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60-452: Seraphina or Serafina is a feminine given name, derived from the word seraph , a high-ranking angel in the hierarchy of angels, and may refer to: Persons [ edit ] Saint Serafina (1238–1253), a thirteenth century Italian saint Seraphina Sforza (c. 1434–1478), an Italian noblewoman and nun Serafina di dio (1621–1699), Italian abbess Penny Serafina Petrone (1925–2005),

120-429: A Canadian writer, educator, arts patron, and philanthropist Serafina Ouistiti, one of the several stage names of Dutch musician Bloem de Ligny (born 1978) Serafina Steer (born 1982), an English harpist, pianist, singer and songwriter Fictional characters [ edit ] Seraphina , an 1809 popular novel by Caroline Burney Seraphina , a 2012 fantasy novel by Rachel Hartman Serafina (Marvel) ,

180-576: A bull, a lion and a human. Other hadiths describes them with six wings and four faces. While according to a hadith transmitted from At-Targhib wat-Tarhib authored by ʻAbd al-ʻAẓīm ibn ʻAbd al-Qawī al-Mundhirī, the bearers of the throne were angels who were shaped like a rooster , with their feet on the earth and their nape supporting the Throne of God in the highest sky. a number modern Islamic scholars from Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University , and other institutes of Yemen and Mauritania also agreed

240-509: A former student of Alan Watts , to adopt the name when he also entered Orthodox monasticism , later becoming known as Fr Seraphim Rose. The Bearers of the Throne ( ḥamlat al-arsh ) are comparable to seraphim, described with six wings and four faces according to tradition. No description of their features is given in the Quran, only that their number is eight in 69:17 . Their affiliation

300-558: A mystic role in Giovanni Pico della Mirandola 's Oration on the Dignity of Man (1487), the epitome of Renaissance humanism . Pico took the fiery Seraphim—"they burn with the fire of charity"—as the highest models of human aspiration: "impatient of any second place, let us emulate dignity and glory. And, if we will it, we shall be inferior to them in nothing", the young Pico announced, in the first flush of optimistic confidence in

360-480: A spiritual body, and are not just minds without form. There are different orders of angels according to the three heavens, and each angel dwells in one of innumerable societies of angels. Such a society of angels can appear as one angel as a whole. All angels originate from the human race, and there is not one angel in heaven who first did not live in a material body. Moreover, all children who die not only enter heaven but eventually become angels. The life of angels

420-835: A super villain in the Marvel Comics Universe Serafina Pekkala , a fictional character in Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy Dona Serafina, a fictional character in Don Rodriguez: Chronicles of Shadow Valley by Lord Dunsany Seraphina the Giraffe , a children's story book by Laurent de Brunhoff Seraphina Picquery, president of The Magical Congress of the US in the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them . Serafina, protagonist of Serafina and

480-677: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles Seraph Tradition places seraphim in the highest rank in Christian angelology and in the fifth rank of ten in the Jewish angelic hierarchy . A seminal passage in the Book of Isaiah ( Isaiah 6:1–8 ) used the term to describe six-winged beings that fly around the Throne of God crying " holy, holy, holy ". This throne scene, with its triple invocation of holiness, profoundly influenced subsequent theology , literature and art. Its influence

540-494: Is frequently seen in works depicting angels, heaven and apotheosis . Seraphim are mentioned as celestial beings in the semi-canonical Book of Enoch and the canonical Book of Revelation . In Hebrew, the word saraph means "burning", and is used seven times throughout the text of the Hebrew Bible as a noun, usually to denote " serpent ", twice in the Book of Numbers , once in the Book of Deuteronomy , and four times in

600-733: Is good tacitly using the person's own thoughts. The Latter Day Saint movement views angels as the messengers of God. They are sent to mankind to deliver messages, minister to humanity, teach doctrines of salvation, call mankind to repentance, give priesthood keys, save individuals in perilous times, and guide humankind. Latter Day Saints believe that angels either are the spirits of humans who are deceased or who have yet to be born , or are humans who have been resurrected or translated and have physical bodies of flesh and bones. Joseph Smith taught that "there are no angels who minister to this earth but those that do belong or have belonged to it." As such, Latter Day Saints also believe that Adam ,

