The term Angel comes from the Greek word Angelos, which originated from the Hebrew word for messenger. The Malakim are messengers of God and are the closest looking to us humans. Like in the Old Testament they mention about Michael, the archangel who protects heaven or like Gabriel in the New Testament.
These named angels are often the ones people think of when asked to imagine one. However, while the Malakim looked like human beings, there was no mention of them having wings in the Bible. The earliest known Christian image of an angel from the mid-third century was without wings. It wasn’t until the late fourth century that artists reimagined angels with the possession of wings. According to some researchers, this was done to represent their sublime nature, despite artists knowing that scripture did not describe them as having wings. Though Malakim at least look like us humans but there are other higher beings mentioned who are far from anything like a winged-divine angels. One of them is Ophanim. Ezekiel’s account in the Bible describes them as beings made out of interlocking gold wheels with each wheel’s exterior covered with multiple eyes.
They move by floating themselves in the sky. As the highest in Maimonides’s hierarchy, they are tasked with guarding God’s throne. Though, there is no exact historical origin for the Ophanim. Josef F. Blumrich, a former NASA employee, theorized that Ezekiel’s vision of the wheels and other angels might have been a UFO sighting.
The other such higher being is Seraphim. The prophet Isiah describes them as having six wings, two of which are for flying, while they use the rest to cover their heads and feet. Seraphim are second highest in rank according to Maimonides’s angelic hierarchy. Cherub, who is the lowest in rank among the four have been described as animal-human hybrids, tasked with guarding the garden of Eden against humankind. In the Book of Ezekiel, the prophet’s vision depicts them as having four faces, that of a lion, an ox, an eagle, and a human. This description is far from how we imagine the Cherub now.
I guess it’s interesting to take a step back and observe the conception of these divine beings. Centuries of culture, geography, and history have shaped what we have collectively forgotten and re-imagined as angels. So, let us know about your views in the comment.
Comments