From time immemorial, the forces of good have been opposed by darkness. This can be seen in different areas, from fairy tales to religion. Angels are the main helpers of people, but if they do bad things, the Lord kicks them out of heaven and they go over to the side of Satan.

Who are fallen angels?

God created angels to help convey his will to people and perform various tasks. Among them were those who, for various reasons, decided to go against the will of the Lord, for which they were expelled from heaven. Also, people who are interested in what a fallen angel means should know that as a result, such entities went over to the side of evil and began to help Satan. The fallen angels are Nephilim because they fell out of the world and filled it with miscarriages from their fornication. Among the people they are also called demons.

Fallen angel Lucifer

Many do not know that God's main opponent was once his main assistant. Lucifer's name translates as "bringer of light" and was previously associated with the morning star. He always bathed in the love of the Lord, possessed great strength and beauty. For those wondering how Lucifer became a fallen angel, the main reason for his exile was his pride.

One day he considered himself equal to God and stopped listening to his orders. He descended into the Garden of Eden, taking the form of a serpent, and tempted Eve. God saw that there was no more love in Lucifer's heart and it was filled with pride. All this aroused the wrath of the Almighty, and he threw him into Hell, where he is still serving his punishment. Together with him, other fallen angels who took the side of darkness were cast out of heaven.

Fallen Angel Belial

It is believed that Belial is comparable in strength to Lucifer. According to legend, it appeared long before the emergence of Christianity itself. The names of the fallen angels have a special meaning, and Belial is translated from Hebrew as “one who has no dignity.”

1. In ancient scriptures, the demon is presented as the root of all evil on earth.
2. There is information that Belial was the first fallen angel before God kicked out Lucifer.
3. In some ancient Christian sources he is presented as the Antichrist.

Fallen angel Leviathan

This demon, together with Lucifer, was at the head of the revolt of the angels. The quality that Leviathan is especially attracted to is greed. He is engaged in inducing people to commit sins, deviating them from the faith.

1. The angel Leviathan has an opponent from the forces of light - the Apostle Peter.
2. It is believed that Leviathan brought Satan together with Lilith, and from this union Cain emerged.
3. Some sources accuse him of being the serpent who led Eve to sin.

Leviathan

Fallen angel Lilith

The Church completely refutes the information according to which Lilith was the first woman created by God as a mate to Adam. She was distinguished by her wayward and strong character, so she did not obey either her husband or the Lord, and he kicked her out of Paradise.

1. It is believed that after the exile, three angels were sent to kill the woman, but they decided to punish her and there are three versions of this. According to the first, she suffered every night from the fact that hundreds of her children were dying, the second, her descendants turned into demons, and the third, Lilith became barren.
2. The dark angel Lilith is considered an entity that harms childbirth.
3. In Sumerian legends, she is described as a goddess of extraordinary beauty and destructive power.
4. There are different options for describing appearance. More often she is presented as a beauty who has incredible attractiveness. In ancient sources, Lilith has a body covered with hair, paws and a snake tail.
5. It is generally accepted that after being expelled from Paradise, she created a couple with Lucifer.

Fallen Angel Azazel

Among others, this entity is distinguished by its cunning and ability to plot intrigues for people. Many people are interested in whether Azazel is an angel or a demon, and so different sources describe him differently, but the fact that he was one of Lucifer’s accomplices is for sure.

1. Initially, Azazel was the name given to a ritual animal - a goat, which was sent into the desert every year with all the sins of the Israeli people.
2. The original meaning of the name is absolution.
3. The story of Azazel's fall includes several episodes. There are interpreters who indicate that he was a tempting serpent.
4. He is considered a cherub angel who taught men how to use weapons and women how to create potions.
5. Many fallen angels are similar in appearance to humans, and Azazel is no exception. They represent him as old men with a beard and goat horns.

Fallen Angel Succubus

Among the expelled angels there were also representatives of the fair sex. The names of female fallen angels include such a creature as Succubus.

1. The succubus appears to people as a beautiful naked woman who has wings behind her back.
2. This fallen angel is considered a devilish incarnation that feeds on human powers.
3. The demon comes to men when they are weakened by their own passions. He reads the wishes of his victim and makes them come true. The demon of lust gains power during sexual intercourse. When a man succumbs to her deception, he will no longer get out of her trap.

How to summon a fallen angel?

Before getting involved with the forces of darkness, you need to think carefully about everything, because it is very dangerous. Since the Devil is a fallen angel, you can summon him, but this requires special magical power and preparation. The call of dark forces is made so that the demon can be a witness at initiation into sorcerers, for the purpose of harming another person or getting an answer to a question of interest.

Remember that black magic rituals always have negative consequences, so take care of protection. You cannot bind a fallen angel to demand the resurrection of loved ones, to ask for power and strength to harm a large number of people. It is important to treat the forces of evil with respect, so as not to anger them with your words. For the ritual, prepare five black church candles, a mirror, black thick cloth and incense.

