How many angels might be living in Heaven?

How many archangels might be in Heaven, serving God?

What might the hierarchy of angels in Heaven look like?

Depending On Christian or Jewish Denomination, There Are 3 To 8 Archangels Serving God

The concept of Seven Archangels is found in some works of early Jewish literature and in Christianity.^[1] In those texts, they are referenced as the angels who serve God directly.

The Catholic Church venerates seven archangels: in Latin Christianity three are invoked by name (Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael) while the Eastern Catholic Churches name seven. Lutheranism and Anglicanism‘s traditions generally recognize three to five archangels: Michael and Gabriel, as well as Raphael, Uriel and Jerahmeel.

In parts of Oriental Orthodox Christianity and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Eight Archangels may be honored, including Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, as well as Salathiel, Jegudiel, Barachiel, and Jeremiel (in the Coptic tradition the latter four are named as Surael, Sakakael, Sarathael, and Ananael).^[1] The Eight Archangels are commemorated on the Feast of the Archangels.^[2]

References To 7 Archangels In Bible

The term archangel itself is not found in the Hebrew Bible or the Christian Old Testament, and in the Greek New Testament the term archangel only occurs in 1 Thessalonians 4 (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and the Epistle of Jude (Jude 1:9), where it is used of Michael, who in Daniel 10 (Daniel 10:12) is called ‘one of the chief princes,’ and ‘the great prince‘. In the Septuagint, this is rendered “the great angel.”^[3]

The idea of seven archangels is most explicitly stated in the deuterocanonical/apocryphal Book of Tobit when Raphael reveals himself, declaring: “I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him.” (Tobit 12,15) The other two angels mentioned by name in the Bibles used by Catholics and Protestants are the archangel Michael and the angel Gabriel; Uriel is named in 2 Esdras (4:1 and 5:20) and Jerahmeel is named in 2 Esdras 4:36, a book that is regarded as canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the Georgian and Russian Orthodox Churches,^[4] and falls within the Apocrypha section of the Protestant Bible used by Lutherans and Anglicans. The names of other archangels come from tradition.

Zechariah 4,10 tells about “seven rejoices” that are “the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and from throughout the whole earth.”^[5] Revelation 8 (Revelation 8:2) mentions seven angels (Ancient Greek: ἀγγέλους^[6]) who “stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.” Similarly, Revelation 16 (Revelation 16:1) indicates: “and I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels (Ancient Greek: ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλοις^[7]): Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth.” Lastly, Revelation 4 and Revelation 5 (Revelation 4:5) mention “seven Spirits” (Ancient Greek: Πνεύματα , ta hepta Pneumata, with the capital letter^[8]) – whose identity is not well specified – who are the “seven lamps of fire [that] were burning before the throne“.^[5]

Book Of Enoch Lists Angels And Archangel ‘Giants’

One such tradition of archangels comes from the Old Testament biblical apocrypha, the third century BCE Book of the Watchers,^[9] known as 1 Enoch or the Book of Enoch, eventually merged into the Enochic Pentateuch.^[10][11] This narrative is affiliated with the Book of Giants, which also references the great archangels^[12][13] and was made part of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church‘s scriptural canon. Although prevalent in Jewish and early Christian apostolic traditions and the early Christian Fathers, the Book of Enoch gradually fell from academic and religious status, and by the seventh century was rejected from the canonical scriptures of all other Christian denominations. The various surviving oral traditions recount many differing lists of archangels.

Book Of The Parables Lists Angels

The 2 BC Book of the Parables (Ch XL) names the four angels accompanying the Ancient of Days, standing before the Lord of Spirits, “the voices of those upon the four sides magnifying the Lord of Glory”: Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Phanuel.

Book Of The Watchers Lists Angels

The Book of the Watchers (Ch IX) lists the angels who in antediluvian times interceded on behalf of mankind against the rogue spirits termed “the Watchers“: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel.

Christian Traditions

The earliest specific Christian references are in the late 5th to early 6th century: Pseudo-Dionysius gives them as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Camael, Jophiel, and Zadkiel.^[15] In Western Christian traditions, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are referred to as archangels.^[16] Through its Byzantine tradition, however, the Catholic Church recognizes seven archangels altogether, sometimes named, sometimes unnamed other than the three mentioned above. The most mainstream Muslim view affirms Michael and Gabriel.

Lists of characters referred to as “angels” also exist in smaller religious traditions usually regarded as occultist or superstitious. A reference to seven archangels appeared in an 8th- or 9th-century talisman attributed to Auriolus, a “servant of God” in north-western Spain. He issues a prayer to “all you patriarchs Michael, Gabriel, Cecitiel, Uriel, Raphael, Ananiel, Marmoniel.^[17]

Archangels in Current Church Traditions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Archangels#

THERE IS A HIERARCHY OF ANGELS IN HEAVEN; WHAT MIGHT IT LOOK LIKE?

The Jewish angelic hierarchy is established in the Hebrew Bible, Talmud, Rabbinic literature, and traditional Jewish liturgy. They are categorized in different hierarchies proposed by various theologians. For example, Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah or Yad ha-Chazakah: Yesodei ha-Torah, counts ten ranks of angels.

Rank	Angelic Class	Notes
1	Chayot Ha Kodesh	See Ezekiel 1 and Ezekiel 10
2	Ophanim	See Ezekiel 1 and Ezekiel 10
3	Erelim	See Isaiah 33:7
4	Hashmallim	See Ezekiel 1:4
5	Seraphim	See Isaiah 6
6	Malakim	Messengers, angels
7	Elohim	“Godly beings“
8	Bene Elohim	“Sons of God“
9	Cherubim	See Hagigah 13b
10	Ishim	“manlike beings”, see Genesis 18:2 Daniel 10:5

HOW MANY ANGELS ARE THERE IN HEAVEN?

Rev. Billy Graham; “Some Biblical scholars believe that angels can be numbered potentially in the millions since Hebrews 12:22 speaks of “an innumerable company of angels” (myriads—a great but indefinite number). Theologian Matthew Henry called angels the chariots of God. King David impressively notes, “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands” (Psalm 68:17). The great empire of angels is as vast as God’s creation. They crisscross the Old and New Testaments, being mentioned directly or indirectly nearly 300 times.

Angels are not just mentioned in past tense. The Bible says that “the Lord Jesus [shall be] revealed from heaven with His mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7). Think of it! Multitudes of angels, indescribably mighty, performing the commands of Heaven as though an extension of the arm of God. Singly or corporately, angels are for real. They are better organized than were the armies of Alexander the Great, Napoleon, or any other mighty world power.

Angelic powers come straight from God and He commands them at His will. But they should never be worshipped. God has given “his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up” (Psalm 91:11-12, RSV). This is the miracle work of the Lord, but He alone is to be worshiped. https://billygraham.org/answer/how-many-angels-are-there/