The Demiurge and the Seven Archangels
The Book of Enoch provides one of the most detailed ancient descriptions of the heavenly order, naming specific angels and defining their roles within creation, judgment, healing, repentance, and resurrection. Unlike the canonical Scriptures, which are more reserved in naming angels, Enoch opens a wider window into angelic administration and hierarchy. Central to this revelation are the “holy angels who watch,” the principal archangels, and the various kinds or orders of angels active in heaven and in relation to humanity.
At this foundational level, the Book of Enoch presents the seven archangels not as isolated beings, but as a unified governing structure. They serve the Demiurge — a god, the image of the Father — each expressing a distinct aspect of cosmic governance while together forming a complete, sevenfold administration of the cosmos. The Demiurge is not one of the archangels; rather, he is the perfected, godly authority enacted collectively through the seven archangels. They exercise delegated, derivative authority: all governance, judgment, and creation flow from the Demiurge, while the archangels act as his instruments.
The Seven Holy Angels Who Watch (Enoch Chapter 20)
Enoch chapter 20 explicitly names seven angels and assigns to each a distinct cosmic function:
1 And these are the names of the holy angels who watch.
2 Uriel, one of the holy angels, who is over the world and over Tartarus.
3 Raphael, one of the holy angels, who is over the spirits of men.
4 Raguel, one of the holy angels who takes vengeance on the world of the luminaries.
5 Michael, one of the holy angels, to wit, he that is set over the best part of mankind and over chaos.
6 Saraqael, one of the holy angels, who is set over the spirits of the children of men that transgress
7 Gabriel, one of the holy angels, who is over Paradise and the serpents and the Cherubim.
8 Remiel, one of the holy angels, whom God set over those who rise.
These seven archangels are not presented as a ranked ladder of superiority, but as a complete and perfected administration. Each governs a domain essential to the order of heaven and the destiny of humanity: the world itself, human spirits, judgment of rebellious powers, mercy, transgression, paradise, and resurrection.
Because these archangels serve a master, their master is the Demiurge, the god, the image of the Father. The seven archangels collectively act as instruments of the Demiurge, each enacting a specific facet of governance while together forming a coherent, sevenfold cosmic administration. Their authority is derivative, not independent: all power originates from the Demiurge, and their functions are expressions of his unified godly will.
Theodotus provides a crucial theological insight:
“For among the Seven there is neither inferiority nor superiority… they have received perfection from the beginning… Yet that which sees and is seen cannot be formless or incorporeal.”
This affirms equality, perfection, and corporeal reality within the heavenly order. The seven archangels are perfected, corporeal intelligences who enact the will of the Demiurge without rivalry or division.
He further states:
“47 Now the Saviour became the first universal creator. 'But Wisdom,' the second, 'built a house for herself and hewed out seven pillars' and first of all she put forth a god, the image of the Father, and through him she made heaven and earth, that is 'heavenly things, and the earthly' — the things on the right hand and on the left. This, as an image of the Father, then became a father and put forth first the psychic Christ, an image of the Son, then the archangels as images of the Aeons, then the angels of the archangels from the psychic and luminous substance to which the prophetic word refers, 'And the Spirit of God was superimposed upon the waters,' declaring that in the combination of the two substances, made for him, the simple was superimposed but the heavy and material substance is borne under, the thick and coarse. But it is even suggested that this was incorporeal in the beginning when it is called 'invisible.' Yet it was never invisible to any man that ever lived nor to God, for he made it. But he has somehow declared its absence of form, shape and design.” (Theodotus)
The seven pillars represent the Demiurge itself: the structural framework through which creation and order are maintained. Wisdom, Sophia, is the mother of the Demiurge, and the Demiurge is the father to the seven archangels, who serve him collectively.
The Four Angels of the Presence (Enoch Chapter 40)
Enoch chapter 40 narrows attention to four principal figures who speak with authority before the throne:
40.8 And after this I asked the Angel of Peace, who went with me, and showed me everything which is secret:
“Who are those four figures, whom I have seen, and whose words I have heard and written down?”
