Who are the seraphim? Secrets of the six-winged seraphim. What do Seraphim do?

- (Heb. burning, flaming). Angels of the highest rank of the angelic hierarchy, flaming with love for God and kindling it in the hearts of others. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. SERAPHIM 1) (in Hebrew fiery)… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

SERAPHIM, one of the ranks of angels... Modern encyclopedia

- (Hebrew œerâphîm, “fiery”, “flaming”, from the root œrp with the meaning “burn”, “burn”, “sear”), in Judaic and Christian mythologies, angels who are especially close to the throne of God and glorify him. Their description is contained in... ... Encyclopedia of Mythology

One of the nine ranks of angels mentioned in the Holy. Scripture. S., according to the image of the prophet Isaiah, constitute the highest degree in the heavenly Hierarchy, closest to God. In the prophet's vision they are seen surrounding the throne of the Lord; they have… … Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Seraphim- SERAPHIM, one of the ranks of angels. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (the meaning of this word according to some: flame, burning, and according to others exalted, noble) one of the nine ranks of the heavenly hierarchy, closest to God, mentioned by St. Isaiah in connection with his vision (Is. 11: 2,6). In the vision of St. Isaiah, the seraphim... ... Bible. Old and New Testaments. Synodal translation. Biblical encyclopedia arch. Nikifor.

Religious terms

Seraphim- (Hebrew - fiery) - the highest angelic ranks in the heavenly hierarchy, standing directly at the throne of God and constantly glorifying it. Biblical sources say that they cleanse the mouth of the prophet Isaiah with hot coals from the altar... ... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (teacher's encyclopedic dictionary)

SERAPHIM— (Heb.) Heavenly beings described by Isaiah (vi, 2) as having a human form with the addition of three pairs of wings. Their Hebrew name is SHRPIM, and with the exception of the above case is translated as serpents, and is related to the verbal root SHRP,... ... Theosophical Dictionary

Books

• The extraordinary journey of Seraphim (DVD), Antonov Sergey. Sima Voskresenskaya, who lost her parents at the very beginning of the war, lives in an orphanage and secretly keeps a neck cross that reminds her of her beloved family. One day Sima meets Rita -...
• The Age of Faith of Mother Seraphim. The nun Seraphima, in the world of Nadezhda Nikitovna Mikheeva, faced the most difficult trials. A peasant girl from the Ryazan outback, who has never studied anywhere, she is still very young...

Cherubim (Kerubim) was appointed by God to guard the way to the tree of life (Gen. 3.24). Golden images of cherubim decorated the lid of the Ark of the Covenant (one on two opposite narrow edges), covering it with their outstretched wings; their faces were turned towards each other and bowed down towards the lid (Exodus 25.18, Exodus 37.7ff.). The curtain was also woven with images of cherubim (Ex 36.35). In Solomon's Temple, in the Holy of Holies, there were two huge figures of cherubim made of olive wood, overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6.23ff.). In addition to the image of cherubim, there were on all the walls of the temple and the doorposts (1 Kings 6.29,32,35, 2 Chronicles 3.7), so that the cherubim, along with lions, oxen and palm trees, made up the decoration of the temple (1 Kings 7.29,36). In the psalms, the cherubim are called the throne of the Most High (Ps 79.2, Ps 98.1). Since God wanted to appear to his people over the ark of the covenant, He is often called God “sitting on the cherubim” (1 Kings 4.4, 2 Kings 6.2, 2 Kings 19.15, Isa 37.16). In Ezekiel's vision, cherubim supported a transparent vault, above which rose a throne as if made of sapphire, and on it was the likeness of the glory of God in the form of a man, from whom emanated a radiance like a rainbow (Eze 1.22,26,28, Eze 10.18-20).
It is very difficult to obtain a clear understanding of the type of cherubs from the passages given above. In general they are understood as symbolic images of the glory and power of Yahweh as manifested in His creation. It is known that ancient peoples, when performing their worship, had different images that combined the features of various animals, symbolizing higher and more perfect beings than those that surrounded them in reality. Egyptian sphinxes, Assyrian winged bulls with a human face, Greek griffins. myths with eagle wings and lion claws that guarded the golden treasures of the north, etc., speak enough about this. It is believed that Moses, under the guidance of God, accepted this idea of ​​​​a symbolic winged creature, known to all Jews, ennobling and spiritualizing this idea, clearing it of idolatrous ideas.
The Egyptians also had sacred arks decorated with winged images, but these arks contained cats, crocodiles and snakes as objects of worship. The Ark of the Covenant contained only the law of God, written on two stone tablets and hidden from all eyes; above him sat God, not inside the cherubim, but between them, not in bodily form, but invisible to the eyes of mortals.
The four living creatures in Ot. are compared to the cherubim of Ezekiel. John, who were likened - first - to a lion, second - to a calf (bull), third - to a man, fourth - to a flying eagle, all of them, having wings and many eyes, loudly and continuously cried out: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was, is and is to come” (Rev 4.6ff.).
Therefore, these cherubim symbolically represent the service to God of all nature and spiritual beings in the aggregate, and the manifestation of this service in carrying out the will of God. Every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea sang a song of praise to God, and the four living creatures said: Amen (Rev 5:13,14). Also Ps 149.1 calls all creation to such glorification.
Some consider cherubim not to be symbols, but to be real supernatural spiritual beings who surround the throne of God. “Cherubim of glory” (Heb. 9.5 Greek text) are not animals, but living beings.
Opinions differ regarding the meaning of the word cherub. Some think that it comes from the word rahav, i.e. to ride, ride (if you rearrange the letters in the root of the word), because Jehovah sits on them, like on animals or a chariot. Others derive this word from karav, i.e. grab, and compare the Greek grips with the German grip, gripa, griffin, etc.
(Nystrom Bible Dictionary)

