In our lives, characters associated with the Bible and otherworldly origins are becoming increasingly popular.
These could be demons, angels, or God himself or Satan. But it happens that creators sometimes give their character a name whose origin they don’t really know.
This is what happened with Aminodil. He acts as a collective image of several biblical characters. These are the Archangels and the Angels of Death.
So let's figure out who he is.
First of all, he is an archangel. That is, the chief of the messengers, standing above the angels. But this is according to one of the versions. It is more accepted that Aminodil is one of the demons, the angels of death. This title is given to angels who come for the souls of the dead.
In Judaism It is believed that the angel of death walked the streets and saw the blood of a lamb on the houses. There he spared the firstborn. He killed the rest of the people and took their souls. There is a known case when in Egypt death came for all the firstborn - from cattle to humans. Moreover, it was not God who killed everyone, but an angel.
There is a legend that the angel of death is covered in eyes. He comes to the dying man and raises a sword with a drop of bile over him. Out of fear, the man opens his mouth and then the angel throws a capsule there. Having swallowed it, a person turns yellow, smolders and dies. According to another version of this myth, an angel in the form of an old man or a tramp raises a sword with three drops of bile. The first drops into the dying person's mouth and takes life. The second gives death, and the third secures it.
There is a version that the angel of death is simply cuts throat, but this happens invisible to others. Also, he does not take part in violent death, but only in natural death, and comes only for sinners.
All angels are ministering spirits. First they were created, and then our world. Their main goal is to glorify God and carry out his instructions. Angels are eternal and are depicted as young boys with wings and a halo.
In visions, they can take on a different form: six-winged, or in the form of wheels with eyes, and in the form of creatures with four faces on their heads, and like fiery rotating swords, or bizarre animals.
In the angelic world was established by God nine-level hierarchy: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Angels.
The leader of the entire angelic army, Lucifer, the most powerful, talented, beautiful and closest to God, became so proud of his highest position among the other angels that he himself wanted to become higher than God, which is why he was overthrown. Moreover, he managed to seduce many angels from different ranks.
Each of the angels has their own abilities. As one of the most powerful, Amenadiel has the abilities:
- Immortality;
- Invulnerability;
- Flight;
- Wings;
- Time dilation;
- Superpower;
- Resurrection.
Since Aminodil is one of the strongest angels, he can be called Seraphim. This rank serves those closest to God. Seraphim cover their faces with wings so as not to see the face of the Lord. Sometimes they appear in the form of fire and lightning, for which they are considered fire angels. Descending to earth, they kindle love for the Lord in the souls of people.
Only stronger than Aminodil Lucifer, fallen Angel. The fallen include those servants of the Lord who, carried away by the temptation of Satan, left the righteous path. They fight the church and tempt people to do evil.
In general, the Angels of Death performed practically in all religions. Despite the differences in religions and people's views on life, the concept of the Angels of Death is similar, if not the same. Somewhere they count the death of those who oppose life. Somewhere – a new step in life, the beginning of rebirth. But everywhere the deceased meets personally with the creature that takes his life.
Since people’s faces are often distorted by agony, there is a belief that at this moment the Messenger of Death comes to them, who frightens them so much that life leaves the body.
In this situation, people have always tried to personify the inevitability of death itself and make it a mysterious creature. But there are times when Angels save people. The very first and most famous such case is the salvation of Isaac from being sacrificed by Abraham.
It is believed that the angel Samael kept his hand from the fatal blow. God was convinced of the prophet’s devotion and sent Samael to prevent trouble.
It happens that salvation does not happen so openly. There are many known cases when a trip to the sea that did not take place prevented them from boarding a plane, which then crashed.
In some cultures, the angel of death is completely not associated with evil. For example, Feng Shui, known to everyone, is a series of actions aimed at protection. Some religions have the ability to summon the Angel of Death. But you shouldn’t do this, because such a meeting will not pass without a trace and will require offerings, sacrifices and retribution.
In any case, Aminodil - collective image, with whom it is better not to get acquainted personally anywhere except in TV series or films.
Angels in Islam are one of the key pillars of faith that every Muslim should know about. These creatures were created by Allah himself, and their only goal is to embody the will of the Almighty in all worlds. They have names, a certain range of responsibilities and almost limitless possibilities.
Angels in Islam occupy a special place among all unearthly beings. They are considered the most powerful creatures in the whole world - only Allah is stronger than them. In total, from the point of view of the Muslim religion, there are several types of supernatural beings. One of them are genies, who are similar to people in their characteristics. They can be both good and evil, both devout Muslims, who will have their own special paradise, and demon-possessed spirits - shaitans. Iblis himself also belonged to the family of jinn. In addition to genies, there are other incorporeal creatures - these are angels.
The key differences between the angels of Islam and the angels in Christianity and Judaism are their exceptional infallibility and kindness. They do not have free will as such, in the general understanding of the word. If, from the point of view of Christianity and Judaism, angels can be fallen, then Islam directly refutes such an ungodly point of view. Allah is omniscient, and therefore he could not create his faithful servants and guides of his will such as could betray him later.
All angelic beings have no gender, are completely devoid of nafs - temptations, and are completely sinless. They are called by the general word “malaika”, however, not all of them are equal. Many angels have a strictly defined range of responsibilities and capabilities. Some of them have earned great fame and are known by their own names. Hordes of them are nameless or related to a specific area of Muslim life.
