ON MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS: THE BIBLICAL AND PATRISTIC BELIEF IN THE HEAVENLY MESSENGERS OF GOD
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By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West)
For unto which of the angels said he at any time, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?” And again, “I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?” And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, “And let all the angels of God worship him.” And of the angels he saith, “Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” But unto the Son he saith, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.” “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” - Hebrews 1:5-9 (KJV)
OPENING COLLECT
Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as Thy holy angels alway do Thee service in heaven, so, by Thy appointment, they may succor and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
INTRODUCTION TO THE HEAVENLY MINISTRY AND DIVINE LITURGY OF THE ANGELS
Beloved in Christ, on this blessed Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, we are confronted with a heavenly vision, beholding the grandeur of the angelic hosts who ceaselessly worship the Almighty and who, in their silent vigilance, stand as protectors of the faithful. In our liturgical remembrance today, we are not merely commemorating a distant or abstract doctrine; we are entering the cosmic liturgy, joining with beings of pure intellect and fire, who reflect the uncreated Light of God. The angels serve not only as messengers but as ministers of His will, guardians of creation, and companions on our spiritual journey. Such deep truths and profound mysteries lead us to feel a deep sense of awe as we begin to tread in heavenly places - the holy halls of heaven where angels may fear to tread!
THE THEOLOGY OF ANGELOLOGY
The Church’s understanding of angels has been shaped by centuries of reflection on both the Holy Scriptures and the wisdom of the Fathers. In the Old Testament, angels are depicted as God's messengers, executing His will—from the cherubim that guard the Tree of Life in Genesis to the seraphim singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” in Isaiah’s vision. St. Michael’s role is famously portrayed in the Book of Daniel and the Apocalypse, where he leads the angelic hosts in battle against the forces of darkness. These images provide only a glimpse into the multifaceted role of angels, who occupy the invisible realm of creation. Yet, as St. Dionysios the Areopagite writes in “The Celestial Hierarchy”, the angels' role is not merely functional but metaphysical: “They are illuminated by the divine light, becoming themselves lights that transmit the radiance of God's glory to the lower orders.”
St. Dionysios organizes the angels into three triads: the first, closest to the Divine, includes the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones—those whose primary function is to contemplate and adore God. The second triad includes the Dominions, Virtues, and Powers, who rule over the cosmos, maintaining divine order. The third triad, encompassing the Principalities, Archangels, and Angels, draws nearest to humanity, guiding nations, cities, and individuals. In the figure of St. Michael, we witness the Archangel whose particular office is to defend the Church militant, to war against the forces of evil that seek to disrupt the divine order.
THE PATRISTIC RECORD ON ANGELS
St. John Damascene, in his “Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith”, expands upon this hierarchy, emphasizing that angels, though invisible to us, are creatures endowed with free will, who chose to serve God. They are not intermediaries in a Gnostic sense, but are wholly devoted to executing God’s will: “They ever stand before Him and serve Him, and with an incorporeal voice they send up to Him the mystical Thrice-Holy Hymn.” The angels, though bodiless, possess intellect, and in their intellect they apprehend God more perfectly than we, yet they themselves stand in humility before the ineffable mystery of His Being.
St. Maximus the Confessor, in his reflections on the nature of creation, sees the angels as mediators in the divine economy. “The angels,” he writes, “are bridges between the uncreated and the created, drawing us upwards into the divine life.” Through their intercession and ministry, we are invited to ascend from the material world into the spiritual, from temporal concerns into eternal communion with God.
The Great Cappadocian Fathers—St. Basil, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Gregory Nazianzus—likewise speak of the angelic hosts as models of obedience and love, always doing the will of God without hesitation or pride. They are reminders to us that our own spiritual journey is one of humility, devotion, and service. “As the angels stand before God, so ought we to stand in prayer, with no other thought but of His glory,” St. Basil writes.
LITERARY ILLUSTRATION ON ANGELIC LIFE
The theological reflections of the Fathers have inspired poets, writers, and mystics throughout the ages to contemplate the angelic life. Dante Alighieri, in his “Paradiso”, takes us on a poetic journey through the celestial realms, where the souls of the blessed are illuminated by the angelic hosts. Dante’s vision is steeped in the Patristic tradition, and his angels reflect the hierarchical order described by St. Dionysios, each choir of angels more resplendent with the light of God's love as they ascend toward the Beatific Vision. Dante’s depiction of the angels’ perfect harmony reminds us of the order and peace that come from submission to the divine will.
In contrast, John Milton’s *Paradise Lost* explores the tragic fall of Lucifer, the archangel who, in his pride, sought to usurp God's throne. Milton, drawing upon the writings of the early Fathers, particularly St. Augustine’s “City of God”, portrays Satan’s rebellion as the quintessential act of pride, which disturbs the harmony of heaven. Milton’s Satan is not merely a figure of rebellion but a profound meditation on the nature of free will and the consequences of turning away from God’s love. His fall is a stark contrast to the obedience of St. Michael, who remains steadfast, leading the heavenly armies against the forces of darkness.
The Caroline Divines, the great fathers Lancelot Andrewes and Jeremy Taylor, meditated deeply on the angelic order. Andrewes, in his “Sermons”, describes the angels as "flames of fire illuminating the path of righteousness for the faithful.” Taylor, in his devotional works, encourages the faithful to reflect on the ministry of their guardian angels, who protect and guide them in the trials of life. “The angels,” Taylor writes, “are messengers of grace, silently weaving the threads of providence in our lives.”
