Angel of the Presence
Encyclopedia
In Judeo-Christian
tradition, the Angel of the Presence is an entity or multiple entities (Angels of Presence, Hebrew
: malak paniym מַלְאַךְ פָּנָיו) variously considered angel
ic or else identified with God Himself. The phrase occurs in , which states that, throughout the history of Israel, God has loved
and been merciful
to that nation and shared in its distresses, saving Israel with "the angel of his presence". The Septuagint translation of the Book of Isaiah
emphasizes that this term is simply a way of referring to God, not a created angel.
In the Book of Jubilees
, the Angel of the Presence explains to Moses
the history of Israel. Jubilees depicts this entity as one of God's special agents and does not provide him with a specific name. In the Testament of Judah, Judah states that he has received blessing from the Angel of the Presence. The Second Book of Enoch
identifies Uriel
as the Angel of the Presence or else as one of the Angels of the Presence.
are the two highest orders of angels. They were created on the first day, already circumcised, so that they could participate in the keeping of the Sabbath with God
in heaven and on earth. God instructed one of these angels (thought to be St. Michael), to write the history of creation for Moses
. The angel took the tablets of history and law, and in a long revelation, recited them to Moses with instructions to write them down. In the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
, Judah
, one of the 12 sons of Jacob
and Leah, testifies that he was blessed by an angel of the presence.
, Suriel, Sandalphon
, Astanphaeus, Sarakiel, Phanuel
, Jehoel
, Zagzagael, Uriel
, Yefefiah, Sabaoth, and Akatriel. The angels of presence are also equated with the angels of glory. In rabbinic tradition, there are 70 tutelary angels called angels of presence. According to the Zohar
, the angels of presence revealed the "mystery" (purpose) of God to people, and thus were expelled from the divine presence
.
Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian is a term used in the United States since the 1940s to refer to standards of ethics said to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, for example the Ten Commandments...
tradition, the Angel of the Presence is an entity or multiple entities (Angels of Presence, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
: malak paniym מַלְאַךְ פָּנָיו) variously considered angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
ic or else identified with God Himself. The phrase occurs in , which states that, throughout the history of Israel, God has loved
Love of God
Love of God are central notions in monotheistic and polytheistic religions, and are important in one's personal relationship with God and one's conception of God ....
and been merciful
Mercy
Mercy is broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social and legal contexts.The concept of a "Merciful God" appears in various religions from Christianity to...
to that nation and shared in its distresses, saving Israel with "the angel of his presence". The Septuagint translation of the Book of Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
emphasizes that this term is simply a way of referring to God, not a created angel.
In the Book of Jubilees
Jubilees
The Book of Jubilees , sometimes called Lesser Genesis , is an ancient Jewish religious work, considered one of the pseudepigrapha by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches...
, the Angel of the Presence explains to Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
the history of Israel. Jubilees depicts this entity as one of God's special agents and does not provide him with a specific name. In the Testament of Judah, Judah states that he has received blessing from the Angel of the Presence. The Second Book of Enoch
Second Book of Enoch
The Second Book of Enoch is a pseudepigraphic of the Old Testament. It is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature. Late 1st century CE is the dating often preferred...
identifies Uriel
Uriel
Uriel is one of the archangels of post-Exilic Rabbinic tradition, and also of certain Christian traditions...
as the Angel of the Presence or else as one of the Angels of the Presence.
Second Temple period
In the Book of Jubilees, angels of the presence and angels of SanctificationAngels of Sanctification
The Angels of Sanctification are of a high-level order of angels. According to the book of Jubilees, they were created on the first day, already circumcised, in order to observe the Sabbath with God in heaven and on earth. Jubilees says that the angels of sanctification are one of two high orders,...
are the two highest orders of angels. They were created on the first day, already circumcised, so that they could participate in the keeping of the Sabbath with God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
in heaven and on earth. God instructed one of these angels (thought to be St. Michael), to write the history of creation for Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
. The angel took the tablets of history and law, and in a long revelation, recited them to Moses with instructions to write them down. In the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs is a constituent of the apocryphal scriptures connected with the Bible. It is a pseudepigraphical work comprising the dying commands of the twelve sons of Jacob. It is part of the Oscan Armenian Orthodox Bible of 1666. Fragments of similar writings were...
, Judah
Judah (Biblical figure)
Judah was, according to the Book of Genesis, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Judah. Biblical scholars, such as J. A...
, one of the 12 sons of Jacob
Jacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
and Leah, testifies that he was blessed by an angel of the presence.
Kabbala
In Kabbala Angels of Presence are high-level angels also known as "angels of the face". Other angels usually identified as angels of presence are MetatronMetatron
Metatron or Mattatron is the name of an angel in Judaism and some branches of Christian mythology. There are no references to him in the Jewish Tanakh or Christian Scriptures...
, Suriel, Sandalphon
Sandalphon
Sandalphon is an archangel in Jewish and Christian writings. Sandalphon figures prominently in the mystical literary traditions of Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity, notably in the Midrash, Talmud, and Kabbalah.-Origin:...
, Astanphaeus, Sarakiel, Phanuel
Phanuel
Phanuel was the father of Anna Phanuel is mentioned only once in Luke 2:36. He was from the Tribe of Asher and his name means "Face of God"....
, Jehoel
Jehoel
Yahoel is the name of an angel appearing in the Old Church Slavonic manuscripts of the Apocalypse of Abraham, a pseudepigraphical work dating from after the Siege of Jerusalem...
, Zagzagael, Uriel
Uriel
Uriel is one of the archangels of post-Exilic Rabbinic tradition, and also of certain Christian traditions...
, Yefefiah, Sabaoth, and Akatriel. The angels of presence are also equated with the angels of glory. In rabbinic tradition, there are 70 tutelary angels called angels of presence. According to the Zohar
Zohar
The Zohar is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material on Mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology...
, the angels of presence revealed the "mystery" (purpose) of God to people, and thus were expelled from the divine presence
Divine presence
Divine presence, presence of God, or simply presence is a concept in religion, spirituality, and theology that deals with the omnipotent ability of a god and/or gods to be "present" with human beings...
.
See also
- ShekhinahShekhinahShekinah is the English spelling of a grammatically feminine Hebrew word that means the dwelling or settling, and is used to denote the dwelling or settling divine presence of God, especially in the Temple in Jerusalem.-Etymology:Shekinah is derived...
- MetatronMetatronMetatron or Mattatron is the name of an angel in Judaism and some branches of Christian mythology. There are no references to him in the Jewish Tanakh or Christian Scriptures...
& SandalphonSandalphonSandalphon is an archangel in Jewish and Christian writings. Sandalphon figures prominently in the mystical literary traditions of Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity, notably in the Midrash, Talmud, and Kabbalah.-Origin:...
(who bear either side of the ark of the covenant and stand intermediary between god and humanity) - Angel of the LordAngel of the LordThe Angel of the Lord is one of many terms in the Hebrew Bible used for an angel. The Biblical name for angel, מלאך mal'ach, which translates simply as "messenger," obtained the further signification of "angel" only through the addition of God's name, as The Angel of the Lord (or the Angel of...
- Divine presenceDivine presenceDivine presence, presence of God, or simply presence is a concept in religion, spirituality, and theology that deals with the omnipotent ability of a god and/or gods to be "present" with human beings...