Angels

For those of you that don't know, I've been asking a lot of questions about angels lately (don't ask me why) and so I decided to take those questions to H.G. Bishop Youssef (that guy is awesome!)

Q(s): Were there 8 archangels and one fell leaving 7, or did God replace Lucifer? Did angels and archangels have free will? Did they decide to follow Lucifer when he wanted to be like God? If they didn't have free will, then how is it that they could sin and fall?

If yes to the above questions, then can angels today continue to fall as they have a choice of following God versus not?


A: There are seven names of archangels of the highest ranks of the Cherubim that have been revealed to us: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Soriel, Sarathiel, Sedakiel, Ananiel. Satan was known as Sataniel, and was a Cherubim and an Archangel. The Holy Scriptures mentions that thousands of angels minister before God. However, these are the only names known to us. The angels were created as ministers of fire, full of knowledge, and a free will. The ranks of the Cherubim, Seraphim, and the Thrones are distinguished as ministers of God, directly before His Throne. Once some angels fell away from the graces of God, they could not return nor repent, nor was there any plan of salvation prepared for them because God foreknows that Satan and his angels will NEVER repent. The angels of wickedness fell with Satan, while the righteous angels remained with God. There were and still are no in-betweens. Those who remained were inherently good. His Grace, the Late Bishop Youannis, states that the angels are not with absolute knowledge but far exceed human knowledge and understanding. "As for the angels, knowing God Himself and the Holy Trinity, as well as His divine mysteries, is surely knowledge that surpasses human knowledge - due to their being so close to God and due to their spiritual nature." Man learned the ways of good and evil after he was deceived, whereas, Satan and his army, as well as the righteous angels, were created with the knowledge of good and evil, and were free to make a choice.

As we will not sin in eternity although we will have freewill, so the angles who did not follow Lucifer will not sin again.

For more in depth information about this and other related topics, read:

"Heaven" by His Grace Bishop Youannis, the Late Bishop of Gharbia

God bless you

Bishop Youssef