1. Place the mirror in front of you and place candles around so that they are at an equal distance from each other. Light the incense and begin the ritual.
2. Close your eyes, relax and tune in to communicate with the fallen angel. When you feel that the preparation is complete, read the plot.
3. A cold touch to the face will indicate that the demon has arrived. In the reflection of the mirror you can see his appearance.
4. Thank the fallen angel for making contact. After that, quickly and without hesitation, say your wish. The fact that it will be completed will be indicated by the resulting flow of cold air. If the candle flames sway, this also indicates agreement.
5. Finish the ritual with gratitude, and then put out the candles and cover the mirror with a cloth. After that, hide all attributes.
6. When your wish comes true, turn to the fallen angel again, expressing your gratitude to him.

Fallen angel in Christianity

The Church does not deny the existence of the forces of evil, which are represented by Lucifer and his assistants. Orthodoxy speaks of fallen angels as the main servants of darkness, who were once on the side of light, but were guilty before God and he kicked them out to Hell. It is believed that when a person embarks on a sinful path, Satan’s assistants act on him. Fallen angels use various tricks to lead people astray from the righteous path.

The fallen angel is a sad and at the same time dark, terrifying image of Lucifer, popular among writers, directors and screenwriters. Why and when the angels of light rebelled under the leadership of the “son of the Dawn” Lucifer is not known for certain; legends speak only of the feeling of superiority that overwhelmed him.

Fallen Angel in the Bible

What does a fallen angel mean in Christianity? The sacred source The Bible talks about angels as sinless and luminous beings surrounding God. Any fallen angel, being at the beginning a being of a higher order, had free will and had the right to choose between good and evil. Some angels were fascinated by Satan, rebelled and betrayed the Lord, for which they were cast down to earth.

Names of fallen angels

The fallen angel Lucifer was the first among a host of others who fell after him. All these entities possessed powerful power in the heavenly kingdom, and were of high rank, but went over to the side of the rebellious Lucifer:

• Asmodeus– causes lust in people, attacks of jealousy, lust and hatred;
• fallen Angel Lilith- coming to men in dreams and inclining them to sexual intercourse;
• Samael– angel of the Judgment of the Underworld;
• Beelzebub– lord of demons;
• Satan- accuser of man before God;
• Leviathan- serpent Tempter.

Why do angels become fallen?

The legend of the fallen angel Lucifer tells where the line of dark angels came from. Lucifer “the luminous” was the most beloved and devoted bright angel of God, who brought him so close to himself that Lucifer became proud and decided to become equal to his Creator; a battle broke out in heaven between the dragon into which Lucifer turned and the archangel Michael with his army. Lucifer was defeated and God in anger cast down the angel who had turned evil to earth. Along with Lucifer, his allies fell. The fallen son created hell.

What do fallen angels look like?

A fallen dark angel is believed to be able to appear before a person in any guise: woman, man or child, as well as in the form of mythical characters, such as a dragon. The flesh of a fallen angel is devoid of the usual rough matter, like that of people, and is woven from a subtle ethereal substance. The following external characteristics are found in descriptive religious sources:

1. Black or dirty-gray bird wings or hard bone wings) are a sign that distinguishes the fallen from the bright angels.
2. In general, they have human features and only some of the body parts look like those of an animal (horns, hooves, tail) that protects the fallen angel.
3. They can appear both in an ugly, terrifying form, and in a beautiful, seductive one.

Fallen Angel Abilities

Fallen angels on earth have powers that are many times greater than those of humans, they consist of finer matter than humans, but they have a powerful influence on material nature. Their mind and will are developed to a significant extent, knowledge about the laws of the universe and the universe helps them use their skills a thousand times more efficiently than people. The abilities of angels extend far beyond the limits of the human mind:

• teleportation – the ability to instantly move in space;
• capable of transporting material substances and people from one place to another;
• influence changes in weather, can cause torrential downpours, hurricanes, tornadoes, drought;
• masterfully wield various types of weapons;
• telepathy - people and can themselves instill thoughts that a person perceives them as their own;
• able to change appearance and gender;
• can have sexual intercourse with earthly women - this is how Nephilim fallen angels of a lower order are born.

Films about fallen angels

Films about creatures of a different order and world are especially popular among fans of the fantasy genre. Movie about fallen angels:

1. "Fallen", 2016. Lucinda, the heroine of the film, is grieving the loss of a loved one. At a school for troubled teenagers, she meets a mysterious guy, Daniel. A spark flares up between them. Daniel is shrouded in mystery, and Lucinda tries to unravel his secret: who is he really? The film is based on the book of the same name.
2. "Legion", 2010. Archangel Michael, who fell to Earth, resisting God’s desires to destroy humanity, intends to save it. Michael fell for the specific purpose of protecting the future savior of the human race, Charlie, who is still just a child. Demonic entities begin to possess people, and everyone has one goal - to get to Charlie.
3. "Dogma", 1999. A fun film about two fallen angels, Loki and Bartbly, who are stripped of their wings and sent to Earth for disobeying God.

