A black Angel , According to Christian tradition, is an angel who has been expelled from paradise. However, its meaning varies between cultures. In many religions throughout the world angels are considered as spiritual beings who act as intermediaries between God and humans [1] .
As messengers of God, angels can perform different functions. Their main task may be to teach, direct, or inform individuals about their destiny. Angels can also act to protect or help people.
The word angel comes from the Greek word Angelos , Which means messenger. In Western religions, the word typically describes a kind or benevolent being. However, in most religions, the line separating"good"angels from"bad"angels is not always so clear.
An angel could act benevolently under a certain circumstance but with evil intentions under a different one. In revelation-based religions (the communication of truth or divine will toward humanity), the role of the angels develops in much greater detail.
In these religions, God and mankind are distant from each other. Angels help close that gap. They praise God, fulfill their will, and reveal their truth. They can also help people get salvation or receive special favors. Beyond, acting in the name of God, angels can influence human affairs, rewarding believers and punishing those who do evil.
Origin of the black or fallen angels
Black angels or fallen angels were once close to God, but for some reason they fell into a lower position. They tried to interfere with the relationship between humans and God, motivating some individuals to sin [2] .
It is believed that black angels have caused disasters such as famine, disease, wars and earthquakes. In the Christian tradition, the leader of the fallen angels was Satan, also called Lucifer . He led a rebellion against God, by which he and other angels were condemned to hell.
In the Hindu tradition, black angels who do evil do not know good from evil. However, in the Christian tradition, these angels know the difference between good and evil and yet choose to act against the will of God.
The first black angel
Satan , also called Lucifer , Was the first black angel. Lucifer was expelled from paradise during the so-called battle of the heavens. God had created the angels and then created human beings.
God asked the angels to care for humanity. Lucifer refused to see for humans. He was the first rebel. Legend says that he was the most beautiful angel and that such was his envy towards God that he wanted to receive the same adoration that God received.
This story has been told in different cultures, with some variations in the narrative. In the Christian Bible, it is found in the Gospel of Luke. When Lucifer came out of paradise, he took a third of the angels with him. All of them immediately became black angels.
Among them were different types of angels, including some who enjoyed a very high level in the hierarchy. There were Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Powers, and more. They all began to call Lucifer the Prince of Hell.
Black Angel or Angel of Death
Just as human beings are free to do good or evil, God gave the same freedom to angels as well. Those angels who chose to do evil were expelled from paradise and became black angels.
Black angels, however, should not be confused with the Angel of Death, who is an envoy of God and brings death to peace and healing. Some people who fear death might think that a black angel might come for them or some loved one at the end of their lives. This is not true, really. Before death, a generous and careful Angel of Death comes to take them to paradise.
A black angel is neither loving nor healing. Black angels have no respect for humanity. They spend their time trying to tempt people into doing evil and promoting evil. Black angels do Lucifer's will.
The most popular black angels
In different cultures there are some black angels known by name, who have lived with humanity at different times and have fulfilled different functions. Many of them are named in sacred scriptures in different religions.
One of them is Abaddon , Whose name in Hebrew means destruction. Abaddon Is part of the underworld where, according to some legends, lost souls lie between fire and snow. The place where this black angel lives in hell is one of those that Moses visited. When I was still in paradise, Abaddon Was an angel of the Seraphim type.
It is also Leviathan . Its name in Hebrew means marine monster, something that could be interpreted like a whale. It is believed that Leviathan is a monster emerged from nature that represents chaos. It is extremely large in size and legend tells that it eats at least one whale a day. In the story of Jonah and the whale, this whale barely manages to escape being eaten by Leviathan . He was also a Seraph in paradise.
Beelzebub , Or according to some translations of his name, the Lord of the Flies, is another black angel that sometimes is represented in images like a fly. He is considered the commander-in-chief of Lucifer's army and enjoys one of the highest ranks in the infernal hierarchy.
Beelzebub Has been held responsible for many of the seven mortal sins, especially vanity and gluttony. When paradise dwelt, Beelzebub was a Cherubim.
Other minor black angels are Gresil Y Florón . Gresil Is considered the black angel of impurity and filth. Meanwhile, Floron, a sea monster, is the great Marquis of the Underworld and commands twenty-nine legions of dark angels.
A prominent figure in the ranks of the black angels is the Lilith . In Jewish mythology, it is believed that this character emerged as part of an ancient class of female demons in the religion of Mesopotamia.
Lilith Appears in ancient Hebrew writings mentioned as the first wife of Adam, who was created at the same time and the same clay. This differs from the Christian tradition, which says that Eve was the wife of Adam and created from one of his ribs [3] .
Lilith Abandoned Adam by not wanting to subjugate him and would leave the garden of Eden after meeting with the archangel Samael , Becoming a black angel. The legend of Lilith Continues to be the raw material in western literature, occultism, fantasy and horror until our time, even becoming a symbol of feminism.
Special mention deserves Azrael , Also called Ezreal , Izra'il , Abu-Jahia Y Abou-Jaria , In Islam. It is also known as the Angel of Death , Which enjoys in the paradise of the category of Archangel.
An Archangel is an angel of very high hierarchical rank. Archangela-like beings are found in a large number of religious traditions, however the specific term is usually related to Abrahamic religions. The name comes from the Greek and literally means chief angel [4] .
Different religions consider the Angel of Death as part of God's army. In charge of leading souls to paradise after his earthly death, the function of Azrael Is dark and therefore some legends take it like a black angel.
However, their presence in hell is because they would rescue the souls directed to that place to finally bring them before God. Hence it is related in certain mythologies with Lucifer and the rest of the black angels.
Black Angels in Metaphysics
Although there is a mythology developed around black angels and their origin from Lucifer, another interpretation of the term, especially in the practice of metaphysics, is that of a lover.
It could be a karmic relationship that is, in a way, problematic or harmful. The black angel of love is someone present in the life of those who suffer and in whom you can not stop thinking or obsessing with him or her. It is that relationship that can not be handled and that causes great pain [5] .