Angels & Demons

The main body of written theology on angels and demons besides the canonical scriptures are the writings of Pseudo Dionysius the Areopagite who categorize angels into 9 choirs.

Angels are believed to be pure spirit beings; it is held that they do not have physical bodies and communicate and bilocate through thought. This interpretation is taken from Ephesians 6:12.

While there are many descriptions of angels in the Bible most theologians teach that because angels do not have bodies the descriptions given in the Bible are describing their nature.

Because it is believed angels do not have physical bodies they are considered incapable of reproduction with human beings or other creatures. This however can be an area of disagreement since some of the Patristic Fathers believed the Nephililim were the offspring of Fallen Angels and that the Demons are the disembodied spirits of Giants who were wiped out in the flood. The earliest Church Father Justin Martyr 100-165 AD wrote about this in the 5th chapter of his Apology. 

However most Theologians and Church Doctors have held to the Sethite interpretation that the Sons of God were the Sons of Seth and the Daughters of Men were the Daughters of Cain. This has been the predominant teaching for almost two millennia. 

Angels and demons communicate through images and messages inserted into the communicant's imagination. Both angels and demons are incapable of reading our minds but they are able to view our bodily reactions and are superb mentalists. 

Angels are capable of control over the physical matter in our universe. The manipulation and possession of matter relies solely on God's permissive will. Demons can possess a person's body but not their soul since they themselves are spirits. 

Demonic possession can only occur through God's permission. This of course is always for a greater good for the soul of the person or those around them bringing about repentance or conversions.

In most cases besides the rare cases of victim souls who experience saintly martyrdom through possession most cases occur through grave sins or through abuse or physical assaults where a person is violated or offered as a ritual satanic sacrifice. 

Demonic possession is more common through mortal sins especially involving the occult or by practicing witchcraft. Engaging in fortune telling such as tarot readings or through divination using an ouija board can open demonic portals into a person's interior life or in their home or place of work or education.

Many of the early Saints and Monastics had encounters with both good and evil angels. 

Saint Anthony the Great 251-356 AD one of the Fathers of Monasticism was attacked and tempted by demons taking on the form of seductive women, ravenous beasts, and hideous monsters. His life is chronicled a the book by Saint Athanasius 296-373 AD in The Life Of Saint Anthony.

Evagrius Pontus 345-399 AD was a monastic and early Church Father although condemned for following Origen's doctrine of apokatastasis he is still revered for his great mystical teachings. In response to a letter written to him by a monk struggling with spiritual warfare Evagrius wrote him a reply in the form of a book of scriptural responses to various temptations and evil spirits. This book is published by Cistercian Publications as Talking Back: A Monastic Handbook For Combatting Demons.

Saint Benedict of Nursia 480-547 AD is another founding Father of Monasticism who had his own battles with demons and is attributed to the Saint Benedict Exorcism Medal. His life was chronicled and written about by Saint Pope Gregory the Great 590-604 AD in the book The Life Of Saint Benedict.

The demonic rank is identical to the 9 choirs of angels in heaven. There are three spheres in heaven and within these three spheres are three ranks of angels. The first sphere contains Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. The second sphere contains Dominions, Virtues, and Powers. The third sphere contains Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.

Seraphim the first choir are found in Isaiah 6:1-8. Lucifer was the highest of all seraphim before his fall. Seraphim are caretakers of God's throne singing hymns "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" Seraphim are described as having six fiery wings, two covering their face, two on their backs for flight and two covering their feet.

Cherubim the second choir protects the tree of life in the Garden of Eden and the throne of God. They are found in the Bible in Genesis 3:24, Exodus 25:17-22 , 2 Chronicles 3:7-14, Ezekiel 10:12-14, Ezekiel 28:14-16, 1 Kings 6:23-28, and Revelation 4:6-8. Cherubim are described as having the faces of men, oxen, lions, and eagles and they have four wings covered in eyes with the bodies of lions and the feet of oxen.

