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How do I become Baha’i?
Spirituality

Do You Believe in Angels?

Rodney Richards | May 10, 2017

PART 1 IN SERIES The Dawning Points of God’s Spiritual Bestowals

The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

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Rodney Richards | May 10, 2017

PART 1 IN SERIES The Dawning Points of God’s Spiritual Bestowals

The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

Do you believe in angels? They certainly have figured prominently throughout humanity’s religious history.

In Judaism, the archangels Michael and Gabriel play significant roles in the Torah. The Mormon Church began under the direction of the angel Moroni, who showed young Joseph Smith in 1827 where the golden plates were buried in the mountains of New York State. In Christianity, the Archangel Gabriel visits the Virgin Mary and predicts the birth of Jesus Christ. Later, in the Qur’an, that same Archangel Gabriel commanded Muhammad to read. Although illiterate and frightened, he did, changing the history of the planet even today.

The serpent in the Garden of Eden who tempted Adam and Eve took on the guise of a disgraced Archangel known more commonly for ages as Lucifer.

The Bible is replete with appearances of angels:

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. – Revelation 14:6.

Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. – Hebrews 13:2.

We humans can act as “angels” with or without knowing it. When someone does something nice for us, in our best interests rather than their own, they become like an angel.

This harks back to the very essence of “good” and “evil;” concepts as old as people and their relationships with each other. In the ancient religions, angels represented goodness, kindness and altruism; while creatures like Satan represented selfishness, mean-spiritedness and evil.

Who are your angels?

My wife Janet is my angel in this world, although I know many. She is my guardian angel, a concept facilitated in Catholicism and elsewhere, one who watches over me and my doings for my own good. My mother, 85, generous and kind, caring to a fault, sincere and concerned with her family’s welfare and even that of strangers, personifies a living angel despite minor flaws. When I sit outside on our patio on a breezy day enjoying the sun, I see the white-yellow cabbage butterflies flit about our gardens, and know that each one represents the spirit of my departed brother Stephen, watching over me, at least figuratively.

Angels appear in many shapes and guises, the shape of nature and the shape of man or woman or child, symbolizing all that we see as good, holy and loving in the world.

Another example: all the people in my life, too numerous to mention, who have helped me advance in my various endeavors or careers. I would not be where I am today without the help and assistance of hundreds, perhaps thousands of “angels” who have made my journey through life easier, happier and more fulfilling. Because of their help I am able to leave the devils great and small far behind me and am filled with confidence, hope and joy:

Rejoice, for the heavenly table is prepared for you.

Rejoice, for the angels of heaven are your assistants and helpers.

Rejoice, for the glance of the Blessed Beauty, Baha’u’llah, is directed upon you.

Rejoice, for Baha’u’llah is your Protector.

Rejoice, for the everlasting glory is destined for you.

Rejoice, for the eternal life is awaiting you. – Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 214.

When we do kind things, we’re angels, too, especially when we give of ourselves, our time, our money, and our energy to selflessly help others. Whether helping those who are in need and charities, relatives or our children, doing volunteer work in the community, serving as educators in schools or working hard in worthwhile ways contributing to society, we all become angels in more ways than we realize.

I wish UNESCO would promote The Year of the Angel just as it has The Year of the Child and the Year of Women. Maybe that’s not too far-fetched, since we are in the International Year of Light right now, and angels bring light not darkness, like Archangel Uriel carries the flame of God.

The world right now needs more angels and their unselfish, caring acts of generosity and love. We need angelic acceptance and not just tolerance. We need understanding and patience, and peaceful thoughts. We waste our energy acting out in frustration and rage against things we can only change by changing individual hearts and minds, thereby creating the positive power necessary to alter the systems and laws we abhor.

Want a good place to start? Try a few angelic smiles and kind gestures today.

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Comments

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  • Kamal Abbas
    Jun 19, 2017
    -
    they exis check following page
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahá'í_cosmology
    Malakút : The angelic realm, the world of souls.
  • Susan Galbraith
    May 15, 2017
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    Angels absolutely exist. I have a firm belief, and I have seen them and felt them. I am reading Blessed Be Me There is a God, Stan Robinson is the author and his personal stories of angel visits is just an inspiration, it's just amazing how they interact with us!
  • Guy Pierre Poulin
    May 10, 2017
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    I volunteer in the palliative care department of the Ste-Agathe hospital, QC. I listen, accompany, entertain and support terminally patients. I just have to be there with them, friendly, loving.
    Of course I believe in angel. I'm one. Actually, it is in my role description, and was trained for it ;-)
  • May 10, 2017
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    What a wonderful article Rodney! I love this subject. Thank you. You are an angel.
  • Margaret J Mohamed
    May 10, 2017
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    The Virtues are an order of Angels in Catholic theology. I sometimes call on the one I need in times of stress- "Angel of patience please help me now" etc. It is brilliant. When I die I want to be one to the Scattering angels of the Almighty- would be such fun!
  • Natalie Bantz
    May 9, 2017
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    In the Baha'i Faith, are there such things as angels that are separate beings from humans?
    • Farshad Fouladi
      Sep 3, 2018
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      Read Persian Hidden Words No. 77 - O SON OF JUSTICE!
      "In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being... the claws of the dogs of earth. Thereupon the Maid of heaven hastened forth unveiled and resplendent from Her mystic mansion, and asked of their names, ..., whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed forth out of their habitation of glory....."
      (Also There are other Lawh's/Tablets, like Lawh-i-Huriyyih,Hur-i-Ijab-and some others speaking of this Heavenly Maid who brought all great announcements and made Bahaullah aware of his mission)
    • Melanie Black
      May 10, 2017
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      Yes, there are. Not all of Baha'u'llah's tablets and books have been translated into English yet (since He revealed so many of them), and I don't know either Arabic or Persian. We might find out one day that there are some angels that are personally named, but in the Writings there is often reference to the Heavenly Concourse. Those are angels.
      I loved this article. I live in a large federal housing apartment and visualize all my neighbors as angels because they are such warm, friendly human beings.
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