Raphael, messenger from God, pray for us. Raphael, trusted companion and guide, pray for us. Raphael, knowledgeable healer, pray for us. Raphael, whisperer of love and marriage, pray for us. Raphael, binder of demons, pray for us. Raphael, source of good advice, pray for us. Raphael, affirmation for generosity, pray for us. left to right: Jegudiel , Gabriel , Selaphiel , Michael , Uriel , Raphael , Barachiel . Beneath the mandorla of Christ-Emmanuel are representations of Cherubim (blue) and Seraphim (red). Christian angelic hierarchy From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation , search This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding reliable references . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (March 2008) For other angelic hierarchies, see Hierarchy of angels . According to medieval Christian theologians , the Angels are organized into several orders, or Angelic Choirs. [1] [2] The most influential of these classifications was that put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 4th or 5th
Transcript
Raphael, messenger from God, pray for us.
Raphael, trusted companion and guide, pray for us.
Raphael, knowledgeable healer, pray for us.
Raphael, whisperer of love and marriage, pray for us.
Raphael, binder of demons, pray for us.
Raphael, source of good advice, pray for us.
Raphael, affirmation for generosity, pray for us.
left to right: Jegudiel, Gabriel, Selaphiel, Michael, Uriel, Raphael, Barachiel. Beneath the mandorla of Christ-Emmanuel are representations of Cherubim (blue) and Seraphim (red).
Christian angelic hierarchyFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article needs additional citations for verification.Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)
For other angelic hierarchies, see Hierarchy of angels.
According to medieval Christian theologians, the Angels are organized into several orders, or Angelic Choirs.[1][2]
The most influential of these classifications was that put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 4th or 5th century, in his book "The Celestial Hierarchy". However, during the Middle Ages, many schemes were proposed, some drawing on and expanding on Pseudo-Dionysius, others suggesting completely different classifications (some authors limited the number of Choirs to seven). Several other hierarchies were proposed, some in nearly inverted order. Scholars of the Middle Ages believed that angels and archangels were lowest in the order and were the only angels directly involved in the affairs of the world of men.
The authors of The Celestial Hierarchy and the Summa Theologica drew on passages from the New Testament, specifically Ephesians 1:21 and Colossians 1:16, in an attempt to reveal a schema of three Hierarchies, Spheres or Triads of angels, with each Hierarchy containing three Orders or Choirs.
From the comparative study of the Old Testament and New Testament passages, including their etymology and semantics, the above mentioned theological works (which contain variations), and esoteric Christian teachings, the descending order of rank can be inferred as following:
The Assumption of the Virgin by Francesco Botticini at the National Gallery London, shows three hierarchies and nine orders of angels, each with different characteristics
First Sphere (Old Testament sources) o Seraphim o Cherubim o Thrones/Ophanim (Gr. thronoi) (also New Testament sources)
Second Sphere (New Testament sources) o Dominions (Gr. Kyriotetai)o Virtues (Gr. Dynamai)o Powers (Gr. Exusiai)[3]
Third Sphere o Principalities (Gr. Archai)[4]
o Archangels - Archangeloio Angels - Angeloi
St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio refers to these three, respectively, as the Epiphania, the Hyperphania, and the Hypophania.[5] The Choirs in the second and third spheres, of the present hierarchical list, appear to be also united in pairs. The existence of these pairs of Orders is
inferred through their etymological proximity and the apparent affinity in the description of their work-activity (1 Peter 3:22 ): (clarification as to how this verse applies to pairs is required.)
Thrones and Dominions (Might, Dynamais); Principalities and Powers (Powers, Exusiai; Ephesians 6:12); Archangels and Angels (Angels, Angeloi).
Note, however, that several variations of the hierarchical order may be found published through the last two millennia.
Contents[hide]
1 First Sphere o 1.1 Seraphim o 1.2 Cherubim o 1.3 Thrones or Ophanim
2 Second Sphere o 2.1 Dominions o 2.2 Virtues o 2.3 Powers or Authorities
3 Third Sphere o 3.1 Principalities or Rulers o 3.2 Archangels o 3.3 Angels
4 Choirs scheme in medieval theology 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 See also
Angels of the First Sphere work as heavenly guardians of God's throne.
[edit] Seraphim
Main article: Seraph
Seraphim (singular "Seraph"), mentioned in Isaiah 6:1-7 [6], serve as the caretakers of God's throne and continuously shout praises: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. All the earth is filled with His Glory." The name Seraphim means "the burning ones."
The Seraphim have six wings; two covering their faces, two covering their bodies ("feet"), and two with which they fly.
Two of which are named Seraphiel and Metatron, according to some books. Seraphiel is said to have the head of an eagle. It is said that such a bright light emanates from them that nothing, not even other angelic beings, can look upon them. It is also said that there are four of them surrounding God's throne, where they burn eternally from love and zeal for God.
They have four faces: one of each a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle. The ox-face is considered the "true face", as later on in Ezekiel the ox's face is called a cherub's face (Chapter 10). They have four conjoined wings covered with eyes, and they have ox's feet.
Cherubim are considered the elect beings for the purpose of protection. Cherubim guard the way to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24)[7] and the throne of God (Ezekiel 28:14-16).[8]
Modern English usage has blurred the distinction between Cherubim and Putti. Putto (pl. Putti) refers to the winged human baby/toddler-like beings traditionally used in figurative art.
The Cherubim are mentioned in Genesis 3:24 [7]; Exodus 25:17-22; 2 Chronicles 3:7-14; Ezekiel 10:12–14 [9], 28:14-16[8]; 1 Kings 6:23–28 [10]; and Revelation 4:6-8.
[edit] Thrones or Ophanim
Main article: Thrones
The Thrones (Gr. thronos) or Elders, also known as the Erelim or Ophanim, are a class of celestial beings mentioned by Paul of Tarsus in Colossians 1:16 (New Testament). They are living symbols of God's justice and authority, and have as one of their symbols the throne. These high celestial beings appear to be mentioned again in Revelation 11:16.
Main article: Ophan
The Ophanim (Heb. ofanim: Wheels, also known as Thrones, from the vision of Daniel 7:9) are unusual looking even compared to the other celestial beings; They appear as a beryl-coloured wheel-within-a-wheel, their rims covered with hundreds of eyes.
They are closely connected with the Cherubim: "When they moved, the others moved; when they stopped, the others stopped; and when they rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures [Cherubim] was in the wheels." (Ezekiel 10:17).
[edit] Second SphereAngels of the Second Sphere work as heavenly governors.
[edit] Dominions
The Dominions are also translated from the Greek term "kuriotes" as Lordships. They are presented as the hierarchy of celestial beings Lordships in the De Coelesti Hierarchia.
The Dominions (lat. dominatio, pl. dominationes), also known as the Hashmallim, hold the task of regulating the duties of lower angels. It is only with extreme rarity that the angelic lords make themselves physically known to humans. They are also the angels who preside over nations. The
Dominions are believed to look like divinely beautiful humans with a pair of feathered wings, much like the common representation of Angels, but they may be distinguished from other groups by wielding orbs of light fastened to the heads of their sceptres or on the pommel of their swords.
[edit] Virtues
The Virtues or Strongholds lie beyond the Ophanim (Thrones/Wheels). Their primary duty is to supervise the movements of the heavenly bodies in order to ensure that the cosmos remains in order.
The term appears to be linked to the attribute "Might", from the Greek root "dunamis" in Ephesians 1:21, which is also translated as "Virtue" (probably due to the powerful nature of these high celestial beings; see quotation below), a somewhat different connotation of strength/force than just moral virtue. They are presented as the celestial Choir "Virtues", in the Summa Theologica. Traditional theological conceptions of the Virtues might appear to describe the same Order called the Thrones (Gr. thronos), (in which case the Ophanim may not be the same thing as "Thrones").
From Dionysius the Areopagite:
"The name of the holy Virtues signifies a certain powerful and unshakable virility welling forth into all their Godlike energies; not being weak and feeble for any reception of the divine Illuminations granted to it; mounting upwards in fullness of power to an assimilation with God; never falling away from the Divine Life through its own weakness, but ascending unwaveringly to the superessential Virtue which is the Source of virtue: fashioning itself, as far as it may, in virtue; perfectly turned towards the Source of virtue, and flowing forth providentially to those below it, abundantly filling them with virtue."
[edit] Powers or Authorities
Paul used the term powers in Colossians 1:16 [2] and Ephesians 1:21 [3] but he may have used it to refer to the powers of nations, societies or individuals, instead of referring to angels.
The Powers are also translated, from the Greek term "exousies", as Authorities (see Greek root in Eph 3:10).
These celestial beings appear to collaborate, in power and authority (as implied in their etymology source), with the Principalities (Rulers).
Paul used the term rule and authority in Ephesians 1:21 [4], and rulers and authorities in Ephesians 3:10 [5]. He may have been referring to the rulers and authorities of humanity, instead of referring to angels.
The Powers (lat. potestas (f), pl. potestates) are the bearers of conscience and the keepers of history. They are also the warrior angels created to be completely loyal to God. Some believe
that no Power has ever fallen from grace, but another theory states that Satan was the Chief of the Powers before he Fell (see also Ephesians 6:12). Their duty is to oversee the distribution of power among humankind, hence their name.
[edit] Third SphereAngels who function as heavenly messengers and soldiers.
[edit] Principalities or Rulers
The Principalities are also translated, from the Greek term "arche", as Princedoms and also Rulers (see Greek root in Eph 3:10).
These celestial beings appear to collaborate, in power and authority (as implied in their etymology source), with the Powers (Authorities).
Paul used the term rule and authority in Ephesians 1:21 [6], and rulers and authorities in Ephesians 3:10 [7]. He may have been referring to the rulers and authorities of men or societies, instead of referring to angels.
The Principalities (lat. principatus, pl. principatūs) are shown wearing a crown and carrying a sceptre. Their duty also is said to be to carry out the orders given to them by the Dominions and bequeath blessings to the material world. Their task is to oversee groups of people.They are the educators and guardians of the realm of earth both individuals, as well as groups. As beings related to the world of the germinal ideas, they are said to inspire living things to many things such as art or science.
[edit] Archangels
Main article: Archangel
The word archangel comes from the Greek αρχάγγελος (archangělǒs), meaning chief angel.[11] It derives from the Greek archō, meaning to be first in rank or power; and aggělǒs which means messenger. This suggests that they are the highest ranking angels. The word is only used twice in the New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9. Only Michael and Gabriel are mentioned by name in the New Testament.
Michael is the only angel the Bible named expressly as "the" archangel. In Daniel he is referred to as "one of the chief princes". The word "prince" here is the ancient Hebrew word sar, which means: "a head person (of any rank or class), a chief, a general etc."[11]
In most Christian traditions Gabriel is also considered an archangel, but there is no direct literal support for this assumption.
The name of the archangel Raphael appears only in the Deuterocanonical Book of Tobit (Tobias). Tobit is considered canonical by Roman Catholics (Both Eastern, and Western Rites), Eastern Orthodox and some (but few) Protestants. Raphael said to Tobias that he was "one of the seven who stand before the Lord", and it is generally believed that Michael and Gabriel are two of the other six.
A fourth Archangel is Uriel whose name literally means "Fire of God" or "Light of God." Uriel's name is the only one not mentioned in the Lutheran Bible but is only found in the apocrypha. He plays a prominent role in the second Book of Esdras (fourth Books of Esdras in the Latin Vulgate). In the book he unveils seven prophecies to the prophet Ezra, after whom the book is named. He also plays a role in the apocryphal Book of Enoch, which is considered canonical only by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Another possible interpretation of the seven archangels, is that the seven are the seven spirits of God that stand before the throne described in the Book of Enoch, and in the Book of Revelation.[12]
They (The Seven Archangels) are said to be the guardian angels of nations and countries, and are concerned with the issues and events surrounding these, including politics, military matters, commerce and trade: e.g. Archangel Michael is traditionally seen as the protector of Israel and of the Ecclesia (Gr. root ekklesia from the New Testament passages), theologically equated as the Church, the forerunner of the spiritual New Israel.
It is possible to make a distinction between archangel (with a lower-case a) and Archangel (with an uppercase A). The former can denote the second-lowest choir (arch-angels in the sense of being just above the lowest Choir of angels that is called only "angels") but the latter may denote the highest of all the angels (i.e., Arch-angels in the sense of being above all angels, of any Choir. The Seven highest Seraphim, Michael being the highest of all, once Satan fell).
[edit] Angels
Main article: Angel
The Angels, malakhim (messengers or angels), are the lowest order of the angels, and the most recognized. They are the ones most concerned with the affairs of living things. Within the category of the angels, there are many different kinds, with different functions. The angels are sent as messengers to mankind.
Raphael (archangel)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Raphael (Standard Hebrew רפאל, Rāpāʾēl, "It is God who heals", "God Heals", "God, Please Heal", Arabic: رافائيل, Rāfāʾīl) is the name of an archangel of Judaism and Christianity who performs all manner of healing and another one of Islam.
Contents[hide]
1 Raphael in Judaism o 1.1 Raphael in the Book of Enoch
2 Raphael in Christianity 3 Raphael in Islam 4 Raphael in Paradise Lost 5 See also 6 References 7 External links
[edit] Raphael in JudaismThe angels mentioned in the Torah, the older books of the Hebrew Bible, are without names. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish of Tiberias (A.D. 230–270), asserted that all the specific names for the angels were brought back by the Jews from Babylon, and modern commentators would tend to agree.
Raphael is named in several Jewish apocryphal books (see below).
[edit] Raphael in the Book of Enoch
Raphael bound Azazel under a desert called Dudael according to Enoch 10:5–7:
"And again the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may not see light. And on the day of the great judgment he shall be cast into the fire."