The main purpose of the cherub is to convey God's wisdom to people. They tell people about the Lord and teach them to live a righteous life. These are a kind of teachers who give knowledge not only to ordinary Christians, but also to ranks that are on the lower steps of the angelic hierarchy.
Christian theology initially did not have a definite view of the nature of cherubim, opinions were divided on the question of whether they were creatures or just symbols and images to represent the actions of God. Following Philo of Alexandria, Jerome of Stridon (IV century) and Theodoret of Cyrus (V century) saw only a symbolic meaning in the cherubs. However, already Clement of Alexandria (II-III centuries) begins to move away from this understanding, calls the cherubs “song-speaking spirits,” but continues to place the main emphasis on the symbolism of their image:
“…The name of Cherub means “great knowledge.” Together they had twelve wings, as an indication of the sensory world, the twelve signs of the Zodiac and the passage of time determined by them... the image of cherubs has a symbolic meaning: the face is a symbol of the soul, the wings are the services and actions of the forces rising on the left and right, and the lips are a hymn to glory in the unceasing contemplation."
Clement of Alexandria. Stromata.
Since the 4th century, the prevailing doctrine has been established that cherubim are creatures, although they have a certain symbolism. John Chrysostom gave the following concept of cherubim, which became traditional for Christianity by the end of the era of the Ecumenical Councils:
“Cherub means nothing less than complete wisdom. That is why the Cherubim are full of eyes: their back, head, wings, legs, chest - everything is full of eyes, because wisdom looks everywhere, has an open eye everywhere.”
John Chrysostom
Theodore the Studite calls the Cherubim “the highest of all and closest to God,” his opinion is supported by Catholic (Thomas Aquinas) and Protestant (Keil) theologians.

The properties of cherubs were described by Dionysius the Areopagite in his essay “On the Heavenly Hierarchy”:
“The name Cherubim means their power - to know and contemplate God, the ability to receive the highest light and contemplate the Divine splendor at its very first manifestation, their wise art - to teach and abundantly communicate to others the wisdom bestowed on them.
Dionysius the Areopagite. "On the Heavenly Hierarchy"
During the liturgy, a prayer is sung, called the Cherubic hymn: “The Cherubim also secretly form the Trisagion hymn to the Life-Giving Trinity...”. It consists of two parts, separated by a great entrance; the royal doors of the altar open in front of it.
Even as the Cherubim secretly form and sing the Trisagion hymn to the Life-Giving Trinity, let us now put aside all worldly concerns.
As if we will raise up the King of all, the angels invisibly dorinoshi chinmi. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Translation: [We] who mysteriously depict the Cherubim and sing the Trisagion Hymn to the Life-Giving Trinity, let us now abandon all worldly worries...
...so that we may receive the King of all [intelligent beings], invisibly accompanied, as if by bodyguards, by armies of Angels. Praise God, praise God, praise the Lord