Thrones, the third choir found in Daniel Daniel 7:9, Colossians 1:16, are living symbols of God's justice and authority. Thrones called God bearing, bearing God's grace and residing on them he cast his Just Judgment. Thrones are described as beryl colored spokes within spokes with the rims of the wheels covered in eyes. Thrones are also called Ophanim or Galgalim. It is believed Thrones functioned as the wheels for Elijah's fiery chariot. Another purpose could be interpreted to be found in Psalm Psalm 91:12, Matthew 4:6, and Luke 4:11 when it says “For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Thrones are depicted in Eastern Christian iconography as lifting the feet of Jesus or the Mother of God who happen to both be ancestors of King David who wrote the Psalms. Recent scientific studies on Dyson Spheres theorize these structures which resemble Angelic Thrones could be proof of extraterrestrial civilizations or life. Catholic convert and philosopher Peter Kreeft in his conference and book Angels and Demons states that Angels are the real Extraterrestrials referring to their celestial dwelling and origin.

Dominions, the fourth choir, are found in Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 1:16 govern over lower ranking angels and humans. Dominions take illumination from higher angelic hierarchies and govern the universe, angels, and humanity. Dominions can also be channels of God's mercy. Dominions look like common depictions of angels as humanoid beings with feathery wings and orbs of light fastened to their staffs or pommels of their swords.

Virtues, the fifth choir who are found in Ephesians 1:21 raise people's faith and distribute miracles and signs from God and answer prayers and are often associated with planets, elements, seasons, and nature. 

Powers, the sixth choir are found in Ephesians 3:10, and Ephesians 6:12, govern over the natural universe and engage in spiritual warfare with demons and help humans overcome temptations. Powers are bearers of conscience and keepers of history; they are warrior angels created to be completely loyal to God. Powers also oversee the distribution of power given to mankind.

Principalities, the seventh choir are found in Ephesians 3:10, and Ephesians 1:21 are princes over the lower ranking angels underneath them and guard communities, and parishes. Principalities receive orders from the upper sphere and preside over bands of angels to assign them with divine ministries from the hierarchy. Principalities distribute blessings to the material world and are educators and guardians of the earthly realm. Principalities appear as humanoids with crowns and scepters

Archangels, the eighth choir found in Jude 9, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and Tobit 12:15 are leader angels charged to communicate and carry out God's plan; they are also guardian angels over nations and countries and concern themselves with politics, military matters, commerce and trade. 

Angels, the ninth choir are found in Luke 22:43, Matthew 18:10, and Hebrews 13:2 are the lowest rank of angels and closest to the material world most angels are made up of guardian angels.

The Seven Archangels stand before the throne of God and are mentioned directly in Tobit 12:15, and appear in Revelation 4:5, Revelation 8:2, Revelation 15:7, and 16:1. There are names and descriptions given to these Archangels in apocryphal sources but the Catholic Church venerates the three biblical Archangels by name. 

Archangel Michael is Prince and Chief of the Heavenly Host. Saint Michael the Archangel is mentioned in the books of Daniel and in Revelations. Archangel Michael leads the heavenly host into battle against the devil and his fallen angels. He is the patron saint of the military, police, firefighters, paramedics, and security guards. Archangel Michael is also a healing angel and the Angel of Death who escorts the dead to their judgment. Archangel Michael is found in Daniel 10:13-14, Jude 9-10, Revelation 12:7-12.

Saint Gabriel the Archangel is believed to have appeared in Genesis as the angel that stopped Abraham from sacrificing Issac. Gabriel appears in Daniel alongside Archangel Michael, and again in the Gospel of Luke. Archangel Gabriel is believed by Church tradition to be the angel that blows the horn signaling Christ's return in the book of Revelation. Saint Gabriel is the patron Saint of messengers, diplomats, postal workers, delivery men, radio and television broadcasting and broadcasters. One tradition tells a story of a monk in his cell greeted by a visiting stranger who went by the name of Gabriel. Gabriel joined the monk in prayer before the icon of the Mother God during the 9th Ode of the Canon, hymning “My soul magnifies the Lord…” The guest began singing the next verse “For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden” when the stranger added “It is truly meet to bless Thee, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God...” Then he continued with, “More honorable than the Cherubim....”As the guest sang, radiant light shone from the icon of the Theotokos. The monk moved by this version of the hymn asked his guest to write it down so he too could pray this beautiful hymn. The man took a tile and wrote the hymn with his finger revealing he was none other than the Archangel Gabriel. Archangel Gabriel can be found in Daniel 8:15-16, Daniel 9:21, Daniel 10,  Luke 1. 

