Angels are heavenly creatures.
The Greek word angelos , which can be translated as “messenger,” came into late Latin as angĕlus . In our language , the concept arrived like an angel .
The term is usually used in monotheistic religions to refer to a celestial spirit . Angels are at the service of God , acting as his messengers and mediating between divinity and people.
What is an angel
It can be said that angels are supernatural entities : their condition is beyond nature . Accept its existence as a matter of faith since there is no scientific or rational support to prove it.
In any case, it is important to mention that the characteristics attributed to angels vary depending on religion and culture . If we focus on the strictly religious, angelology is the area of theology that is dedicated to the study of everything related to angels.
The concept in Christianity
For Christianity, most angels are kind beings. It is indicated that God assigns a guardian angel to each individual to be responsible for their protection. In any case, it is also understood that there are fallen angels , banished from heaven for rebelling and not following God 's commands.
This religion recognizes nine types of angels, divided into three hierarchies, which in turn house three choirs or orders. Archangels , cherubs , and seraphim are some of the classes of angels. As an example we can mention the archangel Michael , designated as the most responsible for the army of God .
Art represents angels in different ways.
Angels in Judaism
The properties of angels in Judaism changed over the years. At first, they were considered as beings with human form and qualities similar to people.
Beginning in the 2nd century , possibly with the intention of avoiding angel worship, rabbis began to downplay the qualities of angels. Thus, they lost their physical constitution and free will, transforming into creatures that only act following Yahveh 's orders.
The notion in Islam
The idea of an angel also appears in Islam, the third great monotheistic religion. Known as malaikas , the creation of these spirits - abstract or anthropomorphic as the case may be - was decided by Allah , who gave them different responsibilities.
Azrael (the angel of death ), Jibril (Islamic name of the archangel Gabriel ), Munkar and Nakir are among the angels recognized by Islam.
Angels beyond religion
It is important to indicate that the concept of angel is also used outside the religious sphere. In colloquial language , an angel is called someone who shows great kindness : “Ricardo is an angel, he dedicates all his free time to helping those in need,” “My neighbor is an angel who brings me food every time she cooks.” ” .
Angel, on the other hand, is someone's charm ( "María has an angel, she always steals glances" , "She is pretty, but she lacks an angel" ). It is even a proper name : the footballer Ángel Di María , the journalist Ángel de Brito .