Some more Questions (angels, demons and such)

[Lutherin]

First off, thanks for all the answers for my last set of questions.

So, what are the names of the angels that were banished to hell by God, if they had names? One is Lucifer(satan), that I know, but who were the rest? Was it a lot of them or specific ones, that joined satan? Who are the closest angels to God, last I checked there were special angels, right? Is the grim reaper part of all of this and which side is he/it/she from?

Fanks in advance...

 

[Van]

Angels are created beings, with free will, and therefore subject to temptation. An exception may be the "Angel of the Lord" which appears to be a manifestation of God Himself. In any event, an angel functions as a messenger of God. And these distinctions are blurred, because sometimes a human acting as a messenger might be called an angel.
So the Bible presents us with (3) entities, all referred to as angels, God, created spiritual beings, and humans. I will only be addressing created spiritual beings. Because angels can act together in great numbers, God is sometimes called the "Lord of Hosts."

The Bible provides names for some "classes of angels" and for some individual angels. But other than Satan, the False Prophet, and the Beast, I am not sure that any "fallen angels" are individually identified by name. Names for Satan include Devil, Serpent, and Dragon.

As far as a death angel, we have verses where the angel of the Lord brings about many deaths, and on the other hand, we have angels carrying the spirits of the righteous to a place of comfort.

 

[seashale76]

Angels are divided into three ranks, each with three groups.

Rank1
Seraphim (these are the angels closest to God)
Cherubim
Thrones

Rank 2
Dominions
Hosts
Powers

Rank 3
Principalities
Archangels
Angels



Two informative sites on the Orthodox Christian view of angels:
The Angels
angels in Orthodox Christianity « Glory to God for All Things

 

[Lutherin]

Cool, thanks.

Few more: Can humans be turned into demons and do some demons escape hell? Is it possible for them to manifest on earth?

 

[seashale76]

Cool, thanks.

Few more: Can humans be turned into demons and do some demons escape hell? Is it possible for them to manifest on earth?

No, humans can't become angels or demons.

Matthew 25:41 mentions the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. In the Orthodox view, God is the light of heaven and the fire of 'hell' (even though this word is actually a misnomer- the proper terms which tend to be translated into the word 'hell' are hades and gehenna), how one experiences this is based on their disposition toward God. There are people who pray for the repentance of all creation (including angels), but this actuality is something that only God knows.

Are you asking whether or not it is possible for angels and demons to manifest on earth? Angels are the bodiless powers of heaven. People have certainly had experiences with both. It is not advised to seek out such experiences, however.

ETA: We do believe in guardian angels. Here is an article about the Church's belief in guardian angels: http://www.antiochian.org/node/18443
Also, as part of the daily prayers, there is a prayer to your guardian angel. We also have prayers to our patron saints, and mine happens to be the Archangel Michael.

A PRAYER TO YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL O Angel of Christ, holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me everything wherein I have offended thee every day of my life, and protect me from all influence and temptation of the evil one. May I nevermore anger God by any sin. Pray for me to the Lord, that He may make me worthy of the grace of the All-holy Trinity, and of the Most Blessed Theotokos, and of all the Saints. Amen.

ETA again: Here are some other articles about Orthodox Christian beliefs regarding angels and fallen angels.

At the Threshold of Fiery Gehenna: Teachings of the Orthodox Church concerning Evil Spirits and God's judgment over them
http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/threshold_hell.htm

Angels: Blessed Messengers of God
http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/angels.htm

Counterfeit Angels
http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/angels_e2.htm

 

[Van]

Can humans be turned into demons? Not that I know of. During the time of Jesus, He encountered humans "possessed" by demons and cast them out. But there does not seem to be much of a record of demon possessions either before or after the time of Jesus, so it may have only occurred during that time.

Can angels manifest themselves in human form? I think so, but these events may also be relegated to the past, i.e before the life of Christ.

 

[drich0150]

Honest question, How do we know and rank angels only sometimes mentioned in the Bible?