Angels and Angelology: The Ministering Spirits and Elect ‘sons of God’

Abstract

Jesus Christ is central to Christianity as God and Saviour and He taught concerning the existence of angels, so as Orthodox Christians we ought to embrace the belief in angels. This article approaches the themes from a mainly Orthodox perspective and contends that angels are important, not only as part of a prescriptive Biblical world-view, but also as creatures serving God. Angelology or the study of angels such as this one, is part of systematic theology and is a key category of theology in Orthodoxy and Catholicism. It is metaphysical in that it studies being and all reality in the physical and spiritual realms. Angels as God’s agents, are considered from a biblical vantage point and the teachings of early Church Fathers who believed that God fashioned the angels long before He created the observable world. It is clear from Holy Scripture that angels protect people under the authority of the creator. Angels are non-corporeal despite manifesting at times in human form. They are messengers and ambassadors of the Most High. Their core function is to devote their existence to doing God’s will and they are assigned various missions on earth. They play a crucial role in reconciling fallen humanity with God as they praise Him and call on people to worship and adore Him. Angels are ordered in specific ranks in which diverse roles are played by them. As Orthodox adherents we believe they have been with us since the very creation and have helped to guide the Church as the ‘Bride of Christ’ who is its head. Angels will play an essential role when Christ returns at the Second Coming. People can be elevated above angels by responding to God’s saving work and may even get to judge angels. There are also fallen angels, headed by Lucifer, thus they are not infallible. Either way, angels form part of a significant component of divine revelation and should never be ignored. Angels should not be worshipped but rather venerated for their excellence as ministering spirits and servants of the Most High. According to Orthodoxy, human beings in the Christian faith need to make the Holy Bible, Holy Tradition and teachings of the early Church Fathers, their authority on all matters of spirituality and seek the support of the Paraclete. In African traditional cosmology (ATC) there is a shared spiritual belief in ancestors, which is also worth briefly touching on. A study such as this then serves to widen our understanding of God, and how He operates in His Creation.