The Holy Angels

The nine orders of the angels are divided into three heirarchies, each of which is divided into three orders: the highest, the intermediate, the lower.

The first hierarch, the highest and closest to the Most Holy Trinity, consists of the SERAPHIM, CHERUBIM, and THRONES.

The God-loving six-winged SERAPHIM stand closer than all before their Creator and Mker, as the prophet Isaiah saw, saying: «And the seraphim stood around Him, each having six wings» (Isaiah 6:2). They ar fire-like since they stand before That One of Whom it is written: «For our God is a consuming fire.» (Heb 12:29); «His throne was a flame of fire» (Dan 7:9); «the appearance of the Lord was like a blazing fire» (Ex 24:17). Standing before such glory, the seraphim are fire-like, as it said: «Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire» (Ps 103:4). They are aflame with love for God and kindle others to such love, as i shown by their very name, for «seraphim» in the Hebrew language means: «flaming».

After the seraphim, before the All-knowing God, Who resides in inaccessable light, stand the many-eyeed CHERUBIM in ineffable radiance. More than the other lower orders of angels, they are always radiant with the light of th knowledge of God, with the knowledge of the mysteries of God and the depths of His Wisdom; being themselves enlightened, they enlighten others. Their name «cherubim» in translation from the Hebrew language, means: «great understanding» or «effusion of wisdom», because throught the cherubim wisdom is sent down to tohers and enlightenment of the spiritual eyes is given for the seeing of God and knowledge of God.

The King who does not wish to defend Himself with an army

“Do you think that I cannot call upon My Father and He will not provide Me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels” (St. Matthew 26:53).

Thus spoke the Lord to the disciple who drew the sword to defend his Teacher in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is obvious from these words that the Lord could have defended Himself, if He wanted to, not only from Judas and his company of guards, but also from Pilate and the leaders of the Jews. For the might of one angel is greater than the greatest army of men, much less the might of twelve legions of angels.

The Rational Heavenly Powers

The Creation of Heaven and the Establishment of the Angelic World

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Thus begins its narrative the Book of Genesis, the book of life. From ancient times the Church has always understood heaven to mean the “rational heaven,” i.e. the angelic world. The first creative act of the Triune God was the creation of “second lights” – the celestial bodiless powers.

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Why study the signs of the times? (Fr. Seraphim Rose) Part 1

In the following talk, Fr. Seraphim speaks to us from almost twenty years ago, and yet his words are quite relevant to our times as we approach the end of the second millennium. Although some of the individual examples he gives are now dated, there are now even more extreme examples of the same phenomena of which he speaks. As always, he humbles his understanding before the holy Scriptures and their interpretation by the Orthodox Holy Fathers, and thus his teaching about the times remains timeless, free of the intellectual fashions and prejudices of this world. As time goes on, the Orthodox world-view from which he received his wisdom will become ever more  necessary for the spiritual survival of true Christians.

Οn the creation of the Angels

S A C R E D   C A T E C H I S M   O F   T H E EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH I.E. OF THE ONE HOLY CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH

By ST. NEKTARIOS OF PENTAPOLIS

(Translated from the Greek original by Proptopresbyter George Dion. Dragas PhD, DD, DTh)

ON THE CREATION OF THE ANGELS

1. Did God create, apart from the creation of the sensible cosmos and the creation of man, any other rational beings?

 Yes. He did. God created another super sensible and spiritual world, and other intelligent beings, reason-endowed and self-determined.

Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ

As the angels, O Savior, wondered at Thy strange elevation, and the Disciples were amazed at Thy dread rising, Thou didst ascend in glory, being God, and the gates were lifted up for Thee.

«Satan, the Great Deceiver»

God will judge The Prince of evil on the last day - The Day of Judgment

«Satan can only deceive he cannot pluck us out of the hand of God»

Deceive – to mislead by a false appearance or statement

By Fr. Timothy Evangelinidis

When I was much younger and attending university in my home-town of Sydney (in those days a much smaller and less busy place), I was allocated a particular lecturer who prided himself on being an atheist. «Religion is something for weak people, those who cannot think or live for themselves». Arriving at his first lecture this man proudly announced that with a few premises, sub-conclusions and a watertight conclusion, he would prove beyond any doubt that God did not exist. It went something like this:

God’s Angels and the Devil’s demons

Angels and Demons

God sent us angels to be our traveling companions and our guides in this life, to guard us and protect us from all evil. They are also our most faithful allies in our struggle against the forces of evil.