Books about fallen angels

Modern fantasy novels abound with mythical characters, and fallen angels are among the top popular characters among mythology and fantasy fans. Dark entities have always attracted people with their mystery. Series of books about fallen angels:

1. "Fallen" by Lauren Kate. Trilogy. Unlucky girl Luce Price is involved in a fire case in which a man mysteriously dies. Luce is sent to a reform school, where she has a hard time and the only bright spot in this institution is the sudden feeling of love for her classmate Daniel. But for some reason, Luce is haunted by vague suspicions that they already know each other and are not from this life.
2. "Dark Forces" by Jennifer Armentrout. The duology, consisting of the books: “Hot Kiss” and “Cold Embraces,” tells the story of Leila, who comes from an ancient family of gargoyles, demon hunters. Leila's dark side is demonic, inherited from her mother Lilith, a fallen angel. Leila, like her mother, can take souls. Astaroth, an ancient demon, saves Leila from death and tempts her; the girl cannot resist him.
3. "Thirst" by J.R. Ward. The hero of the book, Jim, a vengeful and sinful character, becomes a fallen angel with a mission to save the souls of seven people from mortal sins, with no room for error.

Pride says scripture was the cause of the fall of many angels. But to leave God means to lose life and be given over to death. The angels were the first to leave the Lord, and the just Lord also left them, leaving them to themselves.

What happened from this?
The faithful angels, strengthened by grace and triumphant in their humility, separated from them and rejected them with horror; the rebels turned from Angels of light into Angels of darkness. Having recently been clothed in radiance and glory, they were considered an object of disgust and horror for the whole sky and even for themselves; those who sang the praises of the Almighty began to utter blasphemy and curses with their lips.
Pursued by the breath of God's justice and tormented by their rage, they,with the speed of lightning, nor slept in the hellish abyss, like stars torn away from the firmament and falling into the boundless space of the universe.

The number of fallen angels is very large. These unfortunate angels, through their sin, did not lose the natural gifts with which the Creator endowed them at creation. They lost their bliss and holiness, but retained a very great and insightful understanding, although these abilities that remained with them served as punishment for them. For this reason, King David, as St. Augustine explains, calls them strong. The Savior Himself, speaking about Satan, the lava of fallen spirits, calls him prince of this world(John 12:31), and the Apostle Paul, explaining the word of the Divine teacher, calls Satan prince of the power of the air(Ephesians 11:2). The same apostle distinguishes between them: Beginnings, Powers, World Holders darkness of this century(Col. 2:15; Eph. 6:12).

From this we can conclude that the fallen Angels retained the distinctions established in the hierarchical order of the heavenly armies, and were forced to submit to Satan, the strongest and most evil of them all.
But what kind of submission is this in the home of eternal disorder, hatred and malice among these spirits, whose lips constantly spew out blasphemy and curses!
The Hand of God cast them into the abyss of hell; but from the underworld they can spread throughout the universe, tormented by their punishments and scorching fire. Hatred against God, the desire for revenge and despair torment them. This is the story of warfare, good and evil: it is Satan’s warfare against God; for Divine wisdom allows their pride to take up arms against heaven, heavenly angels and man until the day on which the gates of hell will be sealed for all eternity.

ATTACKS ON PEOPLE

Unable to attack God, they attack Him in His creations, especially in man, created in His image and likeness.
What hellish pleasure they find in desecrating this image and taking away from the Creator that creation for which He shows His boundless love! Whoever does not also know that the evil spirit is incapable of doing good feels inexplicable pleasure when he can acquire partners for himself.
their crimes, sharing his punishment with him?
And is it possible for Satan to be indifferent when we live in the hope of bliss, which he has lost; when the Lord, by His grace, makes us equal to the angels; when did the son of God take on the form of man to make us heirs to God?
(Eph. 2:12). He becomes furious when he thinks that the faithful followers of Jesus Christ, sitting on majestic thrones, will judge him large with the Angels at the end of the ages. This envy burns him more powerfully than the flames of hell. He troubles heaven and earth in order to draw us into his snares. He turns all the fury of his anger on us and becomes most dangerous to us when he attacks not with open force, but with insidious seductions and various tricks of his inventive mind.

Abaddon
- (Abbadona, biblical Abaddon; Apollyon, Apollyon) – angel of the Abyss, a powerful demon of death and destruction, military adviser to Hell. His name comes from Hebrew. "destruction". It is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible in the same breath as hell and death (Prov. 15:11; 27:20; Job 26:6; 28:22).
In the Revelation of John, Abaddon (Greek Apollyon - “destroyer”) leads against humanity at the end of time a punishing army of monstrous locusts, by which later commentators understood a special type of demons. The name "Abbadon" was repeatedly used in the Middle Ages as one of the designations of Satan.Bible passages mentioning Abaddonna:
(Book of Job, chapter 26):
"6 Sheol is naked before Him, and there is no cover for Abaddon."
(Book of Job, chapter 28):
"22 Abaddon and death say, 'With our ears we have heard the report of her.'
(Book of Proverbs of Solomon, chapter 15):
“11 Sheol and Abaddon are open before the Lord, much more the hearts of the sons of men.”
(Revelation of John the Theologian (Apocalypse), chapter 9):
"11 She had the angel of the abyss as her king; his name in Hebrew was Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon."