Of seven archangels in the angelology of post-Exilic Judaism, only Michael, mentioned as archangel (Daniel 12:1)(Jude verse 9) and Gabriel are mentioned by name in the scriptures that came to be accepted as canonical by all Christians. Raphael is mentioned by name in the Book of Tobit, which is accepted as canonical by Catholics and Orthodox. Four others, however, are named in the 2nd century BC Book of Enoch (chapter xxi): Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Jarahmeel.
The root of the name Raphael also appears in the modern Hebrew word Rophe meaning doctor of medicine, thus echoing the healing function traditionally attributed to this angel.
[edit] Raphael in ChristianityThe name of the angel Raphael appears only in the Deuterocanonical Book of Tobit. The Book of Tobit is considered canonical by Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Raphael first appears disguised in human form as the travelling companion of the younger Tobias, calling himself "Azarias the son of the great Ananias". During the adventurous course of the journey the archangel's protective influence is shown in many ways including the binding of the demon in the desert of upper Egypt. After the return and the healing of the blindness of the elder Tobit, Azarias makes himself known as "the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord" Tobit 12:15. Compare the unnamed angels in John's Revelation 8:2. Christian churches following Catholic teachings (Roman, Oriental, Orthodox, Anglican, etc) venerate and patronize him as Saint Raphael the Archangel.
Regarding the healing powers attributed to Raphael,[1] we have little more than his declaration to Tobit (Tobit, 12) that he was sent by the Lord to heal him of his blindness and to deliver Sarah, his daughter-in-law, from the demon prince(Asmodeus) that was the serial killer of her husbands.[2] Among Catholics, he is considered the patron saint of medical workers and matchmakers, travellers and may be petitioned by them or those needing their services.[3]
Vectorial representation of Archangel Raphael atop a fish.
The feast day of Raphael was included for the first time in the General Roman Calendar in the year 1921, for celebration on October 24. With the reform of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1969, this feast was transferred to September 29 for celebration together with Saint Michael and Saint Gabriel.[4] The Church of England has also adopted the September 29 date for
celebrating "Michael and All Angels".[5] Some traditionalist Catholics continue to observe versions of the General Roman Calendar of the 1921-1969 period.
Raphael has made only a light impression on Catholic geography: Saint Raphaël, France and Saint Raphaël, Quebec, Canada; San Rafaels in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, the Philippines and in Venezuela as San Rafael de Mohán and San Rafael de Orituco. In the United States, San Rafaels inherited from Mexico survive in California (where besides the city there are San Rafael Mountains), in New Mexico, and in Utah, where the San Rafael River flows seasonally in the San Rafael Desert. The Archangel lends his name to St. Raphael's Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, of which he is the patron saint.
In the New Testament, only the archangels Gabriel and Michael are mentioned by name Luke 1:9-26, Jude 1:9. John 5:1-4 refers to the pool at Bethesda, where the multitude of the infirm lay awaiting the moving of the water, for "an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond; and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under". Because of the healing role assigned to Raphael, this particular angel is generally associated with the archangel.
Raphael is sometimes shown (usually on medallions) as standing atop a large fish or holding a caught fish at the end of a line. This is a reference to Book of Tobit (Tobias), where he told Tobias to catch a fish, and then uses the gallbladder to heal Tobit's eyes, and to drive away Asmodeus by burning the heart and liver.[6]
[edit] Raphael in IslamMain article: Israfel
Seen in this 16th century Islamic miniature is Raphael, along with Michael, and Gabriel, accompanying Muhammad to Mecca. According to the Hadith, Raphael (Israfil in Arabic) is the Angel responsible for signaling the coming of Judgment Day by blowing the horn (namely Sûr) and sending out a "Blast of Truth". Raphael is mentioned in Qur'an in sura of En-Nebe as Israfel, the archangel who blows the horn of Sûr. The horn (sûr) will be blown two times. The first blow of the Sûr signals the beginning of the Judgment Day and with the second blow, all the souls are gathered somewhere between heaven and hell, and interrogated for their good deeds and sins.
According to Sufi narrations as reported by As-Suyuti and others, from the pious predecessors or early Muslim generations, the Ghawth or Qutb, who is regarded amongst the mankind as the highest person in the rank of siddiqun ( the saints ), is someone who has the heart that resembles that of Archangel Israfil, signifying the loftiness of this angel. The next that comes in rank are those of the saints who are known as the Umdah or Awtad , where amongst them the highest ones have their hearts resemble to that of Angel Mikael or Michael, and the rest of the lower ranking saints having the heart of Jibreel or Gabriel, and that of the previous prophets before the Prophet Muhammad. The earth is believed to always have on its surface one from the Qutb, 4 from the Awtad, 40 from the Abdal, and 300 from the Nukhaba, and because of whom Allah blesses the entire earth, and when one of them passes away from a higher rank, he/she is
succeeded by a saint from a lower one, who is in turn elevated to his/her rank to fill his/her place. It is believed that the Day of Judgement does not take place until Allah casts death all together upon all of these saintly categories, and only in that state of their absence will the day of Judgement be commenced with Angel Israfil blowing his trumpet.
[edit] Raphael in Paradise LostMain article: Paradise Lost
The angel Raphael, as well as many other prominent angels appear in John Milton's Paradise Lost, in which he is assigned by God to re-warn Adam concerning the sin of eating of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He also expounds to Adam the war in heaven in which the Archangel Lucifer fell and became Satan, and the creation of the Earth.
GabrielFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Gabriel (archangel))
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'Gavriel' redirects here. For other uses, see Gabriel (disambiguation).
Annunciation by Anton Raphael Mengs—Gabriel appears to the virgin Mary.
In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel (Bulgarian: Гавраил, Hebrew: בריאל gג, Modern Gavri'el Tiberian Gaḇrîʼēl - the strength of God; Latin: Gabrielus; Turkish: Cebrail; Greek: Γαβριήλ, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل, Jibrīl or جبرائيل Jibrail; Aramaic: Gabri-el, "God is my strong man/hero"[1]) is an archangel who serves as a messenger from God. He first appears in the Old Testament book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. Based on two passages in the Gospel of Luke, many Christians and Muslims believe Gabriel to have foretold the births of both John the Baptist and Jesus.
Islamic views state that Jibrail was the medium through whom God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, and that he sent a message to most prophets, if not all, revealing their obligations. He is called the chief of the four favored angels and the spirit of truth. He is called, by Muslims, the created Holy Spirit (Islam) that spoke to Muhammad,[2][3] which is not to be confused with the Holy Spirit of God in Christianity whom is revered as God Himself. Gabriel is also mentioned in Bahá'í Faith texts, specifically in Bahá'u'lláh's mystical work Seven Valleys.
According to the Biblical verses which specifically refer to him, Gabriel is likened to a mortal male. He is usually portrayed as male, but sometimes also androgynous or female, as in some New Age beliefs or contemporary art imagery.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10] In many nativity plays in schools, Gabriel is played by a female.
Contents[hide]
1 Christian references o 1.1 Old Testament o 1.2 New Testament o 1.3 Pseudepigraphy
2 Gabriel's Horn o 2.1 Feast days o 2.2 Latter-Day Saint view
3 Islamic references 4 Bahá'í references 5 Arts and media
o 5.1 Visual art o 5.2 Music o 5.3 Literature o 5.4 Radio, film and television o 5.5 Other media
6 Galleries of Gabriel in art o 6.1 Roman Catholic Marian art paintings o 6.2 Statues of Gabriel
Gabriel making the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. Painting by El Greco, 1575 (Museo del Prado, Madrid).
[edit] Old Testament
In the book of Daniel, chapters 8:15-26 and 9:20-27, a being resembling a man and identified as Gabriel appears to the prophet Daniel to give him "skill and understanding" regarding his visions. In chapters 10:5-12:13, an unidentified being "dressed in linen" with the appearance of a man speaks with Daniel regarding future events. He tells Daniel that he had been sent to him but had been withstood by the "prince of the kingdom of Persia" for 21 days and that Michael (who is called a "chief prince") had to intervene in order for him to reach Daniel. This messenger is not specifically named but is interpreted contextually by some Christians to be Gabriel once again.
[edit] New Testament
First, concerning John, an angel appeared to his parents, as narrated in Luke 1:10–20 (MKJV):
"And all the multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense. (11) And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense. (12) And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him.
(13) But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. (14) And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. (15) For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. (16) And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. (17) And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
(18) And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days.
(19) And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings. (20) And behold, you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their time.[end]
Shortly afterwards, announcing the forthcoming birth of Jesus, Gabriel is said to appear again, this time to Elizabeth's close relative Mary; see Luke 1:26–37 (MKJV)
(26) And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, (27) to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. (28) And the angel came in to her and said, Hail, one receiving grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.
(29) And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what kind of greeting this might be. (30) And the angel said to her, Do not fear, Mary, for you have found favor with God. (31) And behold! You shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. (32) He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give him the throne of his father David. (33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
(34) Then Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I do not know a man?
(35) And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One which will be born of you shall be called Son of God. (36) And behold, your cousin Elizabeth also conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. (37) For with God nothing shall be impossible.[end]
Gabriel only appears in these two passages in Luke and not in the other three Gospels.
According to the non-canonical Enoch 9:1–2, Gabriel, along with Michael, Raphael, Uriel and Suriel hear the cries of humanity under the strain of the Nephilim. It was their beseeching of "the Ancient of Days" (Yahweh), that prompted God to call Enoch to prophethood.
After Enoch informed the Watchers of their fall from grace, Yahweh sent the archangels to earth to complete various tasks. In Enoch 10:13, Gabriel was to "Go to the biters, to the reprobates, to the children of fornication, the offspring of the Watchers, from among men; bring them forth and excite them against one another. Let them perish under mutual slaughter; for length of days shall not be theirs." And so, Gabriel instigated wars among the Giants (the children of the Watchers).
Enoch 20:7 says that Gabriel presides over "Ikisat" (the fiery serpents) or Seraphim, Cherubim, and paradise, while Enoch 40:9 states that Gabriel presides over "all that is powerful." Gabriel sits on the left hand of God with Metatron.
[edit] Gabriel's Horn
Icons of Saint Gabriel (left) and Saint Helena (right) in the Church of Saint Mary, an Episcopal Church in Sagada, Mountain Province, Philippines.
In English-speaking culture, the image of Gabriel as the angel that shall blow the trumpet blast that initiates the end of time and the general resurrection at the Last Judgment, which has no source in the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament,[11] is a familiar trope; (This might be taken from Norse Heimdall who according to legends, will sound the Gjallarhorn, alerting the Æsir to the onset of Ragnarök where the world ends and is reborn.) it ranges from its first appearance in English in John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667)[12] to African-American spirituals: in Marc
Connelly's play based on spirituals, The Green Pastures (1930), Gabriel has his beloved trumpet constantly with him, and the Lord has to warn him not to blow it too soon.[13] Four years later "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" was introduced by Ethel Merman in Cole Porter's Anything Goes (1934). The mathematical figure given the modern name "Gabriel's Horn", was invented by Evangelista Torricelli (1608–1647); it is a paradoxical solid of revolution that has infinite surface area, but finite volume.
In Islamic tradition, though not specified in the Qur'an, the trumpeter sounding the trump of doom[14] is not Gabriel, but Israfel.
The earliest identification of Gabriel as the trumpeter that S. Vernon McCasland was able to trace was in an Armenian illuminated manuscript dated 1455, at the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.[15]
[edit] Feast days
Icon of Gabriel, Byzantium, ca. 1387–1395 (Tretyakov Gallery)
The feast of Saint Gabriel was included for the first time in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, for celebration on March 24. In 1969 it was transferred to 29 September for celebration together with St. Michael and St. Raphael.[16] The Church of England has also adopted the 29 September date.
The Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite celebrate his feast day on 8 November (for those churches that follow the traditional Julian Calendar, 8 November currently falls on 21 November of the modern Gregorian Calendar, a difference of 13 days). Eastern Orthodox commemorate him, not only on his November feast,
but also on two other days: 26 March is the "Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel" and celebrates his role in the Annunciation. 13 July is also known as the "Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel", and celebrates all the appearances and miracles attributed to Gabriel throughout history. The feast was first established on Mount Athos when, in the ninth century, during the reign of Emperor Basil II and the Empress Constantina Porphyrogenitus, while Nicholas II Chrysoberges|Nicholas Chrysoverges was Patriarch of Constantinople, the Archangel appeared in a cell near Karyes, where he wrote with his finger on a stone tablet the hymn to the Theotokos, "It is truly meet..." (see Axion Estin).[17]
The Ethiopian Church celebrates his feast on 28 December, with a sizeable number of its believers making a pilgrimage to a church dedicated to "Saint Gabriel" in Kulubi on that day.[18]
Additionally Gabriel is the patron saint of messengers, those who work for broadcasting and telecommunications such as radio and television, remote sensing, and postal workers.
[edit] Latter-Day Saint view
In Latter-day Saint theology, Gabriel lived in this mortal life as the patriarch Noah. Gabriel and Noah are regarded as the same individual; Noah being his mortal name and Gabriel being his heavenly name.[19] See also: Noah, Michael (archangel), Adam.
The Arabic name for Gabriel is Jibral, Jibril, Jibrīl,Jibrael,Djibril, Jabrilæ or Jibrail ( ,جبريل IPA: [dʒibræːʔiːl], [dʒibrɛʔiːl], or [dʒibriːl]) Muslims believe Gabriel to have been the ,جبرائيلangel who revealed the Qur'an to the prophet Muhammad.
