3

According to scripture, what intelligent life has God created in addition to humans, angels, and demons? One example I can think of are the 4 living creatures talked about in Revelation. Then there's Cherubim, Seraphim, etc... Is there anything else?

Revelation 4:6-8 ESV And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

I'd love an answer that contained the creature, where they're mentioned in scripture, and what we know about them or what they do. I'm fine with considering the prophetic visions of creatures because we don't know if those are to be taken literally or not.

Edit: I expanded the wording of the question just a little bit.

Improve this question
5
  • 2
    "Angel" is not an ontological category like "God," "human," or "cherubim"--it is a job title.
    – Flimzy
    Jul 9, 2014 at 16:58
  • 1
    In including the prophetic visions means you want descriptions of the beasts in Daniel and Revelation too, right? I've never met anyone that thinks they are literally beasts or creatures of any kind.
    – fгedsbend
    Jul 9, 2014 at 17:53
  • This question appears to be off-topic because it is a list question
    – BYE
    Jul 9, 2014 at 20:45
  • @Bye Answers can be in a list format if that's what the answerer wants to do--at it's core it's a scriptural analysis question.
    – LCIII
    Jul 9, 2014 at 23:58
  • I think the question is plenty answerable. vtr.
    – fгedsbend
    Jul 14, 2014 at 14:45

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
5

The Four Living Creatures in Revelation are also described in Ezekiel 10, when he has a vision of the Cherubim - which are either heavenly beings and/or angels depending on who you ask:

And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

Also, to my understanding (at least in Revelation) these creatures are supposed to represent the Four Evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Depending on your denomination and what you do or do not consider scriptural, in Mishneh Torah or Yad ha-Chazakh we have the following:

Chayot ha-Kodesh - Ezekiel Chs 1-10 (creatures)
Ophanim - also in Ezekiel Chs 1-10 ("wheels")
Erelim - Isaiah 33:7
Hashmallim - Ezekiel 1:4
Seraphim - Isaiah 6
Malakim - regular angels/messengers; seen throughout
Elohim - "godly beings" (this is why the Lord is typically called Adonai Elohim)
Bene Elohim - the sons of God/godly beings
Cherubim - we see them throughout the Bible.
Ishim - manlike beings in Genesis 18:32 and Daniel 10:5
Nephilim - sons of the fallen angels (sometimes called "Watchers"). They were giants created after the angels exchanged in relations with human women.

*note I used Judaism as the reference for the names

Improve this answer
9
  • Cool answer! Could you give a bit of detail to what the Mishneh Torah or Yad ha-Chazakh books are? Do a lot of people consider them inspired?
    – LCIII
    Jul 9, 2014 at 16:12
  • Some of these aren't necessarily specific creatures/species, right?
    – fгedsbend
    Jul 9, 2014 at 16:17
  • Rabbi Maimonides, one of the most influential Torah scholars to date to my knowledge, wrote it in the time between 1170 and 1180. If I remember correctly, it was written to clarify the Laws and how a Jewish person should approach their faith - laying down the stepping stones to "proper" Judaism. As you could imagine, old timey orthodox Jews were not very happy about it - but it was no less influential to their culture today,
    – Jesse
    Jul 9, 2014 at 16:18
  • @fredsbend in the beginning he asks "According to scripture, what intelligent life has God created that isn't a human, angel, or demon?" The Ophanim are wheels with eyes, while the Hashmallim are (at least as far as the "Hashmal" word is concerned) some form of energy, as it's word and translations mean "electricity." While not all are described as "angels", most are in a sense. The Chayot are the bearers of God's throne, for example, and don't have much more description.
    – Jesse
    Jul 9, 2014 at 16:24
  • Isn't there something like "the 24 Elders" too?
    – fгedsbend
    Jul 9, 2014 at 17:51

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .