Celestial
and atmospheric entities; devils, demons, and bad spirits; ghosts, ghouls, and
goblins; and nature spirits and fairies are all examples of intermediate beings
between the holy and profane realms.
In Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism
Angels and
demons are often considered as heavenly or atmospheric entities in monotheistic
Western faiths that view the cosmos as a three-dimensional universe. However,
there is widespread believe in ghosts, ghouls, goblins, demons, and evil
spirits that influence humans' terrestrial condition and activities in these
religions' popular piety. Depending on their relationship to the Supreme Being,
celestial beings might be either benevolent or malicious. In popular piety—and
to some extent in theological reflection—demons and bad spirits that generally
influence humans in their position as terrestrial beings (rather than in their
destiny as superterrestrial creatures) are considered as malicious in intent.
Angels are
usually grouped in first-rank orders of four, six, or seven, though there may
be multiple orders. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the number four is
used to symbolize perfection and is linked to the four cardinal points. Early
Zoroastrianism combined the concept of the seven known planetary spheres with
its belief in the heptad (grouping of seven) of heavenly beings, influenced by
ancient Iranian astronomy and astrological studies. Ahura Mazd and Spenta
Mainyu were identified with each other in later Zoroastrianism, albeit not in
the Gths (early hymns, thought to have been authored by Zoroaster, in the
Avesta, the sacred texts), and the remaining bounteous immortals were placed in
an order of six. The opposite of the Holy Spirit, namely Angra Mainyu, the Evil
Spirit, who later became the great adversary Ahriman (the prototype of the
Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Satan), and the daevas, who were most likely
gods of early Indo-Iranian religion, stood against the bounteous immortals who
helped to link the spiritual and material worlds together.
When
Judaism gained touch with Zoroastrianism during and after the Babylonian Exile,
angelology and demonology grew more developed. Yahweh is known as the Lord of
Hosts in the Hebrew Bible. These hosts (Sabaoth) are the heavenly army that
fights evil and performs numerous missions, including guarding the door to
paradise, punishing evildoers, safeguarding the devout, and presenting God's
Word to people. The canonical Hebrew Bible mentions two archangels: Michael,
the heavenly warrior, and Gabriel, the heavenly messenger. Raphael, God's
healer or helper (in the book of Tobit), and Uriel (Fire of God), the watcher
over the globe and the lowest part of hell, are both referenced in the
apocryphal Hebrew Bible.
Christianity
strengthened and developed theories and beliefs in angels and devils,
influenced by the angelology of Jewish groups such as the Pharisees and
Essenes, as well as the Hellenistic world. Angels, archangels, principalities,
powers, virtues, dominions, and thrones were the seven ranks of celestial
entities in the New Testament. The four angels mentioned in the Old Testament
and the Apocrypha received the most attention and adoration in Christianity.
Many people idolized Michael, and there was often confusion between his cult
and that of St. George, who was also a warrior figure. Christianity
strengthened and developed theories and beliefs in angels and devils,
influenced by the angelology of Jewish groups such as the Pharisees and
Essenes, as well as the Hellenistic world. Angels, archangels, principalities,
powers, virtues, dominions, and thrones were the seven ranks of celestial
entities in the New Testament. The four angels mentioned in the Old Testament
and the Apocrypha received the most attention and adoration in Christianity.
Many people idolized Michael, and there was often confusion between his cult
and that of St. George, who was also a warrior figure. They sometimes said that
the devil appeared to them in visions as a seductive woman, urging them to
break their vows to keep their bodies and minds sexually pure.
In Islam,
angelology and demonology are closely related to concepts found in Judaism and
Christianity. Apart from Allah's four throne bearers, four other angels are
well-known: Jibrl (Gabriel), the angel of revelation; Mkl (Michael), the angel
of nature, providing humans with food and knowledge; Izrl, the angel of death;
and Isrfl, the angel who places the soul in the body and sounds the Last Judgment
trumpet. Demons also compete for control of human life, with Ibls (the Devil),
who tempts mankind, or Shayan, or Satan, being the most prominent.
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