Angel of Death in Islam - who are Malaikat al-Maut
A special place in the Islamic religion is given to the punitive function of some of the malai. In Islam there is an angel of death - Azrael, who controls millions of his servants. In general they are called malaikat al-maut, but within this angelic caste there are also divisions of responsibilities.
Azrael is the supreme commander over all of them, and is among the closest associates of Allah. It is believed that he will be the last being to die on the Day of Judgment, as he will carry out his assigned work until the last moment. Unlike Judaism, the angel Azrael, who is in many ways similar to the demon Samael, is an exclusively positive character. Killing for him is only a job and a duty assigned to him by Allah, which he performs with utmost care. Among the subordinates of the angel of death in Islam, there are three different types of malaika:
- Naziat, also better known as malaikat al-azab, are punishing angels who come to the souls of all infidels. They brutally and crudely cut souls out of bodies, smell of carrion and hide their faces behind black cloth. Everyone whom the Nazis come for goes to the underworld.
- Nashatat are angels who come for righteous Muslims. They are also called malaikat al-rahmat, who have compassion. They have perfectly sharp blades, with which they carefully separate bodies and souls without any pain. They are fragrant with the aroma of paradise and cover their shining faces with thin white silk woven from clouds.
- Sabihat and Sabikat are assistants to other angels of death. Some believe that they are responsible for the souls of weak-willed animals. After all, animals are also alive and someone must end their existence in this world. In addition, they can warn the righteous about imminent death and prepare them for death.
According to some interpretations, the angels of death also include Israil or Israfil. He looks like a creepy creature, who, nevertheless, is still closest to Allah. Israfail will have to announce the end of the world by blowing into a huge trumpet, the sound of which will spread throughout the Universe.
Other Muslim angels, their powers and hierarchy
Apart from the angels of death, there are many other malaikas who are capable of accomplishing any task that Allah sets before them. In Islam, as well as in other Abrahamic religions, there is a strict hierarchy of angels. Despite the terrible appearance of some of them and the truly terrible duties, they are all sinless creatures who carry out the will of Allah through themselves. Despite the lack of free will and temptations, they have an intelligence that cannot be comprehended by any person or genie.
The hierarchy in Islam begins with the muqarrabun - the highest angels. Some also call them archangels in Islam. The muqarrabun are considered to be the four strongest beings in the world after Allah. In addition, Isa ibn Maryam, whom Christians call Jesus, was also counted among them. This testifies to the exclusively angelic nature of the prophet. In addition to Isa, the muqarrabun angels themselves are represented by Israfail, Azrael, Mikail and Jibril. All of them are also found in Christianity and Judaism.
The next most powerful are the angels surrounding the Throne of Allah. The strongest of them are considered Hamala al-Arsh. These are four divine creatures who bear the throne of the Almighty. Moreover, their number should double by the time of the Senior Judgment. Some Muslim commentators of the Koran combine them with muqarrabun. There are others close to the Malaika Throne. They are called karubin, which is very similar to the cherub angels from Christianity. This angelic rank in Islam is angels surrounding the throne, and their number is 70 thousand.
Next in power and importance are the Hafaza, or guardian angels in Islam. They are divided into muakkibat and kiryaman katibin. Every devout Muslim has a muakkibat. They follow him all his life, protecting him from harm and retreating only when Allah sends special tests to the chosen ones. Kiryaman katibin, also called Atid and Rakib, are clerks of the heavenly office. Each person or genie has his own pair of such angels, sitting on his right and left shoulders. Their duty is to describe every action and word of a person, and it is according to their records that Allah will pronounce judgment during the End of the World.
Mudabbirat are angels who have nothing to do with human life. Their duty is to monitor the progress of things throughout the Universe. They carry out the commands of Allah regarding the structure of the universe and ensure that the world order remains intact. After these angels, the next step is mukkoshimat. These are messenger angels who carry the instructions of Allah and distribute them among other heavenly powers.
Zaazhirat, malyak al-raat, Rabban-Nau, and malyak al-jibal are angels who report directly to Mikail. The duty of the azhirat is to manage the clouds. Malyak al-raat is the position of one of the angels of Mikail, who monitors the heavenly thunder, and malyak al-jibal is the angel who guards the mountains. Rabban-Nau is the guardian of plants, animals, stones and soils.
The following angels are mentioned by the famous Islamic historian Ibn Abbas, who is related to the Prophet Mohammed. These are the guardians of the seven heavens. The first sky along which the moon walks is guarded by Ismail, who appears in the form of a cow. In the second heaven, holding Mercury, lives the angel Shamail, appearing in the form of an eagle. The third heaven of Venus is ruled by the vulture angel Sayyid. The fourth, middle heaven, holding the Sun, is protected by the angel Salsail, who has the appearance of a horse. The sky of Mars, the fifth, is controlled by Qalkail, who looks like a paradise houria. Samkhail, the guardian of the sixth heaven, looks like a man-headed bird and rules over Jupiter. Saturn, as the planet of the seventh heaven, is ruled by Barmail, who looks like an ordinary person.
Malaikat al-arham are the angels who patronize mothers. Their duty is to predetermine the lives of people in the womb. It is by their will that the child becomes a boy or a girl. And it is they who initially determine the life span and its quality for each person.
