ANGEL
shows
considerable
development;
other
names
are
given
to
them,
but
their
main
function,
viz.
messengers
of
God,
is
the
same
as
in
the
earlier
books;
for
example,
in
2'
it
is
a
'spirit,'
instead
of
an
'angel,'
who
acts
as
an
intermediary
being,
see,
too,
3"^-
11'^-;
in
8"-
40'
a
vision
is
attributed
to
'the
hand
of
the
Lord';
in
40'ff-
it
is
a
'man'
of
a
supernatural
kind
who
instructs
the
prophet;
and
again,
in
Q**-
'men,'
though
clearly
not
of
human
kind
(see
v."),
destroy
the
wicked
in
Jerusalem.
In
Ezk.,
as
well
as
in
Zee.,
angels
take
up
a
very
definite
position
of
intermediate
beings
between
God
and
man,
one
of
their
chief
functions
being
that
of
interpreting
visions
which
Divine
action
creates
in
the
mind
of
men;
in
both
these
books
angels
are
called
'men,'
and
in
both
the
earlier
idea
of
the
'Angel
of
the
Lord
'
has
its
counterpart
in
the
prominent
position
taken
up
by
some
particular
angel
who
is
the
inter-preter
of
visions.
In
Zee.
different
orders
of
angels
are
for
the
first
time
mentioned
(23-
*
31-'
4').
In
Daniel
there
is
a
further
development
;
the
angels
are
termed
'watchers'
(.i"-
"),
and
'princes'
(10'=);
they
have
names,
e.g.
Michael
(10"
12'),
^Gabriel
(8'"),
and
there
are
special
angels
('princes')
who
fight
for
special
nations
(lO^"-
*')•
As
in
Zee.
so
in
Daniel
there
are
different
orders
among
the
angels,
but
in
the
latter
book
the
different
categories
are
more
fully
developed.
In
the
attitude
taken
up
in
these
later
books
we
may
see
the
link
between
the
earlier
belief
and
its
development
in
post-Biblical
Jewish
literature.
The
main
factors
which
contributed
to
this
development
were,
firstly,
Babylon;
during
the
Captivity,
Babylonian
influence
upon
the
Jews
asserted
itself
in
this
as
well
as
in
other
respects;
according
to
Jewish
tradition
the
names
of
the
angels
came
from
Babylon.
Secondly,
Persian
influence
was
of
a
marked
character
in
post-exilic
times;
the
Zoroastrian
belief
that
Ormuzd
had
a
host
of
pure
angels
of
light
who
surrounded
him
and
fulfilled
his
commands,
was
a
ready-made
development
of
the
Jewish
belief,
handed
down
from
much
earlier
times,
that
angels
were
the
messengers
of
Jahweh.
Later
still,
a
certain
amount
of
Greek
influence
was
also
exercised
upon
Jewish
angelology.
2.
The
Apocrypha.
—
Some
of
the
characteristics
of
angels
here
are
identical
with
some
of
those
found
in
the
OT,
viz.:
they
appear
in
human
form
(2
Es
l'"),
they
speak
like
men
(To
6«*-)i
they
guide
men
(v.^'),
they
bring
destruction
upon
men
(1
Mac
7^'-
^^);
on
the
other
hand,
they
heal
men
(To
3"),
their
power
is
superhuman
(12",
Bel
^''■,
Three
'«),
and
they
praise
God
(2
Es
821,
Three
").
The
angelology
of
the
Apoc-rypha
is,
however,
far
more
closely
allied
to
that
of
Ezk.,
Zee.,
and
Daniel
than
the
angelology
of
these
to
that
of
the
rest
of
the
OT;
this
will
be
clearly
seen
by
enumerating
briefly
the
main
characteristics
of
angels
as
portrayed
in
the
Apocrypha.
In
2
Esdras
an
angel
frequently
appears
as
an
in-structor
of
heavenly
things;
thus
in
lO^s
an
angel
causes
Esdras
to
fall
into
a
trance
in
order
to
receive
instruction
in
spiritual
matters;
in
Z'',
after
an
angel
has
instructed
Esdras,
the
latter
is
commanded
to
tell
others
what
he
had
learned;
sometimes
an
angel
is
identified
with
God,
e.g.
in
S^"-
"
7=,
but
usually
there
is
very
distinct
differentiation;
sometimes
the
angel
seems
almost
to
be
the
alter
ego
of
Esdras,
arguing
with
himself
(of.
S^'-
^
12"'-).
In
To
12»
-"
there
are
some
important
details,
—
here
an
angel
instructs
in
manner
of
life,
but
more
striking
is
the
teaching
that
he
brings
to
remembrance
before
God
the
prayers
of
the
faithful,
and
that
he
superintends
the
burial
of
the
dead
;
■*
he
has
a
name,
Raphael,-^
and
is
one
of
the
seven
holy
angels
(
'
archangels
')
who
present
the
prayers
of
the
saints,
and
who
go
constantly
in
and
out
before
the
presence
of
God
;
*
(3f
.,
in
Egyptian
belief,
the
similar
functions
of
Isis
and
Nephthys.
f
Names
of
angels
occur
also
in
2
Esdras,
viz.:
Jeremiel
(4««),
PhaUid
(5"),
and
Urid
(lO^s).
