History Main / CouncilOfAngels

* The MST3K-featured short "OnceUponAHoneymoon" has an apparently literal example, showing a celestial boardroom (complete with desk and PHONES) on Cloud 7.

* ''DungeonsAndDragons'' (prior to 4th ed, which changed a lot around) had not one, but three councils ruling the three races of celestials:

In subversive settings, GodIsEvil and doesn't want to deal with the masses personally, and the angels either collaborate or are secretly rebelling. Or maybe God is good but [[HaveYouSeenMyGod non-interfering]], but the angels took their free will the totally wrong direction, and became [[KnightTemplar Knights Templar]].

* The Valar from ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' are angels who have been charged with being the Guardians of Arda, the physical world. They have many traits in common with both Christian angels and mythological gods (it's believed that Creator/JRRTolkien set his cosmology up the way he did so that his devout Catholicism and love of mythology wouldn't trip over each other), and while they're all good (with [[GodOfEvil one notable exception]]), none of them are perfect and all have made mistakes. The Valar are in turn served by lesser angels/demigods called the Maiar.

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/{{Lucifer}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lucifer_-_council_of_angels_4248.jpg]] ]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Well, except for [[PoorCommunicationKills talking to God]], but it's only a FallenAngel. {{What could possibly go wrong}}?]]

The Council of Angels plot gets around this by stating that {{Heaven}} is run by angels instead, with varying powers running between the {{Physical God}}s and the PowersThatBe; not counting the really young ones. Often it's explained that in the last two millennia, [[HaveYouSeenMyGod God decided to retire someplace sunny,]] or work on some secret project, [[DivineDelegation letting humans and angels work things out themselves instead of directly controlling them]]. The angels tend to be somewhat upset about this. Or maybe there is no personal God at all, and the angels follow some more vague ideal of goodness, themselves at least supposedly representing its highest embodiment.

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* A form of this is used in the movie [[WristcuttersALoveStory Wristcutters]] with the People in Charge.

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* On ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', only four angels have seen God; and of those four, one is Lucifer, and another is on permanent vacation masquerading as [[spoiler:the Trickster]]. The rest of the angelic host are getting their orders through the other two, and have to take it on faith that He even exists. In the Season 4 finale, Zachariah, one of the higher-up angels (or at least higher up than Castiel, Uriel, and Anna, all of whom are angelic foot soldiers), tells Dean that [[spoiler:"God has left the building."]] As of the season 5 finale: [[spoiler: the CelestialBureaucracy is in anarchy with the loss of Michael, allowing Castiel to go back and bring things to order. Also, Chuck was God's literal AuthorAvatar.]] In season six, this has escalated into a full-on civil war between angels, with more than a little spillover onto Earth.

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* The only Strategy RPG ''League of Angels'' has something like this, with the plot [[ExcusePlot (such as it is)]] being that demonic forces have turned the game world into a HellOnEarth and locked the Angels away; the heroes' goal as he progresses through it is to release them and restore the Council's power as he does so.
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* The setting of Sanctuary in which the ''{{VideoGame/Diablo}}'' series takes place primarily concerns a war between demons from the Burning Hells and angels from the High Heavens. The demons are led by the three Prime Evils and the four Lesser Evils, and in the final book of "The Sin War" trilogy, a council of five angels referred to as the Angiris Council decide the fate of the world after the main conflict is over. The angels, by the way, are doing a [[CrapsackWorld really lousy job]], but then they're kind of jerks anyway, the main exception being Tyrael, the archangel who cast the deciding vote for humanity to continue to exist.

* ''TearsToTiara'' had the Twelve Angels/the White Angels. Then one died and [[spoiler:Arawn]] took his place. And then quit spectacularly. Because the rest of the angels are ''[[ColonyDrop assholes.]]'' God is probably dead. The angels aren't sure, but they're no longer looking for him, though they claim to carry on his work.

* This trope is used by no less than Creator/CSLewis in his climax to the SpaceTrilogy, ''That Hideous Strength''. The Oyeresu, "angels" in control of and personifying each of the other planets, have been forbidden to interfere with Earth, which is under the control of Satan, as {{God}} is working out his own plans for it. However, the rules also say that they're supposed to contain {{Satan}}'s influence to within the lunar orbit... which means that under the right circumstances - like an invasion of Venus, for example - they can strike back...
* The Valar from ''TheSilmarillion'' are angels who have been charged with being the Guardians of Arda, the physical world. They have many traits in common with both Christian angels and mythological gods (it's believed that Creator/JRRTolkien set his cosmology up the way he did so that his devout Catholicism and love of mythology wouldn't trip over each other), and while they're all good (with [[GodOfEvil one notable exception]]), none of them are perfect and all have made mistakes. The Valar are in turn served by lesser angels/demigods called the Maiar.

* The MST3K-featured short "Once Upon A Honeymoon" has an apparently literal example, showing a celestial boardroom (complete with desk and PHONES) on Cloud 7.

** At the same time this is mildly subverted, in that Yves, one of the archangels on the Council, occasionally acts as a vessel for direct communication by God -- and may actually be ''God in disguise.'' (The fact that his illustration bears a striking resemblance to GeorgeBurns in ''OhGod'' only adds to the potential confusion.)

Oh, even with God around, [[GodlySidestep don't expect them to clear up whether Judaism, Christianity or Islam is right]]; often they're not sure themselves. If they do know, there seems to be an unspoken rule against telling anyone. It's also not uncommon for different angels to have different viewpoints on the nature of "good", often associated with human viewpoints.