After the guards of the womb come the malaikat al-maut, discussed above, and they are followed by the angels guarding heaven and hell. In hell live az-Zabaniyah - nineteen angels who fan the fire of hellish flames and punish sinners. They are controlled by Malik. Some non-Muslim historians and researchers believe that he descended from the fire demon Moloch. Paradise is guarded by Ridwan and Khazanat-ul-Janna - guardian angels.
All warriors of Islam are protected by the Jundallah. They invisibly accompany the jihad of every person - both as a struggle against internal fears and as a war against the aggression of the infidels. It is believed that Allah himself gives them to help, thereby expressing his satisfaction with these righteous people.
After the jundallah come the saffat - angels who stand in one row, guarding Allah and paradise with a single wall. Tailat are angels who constantly reread the Koran and the commandments of Allah so that they always sound in this world. And the sayyahuns are wandering angels who protect travelers and help them, fulfilling all their desires at night during Ramadan. They carry Muslim prayers to Allah.
All the dead are assessed by Munkar and Narib. They interrogate the dead in their graves and have a creepy appearance. At the same time, they come to the righteous twice. The second time - in the form of Mubashir and Bashir, calming and informing that they have passed the test and are worthy of heaven.
We know from the words of Christ Himself that at the moment of death the soul is met by Angels: The beggar died and was carried by the Angels to Abraham's bosom(Luke XVI, 22).
Also from the Gospel we know in what form the Angels appear: The angel of the Lord... his appearance was like lightning, and his robe was white as snow(Matt. XXVIII, 2-3); young man dressed in white clothes(Mark XVI, 5); two men in shining clothes(Luke XXIV, 4); two angels in white(John XX, 12). Throughout Christian history, the apparitions of Angels have always had the appearance of BRILLIANT YOUTHS DRESSED IN WHITE. The iconographic tradition of the appearance of Angels has always been consistent with this for centuries: only such shining youths were depicted (often with two wings, which, of course, are symbolic and are usually not visible during the appearance of Angels). The Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 decreed that Angels should always be depicted in only one form, as men. Western cupids of the Renaissance and subsequent periods are inspired by paganism and have nothing in common with real Angels.
And in fact, the modern Roman Catholic (and Protestant) West has moved far away from the teachings of Holy Scripture and early Christian tradition, not only in the artistic depiction of Angels, but also in the very doctrine of spiritual beings. Understanding this error is essential for us if we want to truly understand the true Christian teaching about the posthumous fate of the soul.
One of the great fathers of the recent past, Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov (+ 1867), saw this error and devoted an entire volume of collected works to identifying it and presenting the true Orthodox teaching on this issue (vol. 3. Tuzov Publishing House, St. Petersburg, 1886). Criticizing the views of the exemplary Roman Catholic theological work of the 19th century (Abbé Bergier's Theological Dictionary), Bishop Ignatius devotes a significant part of the volume (pp. 185-302) to the struggle with modern thought, based on the philosophy of Descartes (17th century), that everything is outside the kingdom of matter simply belongs to the kingdom of pure spirit. Such a thought, in essence, places the infinite God on the level of various finite spirits (Angels, demons, souls of the dead). This idea has become especially widespread in our time (although those who adhere to it do not see all its consequences), and largely explains the misconceptions of the modern world regarding “spiritual” things: great interest is shown in everything that is outside the material world, and at the same time often little distinction is made between the Divine, the angelic, the demonic, and simply the results of unusual human capabilities or imagination.
Abbe Bergier taught that Angels, demons and the souls of the dead are purely spiritual beings; therefore, they are not subject to the laws of time and space. We can talk about their form or movement only metaphorically, and “they have the need to put on a subtle body when God allows them to act on bodies” (Bishop Ignatius. Vol. 3, pp. 193-195). Even an otherwise knowledgeable twentieth-century Roman Catholic work on modern spiritualism repeats this teaching, stating, for example, that Angels and demons “may borrow the required material (to become visible to humans) from lower nature, whether animate or inanimate.” " Spiritualists and occultists themselves picked up these ideas of modern philosophy. One such apologist for supernatural Christianity, C. S. Lewis (English), duly criticizes the modern idea of heaven as merely a state of mind; but still, he seems to be partly subject to the modern opinion that “the body, its location and movement, and time, now seem to be of no importance to the higher spheres of spiritual life” (C.S. Lewis. Miracles. New York, 1967 ). Such views are the result of an oversimplification of spiritual reality under the influence of modern materialism; there was a loss of contact with authentic Christian teaching and spiritual experience.
To understand the Orthodox teaching about Angels and other spirits, one must first forget the overly simplified modern dichotomy of “matter-spirit”; the truth is more complex and yet so simple that those who are still capable of believing in it will perhaps be universally regarded as naive literalists. Bishop Ignatius writes (our discharge): “When God opens the (spiritual) eyes of a person, he becomes able to see spirits in their own form” (p. 216); “Angels, when appearing to men, always appeared in the form of men” (p. 227). Likewise, from “...the Scriptures make it abundantly clear that the soul of man has the form of a man in his body, and is like the other created spirits” (p. 233). He cites numerous patristic sources to prove this. Let us now take a look at the patristic teaching for ourselves.
St. Basil the Great, in his book on the Holy Spirit, states that in “the heavenly Forces their essence is airy, so to speak, spirit or immaterial fire... why they are limited in place and are invisible, appearing holy in the image of their own bodies.” He further writes: “We believe that each (of the heavenly Powers) is located in a certain place. For the Angel who presented himself to Cornelius was not at Philip’s at the same time (Acts VIII, 26; X, 3), and the Angel who talked with Zechariah at altar of incense(Luke I, 11), at the same time did not occupy his characteristic place in heaven (chap. 16, 23: vol. 1, pp. 608, 622).
