Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today’s video, we’re going to discuss the angelic
hierarchy as reckoned by Pseudo-Dionysius, a 6th century Christian theologian who wrote several
seminal treatises. His account of the angelic hierarchy has remained influential for hundreds of
years, even into contemporary times. The hierarchy he developed comprises nine angelic choirs,
nine stratifications organised based on their proximity to God’s throne.
These nine choirs are grouped into three triads, meaning three groups of three. The number three
is significant because it reflects the holy trinity of father, son, and holy spirit.
Choirs that are closer to earth are further away from God’s throne and vice versa. For example,
the archangel choir is ranked second lowest because of its nearness to earth.
From here, we’re going to look at each choir, bottom to top,
working from those most earthly to those most heavenly.
Let’s get into it.
In the third triad we have angels,
which are our first entry, followed by archangels and principalities.
The bottom of the celestial hierarchy, angels - ordinary angels, if there is
such a thing - account for the ninth and final choir, meaning they are closest to earth and
farthest away from God’s throne. Indeed, more than anything else, the celestial hierarchy is
a positional hierarchy; because of this, the upper echelons are mostly removed from earthly matters,
and the lower echelons are dedicated to earthly matters, angels most of all.
Angels, like all the other choirs, are entities of pure spirit and exist to carry out God’s will.
Chief among their responsibilities are acting as the protectors of humanity and as the messengers
that carry the word of God to the mortal plane. As the choir closest to humanity,
guardian angels are selected from among them to watch over people, but also places, like churches,
towns, and even countries. As the messengers of God, they may bring blessed tidings, such as
the birth of Christ, or dark portents, such as the looming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah;
as agents of the divine, they may encourage people towards the light,
helping them to endure pain in all its forms and resist the temptation of sin; and as the wielders
of the unfathomable power bestowed on them by God, they may reveal the true potency within them,
like when one angel single-handedly annihilated an Assyrian army, eradicating 185,000 soldiers.
At number 8 we have archangels:
There’s a lot of confusion around archangels because there’s the choir of archangels,
and there’s archangel, the catch-all term used when referring to higher-ranked angels - here
meaning any angel of higher standing than the regular angels we discussed in the previous entry.
The archangel Michael really exemplifies why this choir is the most confounding.
Michael is commonly said to be the leader of the archangels, being named the great captain,
the leader of the heavenly hosts, and one of the chief princes. Having such an important
angel ranked so low doesn’t really compute, and the same can be said for several others,
too, like the archangel Gabriel. These issues in large part can be attributed to the evolution
of the angelic hierarchy. Originally, there were only two classifications,
that of angel and that of archangel, but over time, the hierarchy became more nuanced as newer
frameworks emerged, like the one put forward by Dionysius, eventually comprising nine choirs
instead of only two categories. Because of the close association with humanity,
archangels were thought, by extension, to be nearer earth and thus farther away from God’s
throne, earning them a lower rank. And because angels like Michael and Gabriel
were already known as archangels, they became grouped into this lower tier.
Archangels are similar to angels, but they are more powerful and have seniority.
Their primary purpose is to carry out the will of God as it pertains to humanity.
Their love, compassion, and power, as bestowed by God, are incalculable, and they use their
strength and goodness towards the betterment of mankind. Their number is a subject of some debate,
but most versions have it at seven, a number that is substantiated in the new testament:
“Then I saw the seven angels who stand before god”
Up next we have the principalities
Also called princedoms and princes, principalities are the stewards of geographic areas - the whole
gamut, from nation states to backwater villages, and the protectors of leaders,
be they royal, religious, or political. In this way, they are similar to guardian angels,
who are assigned to every place and person, but theologians and angelologists have posited clear
differences, such as the principalities being more administrative and, having greater power,
more likely to be granted permission to directly involve themselves in what transpires on earth.
Encouraging religion through prayer and regulating politics through the guiding of thought
are two other areas that may be within their sphere of influence.
In the second triad we have powers, which are our next entry, followed by virtues and dominations.
Also called the authorities, potentates, and forces, the powers,
as described by Dionysius, comprise the choir most responsible for thwarting
Hell’s machinations. They are the force that counteract the demons that relentlessly endeavour
to pull the world into darkness. They defend creation against the power of evil,
helping to maintain the cosmic order through equilibrium. They also keep
watch on the heavenly paths, thereby policing the passages that connect heaven and earth,
and involve themselves on the level of the individual, supporting people so that they resist
evil and embrace God. Their colours are Green and Gold, and their symbol is the flaming sword.
