The seraphim are angelic entities associated with the prophet Isaiah’s vision of God in the Temple when God called him to his prophetic career (Isaiah 6:1-7). According to Isaiah 6:2-4, “Above him, there were six-winged seraphs:
They flew with two wings covering their faces, two covering their feet, and two covering their feet. ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his majesty,’ they said. The doorposts and thresholds trembled as they spoke, and the temple filled with smoke.” Seraphs are angels who constantly praise God.
The seraphim are only mentioned once in the Bible, in Isaiah Chapter 6. Each seraph has six wings. They used two to fly, two to cover their feet, and two to hide their faces (Isaiah 6:2).
The seraphim hovered about God’s throne, chanting His praises as they drew special attention to God’s grandeur and majesty. These creatures appear to have also worked as purifying agents for Isaiah as he began his prophetic mission. “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is removed, and your sin is atoned for,” one said as he pressed a lump of hot coal against Isaiah’s lips (Isaiah 6:7).
1. Only in Isaiah chapter 6 does the word “seraphim” appear in the Bible.
Isaiah 6 is the only text in the Bible that uses the term “seraphim,” which means “the fiery ones.” Isaiah reveals his profound vision of God’s celestial court in that Biblical chapter. The prophet saw God seated on a throne, surrounded by flying angels known as “seraphim” (Isaiah 6:1-2).
2. Seraphim are flaming angels who worship God and exalt his supremacy.
The seraphim continuously proclaim God’s absolute holiness and glory in Isaiah’s vision. (See Isaiah 6:3). In God’s presence, the seraphim do not address God directly but rather shout out to one another: “And they were screaming out to one another, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his splendor,” the Bible says.
3. The Trihagion—the thrice-invocation of “holy”—is significant in the Seraphim’s worship of God.
It is noteworthy that the seraphim in Isaiah’s vision use a three-fold repetition of God’s holiness, known as the trihagion. In ancient Judaism, the number “three” represented completeness and stability, implying God’s completeness as the beginning, middle, and end. Announcing God’s holiness three times implies
God’s everlasting nature, which is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8);
God’s divine perfection is manifested in the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and
God’s total and absolute holiness, is unrivaled by anything or anyone.
4. The Seraphim also minister to God and serve as His purifying agent.
When Isaiah witnessed the celestial seraphim covering themselves before God to admit their unworthiness before the Lord, he became aware of his own human depravity and terrified for his life. At that point, one of the seraphim took a blazing coal “with tongs from the altar,” brought it to Isaiah, and placed it on his lips. The seraph told Isaiah that his “guilt has been removed and [his] sin atoned for” as a result of this act. (See Isaiah 6:7)
Hierarchy of Angels
Some areas of Christian theology have advocated a 9-tiered angel hierarchy, as follows:
Highest/First Order: Archangels, Seraphim, and Cherubim
Middle/Second Order: Dominions, Virtues, and Powers
Lowest/third order: Principalities, Thrones, and Angels
Angels are spiritual beings with intelligence, emotions, and free will. This is true for both good and bad angels (demons). Angels have intelligence (Matthew 8:29; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Peter 1:12), display emotion (Luke 2:13; James 2:19; Revelation 12:17), and exercise willpower (Luke 2:13; James 2:19; Revelation 12:17). (Luke 8:28-31; 2 Timothy 2:26; Jude 6). Angels are spirit creatures with no physical bodies (Hebrews 1:14). They have personalities despite the fact that they do not have physical bodies.
What exactly is a Seraphim Angel?
The number of Seraphim also corresponds to Jewish custom. They have names in Jewish history: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Jeremiel, Raguel, Zerachiel, and Remiel. We also know that Lucifer was once among them, but he lost his rank and position after sinning and being sent down to Earth.
Conclusion
God made Seraphim serve and worship. These six-winged angelic creatures are always present at God’s throne. Each set of the seraphim’s wings serves a unique objective: one set conceals the face, expressing humility and awe, and works as protection from the light of God’s glory; another set is used for flying, assisting in their quick servitude; and the third set is used to cover the seraphim’s feet, humbly concealing their unworthiness while in God’s holy presence (Isaiah 6:2).
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