Likewise, St. Gregory the Theologian teaches: “The secondary lights after the Trinity, having royal glory, are the bright invisible Angels. They move freely around the Throne, because they are fast-moving minds, fire and divine spirits, moving quickly in the air” (Conversation 6. About intelligent entities).
Thus, being spirits and flames of fire(Ps. 103, 4; Heb. I, 7), Angels reside in that world where the earthly laws of time and space do not operate in such material (so to speak) ways. Therefore, some of the fathers do not hesitate to speak about the “aerial bodies” of Angels. Rev. John of Damascus, summing up the teachings of the fathers who preceded him in the 8th century, says:
“An angel is an entity endowed with intelligence, always moving, possessing free will, incorporeal, serving God, by grace having received immortality for its nature, the form and definition of which essence is known only to the Creator. It is called incorporeal, and also immaterial, in comparison with us, for everything comparable to God, Who alone is incomparable with anything, turns out to be both gross and material, because only the Divinity is truly immaterial and incorporeal.” And further he says: “They are describable, for when they are in heaven, they are not on earth, and sent by God to earth they do not remain in heaven; but they are not limited by walls and doors, and door bolts, and seals, for they are unlimited. They are called unlimited because they appear to worthy people to whom God wills them to appear - not as they are, but in a modified form, depending on how those who look can see” (P, 3, p. 45- 47).
Saying that Angels are “not what they are,” Rev. John of Damascus, of course, does not contradict St. Basil, who teaches that Angels appear “in the form of their own bodies.” Both of these statements are true, as can be seen from the numerous descriptions of the appearances of angels in the Old Testament. So, Archangel Raphael was Tobiah’s companion for several weeks and no one ever suspected that he was not a person. However, when the Archangel revealed himself at the end, he said: All the days I was visible to you, but I did not eat or drink - only your eyes imagined this(Comd. XII, 19). The three Angels who appeared to Abraham also seemed to be eating, and they were thought to be people (Gen. XVIII and XIX). Likewise, St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his “Catechetical Words” teaches us about the Angel who appeared to Daniel that “Daniel, at the sight of Gabriel, trembled and fell on his face and, although he was a prophet, he did not dare to answer him until the Angel turned into the likeness of a son of man ” (“Catechetical words”, XI, I). However, in the book of Daniel (chapter X) we read that even at his first dazzling appearance the Angel had a human appearance, but only so bright ( His face is like the appearance of lightning, his eyes are like burning lamps, his hands and feet are like shining brass.) that he was unbearable to human eyes. Consequently, the appearance of an Angel is the same as that of a person, but since the angelic body is immaterial and the very contemplation of its fiery, shining appearance can stun any person still in the flesh, the appearances of Angels must necessarily be adapted to the people looking at them, appearing less shining and awe-inspiring than it actually is.”
As for the human soul, St. Augustine teaches that when the soul is separated from the body, the person himself, to whom all this happens, although only in the spirit and not in the body, sees himself still just as similar to his own body, that he cannot see any difference at all” (“On the City of God”, book XXI, 10). This truth has now been repeatedly confirmed by the personal experience of thousands of people brought back to life in our time.
But if we are talking about the bodies of Angels and other spirits, we must be careful not to attribute to them any gross material characteristics. Ultimately, as Rev. John of Damascus, this “essence’s form and definition is known only by the Creator” (I. 3, p. 45). In the West, St. Augustine wrote that there is no difference when we prefer to talk “about the airy bodies” of demons and other spirits or call them “incorporeal” (“On the City of God,” XXI, 10).
Bishop Ignatius himself was perhaps a little overly interested in explaining angelic bodies in terms of nineteenth-century scientific knowledge. about gases. For this reason, some dispute arose between him and Bishop Theophan the Recluse, who considered it necessary to emphasize the simple nature of spirits (which, of course, do not consist of elementary molecules, like all gases). But on the main issue - about the “thin shell” that all spirits have, he agreed with Bishop Ignatius (see: Archpriest Georgy Florovsky. Paths of Russian Theology. Paris, 1937, pp. 394-395). It seems that some similar misunderstanding over a minor issue or over terminology led in the 5th century in the West to controversy with the teachings of the Latin father, St. Favst of Lirinsky, about the relative materiality of the soul, based on the teachings of the Eastern fathers.
If the exact definition of angelic nature is known to God alone, an understanding of the activities of Angels (at least in this world) is available to everyone, for there is a lot of evidence about this both in Scripture and patristic literature, and in the lives of saints. To fully understand the phenomena that occur to the dying, we, in particular, must know how fallen angels (demons) appear. Real Angels always appear in their own form (only less dazzling than in reality) and act only to fulfill the will and commands of God. The fallen angels, although sometimes appear in their own form (St. Seraphim of Sarov, from his own experience, describes him as “vile”), but usually take on different appearances and perform many “miracles” with the power they receive in subordination to the prince, air supremacy(Eph. II, 2). Their permanent place of residence is the air, and their main business is to seduce or intimidate people and thus drag them along with them to destruction. It is against them that the Christian fights: Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spirits of wickedness in high places.(Eph. VI, 12).
