The Holy Angels
As September turns into October, the Church celebrates several festivals of the Holy Angels. This includes the Feast of the Archangels – St Michael, St Gabriel and St Raphael (29 September) – and the Feast of the Guardian Angels (2 October). These celebrations invite us to consider the important role of the angels in the biblical story. So through the lens of church art, let’s look now at the hierarchy of the angels, the various ways in which they are pictured, and the most popular Scripture stories that feature them.
The Nine Choirs
The existence of an angelic hierarchy is implied, rather than defined, in the Bible. Scripture refers to the angels as being organised into companies, legions and armies (2 Maccabees 5:1-4; Matthew 26:53; Revelation 19:14). This suggests a hierarchy, as would exist in the military.
The Bible also describes some angels as having higher status than others. The Old Testament speaks of an angel who is the “commander” of God’s heavenly army (Joshua 5:14; Daniel 8:11). And in the prophetic books of Zechariah and Revelation, we read of certain angels giving orders to other angels (Zechariah 2:1-5; Revelation 14:17-18).
Based on the biblical data, Christian scholars identified nine kinds of angels and then systematically categorised them into a series of ranks known as ‘choirs’. We see this most influentially in the work of an early Christian writer whose pen name was Dionysius. He wrote an essay entitled On the Celestial Hierarchy.
Similar reflections on the nine choirs of angels are also found later in the writings of St Gregory the Great and St Isidore of Seville. Their definitions and orders differed slightly, but they agreed with Dionysius that there were nine types of angels. In the Middle Ages, scholars such as St Bonaventure, St Thomas Aquinas and St Bernard of Clairvaux developed this thinking still further, into a field of study that became known as ‘angelology’.
The nine choirs of angels are sometimes found pictured together in church art. Within the United Kingdom, you’ll find stained glass scenes of the hierarchy within the Cathedral of Our Lady and St Philip Howard (Arundel), the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus (Manchester) and Belmont Abbey (Hereford).
Here is a summary of the nine choirs, as outlined in traditional Christian thought and pictured in mosaic within the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Catherine of Alexandria, Droitwich. The stunning scene was designed by Gabriel Pippet and brought to life by the mosaicist Maurice Posey in the 1920s. It shows the angels surrounding God in heaven.
First Hierarchy – the angels closest to God
The first hierarchy of angels include those who are closest to the throne of God. The Book of Revelation describes a vision of the angels in heaven. Those closest to God are the seven flaming spirits (the seraphim), the four living creatures (the cherubim) and twenty-four elders seated on thrones (the thrones) (Revelation 4:1-11).
Seraphim
I saw the Lord sitting on a high and lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the temple. In attendance above him were seraphim (Isaiah 6:1).
In Christian tradition, the seraphim are the angels who are closest to God in heaven. In Hebrew, their name means ‘fiery ones’. The book of Isaiah says that they each have six wings and that their role is to glorify God (6:1-10). As such, they are known as the angels of adoration. Due to their fiery name, they are often represented in red and orange, as they are here.
Cherubim
In the center of the throne and around it there were four living creatures and they were covered with eyes in front and in back. Each of the four living creatures had six wings (Revelation 4:6,8).
The cherubim are the guardians of the heavenly throne and the angels who contemplate God. In Hebrew, their name means ‘those who pray’. The book of Ezekiel describes them as having multiple wings, and accompanied by mysterious wheels with eyes (Ezekiel 10:20-22). In the book of Revelation, they are seen worshipping God night and day, endlessly chanting his praises (Revelation 4:6-8). The cherubim are often represented in blue, the colour of God (Exodus 24:9-10). Notice the blue trim on their wings in this mosaic.
Thrones
Encircling the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders, dressed in white with gold crowns on their heads. (Revelation 4:4)
The Thrones are understood to be the angels who carry out God’s justice. The Book of Daniel refers to angels who take their seats as part of God’s heavenly “court”, to pass judgement on those on earth (Daniel 7:9-10,26). The twenty-four crowned elders of Revelation, who are seated on thrones around God in heaven, probably represent this choir of angels (4:4,10-11). It’s not entirely clear which of the groups represents them in this scene, but it’s probably the crowned ones with palm branches as pictured here.
