Deleted

[marc]

You're on the right track. We get a clue in Isaiah's vision where he sees Seraphims, each with six wings. One can infer that there are six rungs on Jacob's ladder. Seraphims (fiery serpent imagery in ancient Israel) have bodies of burnings and are nearest Jehovah's throne. One could take a live coal in his hand to touch it to Isaiah's lips. In D&C we read about thrones, powers, principalities, etc. You begin to get an idea.

[zionbuilder]

This person thinks the following:

https://purerevelations.wordpress.com/2 ... of-angels/

I always read through comments as well, he's not mainstream LDS, but I find a lot of his posts interesting.

*Edited for updated link

[marc]

I think if you take D&C 93:1 seriously, you will find out. Then you will know and no longer guess. Everything else is mostly just noise.

[Arenera]

When you hear the terms: Thrones, kingdoms, principalities, powers, and dominions, doesn't that conjure a conception of the world as we know it?

How does that compare to what Christ teaches, or His examples?

What do Zion people do? Sit on hard thrones all day?

Do you want to be in charge of a bunch of angels?

[Arenera]

When you hear the terms: Thrones, kingdoms, principalities, powers, and dominions, doesn't that conjure a conception of the world as we know it?

How does that compare to what Christ teaches, or His examples?

What do Zion people do? Sit on hard thrones all day?

Do you want to be in charge of a bunch of angels?

I don't get what you're saying. So you think Zion people don't want the blessings explained?

What is a throne? What is a power? What blessings are you talking about?

You use an example of warrior angels who put evil spirits in detention. That doesn't sound like a fun job to me.

Making a world, that would be more fun.

[sandman45]

Dominions or Lordships

The "Dominions" (Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16) (lat. dominatio, plural dominationes, also translated from the Greek term kyriotētes, pl. of kyriotēs, as "Lordships") or "Dominations" are presented as the hierarchy of celestial beings "Lordships" in some English translations of the De Coelesti Hierarchia. The Dominions regulate the duties of lower angels. It is only with extreme rarity that the angelic lords make themselves physically known to humans.

The Dominions are believed to look like divinely beautiful humans with a pair of feathered wings, much like the common representation of angels, but they may be distinguished from other groups by wielding orbs of light fastened to the heads of their scepters or on the pommel of their swords

Great stuff you put together!

when I got to Dominions i thought of Daniel chapter 7, and then remembered its mentioned in endowment and in the scriptures account of creation.

also there is Unrighteous Dominion too.. anyway thought I would share scriptures where dominion was given and taken away etc

Daniel 7 (I love this chapter!!)

6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

- notice here that Christ was given a dominion (ever lasting dominion), glory, and a kingdom here

Moses 2

26 And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten, which was with me from the beginning: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and it was so. And I, God, said: Let them have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Abraham 4

26 And the Gods took counsel among themselves and said: Let us go down and form man in our image, after our likeness; and we will give them dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

[Thinker]

I don't get what you're saying. So you think Zion people don't want the blessings explained?

What is a throne? What is a power? What blessings are you talking about?

You use an example of warrior angels who put evil spirits in detention. That doesn't sound like a fun job to me.

Making a world, that would be more fun.

A friend said he resonates with warrior angels - warriors for truth. Think of "Staturday Warriors."
Yet, each person is unique with unique strengths so "fun" is in the eye of the beholder.
"The eye doesn't say to the hand, 'I have no need of thee'."

[Thinker]

Hi new member here, first post. I wanted to discuss something interesting I found. It has to do with the promise of exaltation. In D&C 132 vs 19 it promises those exalted will receive thrones, kingdoms, principalities, powers, and dominions. For a long time I wondered, what do these names refer to? I'd like to present some cool info I discovered in my own research. A temple sealer told me kingdoms means "worlds without end", so we get worlds. That leaves thrones, principalities, powers, and dominions. All are actually found within the christian hierarchy of angels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_angelology

I propose that what we inherit is actually godhood and legions of different angels since it also says in vs 20 "Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them."

First off, thanks for bringing up what you've discovered - inspiring to think about possible symbolic meanings!
What do you think it mean to be one of many gods as opposed to God?

FIRST SPHERE OF ANGELS:
Seraphim
Seraphim (singular "Seraph") literally translated "burning ones", the word seraph is normally a synonym for serpents when used in the Hebrew Bible.[3] Mentioned in Isaiah 6:1-7, Seraphim are the highest angelic class and they serve as the caretakers of God's throne and continuously shout praises: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" According to Isaiah 6:1-8, the Seraphim are described as fiery six-winged beings; with two wings they cover their faces, with another two they cover their feet, and the last two they use to fly.

