The Orthodox Church teaches that angels exist in nine distinct orders, arranged in three groups of three. This isn’t speculation. It comes from Scripture and the Church Fathers, especially St. Dionysius the Areopagite, whose work On the Celestial Hierarchy shaped how we understand the angelic world.
The nine ranks, from highest to lowest, are: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones; Dominions, Virtues, Powers; Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. Each order has its own nature and role in God’s creation, though all share one purpose, glorifying God and serving His will.
The First Triad: Closest to God
The highest three orders stand nearest to God’s throne. Seraphim burn with love for God, perpetually crying “Holy, holy, holy” as Isaiah saw in his vision. Their name means “burning ones.” They’re consumed with divine love and contemplation.
Cherubim come next. They’re bearers of divine wisdom and knowledge, guardians of God’s mysteries. Not the chubby baby angels of Renaissance paintings, Scripture describes them as fearsome beings with multiple faces and wings, stationed at the entrance to Eden after the Fall.
Thrones manifest God’s judgment and authority. They’re sometimes pictured as the very throne of God, reflecting His justice and sovereignty over all creation.
These three orders rarely interact directly with humans. They’re occupied with worship and the immediate presence of God.
The Second Triad: Cosmic Governors
The middle three orders govern creation according to God’s will. Dominions regulate the duties of lower angels and oversee the ordering of the universe. Think of them as administrators of divine providence.
Virtues sustain the natural world and enable miracles. When the laws of nature bend to God’s purposes, when the sun stood still for Joshua or the Red Sea parted, the Virtues were at work. They maintain creation’s order while allowing God’s extraordinary interventions.
Powers fight against demonic forces and preserve cosmic order. They’re warriors who restrain evil and protect the boundaries between the spiritual and material realms. St. Paul mentions them when he writes about principalities and powers in his letters.
The Third Triad: Ministering to Humanity
The lowest three orders interact most directly with us. Principalities watch over nations, communities, and institutions. They guide the destinies of peoples under God’s providence. When Daniel’s angelic visitor mentioned the “prince of Persia,” he was likely referring to this order.
Archangels are chief messengers who carry important revelations. We know some by name: Michael, who leads the heavenly armies; Gabriel, who announced Christ’s birth to Mary; Raphael, who guided Tobias. The Church celebrates the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers every November.
Angels, the ninth order, are closest to us. Your guardian angel belongs here. These are the messengers who appear throughout Scripture, who minister to individuals, who carry our prayers to God. When you ask your guardian angel for help (and you should), you’re addressing this order.
Why This Matters
Some folks coming from Protestant backgrounds wonder if this is all made up, some medieval fantasy that crept into the Church. It’s not. St. Paul lists many of these orders explicitly in Colossians and Ephesians. Isaiah and Ezekiel saw Seraphim and Cherubim. The Book of Revelation is full of angelic worship and hierarchy.
St. Dionysius took what Scripture reveals and what the early Church understood, and he organized it systematically. Other Fathers like St. John Chrysostom and St. John of Damascus affirmed his teaching. It became part of how the Church understands the invisible creation.
But here’s what we don’t do: we don’t worship angels. Ever. They’re created beings like us, though of a different order. We venerate them as examples of obedience and as helpers in our salvation, but worship belongs to God alone. The angels themselves would be horrified at the suggestion, remember when John tried to worship the angel in Revelation and was told, “Don’t do that”?
Living With the Angels
On any given Sunday at St. Michael’s, we’re not worshiping alone. The Liturgy joins earth to heaven. When we sing “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth,” we’re joining the Seraphim around God’s throne. When we ask the prayers of the Archangel Michael, we’re acknowledging that the Church includes both the visible and invisible creation.
Your guardian angel is with you right now. Probably was with you this morning at the refinery or the plant, certainly will be with you tonight when you sleep. The Orthodox Church teaches that every baptized Christian has an angelic guardian assigned by God. Talk to yours. Ask for help. Thank them for their protection.
The nine orders aren’t just a theological curiosity. They’re part of the reality we live in, the communion of saints and angels that surrounds us, the great company of heaven that we’ll join fully when this life ends. We’re not alone in this. We never have been.