St. Augustine, in his little-known treatise Definition of Demons, written in response to a request to explain some of the many demonic phenomena in the ancient pagan world, gives a good general understanding of the affairs of demons:
“The nature of demons is such that, through the sensory perception characteristic of the air body, they far surpass the perception possessed by earthly bodies, and also in speed, thanks to the better mobility of the air body, they incomparably surpass not only the movement of people and animals, but even the flight of birds . Endowed with these two faculties, in so far as they are the properties of the aerial body, namely, keenness of perception and speed of movement, they predict and report many things which they knew about much earlier. And people are surprised at this because of the slowness of earthly perception. Moreover, over their long lives, demons have accumulated much more experience in various events than people get in a short period of their lives. Through these properties, which are inherent in the nature of the airy body, demons not only predict many events, but also perform many miraculous deeds.”
Many “miracles” and demonic spectacles are described in the lengthy conversation of St. Anthony the Great, included St. Athanasius in his life, where the “light bodies of demons” are also mentioned (chapter II). Life of St. Cyprian, a former sorcerer, also contains numerous descriptions of demonic transformations and miracles, reported by an actual participant.
The classic description of demonic activity is contained in the seventh and eighth “conversations” of St. John Cassian, the great Gallic father of the 5th century, who was the first to transmit to the West the complete teachings of Eastern monasticism. St. Cassian writes: “And such a multitude of evil spirits fills this air, which spills between heaven and earth and in which they fly restlessly and not idlely; so that the Providence of God, for the sake of benefit, hid and removed them from the eyes of men; otherwise, from fear of their attack, or the fear of the faces into which they, of their own free will, when they want, turn or transform, people would be struck with unbearable horror to the point of exhaustion...”
And that unclean spirits are controlled by more evil authorities and are subordinate to them, this, in addition to those testimonies of Holy Scripture that we read in the Gospel, in the description of the Lord’s answer to the Pharisees who slandered him: if I, by the power of Bezelbub, the prince of demons, cast out demons... (Matthew XII , 27), - clear visions and many experiences of the saints will also teach us. “When one of our brothers was traveling in this desert, when evening came, he found a certain cave, stopped there and wanted to perform evening prayer in it. While he was singing psalms as usual, it was already past midnight. At the end of the prayer rule, wanting to calm his tired body a little, he lay down and suddenly began to see countless crowds of demons gathering from everywhere, who passed in an endless line and in a very long row, some preceded their leader, others followed him. Finally the prince came, who was taller than everyone else in size and more terrible in appearance; and after setting up the throne, when he sat down on the elevated tribunal (judicial seat), then with diligent research he began to analyze the actions of everyone, and those who said that they could not yet seduce their rivals, he ordered to be expelled from his person with a remark and scolding as inactive and the careless, with a furious roar, reproaching them for wasting so much time and labor in vain. And those who declared that they had deceived those appointed to them, he released with great praise, with the admiration and approval of everyone, as the bravest warriors and a model for all those who had become famous. From among them, one evil spirit approached, with gloating joy, reported as a most famous victory that he, a well-known monk, whom he named, after 15 years, during which he constantly tempted, finally overcame - on that very night he drew into fornication. At this report, extraordinary joy occurred among everyone, and he, exalted by the prince of darkness with high praise and crowned with great glory, left. When dawn came... all this multitude of demons disappeared from the eyes.”
Later, a brother who witnessed this spectacle learned that the message about the fallen monk was indeed true (“Conversations”, VIII, 12, 16, Russian translation by Bishop Peter. Moscow, 1892, pp. 313, 315).
This happened to many Orthodox Christians until this century. These are, quite obviously, not dreams or visions, but meetings in the waking state with demons as they are - but only, of course, after a person’s spiritual eyes are opened in order to see these creatures that are usually invisible to the human eye . Until recently, perhaps only a handful of “old-fashioned” or “simple-minded” Orthodox Christians could still believe the literal truth of such stories; Even now some Orthodox Christians find it difficult to believe them, so convincing was the modern belief that Angels and demons are “pure spirits” and do not act in such “material” ways. It is only because of the great increase in demonic activity in recent years that these stories are beginning to seem at least plausible again. The now widespread reports of “after death” experiences have also opened up the realm of immaterial reality to many ordinary people who have no contact with the occult. A clear and truthful explanation of this kingdom and its beings has become one of the needs of our time. Such an explanation can only be given by Orthodoxy, which has preserved genuine Christian teaching even to this day.
Now let's take a closer look at how Angels (and demons) appear at the moment of death.
« Say: “The angel of death, to whom you have been entrusted, will put you to death, and then you will be returned to your Lord" (Quran; 32:11)
Death itself is a great sign and demonstration of the omnipotence of Allah.
Each person is given a certain period of life on earth, and when it comes to an end, no one and nothing can avert the coming of the angels of death, the main of which is Azrael.
At the hour appointed by Allah for any specific person, he removes the soul from the body. But he is not the only one in this process and other angels help him, as evidenced by the verse: “T e, whom the angels killed..."(Quran; 16:28. Only the necessary part of the verse is given)
One of the famous commentators of the Koran, Mujahid, who in turn is referred to by another famous commentator, Qurtubi, describes the process of extracting the soul from the body: “Before the angel of death, the whole world is like an open box in which people are scattered like grains, and he snatches those from them that he wants."
He concluded by saying: “O Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon you, everything I tell you is by the will and order of Allah. If I, of my own free will, wanted to take the life of a mosquito, I would not be able to do this until an order comes from Allah.”
