The term derives from the Latin angelus, itself derived from the greek ἄγγελος, Angelos, meaning sent messenger.
The Hebrew word for angel is more like מלאך, mal'ach, which has the same meaning.
angel in English is also used to אביר, abbir (lit. "mighty" in Psalm 78.25) for אלהים, Elohim (literally, "gods" in Psalm 8:5), and the dark אלהים, shin'an Psalm 68.17.
In Catholicism, angels are creatures of God, spiritual, incorporeal but personal (endowed with intelligence and free will) and, as a being visible, are those with the highest degree of perfection.
Their existence is a truth of faith confirmed by the Sacred Scripture and Catholic tradition. According to a definition of St. Augustine does not define the term angel being of the creature but the office or the task assigned by God in the Catholic Church
angels occupy a strongly Christological. They proclaim Christ, the servant, nor are messengers, they are created depending upon from the beginning of his reign.
Angels also have the function to assist and protect the Church and human life and that is why they are invoked in the celebrations and prayers of the faithful.
In the Bible, the Book of Tobit, says that the archangels are those who sit in the presence of God, we contemplate the glory and praise him unceasingly. The Catholic Church recognizes three archangels: Michael
*, etymologically "Greatness of God", is chief of the heavenly host. It was he who threw Lucifer out of paradise.
* Gabriel, "Strength of God", supposedly wrestled with Jacob (Fight with God, Genesis cap.32), breaking her hip, and gave him the name of Israel. Appeared to the Virgin Mary, announcing the birth of Jesus (the Annunciation).
* Raphael, "Salvation of God" is mentioned in the Book of Tobit, Tobias and accompanied on the journey to Mesopotamia to recover the money of the father, Sarah delivered by a demon and favored the marriage of Tobias with this. It is often identified as the ultimate guardian angel.
The Christian concept of angels goes back to the systematization that gave Dionysius the Areopagite in his work "De Coelesti hierarchy of" biblical dell'angelologia of the fathers of their church that divides angels into nine "choirs" those angelic choirs:
* Angels Archangels
* * *
Archai or Principalities Powers Virtues
* * * Thrones Dominions
* Seraphim * Cherubim
are 3 sets of angelic hosts, each consisting of three types of angels who had worked rules and specific tasks. Then there is an angel who has the task of destroying this world, is called Angel of the Apocalypse. In the tradition he was given the name of Nemesis, has black and one white wing and left without holding a sword blade which has in itself the power of good and evil. It is said that when the time comes, he will destroy the world with this powerful weapon. The ancient Greeks knew about these bands but we call them in other ways.
ISLAM
In the Qur'an, the holy book for Muslims, the debate about angels is often concentrated on two aspects: their nature and their role in relationships with men.
For Islam the existence of angels is an act of faith in the Quran there are three species of celestial beings with different functions and features. There are angels and demons genes. The former substance of light, and jinn and demons (shayāṭīn) have substance of fire. Differs in attitude towards the man. The angels are a category of the Qur'an particular within the celestial beings, unlike Christianity where there are only angels and demons. The jinn have an ambiguous role, sharing in a group (majority) more or less distinctly hostile to man and in a group (the minority) to him kindly, capable of protecting people and places. Among the latter is reminiscent qārīn, two invisible beings who act as "guardian spirits" (Muhammad is said he had two, one negative and one positive, and that he was able to convert to Islam as hostile). It is characteristic of the jinn can be Muslim (and benevolent) or non-Muslims (and therefore hostile to man).
Angels are mainly responsible for leading men towards God, faith in bringing the land, indicating the way forward to achieve the ultimate prize. The mission of the angels, however, is always determined by the will of God, even if the angels, as in Christianity, play a role of "intercession with God for men.
Judaism
The Universe, according to the Hebrews, is inhabited by two categories of beings: angels and humans. A lot of news about the angels are in the teaching of the rabbis, the angelology not create it. A court of heaven, with God the King and an army of ministers around him, is described in the Bible angels are mentioned as servants of the Most High. The fundamental reason dell'angelologia rabbinical is not to be intermediaries between God and the world, since there is no need for such intermediaries. The real purpose of it was the glorification of God So the primary task of the angels, for Jews, is to honor God but also to carry messages to the people. Do not play, then, a function of intercession for men, but of submission to the will of men aged Dio.ngeli earliest date back to ancient civilizations of the Hittites.
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