Q383 - What Does Human Soul Look Like?

Well, the Church says that in heaven, there is a hierarchy, and the Holy Scripture presents this to us. We see in the Apocalypse and in other places of Holy Scripture that there are different levels in the angelic world, Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, and so on. The Fathers of the Church and Church tradition say there are nine choirs of angels, even nine distinct choirs. So it is basically a very well-ordered hierarchy, and this is beautiful.

Every hierarchy, including the entire material world, is completely hierarchical. One level is subordinated to another, and it will be the same in heaven for human souls. Our Lord said, In the house of my Father are many mansions, many dwellings. So there will be different levels, just like among the angels.

The angels know one another. They do not have bodies. Therefore, the spiritual soul is also able, even without the body, to have knowledge and a spiritual view of God. The Beatific Vision is already possible before the resurrection of the body at the end of times.