Gabriel's physical appearance is described in the Hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari, 4:54:4:55):
Na By Abu Ishaq-Ash-Shaibani: I asked Zir bin Hubaish regarding the Statement of God: "And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer; So did (God) convey the inspiration to his servant (Gabriel) and then he (Gabriel) Conveyed (that to Muhammad). ([Qur'an 53:9]) From ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood, who said: the Messenger of God saw Gabriel in his true form. He had six hundred wings, each of which covered the horizon. There fell from his wings jewels, pearls and rubies, only God knows about them."[20]
Gabriel is regarded with the exact same respect by Muslims as all of the Prophets, and upon saying his name or referring to him a Muslim repeats: "peace be upon him". Gabriel's primary tasks are to bring messages from God to his messengers. As in Christianity, Gabriel is said to be the angel that informed Mary (Arabic Maryam مريم ) of how she would conceive Jesus (Isa):
She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then we sent to her our Ruh [angel Jibrael (Gabriel)], and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects. She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (God) from you, if you do fear God." (The angel) said: "I
am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son." She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?" He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: 'That is easy for me (God): And (we wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from us (God), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by God).' "(Quran, [Qur'an 19:17])
Muslims believe Gabriel to have accompanied Muhammad in his ascension to the heavens, where Muhammad also is said to have met previous messengers of God, and was informed about the Islamic prayer (Bukhari Sahih al-Bukhari, 1:8:345). Muslims also believe that Gabriel descends to Earth on the night of Laylat al-Qadr ("The Night of Destiny") not "the night of power" as some pepole think , its a night in the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar which is believed to be the night in which the Quran was first revealed.
Michael (archangel)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Saint Michael" redirects here. For other uses, see Saint Michael (disambiguation).
For Roman Catholic views and prayers, see: Saint Michael (Roman Catholic).
Guido Reni's archangel Michael (in the Capuchin church of Santa Maria della Concezione, Rome, 1636) tramples Satan. A mosaic of the same painting decorates St. Michael's Altar within St. Peter's Basilica.
Michael (Hebrew: מיכאל, Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Greek: Μιχαήλ, Mikhaḗl; Latin: Michael or Míchaël; Arabic: ميخائيل, Mikhaḗl) is an archangel in Hebrew, Christian and Islamic tradition. He is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God. He is mentioned by name in the Book of Daniel,[1] the Book of Jude [2] and the Book of Revelation in which he leads God's armies against Satan's forces during his uprising.[3] In the book of Daniel, Michael appears as "one of the chief princes"[1] who in Daniel's vision comes to the Archangel Gabriel's aid in his contest with the angel of Persia (Dobiel). Michael is also described there as the advocate of Israel and "great prince who stands up for the children of your [Daniel's] people".[4]
In Hebrew, the name Michael means "who is \\?like El (God)", which in Talmudic tradition is posed as a rhetorical question: "Who is like God?" to imply that no one is like God.[5]
Much of the late Midrashic detail about Michael was transmitted to Christianity through the Book of Enoch, whence it was taken up and further elaborated. In late medieval Christianity, Michael, together with Saint George, became the patron saint of chivalry, and of the first chivalric order of France, the Order of Saint Michael of 1469. In the British honours system, a chivalric order founded in 1818 is also named for these two saints, the Order of St Michael and St George. St Michael is also considered in many Christian circles as the patron saint of the warrior. Police officers and soldiers, particularly paratroopers and fighter pilots, regard him as their patron. He is also a patron of Germany[6], the City of Brussels [7] and Kiev.
Roman Catholics refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael. Orthodox Christians refer to him as the Taxiarch Archangel Michael or simply Archangel Michael.[8]
Contents[hide]
1 Hebrew Bible o 1.1 Book of Daniel o 1.2 Book of Joshua
2 Hebrew apocrypha o 2.1 War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness o 2.2 Book of Enoch o 2.3 Rabbinic traditions
3 Christian tradition o 3.1 Canonical New Testament o 3.2 Christian View
3.2.1 Apparitions of Saint Michael the Archangel o 3.3 Major shrines o 3.4 Jehovah's Witness belief o 3.5 Seventh-day Adventist belief
7 Literature 8 See also 9 Bibliography 10 References 11 External links
[edit] Hebrew Bible
The main icon of the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin (ca. 1410s).
[edit] Book of Daniel
The prophet Daniel experiences a vision after having undergone a period of fasting. In the vision, an angel identifies Michael as the protector of Israel (10:13, 21). Later in the vision (12:1), Daniel is informed that Michael will stand for Israel during the time of the End. There is no further mention of Michael in the Hebrew Bible.
[edit] Book of Joshua
Some believe the numinous "captain of the host of the Lord" encountered by Joshua in the early days of his campaigns in the Promised Land (Joshua 5:13-15) is Michael the Archangel. This unnamed heavenly messenger is of supernatural and holy origin, likely sent by God:
Once when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you one of us, or one of our adversaries?’ He replied, ‘Neither; but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and he said to him, ‘What do you command your servant, my lord?’ The commander of the army of the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so.
—Joshua 5:13-15 (NRSV)
There is some controversy about this passage, however. In other places in the Bible, angels do not accept the worship of humans (see Rev. 22:9 for an example); the willingness of this person to accept Joshua's worship implies that he was divine (e.g., a theophany of God). However, it is not clear whether the angel was the subject of Joshua's worship or merely instigated worship of God.
[edit] Hebrew apocrypha
[edit] War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness
Archangel Michael defeating Satan on the Coat of Arms of Arkhangelsk, Russia - a city named for this angel
In the War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness, Michael is described as the prince of light, leading forces of God against the darkness of evil, who is led by Belial. He is described as the "viceroy of heaven", a title that is said to have formerly belonged to Satan.[citation needed]
Michael is designated in the Book of Enoch, as "the prince of Israel" and the "archistratege" of God. He is the angel of forbearance and mercy (Enoch, xl:3) who taught Enoch the mysteries of clemency and justice (lxxi:2). Some speculate that the angel in the book of Jubilees (i:27 and ii:1), who is said to have instructed Moses on Mount Sinai and to have delivered to him the tables of the Law, may be Michael.
Enoch 9:1 states that Michael, along with Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel and Suriel heard the cries of men under the strain of the Watchers and their giant offspring. It was Michael and his compatriots that beseeched God on behalf of men, prompting Yahweh to call Enoch to prophethood.
In Enoch 10:15 Yahweh says to Michael; "Go and announce his crime to Samyaza, and to the others who are with him, who have been associated with women, that they might be polluted with all their impurity. And when all their sons shall be slain, when they shall see the perdition of their beloved, bind them for seventy generations underneath the earth, even to the day of Judgement, and of consummation, until the judgement, the effect of which will last forever and be completed."
Enoch 20:5 says that Michael presides over human virtue in order to command nations.
Enoch 24:4-10 has Enoch before the Tree of Life/Mercy, and Michael explains to him that he should not touch it, for it is for those who are 'elect' after the day of Judgement.
Enoch 40:8 says that Michael is patient and merciful.
Enoch 53:6 states that Michael, along with Gabriel, Raphael and Phanuel shall be strengthened during the Battle of Armageddon.
Enoch 58 shows Enoch overcome with terror over a vision he has, and Michael is quick to interpret. The terror is only for those who turn on Yahweh, that the Day of Judgement is for the elect, a day of covenant, while for sinners it is a day of inquisition.
Enoch 66:14-15 has Michael explaining to Enoch that the evil spirits [demons] shall bear witness against those of the flesh who supported them. Yet Enoch is told that Michael holds a secret oath so that the elect shall not perish by their knowledge like the sinners, Enoch 68:20-22.
Enoch 70:11-16 shows that Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Phanuel always 'escort' Yahweh [God the Father], whenever he leaves his throne.
Statue of Archangel Michael slaying Satan represented as a dragon. Quis ut Deus? is inscribed on his shield.
According to rabbinic Jewish tradition, Michael acted as the advocate of Israel, and sometimes had to fight with the princes of the other nations (cf. Daniel 10:13) and particularly with the angel Samael, Israel's accuser. Michael's enmity with Samael dates from the time when the latter was thrown down from heaven. Samael took hold of the wings of Michael, whom he wished to bring down with him in his fall; but Michael was saved by God (Midrash Pirke R. El. xxvi.).[9]
The rabbis declare that Michael entered upon his role of defender at the time of the biblical patriarchs. Thus, according to Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob, it was Michael who rescued Abraham from the furnace into which he had been thrown by Nimrod (Midrash Genesis Rabbah xliv. 16). It was Michael, the "one that had escaped" (Genesis 14:13), who told Abraham that Lot had been taken captive (Midrash Pirke R. El.), and who protected Sarah from being defiled by Abimelech. He announced to Sarah that she would bear a son and he rescued Lot at the destruction of Sodom (Talmud B. M. 86b).
It is said that Michael prevented Isaac from being sacrificed by his father by substituting a ram in his place, and saved Jacob, while yet in his mother's womb, from being killed by Samael (Midr. Abkir, in Yalḳ., Gen. 110). Later Michael prevented Laban from harming Jacob (Pirke R. El. xxxvi.). According to one source, it was Michael who wrestled with Jacob and who afterward blessed him (Targum pseudo-Jonathan to Genesis xxxii. 25; Pirke R. El. xxxvii.).
The midrash Exodus Rabbah holds that Michael exercised his function of advocate of Israel at the time of the Exodus also, when Satan (as an adversary) accused the Israelites of idolatry and declared that they were consequently deserving of death by drowning in the Red Sea (Ex. R. xviii. 5). But according to Midr. Abkir, when Uzza, the tutelar angel of Egypt, summoned Michael to plead before God, Michael remained silent, and it was God himself who defended Israel.
Wood sculpture of Archangel Michael, Szalowa, Poland, 18 century.
Legend makes Michael the teacher of Moses; so that the Israelites are indebted to their advocate for the supreme good of the Torah. This idea is alluded to in Midrash Deuteronomy Rabbah xi. 6 in the statement that Michael declined to bring Moses' soul to God on the ground that he had been Moses' teacher.
Michael is said to have destroyed the army of Sennacherib (Midrash Exodus Rabbah xviii. 5), a deed normally attributed to an otherwise unnamed angel of destruction but perhaps accomplished by Uriel, Gabriel, or others.
Michael is also credited with being the angel who spoke to Moses in the burning bush (an honor often bestowed upon Zagzagel).
He is accepted in lore as well as being the special patron of Adam. Supposedly he was the first angel in all of the heavens to bow down before humanity.[10] Michael then kept an eye on the first family, remaining vigilant even after the fall of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
In the apocryphal Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan, Michael taught Adam how to farm. The archangel later brought Adam to heaven in a fiery chariot, giving him a tour of the blessed realm. After Adam's death, Michael helped convince the Lord to permit Adam's soul to be brought to heaven and cleansed of its great sin. Jewish legend also states Michael to be one of the three "men" who visited Abraham. He is said to have tried to prevent Israel from being led into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar II and to save the Temple from destruction; but the sins of the people were so great that he was powerless to carry his purposes into effect. There is a legend which seems to be of Jewish origin, and which was adopted by the Copts, to the effect that Michael was first sent by God to bring Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem, and that Michael was afterward very active in freeing his nation from Babylonian captivity (Amélineau, "Contes et Romans de l'Egypte Chrétienne," ii. 142 et seq.). According to a midrash, Michael saved Hananiah and his companions from the Fiery furnace (Midrash Genesis Rabbah xliv. 16). Michael was active in the time of Esther: "The more Haman accused Israel on earth, the more Michael defended Israel in heaven" (Midrash Esther Rabbah iii. 8). It was Michael who reminded Ahasuerus that he was Mordecai's debtor (Targum to Esther vi. 1); and there is a legend that Michael appeared to the high priest Hyrcanus, promising him assistance (comp. Josephus, "Ant." xiii. 10, § 3).
The motif of Michael and the dragon appears in Michael's fight with Samael in Assumptio Mosis, x.). This legend is not found in Jewish sources except insofar as Samael or Satan is called in the Kabbalah "the primitive serpent".
The idea that Michael was the advocate of the Jews became so prevalent that in spite of the rabbinical prohibition against appealing to angels as intermediaries between God and his people, Michael came to occupy a certain place in the Jewish liturgy. There were two prayers written beseeching him as the prince of mercy to intercede in favor of Israel: one composed by Eliezer ha-Kalir, and the other by Judah b. Samuel he-Hasid. But appeal to Michael seems to have been more common in ancient times. Thus Jeremiah is said (Baruch Apoc. Ethiopic, ix. 5) to have addressed a prayer to him. "When a man is in need he must pray directly to God, and neither to Michael nor to Gabriel" (Yer. Ber. ix. 13a).
With regard to the nature of the offerings which Michael brings to the altar, one opinion is that they are the souls of the just, while according to another they are fiery sheep. The former opinion, which has become prevalent in Jewish mystical writings, explains the important position occupied by Michael in Jewish eschatology. The idea that Michael is the Charon of individual souls, which is common among Christians, is not found in Jewish sources, but that he is in charge of the souls of the just appears in many Jewish writings.
Michael is said to have had a dispute with Samael over the soul of Moses (Midrash Deut. Rabbah xi. 6.) According to the Zohar, Michael accompanies the souls of the pious and helps them to enter the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem. It is said that Michael and his host are stationed at the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem and give admittance to the souls of the just. Michael's function is to open the gates also of justice to the just. It is also said that at the resurrection, Gabriel will sound the trumpet, at which the graves will open and the dead will rise.
In the Epistle of Jude St Michael disputes with the Devil over the body of Moses.[12] In the Book of Revelation "...there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him."[13] Saint John describes Satan being thrown out of heaven three and a half years from the end of the age, "a time, times and half a time".[14] Satan being thrown from heaven coincides with the "abomination that causes desolation" spoken of by Daniel [15]. In Catholic teachings, Saint Michael will also triumph at the end times when he defeats Antichrist.[16] The Book of Daniel (12:1) states: "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise."[11]
[edit] Christian View
According to some Christian theologians, Saint Michael may appear in Scripture where his name is not mentioned. Examples of this include the cherub who stood at the gate of paradise, "to keep the way of the tree of life" (Genesis 3:24), the angel through whom God published the Decalogue to his chosen people, the angel who stood in the way against Balaam (Numbers 22:22 sqq.), the angel who routed the army of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:35).
