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Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty · Catechism · 1120

Faith Q&A › Catechism › 1. The Creation of the Spiritual World

How many angels are there?

The answer

The book of Daniel notes that “a thousand thousands ministered to Him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him” (Dan. 7:10). Therefore, we can conclude that they are innumerable.

In the book of Revelation, it says, “I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures. And the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Rev. 5:11).

According to the Jews, they are innumerable. Sixty thousand angels rejoiced when they saw Jacob depart from the house of Laban his uncle and they strengthened him when they saw that he was afraid of his brother Esau (Gen. 32:2). And in Sinai, God appeared, accompanied by twenty-two thousand hosts of angels.648

At the birth of Christ, a great multitude of angels appeared praising God (Luke 2:13–15), and when Christ was arrested, He said that He is capable of calling more than twelve legions of angels (Matt. 26:53).

According to St. John (Rev. 5:11) and St. Paul (Heb. 12:22), angels are innumerable.

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Notes

648 The Jewish Encyclopedia, “Angelology.”

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Volumes 1 and 2, Books 1–7. First English Edition, 2023. Published by St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Sporting, Alexandria, and Queen St. Mary & Prince Tadros Coptic Orthodox Church, South Brunswick, NJ. Copyright © 2023. Translation and Editing: Youth of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Arabian Gulf, and Egypt.