The Thrones, Heavenly Counselors
The most influential Christian angelic hierarchy was that put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (4th or 5th century) in his book De Coelesti Hierarchia (On the Celestial Hierarchy). He created a schema of three hierarchies (spheres or triads of angels), with each hierarchy containing three orders or choirs. Angels of the first sphere serve as the heavenly counselors. The Thrones, or Elders, also known as the Erelim or Ophanim, are a class of celestial beings mentioned in the New Testament. They are living symbols of God's justice and authority, and have as one of their symbols the throne. The Ophanim (Book of Daniel, Old Testament) are unusual looking even compared to the other celestial beings; they appear as a beryl-colored wheel-within-a-wheel, their rims covered with hundreds of eyes. Taken from "The Hierarchy of the Blessed Angels. Their names, orders and offices the fall of Lucifer with his angels" by Thomas Heywood. Copper-plate engravings by Adam Islip, 1635.
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