Second Hierarchy – the angels of the universe
St Paul wrote that Christ “created all things in heaven and on earth, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers.” (Colossians 1:16) The last three are traditionally understood as the names of the angels of the second hierarchy. These angels are those who govern the physical and spiritual universe.
Dominions
“As these horses emerged, eager to set off and patrol the earth, the angel said to them, “Go forth and patrol the earth,” and they did so.” (Zechariah 6:4,7)
The dominions are traditionally understood to be the spirits in charge of the virtues and powers. In various places, the Bible describes supervising angels, who give orders to other heavenly spirits, as in the text above (Zechariah 1:8-13; 6:1-8; Revelation 7:1-3). St Paul also referred to them in his letter to the Ephesians (1:21). Again, it’s not entirely obvious which group represents them in the mosaic. – it’s most likely the crowned kings, with symbols of their authority over the universe.
Virtues
I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth. (Revelation 7:1)
The virtues are categorised as the heavenly spirits with miraculous power over the physical creation. St Paul described them as “rulers” (Colossians 1:16). The book of Revelation refers to angels in charge of the four elements – fire, earth, air and water (Revelation 7:1-2; 14:18; 16:5). It’s difficult to say which exactly are the virtues in this mosaic; by a process of elimination it’s probably these figures.
Powers
All you powers of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. (Daniel 3:61)
These angels, first referred to in the Book of Daniel, are understood to be those with particular power over the spiritual aspects of creation (Daniel 3:61). In their letters, St Peter and St Paul also mention them (1 Peter 3:22; Romans 8:38). They are understood to be the angels whose role is to resist evil spirits. We see this in this mosaic, as they each hold whips with which to subdue the demons.
Third Hierarchy – the angels closest to humanity
The Book of Hebrews says: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14) This describes the role of the angels as serving God by helping humanity. Traditionally, the three final ranks of the lowest hierarchy are the principalities, archangels and angels.
Principalities
An angel said to Daniel: “As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I came forth to support and strengthen him” (Daniel 11:1)
In Catholic tradition, the principalities are the governing angels, who guide and protect rulers, nations, cities and churches. St Paul referred to them along with the regular angels (Romans 8:38). We find examples of principalities in the Book of Daniel, as guardian angels involved in the political sphere, and supporting King Darius (Daniel 4:23-26; 10:13,30; 11:1). Here they are pictured as the guardian angels of the seven churches of Asia.
Archangels
I saw that seven trumpets were given to the seven angels who stand in the presence of God. (Revelation 8:2)
The word archangel means “chief angel” (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 9). The archangels are understood to be the leaders of the regular angels. According to the Bible, there are seven such angels who “stand before God” (Tobit 12:15; Revelation 8:2). We know the names of three of them. One of these is named Raphael, another is Gabriel (Tobit 12:15; Luke 1:19). The leader of the archangels is Michael, “the great prince” (Daniel 12:1). All three of the named archangels are represented here – Michael (top), Gabriel (left) and Raphael (right).
Angels
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels in joyful gathering. (Hebrews 12:22)
The last choir of the heavenly spirits are the regular angels, of which there are “myriads”. Their role is to be “ministering spirits” – guides, protectors and messengers for human beings (Hebrews 1:14). In the Bible, we read of them offering prayers in heaven, looking after individuals and bearing souls away at death (Revelation 8:2; Matthew 18: 10; Luke 16:22). Here they are presented with details from the Book of Revelation – one blowing a trumpet and another, holding an incense burner.