Orthodox Man as the Image of God

All too often do we as creatures of the Almighty forget that in each of us, no matter how spiritually depraved or perverted, is the ever present image of God. In some of us its very brilliance overshadows everything that we come in contact with and thus brings admiration and greater glory for God. On the other hand, there are those of us who live as though our existence depended only on our own initiative void of any spiritual power and thus denying the deity within us. Nevertheless, whether we recognize the fact or not. God’s image pervades our natures from the very moment of our conception.

God sings Angels sing Man sings

Why would God sing? The question may sound strange and yet it is said in Zephaniah (3:17), “He will rejoice over thee with singing.” I first noticed this verse when I was a very young Christian and have puzzled about it for nearly forty years. Equally puzzling to our modern way of thought is the question, “Why does anybody sing?” I have been to plenty of operas and have to admit that even the ones in English need subtitles – singing does not necessarily make something more easily understood. And yet we sing.

Monasticism: The Angelic Evangelic Life

Almighty God has gifted Orthodox Christianity with monasticism. It is the “alternative lifestyle” of Orthodoxy to which some, but not all, are called. Many sources state that the monastic life is the angelic life. Going one step further, some sources even state that God has replaced the angelic ranks that fell with Satan with the men and women who have been called to the angelic (that is, monastic) life.

When we think of monasticism, several images and ideas come to mind – such as monasteries, the prayer life, and asceticism. But what about evangelism? Does the angelic life have a connection with the evangelical life that we Orthodox Christians are supposed to be living daily (especially those of us in the “front lines” – in our parishes and in the secular world)?

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The Cry Of The Children…

Do ye hear the children weeping, O my brothers,

The Prayer of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane

Entering the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ said to His disciples, «Sit here while I go yonder and pray.» Taking with Him Peter, James, and John, He went deep into the garden, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then, He said to them, «My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here and watch with Me.» And going a little farther, he fell on His face and prayed, «My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will but as Thou wilt.»

A Childs Hymn… a prayer by Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

Hear my prayer, O heavenly Father,

Ere I lay me down to sleep;

Bid Thy angels, pure and holy,

Round my bed their vigil keep.

My sins are heavy, but Thy mercy

Far outweighs them, every one;

Down before Thy cross I cast them,

Trusting in Thy help alone.

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About fools, wiser than the world

«We are fools for Christ’s sake» (1 Corinthians 4:10).

Thus speaks the great Apostle Paul who in the beginning was guided by worldly wisdom, which is against Christ, until he recognizes the falsehood and decay of the wisdom of the world and the light and stability of the wisdom of Christ. Then, the holy apostle did not become angry with the world because they called him «a fool for Christ’s sake» neither did he, in defiance of the world, hesitate to be called by this name.

It is not of any value to us how the world is going to regard or call us.

The Christmas Message of the Ecumenical Patriarch

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Prot. No. 1237 

BARTHOLOMEW

By God’s Grace

Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome

and Ecumenical Patriarch

To the Plenitude of the Church

Grace, peace and mercy from the Savior Christ

Born in Bethlehem

 

Beloved concelebrants and blessed children in the Lord,

Heaven and earth have united

Through the birth of Christ.

Today, God has appeared on earth,

And man has ascended to heaven.

(Christmas Hymn)

The distance and separation between God and humanity resulting from sin has been abolished with the assumption of the entire human nature by the Only-Begotten Son and Pre-eternal Word of God. It was God’s good will – that is to say, His initiative and will – that the incarnation of His Son should abolish all such distance uniting heaven and earth, as well as creation with its Creator.

ABORTION: THE ORTHODOX VIEW

Again we pray for the children of God condemned to death by the unjust judgement of men: that the Lord our God would soften the hearts of those who seek their violent destruction, and rescue those who are being led forth to the slaughter, we diligently pray Thee, O Lord, hearken and have mercy!

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Life is a precious gift of God. It is given to us so that we, while completing our earthly course, should acquire Divine Grace, should become members «of the household of God» and spiritual «fellow citizens with the Saints» (Ephesians 2:19). It is for this reason also that the Lord has established His Holy Church. In the life of the Church, of this Kingdom of God on earth, we are already destined for blessedness, and partake of it in proportion to our piety.

But the fall of our forefathers introduced sin deeply into our life. Sin has poisoned it, has become a property of this world: that is why the Apostle John can say that «the whole world lieth in wickedness» (1 John 5:19). This evil surrounds us and lures us with particular force when the opposition to it on the part of the society around us weakens.

Four corners, four angels

Four corners of my bed

Four angels over head

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

Bless this bed I lay upon

Four corners to my bed,

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The Dream of the Rood

The Ruthwell Cross. From: "The Anglo-Saxons", Ed. by James Campbell, Penguin Books, 1991.