Azazel
(with emphasis on the second letter “A” or Azazel, Azaziel) - a demon of the second order, the main standard-bearer of the infernal army (I. Vir). Lord of the waterless desert, related to the Canaanite god of the scorching sun Asiz and the Egyptian Set. Azazel is a fallen Cherub, by order of the Almighty, he is chainedArchangel Raphael to the sharp rocks in the desert of Dudail and is covered in darkness until the Day of Judgment, when he will be thrown into the eternal fire.

Ancient Jews once a year (on the holiday of atonement Yom Kippur) sent a black goat into the desert as a sacrifice to Azazel, onto which on that day all the sins of the Jewish people were transferred - this ritual is described in the Bible (Leviticus 16, 10; in the synodal translation the word "Azazel" " rendered as "absolution"). Azazel appears in the apocryphal “Testament of Abraham” (1st century), where he is depicted as an “unclean bird” landing on the sacrifice prepared by Abraham (13, 4-9); identified with Hell (sinners burn in the belly of the “evil worm Azazel” 14, 5-6; 31, 5) and with the Serpent who seduced Eve (“a dragon with human arms and legs, having on its shoulders six wings on the right and six on the left,” 23 , 7). Origen (3rd century) identified him with Satan. Rabbi 13th century Moses ben Namen writes: " The Lord commanded us to send a goat on the day of Yom Kippur to the master whose possessions lie in deserted places. The emanation of his power brings destruction and death... He is associated with the planet Mars... and his share among animals is the goat. Demons enter his domain and are called sheddim in Scripture."Sheddim - goat-shaped demons of the desert, repeatedly mentioned in the Bible (Leviticus 17, 7; 2 Chronicles 11, 15; Isaiah 34, 14) have long been considered subordinates of Azazel; perhaps his cult (goat sacrifice) developed among the Jews under the influence ancient Semitic worship of Sheddim. According to the magicians, Azazel appears as a bearded man with horns, leading a black goat in a crown. He can carry any things away and make sure that no one will ever find them. He has great power in matters of destruction and damage. He is needed spell at least 6 times (which indicates his power), but they claim that the magicians who had meetings with him disappeared without a trace.Excerpt from the Bible (Leviticus, chapter 16):
“10 And Aaron will cast lots for both goats: one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for Azazel.”

Leviathan
(Lefiafan, Lefian) – demon of greed. He is the prince of the Seraphim and, together with Beelzebub and Lucifer, led the rebellion of the angels. Leviathan is the leader of heretics, he inclines people to sins that are directly contrary to faith.
The enemy is the Apostle Peter. In Binsfeld's list of demons of the deadly sins, Leviathan represents envy. According to one biblical legend, the Lord created two terrible monsters, Leviathan and Hippopotamus, but they should in no way be identified with the demons Leviathan and Hippopotamus. Leviathan is sometimes accused of being the same serpent who seduced Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Moloch
(Molech, Milkom), was once a deity to whom children were sacrificed, then became the prince of the underworld. Moloch drinks in the tears of mothers. His face is usually smeared with blood. In Johann Wier's book “De Praestigius Daemonum”, he is called the Prince of the Land of Tears. Depicted with a bull's head, seated on a throne. Mac Gregor Mathers called Moloch one of the archdemons, an anti-sephiroth (evil elemental). Bible Passage (Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 32):

"35 They built temples for Baal in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, to lead their sons through the fire in honor of Molech, which I did not command them, and it did not enter my mind that they would do this abomination, causing Judah to sin."

At the end of the 20th century, when man has made an immeasurable leap in understanding the secrets of the universe compared to the Middle Ages, is it possible to speak seriously about fallen angels, about the devil as a real being, a real force operating in the world? All the talk about the devil these days is not a relic of the distant past, or the product of a sick imagination or a disordered psyche?

Many people, having heard something about the devil and his wiles, take it for a fairy tale. But no matter what people say and think about the devil, he really exists, this is undeniable. The devil exists, and his destructive actions are manifested everywhere in the world. According to one French writer, the greatest victory of the devil was that he was able to convince people that he did not exist.

And they say that in those places of the Holy Scriptures where evil spirits are spoken of, it is necessary to allegorically imply human sins, vices, passions, unclean desires. But this is fundamentally wrong. B N c. The Bible gives the evil spirit such names that clearly depict it as a person - “the evil one,” “Satan,” “tempter,” “man-killer,” etc. Whoever replaces the personal name of the devil with the impersonal word “evil” denies the real existence an evil spirit, and such a person cannot be a true Christian follower of Christ the Savior, who became incarnate for the purpose of destroying the works of the devil.

