Whether Prophetic Revelation Comes Through the Angels?
Objection 1: It would seem that prophetic revelation does not come
through the angels. For it is written (Wis. 7:27) that Divine wisdom
"conveyeth herself into holy souls," and "maketh the friends of God,
and the prophets." Now wisdom makes the friends of God immediately.
Therefore it also makes the prophets immediately, and not through the
medium of the angels.
Obj. 2: Further, prophecy is reckoned among the gratuitous graces.
But the gratuitous graces are from the Holy Ghost, according to 1
Cor. 12:4, "There are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit."
Therefore the prophetic revelation is not made by means of an angel.
Obj. 3: Further, Cassiodorus [*Prol. in Psalt. i] says that prophecy
is a "Divine revelation": whereas if it were conveyed by the angels,
it would be called an angelic revelation. Therefore prophecy is not
bestowed by means of the angels.
_On the contrary,_ Dionysius says (Coel. Hier. iv): "Our glorious
fathers received Divine visions by means of the heavenly powers"; and
he is speaking there of prophetic visions. Therefore prophetic
revelation is conveyed by means of the angels.
_I answer that,_ As the Apostle says (Rom. 13:1), "Things that are of
God are well ordered [*Vulg.: 'Those that are, are ordained of
God.']." Now the Divine ordering, according to Dionysius [*Coel.
Hier. iv; Eccl. Hier. v], is such that the lowest things are directed
by middle things. Now the angels hold a middle position between God
and men, in that they have a greater share in the perfection of the
Divine goodness than men have. Wherefore the Divine enlightenments
and revelations are conveyed from God to men by the angels. Now
prophetic knowledge is bestowed by Divine enlightenment and
revelation. Therefore it is evident that it is conveyed by the angels.
Reply Obj. 1: Charity which makes man a friend of God, is a
perfection of the will, in which God alone can form an impression;
whereas prophecy is a perfection of the intellect, in which an angel
also can form an impression, as stated in the First Part (Q. 111, A.
1), wherefore the comparison fails between the two.
Reply Obj. 2: The gratuitous graces are ascribed to the Holy Ghost as
their first principle: yet He works grace of this kind in men by
means of the angels.
Reply Obj. 3: The work of the instrument is ascribed to the principal
agent by whose power the instrument acts. And since a minister is
like an instrument, prophetic revelation, which is conveyed by the
ministry of the angels, is said to be Divine.
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