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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Angels and free will	Joseph	Monday, August 1, 2016
Question: I was thinking last night. How can Angels have free will yet all have to work for God or not? I know we don't have all the info. Maybe some angels in heaven aren't "messengers" but have other roles. But I mean if they had true free will didn't they have any other options other than to either submit to being messengers or like go explore the galaxy or something but do no harm? I guess its sort of like our lives. We have a set amount of time determined by God on this earth to live our lives with some of the direction we want (like careers, marry someone or not, where we live etc..) but ultimately living a "Christian" life with God's law not our own. When some of the angels chose not to serve I understand there was a lot of malicious thought and it was for evil reasons. Maybe they had a set time like us to explore or do something they wanted with their lives somewhat. But in order to be in heaven they had to live a certain way for God? I guess ultimately I'm asking why did it have to be heaven or hell for them? Why when some of the angels decided not to serve did it have to be so evil? How could they have free will when there was only two choices? Can angels do anything on their own in heaven? Like pursue a project or something? Or are they limited to just being messengers and doing battle against hell? Say a guardian level angel didn't necessarily want to stand over a human for possibly 80 years or so could he do something else for heaven instead? I have limited understanding of this I appreciate your thoughts.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD Dear Joseph: We humans have only two choices: to accept God or to reject Him? The answer to that question determines are eternal destination. As for the nature of Angels, there are nine choirs of angels, each with different jobs to do. The Nine Choirs are: 1. Seraphim, 2. Cherubim, 3. Thrones, 4. Dominations, 5. Principalities, 6. Powers, 7. Virtues, 8. Archangels, 9. Angels. It is the Ninth Choir, called Angels, that are the primary messengers. It does not matter what "job" they have, the only question is their loyalty to God or not. If they did a "project" that project would have to be acceptable to God. Lucifer and the fallen angels decided upon a project that was rebellious to God. It is no different with us. We can do projects that please God, or do evil projects. The angels were the first creatures to be created. God gave these creatures the gifts of reason and free will (freedom to form personal, moral decisions). St. Augustine said: "For it was this time God who, in the beginning, created the universe and filled it with all those things that the eye can see and all those realities which the mind can know. Of all such creations the highest were the spirits to whom He gave the gifts of intelligence and the power to behold God and to be filled with His beatitude" (XXXII, 1). Sts. Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Alexandra, and Thomas Aquinas all thought that the Angels at first did not experience the full beatitude of heaven, and thus underwent a period of trial. The Angels then either chose God or not. I'm asking why did it have to be heaven or hell for them? Because that is all there is for angels who live in the spiritual realm, not the material realm of of the universe and earth. To choose God is to be in heaven (eternal friendship with God). To choose against God is to be in hell (eternal separation from God). The angels did not need 80 years to decide, as is potentially available to us, because they were created in the spiritual realm and had a knowledge of God that we do not have. Thus, their decision could be instantaneous. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Angels and free will

Joseph

Monday, August 1, 2016

Question:

I was thinking last night. How can Angels have free will yet all have to work for God or not? I know we don't have all the info. Maybe some angels in heaven aren't "messengers" but have other roles. But I mean if they had true free will didn't they have any other options other than to either submit to being messengers or like go explore the galaxy or something but do no harm?

I guess its sort of like our lives. We have a set amount of time determined by God on this earth to live our lives with some of the direction we want (like careers, marry someone or not, where we live etc..) but ultimately living a "Christian" life with God's law not our own.

When some of the angels chose not to serve I understand there was a lot of malicious thought and it was for evil reasons. Maybe they had a set time like us to explore or do something they wanted with their lives somewhat. But in order to be in heaven they had to live a certain way for God?

I guess ultimately I'm asking why did it have to be heaven or hell for them? Why when some of the angels decided not to serve did it have to be so evil? How could they have free will when there was only two choices? Can angels do anything on their own in heaven? Like pursue a project or something? Or are they limited to just being messengers and doing battle against hell? Say a guardian level angel didn't necessarily want to stand over a human for possibly 80 years or so could he do something else for heaven instead? I have limited understanding of this I appreciate your thoughts.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD

Dear Joseph:

We humans have only two choices: to accept God or to reject Him? The answer to that question determines are eternal destination.

As for the nature of Angels, there are nine choirs of angels, each with different jobs to do. The Nine Choirs are: 1. Seraphim, 2. Cherubim, 3. Thrones, 4. Dominations, 5. Principalities, 6. Powers, 7. Virtues, 8. Archangels, 9. Angels.

It is the Ninth Choir, called Angels, that are the primary messengers.

It does not matter what "job" they have, the only question is their loyalty to God or not. If they did a "project" that project would have to be acceptable to God. Lucifer and the fallen angels decided upon a project that was rebellious to God. It is no different with us. We can do projects that please God, or do evil projects.

The angels were the first creatures to be created. God gave these creatures the gifts of reason and free will (freedom to form personal, moral decisions). St. Augustine said: "For it was this time God who, in the beginning, created the universe and filled it with all those things that the eye can see and all those realities which the mind can know. Of all such creations the highest were the spirits to whom He gave the gifts of intelligence and the power to behold God and to be filled with His beatitude" (XXXII, 1).

Sts. Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Alexandra, and Thomas Aquinas all thought that the Angels at first did not experience the full beatitude of heaven, and thus underwent a period of trial. The Angels then either chose God or not.

I'm asking why did it have to be heaven or hell for them?

Because that is all there is for angels who live in the spiritual realm, not the material realm of of the universe and earth.

To choose God is to be in heaven (eternal friendship with God). To choose against God is to be in hell (eternal separation from God).

The angels did not need 80 years to decide, as is potentially available to us, because they were created in the spiritual realm and had a knowledge of God that we do not have. Thus, their decision could be instantaneous.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum