Question Five of Chapter One of the Second Decade
Where the angels were created
It is asked: where were the angels created?
To this Strabo replies upon the words of Genesis, chapter 1, “In the beginning God created heaven and earth”:
“By heaven,” he says, “Scripture here calls not the visible firmament but the empyrean—that is, the fiery or intellectual heaven, so called not from burning heat but from splendor—which, as soon as it was made, was filled with angels.”
This is confirmed by the following reason.
For the noblest place, and the one especially deputed to contemplation, is most fitting for the noblest substances, which eternally contemplate God.
But the empyrean heaven is the noblest place among all corporeal places and is deputed to the contemplation of angels and souls.
For it is said in Matthew, chapter 18: “Their angels in heaven always see the face of the Father”—that is, they contemplate it. Therefore, such a place is most fitting for angels.
Concerning its location and disposition Ambrose speaks as follows in the Hexaemeron:
“Who can so readily be an estimator of the divine work that he could investigate the height of God’s wisdom in this work, or know what figure is more suitable for that supernal city Jerusalem: whether round, pyramidal, or hexagonal?
“For there are certain buildings which are round inside and square outside, and conversely.
“And we say this so that certain persons may take notice, examine their opinions, and cease to measure so great a work of God by the contemplation of human operation and of our own capability.”
See Thomas, Book II of the Sentences, at the place cited above, and Henry.
Addition
Athanasius of Alexandria writes as follows concerning this matter:
“Human nature will be able to assert with certainty neither whence nor where they were made, except this only: that they were brought from non-being into being.”
Nevertheless, Augustine’s opinion is considered plausible: namely, that they were created in the upper part of the air from that most subtle air and were afterward admitted into heaven, just as Adam was created outside his place and was afterward brought into it.
But take notice that Augustine speaks according to our manner of understanding rather than according to what the nature of the thing merits.