I don’t know the situation in the original content but this is hugely more hilarious in this context, because you must understand: Aziraphale outranks Gabriel.

In the nine circles of angelic ranks, archangels are second from the bottom. Aziraphale, a principality, is a rank above them- meaning technically he outranks not only Gabriel, but Michael AND Uriel AND Sandalphon AND EVEN Metatron. The ONLY reason they’re giving him orders is likely because their council is in charge of his assignment to Earth.

But Aziraphale was only ever obeying their directions by choice because he likely assumed they were making those directions based on a higher power’s decrees that he DID have to follow.

But Gabriel making up a rule on his own? Nah. Aziraphale doesn’t have to obey SHIT from just Gabriel.

I’m sorry, the WHAT NOW??

oh shit!

According to Genesis 3:24, cherubim, the second highest rank of angels in the Christian angelology referenced in Good Omens, are the ones who were set to guard the Gates of the Garden of Eden with [a] flaming sword. Although they are now commonly pictured as simple soft plump winged children that hold up banners in art, cherubim are technically meant to be fairly responsible creatures with important jobs, who stay near God and serve as guards.

There is an ancient and beloved little fan theory that goes like this: Aziraphale’s been demoted over the years down through the ranks, from one of the most important Cherubs in history to the relatively harmless customer-facing role of Principality, so that he now works as the “Angel of London,” as part of his vague saunter downwards into a comfier and less demanding job that doesn’t require quite as much total devotion to Heaven. or because of general incompetence. (maybe just incompetence?)

When asked about it, Neil Gaiman has stated that Aziraphale is a Principality, because it says so in the book and “What gave you the idea of him ever being anything else,” but it is generally acknowledged that the bibbley itself is also a book, And It Says It Right There, Mate, Chapter And Verse, Quite Literally, Genesis 3:24, The Angels At the Gate Of Eden Are Cherubim. He’s also one half of a writing team, the other half of which demonstrably liked theology and wordplay and isn’t here to discuss it himself, and could conceivably have known what he was doing. Most likely, it is a complete mistake - or rather an oversight. Or the authors deciding to revise the source material because they liked it better, thinking it didn’t matter and nobody would notice, and forgetting that they’d done it, because it was 30 years ago.

And also, it doesn’t matter, and you shouldn’t ask authors about fan theories, it’s rude and annoys everybody, and the results make NOBODY HAPPY, and it puts authors in the possible position of having to admit they fucked up/forgot something when they would prefer to just be admired and praised, so fuckin hell leave the man alone,

But anyway it’s a good theory and I still personally still ascribe to it, AziraphaleWasACherub2K092K19