Angel Lore

Avenging Angels An angel is an ethereal creature who assists and serves God or the gods of many religious traditions. In the Christian bible, angels are portrayed as powerful and dreadful, endowed with wisdom, correct in their judgment, holy, but not infallible. When their duties are not punitive, angels are beneficent to man. When their duties are punitive, they are known as avenging angels and are mentioned inverses such as II Sam. Xxiv. 15, in which an angel annihilates thousands on God's command. These avenging angels are used by God to punish men for their sins. – Pad of Definitions (1.07 Hookman), Official Website

Angel A supernatural being found in Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and Islam. Angel comes from the Latin word angelus, which came from the Greek word, angelos, meaning "messenger". According to these religions Angels typically act as messengers from God. Though superhuman, angels can assume human form and according to the Hebrew Bible, often appeared to people in the shape of humans of extraordinary beauty. They are also described as pure and bright and are said to be formed of fire, and encompassed by light. Angels are thought to posess wings, and are depicted that way in Christian, Jewish and Zoroastrian art where they are also commonly depicted with halos. In the Bible, angels are a medium of God's power; they exist to execute God's will. Angels reveal themselves to individuals as well as to the whole nation, to announce events, either good or bad, affecting humans. – Pad of Definitions (2.13 Houses of the Holy), Official Website

Never say never, (...) but in my mind, angels as supernatural beings do not exist. In my opinion there are forces of evil, but the forces of good are human. There might very well be a God, but if there is, he's working in mysterious ways through a band of very imperfect humans. – Eric Kripke, The Official Companion Season 2, page. 75

Angels in the Supernatural Verse

In Season 2, episode 2.13 Houses of the Holy Sam thinks they might actually encounter an avenging angel, who goes after the wicked, although Sam and Dean later find out, that the supernatural being Sam thought for an angel was in fact the ghost of a priest. Dean makes it known in the same episode that he doesn't believe in angels. This was the second time Supernatural takes on the question of faith and belief (see also 1.12 Faith).

It was not until 4.01 Lazarus Rising that angels actually appear in Supernatural when Castiel appears proclaiming himself an "Angel of the Lord" and revealed that he saved Dean from Hell.

When Heaven learned Dean was being primed to break the first of The 66 Seals, they laid siege to Hell, but couldn't rescue Dean in time. Castiel eventually saved him, because he is needed to stop the rise of Lucifer and the apocalypse.

Angels became active on Earth to stop the breaking of The 66 Seals, although the angel hierarchy a plan to let them be broken so as to bring on the apocalypse.

Misha Collin plays Castiel the angel in Season 4

Angels:

• Are divine beings imbued with a heavenly grace.
• Take on mortal form by possessing voluntary human bodies, and like demons they keep their host's body alive should they gain a mortal wound.
• They can only speak to humans in their dreams or from within the body of a mortal human. Their true voice and form can be discerned by some "special" people, but to others it is "overwhelming" and painful to behold.
• Their form can burn out the eyes of one who spies upon it and their voice shatters glass, causing the earth to quake and the ears of man to bleed.
• They have super strength and can move and materialize at will
• By placing two fingers on a person's forehead they can render someone unconscious or change their memories
• Have the ability to bend time, allowing them to send someone or go themselves to the past.
• They operate in hierarchical units called garrisons
• Carry a disdain for all things demon related.
• Disobedience is a crime punishable by death
• Lack of faith in God is punishable by death
• They can become human by removing their grace
• By regaining their grace humanized angels can be restored to full angelic power
• Have the power to exorcise demons from humans by touching them
• Can be sent away using the Angel Banishing Sigil

According to Castiel in 4.18 The Monster At The End Of This Book: ""Archangels are fierce. They're absolute. They're Heaven's most terrifying weapon."

Lucifer

Lucifer an angel who was expelled from Heaven by the Archangel Michael, on God's orders, after he refused to bow before God. After Lucifer created Lilith as the first demon in defiance of Godd, he was captured and bound by a series of seals.

Some angels, like Uriel are part of a group of rebel angels are also working to help free Lucifer. The demon Azazel starts the plan in motion that, with the help of Ruby, ultimately frees Lucifer. The angel hierarchy know of the plan, but want Lucifer free, so that they can kill him.

Lucifer is freed when Sam kills Lilith - her death breaks the final seal.

Once on Earth, Lucifer possesses the body of a man called Nick.

Castiel

The Angel who saved Dean from Hell. Since that contact he has started to develop empathy for humans. He even doubts his orders for the first time, when Uriel tells him they must get Dean to torture Alastair. He refuses Uriel's attempt to recruit him to join the angels who support Lucifer. In 4.20 The Rapture, Castiel is removed from his vessel Jimmy Novak and sent back to Heaven where it is impressed on him that he must follow angelic orders. Ultimately, he does disobey and acts to help Dean escape Zachariah, in order that he can try and stop Sam. In doing so he is killed, but somehow is brought back to life. He then embarks on a mission to find God in order to stop Lucifer.

Uriel

Uriel is introduced as a "specialist" who is part of Castiel's garrison. He exhibits disdain for humanity and demons. By 4.16 On The Head Of A Pin, he has been made Castiel's superior. He plots to release Alastair and have him kill Dean, as he is one a a group of angels who support the release of Lucifer. He has been trying to recruit angels to the cause and killing those who refuse. He eventually reveals his plans to Castiel, and they fight. When Uriel gets the upper hand over Castiel, getting ready to kill him, Anna kills him.

Anna Milton

Anna was originally Castiel and Uriel's superior, but she chose to remove her Grace to become human. When Dean is saved, she begins hearing the angels speaking. Alastair wants to capture her in order to find out what the angels are doing. Dean and Sam rescue her, and Pamela Barnes helps her regain her memory that she was once an angel. She is under a death sentence for disobedience, but she is able to regain her Grace from Uriel and becomes and angel again.

Anna tries to get Castiel to join her and stop following orders, but he refuses. She kills the traitor Uriel.

After the events of 4.21 When The Levee Breaks, Anna meets with Castiel in an undisclosed location, and a group of angels take her back to Heaven.

Zachariah

Zachariah is Castiel's superior. He puts Sam and Dean into jobs with Sandover Iron and Engineering, without their real memories, to show Dean that being a hunter is who he is.

Zachariah also appears to Chuck and tells him to write, but not to tell Sam and Dean his latest visions. Zachariah also says that if Chuck commits suicide, the angels will simply bring him back to life. He also tells Dean that he has a role to play in stopping the Apocalypse, but later reveals that this is untrue. In reality, the angels want the Apocalypse to happen, and it is revealed that Dean is destined to kill Lucifer after the Apocalypse has started.