660-474: Is not always clear and sometimes their role is swapped with the cherubim. In a book called Book of the Wonders of Creation and the peculiarities of Existing Things , these angels rank the highest, followed by the spirit , the archangels and then the cherubim. The Bearers of the Throne are entrusted with continuously worshipping God. Unlike the messenger angels, they remain in the heavenly realm and do not enter

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720-584: Is not found in fire simply, but exists with a certain sharpness, as being of most penetrating action, and reaching even to the smallest things, and as it were, with superabundant fervor; whereby is signified the action of these angels, exercised powerfully upon those who are subject to them, rousing them to a like fervor, and cleansing them wholly by their heat. Thirdly we consider in fire the quality of clarity, or brightness; which signifies that these angels have in themselves an inextinguishable light, and that they also perfectly enlighten others. The seraphim took on

780-547: Is repeated several times in daily Jewish services , including at Kedushah prayer as part of the repetition of the Amidah , and in several other prayers as well. Conservative Judaism retains the traditional doctrines regarding angels and includes references to them in the liturgy, although a literal belief in angels is by no means universal among adherents. Adherents of Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism generally take images of angels as symbolic. A Judean seal from

840-444: Is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession." It also states, "Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are His angels [...] They belong to Him because they were created through and for Him". The New Church denominations that arose from the writings of theologian Emanuel Swedenborg have distinct ideas about angels and the spiritual world in which they dwell. Adherents believe that all angels are in human form with

900-402: Is that of usefulness, and their functions are so many that they cannot be enumerated. However each angel will enter a service according to the use that they had performed in their earthly life. Names of angels, such as Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, signify a particular angelic function rather than an individual being. While living in one's body an individual has conjunction with heaven through

960-641: Is that these powers may have learned through the revelation of the Son of God and of the Holy Spirit-and they will certainly be able to acquire a great deal of knowledge, and the higher ones much more than the lower-still it is impossible for them to comprehend everything; for it is written, 'The more part of God's works are secret. This quote suggests that Origen believed the Seraphim are revealed this knowledge because of their anointed status as Son of God and

1020-582: The Akyəst ( Ge'ez : አክይስት "serpents", " dragons "; an alternate term for Hell ). In the Second Book of Enoch , two classes of celestial beings are mentioned alongside the seraphim and cherubim, known as the phoenixes and the chalkydri ( Ancient Greek : χαλκύδραι khalkýdrai , compound of χαλκός khalkós "brass, copper" + ὕδρα hýdra " hydra ", "water-serpent"—lit. "brazen hydras", "copper serpents"). Both are described as "flying elements of

1080-547: The Angel of Portugal . The word archangel is only used twice in the New Testament : in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9 . In most Christian traditions, Gabriel is also considered an archangel, but there is no direct literary support for this assumption. 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

1140-503: The Book of Ezekiel , and in some Christian icons, the cherub is depicted as having two pairs of wings, and four faces: that of a lion (representative of all wild animals ), an ox ( domestic animals ), a human (humanity), and an eagle ( birds ). Their legs were straight, the soles of their feet like the hooves of a bull, gleaming like polished brass. Later tradition ascribes to them a variety of physical appearances. In Western Christian tradition, cherubim have become associated with

1200-578: The Book of Isaiah in fixing the fiery nature of seraphim in the medieval imagination. Seraphim in his view helped God maintain perfect order and are not limited to chanting the trisagion . Taking his cue as well from writings in the Rabbinic tradition, the author gave an etymology for the Seraphim as "those who kindle or make hot" The name seraphim clearly indicates their ceaseless and eternal revolution about Divine Principles, their heat and keenness,

1260-480: The Book of Isaiah . The reason why the word for "burning" was also used to denote a serpent is not universally agreed upon; it may be due to a certain snake species' fiery colors, or perhaps the burning sensation left by its venomous bite. Regardless, its plural form, seraphim , occurs in both Numbers and Isaiah, but only in Isaiah is it used to denote an angelic being; likewise, these angels are referred to only as

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1320-622: The Book of Tobit (Tobias). The Holy See 's 2001 Directory on popular piety states: "The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture ". A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played