It may have been natural to St Michael, the champion of the Jewish people, to be the champion also of Christians, giving victory in war to his clients. The early Christians, however, regarded some of the martyrs as their military patrons: Saint George, Saint Theodore, Saint Demetrius, Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Saint Procopius, Saint Mercurius, etc.; but to St Michael they gave the care of their sick. At the place where he was first venerated, in Phrygia (modern-day Turkey), his prestige as an angelic healer obscured his interposition in military affairs. It was from early times the centre of the true cult of the holy angels, particularly of St Michael. Church tradition relates that Saint Michael in the earliest ages caused a medicinal spring to spout at Chairotopa, near Colossae, where all the sick who bathed there, invoking the Blessed Trinity and St Michael, were cured.
The Miracle of St. Michael at Chonae, 12th-century icon from Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai.
Still more famous are the legends of the springs which St. Michael is said to have drawn from the rock at Colossae (Chonae, on the Lycus). Church tradition tells that the pagans directed a stream against the sanctuary of St. Michael to destroy it, but the custodian of the shrine, named Archippus, prayed to St. Michael, and the archangel appeared and split the rock, opening up a new bed to divert the stream, and forever sanctified the waters which came from the gorge. The Orthodox Church believes that this apparition took place about the middle of the first century and celebrates a feast in commemoration of it on September 6[17] as the "Miracle of the Archangel Michael at Chonae."[18] The Monastery of the Miracle in the Moscow Kremlin, where the Russian Tsars were baptized, was dedicated to the Feast of the Miracle at Chonae (Kona). Hot springs at Pythia in Bithynia and elsewhere in Asia Minor were also dedicated to St Michael.
At Constantinople likewise, Saint Michael was a great heavenly physician. His principal sanctuary, the "Michaelion", was at Sosthenion, some fifty miles south of Constantinople. He supposedly visited Emperor Constantine the Great at Constantinople, intervened in assorted battles, and appeared, sword in hand, over the mausoleum of Hadrian, in apparent answer to the prayers of Pope St. Gregory I the Great (r. 590-604) that a plague in Rome should cease. In honor of the occasion, the pope took to calling the mausoleum the "Castel Sant'Angelo" (Castle of the Holy Angel), the name by which it is still known. The sick slept in this church at night to wait for a manifestation of St Michael; his feast was kept there June 9.
Another famous church was within the walls of the city, at the baths of Arcadius; there the synaxis of the archangel was celebrated November 8. This feast spread over the entire Greek Church, and the Syrian, Armenian, and Coptic Churches also adopted it. It is currently the principal feast of St Michael amongst the Eastern Christians. Although originating in Phrygia, its station at Constantinople was known as the "Thermae of Arcadius" (Martinow, "Annus Graeco-slavicus", November 8). Other feasts of St Michael at Constantinople were: October 27, in the "Promotu" Church; June 18, in the Church of St Julian at the Forum; and December 10, at Athaea.
Archangel Michael as represented on a coin of Emperor Michael V.
The early Christians of Egypt placed their life-giving river, the Nile, under the protection of Saint Michael; they adopted the above Greek feast and keep it on November 12. On the twelfth of every month they celebrate a special Commemoration of the Archangel Michael. In addition,
on June 12, when the Nile river commences to rise, they keep as a day of obligation the feast of "St Michael for the rising of the Nile."
At Rome, the Leonine Sacramentary (sixth century) has the "Natale Basilicae Angeli via Salaria", September 30; of the five Masses for the feast, three mention St Michael. The Gelasian Sacramentary (seventh century) gives the feast "S. Michaelis Archangeli", and the Gregorian Sacramentary (eighth century), "Dedicatio Basilionis S. Angeli Michaelis", September 29. A manuscript also here adds "via Salaria" (Ebner, "Miss. Rom. Iter Italicum", 127). This Church of the Via Salaria was six miles to the north of the city; in the ninth century it was called Basilica Archangeli in Septimo (Armellini, "Chiese di Roma", p. 85). It disappeared a thousand years ago. At Rome also the part of heavenly physician was given to St Michael. According to a legend of the tenth century, he appeared over the Moles Hadriani (Castel di S. Angelo), in 950, during the procession which St. Gregory held against the pestilence, putting an end to the plague. Pope Boniface IV (608-15) built on the Moles Hadriani in honour of him, a church, which was styled St. Michaelis inter nubes (in summitate circi).[19]
Fontaine Saint-Michel in Paris
In Normandy, Saint Michael is the patron of mariners in his famous sanctuary at Mont-Saint-Michel in the Diocese of Coutances. He is said to have appeared there, in 708, to St. Aubert, Bishop of Avranches. In Normandy, his feast, "S. Michaelis in periculo maris", or "in Monte Tumba", was universally celebrated on October 18, the anniversary of the dedication of the first church, October 16, 710; the feast is now confined to the Diocese of Coutances.
In Germany, after its evangelization, Saint Michael replaced for the Christians the pagan god Wotan, to whom many mountains were sacred, hence the numerous mountain chapels of St. Michael all over Germany. He is also known as the patron saint of the German Nation. His picture bedecked the war standard of the old German Empire (the Holy Roman Empire).
The hymns of the Roman Office are said to have been composed by Saint Rabanus Maurus of Fulda (d. 856). The hymn "Te Splendor" to Saint Michael (which derives its name from the fact that in Latin it begins with Te splendor et virtus Patris) is published in the Raccolta collection of prayers with indulgences, and, in 1817, Pope Pius VII granted an indulgence for saying the hymn.[20]
In art, St Michael is represented as an angelic warrior, fully armed with helmet, sword, and shield (often the shield bears the Latin inscription: "Quis ut Deus?"), standing over the dragon, whom he sometimes pierces with a lance. He also holds a pair of scales in which he weighs the souls of the departed (cf. Rock, "The Church of Our Fathers", III, 160), or the Book of Life, to show that he takes part in the judgment. Michelangelo depicted this scene on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.[21]
His feast (September 29) in the Middle Ages was celebrated as a holy day of obligation, as he was the patron of knights, but along with several other feasts it was gradually abolished since the eighteenth century. Michaelmas Day, in England and other countries, is one of the regular quarter-days for settling rents and accounts; but it is no longer remarkable for the hospitality with which it was formerly celebrated. Stubble-geese being esteemed in perfection about this time, most families had one dressed on Michaelmas Day. In some parishes, (such as the Isle of Skye,) they had a procession on this day and baked a cake, called St Michael's bannock.
Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians often refer to the angel Michael as "Saint Michael", an honorific title that does not indicate canonisation. He is generally referred to in Christian litanies as "Saint Michael the Archangel." Orthodoxy accords him the title "Archistrategos", or "Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts."
St Michael's Victory over the Devil, sculpture above the main entrance to St. Michaelis in Hamburg, Germany.
Saint Michael was usually honored on mountain tops and high places, and many famous shrines to him survive on those places, often replacing shrines of pre-Christian gods concerned with weather, like Wotan.
In Greek folklore, St Michael also assumed the god Hermes' role as the psychopomp who leads souls to Hades, and in the role of weigher of souls on Judgment Day. A related folk belief is that St Michael's face can only be seen by the dead and by those about to die. It is for this reason that some folk icons depict him without a face.
The Altar of the Chapel of Saint Michael, an Episcopal Church in Sagada, Mountain Province, Mountain Province, Philippines.
In the Roman Catholic Church, Saint Michael has four main roles or offices.[22] He is the Christian angel of death, carrying the souls of all the deceased to heaven, where they are weighed in his perfectly balanced scales (hence Michael is often depicted holding scales). At the hour of death, Michael descends and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing, thus
consternating the devil and his minions. St Michael is the special patron of the Chosen People in the Old Testament and is guardian of the Church; it was thus not unusual for the angel to be revered by the military orders of knights during the Middle Ages. Last, he is the supreme enemy of Satan and the fallen angels.
In the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and the Lutheran Calendar of Saints, his feast day, once widely known as Michaelmas, is celebrated September 29 and was one of the four quarter days on which accounts were settled and, in England, when terms began in universities. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, his principal feast day is November 8 (November 21 by most Orthodox churches since they use the Julian calendar), where he is honored along with the rest of the "Bodiless Powers of Heaven" as their Supreme Commander, and his miraculous appearance at Colossae (see below) is commemorated on September 6.
The last visit, that of his appearance over the mausoleum of Hadrian, certified one major aspect involving Michael, namely his role as an angel of healing. This title was bestowed at Phrygia, in Asia Minor, which also propagated the cult of angels and became a leading center for their veneration. St Michael is reputed to have caused a healing spring to flow in the first century at Colossae, and his churches were frequently visited by the sick and lame. The angel is invoked additionally as the patron of sailors in Normandy (the famous monastery of Mont Saint Michel on the north coast of France is named after him). He is especially remembered in France as the angel who, along with Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret, gave Saint Joan of Arc the courage to save her country from the English during the Hundred Years' War (1337–1455). Perhaps his most singular honor was given to him in 1950 when Pope Pius XII (r. 1939-1958) named him patron of policemen. St Michael is also said to have announced to the Virgin Mary her impending death, declaring himself to be "Great and Wonderful."
A monument to St. Michael, the patron of Kiev at the Independence Square in the center of the city.
According to legend, Michael instructed St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches to build a church on the rocky islet now known as Mont Saint Michel in 708. Also dedicated to Michael was the French Order of St Michel founded in 1469.[23] Today, however, he is more usually associated with
police officers, paramedics, EMTs and other emergency workers.[24] He is also claimed as the patron saint of the American airborne units. He is the patron of Ukraine and its capital Kiev and of the archdiocese of Seattle.
In Australia, National Police Remembrance day is commemorated on September 29 each year, being the feast day of St Michael.
Under the influence of the widely read angelology of the Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, among Church fathers much time was spent allotting Michael a rank in the celestial hierarchy: Alfonso Salmeron, Cardinal Bellarmine, Saint Basil the Great's homily (De Angelis) and other Greek fathers place Saint Michael over all the angels; they say he is called "Archangel" because he is the prince of the other angels. Others (cf. P. Bonaventura, op. cit.) believe that he is the prince of the Seraphim, the first of the nine angelic orders. According to Saint Thomas Aquinas (Summa Ia. 113.3), he is the Prince of the last and lowest choir, the angels.
The hymn of the Mozarabic Breviary places St Michael even above the Twenty-four Elders.
A favorite angelic subject in art, matched only by Saint Gabriel, Saint Michael is often depicted as winged and with unsheathed sword. As with all angels' iconography, his wings represent swiftness, his sword means authority or power, and his white raiment stands for his enlightenment.[25] In the Renaissance period, he is shown as young, strong, and handsome, and is most often depicted as a proud, handsome angel in white or magnificent armor or a splendid coat of mail and equipped with sword, shield and spear. His wings are generally conspicuous and very grand. He is usually shown holding in his hand a banner or the scales of justice. Quite often he is seen, like Saint George and in some representations of the Madonna, in conflict with a dragon or standing upon a vanquished devil, who most of the time is Satan.
In Homage to him, King James IV of Scotland named the colossal Carrack, Great Michael, after him. A particular honour considering that it was the largest wind-powered warship of the 16th century.
The Miracle of St. Michael at Chonae, 15th-century Russian icon.
The Sacred Tradition of the Orthodox Church celebrates the Miracle of the Archangel Michael at Chonae in Phrygia. According to the account, pagans diverted the stream of the river Lycus against the sanctuary of St. Michael there to destroy it, but Michael the Archangel appeared and split the rock by lightning (or, according to some accounts, with a spear) to open up a new bed for the stream, directing the flow away from the church and sanctifying forever the waters which came from the new gorge. The Orthodox celebrate a feast day in commemoration of this event on 6 September. The Monastery of the Miracle (Chudov Monastery) in the Moscow Kremlin, where the Russian Tsars were baptized, was dedicated to the Feast of the Miracle at Chonae.
The Roman Breviary for May 8 relates the story of the apparition of Saint Michael (494 or 530-40) at his sanctuary on Monte Gargano, where his original glory as patron in war was restored to him. This is further alluded to in a paragraph listed for the feast day of St Michael on this date found in the "Saint Andrew Daily Missal."[26] To his intercession, the Lombards of Sipontum (modern-day Manfredonia) attributed their victory over the Greek Neapolitans May 8, 663. To commemorate this victory, the Church of Sipontum instituted a special feast on May 8 in honour of the archangel, which spread throughout the Latin Church under the name "Apparition of St Michael", although it originally commemorated the victory, not the apparition. The Tridentine Calendar gave this feast the rank of "Double", which was raised in 1602 to the newly invented rank of "Greater Double". In 1960, Pope John XXIII removed it from the General Roman Calendar, along with other cases of second feasts of a single saint.[27]
Also a Portuguese Carmelite nun, Antónia d'Astónaco, had reported an apparition and private revelation of the Archangel Michael who had told to this devoted Servant of God, in 1751, that he would like to be honored, and God glorified, by the praying of nine special invocations. These nine invocations correspond to invocations to the nine choirs of angels and origins the famous
Chaplet of Saint Michael. This private revelation and prayers were approved by Pope Pius IX in 1851.[28][29]
During the years 1961 to 1965, four young schoolgirls had reported several apparitions of Saint Michael the Archangel in the small village of San Sebastian de Garabandal, in Cantabria, north Spain. At Garabandal, the apparitions of the Archangel Michael were mainly reported as announcing the arrivals of the Virgin Mary. The Catholic Church has never condemned Garabandal apparitions, and the Vatican has never made an official pronouncement.[30]
UrielFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Light of God" redirects here. For the title of Lucifer, see god of light.
Fresco by Dionisius depicting the Archangel Uriel. (Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Ferapontov Monastery, Russia).
Saint Uriel (אוריאל "El/God is my light]", Auriel/Oriel (god is my light) Standard Hebrew Uriʾel, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÛrîʾēl) is one of the archangels of post-Exilic Rabbinic tradition, and also of certain Christian traditions. His name may have analogies with Uriah.