Seraphim

Seraphim i.e. fiery - heavenly beings who, in the vision of the prophet Isaiah, stood around Yahweh, sitting in the temple on a high and exalted throne - “each of them has six wings; With two he covered his face and with two his feet, and with two he flew. And they called to each other and said: Holy, holy, holy, Lord of hosts! The temple shook at the sound of their voice and was filled with incense. When Isaiah thought in anguish that he had perished, then one of the seraphim flew to him, touched his lips with a burning coal from the altar and announced to him the grace of reconciliation, after which Jehovah sent him to preach (Isaiah 6.2ff.).
(Nystrom Bible Dictionary)

The Hebrew word “saraph” has several meanings: flaming, fiery, tongues of flame; serpent, flying serpent, serpentine lightning; flying dragon or griffin.
These meanings are used in the following passages of Scripture:
“And the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, which bit the people” (Num. 21:6)
“And the Lord said to Moses: Make yourself a serpent and display it for a banner” (Num. 21:8)
“Do not rejoice, O land of the Philistines, because the rod that struck you is broken, for from the root of the serpent will come an asp, and its fruit will be a flying dragon” (Isaiah 14:29)
“Asps and flying serpents” (Isa. 30:6)
Seraphim are angels standing around God. The first mention of seraphim in the Bible is in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah; they appear in his story about a strange vision before being called to the Jerusalem temple:
“The Seraphim stood around Him; each of them had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And they called to each other and said: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts! the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isa. 6:2-3)
Seraphim cover their faces with their wings so as not to see the face of God. A few stanzas below, Seraphim flies to the prophet to cleanse him of filth with hot coals:
“Then one of the Seraphim flew to me, and in his hand he had a burning coal, which he took with tongs from the altar, and touched my mouth and said: behold, this has touched your mouth, and your iniquity is taken away from you, and your sin is cleansed. » (Isa. 6:6)
The second mention of the Seraphim is in the Revelation of John the Theologian (Apocalypse), and has come down to us in ancient Greek.
“And before the throne was a sea of ​​glass, like crystal; and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature was like a calf, and the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. And each of the four animals had six wings around, and inside they were full of eyes; and they have no rest day or night, crying out: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.” (Rev 4:6-9)
Dionysius the Areopagite defines the seraphim as the first among the angelic ranks and connects their nature with a fiery, burning love for light and purity.
In his essay “On the Heavenly Hierarchy,” he writes that the seraphim are in constant motion around the divine and illuminate everything around with heat from their speed and infinity of flight, are able to elevate and liken lower beings to themselves, igniting their hearts, and also purify them “like lightning.” and all-consuming fire." Their image is luminous and has an undisguised and inextinguishable quality.
According to the interpretation of Anthony the Great,
“Seraphim, whom the Prophet Ezekiel saw (Ezekiel 1:4.9), is the image of faithful souls who strive to achieve perfection. He had six wings filled with eyes; He also had four faces looking on four sides: one face was like the face of a man, the other was like the face of a calf, the third was like the face of a lion, and the fourth was like the face of an eagle. The first face of Seraphim, which is the face of a man, means the faithful, who, living in the world, fulfill the commandments placed on them. If one of them becomes a monk, then he becomes like the face of a calf, because he bears hard labor in fulfilling the monastic rules and performs more physical feats. Whoever, having perfected the order of community life, goes into solitude and enters into a fight with invisible demons, is likened to the face of a lion, the king of wild animals. When he defeats invisible enemies and dominates passions and subjugates them to himself, then he will be delighted with the Holy Spirit and see Divine visions; here he will be like the face of an eagle: his mind will then see everything that can happen to him from six sides, like those 6 wings full of eyes. Thus he will become a complete spiritual Seraphim and inherit eternal bliss.”
Philokalia, Vol.1, Instructions of Anthony the Great

