The Celestial Hierarchy — Chapter Xiv

St. Dionysius the Areopagite

What the traditional number of the Angels signifies.

This also is worthy, I think, of intellectual consideration, that the

scriptural tradition respecting the Angels gives their number as

thousands of thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, multiplying

and repeating the very highest numbers we have, thus clearly showing

that the Orders of the Celestial Beings are innumerable for us; so many

are the blessed Hosts of the Supermundane Intelligences, wholly

surpassing the feeble and limited range of our material numbers. And

they are definitely known only by their own supermundane and celestial

Intellect and the knowledge which is granted to them allbounteously by

the All-knowing Mother-Wisdom of the Most High God, which is

superessentially at once the substantiating Cause, the connecting

Power, and the universal Consummation of all principles and things.

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