THE FALL OF ANGELS, THE FORMATION OF EVIL SPIRITS

God created all angels good. But some of them, as beings with free will, abused their freedom and took the path of resistance to God, that is, they fell into sin. No necessity forced them to do this.
Holy Scripture clearly testifies that in the beginning the fallen spirits were sinless. This primarily follows from the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, when He, denouncing the Jews who did not believe in His words, told them that their father was the devil, who “did not stand in the truth” (John 8:44). Also St. The Apostle Peter in his 2nd epistle says: “...God did not spare the angels who sinned, but, having bound them in the chains of hellish darkness, he handed them over to be kept in judgment for punishment” (2 Peter 2:4).
St. ap. John the Theologian testifies: “Whoever commits sin is of the devil, because the devil sinned first” (1 John 3:8). The Holy Church through its lips inspired men, great ascetics of piety, always maintained that fallen spirits were created good, and then they themselves became evil

“We say otherwise,” writes Blessed Theodoret, “that the spirits of evil were created evil from the beginning by the Lord of all, and that such a nature was given to them; but that they themselves, through a decline in their will, rushed from the best to the worst.” Regarding the fall of the devil, St. Cyril of Jerusalem writes: “No one sinned before the devil; he sinned not because by nature he received the necessary inclination to sin (otherwise the cause of sin would have fallen on the one who created him as such); but, being created good, of his own will he became the devil.” According to St. Augustine, “the devil is an unclean spirit; there is good, like spirit, and there is evil, like unclean; he is a spirit by nature, and unclean by sin; of these two properties, the first is from God, the last from the devil himself.”

But how did the fall of the devil happen?
All created angels were given freedom: either to be with God or to move away from him. At the moment of creation, the angels did not have final perfection and were called to achieve it through constant communication with God, which, in turn, provided them with indescribable bliss. But one of the closest to God, the Cherub-Daily, was seduced by his closeness to the Almighty and his role as a mediator between God and the angels closest to Him. Pride flared up in him before the angels, a consciousness of his superiority, since through him other angels received light and grace from God.
Why the highest angel this one got proud the question should not occupy the human mind, since only God knows the answer. Is it logical for us, limited beings, to delve into those mysteries of existence that are known only to the Almighty? Along with pride, the star appeared envy of God as the Source of all heavenly powers and blessings. Then he, the very first light-bearer in the angelic world, was inflamed with an insane desire to become like God, to be God himself for the heavenly angelic ranks and the rest of the world. Envy pushed the star to slander God before the angels, and this created temptation among them, which led to the greatest catastrophe in the angelic world. The prophet Isaiah describes the fall of the star like this: “How you have fallen from heaven, O star, son of the dawn! He crashed to the ground, trampling the nations. And he said in his heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mountain in the assembly of gods at the edge of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12-15). With these words, the prophet Isaiah shows the star in the image of a very great ruler who has lost his dominion due to his exorbitant pride.

Dennitsa carried away with him countless angels who were seduced by him. We read about the tragedy that happened in Heaven in the Revelation of St. John the Theologian: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought against them, but they did not stand, and there was no longer a place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world, he was cast out to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Rev. 12:7-9).

IN From v. In the Gospel of Luke, the Son of God says that He saw the fall of Satan: “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning” (Luke 10:18). That the devil carried away some of the angels with him, Christ speaks very clearly about this, depicting the Last Judgment: “Then the Lord will say to those on the left side: Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” ( Matthew 25:41).

The fall of the evil spirits was so deep that they will never rise again and repent of their evil and pride. There is no place for repentance for them; they can never receive God's grace.

Evil spirits fell away from God quite consciously, deliberately, because the Lord gave them a very great mind and revealed many heavenly secrets. They fell away without any outside influence and with extremely stubborn bitterness. Moreover, as disembodied spirits, they are free from any material shell and, therefore, were not subject to any temptations of the flesh. Therefore, the falling away of some of the angels from God was for them tantamount to death, after which there is no place for repentance, just as there is no place for repentance for a person after his death.

HOW TO RECONCILE THE EXISTENCE OF EVIL SPIRITS WITH THE GOODNESS OF GOD?

The devil, having fallen away from God, became the beginning, source, completeness and personification of evil, which at its core is a rebellion against God. Evil in itself is not an independent beginning, not some kind of original evil nature, coeternal with God, is not a special original essence, but the state of the will of a spiritual-intelligent being that has fallen away from God. The Russian philosopher V. Lossky wrote: “The beginning of evil is rooted in the freedom of the creature. This is why it is unforgivable: evil is born only from the freedom of the being who creates it. Evil is a lack of good. God is infinite good. Therefore, evil has nothing to do with God, but only with limited rational creatures.” Evil is not created by God, and God is not responsible for it. On the contrary, the Lord, with His Providence, turns evil into good. Explaining the origin of evil, St. Gregory of Nyssa writes: “The rational nature was given freedom and combined with the power that invents what it desires, so that arbitrariness takes place. Good was not something forced, but was credited to free will. And since this free movement allows one to exercise one’s will, someone was found (the Lucifer, the highest angel) who used freedom for evil and, in the words of the Apostle, became “inventive for evil” (Rom. 1:30). He, since he himself was created by God, is our brother, and since he autocratically refused to participate in good, he opened the entrance to evil and, becoming the father of lies, placed himself among our enemies in everything in which only our freedom desires good. Therefore, for others there was a reason for the loss of benefits, which is what later happened to human nature.”