40.9 And he said to me:
“This first one, is the Holy Michael, the merciful and long-suffering.
And the second, who is in charge of all the diseases, and in charge of all the wounds of the sons of men, is Raphael.
And the third, who is in charge of all the powers, is the Holy Gabriel.
And the fourth, who is in charge of repentance and hope of those who will inherit eternal life, is Phanuel.”
40.10 And these are the four Angels of the Lord Most High; and the four voices that I heard in those days.
Here Michael embodies mercy, Raphael healing, Gabriel authority, and Phanuel repentance and hope. These four do not replace the seven archangels but function as leading expressions of the Demiurge’s administration, showing how the sevenfold godly authority of the Demiurge manifests in judgment, healing, and governance through distinct offices. Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel overlap with the seven archangels; Phanuel serves as a complementary voice within the Demiurgic framework.
The Heavenly Assembly (Parables of Enoch 71:7–8)
And round about were Seraphim, Cherubim, and Ophannim: And these are they who sleep not and guard the throne of His glory. And I saw angels who could not be counted, a thousand thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, encircling that house. And Michael, and Raphael, and Gabriel, and Phanuel, and the holy angels who are above the heavens go in and out of that house.
The movement of the archangels in and out of the divine house reflects the functional role of the Demiurge as mediator between the highest divine reality and the ordered heavens, coordinating worship, judgment, and governance throughout the cosmos.
The Seven Princes of the Seven Heavens (3 Enoch 17)
There are seven great, beautiful, wonderful, and honored princes who are in charge of the seven heavens. They are, Michael, Gabriel, Šatqiʾel, Šaḥaqiʾel, Baradiʾel, Baraqiʾel, and Sidriʾel.
This confirms a sevenfold heavenly government, echoing the seven watchers of earlier Enochic tradition, reinforcing that the seven archangels serve the Demiurge and enact his authority rather than existing as independent creators themselves.
The Nine Choirs of Angels (Descending Order)
The ancient tradition preserved in Scripture, Enochic literature, and early theological reflection presents a ninefold angelic order, arranged hierarchically. The nine choirs reflect degrees of authority, proximity to divine presence, and responsibility in creation.
1. Archangels
The seven archangels form a subset of the Archangels choir, acting as instruments of the Demiurge. They channel divine authority into distinct spheres while remaining fully subordinate to the Demiurge’s will.
2. Seraphim
Fiery, holiness-affirming angels who protect the divine presence from corruption.
3. Cherubim
Guardians of sacred space, mysteries, Eden, and the Mercy Seat.
4. Thrones
Maintain cosmic equilibrium, stability, and justice under the Demiurge.
5. Dominions
Oversee authority’s execution, regulating the flow of divine order to lower angelic ranks.
6. Virtues
Govern natural forces and harmony, supporting the Demiurge’s administration.
7. Powers
Restrain disorder, oppose transgression, and maintain cosmic boundaries.
8. Principalities
Govern nations, peoples, and collective identities under the Demiurge’s framework.
9. Elohim
Execute divine commands directly within creation, shaping material reality under the Demiurge’s authority.
Guardian Angels
“For He will give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11)
“Are not all Angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation.” (Hebrews 1:14)
Guardian angels are assigned only to those who inherit salvation, serving as ministering spirits under divine authority.
Conclusion
Across the Book of Enoch, its parables, later Enochic texts, and early theological reflections, a consistent pattern emerges: heaven is ordered, structured, and complete, governed by the seven principal archangels who act without rivalry, serving the Demiurge. Together with Cherubim, Seraphim, Living Creatures, and ministering spirits, they form a unified administration devoted to holiness, judgment, mercy, healing, repentance, and the fulfillment of salvation.
In this framework, the Demiurge is a god, the image of the Father, exercising full creative and judicial authority. The seven archangels serve him collectively, each expressing a distinct aspect of his governance, so that through their unified action the Demiurge orders, sustains, and administers the cosmos according to his divine will. The archangels are instruments of the Demiurge, not independent creators, and all other angels operate within the hierarchy established under their combined authority.
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