Prayer to the Holy Heavenly Bodiless Forces

All holy Heavenly Ethereal Powers, grant me your power to crush all evil and passions under my feet.
1. Holy Ethereal Seraphim, deign me to have a flaming heart towards God.
2. Holy Ethereal Cherubim, deign me to have wisdom for the glory of God.
3. Holy Ethereal Thrones, deign me to distinguish truth from untruth.
4. Holy Ethereal Dominions, deign me to rule over the passions, so that the spirit enslaves the flesh.
5. Holy Ethereal Powers, grant me the courage to fulfill the will of God.
6. Holy Incorporeality of Power, grant me the power of victory over evil.
7. Holy Ethereal Principles, deign me to serve the Lord God in the purity of my heart and the works of my hands.
8. Holy Ethereal Archangels, deign me to fulfill the will of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9. Holy Ethereal Angels, deign me to guide the weak in enlightening them in the truth.

According to Christian and Jewish teachings, in the kingdom of heaven, just like in any other society, there is a clear hierarchy and subordination. Some celestials carry out various small tasks without coming into direct contact with God, while others, on the contrary, are so close to the Creator that thanks to this they are endowed with special abilities and strength. The latter include the Seraphim.

Fiery essence of the Seraphim

The word “Seraphim” itself comes from the Hebrew “soref”, which translates as “burning” or “blazing”. And the ending “im” is used to denote the masculine plural. Thus, Seraphim are angels made of fire. It is precisely because of the fiery essence of the Seraphim that they are most often depicted in red.

Despite the fact that the Seraphim are quite rarely mentioned not only in canonical, but also in apocryphal texts, it is absolutely clear that it is often with the help of their fiery essence that the Seraphim fulfill the will of God. So, when the future prophet Isaiah, who had many sins behind him, doubted whether he was worthy of the honor that God had given him, Seraphim appeared to him. The angel took a burning coal and, touching Isaiah’s lips, said: “This has touched your lips, and your iniquity is taken away from you, and your sin is cleansed.”

What do Seraphim look like?

All Seraphim have three pairs of wings. With the help of one pair, Seraphim fly, fulfilling God's will. With the other two, they cover their faces so that when communicating directly with the Lord they do not look at him. They cover their legs with a third pair of wings so as not to humiliate God with their appearance. Seraphim also cover their bodies if they have to appear before mere mortals. After all, according to legend, a person can go blind from the light emitted by these angels.

What do Seraphim do?

Seraphim are angelic beings who can communicate directly with the Lord. And, therefore, we can conclude that the Seraphim are at the highest level of the hierarchical ladder, compared to other angels.

Seraphim tirelessly glorify the Lord and sing odes of praise about him. With their fiery love for God, they are capable of infecting anyone who is below them in rank. And below them, as you know, is everything except God.

Seraphim perform the most important missions. They appear to prophets and saints, capable of cleansing anyone, even the worst person, from sin. Thanks to the power that the Lord has endowed them with, the Seraphim can make their sins simply burn away in their flames without leaving a trace.

Seraphim

Seraphim- in the Christian tradition, the highest angelic rank, closest to God.

Etymology and interpretation of the name

The Hebrew word “saraf” (Hebrew: שָׂרָף, śārāf, plural - שְׂרָפִים, śərāfîm) has several meanings: flaming, fiery; serpent, flying serpent, serpentine lightning; flying dragon or griffin.

These meanings are used in the following passages of Scripture:

• “And the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, which bit the people.”(Number)
• “And the Lord said to Moses: Make yourself a serpent and display it as a banner.”(Number)
• “Do not rejoice, O land of the Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken, for from the root of the serpent will come an asp, and its fruit will be a flying dragon.”(Isa.)
• "Asps and Flying Snakes"(Isa.)

In the Bible

According to various references from apocryphal and canonical sources, the seraphim were angels who stood around God. The first mention of seraphim in the Bible is in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (Old Testament); they appear in his story about a strange vision before being called to the Jerusalem temple:

A few verses below, a seraphim flies to the prophet to cleanse a man of filth with hot coals:

“Then one of the Seraphim flew to me, and in his hand he had a burning coal, which he took with tongs from the altar, and touched my mouth and said: behold, this has touched your mouth, and your iniquity is taken away from you, and your sin is cleansed. »(Isa.)

The second mention of the seraphim is in the Revelation of John the Theologian (Apocalypse), (1st century AD) and has come down to us in ancient Greek, this part of the Bible is most important for Christianity, while Judaism does not recognize it.

And before the throne was a sea of ​​glass, like crystal; and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature was like a calf, and the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. And each of the four animals had six wings around, and inside they were full of eyes; and they have no rest day or night, crying out: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, is and is to come. ([[|(((2))). ]][[:s:#(((3)))|(((3)))]])

Dionysius the Areopagite

In his essay “On the Heavenly Hierarchy,” he writes that the seraphim are in constant motion around the divine and illuminate everything around with heat from their speed and infinity of flight, are able to elevate and liken lower beings to themselves, igniting their hearts, and also purify them “like lightning.” and all-consuming fire." Their image is luminous and has an openness and inextinguishability.

Appearance

Artists of the past found it extremely difficult to extract from the vague explanations of Isaiah and Dionysius an accurate visual image of the seraphim, which seemed to be rooted in the appearance of pre-existing spiritual beings native to Syrian myths dating back to the first millennium BC. e., or into the iconography of Babylon and Assyria, from where, in all its plausibility of the first ideas about angels, it migrated to the Jewish and Christian world.

The Seraphim, whom the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel) saw, is the image of faithful souls who strive to achieve perfection. He had six wings filled with eyes; He also had four faces looking on four sides: one face was like the face of a man, the other was like the face of a calf, the third was like the face of a lion, and the fourth was like the face of an eagle. The first face of Seraphim, which is the face of a man, means the faithful, who, living in the world, fulfill the commandments placed on them. If one of them becomes a monk, then he becomes like the face of a calf, because he bears hard labor in fulfilling the monastic rules and performs more physical feats. Whoever, having perfected the order of community life, goes into solitude and enters into a fight with invisible demons, is likened to the face of a lion, the king of wild animals. When he defeats invisible enemies and dominates passions and subjugates them to himself, then he will be delighted with the Holy Spirit and see Divine visions; here he will be like the face of an eagle: his mind will then see everything that can happen to him from six sides, like those 6 wings full of eyes. Thus he will become a complete spiritual Seraphim and inherit eternal bliss.

Second stage
(formation of matter and forms of the world) Third stage
(development and awakening of humanity)

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Excerpt characterizing the Seraphim