Saint Raphael The Archangel only appears in the Book of Tobit where he helps Tobias, the son of Tobit. The Archangel Raphael chains Asmodeus in Egypt. This demon was killing the grooms of Sarah before they could consummate their marriage. With the help of Archangel Raphael under the appearance of a man he helps Tobias to exorcise Asmodeus and later heals his father of blindness. Saint Raphael is the patron saint of doctors, nurses, paramedics and all healthcare workers 

The Angel of Gethsemane is the angel that comforted our Lord during his agony in the garden in Gethsemane in Luke 22:43. This angel is believed to be our Lord's own Guardian Angel the Archangel Michael who comforted him during his time of suffering. In the 1940's healthcare workers developed a devotion to the Angel of Gethsemane asking for his intercession on behalf of sick and dying patients. The Angel of Gethsemane brings comfort and healing to those who are suffering or abandoned.

The Angel of peace is called upon during the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom. In the Liturgy the Priest calls for an angel of peace to bring comfort and protection "For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask the Lord." The Angel of Peace is also the angel that appeared in 1916 to the three Fatima children before Our Lady's first apparition on May 13th 1917. The Angel of Peace is the Guardian Angel of Portugal, the Holy Eucharist, and the Holy Father the Pope. Saint Sr Lucia stated in her memoirs that the Angel of Peace is the Archangel Michael. Before the Fatima apparitions there was a devotion to the Guardian Angel of Portugal who made his first appearance in 1139 at the Battle of Ourique when Afonso Henriques and his army defeated the Muslims and won the crown of Portugal.

The Destroyer is an angel of death and destruction usually for the purpose of God's wrath and divine justice. It is unclear as to whether this is a good angel or one of the fallen ones. The Destroyer can be found in Exodus 12:23, Psalm 78:49, Jeremiah 6:26, Hebrews 11:28, and 1 Corinthians 10:10.

Angels are used to punish the wicked in the following verses 2 Samuel 24:16, 2 Kings 19:35, Ezekiel 9, Psalm 35:5-6.

The term Watcher is a Babylonian and Persian word to describe Angels. Watchers are found in Daniel 4. Watcher's are likely Angels and Archangels who watch over humanity. Watchers are mostly found in apocryphal works such as the Book of Enoch. 

In the fictional epic poem of Dante's Inferno bannerless Angels are described as being angels that were lukewarm neither taking the side of God or the Apostate Angels damned to chase after blank banners. Monks in Ireland came up with an explanation for the Tuath De Denann and other Faye such as faeries and little people. The Irish monk's believed these were the spirits who remained neutral and would not serve God or Lucifer's rebellion. It's thought that these spirits were responsible such mythological sightings or were perhaps the Watchers in Enoch. 

Lucifer the spirit of pride was one of God's highest creatures; he was the highest of Seraphim in the angelic hierarchy. When God revealed His plan for the angels and their place in the angelic hierarchy it was revealed that the second person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ, would be made incarnate in a woman and that God would take on human flesh. This woman was revealed to be the Theotokos the God bearing one and that she would take a higher place than Lucifer in the heavenly hierarchy. It is believed this is why Lucifer fell from grace and became Satan. Satan's creed is said by the Church to be "I will not serve!" Lucifer's fall is always closely related to the incarnation. Lucifer refused to serve a Woman, a creature lower than him in substance and intelligence; it is said that Lucifer went even so far as pleading to God to be made Theotokos instead. Another tradition is that Lucifer refused to bow down to mankind upon the creation of Adam. 

