- "The Seraphim are among the greatest angels in Heaven, next to the Archangels themselves. Normally, they gather around God's throne, singing hymns about his glory. However, they are formidable warriors and should not be provoked, for each one can destroy a dozen demons single-handedly."
- ―A description of Seraphim
The Seraphim are an extremely high class among the celestial hierarchies. They are six-winged angelic creatures who continually attend to and worship God at His throne.
Contents
- 1 Overview
- 2 Description
- 3 History
- 3.1 Creation
- 3.2 War in Heaven
- 3.3 Isaiah
- 4 Powers and Abilities
- 5 Weaknesses
Overview[]
Seraphim have an unmatched amount of love and devotion towards God. Although called the first order of angels by Pseudo-Dionysus, they are actually the second order, with the Archangels being the first. They are known for praising and worshipping the Holy Trinity, spreading the universal life principles, and manifesting God's glory.
In the 12th century, the scholar Maimonides ranked the Seraphim as the 5th among the 10 levels of angels in his version of the Jewish angelic hierarchy. In the Kabbalah, the Seraphim belong to the higher angels in the World of Beriah. Because they understand how far they are from the ultimate divinity of Atziluth, they "burn up" with spiritual intensity, allowing them to rise to God and then return to their place. Below them, in the World of Yetzirah, are the Hayot angels from Ezekiel's vision, who serve God with a strong, instinctive emotional energy.
The term "Seraphim" is also used in Islam to refer to Archangels that are said to be born from celestial fire.
Description[]
The main description of Seraphim comes from the Book of Isaiah. They are described as: "Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord Almighty: the whole earth is full of his glory."
In Kabbalistic tradition, the Seraphim are connected with the Sephirah of Gevurah, which symbolizes divine strength, discipline, and judgment. They embody the fiery essence of divine purification and zeal. The descriptions of the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Ophanim are often similar but can still be distinguished.
History[]
Creation[]
The Seraphim are the second order of angels to be created, following the Archangels. They were brought into existence after the Primeval Wars but before the universe was formed. Like all other angels, they sang with joy when the foundations of the universe was laid.
War in Heaven[]
Although the Seraphim were never mentioned during the War in Heaven, given the love and loyalty they have towards their creator, it can be inferred that they participated in the war against Lucifer and his rebels.
Isaiah[]
The only mention of the Seraphim in the Bible is found in Isaiah 6:2-7. In this passage, Isaiah saw them flying around God's throne, proclaiming: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." Their revelation to God's holiness elicited a physical reaction, shaking the doorposts and filling the temple with smoke. The presence of the Seraphim also revealed Isaiah's sinfulness before the Lord himself.
One of the Seraphim then took a burning coal from the altar and touched it to Isaiah's lips, stating that his guilt was removed and his sin atoned for. This act purified Isaiah, enabling him to finally speak to God.
Powers and Abilities[]
Seraphim are extraordinarily powerful upper-level angels, completely infused with holy fire. Next to the Archangels, they are the greatest in the angelic hierarchies, to the point that they have been mistakenly called the most powerful.
Seraphs have powers of purification and illumination. They are recognized for their wisdom, and for their role in imparting light and spiritual knowledge into human beings. They are charged with purification through divine fire, removing impurities to sustain the cosmic order.
Weaknesses[]
Although they are the second-highest rank of angels, Seraphim have several deadly weaknesses.
- Divine Slayers - Can be hurt and killed by powerful Divine Slayers.
- Angel Slayers - Are vulnerable to Angel Slayers.
- Archdemons - Even the greatest of the seraphs cannot defeat the Archdemons.
- Archangels - Archangels can effortlessly weaken and kill seraphs.
- Primordial Entities - Primordial Entities can kill Seraphs and negate their powers effortlessly.
- Demonic Powers - Can be effected by demonic powers.
- Grace Extraction - Removing their grace can weaken seraphs and render them powerless.
- Falling From Grace - Are vulnerable to falling from Grace.
- Divine Weapons -Divine weapons are capable of harming and killing seraphs.
