Seraphim

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Six-winged Seraph, Hagia Sophia
Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), The Legend of Saint Franciscus: Stigmatisation by a seraphim; Basilica of Assisi.

The Seraphim (Hebrewשְׂרָפִים śərāfîm, singular שָׂרָף śārāf; Latin: seraphi[m], singular seraph[us]; Greekσεραφείμ "kindler"[1]), also called Spirits of All-Love, are, as the highest of the spiritual hierarchies, exalted spiritual entities who have the immediate sight of the Godhead and never act out of themselves, but are faithful executors of the divine will. Their Hebrew designation as the burning ones is also commonly used in the Tanakh for serpents (Hebrewשָׂרָ֔ף sarap).[2]

In Isaiah 6:1–7 the Seraphim are described as fiery, six-winged angelic beings hovering around the Throne of God and continually calling out to each other "Holy, holy, holy". Similarly, the depiction in the Apocalypse of John 4:1–11. From the Trinity the seraphim receive the goals sought in the development of a planetary systems (Lit.:GA 110, p. 81) and they at the same time provide the link to other developing planetary systems (Lit.:GA 136, p. 93f). Together with the Cherubim and Thrones they form the first hierarchy, whose physical expression is the zodiac. They are usually depicted as six-winged human-like beings, sometimes as if they consisted only of wings at all, from which a human face shines forth, as for example in the dome of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Often the wings have eyes inside and outside (Rev 4:8) and often two wings cover the feet and two the face.

Literature

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.

References

  1. Dionysius Areopagita: Celestial Hierarchy. Translated from the Greek by Josef Stiglmayr. (Bibliothek der Kirchenväter, 1. Reihe, Band 2) Munich 1911, p. 32
  2. cf. https://bibeltext.com/hebrew/saraf_8314.htm