“If only I knew...” she said through tears. – I was afraid to enter.
He shook her hand.
– Didn’t you sleep?
“No, I didn’t sleep,” said Princess Marya, shaking her head negatively. Unwittingly obeying her father, she now, just as he spoke, tried to speak more with signs and seemed to also be moving her tongue with difficulty.
- Darling... - or - friend... - Princess Marya could not make out; but, probably, from the expression of his gaze, a gentle, caressing word was said, which he never said. - Why didn’t you come?
“And I wished, wished for his death! - thought Princess Marya. He paused.
“Thank you... daughter, friend... for everything, for everything... forgive... thank you... forgive... thank you!..” And tears flowed from his eyes. “Call Andryusha,” he suddenly said, and something childishly timid and distrustful was expressed in his face at this demand. It was as if he himself knew that his demand made no sense. So, at least, it seemed to Princess Marya.
“I received a letter from him,” answered Princess Marya.
He looked at her with surprise and timidity.
- Where is he?
- He is in the army, mon pere, in Smolensk.
He was silent for a long time, closing his eyes; then in the affirmative, as if in response to his doubts and to confirm that he now understood and remembered everything, he nodded his head and opened his eyes.
“Yes,” he said clearly and quietly. - Russia is dead! Ruined! - And he began to sob again, and tears flowed from his eyes. Princess Marya could no longer hold on and cried too, looking at his face.
He closed his eyes again. His sobs stopped. He made a sign with his hand to his eyes; and Tikhon, understanding him, wiped away his tears.
Then he opened his eyes and said something that no one could understand for a long time, and finally only Tikhon understood and conveyed it. Princess Marya looked for the meaning of his words in the mood in which he spoke a minute before. She thought that he was talking about Russia, then about Prince Andrei, then about her, about his grandson, then about his death. And because of this she could not guess his words.
“Put on your white dress, I love it,” he said.
Realizing these words, Princess Marya began to sob even louder, and the doctor, taking her by the arm, led her out of the room onto the terrace, persuading her to calm down and make preparations for departure. After Princess Marya left the prince, he again started talking about his son, about the war, about the sovereign, twitched his eyebrows angrily, began to raise a hoarse voice, and the second and final blow came to him.
Princess Marya stopped on the terrace. The day had cleared up, it was sunny and hot. She could not understand anything, think about anything and feel anything except her passionate love for her father, a love that, it seemed to her, she did not know until that moment. She ran out into the garden and, sobbing, ran down to the pond along the young linden paths planted by Prince Andrei.
- Yes... I... I... I. I wanted him dead. Yes, I wanted it to end soon... I wanted to calm down... But what will happen to me? “What do I need peace of mind when he’s gone,” Princess Marya muttered aloud, walking quickly through the garden and pressing her hands on her chest, from which sobs were convulsively escaping. Walking around the garden in a circle that led her back to the house, she saw M lle Bourienne (who remained in Bogucharovo and did not want to leave) and an unfamiliar man coming towards her. This was the leader of the district, who himself came to the princess in order to present to her the necessity of an early departure. Princess Marya listened and did not understand him; she led him into the house, invited him to have breakfast and sat down with him. Then, apologizing to the leader, she went to the door of the old prince. The doctor with an alarmed face came out to her and said that it was impossible.
- Go, princess, go, go!
Princess Marya went back into the garden and sat down on the grass under the mountain near the pond, in a place where no one could see. She didn't know how long she was there. Someone's running female steps along the path made her wake up. She stood up and saw that Dunyasha, her maid, who was obviously running after her, suddenly, as if frightened by the sight of her young lady, stopped.
“Please, Princess... Prince...” Dunyasha said in a broken voice.
“Now, I’m coming, I’m coming,” the princess spoke hastily, not giving Dunyasha time to finish what she had to say, and, trying not to see Dunyasha, she ran to the house.
“Princess, God’s will is being done, you must be ready for anything,” said the leader, meeting her at the front door.
- Leave me. It is not true! – she angrily shouted at him. The doctor wanted to stop her. She pushed him away and ran to the door. “Why are these people with frightened faces stopping me? I don't need anyone! And what are they doing here? “She opened the door, and the bright daylight in this previously dim room terrified her. There were women and a nanny in the room. They all moved away from the bed to give her way. He was still lying on the bed; but the stern look of his calm face stopped Princess Marya at the threshold of the room.
“No, he’s not dead, that can’t be! - Princess Marya said to herself, walked up to him and, overcoming the horror that gripped her, pressed her lips to his cheek. But she immediately pulled away from him. Instantly, all the strength of tenderness for him that she felt in herself disappeared and was replaced by a feeling of horror at what was in front of her. “No, he is no more! He is not there, but there is right there, in the same place where he was, something alien and hostile, some terrible, terrifying and repulsive secret... - And, covering her face with her hands, Princess Marya fell into the arms of the doctor who supported her.
In the presence of Tikhon and the doctor, the women washed what he was, tied a scarf around his head so that his open mouth would not stiffen, and tied his diverging legs with another scarf. Then they dressed him in a uniform with orders and placed the small, shriveled body on the table. God knows who took care of it and when, but everything happened as if by itself. By nightfall, candles were burning around the coffin, there was a shroud on the coffin, juniper was strewn on the floor, a printed prayer was placed under the dead, shriveled head, and a sexton sat in the corner, reading the psalter.
Just as horses shy away, crowd and snort over a dead horse, so in the living room around the coffin a crowd of foreign and native people crowded - the leader, and the headman, and the women, and all with fixed, frightened eyes, crossed themselves and bowed, and kissed the cold and numb hand of the old prince.

Bogucharovo was always, before Prince Andrei settled there, an estate behind the eyes, and the Bogucharovo men had a completely different character from the Lysogorsk men. They differed from them in their speech, clothing, and morals. They were called steppe. The old prince praised them for their tolerance at work when they came to help with cleaning in the Bald Mountains or digging ponds and ditches, but did not like them for their savagery.
Prince Andrei's last stay in Bogucharovo, with its innovations - hospitals, schools and ease of rent - did not soften their morals, but, on the contrary, strengthened in them those character traits that the old prince called savagery. There were always some vague rumors going around between them, either about the enumeration of all of them as Cossacks, then about the new faith to which they would be converted, then about some royal sheets, then about the oath to Pavel Petrovich in 1797 (about which they said that back then the will came out, but the gentlemen took it away), then about Peter Feodorovich, who will reign in seven years, under whom everything will be free and it will be so simple that nothing will happen. Rumors about the war in Bonaparte and his invasion were combined for them with the same unclear ideas about the Antichrist, the end of the world and pure will.
In the vicinity of Bogucharovo there were more and more large villages, state-owned and quitrent landowners. There were very few landowners living in this area; There were also very few servants and literate people, and in the life of the peasants of this area, those mysterious currents of Russian folk life, the causes and significance of which are inexplicable to contemporaries, were more noticeable and stronger than in others. One of these phenomena was the movement that appeared about twenty years ago between the peasants of this area to move to some warm rivers. Hundreds of peasants, including those from Bogucharov, suddenly began to sell their livestock and leave with their families somewhere to the southeast. Like birds flying somewhere across the seas, these people with their wives and children strove to the southeast, where none of them had been. They went up in caravans, bathed one by one, ran, and rode, and went there, to the warm rivers. Many were punished, exiled to Siberia, many died of cold and hunger along the way, many returned on their own, and the movement died down by itself just as it had begun without an obvious reason. But the underwater currents did not stop flowing in this people and were gathering for some new force, which was about to manifest itself just as strangely, unexpectedly and at the same time simply, naturally and strongly. Now, in 1812, for a person who lived close to the people, it was noticeable that these underwater jets were doing strong work and were close to manifestation.

The heavenly hierarchy has a complex structure. Angels are divided into several ranks, and each rank performs a unique function for the benefit of the universe. Every place is honorable in the divine structure, and yet the most responsible tasks are entrusted to the wiser and more experienced angels. The supreme angels included in the Creator’s inner circle include six-winged seraphim.

In this article

Who are seraphim

The name of this detachment is the plural of the Hebrew word "seraph" (in some dialects - "saraf"), which has several meanings. In meaning, this word is associated with fire and is translated as “flame” or “blazing”, “fiery”. Also, “seraph” in Hebrew means a flying serpent, so seraphim are associated in some texts with griffins or dragons.

Researchers of ancient mythology see a connection between the biblical seraphim and the character sirrush from Babylonian myths. According to the image on the gate of the goddess Ishtar, the sirrush had a snake-like scaly body.

In the guise of fiery serpents, seraphim descend to Earth to fulfill God's will. They bring retribution against evil sinners and those who obstruct the prophets. When the Lord commanded Moses to put a serpent on the banner, it was specifically about the seraphim.

The Brass Serpent, 1907 illustration

Seraphim occupy the highest position in the angelic hierarchy. Their image is revealed in the Old Testament Book of the Prophet Isaiah. In his vision, the seraphim constituted God's inner circle. It is noteworthy that these creatures had three pairs of wings: with one pair they covered their faces, the second pair covered their legs, and the third pair served them for flight. At the same time, they sang the glory of the Lord. Isaiah then describes how one of the seraphim flew up to him and touched his lips with a burning coal. Thus the prophet was cleansed of previous sins.

Seraphim are also mentioned in the final part of the Bible - the Apocalypse. They appear as four animals that had six wings and also praised the name of the Lord. On icons, seraphim are often depicted in the red color spectrum. This emphasizes their fiery nature, as well as fantastic capabilities comparable to the power of God himself.

Famous seraphim and their names

As a rule, in the theological texts of Judaism and Christianity, seraphim appear without mentioning names. This emphasizes the high status of these beings in the divine hierarchy, and also indicates their righteousness and exceptional purity. They are the most devoted conductors of the will of the Lord.