In this regard, the question arises, does Azrael take the life of animals?
Imam Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, adhered to this point of view. But other theologians believed that Azrael only takes the souls of people. As for animals, they die at the command of Allah without the mediation of angels. Imam Qurtubi cites this point of view in his tafsir.
Abi ash-Sheikh, Waqili, Daylami adhered to the same position, referring to the hadith transmitted by Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, in which the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “All animals and insects glorify Allah. When they stop this glorification, Allah takes their souls. The Angel of Death is not responsible for the death of animals."
Tafsir Mazhari mentions another hadith, transmitted by Abdullah ibn Umar: “When Allah Taala ordered Azrael, peace be upon him, to kill people, he prayed: “O my Lord, You have placed such a duty on me that all the sons of Adam living in the world will curse me whenever they remember me and consider me evil.”
To this, Allah Taala answered him: “We took care of this and spread in the world some noticeable diseases and other causes of death of people, which they will associate with death and you will be protected from their curses.” (This hadith is cited by Qurtubi in his Tafsir and the work “At-tazkira”)
Imam al-Baghawi also quotes a hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All illnesses, pain and wounds carry the message of death. They remind every person of his death. After this, when the time of death comes, the angel of death turns to the dying person and says: “O servant of God, how many warnings have I sent you one after another! All these illnesses and accidents were to prepare you for death. Now I am here in front of you and no one else will come to you with a warning. Now you must agree to the command of your Lord, whether you like it or not.”
The angel of death himself does not know the time when the death of this or that person occurs in advance. He learns about it only when a command comes from Allah.
Ildar Mukhamedzhanov
Angel of Death
Angels of death malach ha-mavet
In biblical Judaism
Shahat
Mashehit.
ulcer, pestilence, plague or sting
It is said about the messenger of death that his entire being is covered with countless eyes. “The Talmud gives a metaphor: “Do not look, even if you are filled with eyes like the Angel of Death,” about whom it is said that he is the eyes” (Avoda Zara 20). And when the time of death comes, he comes to the patient and stands at the head of the bed with a naked blade, on the tip of which hangs a drop of bile. Seeing him, the patient opens his mouth in fear; the angel of death takes advantage of this moment and throws a deadly drop into the dying man’s mouth. A person dies from it, his face turns yellow and he completely decomposes. The second version of this story says that at the end of the blade there are three drops of poison. A man, seeing a terrible black angel, opens his mouth in horror, drops fall there and the man dies from this. The first drop ends life, the second drop is the bile of death, the third drop consolidates what has been started. These three drops of poison on the knife of the Angel of Death are controlled by Niatsrinel, a demon who lives in the level of hell called Beer Shahat (Grave Pit). Most often, the angel of death appears in the form of a fugitive, a tramp or a beggar. In folklore, he is often depicted as a creature covered in many eyes, a zealous reaper, or an old man with a sword dripping with poison.
According to another opinion, malach ha-mavet
In Christianity, the angel of death is sometimes called the Archangel Gabriel, since, according to legend, he conveyed the news of her death to the Virgin Mary a few days before her.
“Say: “The angel of death, to whom you have been entrusted, will put you to death, and then you will be returned to your Lord.” (Sura Prostration, verse 11)
- Lines from the song “They Will Give You a Sign” by the metal band “Aria”:
,
Different religions have different interpretations of the origin and functions of the angel of death. But, in any case, this is a very powerful angel. Sooner or later, every person will meet him, although it is better if the meeting occurs at the time appointed by God.
Instructions
In Judaism, God sends
death for the soul of a person whose time has come to die. At the same time, the angel of death can be associated with Satan. There is an ominous legend according to which the angel of death Samael (aka Satan) comes to take a human life, holding a knife in his hands, from the tip of which 3 drops of poison flow. The first drop interrupts life, the second represents the bile of death, and the third completes the terrible work begun. As befits Satan, Samael appears only for the souls of sinners. He is an ominous black figure holding a jagged knife. The angel Gabriel comes for the righteous souls. He also brings a knife with him, but it’s perfectly straight.
In the Christian tradition, the angel of death is sometimes considered the Archangel Gabriel, who informed the Virgin Mary of the imminent arrival of death. Also, Fallen Angels are often called angels of death, who, having fallen into Hell and turned into demons, try to drag as many people as possible with them. IN
and in Judaism, the role of the angel of death is played by Azrael, accompanying souls on the way to the other world.
The image of the angel of death is often found in fairy tales and legends of different nations. However, he is not a ruthless hunter of people’s lives, but only dispassionately fulfills his duty. There are many stories about how a person tries to deceive the angel of death, but almost no one succeeds. But you can agree with him on a postponement. If you do not interfere with him in fulfilling his destiny, the angel of death will treat a person with understanding and may not only release him to complete unfinished business, but will even try to help him.
The angel of death can often be seen in works of art, primarily in literature and cinema. A completely unusual image of the angel of death, named Ertebise, was created in his play and then in the film “Orpheus” by the brilliant French poet, playwright and director Jean Cocteau. His Ertebise is a handsome young man, a former student who committed suicide because of unhappy love and turned into a driver and assistant to a beautiful and mysterious lady named Death.
At the same time, Ertebise is by no means devoid of human feelings: he sincerely and selflessly falls in love with Eurydice and makes selfless attempts to save her life and family happiness with Orpheus. It is not without reason that some researchers believe that Ertebise is a kind of double of Orpheus and, perhaps, part of the soul of Cocteau himself. This is the evolution of the image of the powerful and mysterious angel of death.
