what's the deal with christian angels? the version of bible I read had pretty much no mention of any of them. and yet they are clearly a part of it... somehow.
>>1258711
Christians believe in lots of ridiculous things that aren't in the bible, like the Trinity.
From what I remember they're extremely bizarre looking. 4 faces , dozens of wings, often on fire ,and they're not even alive by our understanding. Though I believe most of that comes from the book of Enoch.
>>1258711
Depends which christian bible, man.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Enoch
>>1258711
Your Bible doesn't have Revelations? Your Bible cuts out the part where Jesus says his father could send him a legion of angels just to protect him from stubbing his toe?
>>1258741
angel means messenger.
>>1258741
They're ministering spirits, servants of God. Their leader staged a coup and 1/3 of them fell from grace and became the devil and his demons. The 2/3 who remained are in a constant state of warfare with the 1/3, as they are immortal beings.
While they are spirit beings, they can take the form of men, and mate with women, producing hybrid children.
There are a lot of them; the bible does not say how many, but it does mention that angels watch over each child, so at least billions.
>>1258749
interesting but explain further. it is my understanding that god is reachable more or less through ones own mind so that seems like it might be a redundant role.
>>1258711
Oh, and the bible says to be hospitable to strangers, for many have entertained angels unawares.
>>1258741
>sure but what's their point? what do they do? what are they for?
What's the "point" of any of it? It's just part of the mythology.
>>1258766
Beings of higher authority tell beings of lower authority what to do. This is the essence of faith.
>>1258781
Nothing in the bible is mythology; you must have wandered in from the Greek section.
>>1258713
Catholics*
Plenty of sects are less retarded than those blatant heretics.
>>1258723
Interlocking wheels with ALL THE EYES, sapient balls of flame with human heads attached, six-winged humanoids that'd make an X-man Jealous, a chimera...
The last one is a lot less rad than expected, desu. He's not an angel tho.
>>1258790
Everything in the Bible is mythology.
>>1258711
They're all over the place.
They're just not described how you would expect at all.
>>1258711
Also the image of them as normal humans with wings is based on the Greek cultur
>>1258766
The Kabbalahist explanation is that direct experience God is dangerous for people on a lower spiritual level. People at lower spiritual levels need angels at an intermediary and there are multiple ranks of angels for the multiple ranks of spiritual level. Funny enough this pretty much mirrors the Gnostic on how contact with the divine is regulated.
>>1259023
It's also for instances of people who are on exalted spiritual levels, but aren't in the right frame of mind to deal with a divine visitation at that moment. Probably the best example I can think of offhand is the angel telling Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac.
>>1258741
Their's three teirs of angels each containing three ranks
The highest rank contains seraphins cherubs and something
second rank no idea
Third rank contains something archangel and angels
The seraphs are in the council of god
Cherubs defend stuff?
Angels are messengers
>>1259880
nvm found it
also it's called heirarchies
Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones;
Dominations, Virtues, and Powers;
Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.
>>1259023
God's supposed to be omnipotent though. couldn't he just make it not dangerous. wouldn't that be a better solution
>>1258727
Aliens. I know it became a meme but it would explain a lots of shit. Like why do humans sacrifice to the gods? The terraformers come to take samples to see if their genetical engineering worked out.
Wasnt Enoch taken to heaven to write 16 books?
Could someone quote that passage?
>>1260121
Damn it, never thought of it like that, but maybe some rule set by God.
>>1259023
DMT
>>1260362
>The terraformers come to take samples to see if their genetical engineering worked out.
Why would terraformers be incapable of doing that without asking for sacrifices. In fact, why would they not be able to take samples without being noticed or having to kill a whole person/animal for just one sample?
Makes no sense
>>1260600
Maybe they were able to but chose not to because they like sacrifices? Or maybe the sacrifices produce some kind of energy that we aren't able to measure that they harnessed. I mean if we're really considering the possibility of extraterrestrial influence it seems silly to assume that we'd be able to understand and/or predict the motivations for their behavior.
>>1260623
>because they like sacrifices?
why would they like sacrifices?
>Or maybe the sacrifices produce some kind of energy that we aren't able to measure that they harnessed.
I think at this point we would be advanced enough to have found out if such energy existed. Besides if they needed us for energy, they would harvest us on their planet. I am ready to guess interstellar travel burns lots of energy too, so it would be highly inefficient.
> mean if we're really considering the possibility of extraterrestrial influence it seems silly to assume that we'd be able to understand and/or predict the motivations for their behavior.
Why so? Being more advanded than us does not mean their brains are not governed by chemicals, work on a set of pattens and are therefore not predictable to us
>>1258713
Is the father mentioned in the bible?
Is the son mentioned in the bible?
Is the holy spirit mentioned in the bible?
>>1260683
>why would they like sacrifices?
Not that anon, but I could see it as not them wanting sacrifices, but us doing them as kind of a cargo cult type situation.
>Being more advanded than us does not mean their brains are not governed by chemicals, work on a set of pattens and are therefore not predictable to us
I don't think my cat understands even 5% of what I do even though our brains use all the same mechanisms to function.
>>1260683
Because their alien God likes sacrifices? Because they're sadistic aliens? It could literally be any reason...
Also their brains would probably function in a way that is "alien" from our own.
>>1258766
>it is my understanding that god is reachable more or less through ones own mind
When fulfilling the role of messengers, the angel typically takes on the form of a human. It's to help make sure the message is fully received and accepted by the human.
>>1258988
>>1258723
>>1260700
>father is GoD
>son is Jesus Christ
Huh, I never knew the bible didn't mention God or Jesus at all anon. I wonder where everyone got that idea from??
>>1260683
Have you ever read the Dune saga? Perhaps it's something akin to "missionaria protectiva", or as explained in the books, the implanting of myth, legend and prophecy to be exploited by those in the know to survive on a potentially hostile planet. Perhaps the sacrifices were a means to cement the implantation? Or to perhaps to help an vip hiding out here, (an "alien" world to them), but using the sacrifices to feed them. Iirc were they not told to sacrifice the best if their fields and flocks? A cast away alien would not know what is safe to eat on some back water planet.
>>1258765
>but it does mention that angels watch over each child
I guess the shit angels look over all the Africans then.