Up next we have the virtues:
In purview, the virtues are said to be concerned with both earth and sky,
overseeing the elements of the world and overseeing celestial phenomena,
such as the movement of the sun, the moon, and the stars, ensuring they all continue
on their appointed paths. On earth, they act as the conductors of nature’s symphony,
ensuring that earth’s powers - rain, wind, snow, etc. - are in balance, thus safeguarding nature
itself. Other areas included in their sphere of influence are: miracles, endowing the mortal
heart with grace and valour, giving encouragement towards God’s path, and fortifying against the
difficulties of life’s crucible, like hardship, suffering, and temptation.
At number 4 we have the dominations:
Also called the dominions, the lords, and in Hebrew, the hashmallim, the dominations,
according to Dionysius, are responsible for managing the activities of the angels,
thereby manifesting the will of God through the power of administration. They didn’t
involve themselves directly in what transpired on earth, so seldom were they seen by humans;
but despite operating behind the scenes, they were instrumental in maintaining the cosmic order.
They manage minor aspects of creation, and one of the main tools at their disposal in seeing to this
responsibility is delegating tasks to lower tier choirs. They garb themselves in green and gold,
and the sword and sceptre are their symbols. It is thought that the dominations receive
their instruction from yet higher-ranked choirs, either the thrones of the cherubim.
In the first triad we have thrones, which are our next entry, followed by cherubim and seraphim.
According to Thomas Aquinas, a priest and incredibly influential philosopher and theologian
who lived during the 13th century, the thrones were responsible for contemplating
divine judgement, which included the solemn duty of seeing to God’s justice.
As one of the three choirs in the first triad, their power and purity most closely resembled
those of God, but despite being paragons of God’s grace, a profound humbleness fills them,
a quality that allows for the perfect dispensation of justice, as they have flawless objectivity and
are never compromised by pride or ambition. In some jewish traditions, the thrones are
described as either the chariots or the wheels of the chariots on which the throne of God resides.
This can be seen by a description given in the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament.
Here it is: This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: they sparkled like chrysolite,
and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel….Their
rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.” You’ll notice that
everything from here is covered in eyes. It’s a feature symbolic of profound wisdom and knowledge
At number 2 we have the cherubim:
The Cherubim first appear in the Old Testament after Adam and Eve are banished
from the Garden of Eden. They’re placed at the East of Eden with the flaming sword
to guard the tree of life. With only the Seraphim closer to God’s throne,
the Cherubim, who are said to possess incalculable knowledge and wisdom, are among the most exalted
and majestic within the angelic hierarchy. They embody God’s potency, sovereignty, and goodness,
are incarnations of light and glory, and are the celestial chroniclers, superlative in knowledge
and the keeping of records. Their description is Given in the book of Ezekiel. Here it is:
In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings.
Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed
like burnished bronze…Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man,
and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had
the face of an eagle.” It is thought that the Cherubim were inspired by either Assyrian or
Akkadian art and myth. For those cultures, it was common to place bestial guardians at the entrances
of palaces and temples - winged creatures amalgamating features from several animals,
including: leonine faces and the bodies of bulls, sphinxes, or eagles. In Christianity, their main
responsibility was to extol God, singing his praises for all the heavens. In occult lore the
responsibility of driving the Lord’s chariot and bearing his throne were ascribed to them.
Our top spot, the choir closest to God, goes to the seraphim:
Of all those in the service of God, none are closer to the divine throne than the Seraphim.
This is made clear by their main responsibility, which is to constantly circle the Lord’s divine
throne, endlessly chanting: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, the entire earth
is full of His Glory.” In appearance, the Seraphim are described as having six wings:
two to cover their faces, two to cover their feet, and two for flight. They are covered in eyes,
and they are usually depicted with red wings, symbolising fire, but not the sort that gives
pain, instead representing the ever-burning power of love and redemption. They seldom feature in
the bible, only appearing by name in the book of Isaiah when they place a burning coal on Isaiah’s
lips to purify him. In the Book of Enoch, an ancient religious text considered to be
non-canonical by most denominations underneath the Abrahamic religious umbrella, the Seraphim
are described as having 16 faces, four for each cardinal direction, and that they radiate a light
so brilliant that even the other lower choirs couldn’t look upon them. Many Angels have been
asserted as the leader of this choir, including: Metatron, Michael, Seraphiel, and Satan pre fall.
And that’s it for this video!
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