In apocryphal, kabbalistic and occult works Uriel has been equated or confused with Nuriel, Uryan, Jeremiel, Vretil, Sariel, Suriel, Puruel, Phanuel, Jehoel, Jacob, Ezrail/Azrael and Israfil/Raphael.
o 1.1 Name and origins o 1.2 In Enoch o 1.3 In Anglican tradition
2 In literature and popular culture o 2.1 In literature o 2.2 In other media
3 See also 4 Notes 5 Further reading 6 External links
[edit] In Judaism and Christianity
[edit] Name and origins
The angels mentioned in the older books of the Hebrew Bible are without names. Indeed, rabbi Simeon ben Lakish of Tiberias (230–270), asserted that all the specific names for the angels were brought back by the Jews from Babylon, and some modern commentators would tend to agree. Of the seven Archangels in the angelology of post-Exilic Judaism, only two, Gabriel and Michael, are mentioned by name in the Scriptures consistently recognised by both the Jewish tradition and the biblical canon of the universal Christian Church. Raphael features prominently in the deuterocanonical book Tobit (initially accepted by both the Jewish and Christian canons, but removed from the Jewish canon in late antiquity and rejected by the Protestant reformers in the 17th century).
Where a fourth archangel is added to the named three, to represent the four cardinal points, Uriel is generally the fourth.[1] Uriel is listed as the fourth angel in Christian Gnostics (under the name Phanuel), by Gregory the Great, and in the angelology of Pseudo-Dionysius. However, the Book of Enoch clearly distinguishes the two Angels; Uriel means 'the Light of God' while Phanuel has a different meaning. Uriel is the third angel listed in the Testament of Solomon, the fourth being Sabrael.
Uriel also appears in the Second Book of Esdras,[2] found in the Apocrypha section of many bibles, which makes up part of the apocalyptic literature of Esdras, in which the prophet Ezra asks God a series of questions, and Uriel is sent by God to instruct him. According to the Revelation of Esdras, the angels that will rule at the end of the world are Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, Gabuthelon, Beburos, Zebuleon, Aker, and Arphugitonos. The last five listed only appear in this book and nowhere else in apocryphal or apocalyptic works.
Uriel, right, in the Virgin of the Rocks (Louvre version) by Leonardo da Vinci, 1483-86.
In Christian apocryphal gospels Uriel plays a role, differing between sources, in the rescue of Jesus's cousin John the Baptist from the Massacre of the Innocents ordered by King Herod. He carries John and his mother Saint Elizabeth to join the Holy Family after their Flight into Egypt. Their reunion is depicted in Leonardo da Vinci's Virgin of the Rocks.
Uriel is often identified as a cherub and angel of repentance.[3] He "stands at the Gate of Eden with a fiery sword,"[4] or as the angel who "watches over thunder and terror."[5] In the Apocalypse of Peter he appears as the Angel of Repentance, who is graphically represented as being as pitiless as any demon. In the Life of Adam and Eve, Uriel is regarded as the spirit (i.e., one of the cherubs) of the third chapter of Genesis. He is also identified as one of the angels who helped bury Adam and Abel in Paradise.
Stemming from medieval Jewish mystical traditions, Uriel has also become the Angel of Sunday (Jewish Encyclopedia), the Angel of Poetry, and one of the Holy Sephiroth. Uriel is depicted as the destroyer of the hosts of Sennacherib.
He checked the doors of Egypt for lamb's blood during the plague. He also holds the key to the Pit during the End Times and led Abraham to the West.
In modern angelology, Uriel is identified variously as a seraph, cherub, regent of the sun, flame of God, angel of the Divine Presence, presider over Tartarus (hell), archangel of salvation, and, in later scriptures, identified with Phanuel "face of God." He is often depicted carrying a book or a papyrus scroll representing wisdom. Uriel is a patron of the Arts.
"The Angelic Council" ("Ангелскй Собор"). Eastern Orthodox Church icon of the "Seven Archangels." From left to right: St Jehudiel, St Gabriel, St Selatiel, St Michael, St Uriel, St Raphael, St Barachiel. Beneath the mandorla of Christ Emmanuel are representations of Cherubim (blue) and Seraphim (red).
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Uriel is commemorated together with the other archangels and angels with a feast day of the "Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers" on November 8 of the liturgical calendar (for those churches which follow the Julian Calendar, November 8 falls on November 21 of the modern Gregorian Calendar). In addition, every Monday throughout the year is dedicated to the angels.
In Thomas Heywood's Hierarchy of Blessed Angels (1635), Uriel is described as an Angel of the Earth. Heywood's list is actually of the Angels of the Four Winds: Uriel (south), Michael (east), Raphael (west) (serving also a governor of the south, with Uriel), and Gabriel (north). He is also listed as an Angel of the four winds in the medieval Jewish Book of the Angel Raziel[6] which lists him as Usiel (Uzziel); according to it, this book was inscribed on a sapphire stone and handed down from Seraph to Metatron and then to Adam.
At the Council of Rome of 745, Pope St. Zachary, intending to clarify the Church's teaching on the subject of angels and curb a tendency toward angel worship, condemned obsession with angelic intervention and angelolatry, but reaffirmed the approval of the practice of the reverence of angels. This synod struck many angels' names from the list of those eligible for veneration in the Church of Rome, including Uriel. Only the reverence of the archangels mentioned in the recognized Catholic canon of scriptures, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, remained licit.
In the first half of the 11th century Bulgarian followers of the dualist heresy called Bogomilism who lived in the dukedom of Ahtum in present day Banat invoked Uriel in rituals. This is witnessed by St. Gerard, Roman Catholic bishop of the area after 1028.
In Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's translation of The Golden Legend, Uriel is one of the angels of the seven planets. Uriel is the angel of Mars. He is also listed as such in Benjamin Camfield's A Theological Discourse of Angels (1678).[7]
Possibly Uriel's highest position is that of an Angel of Presence, Prince of Presence, Angel of the Face, Angel of Sanctification, Angel of Glory. A Prince of the Presence is an angel who is allowed to enter the presence of God. Uriel along with Suriel, Jehoel, Zagagel, Akatriel, Metatron, Yefefiah, Satanel, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Nathanel (Zathael) holds this position. The Angel of His Presence title is often taken to mean Shekinah but it and the other terms mentioned are also often used as alternate names for the angel Metatron. R. H. Charles comments in his translation of The Book Of Enoch that in later Judaism "we find Uriel instead of Phanuel" as one of the four angels of the presence.
A scriptural reference to an angel of presence is found in Isaiah 63:9 —
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
[edit] In Enoch
Main article: Book of Enoch
The Book of Enoch, which presents itself as written by Enoch, mentions Uriel in many of the component books. In Chapter IX which is part of "The Book of the Watchers" (2nd century BCE) only four Angels are mentioned by name these are Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel. However the later Chapter XX lists the name and function of seven archangels these are "Uriel, one of the holy angels, who is over the world and over Tartarus", Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqâêl, Gabriel, and Remiel.
The Book of the Watchers as a whole tells us that Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel were present before God to testify on behalf of Humankind. They wish to ask for divine intervention during the reign of the Fallen Gregori (Fallen Watchers). These fallen take human wives and produced half-angel, half-human offspring called the Nephilim. Uriel is responsible for contacting Noah about the upcoming Great Flood.
Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him: "<Go to Noah> and tell him in my name 'Hide thyself!' and reveal to him the end that is approaching: that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come upon the whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it."
After judgment has been brought on the Nephilim and the fallen ones including the two main leaders Samyaza and Azazel, Uriel discusses their fates.
"And Uriel said to me: 'Here shall stand the angels who have connected themselves with women, and their spirits assuming many different forms are defiling mankind and shall lead
them astray into sacrificing to demons 'as gods', (here shall they stand,) till 'the day of' the great judgment in which they shall be judged till they are made an end of. And the women also of the angels who went astray shall become sirens.' And I, Enoch alone, saw the vision, the ends of all things; and no man shall see as I have seen."
Uriel then acts as a guide for Enoch for the rest of the Book of Watchers. He fulfills this capacity in many of the other books that make up 1 Enoch.
[edit] In Anglican tradition
In the traditions and hagiography of the Episcopal and other Anglican churches, Uriel is mentioned as an archangel. He is also recognized as the Patron Saint of the Sacrament of Confirmation.[8][9][10][11]
The Anglican intercessional prayer to Saint Uriel the Archangel is as follows;
Oh holy Saint Uriel, intercede for us that our hearts may burn with the fire of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Assist us in co-operating with the graces of our confirmation that the gifts of the
Holy Spirit may bear much fruit in our souls.
Obtain for us the grace to use the sword of truth to pare away all that is not in conformity to the most adorable
Will of God in our lives, that we may fully participate in the army of the Church
Amen[12]
[edit] In literature and popular culture
[edit] In literature
In Milton's Paradise Lost Book III, Uriel, in charge of the Orb of the Sun, serves as the eyes of God, but unwittingly steers Satan towards the newly-created earth. He also fills the role of fourth cardinal point (see above). Milton describes him as the "sharpest sighted spirit in all of Heaven." He is also responsible along with Raphael for defeating Adramelech.
In Haydn's Creation, Uriel (tenor) is one of the three angelic narrators (with Gabriel (soprano) and Raphael (bass).
In Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "Uriel", regarded as a poetic summary of many strains of thought in Emerson's early philosophy, Uriel is a young god in Paradise, who upsets the world of gods by proclaiming relativism and the eternal return.
In George Eliot's Middlemarch, ch. XLI, to Uriel, "watching the progress of planetary history from the sun, the one result would be just as much of a coincidence as the other".
In Madeleine L'Engle's book, A Wrinkle In Time, Uriel is a fictional planet of the galaxy Messier 101 with mountains and beautiful flowers. In L'Engle's novel Many Waters, Uriel is a character, one of the Seraphim.
In Dean Koontz's book Hideaway, Uriel speaks and acts through Hatch, one of the book's protagonists, to battle the demon Vassago, who "hitched a ride" with Jeremy Nyeborn after he was reanimated.
In Katherine Kurtz's series of novels Chronicles of the Deryni, Uriel is the angel of death, escorting souls across the line of life to the afterlife.
In Clive Barker's novel Weaveworld, the Scourge declares its eternal name as Uriel. The main character Cal recognizes learning Uriel one name "...of all the angels and archangels by heart: and amongst the mighty Uriel was of the mightiest. The archangel of salvation; called by some the flame of God." and "Uriel had been the angel left to stand guard at the gates of Eden."
In the apocrypha of White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade series, Uriel is the last of the angels sent to Cain, after Cain rejects the offers of redemption from Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Uriel tells Cain of Golconda, and that it is the last road of redemption open to Cain and his "children".
In Jim Butcher's novel, Small Favor, Uriel is a subtle but powerful player in the war with the Black Council and the Fallen/Denarians. Called the "Watchman", he only reveals himself to the book's protagonist, Harry Dresden, as a janitor named "Jake". In the novel, Harry receives the power of soulfire and believes that it came from Uriel. He is also referred to as Heaven's "spook". Uriel also appears at the end of Jim Butcher's novella The Warrior, which was released as a part of the anthology, Mean Streets.
In Angelglass by David Barnett, Uriel meddles in Earth's affairs and is cast down to see if he can "improve" the course of history by personal intervention.
In William J. Clark's novel, Winning the Lottery, Uriel is the guardian angel of the narrator, and later of his wife and children. He and the other three archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, play an active role in various plot elements, and become a common thread in an attempt to open a dialog between the Western and the Muslim worlds.
This article is about the spiritual beings. For other uses, see Angel (disambiguation).
Song of the Angels by Bouguereau, 1825–1905.
Angels are messengers of God in the Hebrew Bible (translating מלאך), the New Testament and the Quran. The term "angel" has also been expanded to various notions of "spiritual beings" found in many other religious traditions. Other roles of angels include protecting and guiding human beings.
The theological study of angels is known as angelology. In art, angels are often depicted with wings, ultimately reflecting the descriptions in the Hebrew Bible, such as the chayot in Ezekiel's Merkabah vision or the Seraphim of Isaiah.
Contents[hide]
1 Etymology 2 Judaism 3 Christianity
o 3.1 Interaction with angels o 3.2 Iconography o 3.3 Latter Day Saints o 3.4 New Church (Swedenborgian)
6.2.1 Sikhism 7 New religious movements and occultism
o 7.1 Theosophy 8 Contemporary study 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External links
[edit] Etymology
Three angels hosted by Abraham, Ludovico Carracci (1555 - 1619), Bologna, Pinacoteca Nazionale.
The word angel in English is a fusion of the Old English word engel (with a hard g) and the Old French angele. Both derive from the Latin angelus which in turn is the romanization of the ancient Greek ἄγγελος (angelos), "messenger".[1] The earliest form of the word is the Mycenaean a-ke-ro attested in Linear B syllabic script.[2][3]
[edit] JudaismThe Bible uses the terms מלאך אלהים (mal'akh Elohim; messenger of God), מלאך יהוה (mal'akh Adonai; messenger of the Lord), בני אלהים (b'nai Elohim; sons of God) and הקודשים (ha-
qodeshim; the holy ones) to refer to beings traditionally interpreted as angels. Other terms are used in later texts, such as העליונים (ha'elyoneem; the upper ones). Daniel is the first biblical figure to refer to individual angels by name.[4]
In post-Biblical Judaism, certain angels came to take on a particular significance and developed unique personalities and roles. Though these archangels were believed to have rank amongst the heavenly host, no systematic hierarchy ever developed. Metatron is considered one of the highest of the angels in Merkabah and Kabbalist mysticism and often serves as a scribe. He is briefly mentioned in the Talmud,[5] and figures prominently in Merkabah mystical texts. Michael, who serves as a warrior and advocate for Israel (Daniel 10:13) is looked upon particularly fondly. Gabriel is mentioned in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 8:15–17), the Book of Tobit, and briefly in the Talmud,[6] as well as many Merkabah mystical texts. There is no evidence in Judaism for the worship of angels, but evidence for the invocation and sometimes even conjuration of angels.[7]
Medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides explained his view of angels in his Guide for the Perplexed II:4 and II:6:
...This leads Aristotle in turn to the demonstrated fact that God, glory and majesty to Him, does not do things by direct contact. God burns things by means of fire; fire is moved by the motion of the sphere; the sphere is moved by means of a disembodied intellect, these intellects being the 'angels which are near to Him', through whose mediation the spheres [planets] move... thus totally disembodied minds exist which emanate from God and are the intermediaries between God and all the bodies [objects] here in this world.