People often ask the question: did God know, when creating angels, that some of them would fall away, and if he knew, then why did he create them? Of course, he knew, for He is omniscient. But why did the Almighty create them? The Holy Scripture answers such questions: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. But as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isa. 55: 8-9). The personality of both an angel and a person is the highest creation of God, therefore the Lord, being infinite Love, wants to have communication with His spiritually intelligent creatures through love, and that is why God puts into His spiritualized creations the ability of love, which is based on choice. Both angels and man free to choose to stay in communication with your Creator, or refuse such communication. But evasion from God as the source of good deprives the creature of good and leads it to the path of evil.

Some may ask: “How can we reconcile with Divine love and goodness the fact that creatures created by God will suffer forever?” Answering this question, one should first of all say that the All-Holy God loves only good, and He cannot in any way love evil, sin. The devil, the demons, have nothing good left. For this reason, unclean spirits cannot be the object of God's love. In addition, by granting free will to the fallen angels during creation as one of their highest gifts. The Lord does not constrain it, does not disturb it in order to forcibly attract these beings to bliss. The eternal bliss of all rational-moral beings lies within themselves, figuratively speaking, in their heart, and it cannot be given to anyone from the outside if there is no soil for it in the heart, which is prepared by the rational-moral being itself. There is not the slightest good left in evil spirits, from which the desire to free themselves from evil and become good could arise and develop.

Their eternal fate will be in accordance with their moral state. To better understand what has been said, let us give an example. Let's say a person who has developed a frantic passion for fornication, for sexual perversion, is placed against his will in a monastery, where everything breathes the holy atmosphere of chastity; or a blasphemer, a fighter against God, imbued through and through with hatred of religion, the church, is forcibly drawn into the church choir so that he constantly lifts up praises to the Lord with his lips. What will it be like for them, both the carnivore and the hater of God, in an atmosphere of moral purity and holiness that is unnatural for their internal state? If the Lord had not expelled the fallen spirits from heaven, then the heavenly atmosphere of holiness and love. The Divine Light illuminating the Heavenly Abodes would scorch these corrupted evil spirits an infinite number of times more painful than the fire of hell. That is why, in the fact that the Lord expelled the angels who had fallen into sin from Heaven, His goodness was also manifested. The condemnation of demons for all their evil deeds to endless torment in hell is in full accordance with the justice of God. It must be said once again that with your small human mind, with your meager logic and philosophy, you should not intrude into those higher spheres of the mysteries of existence that are known only to God and where there is an impenetrable boundary for the human mind. Is it really possible that a man-creation, who in the hands of the Creator is the same as clay in the hands of a potter, has the right to reach such audacity as to ask the Almighty why He does this or that?

NUMBER OF FALLEN SPIRITS, THEIR NATURE, STRENGTH AND POWER

The names “Satan” and “devil”, referring to the most important of the fallen spirits, mean: enemy, adversary, accuser, slanderer.
He is the enemy of God and man. The devil slanderes a person against God (Gen. 3,
1-7) and God on man (Job 1:9; 2:4). Unlike their leader, other fallen spirits are called demons. How many demons are there? Holy Scripture does not define, but makes it clear that this number is very large. Unclean spirits form a whole kingdom led by Beelzebub, the prince of demons (Matthew 12:24). B N c. The Gospel says that the Savior cast out a legion of demons from one man in the country of the Gadarenes (Luke 8:30). From. The Holy Gospel also knows that
Christ cast out seven demons from Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9). The Word of God reveals to us that armies of demons are fighting against us, “... our struggle is against blood and flesh, but against the principalities, against the powers, ... against the spirits of wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12), writes St. ap. Paul. There is a difference in strength and power between unclean spirits.

Despite the fact that demons are forever entrenched in evil, they nevertheless have mind, will and feelings. They know a lot. In terms of intelligence, they are significantly superior to humans. Their will was immeasurably established in evil.
They are irreconcilable opponents of truth and goodness. As for their feelings, the word of God speaks of their trembling and fear of God: “the demons believe and tremble” (James 2:19), about their malice and hatred of everything good, about their envy, pride, etc. n. Demons, having possessed a person, can speak on their own behalf. At the same time, they can darken the mind and torment a person to such an extent that he can, emitting foam, fall to the ground. For example, the Evangelist Luke talks about this (Luke 4:35; 8:27; 9:39).
Even before he fell away from God, the devil was a powerful angel, and while he remains powerful, he is not omnipotent, his powers are limited. Christ calls him “the prince of this world” (John 14:30). According to St. ap. Paul, Satan is the prince of the power of the air: “According to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2). Satan leads the kingdom of darkness. He has power over the kingdom of death. St. ap. Paul in his letter to the Hebrews says: “That through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).

