Angels are exclusively good beings. They are opposed by evil spirits, devils or demons, sometimes falling into the category of “fallen angels” as they have revolted against God and were thrown out of heaven.

By the Middle Ages, according to Cabalistic count, the number of angels involved with humankind peaked at 301,655,722. From this choir emerge beings known as Guardian Angels who are assigned to each incarnating human to ensure lifetime protection. According to the Talmud every Jew is assigned eleven thousand guardian angels at birth. In Christian lore, it is suggested that each individual receives two at birth, “one for the right hand, which inspires him to do good, and one on the left, which nudges him towards evil” (Malcolm Godwin). 

Angels are mentioned at least 108 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the New Testament.

Jesus Christ, son of God is sometimes referred to as the Angel of God, or the Angel of the Lord. In addition to Christ, there are nine types of angels. These angels are placed on a hierarchy scale and grouped into spheres or choirs.

FIRST SPHERE

1. Seraphim (singular Seraph) – Isaiah 6:2 - These angels are closest to God and are called the “burning ones.” They praise God and represent His love. They constantly sing their praises to Him. In Hebrew tradition the endless chant of the Seraphim is known as the Trisagion -  Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh (Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts. The whole world is full of His glory), which is considered a song of celebration and creation.

There are only four of them. Their primary mission is to protect the throne of God. They have six wings: two cover their faces, two cover their bodies, and two cover their feet.

It is from the ranks of seraphim that Lucifer emerged. The fallen prince was considered the angel that outshone all the others until his fall from grace.

2. Cherubim (singular Cherub) – Genesis 3:24 and Ezekiel 10:1-22 - These angels are the second highest in the nine hierarchies of angels. They are intercessors of God. Their mission is also to protect the throne of God. They are fierce angels. When they come to earth, they have great power of apocalypse nature. Ancient Assyrian Art depicts then as having four faces: one of a man, one of an ox, one of an eagle, and one of a lion. They were positioned at the entrance to temples and palaces as threshold guardians and were regarded as spirits of protection. The Cherubim were the first angels mentioned in the Bible when they were placed at the gates of Eden by God to prevent Adam and Eve from returning to the Garden.

The word Cherubim is taken from the Akkadian language and means one who prays and intercedes.

3. Thrones – Colossians 1:16 – Their name literally means throne or highly ornamented chair. These angels dispense God’s divine judgment. The lower hierarchies of angels need the Thrones to gain access God.

Thrones are known as “the many eyed ones.” The thrones are possibly the most oddly represented of the choirs in that they are described as fiery wheels. This description is undoubtedly based on the accounts from the prophet Ezekiel, who around 580 BC described a windstorm with a thunderhead that was glowing in the northern sky. Humanlike winged creatures with four heads and faces darted with lightning speed across the heavens. He recounts that they were carried on four wheels whose rims were, “covered with eyes … their construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel.”

SECOND SPHERE

4. Dominions – Colossians 1:16 - These are the angels of leadership, regulating the duties of the angels. They give power to heads of government and other authority figures. They have the appearance of humans with wings.

Dominions may be the first realm of beings given executive free will to manage the daily functioning of the universe. According to Dionysius, the mercy of God manifests through them, which is why scholars sometimes refer to them as channels of mercy. They are thought to have “dominion” over countries.

A friend of God’s named Raguel is reportedly the being in charge of this realm. Traditionally Raguel is thought to have transported Enoch while still in the flesh to heaven (Gen, 5:24). (other references say it was Anafiel). In Gnosticism, Raguel is placed on the same level as Thelesis, another high ranking angel. Despite his exalted position, for some unexplained reason, Raguel was reprobated in 745 A.D. by the Roman Catholic Church along with some other high level angels including Uriel. At that time Pope Zachary described Raguel as a demon who,“passed himself off as a saint.” Raguel occupies a much more prestigious position as an assistant to God in the Revelation of John, “Then shall he send the angel Raguel, saying: Go and sound the trumpet for the angels of cold and snow and ice, and bring together every kind of wrath upon them that stand on the left.”

5. Virtues – 1 Peter 3:22 - These angels are known as the Spirits of Motion and control the elements. They govern all nature and perform miracles. They provide courage, grace, and valor.

Virtues are known as “The Brilliant” or “Shining Ones.” They are the angels of miracles, encouragement and blessings who become involved wherever people are struggling with their faith. David was said to have received encouragement from the virtues to battle against Goliath. They are also the angels from whom Abraham drew his strength when God asked him to sacrifice his son.

6. Powers – Colossians 1:16 - These angels have the task of controlling the border between heaven and earth. They are warrior angels who fight against evil. They are the angels of birth and death.

Credited as the first order of angels created by God, it is the job of the orders of powers to protect the world from being taken over by demons. They reside in the region between the first and second heavens and patrol against “devilish infiltration.” They protect souls from evil as act as ministers of God.

THIRD SPHERE

7. Principalities – Colossians 1:16 - These angels look over groups of people. They are in charge of the world’s nations, cities, and towns. Their duties include taking charge of religion, politics, and the duties of the angels on earth below them.

Immediately above the Archangels, the principalities provide strength to the tribes of Earth to pursue and endure their faith. Dionysius stated that this choir “watched over the leaders of people. Considered “chief” of the principalities are Nisroch, originally an Assyrian deity considered in occult writings to be the chief chef to the Demon Princes of Hell AND Anael, one of the seven angels of creation.

8. Archangel – 1 Thessalonians 4:16 - This angel is the chief angel, guardian of people and all things physical. The archangel appears only in human form and has the task of being God’s messenger to people at critical times of need.

The prefix “arch” meaning principal or preeminent, when attached to the word angel literally translates as “chief angel.” Depending on the reference source this high ranking choir may be composed of four, six, seven or nine angels. In the Book of Revelation, there are seven archangels, three of which are generally agreed to be Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Other candidates are Uriel, Raguel, Zadkiel, Saraqael, Remiel, Anael, Orifiel, Raziel and Metatron. The Koran recognizes four and actually names two, Djibril (Gabriel) and Michael.

The Archons are entities of Gnostic thought believed to be comparable to evil archangels. The word Archon is a Greek term meaning “ruler.” According to Gnostic creation myth, Sophia, one of the spiritual beings residing in pleroma (humankind’s true home, “the absolute spirit”) inadvertently creates another entity (Yaldabaoth) who creates our familiar world. This creation involves the emanation of the seven levels of the Cosmos, corresponding to seven planetary spheres of the Ptolemaic astronomical scheme. The archons are the rulers who govern each of these levels and act as guardians preventing sparks of light or divine essence of human beings from returning to pleroma.

9. Angels – Throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation - These angels act as our personal guardian. They deliver prayers to God and God’s answers and messages to us. They have the task of nurturing, counseling, and healing us.

Resources:

Angels A to Z – Evelyn Dorothy Oliver & James R. Lewis

http://marleneb.hubpages.com/hub/The-Nine-Types-of-Angels