God was symbolized as a burning bush to Moses - I wonder if God is so much more complex than I can fathom and that such representation was just one of countless.

I've heard that the snake in the Adam & Eve parable represents Christ in a way - the way of opposition that allows us to exercise free agency & learn more (be less blind).
In a dream (symbolism) dictionary: "Generally, the snake is a symbol of great power indicating change, renewal & transformation. Jung considered the snake to represent a potent archetype of psychic energy, power, dynamism, instinctual drive & the entire process of psychic & spiritual transformation. In dreams, the snake may indicate a transformative process already underway, but often calls attention to the need to move to a new level of consciousness (think Adam & Eve and all of us having paradigm shifts/light bulb moments). The dreamer may fear it, as he or she may fear change itself, but the sake must be seen as a positive sign and not a negative one."

Cherubim
Cherubim have four faces: one of a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle (later adopted as the symbols of the four evangelists). They have four conjoined wings covered with eyes, a lion's body, and the feet of oxen. Cherubim guard the way to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24)[4] and the throne of God (Ezekiel 28:14–16).[5] The cherubim are mentioned in Genesis 3:24;[4] Exodus 25:17–22; 2 Chronicles 3:7–14; Ezekiel 10:12–14,[6] 28:14–16;[5] 1 Kings 6:23–28;[7] and Revelation 4:6–8.Modern English usage has blurred the distinction between cherubim and putti. Putti are the often wingless human baby/toddler-like beings traditionally used in figurative art. St. Thomas Aquinas imagined Satan as the fallen Cherub.[8]

Interesting. 4 faces!
"Ox: Toil; hard physical labor. Working very hard toward a goal, but making slow progress. Patience & brute strength.
Lion: Strength & courage; prowess; primitive or 'animal' instincts. Lions often are associated with law, justice & military might, all authoritarian. They also represent the male principle.
Eagle: Spiritual victory; the triumph of spirit over matter; the spiritual principle of humanity that is able to ascend to heaven. Eagles also are associated with the sun (illumination) & air (intellect). Since antiquity, the eagle has been associated with kings & royalty (father & authority figures)... true to its nature. Its symbolisms include pride, triumph, fierceness, liberty, authority, & inspiration. Jung regarded it as a symbol of the father. In Christian symbolism, the eagle represents Christ, rebirth & baptism."
And man - carnal, spiritual, ugly beautiful, fragile, strong man. ;)

Thrones
The "Thrones" (Greek: thronoi, pl. of thronos), or Elders, are a class of celestial beings mentioned by Paul of Tarsus in Colossians 1:16 (New Testament). They are living symbols of God's justice and authority, and have as one of their symbols the throne.

It is not unusual to find that the Thrones are associated, by some, with the Ophanim or Erelim from the Jewish angelic hierarchy, however there is very little evidence, if any, to sustain this idea. The Ophanim (Heb. ofanim: Wheels, from the vision of Daniel 7:9) are unusual looking even compared to the other celestial beings plus they are said to be moved by the spirit of other beings, which raises the question if the Ophanim are spiritual beings at all or if they are purely material beings. They appear as a beryl-coloured wheel-within-a-wheel, their rims covered with hundreds of eyes. They are closely connected with the Cherubim instead: "When they moved, the others moved; when they stopped, the others stopped; and when they rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures [Cherubim] was in the wheels." Ezekiel 10:17 NRSV.

Christian theologians that include the Thrones as one of the choirs don't describe them as wheels, describing them as adoring elder men who listen to the will of God and present the prayers of men. The Twenty Four Elders in the Book of Revelation are usually thought to be part of this group of angels.

When I think of throne, I think of something that supports one in dignity and authority.
"A throne symbolizes power, authority & leadership."

SECOND SPHERE OF ANGELS:
Dominions or Lordships
The "Dominions" (Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16) (lat. dominatio, plural dominationes, also translated from the Greek term kyriotētes, pl. of kyriotēs, as "Lordships") or "Dominations" are presented as the hierarchy of celestial beings "Lordships" in some English translations of the De Coelesti Hierarchia. The Dominions regulate the duties of lower angels. It is only with extreme rarity that the angelic lords make themselves physically known to humans.