ANGEL
that
there
are
ranks
among
the
angels
is
thus
taught
here
more
categorically
than
in
the
later
Biblical
books.
Further,
the
idea
of
guardian-angels
is
characteristic
of
the
Apocrypha;
that
individuals
have
their
guardian-angels
is
clearly
impUed
in
To
5",
that
armies
have
such
is
taught
in
2
Mac
11«
15a,
while
in
2
Mac
3»»-occurs
a
Jewish
counterpart
of
the
Roman
legend
of
Castor
and
Pollux;
there
is
possibly,
in
Sir
17",
an
indication
that
nations
also
have
their
guardian-angels;
*
if
so,
it
would
be
the
lineal
descendant
of
the
early
Israelite
belief
in
national
gods.
The
dealings
of
angels
with
men
are
of
a
very
varied
character,
for
besides
the
details
already
enumerated,
we
have
these
further
points:
in
Bar
6'"-
an
angel
is
to
be
the
means
whereby
the
Israelites
in
Babylon
shall
be
helped
to
withstand
the
temptation
to
worship
the
false
gods
of
the
land;
in
To
6'-
■■■
"
an
angel
describes
a
method
whereby
an
evil
spirit
may
be
driven
away;
in
v.*
an
angel
gives
a
remedy
for
healing
blindness;
in
Bel
^s-
an
angel
takes
the
prophet
Habakkuk
by
the
hair
and
carries
him
from
Judah
to
Babylonia,
in
order
that
he
may
share
his
dinner
with
Daniel
in
the
lion's
den;
and,
once
more,
in
Three
^-
27
an
angel
smites
the
flame
of
the
furnace
into
which
the
three
heroes
had
been
cast,
and
makes
a
cool
wind
to
blow
in
its
place
(cf.
Dn
323ff.).
It
will
thus
be
seen
that
the
activities
of
angels
are,
according
to
the
Apocrypha,
of
a
very
varied
character.
One
further
important
tact
remains
to
be
noted:
they
are
almost
invariably
the
benefactors
of
man,
their
power
far
transcends
that
of
man,
sometimes
an
angel
is
identified
with
God,
yet
in
spite
of
this,
with
one
possible
exception,
2
Mac
4"'
-",
no
worship
is
ever
offered
to
them;
this
is
true
also
of
the
OT,
excepting
when
an
angel
is
identified
with
Jahweh
;
in
the
NT
there
is
at
least
one
case
of
the
worship
of
an
angel,
Rev
22'-
',
cf.
Col
2".
The
angelology
of
the
Apocrypha
is
ex-panded
to
an
almost
unlimited
extent
in
later
Jewish
writings,
more
especially
in
the
Book
of
Enoch,
in
the
Targums,
and
in
the
Talmud;
but
with
these
we
are
not
concerned
here.
3.
New
Testament.
—
(a)
In
the
Gospeis
it
is
necessary
to
differentiate
between
what
is
said
by
Christ
Himself
on
the
subject
and
what
is
narrated
by
the
Evangelists.
Christ's
teaching
regarding
angels
may
be
summed
up
thus:
Their
dwelling-place
is
in
heaven
(Mt
IS",
Lk
12*-
»,
Jn
1");
they
are
superior
to
men,
but
in
the
world
to
come
the
righteous
shall
be
on
an
equaUty
with
them
(Lk
20»);
they
carry
away
the
souls
of
the
righteous
to
a
place
of
rest
(Lk
I622);
they
are
(as
seems
to
be
implied)
of
neither
sex
(Mt
22'");
they
are
very
numerous
(Mt
26==);
they
will
appear
with
Christ
at
His
second
coming
[it
is
in
connexion
with
this
that
most
of
Christ's
references
to
angels
are
made
Mt:
13'«
1627
2431
25'i,
Mk
S's,
Lk
92«,
cf.
Jn
16>];
there
are
bad
as
well
as
good
angels
(Mt
25"),
though
it
is
usually
of
the
latter
that
mention
is
made;
they
are
Umited
in
knowledge
(Mt
24s«);
there
are
guardian-angels
of
children
(Mt
18'°);
they
rejoice
at
the
triumph
of
good
(Lk
IS").
Turning
to
the
Evangelists,
we
find
that
the
main
function
of
angels
is
to
deUver
God's
messages
to
men
{.e.g.
Mt
l^"
2'"
28=,
Lk
l^s
2423).
on
only
one
occasion
are
angels
brought
into
direct
contact
with
Christ
(Mt
4",
with
ttie
parallel
passage
Mkl"),
and
it
is
noteworthy
that
in
the
corresponding
verse
in
the
Third
Gospel
(Lk
4'=)
there
is
no
mention
of
angels.
Thus
the
main
differences
between
Christ's
teaching
on
angels
and
that
which
went
before
are
that
they
are
not
active
among
men,
their
abode
and
their
work
are
rather
in
the
realms
above;
they
are
not
the
intermediaries
between
God
and
men,
for
it
is
either
Christ
Himself,
or
the
Holy
Spirit,
who
speaks
directly
to
men;
much
emphasis
is
laid
on
their
presence
with
Christ
at
His
second
coming.
On
the
other
hand,
*
Cf
.
this
idea
in
the
case
of
the
Angel
of
the
Lord
(which
""e)