What is the final fate of the devil and all his angels? They were defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary and on the day of the Last Judgment they will suffer final defeat and will be forever “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone” (Rev. 20:10). Victory over the devil is granted to every Christian who accepts the atoning Sacrifice of the Son of God, worthily communing with the Body and Blood of the Lord.

We have all heard the word “angel” more than once. And they not only heard it, but also used it in their speech. What do we know about angels? Who is this, and why is the first association that arises when you mention this word - divine power and something spiritual? What do they look like and what is their mission? We will learn about all this in this article.

Who is an angel?

An angel is a messenger of God, His servant. This is exactly how this concept is described. This is actually a literal translation, which from the Greek ("angelos") is translated as "messenger, messenger."

Who an angel is is known all over the world, in every religion. According to the Holy Scriptures, angels were created long before the creation of the whole world, and their purpose was to serve God. What kind of ministry? They glorify God, convey messages from Him to man, protect people and carry out many other tasks. Many of them have a specific mission.

But there are also those angels who refused to obey the will of God for unknown reasons. They were cast into the underworld as punishment and are called fallen. The fallen angel refers to the misanthropic and evil army of entities that rebelled against God and man.

What does an angel look like?

Many clergy express their opinions regarding the essence of the angel. For the most part, they agree that an angel is a light, fiery, insightful and quick entity. They are also credited with the desire for good and service to God, which is quite appropriate, discipline and infallibility, nobility and humility. Such qualities of an angel come from the purposes they serve.

An angel does not have a physical body, and is endowed with immortality. A rational entity with intelligence and relative freedom. Angels, not surprisingly, have no age or gender and do not change over time. As it was originally created, it remains in this form.

Despite the freedom given to the angel, he is limited by space. That is, he cannot be in several places at the same time, but he is capable of moving at tremendous speed.

Who this angel is can only be learned from the words of clergy and eyewitnesses who managed to see his coming. It is impossible to confirm or deny these facts.

Of course, we can only assign all these traits to angels conditionally, since no one knows exactly what they look like. This is a completely different level of understanding and awareness that people are not given.

We know angels as creatures that look like a person with white wings on their backs. Wings in this case are a symbol of the speed of fulfilling the will of God.

Angels are often depicted in armor or robes, with staffs, spears or axes in their hands as the personification of the Heavenly Host.

Angelic ranks

There is a certain system, a special hierarchy, generally accepted by everyone. Thus, the entire angelic army is divided into three large groups, or triads.

The first triad includes Cherubim (the name means “abundance of knowledge and wisdom”), Seraphim (“flaming ones”) and Thrones (“those withdrawn from earthly things and striving for God”). These are the highest ranks who are the purest and most unbreakable in their devotion to God.

The second triad contains Dominances, Powers and Powers. These angels are constantly enlightened by God's wisdom, and they do not listen to it, but simply contemplate it. Dominions are engaged in instructing earthly kings and rulers to wisely rule. Angels of the rank of Powers send grace to God's saints and work miracles on earth. But in the powers of the Authorities there is the taming of the devil’s plans, the angels of the Authorities take temptation away from us; These church angels also control the natural elements.

Well, the third triad consists of the Principalities, Archangels and Angels. This is the group closest to people. Thanks to them, the will of God is conveyed to us, helping us to improve ourselves. The principles govern all the laws of nature, the Universe, and protect nations and peoples. Archangels are conductors of God's revelations, they bring good news about the mysteries of God. There are angels with every person. They are assigned to protect and instruct us in spiritual life.

Who are fallen angels?

In fact, this essence was once also light and pure, created by God. But once having abandoned God, this angel was expelled from the Heavenly Kingdom for his atrocities, which is why he became dark and vengeful, and was now called a “fallen angel.”

In Orthodoxy, fallen angels are also called angels of darkness. The most famous representatives are demons and demons; they serve Satan, the devil.

Satan first appears during the time of Adam and Eve in the form of a tempting serpent, who persuades Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and disobey the will of God, for which they were later punished and expelled from Paradise.

A fallen angel is a cunning tempter whose mission is to destroy a person’s inner peace, his faith in God and virtues, and encourage him to commit sinful actions that alienate a person from God.

The Devil (Lucifer) was also once the supreme angel, among those closest to God. But it so happened that he became proud of himself and equated himself with the Father, for which he was cast into Hell. It was he who became the first of the fallen.

Guardian Angels: who are they?

The idea that each of us has a personal patron is repeatedly mentioned in literature, cinema, music and everything that surrounds a person. What kind of patron is this, on whose help many people count? This is a guardian angel.

According to Holy Scripture, such an angel is given by God to every person from birth and baptism. The strength and capabilities of this angel depend on the spirituality of a person, the positivity of his thinking and the good deeds that he performs.