– Guide for the Perplexed II:4, Maimonides
According to Kabalah, there are four worlds and our world is the last world: the world of action (Assiyah). Angels exist in the worlds above as a 'task' of God. They are an extension of God to produce effects in this world. After an angel has completed its task, it ceases to exist. The angel is in effect the task. This is derived from the book of Genesis when Abraham meets with three angels and Lot meets with two. The task of one of the angels was to inform Abraham of his coming child. The other two were to save Lot and to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.[8]
Famous angels and their tasks:[9]
Malachim (translation: messengers), general word for angel Michael (translation: who is like God), performs God's kindness Gabriel (translation: the strength of God), performs acts of justice and power Raphael (translation: God Heals), God's healing force Uriel (translation: God is my light), leads us to destiny Seraphim (translation: the burning ones), protects the gates to the Garden of Eden Malach HaMavet (translation: the angel of death) HaSatan (translation: the prosecutor), brings people's sins before them in the heavenly court Chayot HaKodesh (translation: the holy beasts) Ophanim (translation: arbits) Astrological Influence HaMerkavah (translation: the chariot), transports God's glory
[edit] ChristianityMain article: Christian angelic hierarchy
The Archangel Michael wears a late Roman military cloak and cuirass in this 17th century depiction by Guido Reni
Early Christians inherited Jewish understandings of angels. In the early stage, the Christian concept of an angel characterized the angel as a messenger of God. Angels are creatures of good, spirits of love, and messengers of the savior Jesus Christ. Later came identification of individual angelic messengers: Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, and Lucifer. Then, in the space of little more than two centuries (from the third to the fifth) the image of angels took on definite characteristics both in theology and in art.[10]
By the late fourth century, the Church Fathers agreed that there were different categories of angels, with appropriate missions and activities assigned to them. Some theologians had proposed that Jesus was not divine but on the level of immaterial beings subordinate to the Trinity. The resolution of this Trinitarian dispute included the development of doctrine about angels.[11]
The angels are represented throughout the Christian Bible as a body of spiritual beings intermediate between God and men: "You have made him (man) a little less than the angels..." (Psalms 8:4,5). Some Christians believe that angels are created beings, and use the following passage as evidence: "praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts... for He spoke and they were made. He commanded and they were created..." (Psalms 148:2-5; Colossians 1:16). The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) declared that the angels were created beings. The Council's decree Firmiter credimus (issued against the Albigenses) declared both that angels
were created and that men were created after them. The First Vatican Council (1869) repeated this declaration in Dei Filius, the "Dogmatic constitution on the Catholic faith". Of note is that the bible describes the function of angels as "messengers" and does not indicate when the creation of angels occurred.[12][13]
Many Christians regard angels as asexual and not belonging to either gender as they interpret Matthew 22:30 in this way. Angels are on the other hand usually described as looking like male human beings. Their names are also masculine. And although angels have greater knowledge than men, they are not omniscient, as Matthew 24:36 points out.[14] Another view is that angels are sent into this world for testing, in the form of humans.[15]
[edit] Interaction with angels
An angel comforting Jesus, by Carl Heinrich Bloch, 1865-1879.
The New Testament includes a number of interactions and conversations between angels and humans. For instance, three separate cases of angelic interaction deal with the births of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. In Luke 1:11, an angel appears to Zechariah to inform him that he will have a child despite his old age, thus proclaiming the birth of John the Baptist [16] And in Luke 1:26 the archangel Gabriel visits the Virgin Mary in the Annunciation to foretell the birth of Jesus Christ.[17] Angels then proclaim the birth of Jesus in the Adoration of the shepherds in Luke 2:10.[18] Angels also appear later in the New Testament. In Luke 22:43 an angel comforts Jesus Christ during the Agony in the Garden.[19] In Matthew 28:5 an angel speaks at the empty tomb, following the Resurrection of Jesus and the rolling back of the stone by angels.[20] Hebrews 13:2 reminds the reader that they may "entertain angels unaware".[21]
Since the completion of the New Testament, the Christian tradition has continued to include a number of reported interactions with angels. For instance, in 1851 Pope Pius IX approved the Chaplet of Saint Michael based on the 1751 private revelation from archangel Michael to the Carmelite nun Antonia d'Astonac.[22] And Pope John Paul II emphasized the role of angels in
Catholic teachings in his 1986 address titled "Angels Participate In History Of Salvation", in which he suggested that modern mentality should come to see the importance of angels.[23]
As recently as the 20th century, visionaries and mystics have reported interactions with, and indeed dictations from, angels. For instance, the bed-ridden Italian writer and mystic Maria Valtorta wrote The Book of Azariah based on "dictations" that she directly attributed to her guardian angel Azariah, discussing the Roman Missal used for Sunday Mass in 1946 and 1947.[24]
[edit] Iconography
12th-century icon of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel wearing the loros of the Imperial guards.
The earliest known Christian image of an angel, in the Cubicolo dell'Annunziazione in the Catacomb of Priscilla, which is dated to the middle of the third century, is without wings. Representations of angels on sarcophagi and on objects such as lamps and reliquaries of that period also show them without wings,[25] as for example the angel in the Sacrifice of Isaac scene in the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus. However, the side view photos of the Sarcophagus show winged angelic figures.
The earliest known representation of angels with wings is on what is called the Prince's Sarcophagus, discovered at Sarigüzel, near Istanbul, in the 1930s, and attributed to the time of Theodosius I (379-395).[26]
Saint John Chrysostom explained the significance of angels' wings: "They manifest a nature's sublimity. That is why Gabriel is represented with wings. Not that angels have wings, but that
you may know that they leave the heights and the most elevated dwelling to approach human nature. Accordingly, the wings attributed to these powers have no other meaning than to indicate the sublimity of their nature."[27]
One of Melozzo's famous angels from the Basilica dei Santi Apostoli, now in the sacristy of St. Peter's.
From then on, though of course with some exceptions, Christian art represented angels with wings, as in the cycle of mosaics in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (432–440).[28] Four- and six-winged angels, often with only their face and wings showing, drawn from the higher grades of angels, especially cherubim and seraphim, are derived from Persian art, and are usually shown only in heavenly contexts, as opposed to performing tasks on earth. They often appear in the pendentives of domes or semi-domes of churches.
Angels, especially the Archangel Michael, who were depicted as military-style agents of God came to shown wearing Late Antique military uniform. This could be either the normal military dress, with a tunic to about the knees, armour breastplate and pteruges, but also often the specific dress of the bodyguard of the Byzantine Emperor, with a long tunic and the loros, a long gold and jewelled pallium restricted to the Imperial family and their closest guards. The basic military dress is still worn in pictures into the Baroque period and beyond in the West (see Reni picture above), and up to the present day in Eastern Orthodox icons. Other angels came to be conventionally depicted in long robes, and in the later Middle Ages they often wear the vestments of a deacon, a cope over a dalmatic, especially Gabriel in Annunciation scenes—for example the Annunciation in Washington by Jan van Eyck.
Bern Switzerland Temple statue of the Angel Moroni
The Latter Day Saint movement (generally called "Mormons") view angels as the messengers of God. They are sent to mankind to deliver messages, minister to humanity, teach doctrines of salvation, call mankind to repentance, give priesthood keys, save individuals in perilous times, and guide humankind.[29]
Latter Day Saints believe that angels are former humans or the spirits of humans yet to be born,[30] and accordingly Joseph Smith taught that "there are no angels who minister to this earth but those that do belong or have belonged to it."[31] As such, Latter Day Saints also believe that Adam (the first man) is now the archangel Michael,[32][33] and that Gabriel lived on the earth as Noah.[30] Likewise the Angel Moroni first lived in a pre-Columbian American civilization as the 5th-century prophet-warrior named Moroni.
Joseph Smith, Jr. described his first angelic encounter thus:[34]
While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.
He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant....
Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright
as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me.
Most angelic visitations in the early Latter Day Saint movement were witnessed by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, who both claimed (prior to the establishment of the Church[when?]) to have been visited by the prophet Moroni, the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi, John the Baptist, and the Apostles Peter, James, and John. Later, at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, Smith and Cowdery claimed to have been visited by Jesus, and subsequently by Moses, Elias, and Elijah.[35]
People who claimed to have received a visit by an angel include the other two of the three witnesses: David Whitmer and Martin Harris. Many other Latter Day Saints, both in the early and modern church, have claimed to have seen angels, though Smith posited that, except in extenuating circumstances such as the restoration, mortals teach mortals, spirits teach spirits and resurrected beings teach other resurrected beings.[36]
[edit] New Church (Swedenborgian)
The Christian (Swedish) writer Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) wrote in his book Conjugal Love that a soul of a man and a soul of a woman who are (happily) united by marriage enter heaven and become an angel. This could be a married couple on earth or a couple that met after their earthly deaths.[citation needed]
[edit] IslamMain article: Islamic view of angels
Further information: Farishta
Islam is clear on the nature of angels in that they are messengers of God. They have no free will, and can do only what God orders them to do. Angels mentioned in the Quran and Hadith include Gabriel (the angel of revelation), Michael (Brings food), Israfel (The horn Blower; signals of the end), Izraail/Azrael ( the angel of death.), Raqib (Writes good doings), Aatid (Writes bad doings), Maalik (Guardian of Hell), Ridwan (Guardian of Heaven), Munkar and Nakir (Interrogater afterlife).[citation needed]
Angels can take on different forms. The Islamic prophet Muhammad, speaking of the magnitude of the angel Gabriel, has said that his wings spanned from the Eastern to the Western horizon. Also, in Islamic tradition, angels used to take on human form.[37]
The following is a Quranic verse that mentions the meeting of an angel with Mary, mother of Jesus: Surah Aal ‘Imran Chapter 3 verse 45
Behold! The angels said: O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name is the Christ Eisa the son of Mariam, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those Nearest to God.
The 13th century Persian Islamic Sufi mystic poet Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi wrote in his poem Masnavi:
I died as inanimate matter and arose a plant,I died as a plant and rose again an animal.I died as an animal and arose a man.Why then should I fear to become less by dying?I shall die once again as a manTo rise an angel perfect from head to foot!Again when I suffer dissolution as an angel,I shall become what passes the conception of man!Let me then become non-existent, for non-existenceSings to me in organ tones, {'To him shall we return.'}[38]
ARCHANGELS
and
GUARDIAN ANGELS
compiled by Dee Finney
Angels were created as messengers of God. The Scriptures reveal that God created nine orders of angels:
Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Principalities, Powers, Virtues, Archangels, and Angels.
Out of this order come the familiar seven Archangels which include Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and the fallen Lucifer.
The Eighth Choir - The Archangels, The seven angels that stood before God in Revelations are considered
to be the Archangels. Although it is agreed that there were seven Archangels, there has been some debate on who
the seven were. Most accounts name, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, the remaining three are generally chosen
from Metatron, Remiel, Sariel, Anael, Raguel and Raziel. The Archangels were the divine messengers between
the humans and God. Of the nine choirs the Archangels are probably best known
to us. They are the battlers of the Sons of Darkness.
Lucifer, whose ambitions were a distortion of God's plan, is known to us through the various religious teachings
as the fallen angel, with the use of many names, among which are Satan, Belial, Beelzebub and the Devil.
Because of the variety of teachings, we have come to 'untruth' when it comes to this most beautiful of angels whose name means ' Light' .
Raphael
FROM: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12640b.htm
The name of this archangel (Raphael = "God has healed") does not appear in the Hebrew Scriptures, and in the Septuagint only in the Book of Tobias. Here he first appears disguised in human form as the travelling companion of the younger Tobias, calling himself "Azarias the son of the great Ananias". The story of the adventurous journey during which the protective influence of the angel is shown in many ways including the binding "in the desert of upper Egypt" of the demon who had previously slain seven husbands of Sara, daughter of Raguel, is picturesquely related in Tobit 5-11, to which the reader is referred. After the return and the healing of the blindness of the elder Tobias, Azarias makes himself known as "the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord" (Tob., xii, 15. Cf. Apoc., viii, 2). Of these seven "archangels" which appear in the angelology of post-Exilic Judaism, only three, Gabriel, Michael and Raphael, are mentioned in the canonical Scriptures. The others, according to the Book of Enoch (cf. xxi) are Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Jerahmeel, while from other apocryphal sources we get the variant names Izidkiel, Hanael, and Kepharel instead of the last three in the other list.
Regarding the functions attributed to Raphael we have little more than his declaration to Tobias (Tobit 12) that when the latter was occupied in his works of mercy and charity, he (Raphael) offered his prayer to the Lord, that he was sent
by the Lord to heal him of his blindness and to deliver Sara, his son's wife, from the devil. The Jewish category of the archangels is recognized in the New Testament (I Thess., iv, 15; Jude, 9), but only Gabriel and Michael are mentioned by name. Many commentators, however, identify Raphael with the "angel of the Lord" mentioned in John 5. This conjecture is base both on the significance of the name and on the healing role attributed to Raphael in the Book of Tobias. The Church assigns the feast of St. Raphael to 24 October. The hymns of the Office recall the healing power of the archangel and his victory over the demon. The lessons of the first Nocturn and the Antiphons of the entire Office are taken from the Book of Tobias, and the lessons of the second and third Nocturns from the works of St. Augustine, viz. for the second Nocturn a sermon on Tobias (sermon I on the fifteenth Sunday), and for the third, a homily on the opening verse of John, v. The Epistle of the Mass is taken from the twelfth chapter of Tobias, and the Gospel from John 5:1-4, referring to the pool called Probatica, where the multitude of the infirm lay awaiting the moving of the water, for "an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond; and the water was moved.And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under". Thus the conjecture of the commentators referred to above is confirmed by the official Liturgy of the Church.