1380-656: The putto (derived from classical Cupid / Eros ), resulting in depictions of cherubim as small, plump, winged boys. The ophanim refer to the wheels seen in Ezekiel 's vision of the chariot (Hebrew merkabah ) in Ezekiel 1:15–21 . One of the Dead Sea scrolls (4Q405) construes them as angels. The Dominions (lat. dominatio , plural dominationes , also translated from the Greek term kyriotētes , pl. of kyriotēs , as "Lordships"). Traditionally, they are held to govern

1440-603: The 'good' angels seek at all times, to direct us towards the true source of happiness, God; that they encourage us in worship of God . According to Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite 's De Coelesti Hierarchia ( On the Celestial Hierarchy ), there are three levels ("sphere") of angels, inside each of which there are three orders. Various works of Christian theology have devised hierarchies of angelic beings . The most influential Christian angelic hierarchy

1500-415: The 8th century BCE depicts them as flying asp (snake) , yet having human characteristics, as encountered by Isaiah in his commissioning as a prophet. Medieval Christian theology places seraphim in the highest choir of the angelic hierarchy. They are the caretakers of God 's throne, continuously singing "holy, holy, holy". Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in his Celestial Hierarchy (vii), drew upon

1560-778: The Black Cloak and its sequels Serafina di Miromara, the protagonist in the Waterfire Saga by Jennifer Donnelly Seraphina, a major character in the video game Disgaea 5 . Seraphina au Raa, a character appearing in Iron Gold and Dark Age , books four and five of Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga . Seraphina, coprotagonist of webtoon unOrdinary , by uru-chan . Places [ edit ] Serafina, New Mexico , unincorporated community in New Mexico, United States Serafina Corrêa , municipality in

1620-472: The Catholic Church (CCC) paragraph 328, "the existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls 'angels' is a truth of faith . The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition ." The same catechism states: "The whole life of the church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of the angels [...] From its beginning until death, human life

1680-500: 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. An example of a Principality angel with a specific cultus is

1740-463: The Hebrew Bible the seraphim do not have the status of angels , and that it is only in later sources (like De Coelesti Hierarchia or Summa Theologiae ) that they are considered to be a division of the divine messengers. Seraphim appear in the 2nd-century BC Book of Enoch , where they are mentioned, in conjunction with cherubim , as the heavenly creatures standing nearest to the throne of God . In non-biblical sources they are sometimes called

1800-624: The Holy Spirit. He was later criticized for making such claims and labeled a heretic by the Christian church. However, his theory about the Seraphim, as referred to in Isaiah , would be reflected in other early Christian literature, as well as early Christian belief through the second century. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologiae offers a description of the nature of seraphim: The name "Seraphim" does not come from charity only, but from

1860-475: The Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly." (Isaiah 6:1–3) And one cried to another, "Holy, holy, holy, is YHWH of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory." (verses 2–3) One seraph carries out an act of ritual purification for

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1920-582: The Powers ( lat . potestas (f), pl. potestates ) (Greek: ἐξουσίαι) are given their name because they are angels who have power over evil forces, which the angels are able to restrain to keep them from doing harm. Powers also oversee the power which human beings—such as kings—have been given in the world. According to The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville , the Principalities ( Latin : principatus ), also translated as "Princedoms" and "Rulers", from

1980-564: The Seraphim, in the Book of Isaiah , are the physical representation of the Christ and the Holy Spirit . His rationale comes from the idea that nothing "can wholly know the beginnings of all things and the ends of the universe" aside from God . Origen concludes this section in writing about the Seraphim as beings that have the knowledge of God revealed to them which elevates the role of the Seraphim to divine levels: Nevertheless whatever it

2040-559: The absolute divinity of Atziluth causes their continual "burning up" in self-nullification . Through this they ascend to God, and return to their place. Below them in the World of Yetzirah ("Formation", archetypal creation, divine emotions) are the Hayot angels of Ezekiel's vision , who serve God with self-aware instinctive emotions ("face of a lion, ox, eagle"). Seraphim are part of the angelarchy of modern Orthodox Judaism . Isaiah's vision

