subject: Heavenly Angels [print this page] There is no figures from the Bible as wonderful as the Christmas angels. The Christmas angels are described as messengers of god. The word angels are Greek in origin and means messenger or one who is sent. Angels are supposed to be immortal spirits. It is said that angels live in Heaven and are thought to be intermediaries of God and humans. Angels are thought to be our link to the kingdom of heaven. The concept of angels with a human body and angel wings began in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament of Christianity. The New Testament says they rejoice when people on earth are sorry for their sins.
Christianity has developed the most elaborate doctrines about christian angels. Christianity recognizes an order of beings in which they rank above humans beings but under God. In the Bible nine ranks of angels have been counted. Seraphim angles and Cherubim angels are thought to be the highest order of angels. The Archangel is a chief angel or a leader among the angels. Saint Michael is known as an Archangel. Guardian angels or angel guardians represent a comforting presence for all of us.
Christian doctrine regarding angels reached full development during the A.D. 1100's and 1200's, especially in the teachings of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He believed that they were necessary to fill the gap between God and mankind. Aquinas taught that countless numbers of angels existed and that they were immortal. Saint Thomas Aquinas believed angels knew everything except what depended on human choice and what was known only to God. Angel pictures are traditionally pictures that portray angels with human bodies and wings. Poets and artists have portrayed the angel with wings as symbols of innocence or virtue. They also symbolize purity, peace and love.
The Christmas Angels and the heavenly angels play an important role in the Christmas celebration. It is said that they brought us news of peace through the coming of the Christ child, an angel gift from God for all people on earth. Gabriel is the heavenly angel of Christmas that brought this news to Mary. Gabriel revealed to Mary that she would have a son. An angel also visited Joseph. The angel told Joseph of the upcoming birth of the Christ child. The angel also asked him not to be afraid to marry Mary. A story tells us that God gave a small group of tiny angels a special assignment to watch over this couple on their journey to Bethlehem. These angels were pretty new, and still learning 'angel ways.'
The small angels took their jobs very seriously. Mary and Joseph were guided over rugged pathways at the beginning of a cold winter. The angels did everything they could to prepare the way for Mary and Joseph. But even the tiny angel's best efforts were of no avail when it came to finding shelter for the two in the crowded town. The tiny angels sang sweetly and used their collective efforts on behalf of Mary and Joseph but in the end, the couple was forced to occupy make shift lodgings in the stable of a Bethlehem inn keeper.
As the night stillness settled over the land, an exciting moment came to pass inside the inns stable. The tiny Christmas angels assigned to care for the young couple flew closer to earth than ever before to observe the miracle birth of Christ. The fastest angel of the group swept over the stable, catching sight of the newborn child through the stable's shabby, patched roof. And in an instant, the angels' mission became clear: The little band of angels had been chosen by God to herald the birth of Christ! With great excitement and joy, the leading angel of the band broke into a glorious song that flowed out into the heavens and swirled around the clouds. It was a song of thanksgiving for all mankind to share. Their melody was heard to all the ends of the earth.
