Fallen Host
Fallen Host : these are angels that have fallen from God's grace. Although rarely mentioned in biblical scripture these beings serve as a warning to the reader of what the wrath of God can bring. Angelogists have a certain interest in these creatures because they have quite an air of shadowy mystery surrounding them.
Fallen angels can be split into two main groups namely: the angels who sided and allied with Satan during the war in Heaven and the fallen Grigori. In both of these cases the angels tuned on God, their creator, by misusing the free will that had been granted to them by God.
The War in Heaven: Generally there is a belief that at some
point in time Satan joined forces with a third of the divine host in an
attempt to place themselves as rulers in the Kingdom of Heaven, by
overthrowing God and the faithful angels. One theory about the cause of
the conflict is that when God created man he called upon all of angelic
forces to bow before his new creation. Satan at that time being one
of the highest archangels found this too humbling by far and refused to
debase himself in this manner and duly asked if "a
son of fire should be forced to bow before a son of clay?". A
similar theory and one very much like the latter, suggests that Satan
should bow before Jesus. Whatever the reason for the conflict Satan
appeared to be outgrowing his post as highest of the seraphim and chief of
angels.
The following extract from the The House of Rites
Website says that:
"Satan is described as the
"adversary". Such a title is not meant to imply that Satan had
fallen, but rather places him in the position as the angel sent by God to
test his mortal followers. In the book of Job, Satan comes confidently
into the court of God along with the rest of the host and is sent by God
to test Job's righteousness. Obviously, if Satan was confined to the pits
of Gehanna, such an audience would not be possible, and it is doubtful
that the arch-fiend would be strolling through the house of God
unmolested. Another reference to to an adversary angel which is commonly
ascribed to Satan is the angel who stops Balaam's donkey and keeps Balaam
from further displeasing God. Once again, Satan acts in the providence of
God and not as an enemy. In fact, throughout the Old Testament, acts which
later theologians accuse Satan of are based mainly on rather
circumstantial evidence. Although he is never named as such, Middle Age
theologians finally attributed Satan as acting through the serpent to
tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden. This link is most likely based on Satan's
draconian form in the book of Revelation, and even if it was Satan, based
on previous information given one could guess that Satan was acting on the
behalf of God to test the first woman."
It somewhat unclear how many angels were actually engaged in
the war in Heaven and the exact
number of the host open to conjuncture. There is also a question as to
when the war took place. In the Old testament and Hebraic writings
there is no mention of Hell or fallen angels. However because
of the role that Satan plays in the bible, perhaps the most likely time
for the battle to have happened, lies somewhere between the Old and New
Testament. Whatever the case, Christ made it clear that Satan is the
enemy. Indeed Satan is described in the book of Revelation as a
creature which takes the form of a ten headed
dragon as he does battle with the armies of God, led by Michael. Paradise
Lost says that the battle lasted for several days with Satan's armies building
great war machines and even gaining a temporary advantage over the divine forces.
However, there is a tale of a Final Battle between the two forces where the angelic armies will
finally crush
the fallen for once and for all.
See also: Angels,
Angel
Magic, Angelolatry,
Angelology,
Angelophany,
Archangels,
Celestial,
Celestial
Bodies, Celestial
Hierarchy, Celestial
Light, Dionysius the Areopagite, & Grigori.
Sources: Information and inspiration for this topic and all quotes
unless otherwise stated taken from the The House of Rites
Website
Useful Links
Sarah's
Archangels
The House of Rites
Website
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