2100-417: The angels in praising God. Clement of Alexandria wrote that angels “breathe” in men's thoughts and reasonings, and “puts in” their hearts “strength” and a keener perception. Evagrius Ponticus spoke of the concept of angelic companions and angels as models for behavior. Augustine of Hippo remarks, the angels were experiencing something new as the creation of God unfolded. Augustine also considers that

2160-413: The angels, and with each person, there are at least two evil spirits and two angels. Temptation or pains of conscience originates from a conflict between evil spirits and angels. Due to man's sinful nature it is dangerous to have open direct communication with angels and they can only be seen when one's spiritual sight has been opened. Thus from moment to moment angels attempt to lead each person to what

2220-492: The angels, "those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die." In chapter V of Ignatius of Antioch 's Letter to the Trallians , the bishop gives a listing of angels not unlike that later proposed by Pseudo-Dionysius. In his First Epistle of Clement , Clement of Rome exhorts his listeners to join

2280-461: The early and modern church, have said they had seen angels, although Smith posited that, except in extenuating circumstances such as the restoration , mortals teach mortals, spirits teach spirits, and resurrected beings teach other resurrected beings. Tradition places seraphim in a rank in Christian angelology, based on Isaiah 's use of the word. Seraphim angels are the closest to God and lead worship in heaven by singing endless praises to him. In

2340-477: The early monarchic period of Israel and Judah , Egyptian motifs were evidently borrowed by the Israelites en masse , as a plethora of personal seals belonging to classes ranging from commonfolk to royalty have been discovered, which incorporate several pieces of ancient Egyptian iconography, including the winged sun , ankh , the hedjet and deshret crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt , scarabs , and

2400-617: The eighth verse, "And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within". They appear also in the Gnostic text, On the Origin of the World . The 12th-century scholar Maimonides placed the seraphim in the fifth of ten ranks of angels in his exposition of the Jewish angelic hierarchy . In Kabbalah , the seraphim are the higher angels of the World of Beriah ("Creation", first created realm, divine understanding), whose understanding of their distance from

2460-401: The excess of charity, expressed by the word ardor or fire . Hence Dionysius (Coel. Hier. vii) expounds the name "Seraphim" according to the properties of fire, containing an excess of heat. Now in fire we may consider three things. First, the movement which is upwards and continuous. This signifies that they are borne inflexibly towards God. Secondly, the active force which is "heat," which

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2520-485: The exuberance of their intense, perpetual, tireless activity, and their elevative and energetic assimilation of those below, kindling them and firing them to their own heat, and wholly purifying them by a burning and all-consuming flame; and by the unhidden, unquenchable, changeless, radiant and enlightening power, dispelling and destroying the shadows of darkness Origen wrote in On First Principles that

2580-500: The first man, was and is now the archangel Michael , and that Gabriel lived on the earth as Noah . Likewise the Angel Moroni first lived in a pre-Columbian American civilization as the 5th-century prophet-warrior named Moroni . Smith described his first angelic encounter in the following manner: While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until

2640-650: The human capacity that is the coinage of the Renaissance. "In the light of intelligence, meditating upon the Creator in His work, and the work in its Creator, we shall be resplendent with the light of the Cherubim. If we burn with love for the Creator only, his consuming fire will quickly transform us into the flaming likeness of the Seraphim." Bonaventure , a Franciscan theologian who was a contemporary of Aquinas, uses

2700-402: The messengers of God . Hebrews 1:14 affirms that "all [of them are] ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation ". Psalms 90 attributes the guardianship of men to the angels. In Matthew 18:10 Jesus warns not to despise children because "their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." Luke 20:34–36 affirms that, like

2760-530: The movement of stars, planets, and other celestial objects. According to The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville , the Virtues are known for their control of the elements. In addition to being the spirits of motion, they also assist in governing elements of nature, such as storms. They also assist with miracles, as well as encourage humans to strengthen their faith in God. In The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville ,

2820-664: The plural seraphim – Isaiah later uses the singular saraph to describe a " fiery flying serpent ", in line with the other uses of the term throughout the Tanakh . There is emerging consensus that the motifs used to display seraphs in Hyksos -era Canaan had their original sources in Egyptian uraeus iconography. In Egyptian iconography, the uraeus was used as a symbol of sovereignty , royalty , divinity and divine authority , and later iconography often showed uraei with wings. In

