Seeing the Throne of God

Philo, a Jewish teacher in Egypt, was an exact contemporary of Jesus. He described the angels as the powers of God throughout creation, binding it together, and said they were a choir, serving their leader and following Him.’(On the Confusion of Tongues 174). He also said that people could not express their gratitude to the Creator by buildings and ceremony, but only by silent hymns of praise from a pure mind.(On Planting 126). The pure mind, when it had explored the arts and sciences, ‘is borne yet higher to the ether and circuit of heaven, and is whirled around with the dances of the planets and fixed stars, in accordance with the laws of perfect music, following that love of Wisdom who guides its steps.’ Eventually the pure mind perceived the light of the great King himself (Philo, On Creation, 70-71). Jesus said something similar: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart’ - and for his culture, the heart was the seat of the intellect - ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’(Matthew 5: 8).

This is what Enoch saw too. In his vision, there were angels in white robes encircling the holy of holies, and Enoch was dazzled by the light(1 Enoch 71: 1,8). The Therapeuts, a monastic group in northern Egypt whom Eusebius said were the earliest Christian communities, used to sing, and as they sang they danced, the ‘wheeling and counterwheeling of a choric dance.’ (Philo, Contemplative Life 84). We do not usually imagine the early Christians worshipping with circle dances, but Eusebius, writing early in the fourth century, knew a good deal more about the early Christians than we do, and he found nothing in their dancing to make him doubt they were Christian.(Eusebius, History 2.17)

In contrast, the fallen angels, those who rebelled and thus destroyed the harmony of creation, could not sing. When Enoch stood in the fifth heaven, his angel guide explained that he was looking at the fallen angels; they were dejected and silent ‘and there was no liturgy in the fifth heaven.’(2 Enoch 18). (Margaret Barker on Temple Music, Temple Study Symposium)

See Also:
The Divine Comedy - The Vision of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise: Paradise
Angels and Angelology - Jewish Virtual Library
Angels - The Nine Orders