Vigouroux, Dict. de la Bible, s. v. Raphael.
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Raphael ("God has healed" or 'the shining one who heals"): Although a seraph, Raphael is also mentioned as being a member of the cherubim, dominations and powers. He has be attributed as the chief of virtues, although that ranking has also been given to Michael, and also can be considered head of the guardian angels. His most notable appearance in scripture is his guiding of young Tobias in the apocryphal book of Tobit where he teaches the lad about medicine and demon exorcising among other things. Also in his role as healer, it is Raphael who eases the pain of Abraham after his circumcision, and healing Jacob's thigh after Jacob wrestles with another angel. He is also considered to be a patron of the sciences as well as medicine, teaching Noah how to construct the ark before the flood, and teaching Solomon how to bind demons into slave labor when Solomon's Temple was being built. Raphael is often depicted carrying a pilgrim's staff.
Raphael: is the Watcher of the North - aka prime planet of health, long life and good fortune - aka The Great Doctor - Situate 5.10 Leo sidereally - aka REGULUS or Cor Leonis or Qalb Al Asad (Lion's Heart or King's Heart) in Leo
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Raphael = Associated with the Air elementRaphael rules over the day of Wednesday and the Planet MercuryThe Planet Mercury rules over the Tree of Life Sephirah 8 (Hod - Splendor), The Greek Deity Hermes, The Alchemical Metal Quicksilver, and Reflective Intelligence.Colour: Sky Blue and GoldThis Archangel is 'over the spirits of men' Also called St. Raphael, this Archangel is 'the Shining One who Heals'. His symbol is the sun. Raphael protects travellers and heals the sick and injured, granted the gift of healing by God. While Raphael is also the angel of Science and Knowledge, he is equally known to be charming and funloving.
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Twin Flame / Divine Complement / Twin Ray: = Mary, the Mother of Jesus
Also known as: Lord Raphael, Archangel of Healing, Archangel of the Fifth Ray, Archangel of Consecration and Dedication.
Historical and Literary References: Raphael's Name means "God has healed" and "the Medicine of God"., Raphael's interaction with Tobias is described in the Book of Tobias in the Catholic Bible. The Book of Tobias is omitted from the Protestant Bible.
Vibration / Ray / Flame: Emerald, Green
Service to Life: Healing of body, mind, soul, and spirit. Inspiration for the study and practice of music, mathematics, science, and both traditional and alternative medicine. Meeting of physical needs such as food, clothing, shelter, tools of your trade. Repairing of rifts between nations. Inspiration for new cures for diseases.
Angels: Healing Angels. Angels of Healing, Legions of the Fifth Ray, Legions of Healing, Legions of Emerald-Green Fire, Legions of Emerald-Green Lightning
Gabriel
From: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06330a.htm
St. Gabriel the Archangel"Fortitudo Dei", one of the three archangels mentioned in the Bible. Only four appearances of Gabriel are recorded:
In Daniel., viii, he explains the vision of the horned ram as portending the destruction of the Persian Empire by the Macedonian Alexander the Great, after whose death the kingdom will be divided up among his generals, from one of whom will spring Antiochus Epiphanes.
In chapter ix, after Daniel had prayed for Israel, we read that "the man Gabriel . . . . flying swiftly touched me" and he communicated to him the mysterious prophecy of the "seventy weeks" of years which should elapse before the coming of Christ. In chapter x, it is not clear whether the angel is Gabriel or not, but at any rate we may apply to him the marvellous description in verses 5 and 6.
In N.T. he foretells to Zachary the birth of the Precursor, and to Mary that of the Saviour.
Thus he is throughout the angel of the Incarnation and of Consolation, and so in Christian tradition Gabriel is ever the angel of mercy while Michael is rather the angel of judgment. At the same time, even in the Bible, Gabriel is, in accordance with his name, the angel of the Power of God, and it is worth while noting the frequency with which such words as "great", "might", "power", and "strength" occur in the passages referred to above. The Jews indeed seem to have dwelt particularly upon this feature in Gabriel's character, and he is regarded by them as the angel of judgment, while Michael is called the angel of mercy. Thus they attribute to Gabriel the destruction of Sodom and of the host of Sennacherib, though they also regard him as the angel who buried Moses, and as the man deputed to mark the figure Tau on the foreheads of the elect (Ezech., 4). In later Jewish literature the names of angels were considered to have a peculiar efficacy, and the British Museum possesses some magic bowls inscribed with Hebrew, Aramaic, and Syriac incantations in which the names of Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel occur. These bowls were found at Hillah, the site of Babylon, and constitute an interesting relic of the Jewish captivity. In apocryphal Christian literature the same names occur, cf. Enoch, ix, and the Apocalypse of the Blessed
As remarked above, Gabriel is mentioned only twice in the New Testament, but it is not unreasonable to suppose with Christian tradition that it is he who appeared to St. Joseph and to the shepherds, and also that it was he who "strengthened" Our Lord in the garden (cf. the Hymn for Lauds on 24 March). Gabriel is generally termed only an archangel, but the expression used by St. Raphael, "I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord" (Tob., xii, 15) and St. Gabriel's own words, "I am Gabriel, who stand before God" (Luke 1, 19), have led some to think that these angels must belong to the highest rank; but this is generally explained as referring to their rank as the highest of God's messengers, and not as placing them among the Seraphim and Cherubim (cf. St. Thomas, I, Q. cxii, a.3; III, Q. xxx, a.2, ad 4um).
In addition to the literature under ANGEL and in the biblical dictionaries, see PUSEY, The Prophet Daniel (London, 1868); EDERSHEIM, Jesus the Messiah (London and New York, 1890), Append. XIII; H. CROSBY, Michael and Gabriel in Homiletic Review (1890), XIX, 160-162; BARDENHEWER, Mariä-Verkündigung in Bibl. Studien, X, 496 sqq.
HUGH POPE Transcribed by Sean Hyland
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Gabriel ("God is my strength"): Often considered as a slightly more benevolent spirit than his ally Michael, the cherubim Gabriel is most often noted as the messenger of the Annunciation where he tells Mary of the impending birth of Christ. Another notable birth that Gabriel presided over was that of John the Baptist when Gabriel came to Zacharias and told him of his coming son. Within all of the legends of birthing, Gabriel as been accredited as the angel who selects souls from heaven to be birthed into the material world and spends the nine months as the child is being developed informing the new person of what he or she will need to know on Earth, only to silence the child before birth by pressing his finger onto the child's lips, thus producing the cleft below a person's nose. Besides births however, Gabriel is also the angel who came before Daniel and told him of the future as well as the angel responsible for strengthening Christ prior to the Crucifixion. Finally, not being all pregnancies and wisdom, he is told as the angel who struck down the cities of Sodom and Gommorah as well as other places of sin throughout the Old Testament although he is never named there as such. Gabriel is described as having 140 pairs of wings, and is the
Governor of Eden and Ruler of the Cherubim. Gabriel sits at the left hand of God. He is usually shown as a majestic figure, richly attired, sometimes wearing a crown and bearing a scepter. His right hand is usually extended in salutation.
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Gabriel is: FOMALHAUT or Fom Al Hut in Pisces tropically is Archangel Gabriel (Word of Geode. The Revelation Angel). Watcher of the South. Situate 8.56 Aquarius sidereally.
Right now Antares (Uriel) and Fomalhaut (Gabriel) are being heavily transited by Pluto and Uranus & Jupiter respectively. Thus the Antarion conversion described by Solara is commencing Although the Pluto-Antares transit is nearly over and the Fomalhaut-Gabriel transit is just beginning this year. This has to do with the Voice of Spirit or Voice of the turtle that's getting louder and louder.
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Gabriel
His (sometimes her) name means God is my Strength - Associated with the Water ElementGabriel rules over the day of Monday and the MoonThe Moon rules over the Tree of Life Sephirah 9 (Yesod), the Greek Deity Selene, The Alchemical Metal Silver, and Patterns of InstinctColour: sea green
This Archangel is 'over Paradise' Gabriel sits at the left hand of God, and is the angel of incarnation, of conception and birth and of dreams. Gabriel's emblem is the lily, symbolizing conception, and it is Gabriel who instructs souls for the nine months before they enter the world.
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Twin Flame / Divine Complement / Twin Ray: Hope
Also known as: Lord Gabriel, Angel of the Annunciation, Angel of Resurrection
Historical and Literary References: Gabriel's Name means "Hero of God." Angel of Revelation and Chief Ambassador to humanity. Apart from Michael, Gabriel is the only other Angel mentioned by Name in the Old Testament. He was said to sit on the left hand side of God. In many religious, writings Gabriel has appeared as a messenger and deliverer to humanity of blessed events.
Mohammed claimed that it was Gabriel (Gibril in Islamic) who dictated to him the Koran. In Christian beliefs, Gabriel was the Angel who appeared to Mary to inform her that she would conceive and give birth to Jesus. In addition, Gabriel also appeared before Zacharias to announce that his son will be called John (the Baptist).
Vibration / Ray / Flame: Purity, White, Mother-of-Pearl,
Service to Life: Guidance in your spiritual life , Revelation of your life plan and purpose, Release Joy, Happiness, and Fulfillment, Dissolution of discouragement, Help establish Discipline and Order in your life
Angels: Angels of Guidance, Legions of the Fourth Ray, Legions of Purity, Legions of White Fire, Legions of White Lighting
Retreat / Spiritual Home: Fourth Sphere or Realm, Between Sacramento and Mount Shasta, California, U.S.A.
Michael
From: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10275b.htm
St. Michael the Archangel(Hebrew "Who is like God?").
St. Michael is one of the principal angels; his name was the war-cry of the good angels in the battle fought in heaven against the enemy and his followers. Four times his name is recorded in Scripture:
(1) Daniel 10:13 sqq., Gabriel says to Daniel, when he asks God to permit the Jews to return to Jerusalem: "The Angel [D.V. prince] of the kingdom of the Persians resisted me . . . and, behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me . . . and none is my helper in all these things, but Michael your prince";
(2) Daniel 12, the Angel speaking of the end of the world and the Antichrist says: "At that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people."
(3) In the Catholic Epistle of St. Jude: "When Michael the Archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses", etc. St. Jude alludes to an ancient Jewish tradition of a dispute between Michael and Satan over the body of Moses, an account of which is also found in the apocryphal book on the assumption of Moses (Origen, "De principiis", III, 2, 2). St. Michael concealed the tomb of Moses; Satan, however, by disclosing it, tried to seduce the Jewish people to the sin of hero-worship. St. Michael also guards the body of Eve, according to the "Revelation of Moses" ("Apocryphal Gospels", etc., ed. A. Walker, Edinburgh, p. 647).
(4) Apocalypse 12:7, "And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon." St. John speaks of the great conflict at the end of time, which reflects also the battle in heaven at the beginning of time. According to the Fathers there is often question of St. Michael in Scripture where his name is not mentioned. They say he was the cherub who stood at the gate of paradise, "to keep the way of the tree of life" (Gen., iii, 24), the angel through whom God published the Decalogue to his chosen people, the angel who stood in the way against Balaam (Numbers 22:22 sqq.), the angel who routed the army of Sennacherib (IV Kings 19:35).
Following these Scriptural passages, Christian tradition gives to St. Michael four offices:
To fight against Satan. To rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death. To be the champion of God's people, the Jews in the Old Law, the Christians in the New Testament; therefore he was the patron of the Church, and of the orders of knights during the Middle Ages. To call away from earth and bring men's souls to judgment ("signifer S. Michael repraesentet eas in lucam sanctam", Offert. Miss Defunct. "Constituit eum principem super animas suscipiendas", Antiph. off. Cf. "Hermas", Pastor, I, 3, Simil. VIII, 3).
Regarding his rank in the celestial hierarchy opinions vary; St. Basil (Hom. de angelis) and other Greek Fathers, also Salmeron, Bellarmine, etc., place St.
Michael over all the angels; they say he is called "archangel" because he is the prince of the other angels; others (cf. P. Bonaventura, op. cit.) believe that he is the prince of the seraphim, the first of the nine angelic orders. But, according to St. Thomas (Summa, I:113:3) he is the prince of the last and lowest choir, the angels. The Roman Liturgy seems to follow the Greek Fathers; it calls him "Princeps militiae coelestis quem honorificant angelorum cives". The hymn of the Mozarabic Breviary places St. Michael even above the Twenty-four Elders. The Greek Liturgy styles him Archistrategos, "highest general" (cf. Menaea, 8 Nov. and 6 Sept.).
VENERATION
It would have been natural to St. Michael, the champion of the Jewish people, to be the champion also of Christians, giving victory in war to his clients. The early Christians, however, regarded some of the martyrs as their military patrons: St. George, St. Theodore, St. Demetrius, St. Sergius, St. Procopius, St. Mercurius, etc.; but to St. Michael they gave the care of their sick. At the place where he was first venerated, in Phrygia, his prestige as angelic healer obscured his interposition in military affairs. It was from early times the centre of the true cult of the holy angels, particularly of St. Michael. Tradition relates that St. Michael in the earliest ages caused a medicinal spring to spout at Chairotopa near Colossae, where all the sick who bathed there, invoking the Blessed Trinity and St. Michael, were cured.
Still more famous are the springs which St. Michael is said to have drawn from the rock at Colossae (Chonae, the present Khonas, on the Lycus). The pagans directed a stream against the sanctuary of St. Michael to destroy it, but the archangel split the rock by lightning to give a new bed to the stream, and sanctified forever the waters which came from the gorge. The Greeks claim that this apparition took place about the middle of the first century and celebrate a feast in commemoration of it on 6 September (Analecta Bolland., VIII, 285-328). Also at Pythia in Bithynia and elsewhere in Asia the hot springs were dedicated to St. Michael.
