~ THE ANGELIC HOSTS OF LIGHT ~
Posted by Christoffer on July 10, 2010 at 5:00pm
The angels are perhaps the oldest divine evolution. They were created as angles of God's consciousness, long before the Christed evolution of which man is a part. The word angel means "messenger", from the Greek "angelos".
Angels evolve into greater and greater levels of consciousness, service and responsibility. When angels graduate to the rank of archangels, they receive the gift of free will.
Many angels have embodied in human form and walk among us, as the scripture says: "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. "Some remember their divine estate, though most do not, having taken on much human karma.
During the great rebellion, Lucifer and one third of the angels fell into lower levels of consciousness. They were ultimately cast out of the etheric plane by Michael and his angels, into the physical and astral planes, where they made war with the "woman and her seed." This was their warfare against the newly formed Christed evolution on earth and other planets. The book Dialogues with the Devil by Taylor Caldwell, who was able to read the akashic records, gives us an in depth perspective on what happened. At the time of the fall, many angels also volunteered to come into embodiment to rescue their fallen brethren and assist the Christed evolution. Some made it home to God through the ascension, while many others are still here.
There are nine choirs of angels in heaven, and each choir occupies a specific level in spiritual hierarchy. In the Kabbalah each choir corresponds to a "sephirot" or "emanation" of God's consciousness within the Tree of Life. As we descend the Tree of Life from spirit to matter, we are also descending through the angelic hierarchy. The pattern that we follow is a zigzag pattern that has been called "lightning flash" by kabbalists and that describes the process of divine creation, from Alpha to Omega. The lowest sephirot, Malkhut Shekinah, encompasses the matter plane. This sephirot is associated with the initiates of the Brotherhood, called Ischim for perfect man, as well as with Sandalphon, who takes our prayers back to God.
The Nine Choirs of Angels
The Seraphim
The Seraphim are the highest choir of angels and are associated with the color white, that holds the vibration of the purity of God. They are great healers and embody the light, love and fire of God. In the Kabbalah, the Seraphim are associated with the highest Sephirot, Keter. The Seraphim were the angels who placed the coal on Isaiah's tongue and initiated him in the delivery of the word. They are said to form continuous rings around the throne of God in the Great central sun while continuously singing the praise, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." The Old Testament speaks of them as having six wings; two covering the face, two covering the feet, and two used for flying. We can pray to the Seraphim, from Archangel Michael's Rosary for Armageddon: "By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial choir of Seraphim, may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect charity. Amen."
The Cherubim
The Cherubim are the next choir of angels, and are associated with the color pink leading into ruby, that carries the vibration of the most intense love of God. In the Kabbalah, the Cherubim are associated with the Sephirot, Hokmah. The Cherubim are said to stand next to the throne of God. They are the guardians of the Ark of the Covenant and the guardians of the East Gate of the Garden of Eden, where they stand with flaming swords to guard the way of the Tree of Life. They are also known as the record keepers of Heaven and are described as having four wings. We can pray to the Cherubim, with this prayer from Archangel Michael's Rosary for Armageddon: "By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial choir of Cherubim, may the Lord vouchsafe to grant us grace to leave the ways of wickedness to run in the paths of Christian perfection. Amen."
The Thrones
The third choir of angels are the Thrones The Thrones are angels of justice who carry out God's decisions. In the Kabbalah, the Thrones are associated with the Sephirot, Binah. Known as "wheels" and "many-eyed ones", they are said to deploy like charioteers around the throne of God, moving on wheels of blue-green color. They were described by Ezekiel as having four wings and four faces—that of the man, the lion, the calf and the flying eagle, and sparkled like the color of burnished brass. The noise of their wings was "like the noise of great waters" and above their heads was the likeness of the firmament. We can pray to the Thrones, with this prayer from Archangel Michael's Rosary for Armageddon: "By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial choir of Thrones, may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of humility. Amen."
The Dominions
The fourth choir of angels are the Dominions or Dominations, who, according to Jewish traditions, determine the fate of nations. In the Kabbalah, the Dominions are associated with the Sephirot, Hesed. They have been described as wearing long gowns that reach to their feet, hitched with a golden belt and adorned with a green sole. They carry a golden staff in the right hand and the seal of God in the left. At other times, they are said to hold an orb or a scepter. We can pray to the Dominions, with this prayer from Archangel Michael's Rosary for Armageddon: "By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial choir of Dominions, may the Lord give us the grace to govern our senses and subdue our unruly passions. Amen."
The Powers
The fifth choir of angels are the Powers. These were credited as being the first order of angels created by God. In the Kabbalah, the Powers are associated with the Sephirot, Gevurah. We find in the New Testament that "the soul is subject to the Powers, "whose duty is protecting the world from the infiltration of demons and avenging evil in the world. The Powers have also been said to guide the soul to Heaven after the death of the body. We can pray to the Powers, with this prayer from Archangel Michael's Rosary for Armageddon: "By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial choir of Powers, may the Lord vouchsafe to protect our souls against the snares and temptations of the devil. Amen."
The Virtues
The sixth choir of angels are the Virtues. They are described as brilliant and shining ones, and are usually represented in a group. In the Kabbalah, the Virtues are associated with the Sephirot, Tiferet, symbol of the Christ. The Virtues are known to be angels of miracles, encouragement, and blessings, bestowing grace and valor and helping people who struggle with their faith. It has been said that the two angels present for the ascension of Jesus came from this choir. We can pray to the Virtues, with this prayer from Archangel Michael's Rosary for Armageddon: "By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial choir of Virtues, may the Lord preserve us from evil and suffer us not to fall into temptation. Amen."
The Principalities
The seventh choir of angels are the Principalities, who are considered to be the guardians of religions, nations and world leaders. In the Kabbalah, the Principalities are associated with the Sephirot, Netzah. Some say that the angel who help the shepherd boy David slay Goliath was from this order. Principalities have been described as being dressed in soldier's uniforms with golden girdles. We can pray to the Principalities, with this prayer from Archangel Michael's Rosary for Armageddon: "By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial choir of Principalities, may the Lord fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience. Amen."
The Archangels
The eighth choir of angels are the Archangels, the angels in command of ministering to humans. They bring God's messages and command the armies of heaven against the evil doings of the fallen angels. In the Kabbalah, the Archangels are associated with the Sephirot, Hod. Archangel Michael is the leader of the seven archangels who serve on the seven rays of God—Michael, Jophiel, Chamuel, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, and Zadkiel—as well as Archangel Uzziel, who serves in the eighth ray of integration, and five more archangels for whom we have no names. We can pray to the Archangels, with this prayer from Archangel Michael's Rosary for Armageddon: "By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial choir of Archangels, may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works, in order that we may gain the glory of paradise. Amen."
The Angels
The ninth choir of angels are the Angels or Angelic Hosts, who are closest to humanity and minister to us in every aspect of life. These include our guardian angels. In the Kabbalah, the Angels are associated with the Sephirot, Yesod. We can pray to the Angels, with this prayer from Archangel Michael's Rosary for Armageddon: "By the intercession of Saint Michael and the celestial choir of angels, may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life and conducted hereafter to eternal glory. Amen."