Lucifer was the first of the fallen and is the chief of the rebellious angels; everything that he and the fallen angels do is in imitation and mockery of God. Lucifer's sin was pride and it is pride that is the root of all sins since it was the first sin committed in the cosmos. Lucifer tried to raise himself above God and usurp His power with a legion of wicked angels. Lucifer was defeated by Michael who was of the second lowest choir. Michael rose up to defend God and was named after his battle cry “who is like unto God?” Michael led the heavenly host into battle against Satan and the fallen angels and they were cast into hell. Lucifer is found in the Bible in Isaiah 14:12 and Luke 10:17-19.

Satan which means acuser in Hebrew is thought to be Lucifer or the next in command as an evil Cherubim. Satan is sometimes referred to as the King in Tyre and is mentioned as having a Ephod like the Levitical Priesthood Ezekiel 28:11-18. These Ephods are made from gold and precious stones and some of these stones were not given to Satan but only given to Man. It is my speculation that the Ephod is connected to Satan and the Cherubim as a sort of Angelic priestly office of worship and glorification. Man was given more stones because Christ glorified Man to a higher state than the Angels through the incarnation. Satan also appears in Job accusing him of only worshiping and loving God because of his blessings and not his faith and piety. The Book of Revelation mentions Satan and the Ancient Serpent and Dragon Revelation 12:9.

Asmodeus is the spirit of fornication amongst men. Asmodeus appears in the deuterocanonical book of Tobit in the Bible and is named as the demon of lust in the scriptures. Asmodeus is a demon of sexual impurity and it is speculated that the demon tempted the husbands into sins of impurity then killed them. In the Book of Tobit, Asmodeus kills the husbands of a woman named Sarah before they can consummate their marriage. Asmodeus is defeated by Archangel Raphael.

Baal was a Canaanite deity that was a fertility god associated with child sacrifice but was also a slang term used by the Israelites for false gods. Baal is associated with Moloch, a similar deity underneath Baal. Baal is sometimes referenced as Beelphegor in the Douay Rheims Version Bible. Baal appears 90 times in the Bible in reference to the Canaanite deity and various pagan gods. Some notable references to Baal in the Bible are Deuteronomy 4:3, Numbers 25, Numbers 31:16, Joshua 22:17, Hosea 9:10, Psalm 106:28, Jeremiah 19:5.

Moloch is the demon of abortion and human sacrifice. Moloch was a god that the Canaanites and apostate Jews would sacrifice their children to. It has been found by exorcists that Moloch frequents abortion clinics as one of their domains. Moloch is found in Leviticus 18:21, Leviticus 20:5, 2 Kings 23:10, Jeremiah 32:35, Isaiah 57:9.

Moloch is not just the demon of abortions and human sacrifice but also idolatry.

Beelzebub appears in the Bible in 2 Kings 1, Matthew 10:25, Matthew 12:22-27, Luke 11:14-22, Mark 3:20-30. Beelzebub is Philistine god known as the Lord of the Flies which was a Hebrew insult comparing the false god to excrement and his followers to flies. The name Beelzebub could also be a slang term for Baal, a play on Baal-Zebub, Lord of the High Place.

Mammon is a Hebrew word to describe wealth but some Christians have interpreted Mammon to be a demonic entity as well, much like Mephisto from Goeths Faust. St Gregory Nyssa believed that Mammon was another name for Beelzebub. 

Dagon was a Philistine agricultural god mentioned several times in the Bible in Joshua 15:41, and Joshua 19:27, Judges 16:23, Samuel 5, 1 Chronicles 10, 1 Maccabees 10:83, 1 Maccabees 11:4. Dagon is incorrectly interpreted as a fish deity but this is historically inauthentic despite cultural depictions such as the short story Dagon by H.P Lovecraft. 