The Dominions are believed to look like divinely beautiful humans with a pair of feathered wings, much like the common representation of angels, but they may be distinguished from other groups by wielding orbs of light fastened to the heads of their scepters or on the pommel of their swords

Dominions: sovereignty; control. (ie: mastering one's own soul before trying to rule over others - many spend their lifetimes trying)
Lordships: supreme power or rule. ("Obedience is the 1st law of heaven" - not obedience to man - but to God - and to discovering and implementing what is truly of God and obeying that. It's like going by natural laws - if you try to disobey the law of gravity, you could have problems. There is a law of cause and effect spiritually as well.)

Virtues or Strongholds
These angels are those through which signs and miracles are made in the world.[9]

The term appears to be linked to the attribute "might", from the Greek root dynamis (pl. dynameis) in Ephesians 1:21, which is also translated as "Virtue" or "Power". They are presented as the celestial Choir "Virtues", in the Summa Theologica.

From Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite's De Coelesti Hierarchia:

"The name of the holy Virtues signifies a certain powerful and unshakable virility welling forth into all their Godlike energies; not being weak and feeble for any reception of the divine Illuminations granted to it; mounting upwards in fullness of power to an assimilation with God; never falling away from the Divine Life through its own weakness, but ascending unwaveringly to the superessential Virtue which is the Source of virtue: fashioning itself, as far as it may, in virtue; perfectly turned towards the Source of virtue, and flowing forth providentially to those below it, abundantly filling them with virtue.

Sounds a bit like "obedience is the 1st law of heaven" - strong will to do God's will.

Powers or Authorities

The "Powers" (lat. potestas (f), pl. potestates), or "Authorities", from the Greek exousiai, pl. of exousia (see Greek root in Eph 3:10).[9] The primary duty of the "Powers" is to supervise the movements of the heavenly bodies in order to ensure that the cosmos remains in order.[citation needed] Being warrior angels, they also oppose evil spirits, especially those that make use of the matter in the universe, and often cast evil spirits to detention places. These angels are usually represented as soldiers wearing full armor and helmet, and also having defensive and offensive weapons such as shields and spears or chains respectively.

The Powers are the bearers of conscience and the keepers of history. They are also the warrior angels created to be completely loyal to God. Some believe that no Power has ever fallen from grace, but another theory states that Satan was the Chief of the Powers before he Fell (see also Ephesians 6:12). Their duty is to oversee the distribution of power among humankind, hence their name

I believe very strongly that there are such warrior angels, and I have at times, resonated with and been inspired by their missions - to defend truth, and to shed light on lies, and to stand up for and defend those who have no voice.

THIRD SPHERE OF ANGELS:
Principalities or Rulers
The "Principalities" (Latin: principati) also translated as "Princedoms" and "Rulers", from the Greek archai, pl. of archē (see Greek root in Eph 3:10), are the angels that guide and protect nations, or groups of peoples, and institutions such as the Church. The Principalities preside over the bands of angels and charge them with fulfilling the divine ministry. There are some who administer and some who assist.[9]

The Principalities are shown wearing a crown and carrying a sceptre. Their duty also is said to be to carry out the orders given to them by the upper sphere angels and bequeath blessings to the material world. Their task is to oversee groups of people. They are the educators and guardians of the realm of earth. Like beings related to the world of the germinal ideas, they are said to inspire living things to many things such as art or science.[11]
Paul used the term rule and authority in Ephesians 1:21,[12] and rulers and authorities in Ephesians 3:10.

Group thought is generally much more insane than individual thought. Yet, it is much more powerful - for good or bad.
Since "there must needs be opposition in all things" - I imagine this one is a major aspect of spiritual warfare.

Archangels
The word "archangel" comes from the Greek ἀρχάγγελος (archangelos), meaning chief angel, a translation of the Hebrew רב־מלאך (rav-mal'ákh)[14] It derives from the Greek archein, meaning to be first in rank or power; and angelos which means messenger or envoy. The word is only used twice in the New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9. Only the Archangel Michael is mentioned by name in the New Testament.

In most Christian traditions Gabriel is also considered an archangel, but there is no direct literal support for this assumption. It is also worth noting that the term 'archangel' appears only in the singular, never plural, and only in specific reference to Michael.

The name of the archangel Raphael appears only in the Book of Tobit (Tobias). Tobit is considered Deuterocanonical by Roman Catholics (both Eastern and Western Rites), Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Anglicans. The Book of Tobit is not, however, acknowledged by most Protestant denominations, such as Reformed Christians or Baptists. Raphael said to Tobias that he was "one of the seven who stand before the Lord", and it is generally believed that Michael and Gabriel are two of the other six.