Who is the angel of death
The angel of death in Islam, Christianity, Judaism is a related figure. However, this supernatural being is depicted differently in different religions, especially if we take into account not only the beliefs of Abrahamic origins, but also the religions and cultures of other peoples of the world.
In Islam, the angel of death is given special attention - Muslims attach quite a lot of importance to his figure. This is a marked difference from the Christian and Jewish traditions, where such a messenger from heaven is a relatively minor character. The Angel of Death Azrael is one of the four angels who have the status of mukarrabun - the living beings closest to Allah. Despite the fact that Azrael is not directly named in the Koran, all modern followers of Islam speak about the existence of this angel. Most likely, his name was borrowed from Israeli sources. The Koran does not define the name of this creature and calls it nothing other than Malyak-al-maut. You can read about how to summon the angel of death, as well as protection from him, in another article on our website.
Since Azrael is one of the four angels closest to Allah - mukarrabun, he is a ruler and prophet among other angels, including the angels of death, along with Jabrail, Israfail and Mikail. Huge hosts of faithful servants obey him. These are angels from the Nashatat clan, whose purpose is to guide righteous Muslims into the next world. He also commands the angels of the Nazi family, who take the souls of sinners and infidels from the Earth. Azrael himself is, first of all, a ruler over his servants, and does not personally come for dying people.
An interesting fact is that Azrael is often mentioned in appearance as having an appearance similar to cherub angels - he also has four wings. According to the theory of the Last Judgment, Israfail will blow the horn before him, from which almost all of Allah's creations will die, and after the second sound of the horn, all the angels will die, but Azrael will become the very last creature destroyed. Another interesting fact is the similarity of the messenger of the apocalypse, Israfail, with the angel of death Samael from the Jewish tradition. Muslims also believe that this angel has many eyes, but countless mouths and fur are also added to this image.
An additional significant factor pointing to Azrael as the angel of death, or at least one of them, is the fact that in the beliefs of the Chuvash peoples, the deity associated with death is called Esrel. At the same time, an interesting point in the Chuvash religion can be called many stories about how this angel was deceived, which does not at all coincide with the belief in the inevitability of the arrival of the messengers of death in other cultures. Also in the holy book of the Sikhs - Guru Granth Sahib, the name of Azraa-Iel is mentioned as the angel of death.
In Judaism, the angels of death occupy a special place, with interpretations of their role often varying depending on the sources. So, first of all, they act as messengers of God and destroyers who must realize his plan to punish peoples mired in cruelty and sin. In addition to the common name of these angels - malach ha-mavet, they also had their own names. During the execution of Egyptian plagues, the angel of death who took all the firstborn was Shahat. In addition, other names are mentioned in the Old Testament legends - Ddavar and Mashekhit. Some see in these names a similarity with the profession of shoikhet, which also has a certain meaning.
In addition, the Talmud directly mentions that many other prominent Old Testament figures were angels of death. In particular, at some point this role was played by the Archangel Michael, who carried the dying Adam to his grave. Archangel Gabriel is the angel of death for the righteous and kings, and Samael is for sinners. The name of the demon Abaddon is also mentioned here, as well as Azrael - it is believed that this angel of death came to Islam directly from the Jewish tradition.
Shahat angel of death
The appearance of angels in the form of malach ha-mavet is described as follows: creatures covered with many eyes. In other variations and interpretations, these messengers of heaven are depicted as an old man with a sword, a tramp, or a reaper. It was in Judaism that the traditional image of death with an agricultural scythe first arose. One of the beliefs is that an angel cuts the throat of every dying person with a knife. At the same time, Gabriel’s knife for the righteous is perfectly sharp, while Samael’s knife for sinners is full of jagged edges. Thus, a parallel is drawn with kosher and non-kosher shechita - the process of killing animals so that they are suitable for food.
However, at the same time as the divine essence, the Talmud often identifies the angels of death with evil and Satan. This is not surprising, since Samael, despite the fact that for some time he was a devoted servant of God, later became an antagonist of God.
In Christianity, the angels of death, unlike Judaism and Islam, practically do not appear. Even the Christian generally accepted version of the Old Testament makes no mention of the special purpose of such entities. It is believed that at the end of life, the human soul travels on its own. This means that no guide, or especially a creature that specifically ends life, is needed.
Nevertheless, Christian dogmas recognize the ability of angels to take a person’s life if necessary. In particular, this justifies the mass murder of all first-born children during the Egyptian plagues and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. But these powers, according to the Christian faith, are possessed by any of the angels acting on the instructions of the Lord - and this applies to all angelic ranks.
In addition, fallen angels are figuratively called destroying angels, for example the demon Abaddon. Also, the messenger of death is sometimes called the Archangel Gabriel, who delivered the news of the imminent death of the Virgin Mary.
Since ancient times, people have sought to give death some image, which is reflected in their beliefs. Or, on the contrary, the presence of certain creatures that ensure the departure of people to another world led to the formation of such an image among various peoples. One way or another, in almost all the beliefs of the world, death has its messengers, starting almost from the most ancient times.