The Terror by Night is a demon of lust based on various pagan gods and Jewish folklore. She is believed to be a reference to the demon goddess Lamashtu, or the Babylonian goddess Ishtar or Inanna. In Jewish folklore the Terror by Night or Night Hag is known as Lilith a Succubus like Harpy Demon. Lilith was originally believed to have been a daughter of Cain who took one of the Watcher's for a husband and gave birth to hideous monsters. A later version stated that she was the insubordinate wife of Adam who was formed from the clay of the Earth like him and left the Garden of Eden to copulate with Satan or the Fallen Archangel Samael and became the mother of demons. The Terror by Night is found in Psalm 91:5, and Isaiah  Isaiah 34:14 where it is referenced as a Lamia in the Latin Vulgate Bible. Lilith is associated with screech owls and serpents or harpies and like Baal is sometimes a generalized reference to a certain type of pagan deity. She is associated with nighttime impurity and infanticide. It was believed she stole mens seed to birth hellspawn and would strangle babies in their crib which could be an allegory for SIDS.

The Hairy One's or the hairy goats were based on  Satyrs and other Greek nature gods like Pan. They are known for sexual depravity and impurity and are found in Isaiah Isaiah 13:21, and Isaiah 34:14 accompanying Lilith or the Lamia. These could be interpreted as Demons who have dominion over nature or are of a perverse and hedonistic nature. 

The Noonday Devil, sometimes called the Noonday Waste, is found in Psalm 91:6 and is a demon of laziness and procrastination and the spiritual disease of Acedia, a form of spiritual sloth.

Jezebel is an evil spirit or demon that tempts and influences individuals with Jezebel-like behavior such as sexual depravity, narcissism, and idolatry. We can tell from Holy Scripture that the spirit of Baal the false god had influence over Jezebel the person. It's also possible that a Jezebel spirit is the disembodied spirit of Jezebel. It is believed by some exorcists that in rare cases spirits of damned persons can be attached to places haunting them or possessing individuals. The story of Jezebel can be found in 1 Kings.

Demons of Sickness can cause illnesses in both humans and animals. In the Bible Jesus heals the sick and exorcised the possessed. In scripture there is a distinction from people who have illnesses due to health complications and those who have illnesses due to diabolical affliction. Some scriptural examples of humans afflicted with ailments caused by the evil spirits are Matthew Matthew 8:16, Matthew 9:33, Mark 1:34, Mark 9:14-29, Luke 11:14.

Legion is not an individual demon but an army making up a diabolic hivemind. The demons of Legion are also territorial spirits. Legion was a group of demons that our Lord Jesus Christ exorcised. The case of the Gesarene demon seen in Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-33, is a prime example of territorial spirits. The demons were attached to the man and the cave he lived in. In another case Jesus delivers a blind and mute man from Beelzebub in Matthew 12:22-32, and Luke 11:24. After this Jesus then goes on to speak about how when a demon is exorcised from a person that they flee into dry barren wastelands and then come back from their exile with seven worse demons than themselves. Territorial spirits like to dwell in persons, things, and places this is the cause of diabolical hauntings or cursed objects. The demons quite literally infest the air, the land and the sea and other areas. The more people sin in an area or around an element the more power the demons have over the territory. 

For example every time a person curses or blasphemes it empowers the demons of the air. There is a scriptural interpretation of demons controlling the elements when Jesus calmed the sea in Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and Luke Luke 8:22-25. St Paul mentions elemental spirits in Galatians 4:3, Galatians 4:8-9, and Collosians 2:8. 

Judas Iscariot is not a demon and has never been officially declared by the Church to be damned, he is believed by some saints and exorcists to be an evil human spirit that is sometimes documented in exorcisms. Judas himself was possessed by the devil in the scriptures John 6:70-71, John 13:2-27, Luke 23:3. Judas is said to be a spirit of despair, unaliving, and greed such as embezzlement. 

The Antichrist is a man possessed by Satan in mockery of the incarnation of Christ and will be a world leader and false messiah in the end of days. The Antichrist is referenced several times in the Bible directly and symbolically in both the Old Testament and in the New Testament as the Antichrist or the Beast.

Bible verses that refer to the Antichrist are Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22, 1 John 4:2-3, 1 John 2:18-22, 2 John 1:7,  2 Thessalonians 2:2-10, Revelation 13:11–17, Revelation 16:13–14, Revelation 19:19–20, Revelation 20:10.

