrate the Praises of Allah on the roads and paths. And when they find some people celebrating the Praises of Allah, they call each other, saying, "Come to the object of your pursuit.' " He added, "Then the angels encircle them with their wings up to the sky of the world." He added, "(After those people celebrated the Praises of Allah, and the angels go back), their Lord, asks them (those angels)--though He knows better than them—'What do My slaves say?' The angels reply, 'They say: Subhan Allah, Allahu Akbar, and Alham-du-lillah.' Allah then says 'Did they see Me?' The angels reply, 'No! By Allah, they didn't see You.' Allah asks, How it would have been if they saw Me?' The angels reply, 'If they saw You, they would worship You more devoutly and celebrate Your Glory more deeply, and declare Your freedom from any resemblance to anything more often.'
Described in many places in the Qur’an and the Hadith. Books
of Hadith are: Sahih Al-Bukhari,
Sahih Muslim,
Sunan Abu-Dawud,
Malik’s Muwatta.
Mikail [Michael] – provides nourishments for
bodies and souls. Depicted as the archangel of mercy, responsible for bringing
rain and thunder to Earth. Responsible for rewards doled out to good persons in
this life.
Azrael [malak al-maut] – Angel of death,
responsible for parting the soul from the body. Azrael is only mentioned in the
Qur’an as an angel of death (malak
al-maut).
Angels came to Ibrāhīm [Abraham] in human form,
unaware until told so by the angels. Lūt
[Lot] had
angels come to him to warn him of impending doom of his people.
The Arabic symbol for Archangel is:
Angels accompanied Muhammad up to Jannah [Heaven] when he
received commands from Allah. Muhammad rode a creature called a Buraq
whose stride spans from horizon to horizon. Maalik is the chief of the angels
who govern Jahannam [Hell]. The
Qur’an mentions an angel meeting with Mary, mother of Īsā [Jesus]:
Behold! The angels said: “O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of those nearest to Allah. [Sura 3, ayah 45, Ali-Imran]
Qur’an
Angelic Passages and Mention of Demons (Jinn)
- Surat at-Takwir, 19 – Truly it is the speech of a noble Messenger.
- Surah Ghafir, 15 – He is the Raiser of ranks, the Possessor of the Throne. He sends the Spirit by His command to whichever of His servants He wills so that he may warn mankind about the Day of Meeting.
- Surat an-Najim, 4-6 – It is nothing but Revelation revealed, taught him by one immensely strong, possessing power and splendor. He stood there stationary.
- Surah Maryam, 17-21 -- And veiled herself from them. Then We sent Our Spirit to her and it took on for her the form of a handsome, well-built man. She said, 'I seek refuge from you with the All-Merciful if you guard against evil.' He said, 'I am only your Lord's messenger so that He can give you a pure boy.' She said, 'How can I have a boy when no man has touched me and I am not an unchaste woman?' He said, 'It will be so! Your Lord says, "That is easy for Me. It is so that We can make him a Sign for mankind and a mercy from Us." It is a matter already decreed.'
- Surat an-Najim, 13-18 -- And certainly he saw him in another descent, at the farthest lote-tree; near which is the garden, the place to be resorted to. When that which covers covered the lote-tree; the eye did not turn aside, nor did it exceed the limit. Certainly he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.
- Surat at-Takwir, 23 – He saw him on the clear horizon.
- Surah Qaf, 16-18 – We created man and We know what his own self whispers to him. We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. And the two recording angels are recording, sitting on the right and on the left. He does not utter a single word, without a watcher by him, pen in hand!
- Surat al-Infitar, 10-12 – Standing over you are guardians, noble, recording, who know what you do.
- Surat ar-Ra’d, 11 – Everyone has a succession of angels in front of him and behind him, guarding him by Allah’s command. Allah never changes a people’s state until they change what is in themselves. When Allah desires evil for a people, there is no averting it. They have no protector apart from Him.
- Surah Fatir, 1 – Praise be to Allah, the Bringer into Being of the heavens and earth, He who made the angels, messengers with wings – two, three or four. He adds to creation in any way He wills. Allah has power over all things.