THE MYSTICAL UNION OF ANGELS
The Oxford Fathers, particularly John Keble and Edward Pusey, reflected on the mystical union between angels and the Church. In Keble’s hymns, the angels are depicted as fellow worshippers at the altar, joining with the Church in the eternal sacrifice of praise. Pusey, in his sermons, speaks of the angels as "the unseen presence that hovers around the sacraments," especially the Holy Eucharist, where heaven and earth meet. In this sacred moment, we are invited into the very life of God, participating with angels and archangels in the eternal liturgy.
C.S. Lewis, in “The Screwtape Letters” and “Perelandra”, offers a more imaginative take on the spiritual warfare involving angels and demons, emphasizing the reality of their unseen influence on human life. The Inklings as a whole—Tolkien, Lewis, and Charles Williams—infused their works with a deep angelology, recognizing that angels are not distant, but deeply involved in the ongoing story of salvation, both on the mythological and literal levels.
T.S. Eliot, in “Four Quartets”, echoes the mystical tradition, particularly in his meditations on time, eternity, and the angelic presence. Eliot sees the angels as figures who stand at the intersection of time and eternity, guiding humanity toward redemption, even as we wrestle with the limitations of our temporal existence.
ANGELIC INVOLVEMENT WITH CHRISTIAN LIFE
The biblical origin of guardian angels is rooted in several key passages that affirm their protective and guiding role in the lives of the faithful. In Matthew 18:10, Christ Himself speaks of the angels of little children, saying, “For I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven,” indicating the close relationship between individual souls and their guardian angels. Psalm 91:11 also promises, “For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” The Patristic consensus, handed down from the early Church, further develops this biblical foundation. St. Basil the Great affirms, “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life" (Homily on Psalm 33). Likewise, St. Jerome teaches that “The dignity of a soul is so great that each has a guardian angel from its birth” (Commentary on Matthew, 18:10). St. Gregory the Great writes, "The angels, who are sent to minister, are with us even while we are in this life" (Homilies on the Gospels, 34:7), and St. John Chrysostom asserts, "We are surrounded by angels everywhere. And there is not only one or two, but there are many troops of angels in this space of earth" (Homily on Colossians, 3:6). This belief, forming part of the Church's living tradition, reminds us that these heavenly beings remain intimately involved in our spiritual journey, protecting and guiding us toward salvation.
THE DIVINE COUNCIL THEORY AND THE ANGELIC HOSTS
A significant contribution to modern angelology comes from the “Divine Council” theory, as outlined by Michael Heiser, which builds upon the idea that the angelic hosts form a council around God’s throne. This concept, rooted in ancient Near Eastern imagery and echoed in Scripture, portrays God as the head of a divine assembly, much like a king surrounded by his ministers. In Psalm 82:1, we read, “God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods, he holds judgment.” Here, the term “gods” refers to lesser divine beings—angels or spiritual powers—who serve in His heavenly court. Heiser argues that this council reflects an ordered hierarchy where angels participate in God’s governance of creation. This interpretation aligns with the traditional Patristic understanding of angelic orders, as seen in the works of St. Dionysios the Areopagite.
Fr. Stephen DeYoung and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, in their “Lord of Spirits” podcast, further explore this theme by asserting that after the Fall of some of these spiritual beings, who rebelled against God, a void was left in the divine council. This rebellion is captured in the fall of Satan and the angels who followed him, as depicted in Revelation 12:7-9, where St. Michael leads the heavenly hosts against the dragon. As a result of this cosmic schism, God initiated a plan to “repopulate” the heavens, not with new angels, but with the saints—redeemed human beings who would inherit the thrones of the fallen angels. As St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:3, “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” This indicates the future role of the saints in God’s divine order.
The imagery of the saints inheriting the roles once held by angelic beings is also prominent in the Book of Revelation, where the faithful are shown reigning with Christ (Revelation 20:6) and surrounding the throne of God, much like the angelic hosts who worship in the heavenly liturgy. Thus, the hierarchical structure of angels seen in Scripture parallels the saintly hierarchy envisioned in the New Testament, with both participating in the eternal worship of God and exercising authority under His kingship. This profound connection between angels and saints invites us to reflect on our own calling to participate in the divine life, aspiring to the purity and obedience of the angelic hosts.
SUMMARY
Beloved, the angels are not distant figures locked in antiquity or lofty abstraction. They are real, living beings who participate in the life of God and minister to us. Each of us is assigned a guardian angel, a divine protector who walks with us through the valleys of life’s tribulations, ever guiding us toward the narrow path of salvation. Let us be mindful of their presence, invoking their aid, and remembering that they, too, strive with us toward the eternal kingdom. As we celebrate this feast, may we lift our hearts with St. Michael and the angels, standing firm in the battle against evil, and striving, like the angels, to reflect the glory of God while covering our faces, evermore crying “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Sabaoth! Heaven and earth are filled with thy praises! Hosannah in the heights! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
FINAL COLLECT
O Almighty God, who in the mystery of Thy wisdom didst create the angelic orders to serve Thy divine majesty, and who didst appoint them as guardians of creation and messengers of Thy will: Grant that we, who join with them in Thy heavenly worship, may with steadfast devotion emulate their purity, humility, and obedience; that being defended by their holy intercession, we may be brought at last to Thy heavenly kingdom. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
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