Description
A beautiful display of 12 guardian angels. Each month has its own guardian angel with a corresponding cat's eye, set into the pendant. The display contains 144 pendants of each type, so 12 pieces. A fun information card is included.
An angel (Hebrew: מלאך; mal'ach, Arabic: ملاك; malak, Latin: angelus, Ancient Greek: ἄγγελος; ángelos) is a supernatural, intellectual being found in various (often monotheistic) religions. In Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, angels, as attendants or protectors of humans, usually act as messengers of God (or the gods), from whom they are clearly distinct, and possess superhuman abilities and characteristics. In other religions, supernatural beings are sometimes compared to angels, because they share some characteristics with angels and are considered angelic. The word angel comes from the Greek ἄγγελος, ángelos, meaning "messenger." The Hebrew word for angel is מלאך, mal'ach, which also means "messenger." The Arabic word ملاك, malak, is etymologically related. The term "angel" itself does not denote a divine being. For example, the author of the last book of the Old Testament is referred to as "Malachi"—"my messenger," and the leaders of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation are called "aggeloo." Angels can take any physical form. In the Christian tradition, angels often have a perfectly human appearance, usually that of a young man, although angels are asexual. In biblical stories, angels are sometimes not initially recognized as such by humans. See, for example, Genesis 18 (where the identity of the visitors is revealed only later), and Judges 13:21 (where the visitor makes an impression but is only recognized as an angel upon his departure). This is also mentioned in Islam: for example, Muhammad, upon the appearance of the archangel Gabriel, thought he was dealing with a jinn. Sometimes angels also appear in the form of a fearsome and light-emitting being, and their appearance is almost physically unbearable for humans. Angels are usually depicted—in art and on icons, for example—as beings with wings. This is understandable, after all, they must maintain a connection with heaven. Yet, there are no texts in the Bible or in Jewish scriptures in which angels, when delivering a message, have such an appearance; Jacob, for example, saw angels descend from heaven using a (Jacob's) ladder. This is different with angels proclaiming the greatness of God, as in Isaiah 6 (seraphim with six wings) and Ezekiel 1 (beings with four wings). In the Quran, the first verse of Surah 35, "The Founder" (فاطر), does state that angels have wings "two, three, and four." The way angels are depicted is largely based on convention: angels, supernatural and incorporeal beings, cannot be accurately depicted to humans. In the tradition of Orthodox Christianity, cherubim are often referred to as "many-eyed" and seraphim as "six-winged," although they do have human form. This aligns with what we read about seraphim in Isaiah 6. In iconography, seraphim are depicted as six-winged, flaming beings, covering their faces and legs with their wings in awe of God's majesty.