Meanwhile, some sources contain information that the seraphim include famous angels. For example, in the era of early Christianity, Jehoel was known, leading a detachment of seraphim. It was Jehoel who possessed secret knowledge of what the true name of the Lord was. As the leader of the seraphim, this supreme angel opposed Leviathan and protected people living on Earth from the aggression of this powerful demon.

In Christian texts, the angel Israel is also ranked among the ranks of seraphim, although other theologians classify him as cherubim. It is stated that Israel ranks sixth among the creatures closest to the Creator.

Some theologians assign the rank of seraphim to the angel Uriel. In any case, this status of Uriel is given to Christian non-canonical texts and apocrypha. However, official sources describe Uriel as an archangel with two wings, rather than a six-winged seraph.

The fallen angels led by Lucifer deserve a separate discussion. The latter, as is known, was the closest to God and could well belong to the rank of seraphim. It is possible that the highest demons Beelzebub, Asmodeus and Leviathan served under the Lord as seraphim before being cast into the underworld.

Having retained their former power, they took a supreme position in the hierarchy of dark forces. They are called the lords of hell, and they are entrusted with the most responsible mission - to lead people living on Earth astray from the true path, incite them to do bad deeds and take possession of their souls.

Seraphim in the treatise “On the Heavenly Hierarchy”

The theologian Dionysius the Areopagite, when describing the seraphim, relied on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Dionysius puts the seraphim at the head of the Heavenly Host, and he explains their fiery essence by the desire for light. Also, according to this text, fire represents cleansing from sins. Seraphim simply burn sinful thoughts and feelings, turning them into ashes.

Dionysius the Areopagite, mosaic at Hosios Loukas

These angels are in perpetual motion, instantly moving to any corner of the Universe. They illuminate the entire surrounding space with unquenchable light, delighting the righteous and terrifying sinners.

Prayers and appeals to the seraphim

In Orthodoxy, believers rarely turn directly to the seraphim. More common are prayers addressed to God, your guardian angel, or a specific saint. But there are calls to the Heavenly Powers, where seraphim are necessarily mentioned among God’s faithful helpers.

Such prayers invariably emphasize the power of the seraphim and their commitment to justice. Throughout human history, these six-winged angels have been an instrument of divine retribution, sometimes acting as angels of death, and therefore people turn to seraphim and other higher angels in exceptional cases. This is appropriate if the country is attacked by an enemy or the righteous are being persecuted.

An ordinary believer can ask the seraphim for support if he is planning an important matter aimed at benefiting people. But before you begin such a prayer, you must endure a week-long fast and be sure to go to church for confession. Here is the text of the appeal:

All holy Heavenly Ethereal Powers, grant me your power to crush all evil and passions under my feet.
Holy Ethereal Seraphim, deign me to have a flaming heart towards God.
Holy Ethereal Cherubim, deign me to have wisdom for the glory of God... Holy Ethereal Thrones, deign me to distinguish truth from untruth.
Holy Ethereal Dominions, deign me to rule over the passions, so that the spirit enslaves the flesh.
Holy Ethereal Powers, grant me the courage to fulfill the will of God.
Holy Incorporeality of Power, grant me the power of victory over evil.
Holy Ethereal Beginnings, deign me to serve the Lord God in the purity of my heart and the works of my hands.
Holy Ethereal Archangels, deign me to fulfill the will of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Holy Ethereal Angels, deign me to guide the weak in enlightening them in the truth.

You can resort to a simpler prayer that does not require special conditions. Read it when you need angelic support.

We magnify you, Archangels and Angels and all the hosts, Cherubim and Seraphim, glorifying the Lord.
We magnify you, Archangels, Angels, Principalities, Powers, Thrones, Dominions, Powers and Cherubim, and terrible Seraphim, glorifying the Lord.

Conclusion

Despite the primary role of seraphim in the Kingdom of God, information about these six-winged creatures is not very extensive. We know very little about them. However, their bright image has always inspired poets and served as a spiritual guide for seekers of truth.

A little about the author:

Evgeniy Tukubaev The right words and your faith are the key to success in the perfect ritual. I will provide you with information, but its implementation directly depends on you. But don’t worry, a little practice and you will succeed!