Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today’s video, we’re going to discuss the angelic hierarchy as reckoned by Pseudo-Dionysius, a 6th century Christian theologian who wrote several seminal treatises. His account of the angelic hierarchy has remained influential for hundreds of years, even into contemporary times. The hierarchy he developed comprises nine angelic choirs, nine stratifications organised based on their proximity to God’s throne. These nine choirs are grouped into three triads, meaning three groups of three. The number three is significant because it reflects the holy trinity of father, son, and holy spirit. Choirs that are closer to earth are further away from God’s throne and vice versa. For example, the archangel choir is ranked second lowest because of its nearness to earth.
From here, we’re going to look at each choir, bottom to top, working from those most earthly to those most heavenly.
Let’s get into it.
In the third triad we have angels, which are our first entry, followed by archangels and principalities.
The bottom of the celestial hierarchy, angels - ordinary angels, if there is such a thing - account for the ninth and final choir, meaning they are closest to earth and farthest away from God’s throne. Indeed, more than anything else, the celestial hierarchy is a positional hierarchy; because of this, the upper echelons are mostly removed from earthly matters, and the lower echelons are dedicated to earthly matters, angels most of all.
Angels, like all the other choirs, are entities of pure spirit and exist to carry out God’s will. Chief among their responsibilities are acting as the protectors of humanity and as the messengers that carry the word of God to the mortal plane. As the choir closest to humanity, guardian angels are selected from among them to watch over people, but also places, like churches, towns, and even countries. As the messengers of God, they may bring blessed tidings, such as the birth of Christ, or dark portents, such as the looming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; as agents of the divine, they may encourage people towards the light, helping them to endure pain in all its forms and resist the temptation of sin; and as the wielders of the unfathomable power bestowed on them by God, they may reveal the true potency within them, like when one angel single-handedly annihilated an Assyrian army, eradicating 185,000 soldiers.
Watch the video for the rest!