- Surat at-Tahrim, 6 – You who believe! Safeguard yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones. Harsh, terrible angels are in charge of it who do not disobey. Allah in respect of any order He gives them and carry out what they are ordered to do.
- Surat al-Ma’arif, 4 – The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose length is fifty thousand years.
- Surah Saba, 40-41 – On the Day We gather them all together and then say to the angels, ‘Was it you whom these people were worshipping?’ they will say, ‘Glory be to You! You are our Protector, not them. No, they were worshipping the jinn. They mostly had faith in them.
- Surat an-Nisa, 166 – But Allah bears witness to what He has send down to you. He has sent it down with His knowledge. The angels bear witness as well. And Allah suffices as a Witness.
- Surah Al ‘Imran, 18 – Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him, as do the angels and the people of knowledge, upholding justice. There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise.
- Surat an-Nisa, 172 – The Messiah would never disdain to be a slave to Allah nor would the angels near to Him. If any do disdain to worship Him, and grow arrogant, He will in any case gather them all to Him.
- Surat az-Zumar, 75 – You will see the angels circling round the Throne, glorifying their Lord with praise. It will be decided between them with truth.
- Surat ar-Rad, 13 – The thunder glorifies His praise, as do the angels, out of fear of Him. He discharges the thunderbolts, striking with them anyone He wills. Yet still they argue about Allah when He is inexorable in His power!
- Surat ash-Shura, 5 – The heavens are all but rent asunder from above when the angels glorify their Lord with praise and ask forgiveness for those who are on the earth. Allah is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
- Surat al-Baqara, 30-34 – When your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am putting an overlord on the earth,’ they said, ‘Why put it one who will cause corruption on it and shed blood when we glorify You with praise and proclaim Your purity?’ He said, ‘I know what you do not know.’ He taught Adam the names of all things. The He arrayed them before the angels and said, ‘Tell me the names of these if you are telling the truth.’ They said, ‘Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.’ He said, ‘Adam, tell them their names.’ When he had told them their names, He said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know the Unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you make known and what you hide?’ We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate to Adam!’ and they prostrated, with the exception of Iblis [Lucifer]. He refused and was arrogant and was one of the disbelievers.
- Surat an-Nahl, 49-50 – Everything in the heavens and every creature on the earth prostrates to Allah, as do the angels. They are not puffed up with pride. They fear their Lord above them and do everything they are ordered to do.
- Surat al-Fajr, 22 – And your Lord arrive with the angels rank upon rank.
- Surat al-Ahzab, 41-43 – You who believe! Remember Allah much, and glorify Him in the morning and in the evening. It is He Who calls down blessing on you, as do His angels, to bring you out of the darkness into the light. He is Most Merciful to the believers.
- Surat al-Ahzab, 56 – Allah and his angels call down blessings on the Prophet. You who believe! Call down blessings on him and ask for complete peace and safety for him.
- Surah Fussilat, 30-32 – The angels descend on those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah’ and then go straight: ‘Do not fear and do not grieve but rejoice in the Garden you have been promised. We are your protectors in the life of this world and the hereafter. You will have there all that your selves could wish for. You will have there everything you demand. Hospitality from One Who is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
- Surat al-Anfal, 9-10 – Remember when you called on your Lord for help and He responded to you: ‘I will reinforce you with a thousand angels riding rank after rank.’ Allah only did this to give you good news and that so your hearts would be at rest. Victory comes from no one but Allah. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
- Surat Al ‘Imran, 123-127 – Allah helped you at Badr when you were weak so have fear of Allah, so that hopefully you will be thankful. And when you said to the believers, ‘Is it not enough for you that your Lord reinforced you with three thousand angels, sent down?’ Yes indeed! But if you are steadfast and guard against evil and they come upon you suddenly, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels, clearly identified. Allah only did this for it to be good news for your and so that your hearts might be set at rest by it, help comes from no one but Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise, and so that He might cut off a group of those who are disbelievers, or overwhelm them so they retire, frustrated.
- Surat al-Qadr, 1-5 – Truly We sent it down on the Night of Power. And what will convey to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. In it the angels and the Spirit descend by their Lord’s authority with every ordinance. It is Peace – until the coming of the dawn.