Christian traditions say that every person has two principles - good and evil. Behind his right shoulder stands a good guardian angel, guiding him on the true path, and behind his left shoulder is an evil tempting spirit who wants to turn a person into evil. These two angels accompany a person throughout his life. Afterwards they lead to the gates of Heaven (heavenly angel) or Hell (fallen angel), depending on what path in life a person has chosen - good or more evil.

That is why we cross ourselves from right to left, the handshake is done with the right hand, and the right hand is also applied to the heart. Many more such examples can be given, but the essence remains the same: the right side is very symbolic in Christianity.

Do Guardian Angels Really Exist?

When it becomes clear who the patron angel is, questions arise about whether their existence is true. Is our spiritual protector really with us throughout our lives? Can anyone confirm the existence of such an entity as a guardian angel?

Of course, there is no scientific confirmation of the existence of angels, nor is there a refutation. Many people turn to angels and God in the most difficult moments in their lives, despite the lack of evidence.

There are many different situations in which people miraculously survive. This can be attributed to a happy accident and said that “a man was born wearing a shirt.” That's what the skeptics will do. But we can conclude that since a person survived under incredible conditions, it means that he is kind, and a strong guardian angel is assigned to him, who protects him.

Angel of Death

Before we talk about this angel, it is worth noting that the Bible does not say anything about the existence of a separate angel responsible for being with a person who is dying.

Despite this, there are references to such a creature in other religions. For example, in Judaism the angel of death is known as Sariel, Azrael or Samael, in Islam it is Malak Al-Mawt, in Hinduism it is Yamaraja or Yama.

In different religions and mythologies, this angel is represented in different ways - a skeleton with a scythe in a black robe, a young woman or an old woman, even a child. Despite its appearance, its mission is one: being present at the moment of a person’s death and either contemplating this process or directly participating in it.

In Christianity, such obligations could be placed on any angel solely by the will of God, but the angel of death does not exist separately. Often these angels are mistakenly called fallen angels, but this is not true.

What language do angels speak?

Today it is generally accepted that Enochian is the language of angels. The reliability of this fact cannot be confirmed or refuted. This language was created by occultists J. Dee and E. Kelly, it was classified. As the creators of this theory themselves claimed, Kelly received this knowledge from angels during meditation.

Doesn't exist as a separate one. There is an alphabet, and also the keys to it, since the language is encrypted.

How to pray to an angel correctly?

You can turn to an angel for help. There are special prayers addressed to a personal guardian angel and calling on him for protection and assistance.

It is important to treat with all sincerity and to be pure at heart. In fact, it is not so important what you say and what your prayer to the angel will be. He knows about your thoughts, and if you ask for help in a good deed, he will definitely help.

There are many versions about who the Fallen Angel was and why he was thrown from heaven. And his image appears angelic or demonic, depending on what angle you look at this story from. But the most mysterious thing about this story is that the more carefully you analyze the details, the more questions arise. In short, the simplest, almost official version looks like this.

Before creating the world, God created angels for himself as helpers. And the most capable among them was Lucifer. One day, suddenly this angel became jealous that he was not a god and he decided to correct this matter. He persuaded some other angels and started a rebellion. But the forces were unequal. In the war with the angels who remained faithful to God, Lucifer's army was defeated, and they were all thrown out of Heaven into Hell, where they remain until the end of time.

There is an opinion that the Fallen Angel is the Devil, constantly setting up evil machinations for God’s saints. But diabolism is a separate issue.

If anyone thinks that everything in this story is clear and understandable, let them try to honestly answer the following questions.

God created helpers for himself, and Lucifer was the best of them. Unlike people whom God created for no apparent reason, everything is clear here. Angels are not people with their own passions, a tendency to sin and commit rash acts. Angels are more perfect beings. And most importantly: if people have some freedom to choose, as it were, between sin and holiness, then the angels do not need such freedom. Since this freedom in particular and freedom in general would contribute little to the fulfillment of their function. Why would God create disobedient helpers? But suddenly it turns out that some angels were at least as vicious as people. They manifested such sins as envy and vanity, and maybe all the others. People, due to their humanity, are prone to sin, have never seen God in person - it is understandable why some of them rebel against God. But how could the angels do this?! Angels who witnessed how God laid the cornerstone of the universe and gave instructions to the morning. Perhaps these are the very angels who set the milestones of existence and the passage of time. And suddenly it turns out that they were pursuing some of their own goals. Maybe God also endowed them, like people, with a tendency to sin? Or cannot any of His creation be free from vice? Is such a God worthy to be the creator of our world?

The motive for the rebellion looks somehow unconvincing. Envy. Was Lucifer, being the best of the best, so vain? It is difficult to imagine that this greatest being was so petty and envious. Or maybe he had a God who did not evoke love and respect in the hearts of his loved ones, but only envy and fear?

What was and is Heaven? It's hard to imagine a riot in paradise. Uprisings occur where people are oppressed, or in places of detention. And Heaven is just such a place where the immortal and free spirit is imprisoned in slavish, corruptible flesh.