A fourth Archangel is Uriel whose name literally means "Light of God." Uriel's name is the only one not mentioned in the New King James Version Bible, but plays; however, a prominent role in an apocryphon read by Anglican and Russian Orthodox Christians: The second Book of Esdras (fourth Books of Esdras in the Latin Vulgate). In the book he unveils seven prophecies to the prophet Ezra, after whom the book is named. He also plays a role in the apocryphal Book of Enoch, which is considered canonical by both the Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox Church.

Another possible interpretation of the seven archangels is that these seven are the seven spirits of God that stand before the throne described in the Book of Enoch, and in the Book of Revelation.[15]

The Seven Archangels are said to be the guardian angels of nations and countries, and are concerned with the issues and events surrounding these, including politics, military matters, commerce and trade: e.g. Archangel Michael is traditionally seen as the protector of Israel and of the ecclesia (Gr. root ekklesia from the New Testament passages), theologically equated as the Church, the forerunner of the spiritual New Israel.

It is possible to make a distinction between archangel (with a lower-case a) and Archangel (with an uppercase A). The former can denote the second-lowest choir (arch-angels in the sense of being just above the lowest Choir of angels that is called only "angels") but the latter may denote the highest of all the angels (i.e., Arch-angels in the sense of being above all angels, of any Choir. The seven highest Seraphim, Michael, being the highest of all).

"Arch: First, earliest, original, oldest in time"
I can't help but wonder in a word full of mathematical truths, if numbers are spiritually significant.
IE: 7... 7 days of the week...Michael (Sunday), Gabriel (Monday), Raphael (Tuesday), Uriel (Wednesday), Selaphiel (Thursday), Raguel or Jegudiel (Friday), and Barachiel (Saturday).
7 colors of the rainbow
7 notes on a musical scale
7 circles form the symbol called “The Seed of Life”
(fun fact for kids young & old: The opposite sides of a dice always equal the number 7 when added)

Carl Jung wrote about archetypes and like him, I believe there is no dividing line between spirituality and psych-ology (study of the soul).
He categorized 12 common archetypes by
Ego Types:
The Innocent
The Orphan/Regular guy or gal
The Hero
The Caregiver

Soul Types:
The Explorer
The Revel
The Lover
The Creator

Self Types:
The Jester
The Sage
The Magician
The Ruler

Maybe those types that may represent "collective unconscious" - ideas or ways of thinking that have been around since the beginning of man, and are also at least partially representing spirits (ie the spirit of love, the spirit of exploration etc). One thing I find fascinating about Greek mythology, Hindusim and even Catholicism is that their gods or saints tend to represent some positive aspects of these archtypes.

Angels
The "angels" or malakhim, i.e. the "plain" angels (ἄγγελοι, pl. of ἄγγελος, angelos, i.e. messenger or envoy), are the lowest order of the angels, and the most recognized. They are the ones most concerned with the affairs of living things. Within the category of the angels, there are many different kinds, with different functions. The angels are sent as messengers to humanity. Personal guardian angels come from this class.

Personal guardian angels
Personal guardian angels are not of a separate order but rather come from the order of Angels. It is a common belief that they are assigned to every human being, Christian or not.[16] It is unknown whether they guard multiple humans during their existence or just one, but the latter is a more typical opinion.

I believe strongly that we receive spiritual help - and maybe just as we are God's hands in this life - answering each other's prayers etc, angels are God's hand in another dimension.

As I was reading about some of this, I thought how the seed of potential of all of this is within us now. How it grows or not, depends on how much attention we give to each. I believe that the symbolic story of Adam & Eve is likened to us repeatedly over our lives. Ideally, we are constantly learning and growing - and realizing that what we thought was good wasn't exactly all there was to the picture - and our eyes begin to see clearer. Little by little - we become enlightened, and I think it's a life-long process.

[Alaris]

All I know is I want to be exalted and not a ministering angel who is single and has no companion.

Here's how my friend:

http://lordoftheseraphim.blogspot.com/2 ... ns_12.html

Hold CTRL + mousewheel to shrink the picture size if your browser makes it massive.

Don't worry, I don't mention polygamy at all.

Edit: There's a chart that in the above article that shows where the thrones, kingdoms, principalities, powers, dominions all line up with the laws of the gospel:

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z4W8sy_VMI0/ ... ankind.jpg

[Z2100]

I have thought that as when one reaches Godhood, they get all that God has and they have power over everything in the universe, such as different matter & kingdoms of glory

[Niemand]

This is one of many phrases which is left unexplained to modern members.

[Original_Intent]

Just posting to *restore* the title. Didn't work

[marc]

I don't remember this thread, but I wasn't able to edit the now default first post to correct the title. Oh, well.