Extension: Angels and demons

E X T E N S I O N ANGELS AND DEMONS Beautiful angels and horrible demons have always existed in all faiths and religions. However, Judaism and Christianity are the two major religions that say that God originally created all angels to be holy1, but some rebelled and became demons when they sinned. The name angel derives from Greek and means messenger , someone sent from God. According to Biblical interpretations, angels are a completely separate type of entity from humans and people do not become angels after death. Angels don t have limitless2 knowledge, they can t be everywhere at once, don t have physical bodies, can t reproduce and are invisible. The Scriptures list several specific types and categories of angels. In his Divine Comedy, the Italian poet Dante Alighieri imagined nine hot rings circling around a central point of intense light.These rings are the nine orders of angels3, hierarchically4 arranged according to how close to God they are. Among the angels, an important role is played by the Guardian Angels, described by Jesus as a group of angels who specifically protect the little ones , but who can be called by God to come to the help of people in general. 1. holy: sacred, divine. 2. limitless: infinite, without limit. 3. nine orders of angels: Seraphims, Cherubims, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels and Angels. 4. hierarchically: arranged into different levels of importance, from the highest to the lowest. 53