2880-661: The prophet Moroni , John the Baptist , and the apostles Peter , James , and John . Later, after the dedication of the Kirtland Temple , Smith and Cowdery said they had been visited by Jesus , and subsequently by Moses , Elias, and Elijah . Others who said they received a visit by an angel include the other two of the Three Witnesses : David Whitmer and Martin Harris . Many other Latter Day Saints, both in

2940-409: The prophet by touching his lips with a live coal from the altar (verses 6–7) "And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." The text describes the "seraphim" as winged celestial beings with a fiery passion for doing God's good work. Notwithstanding the wording of the text itself, at least one Hebrew scholar claims that in

3000-436: The room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant ... Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person

3060-416: The same given name . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Serafina&oldid=1236467476 " Categories : Given names Feminine given names Italian feminine given names Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description

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3120-475: The second matter, some scholars have proposed that the covered "feet" of the seraphim should be identified as genitals, as "feet" are often used in the Hebrew Bible as a euphemism for the penis . The vision in Isaiah Chapter 6 of seraphim in an idealized version of Solomon's Temple represents the sole instance in the Hebrew Bible of this word being used to describe celestial beings. "... I saw also

3180-504: The six wings of the seraph as an important analogical construct in his mystical work The Journey of the Mind to God . Christian theology developed an idea of seraphim as beings of pure light who enjoy direct communication with God. The plural form of the word, seraphim , was given to Seraphim of Sarov upon his reception into the Sarov monastery. This later inspired Eugene Dennis Rose ,

3240-439: The soundness of this hadith by quoting the commentary from Ibn Abi al-Izz who supported this narrative. Al-Razi identifies the seraphim with the angels around God's throne, next to the cherubim. They circulate the throne and keep praising God. Ibn Kathir , on the other hand, identifies the seraphim with those who carry the throne, the highest order of angels. Christian angelology In Christianity , angels are

3300-473: The state Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Serafina (restaurant) , an Italian restaurant in Seattle, Washington, U.S. See also [ edit ] Séraphine (disambiguation) , French equivalent Séraphin (disambiguation) , masculine equivalent Serafin (disambiguation) Seraph (disambiguation) Sarafina! (disambiguation) [REDACTED] Name list This page or section lists people that share

3360-414: The sun" that reside in either the 4th or 7th heaven, who have twelve wings and burst into song at sunrise. In the Book of Revelation (4:4–8), the beasts are described as being forever in God's presence and praising him: "[A]nd they rest not day and night, saying, 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.'" This account differs slightly from the account of Isaiah, stating in

3420-464: The uraeus cobra. These uraei often had four wings, as opposed to the Egyptian standard which only gave them two. These images have been connected with the seraphim angels associated with Isaiah's visions, or perhaps more directly to the aforementioned "fiery flying serpent", but this continues to be debated – and an image of serpentine seraphim clashes with Isaiah's own vision, which clearly envisioned seraphim with heads, legs, and arms – although, on

3480-721: The world. Seraphim ( Sarufiyyun or Musharifin ) are directly mentioned in a hadith from Al-Tirmidhi about a conversation between Muhammad and God , during the Night Journey , concerning what is between the Heavens and the Earth, often interpreted as a reference to the "Exalted assembly" disputing the creation of Adam in Surah Ṣād 38:69 . In Islamic traditions, they are often portrayed in zoomorphic forms. They are described as resembling different creatures: An eagle,

3540-436: Was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me. Most angelic visitations in the early Latter Day Saint movement were witnessed by Smith and Oliver Cowdery , who both said (prior to the establishment of the church in 1830) they had been visited by

3600-590: Was put forward around the turn of the 6th century CE by Pseudo-Dionysius in his work De Coelesti Hierarchia . He claimed to be an important figure who was converted by Paul the Apostle , and the Pseudo-Dionysius enjoyed greater influence than he would have if he had used his actual name, until Erasmus publicised doubts about the age of the work in the early 16th century. According to the Catechism of

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