Besides the Antichrist, Antichrist Spirits are demons that tempt people into revolution and rebellion. Like Lucifer the Antichrist spirits lead people to stray from Christ and stray from the true Church. They could be said to have influenced or possessed such people as Simon Magus, Voltaire, Napoleon Bonaparte, Karl Marx, and Adolph Hitler.

Leviathan is identified as a primordial beast in Psalm 104:26, and Job 41. But in Christian demonology it is also believed to be the Serpent who tempted Eve in the Garden in Genesis 3:14-16, and is slain by the Messiah in the End of Days. This prophecy is foretold in Isaiah 27:1 and is believed to be fulfilled in the coming Apocalypse in Revelation 12:9, Revelation 13, Revelation 20:2. The apocryphal Book of Enoch tells of this cataclysmic battle with the Messiah making a banquette out of the slain dragon. Other mentions of such a serpentine creature are Psalm 91:13-15 or Psalm 90:13-15 in the Douay Rheims Version Bible. This beast is sometimes described as a serpent, or an adder which is a type of venomous snake or a Basilisk in the Douay Rheims Version, and a Cockatrice in the King James Version. Both the Basilisk and Cockatrice were a type of venomous wyvern-like dragon appearing more serpentine or bird-like that could petrify a person by their glance. In Demonology the Leviathan is known as the demon of envy and sexual impurity in women. It's unknown if Leviathan or the Basilisk are the same entity or creature? In either case they appear to have similar likeness and the Basilisk if it is not a flesh and blood creature could be interpreted to be a demon of fear and anxiety.

Abaddon, known as Apollyon in Greek, is the Angel of the Bottomless Pit and the King of the Locust Army. Abbadon is described as a Destroyer which could be connected to the Destroyer mentioned throughout scripture or as a type of angel. Abaddon could also be a name for Hell like Gehenna or Tartarus. Abbadon is found in the Old Testament in Job 26:6, Job 28:22, Job 31:12, Psalm 88:11, Proverbs 15:11 and Proverbs 27:20. In the New Testament Abbadon is mentioned in Revelation 9:11.

It's unclear if some of these demons are one and the same or perhaps holding multiple names and descriptions It would seem the Serpent and Leviathan, Beezlebub, and Abbadon are one and the same as Satan or that all these tittles belong to Lucifer. Some exorcists like the late Fr. Malachi Martin describe an unholy trinity belonging to Lucifer, Satan, and the Devil. 

Demons are sometimes classified or named by the 8 Evil Thoughts or Seven Deadly Sins. For every sin there is a corresponding virtue to combat the demon with. We can also look to Saints who have mastered these virtues or ask for their intercession. If we struggle with Lust we can look to King David, Solomon, St Mary of Egypt, St Augustine or those perfect virginal spouse's Mary the Mother of God and St Joseph. The 8 Evil Thoughts was originally compiled by Evagrius Ponticus and then revised by St Pope Gregory I to be the 7 Deadly Sins combining Acedia with Despondency and Sorrow and later it was further revised by St Thomas Aquinas combining vainglory with pride.

The 8 Evil Thoughts are Gluttony, Lust, Avarice, Anger, Sloth or Acedia, Sadness or Despondency, a type of Despair, Vainglory, and Pride.

The 7 Deadly Sins are Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth.

Throughout the ages there have been classifications of demonology based on the different species of sin. Some authors who wrote about demonology are St Thomas Aquinas 1225-1274, Inquisitor Heinrich Kramer 1430-1505, and Auxiliary Bishop Peter Bindsfeld 1540-1598. Today there are numerous books from both clergy and laity on the subject of spiritual warfare and demonology. 

Lastly Psalm 95:5 in the Douay Rheims Version Bible and Psalm 96:6 in other translations says all the gods of the gentiles are demons. 

There are many other Angels and Demons taken from Apocryphal traditions but we've focused just on ones that are in the Bible.