ANGELS & DEMONS

The Western religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
have all accepted the belief that there is, between God and
mankind, a class of intermediary beings called angels. The word angel 
comes from the Greek word angelos, meaning "messenger." Angels are 
considered to be bodiless minds or spirits who perform various 
services for God or for people on God's behalf.

Angels are good spirits. They have their counterpart in demons, or 
evil spirits. The word demon is derived from the Greek word daimon, 
meaning basically any supernatural being or spirit. Belief in spirits 
of all kinds was quite prevalent in the ancient world. But when 
Christianity appeared, nearly 2,000 years ago, it condemned belief in 
such spirits and assigned them the name demon. Ever since, demons have 
been thought of as evil spirits.

The origins of belief in angels and demons can be traced to the 
ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism. Followers of the prophet 
Zoroaster believed that there were two supreme beings, one good and 
the other evil. The good one, Ahura Mazda, was served by angels; the 
evil one, Ahriman, had demon helpers. Zoroastrians referred to demons 
as daevas, hence the word devil. Belief in good and evil spirits 
worked its way into Judaism and later into the religions of 
Christianity and Islam.

Angels are frequently mentioned in the Bible, mostly in the role of 
messengers from God to mankind. Their appearances on Earth seem to 
have been in human form. In the Old Testament books of Job, Ezekiel, 
and Daniel, as well as in the Apocryphal book of Tobit, angels play 
significant roles. In the Book of Job the leading demon, Satan, is 
also introduced. But it is not until the New Testament that Satan is 
portrayed, under the name Lucifer, as the first of the fallen 
angels--the angels that rebelled against God.

In the New Testament, angels are present at all the important events 
in the life of Jesus, from his birth to the Resurrection. In the very 
dramatic Book of Revelation, angels are portrayed as the agents of God 
in bringing judgment upon the world. Other New Testament writers also 
speak of angels. St. Paul especially takes note of them by assigning 
them ranks. He lists seven groups: angels, archangels, principalities, 
powers, virtues, dominions, and thrones. The Old Testament had spoken 
of only two orders: cherubim and seraphim. Early Christianity accepted 
all nine ranks and in the course of time developed extensive doctrines 
about both angels and demons. The latter were conceived of as Satan's 
legions, sent out to lure mankind away from belief in God. Angels and 
demons play similar roles in Islam and are often mentioned in its holy 
book, the Koran.

Belief in supernatural spirits has not been limited to the major 
Western religions. In the preliterate societies of Africa, Oceania, 
Asia, and the Americas, spirits were thought to inhabit the whole 
natural world. These spirits could act either for good or
for evil, and so there was no division between them as there has
been between angels and demons. The power of these spirits is called 
mana, which can be either helpful or hurtful to people.

Fascination with angels and demons has led to their frequent depiction 
in works of art and literature. The paintings, stained glass, mosaics, 
and sculptures of the Middle Ages and Renaissance are especially 
replete with figures of both. In John Milton's long poem 'Paradise 
Lost' (1667), Satan himself is a main character; and the angels 
Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael play prominent roles. In Dante's 'Divine 
Comedy' (1321?) angels appear as both messengers and guardians, and 
Satan is vividly portrayed frozen in a block of ice. 