The Biblical Blueprint: Picturing Angels in Church Art
The Bible has long served as a source of inspiration for artists on how to picture angels, even offering specific instructions on the subject. For instance, in the Book of Exodus, God commands Moses to fashion golden angels for the sanctuary, saying: “You will make two cherubim out of gold. Make them as hammered works, placing them on the two sides of the seat… The cherubim shall have two wings spread out covering the seat of atonement.” (Exodus 25:18,20)
Following this guidance, the Temple of Solomon was decorated with angelic imagery. Within the Holy of Holies, two golden sculptures of winged cherubim stood guard, while similar angelic images were engraved on the walls and doors. This established a blueprint for featuring images of golden, winged angels within sacred spaces.
Elsewhere, the Bible frequently described angels in ways that helped artists to picture them. For example, they are commonly described as young men in white robes, with shining faces (Daniel 12:6; Tobit 5:4-5; Mark 16:5; Matthew 28:2-3; Acts 1:10). They are also said to wear golden items such as belts or armour, or to hold golden objects such as weapons, incense burners or bowls (2 Maccabees 3:26-26; 11:8; Revelation 8:3; 15:6,7).
The angels are often described as flying, which led to them being pictured with wings (Psalm 18:10; Daniel 9:21; 14:36; Revelation 14:6). In Christian art, haloes came later, although we do read of a rainbow that surrounded the head of one of the angels (Revelation 10:1-2).
The Book of Revelation refers to angels holding harps, singing songs and sounding trumpets, which later inspired depictions of them as musicians (Revelation 5:8-9; 8:2). Since the heavenly hierarchy was divided into choirs, and the angels were thought to be present during Mass (cf 1 Corinthians 11:10), musical angels became very common in church art.
In stained glass, sculpture and other forms of church art, angels are often pictured holding various objects. These may include Passion symbols (such as the cross, nails, the crown of thorns, or a spear), heraldic shields, or liturgical items such as incense burners, candlesticks, or chalices.
Scripture also provided strong artistic cues that helped identify symbols for the three named archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Since St Michael is described as leading the angels in battle with the Devil, he is often pictured wearing armour or wielding a sword. Imagery from Psalm 91:11-13 also led to St Michael being represented as trampling on a dragon-like Devil.
St Gabriel is best known for being the angel who visited the Virgin Mary, to tell her about her miraculous pregnancy. Since one of the Virgin’s symbols was a lily, as an emblem of purity, this flower also became associated with Gabriel.
St Raphael is the healing angel described in the Old Testament book of Tobit. In the story, St Raphael told his companion Tobias to catch a large fish from a river. Parts of the fish were later used to heal Tobias’ father. As a result, a fish came to be St Raphael’s identifying symbol; he is often pictured holding one.
From Genesis to Revelation: Angels in Sacred Art
Certain biblical stories featuring angels are particularly common in church art. Looking at the Old Testament, Genesis has often been a popular sourcebook for stories about angels. Stories from Genesis that have often been translated into art included:
(1) The angel banning Adam and Eve from Eden,
(2) The three angels to whom Abraham offered hospitality,
(3) The angel who prevented Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac and
(4) The angels whom Jacob saw in his vision of a heavenly ladder.
Other angelic stories from the Old Testament that are often represented in art include the story of St Raphael journeying with Tobias, Daniel being protected by an angel in the lion’s den and the worship of the cherubim/seraphim as described in the books of Isaiah and Ezekiel.
Turning to the New Testament, angels are often represented when picturing various gospel episodes where they were present. Examples include the stories of the Dreams of St Joseph, the Vision of St Zechariah, the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Resurrection, the Agony in the Garden and the Ascension of Christ. You may also see angels included in other gospel scenes, such as the Flight into Egypt, or at Christ’s baptism and crucifixion.
The book of Revelation is the New Testament text that mentions angels the most. Within its pages we read of St Michael battling the Devil, of apocalyptic angels announcing doom, and of their continuous worship of God in heaven.
Here are some key stories featuring angels from both the Old and New Testaments:
4. The Sanctus
11. The Resurrection of Christ
The mosaic angels at the start of this article are found within the sanctuary of St John the Baptist, Rochdale. They were designed and created as part of a wider scheme in the church by Eric Newton of Ludwig Oppenheimer, between 1930-1933.
Leave a Reply