- Surat al-Baqara, 161 – But for those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers, the curse of Allah is upon them and that of the angels and all mankind.
- Surat al-Hijr, 51-60 -- And tell them about the guests of Ibrahim. When they came in to him, they said, 'Peace!' He said, 'Truly we are afraid of you.' They said, 'Do not be afraid. We bring you the good news of a boy of great knowledge.' He said, 'Do you bring me this good news despite the fact of old age having reached me? What kind of good news are you bringing me?' They said, 'We bring you good news of the truth, so do not be among those who despair.' He said, 'Who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except for misguided people?' He added, 'What is your business, messengers?' They said, 'We have been sent to a people who are evildoers -with the exception of the family of Lūt, all of whom We will save, except for his wife. We have decreed her to be one of those who stay behind.'
- Surah Hud, 69-73 -- Our messengers brought the good news to Ibrahim. They said, 'Peace!' and he too said, 'Peace!' and brought in a roasted calf without delay. When he saw that their hands were not reaching for it, he suspected them and felt afraid of them. They said, 'Have no fear! We have been sent to the people of Lūt.' His wife was standing there and she laughed out loud. So We gave her the good news of Ishaq, and beyond Ishaq, Ya'qub. She said, 'Woe is me! How can I give birth when I am an old woman and my husband here is an aged man? This is indeed an astonishing thing!' They said, 'Are you astonished at Allah's command? May Allah's mercy and His blessings be upon you, People of the House! He is Praiseworthy, All-Glorious.'
- Surah Hud, 77 -- When Our Messengers came to Lūt, he was distressed on their account, feeling incapable of protecting them. They said, 'Do not fear and do not grieve. We are going to rescue you and your family - except for your wife; she will be one of those who stay behind. We will bring down on the inhabitants of this city a devastating punishment from heaven because of their deviance.'
- Surah Al ‘Imran, 39-41 (Prophet Zakariyya) -- The angels called out to him while he was standing in prayer in the Upper Room: 'Allah gives you the good news of Yahya, who will come to confirm a Word from Allah, and honorable and chaste and a Prophet and one of the righteous.' He said, 'My Lord, how can I possibly have a son when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?' He said, 'It will be so. Allah does whatever He wills.' He said, 'My Lord, appoint a Sign for me.' He said, 'Your Sign is that you will not speak to people for three days, except by gesture. Remember your Lord much and glorify Him in the evening and after dawn.'
- Surah Maryam, 7-10 -- 'Zakariyya! We give you the good news of a boy named Yahya, a name we have given to no one else before.' He said, 'My Lord! How can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached advanced old age?' He said, 'It will be so! Your Lord says, "That is easy for me to do. I created you before, when you were not anything."' He said, 'My Lord, give me a Sign.' He said, 'Your Sign is not to speak to people for three nights despite the fact that you are perfectly able to.'
- Surah Al ‘Imran, 42-47 -- And when the angels said, 'Maryam, Allah has chosen you and purified you. He has chosen you over all other women. Maryam, obey your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow.' This is news from the Unseen which We reveal to you. You were not with them when they cast their reeds to see which of them would be the guardian of Maryam. You were not with them when they quarreled. When the angels said, 'Maryam, your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, 'Isa, son of Maryam, of high esteem in this world and the hereafter, and one of those brought near. He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown, and will be one of the righteous,' she said, 'My Lord! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?' He said, 'It will be so.' Allah creates whatever He wills. When He decides on something, He just says to it, 'Be!' and it is.
- Surah Maryam, 17-21 -- And veiled herself from them. Then We sent Our Spirit to her and it took on for her the form of a handsome, well-built man. She said, 'I seek refuge from you with the All-Merciful if you guard against evil.' He said, 'I am only your Lord's messenger so that He can give you a pure boy.' She said, 'How can I have a boy when no man has touched me and I am not an unchaste woman?' He said, 'It will be so! Your Lord says, "That is easy for Me. It is so that We can make him a Sign for mankind and a mercy from Us." It is a matter already decreed.'
