ANGELS?
The word angels is derived from the Greek word angelos, which means messenger. Malakh, the Hebrew word for angel, also meansmessenger, and both words nicely coincide with the Persian word for angel, angaros, similarly meaning a courier.
The word "angel" can commonly be used to describe anyone who brings a message to another, whether a human being or a spirit. However, within some religions, angels are spirit messengers who bring messages of truth to aid mankind, while conversely, fallen angelsbring forth messages of untruth to lead people astray and wreak havoc on Earth.
Angels are then traditionally believed to be supernatural beings who act as mediators between man and god. It is taught that angels have authority over the natural world, being organized into classes or heirarchies.
The origin of angels in history is quite complicated to figure out, due to angels or similar spirit beings being found within many cultures around the globe.
Angels are found within three key religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Yet, angels, or divine helpers, were also found within Sumerian, Babylonian, Persian, Egyptian and Greek writings, as well, and played a major influence upon the ideas regarding angels within the key religions themselves. For example, it is well known that ancient Sumerian texts pre-dated the Hebrew book of Genesis, including the idea of the existence of angels. The Hebrew beliefs regarding angels were similarly shared with Christianity, and both Judaism's and Christianity's teachings of angels inspired the Islam beliefs concerning angels.
Though maybe called different names, benevolant spirit beings quite similar to angels can also be found within other religions, mythologies, and lore. Hinduism has avatars, Buddhism has devas and bodhisattvas, the Greeks wrote about daimons, and other spirit beings similar to angels, such as guardian spirits and spirit guides, have been taught by tribal cultures. All of these have similar function as helpful spirit messengers, or angels.
Today, many people believe in demons and that they arefallen angels. This teaching originated in the Hebrew textof Isaiah about Lucifer being cast out of heaven with one third of the angels following him to the Earth. When the text was written, Luciferactually referred to a Babylonian king, but later Christian, albeit poetic, interpretation of the same text changed Lucifer into Satan, commonly believed by many now to be the "devil."
The word "angel" can commonly be used to describe anyone who brings a message to another, whether a human being or a spirit. However, within some religions, angels are spirit messengers who bring messages of truth to aid mankind, while conversely, fallen angelsbring forth messages of untruth to lead people astray and wreak havoc on Earth.
Angels are then traditionally believed to be supernatural beings who act as mediators between man and god. It is taught that angels have authority over the natural world, being organized into classes or heirarchies.
The origin of angels in history is quite complicated to figure out, due to angels or similar spirit beings being found within many cultures around the globe.
Angels are found within three key religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Yet, angels, or divine helpers, were also found within Sumerian, Babylonian, Persian, Egyptian and Greek writings, as well, and played a major influence upon the ideas regarding angels within the key religions themselves. For example, it is well known that ancient Sumerian texts pre-dated the Hebrew book of Genesis, including the idea of the existence of angels. The Hebrew beliefs regarding angels were similarly shared with Christianity, and both Judaism's and Christianity's teachings of angels inspired the Islam beliefs concerning angels.
Though maybe called different names, benevolant spirit beings quite similar to angels can also be found within other religions, mythologies, and lore. Hinduism has avatars, Buddhism has devas and bodhisattvas, the Greeks wrote about daimons, and other spirit beings similar to angels, such as guardian spirits and spirit guides, have been taught by tribal cultures. All of these have similar function as helpful spirit messengers, or angels.
Today, many people believe in demons and that they arefallen angels. This teaching originated in the Hebrew textof Isaiah about Lucifer being cast out of heaven with one third of the angels following him to the Earth. When the text was written, Luciferactually referred to a Babylonian king, but later Christian, albeit poetic, interpretation of the same text changed Lucifer into Satan, commonly believed by many now to be the "devil."
FALLEN ANGELS?
A fallen angel is a wicked or rebellious angel. The term is found neither in the Hebrew Bible nor the Deuterocanonical Books nor the New Testament. Nonetheless, biblical commentators often use fallen angel to describe angels who sinned or angels cast down to the earth from the War in Heaven, Satan, demons, or certain Watchers.
Mention of angels who descended to Mount Hermon, (not "fell") to earth is found in the Book of Enoch, which the Ethiopian Orthodox Churchand Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church accept as canonical, as well as in various pseudepigrapha.
Mention of angels who descended to Mount Hermon, (not "fell") to earth is found in the Book of Enoch, which the Ethiopian Orthodox Churchand Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church accept as canonical, as well as in various pseudepigrapha.