Oh, even with God around, don't expect them to clear up whether Judaism, Christianity or Islam is right; often they're not sure themselves. If they do know, there seems to be an unspoken rule against telling anyone. It's also not uncommon for different angels to have different viewpoints on the nature of "good", often associated with human viewpoints.

** ''Exalted'' has a lot of this. The gods were created to be the Council while the Primordials went off having their own fun, mostly playing the Games of Divinity ([[FanNickname aka the Cosmic X-Box]]). The Incarnae (the highest gods) created the Exalted to take down the Primordials and then manage Creation as a new Council so the Incarnae could play the X-Box instead. ''And then'' the Sidereals rose against the Solars and threw them down, opting to take over the Council in turn because the Solars were going mad with power. ''Exalted'' history is one big succession of revolutions as the Council decides to off its superiors or is offed itself before it can do so. Meanwhile everyone else in the CelestialBureaucracy just covers their heads and waits for the noise to die down before getting back to work.

* In the ''FallFromHeaven'' mod for ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} IV'', the Creator of Erebus is nowhere in sight. Everything is run by angels, who call themselves gods. Most of the problems for the mortals are due to the interference of the angels.

In brighter settings, FluffyCloudHeaven is a diversion for newly arrived souls of humans. There's often a "Heaven of Heavens" where they go eventually; where presumably God really is. Hopefully this is where good beings who are [[DeaderThanDead "soul-killed"]] go as well. Nobody ever talks about what this is like, ever; and it's extremely rare for someone to come back from it.

* Celestia from ''DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'' game has the angels (and in one of the MultipleEndings, the NobleDemon) praying to {{God}}; though he doesn't actually seem to live there. It's implied that there is a higher heaven (where Kurtis's dead family is); and "lower" hells. Although, to be technical, Celestia and the Netherworld aren't Heaven or Hell at all, but the Japanese concepts of Tenkai (literally "Heavenly world") and Makai (literally "Demon world") that don't have equivalents in modern Western thought.

The CouncilOfAngels plot gets around this by stating that {{Heaven}} is run by angels instead, with varying powers running between the {{Physical God}}s and the PowersThatBe; not counting the really young ones. Often it's explained that in the last two millennia, [[HaveYouSeenMyGod God decided to retire someplace sunny,]] or work on some secret project, [[DivineDelegation letting humans and angels work things out themselves instead of directly controlling them]]. The angels tend to be somewhat upset about this. Or maybe there is no personal God at all, and the angels follow some more vague ideal of goodness, themselves at least supposedly representing its highest embodiment.

* ''MagicTheGathering'' has never had true gods per se, but it has plenty of angels. Both the settings Bant and Serra's Realm were ruled by a CouncilOfAngels.

** God eventually showed up in ''{{Spawn}}'' as the being in charge of Heaven. He was of equal power to Satan (they were portrayed as brothers), and he only had power over Heaven and things Heaven owned. Then the "Mother of Creation" was introduced, as the being who made God and Satan and everything. And the Mother of Creation was Jesus. So, basically, God wasn't really God. The [=MoC=] is God, God is basically really just the "Head Angel in Charge". "God" does serve as a sort of one-man CouncilOfAngels here, since he's in charge of Heaven directly without the apparent authority of the [=MoC=].

* As a slight variation, the atheist Website/YouTube contributor NonStampCollector often portrays a CouncilOfAngels as futilely trying to convince God ''not'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOfjkl-3SNE to sow vengeance, suffering and ignorance]].

** ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'' also has a small council of Angels working in the containment zone, but they're a little bit nicer than ShinMegamiTenseiII's Angels. That's because instead of the four main Seraphs (Michael, Uriel, Gabriel and Raphael) there's a lower angel who ''isn't'' {{Knight Templar}}s at its worst: Remiel.

** ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'' also has a small council of Angels working in the containment zone, but they're a little bit nicer than ShinMegamiTenseiII's Angels. That's because instead of the four main Seraphs (Michael, Uriel, Gabriel and Raphael) they're actually lower angels who ''aren't'' {{Knight Templar}}s at their worst: Remiel, Arael, Sariel and Izuna.
** In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'', [[spoiler:the Three Wise Men]] take this role, [[spoiler:taking the opportunity provided by the Schwarzwelt to initiate their own plans for an eternal kingdom of the Lawful God. They "graciously" give the Protagonist and his crew access to the Demon Summoning Program so they do their dirty work.

* ''MagicTheGathering'' has never had TRUE gods per se, but it has plenty of angels. Both the settings Bant and Serra's Realm were ruled by a CouncilOfAngels.

** In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'', [[spoiler:the Three Wise Men]] take this role, [[spoiler:taking the opportunity provided by the Schwarzwelt to initiate their own plans for an eternal kingdom of the Lawful God. They "graciously" give the Protagonist and his crew access to the Demon Summoning Program so they do their dirty work. It's also implied that they're Michael, Raphael, and Uriel, with Zelenin standing in for Gabriel]].

* Uriel turns up every now and then in the ''DresdenFiles'', and the other 3 famous Archangels are mentioned. God exists, but prefers mysterious ways methods. Other angels have turned up since, particularly when Harry was dead in Ghost Story.

* In ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', [[spoiler:the Angels are the ones who run the Reapers' Game from behind the scenes. They rank even higher than the ''Composer'', who is portrayed in-game as an allegory for God/Christ Himself.]]