ANGEL HIERARCHY

*** SERAPHIM ***

The highest order,

the six-winged ones, surround the throne of God, singing ceaselessly,

Holy, Holy, Holy.

They are angels of love, light, and fire.

The guardians of the fixed stars,

keepers of celestial records, bestowers of knowledge.

In the Talmud cherubim are equated with the order of wheels,

also called ophanim.

Chief rulers are Ophaniel, Rikbiel, Zophiel,

and, before his fall, Satan.

Bring God's justice to us.

They are sometimes called wheels

and in the Jewish Kabbalah,

CHARIOTS or the MERKABAH.

The occult book, the Zohar,

ranks wheels above seraphim,

but other sources place them as cherubim,

the whole thing being confused.

The ruling prince is Oriphiel or Zabkiel or Zaphiel.

Regulate angelic duties.

Through them is manifested the Majesty of God.

They hold an orb or sceptre as an emblem of authority,

and in Hebraic lore,

the chief of this order is named Hashmal or Zadkiel.

Work miracles on earth.

They are bestowers of grace and valor.

Stop the efforts of demons to overthrow the world,

or else they preside over demons,

or perhaps (according to St. Paul) they are themselves evil.

Ertosi, Sammael, or Camael (depending on source)

is chief of the Powers.

Protectors of religion.

Nisroc, in Milton, is "of principalities the prime,"

and others, according to various sources,

are named Requel, Anael, and Cerviel.

Guardians of people and all physical things.

GOVERN ALL CREATION

Seraphim

Cherubim

Thrones

GOVERN ALL THE COSMOS

Dominions

Powers

Virtues

GOVERN ALL THE WORLD

Principalities

ArchAngels

Angels

Gabriel

Lamael

Raphael

Zachariel

Anael

Oriphel

The Spirit of Wisdom

The Spirit of Understanding

The Spirit of Counsel

The Spirit of Power

The Spirit of Knowledge

The Spirit of Righteousness

The Spirit of Divine Awfulness