What is Seraphim?
The term seraphim is the plural form of seraph. Seraphs are a biblical character, celestial beings that are mentioned in Judaic and Christian holy texts. The word means ‘the burning ones’.
In both religions, Seraphim belong to the highest ranks of angels. In modern Judaism, seraphim are the fifth in rank out of ten celestial beings. In Christianity, the seraphim are the highest ranking angels according to the bible. In the book Numbers and Deuteronomy, seraphs are regarded as having the form of serpents, and it is though that this could be why they are called ‘the burning ones’ because of how a snake’s venom causes a burning sensation.
In the Hebrew bible, Isiah envisioned seraphim as creatures that had human characteristics and attributes, and this is also how Christianity perceives them to be today. Seraphim are six winged beings that guard the lord’s throne, continually chanting ‘holy, holy, holy’. Aside from this, they are also believed by devout Christians to be the keepers of divine order. They are also believed to be beings of pure light and one of the few who have a direct communication with God.
One of the most memorable depictions of the seraphim in popular culture is in the movie Dogma, where the character Metatron (played by Alan Rickman) was a seraph whose main role in the movie was to act as the voice of God.