Seraph or Seraphim A seraph (“the burning one”; seraphs or seraphim, in the King James Version also seraphims (plural); שָׂרָף śārāf, plural שְׂרָפִים śərāfîm; seraphim and seraphin (plural), also seraphus (-i, m.); σεραφείμ serapheím; مشرفين Musharifin) is a Hebrew-origin word referring to a type of celestial or heavenly being originating in Ancient Judaism. The term plays a role in subsequent Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The singular...
Christian Angelology This article covers Christian Angelology in detail. In Christianity, angels are agents of God, based on angels in Judaism. The most influential Christian angelic hierarchy was that put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 4th or 5th century in his book De Coelesti Hierarchia (On the Celestial Hierarchy). During the Middle Ages, many schemes were proposed...
Saint Michael In The Catholic Church This article covers the importance of Saint Michael in The Catholic Church. Saint Michael the Archangel is referenced in the Old Testament and has been part of Christian teachings since the earliest times. In Catholic writings and traditions, he acts as the defender of the Church...
Archangel Michael Saint Michael the Archangel (Mîkhā’ēl, ‘Who is like God?’; Mikhaḗl; Latin: Michahel; Mīkhā’īl) is an archangel in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions, he is called “Saint Michael the Archangel” and “Saint Michael”. In the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox religions, he is called “Saint...
Guardian Angel A guardian angel is an angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group, kingdom, or country. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity. The concept of angels that guard over particular people and nationalities played a common role in Ancient Judaism, while a theory of tutelary angels and their...
Archangel An archangel is an angel of high rank. The word “archangel” itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of religious traditions. The English word archangel is derived from the Greek ἀρχάγγελος (arch- + angel, literally “chief angel” or “angel of origin”). It appears only twice...
Angel Angels are generally supernatural being found in various religions and mythologies. In Abrahamic religions, angels are often depicted as benevolent celestial beings who act as intermediaries between God or Heaven and humanity. Other roles of angels include protecting and guiding human beings and carrying out God’s tasks. Within Abrahamic religions,...
What Is Destiny? Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate, is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often used interchangeably, the words “fate” and “destiny” have distinct connotations. Traditional usage defines fate as a power or agency that...
Predestination In Calvinism Predestination is a doctrine in Calvinism dealing with the question of the control that God exercises over the world. In the words of the Westminster Confession of Faith, God “freely and unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass.” The second use of the word “predestination” applies this to the salvation, and refers...
What Is Corporate Election? The idea of corporate election expresses a Christian soteriological view that understands Christian salvation as based on “God choosing in Christ a people whom he destines to be holy and blameless in his sight”. Put another way, “Election is the corporate choice of the church ‘in Christ.’” Paul Marston and Roger Forster state that...
The Book Of Life In Christianity and Judaism, the Book of Life (Sefer HaChaim; Biblíon tēs Zōēs) is the book in which God records the names of every person who is destined for Heaven or the World to Come. According to the Talmud it is open on Rosh Hashanah, as is...
Fall Of Man The fall of man, the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience. The doctrine of the Fall comes from a biblical interpretation of Genesis, chapters 1-3. At first, Adam and...
Mortal Sin A mortal sin (Latin: peccatum mortale), in Catholic theology, is a gravely sinful act, which can lead to damnation if a person does not repent of the sin before death. A sin is considered to be “mortal” when its quality is such that it leads to a separation of that person...
Free Will In Theology Free will in theology is an important part of the debate on free will in general. Religions vary greatly in their response to the standard argument against free will and thus might appeal to any number of responses to the paradox of free will, the claim that omniscience and free will are...
What Is Theological Determinism? Theological determinism is a form of predeterminism which states that all events that happen are pre-ordained, or/and predestined to happen, by a God/gods, or that they are destined to occur given its omniscience. Theological determinism exists in a number of religions, including Jainism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is also supported by proponents of Classical pantheism such as the Stoics and Baruch Spinoza....
Divine Decree And Destiny This article covers the answer to the question: “What is Divine Decree and Destiny?“ Divine Knowledge God is completely beyond our abilities of comparison and conception, and so we can acquire only some knowledge of His Attributes and Names, not of His Divine Essence, by meditating...
Jesus Christ, Messiah, and Divine Wisdom On Wednesday, 22 April, the weekly general audience was held in St Peter’s Square. The subject of the Pope’s discourse was Jesus Christ, Messiah and Divine Wisdom. A rich tradition of wisdom literature permeates the Old Testament. On the human level, it manifests the...
Wisdom Of The Bible Preface I originally started this project as a way to teach some of the Bible’s wisdom to my two sons, Stephen and Andrew. Along the way, I decided to expand it into a form that could be shared, hoping that others may find it useful, too....
True Wisdom (1 Cor. 2:1-16) True wisdom cannot be grasped by those who are unsaved, by those who do not have the Spirit of God dwelling within them illuminating the truth of the Scriptures so they can know the deep things of God. True wisdom speaks of things which pertain...
The Origin Of Trinity This article covers the origin of Trinity. THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY IS NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE The Illustrated Bible Dictionary records: “The word Trinity is not found in the Bible. . . It did not find a place formally in the theology of the...