- Surat ar-Rad, 11 -- Everyone has a succession of angels in front of him and behind him, guarding him by Allah's command. Allah never changes a people's state until they change what is in themselves. When Allah desires evil for a people, there is no averting it. They have no protector apart from Him.
- Surah Muhammad, 27-28 -- How will it be when the angels take them in death, beating their faces and their backs? That is because they followed what angers Allah and hated what is pleasing to Him. So He made their actions come to nothing.
- Surat an-Nisa’, 97 -- The angels ask those they take while they are wronging themselves, 'What were your circumstances?' They reply, 'We were oppressed on earth.' They say, 'Was Allah's earth not wide enough for you to have migrated to elsewhere in it?' The shelter of such people will be Hell. What an evil destination!
- Surat an-Nahl, 28-33 -- As for those the angels take in death while they are wronging themselves, they will offer their submission: 'We did not do any evil.' Oh yes you did! Allah knows what you were doing. Enter the gates of Hell, remaining in it timelessly, for ever. How evil is the abode of the arrogant!' When those who have fear of Allah are asked, 'What has your Lord sent down?' their reply is, 'Good!' There is good in this world for those who do good, and the abode of the hereafter is even better. How wonderful is the abode of those who guard against evil: Gardens of Eden which they enter, with rivers flowing under them, where they have whatever they desire. That is how Allah repays those who guard agaisnt evil: those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say, 'Peace be upon you! Enter the Garden for what you did.' What are they waiting for but the angels to come to them or your Lord's command to come? That is like what those before them did. Allah did not wrong them; rather they wronged themselves.
- Surat al-Baqara, 102 – They follow what the satans recited in the reign of Sulayman. Sulayman did not become disbeliever, but the satans did, teaching people sorcery and what had been sent down to Harut and Marut, the two angels in Babylon, who taught no one without first saying to him, 'We are merely a trial and temptation, so do not become disbelievers.' People learned from them how to separate a man and his wife but they cannot harm anyone by it, except with Allah's permission. They have learned what will harm them and will not benefit them. They know that any who deal in it will have no share in the hereafter. What an evil thing they have sold themselves for if they only knew!
- Surat ar-Rad, 23-24 -- Gardens of Eden which they will enter, and all of their parents, wives and children who were righteous. Angels will enter in to welcome them from every gate: 'Peace be upon you because of your steadfastness! How wonderful is the Ultimate Abode!'
- Surat az-Zumar, 71-72 -- Those who disbelieve will be driven to Hell in companies and when they arrive there and its gates are opened its custodians will say to them, 'Did Messengers from yourselves not come to you, reciting your Lord's Signs to you and warning you of the meeting on this Day of yours?' They will say, 'Indeed they did, but the decree of punishment is justly carried out against the disbelievers.' They will be told, 'Enter the gates of Hell and stay there timelessly, for ever. How evil is the abode of the arrogant!'
Angels
in Hinduism and Buddhism
The
reincarnation religions believe in creatures superior to humans that inhabit
places in higher realms. They are called devas in Hinduism.
These creatures divided into three major categories and further subdivided into
other categories based upon tasks they perform. For example, lipikas,
register all thoughts, intentions, and feelings of humans.
Devas are
superior to humans, but are not perfect, especially those that belong to lower
level hierarchy. They inhabit the astral sphere and
interact with humans in the afterlife.
Eastern
philosophies teach that hell and heaven refer to a state of mind, a level of
consciousness, instead of a place; therefore devas interact with humans in low
levels of consciousness in what Christians and Muslims describe as Hell. The
Muslim concept of the hell keepers
correlates with Hindu and Buddhist doctrine.
The
superior devas are in charge of plants, animals, and nature. They can be seen
and heard by people with psychic abilities while living, and in higher levels
of consciousness in the afterlife.
This
chapter is dedicated to my aunt Helen
Marie Tills, who adores angels and collects angelic figurines and art.
Phenomenology of World Religions, its chapters, annexes and
appendices are protected under US and international copyright laws - please
respect that. Linked/Sourced excerpts may be used if author is identified and
linked. No commercial reproduction may be produced without the express
permission of the author. Unless otherwise identified,
photographs/images are public domain or the property of Keith Allen Lehman.
The following is a YouTube video investigating the existence
of angels …
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