VatopaidiFriend: «The Dream of the Rood (=Cross)» is a wonderful Old English poem written in the 8th century (before the Schism). It tells of how the Cross appeared to a man in a vision and spoke to him. It provides profound Orthodox insight on the Mystery of the Atonement. The translation into modern English is by Mary Rambaran-Olm. Note that today, with the Old (Julian) Calendar, we celebrate the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (September 14/27).

1 Lo! I will tell of the best of dreams,

what I dreamed in the middle of the night,

after the speech-bearers were in bed.

It seemed to me that I saw a very wondrous tree

5 lifted into the air, enveloped by light,

the brightest of trees. That beacon was all

covered with gold. Gems stood

Defend us in battle – A prayer to Archangel Michael

 Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Be our defense against the snares and wickedness of the devil—

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray.

And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,

by the Power of God,

cast into hell satan and all the evil spirits

who prowl the world seeking the ruin of souls.

AMEN.

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. Therefore, take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day and to stand in all things perfect.

Ephesians 6,12-13

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Hagia Sophia’s angel uncovered! (With video)

Watch the video here (about 3-and-a-half minutes)

SERKAN AKKOÇ
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet
Friday, July 24, 2009

Experts have uncovered one of the six angel mosaics within the world-famous Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul after it had been hidden for 160 years behind plaster and a metal mask.

The mosaic, which measures 1.5 meters by 1 meter, was last seen by Swiss architect Gaspare Fossati, who headed restoration efforts at the museum between 1847 and 1849, and Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid. Experts were surprised to see that the mosaic, believed to date from the 14th century, was so well preserved. 

Hagia Sophia, built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian between A.D. 532 and 537, was originally a basilica before it was converted into a mosque when Ottoman Turks conquered the city in 1453. During the conversion process, the Ottomans covered the mosaics with plaster instead of removing them. 

«The Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed, soaring with their wings, singing the victory hymn, proclaiming, crying out, and saying…»

«And it came to pass in the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord seated upon a high and lofty throne, and the house became full of his glory. And Seraphim were standing round about; six wings had each one; and with twain they covered their faces, and with twain they covered their feet, and with twain they hovered aloft. And one cried one unto the other and they said: «Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!» And the frame of the door shook from the sound wherewith they cried, and the house was filled with smoke.» (Isaiah 6:1-4)

This vision, perceived by the holy prophet Isaiah, give us a wonderfully vivid description of the throne of God and how those who are before this throne act. The Seraphim, one of the orders of Angels, cover their faces at the sight of the glory of God, humbling themselves before the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. In their modesty they also cover their bodies, knowing that no one, not even they, are worthy to stand in the sight of God. But even so, they also hover before God, eager to be in that presence and to study the might and wisdom of Him. They continually glorify God, calling out to each other and any who will hear that God is holy, God is set apart from every created thing, God is over and above wholly different from anything that has, does, and will exist.

How often do we today act like this? How often do we show the reverence and respect to the Almighty? Instead we speak casually about God, we refer to God incarnate as “JC” or as merely a “friend” whom we have a relationship with. We speak about what God has done for us, how he has helped us, what we hope he will do for us. This is a backwards way of thinking! We should instead be thinking about what we can do for Him, we should talk about His glory, and every sentence we utter about Him should be worshipful. Let us take a cue from the Angels and ceaslessly sing of His glory!

Συγκλονιστικό βίντεο – Amazing video !

English : Yesterday,we received from our Serbian friends, an e-mail with the following text and video attached.  We do not know anything about this video, nor are we in any position to explain what is happening. We would like you to draw your own conclusions.

«This is something very unusual I’ve never seen it before! One believer was trying to make a photo of the sunset when he noticed a very unusual light on the left and started recording it. It was an Angel taking the soul of one man – when they went to that building one man had really died! Have a look!»

Ελληνικά : Εχθές, κάποιοι φίλοι από την Σερβία, μας έστειλαν το παρακάτω βίντεο και κείμενο. Εμείς δεν γνωρίζουμε περισσότερα για αυτό το βίντεο και δεν είμαστε σε θέση να μιλήσουμε για αυτό. Θα θέλαμε να βγάλετε τα δικά σας συμπεράσματα.

«Κάτι πολύ ασυνήθιστο που δεν έχουμε ξαναδεί! Ένας πιστός, προσπαθώντας να αποθανατίσει το ηλιοβασίλεμα, με το κινητό του, πρόσεξε ένα παράξενο φως στα αριστερά και άρχισε να το βιντεοσκοπεί. Ήταν ένας Άγγελος που έπαιρνε την ψυχή ενός ανθρώπου. Όταν πήγαν στο κτίριο, βρήκαν ότι όντως κάποιος είχε πεθάνει! Κοιτάξτε!»