Nergal and Ereshkigal
One of the very first such creatures were Nergal and Ereshkigal in ancient Babylonian myths, which clearly had more ancient Sumerian roots. Among the ancient Egyptians, the afterlife was ruled by the gods Osiris and Anubis. Osiris was the direct ruler of the world of the dead, and Anubis performed most of the functions of the angel of death. In ancient Greece, the analogue of the angel of death was Thanatos, as well as the old man Charon, who ferried souls across the river of the dead. The Aztecs worshiped Mictlantecuhtli, the god of Death, who had a whole host of servants - tsitsimime demons, who came for dying people. In Scandinavian beliefs, the souls of warriors who died on the battlefield were taken by angelic girls - Valkyries. At the same time, Slavic legends did not preserve any corresponding “office” spirits. Buddhism and Hinduism believe that the deity or spirit Yama is responsible for death.
And in Mexico now there is even a special religion - Santa Muerte, which is completely dedicated to the essence of Death. In it, Aztec and Mayan traditions were intertwined with Christianity, after which Death in the face of the skeleton began to be worshiped and even identified with the Virgin Mary.
In general, given the huge variety of different angels of death in almost all world religions, we can verify the high probability of the real existence of such entities, especially considering the large number of similar features. Knowing the names of the angels of death, it is even possible to contact them. Most often this is done not to protect against evil, but to ensure justice. After all, departure to the next world was often considered its personification - it did not divide people into rich or poor.
Names of the angels of death in Islam, Christianity, Judaism and other religions
This term has other meanings, see
Angel of Death
Angels of death(Heb. מלאך המות, Hebrew מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, malach ha-mavet- “messenger of death”) - angels taking the soul (life).
In biblical Judaism
In Judaism, the angel of death is a representative of God who is sent by God to take a life or soul. The Angel of Death passed by houses that had the blood of a lamb on them and spared the firstborn. The rest were "brought" death, as a result of which their lives were terminated. In Egypt, all the firstborn, from livestock to man, died in one night (Exodus 12:29-32).
Analyzing the text of the book of Exodus 12:23,29, we can conclude that the Lord did not strike the firstborn with his own hand, but ordered the destroyer to Hebrews. שָׁחַת, Shahat commit defeat. Shahat is the name of one of the angels of death, which appears for the first time in the Bible.
In the book of Exodus 12:12-13 there is another name for the angel of death - Hebrew. מַשְׁחִית, Mashehit.
The third name of the angel of death appears in the second part of the scroll of Shmuel 24:15-17:
Daver Hebrew דָּ֫בֶר - means ulcer, pestilence, plague or sting. The first part of Chronicle 21:15 contains a record saying that it was the destroying angel of Hebrews. שָׁחַת, that is, Shahat:
It is said about the messenger of death that his entire being is covered with countless eyes. “The Talmud gives a metaphor: “Do not look, even if you are filled with eyes, like the Angel of Death,” about whom it is said that he is the eyes” (Avoda Zara 20). And when the time of death comes, he comes to the patient and stands at the head of the bed with a naked blade, on the tip of which hangs a drop of bile. Seeing him, the patient opens his mouth in fear; the angel of death takes advantage of this moment and throws a deadly drop into the dying man’s mouth. A person dies from it, his face turns yellow and he completely decomposes. The second version of this story says that at the end of the blade there are three drops of poison. A man, seeing a terrible black angel, opens his mouth in horror, drops fall there and the man dies from this. The first drop ends life, the second drop is the bile of death, the third drop consolidates what has been started. These three drops of poison on the knife of the Angel of Death are controlled by Niatsrinel, a demon who lives in the level of hell called Beer Shahat (Grave Pit). Most often, the angel of death appears in the form of a fugitive, a tramp or a beggar. In folklore, he is often depicted as a creature covered in many eyes, a zealous reaper, or an old man with a sword dripping with poison.
According to another opinion, malach ha-mavet directly cuts the dying man's throat, but he does it invisibly to others out of respect for God's creations (ib.). The Angel of Death causes only natural death; he does not participate in unnatural death (see Arach., 7a).
At the same time, the angel of death is also associated with Satan. Thus, the Talmud contains the following definition: “Satan is the Angel of Death, he is also a bad impulse.”
Samael, as malach ha-mavet, the angel of death, is a terrible black figure with a jagged knife who comes only for sinners. The angel Gabriel comes for the righteous with a perfectly straight knife in his hands, and taking away the souls of the righteous with him is compared to “kosher shechita,” while what Samael does with sinners is “non-kosher shechita.”
In Christianity, the angel of death is sometimes called the Archangel Gabriel, since, according to legend, he conveyed the news of her death to the Virgin Mary a few days before her.
Also, according to the book of the Apocalypse, Abaddon is associated with the angel of death:
Angel of Death in Islam. “Proverbs” - “At the hour predetermined by the Lord, a person suffers from illness or his body ceases its functions, which marks an invitation to the Angel of Death Azrael.”
In the Koran, the Angels of Death are described allegorically:
“Say: “The angel of death, to whom you have been entrusted, will put you to death, and then you will be returned to your Lord.” (Sura Earthly Bow, verse 11)
“To those whom the angels kill (acting) unjustly (toward) themselves, they will say: “What (position) were you in?” They will say: “We were weak on earth.” They will say: “Was not the land of God spacious so that you (could) migrate in it?” Gehenna will be their refuge. How bad is this place of arrival! (Surah Women, verse 97)
“Angel of Death” - a song by the Russian gothic rock band “Shmeli”
- Lines from the song “You will be given a sign” by the metal band “Aria”:
The Angel of Death will be here when the battle begins,
He will push you to the bayonet and take you with him...