At Constantinople likewise, St. Michael was the great heavenly physician. His principal sanctuary, the Michaelion, was at Sosthenion, some fifty miles south of Constantinople; there the archangel is said to have appeared to the Emperor Constantine. The sick slept in this church at night to wait for a manifestation of St. Michael; his feast was kept there 9 June. Another famous church was within the walls of the city, at the thermal baths of the Emperor Arcadius; there the synaxis of the archangel was celebrated 8 November. This feast spread over the
entire Greek Church, and the Syrian, Armenian, and Coptic Churches adopted it also; it is now the principal feast of St. Michael in the Orient. It may have originated in Phrygia, but its station at Constantinople was the Thermae of Arcadius (Martinow, "Annus Graeco-slavicus", 8 Nov.). Other feasts of St. Michael at Constantinople were: 27 October, in the "Promotu" church; 18 June, in the Church of St. Julian at the Forum; and 10 December, at Athaea.
The Christians of Egypt placed their life-giving river, the Nile under the protection of St. Michael; they adopted the Greek feast and kept it 12 November; on the twelfth of every month they celebrate a special commemoration of the archangel, but 12 June, when the river commences to rise, they keep as a holiday of obligation the feast of St. Michael "for the rising of the Nile", euche eis ten symmetron anabasin ton potamion hydaton.
At Rome the Leonine Sacramentary (sixth century) has the "Natale Basilicae Angeli via Salaria", 30 September; of the five Masses for the feast three mention St. Michael. The Gelasian Sacramentary (seventh century) gives the feast "S. Michaelis Archangeli", and the Gregorian Sacramentary (eighth century), "Dedicatio Basilionis S. Angeli Michaelis", 29 Sept. A manuscript also here adds "via Salaria" (Ebner, "Miss. Rom. Iter Italicum", 127). This church of the Via Salaria was six miles to the north of the city; in the ninth century it was called Basilica Archangeli in Septimo (Armellini, "Chiese di Roma", p. 85). It disappeared a thousand years ago. At Rome also the part of heavenly physician was given to St. Michael. According to an (apocryphal?) legend of the tenth century he appeared over the Moles Hadriani (Castel di S. Angelo), in 950, during the procession which St. Gregory held against the pestilence, putting an end to the plague. Boniface IV (608-15) built on the Moles Hadriani in honour of him, a church, which was styled St. Michaelis inter nubes (in summitate circi).
Well known is the apparition of St. Michael (a. 494 or 530-40), as related in the Roman Breviary, 8 May, at his renowned sanctuary on Monte Gargano, where his original glory as patron in war was restored to him. To his intercession the Lombards of Sipontum (Manfredonia) attributed their victory over the Greek Neapolitans, 8 May, 663. In commemoration of this victory the church of Sipontum instituted a special feast in honour of the archangel, on 8 May, which has spread over the entire Latin Church and is now called (since the time of Pius V) "Apparitio S. Michaelis", although it originally did not commemorate the apparition, but the victory.
In Normandy St. Michael is the patron of mariners in his famous sanctuary at Mont-Saint-Michel in the diocese of Coutances. He is said to have appeared
there, in 708, to St. Aubert, Bishop of Avranches. In Normandy his feast "S. Michaelis in periculo maris" or "in Monte Tumba" was universally celebrated on 18 Oct., the anniversary of the dedication of the first church, 16 Oct., 710; the feast is now confined to the Diocese of Coutances. In Germany, after its evangelization, St. Michael replaced for the Christians the pagan god Wotan, to whom many mountains were sacred, hence the numerous mountain chapels of St. Michael all over Germany.
The hymns of the Roman Office are said to have been composed by St. Rabanus Maurus of Fulda (d. 856). In art St. Michael is represented as an angelic warrior, fully armed with helmet, sword, and shield (often the shield bears the Latin inscription: Quis ut Deus), standing over the dragon, whom he sometimes pierces with a lance. He also holds a pair of scales in which he weighs the souls of the departed (cf. Rock, "The Church of Our Fathers", III, 160), or the book of life, to show that he takes part in the judgment. His feast (29 September) in the Middle Ages was celebrated as a holy day of obligation, but along with several other feasts it was gradually abolished since the eighteenth century (see FEASTS). Michaelmas Day, in England and other countries, is one of the regular quarter-days for settling rents and accounts; but it is no longer remarkable for the hospitality with which it was formerly celebrated. Stubble-geese being esteemed in perfection about this time, most families had one dressed on Michaelmas Day. In some parishes (Isle of Skye) they had a procession on this day and baked a cake, called St. Michael's bannock.
FREDERICK G. HOLWECK Transcribed by Sean Hyland
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Michael ("Who is as God"): Regardless of which major faith's angelic beings is being followed, Michael ranks as the highest of the host. He is the leader of the celestial armies and is the angel who fought Satan during the War and enchained the rebel leader. He is considered to be of the class of seraphim, and yet is also head of other ranks within the hierarchy: the ruler of the archangels leader of the virtues, and head of the principalities in his role as protector of Israel. Michael is considered to be the angel of the burning bush through which God spoke to Moses, and has also appeared in the book of Daniel, where God states him as being the highest within the angelic ranks. Although other angels have been attributed with the title of Angel of Death, it is Michael who weighs the souls on judgment day, after his battle once more with the forces of evil. He is mentioned
as both an angel of destruction and vengeance in the name of God, but also as a protector and the angel who kept Satan from claiming the body of Moses after the patriarch's death. By all rights, Michael can be considered foremost among the angels.
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Michael is: ALDEBARAN or Oculus Tauri (Bull's Eye) in Gemini tropically, Watcher of the East aka the Christian Crusader. Commander of the Heavenly Host. Situate 15.08 Taurus sidereally.
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Michael - Associated with the Fire elementColour: RedMichael rules over the Tree of Life Sephirah 6 (Tephirah), The Greek Deity Helios, The Alchemical Metal Gold, and Harmony and Beauty
This Archangel is 'over the best parts of humanity and over chaos' His name means Who is like to God. Also known as St. Michael, Archangel Michael is said to be the closest to God and is heaven's greatest defender and mightiest warrior against evil. His symbol is a fiery sword.
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Twin Flame / Divine Complement / Twin Ray: Faith
Also known as: Lord Michael, Prince of the Archangels, Archangel of the First Ray, Defender of the Faith
Historical and Literary References: Michael's Name means "Who is like God." Angel of Deliverance. Considered by all three of the major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, to be the greatest of all the Angels. Also, Michael and Gabriel are the only two Angels mentioned in the Old Testament by name. According to Jewish writings, Michael was considered to be the "Viceroy of Heaven", which incidentally was a title applied to the great adversary Lucifer before his fall from grace. Michael has been credited as being the angel who stayed the hand of Abraham when he was on the point of sacrificing his son Isaac. According to Louis Ginzberg in The Legends of the Jews, Vol.2, p.303, "the Fire that Moses saw in the burning bush had the appearance of Michael, who had descended from Heaven as the forerunner of the Shekinah." In the Book of Revelation 20:1, it is commonly thought that
Michael is the "angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand." He is usually depicted wearing armor or chain mail and an unsheathed Sword, signifying his role as God's champion. He was described as young, strong and handsome; very huge and militant; eyes looking like pools of fire with firm, chiseled facial features. His skin was described as the "color of copper which radiates and glows from being in the Presence of God".
Divine Quality: Protection , Faith , Will of God , Power , Omnipotence of God , Perfection
Service to Life: In response to our free will calls and decrees, Archangel Michael protects our consciousness, being, and world. Focuses the Solar Consciousness of the First Ray Uses the Sword of Blue Flame to cut loose and set free from psychic and astral substance, as well as from other malevolent influences, all who make the call and invoke Michael's assistance.
Spiritual gift of freedom from doubt and fear (11) Strengthening of your faith (11) , Exorcism of demons (11) Inspiration for leaders (11) Improvement of government (11)
Vibration / Ray / Flame: Blue Flame , Blue Lightning Flame of Faith White and Blue Flame Blue Lightning of Cosmic Christ Protection (11)
Angels: Legions of Blue Lightning Angels , Angels of Blue Flame , Angels of the Sword of Blue Flame , Legions of Blue Flame Angels (1) ,
Retreat / Spiritual Home: Temple of Faith and Protection, in the etheric realm over the Canadian Rockies, near Banff and Lake Louise, Canada, and extending over the border of the United States (4)
Uriel (Auriel)
("Fire of God"): Archangel Uriel rules Ministration and Peace. His name is interpreted variously as, "God is My
Light"; "God is Light"; "Radiation of God"; "God is the Radiating Principle of Light", and, "Fire of God." Uriel stands with a fiery sword at the Gate of the Lost Eden. His symbol is an open hand holding a flame, which he offers as the
Flame of Love towards all souls. In the Book of Enoch Uriel was called the Angel who "watches over thunder and terror" (Enoch 1).Identified as both a seraph and a cherub, Uriel is most well known for his role as Regent of the Sun in the book of Revelation where he calls forth the birds of the air to feast upon the fallen. As one of the most faithful and dedicated members of the host, Uriel was also placed in charge of Tartarus (another name for Hades), warned Noah of the impending flood (although Raphael is credited with teaching the building of the ark), and attacked Moses for failing to circumcise his son. Accepted as an archangel by the Church for many centuries, he was finally removed from the records in 745 CE as the Church became increasingly concerned with the prominence the public was placing upon angels.
Conversation with Uriel
In Babylonian scholarship, it was the extraterrestrial God EA/Enki (An Anunnaki) who warned Noah (Uta-Napishtim) of the impending flood. Uta-Napishtim was the son of Ubar-Tutu.
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Uriel is: ANTARES or Cor Scorpio or Qalb Al Aqrab in Sagittarius tropically. Uriel (Ur = Earth). Watcher of the West. Situate 15.52 Scorpio sidereally.
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Uriel (Auriel)
Associated with the Earth element Colour: White, Gold, Earth tones This Archangel is 'over the world'. Archangel Uriel's name means Fire of God, and he is known as The Angel of Repentance. His Christian symbol is am open hand holding a flame. In Christian tradition, Uriel is also the Angel of Music, The Angel of Poetry and the Angel of Prophecy. Uriel also assists in communicating with nature, and can be called on to assist with material and earthly matters
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Also known as: Lord Uriel, Archangel of Ministration, Archangel of the Sixth Ray, Angel of Ministration (6)
Vibration / Ray / Flame: Purple and Gold, Ruby, Ruby and Gold
Angels: Legions of Purple and Gold Lightning Angels, Angels of Purple and Gold, Legions of the Ruby Ray, Angels of Ruby and Gold
Among the angels, there are those who stand out above the rest. Most people could name at least one or two archangels off the top of their heads; most probably Michael or Gabriel. However, there are according to most sources, at least seven of these divine beings who rule over the rest of the Host and act as the honored for God's most important missions. Pseudo-Dionysis, who was responsible for the previously listed hierarchy lists the following angels at the highest: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Chamuel, Jophiel and Zadkiel. Still, other listings give mention to Raguel, Remiel, Sariel, and Raziel among others. Regardless of which, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel are almost always given the post.
Michael is credited with most of the major miraculous events in the Bible by some authorities, whereas others place many of the same events upon the shoulders of lesser known angelic beings. Part of this problem arised from the Catholic church's refusal to accept many of the non-scripturally named angels as existent and thus was forced to delegate the events in the Bible to the three angels who were: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (who is mentioned in the Catholic apocrypha). Lesser dogmaticindividuals, however, were willing to accept the validity of other non-biblical sources, at least as far as the naming of members of the host. In the descriptions given below, duties that are ascribed to these "lesser" archangels are mentioned in their dossier as opposed to being lumped into the description of the major three.
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Following are the lesser archangels:
Anael (Hanael) : The Angel of Air, who breathes air into the body. Anael rules over the Planet Venus, the Tree of Life Sephirah 7 (Netzach - Victory), The Greek Deity Aphrodite, The Alchemical Metal Copper, and Emotion Relation
Specifically to Netzach, HANAEL, "Me, the God", is the angel of intellectual activity. In the Golden Dawn, URIEL take his place, to the left at the North as archangel of the element Earth. He is the archangel of wealth, material and spiritual. His empire is over Hod-Netzach-Yesod. Hanael (or Anael) - This angel presides over the sun sign Capricorn and those born in the month of December. Those born under this sign can pray to Hanael for special protection and bright blessings. One of the 7 angels of creation. Prince of the Archangels and ruler of the Friday angels. Also, known as Anael, Hanael exercises dominion over the planet Venus. He is one of the luminaries concerned with human sexuality and is governor of the second heaven, where he is in charge of prayer ascending from the first heaven. In addition he controls kingdoms and kings on earth and has dominion over the moon. Hodniel - An angel reputed to have the power of curing stupidity in man.
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Ariel - Archangel Ariel's name means, "Lion of God." He is the Keeper of the Sacred Wisdom and is the Angel of the Earth. Ariel is usually depicted as a serious-faced man of mature years with flowing silver hair and violet eyes. He wears a cloak of rainbow colors that flash and glow in his aura.
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Cammuel - Archangel Cammuel is also known as Camuel, Kemuel, Shemuel Seraphiel, Camiel, Camiul, Khamael, Camniel, Cancel and Jahoe! His name means, "He Who Sees God". Camuel is the Archangel of Divine Love and the Gatekeeper of Heaven. He is regarded as Chief of the Order of Powers. He is usually depicted as a warrior with large green wings, dressed in a red tunic with green armour plates, and an iron helmet.
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Cassiel rules over the Planet Saturn. Saturn rules The Tree of Life Sephirah 3 (Binah -understanding), The Greek Deity Kronos, Alchemical Metal Lead, and Time and Form
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Chamuel ("He who sees God"): A member of the order of powers (although also considered a chief domination), Chamuel is considered by some to be the angel who wrestled with Jacob and damaged Jacob's thigh. Beyond this, Chamuel is
considered, along side of Gabriel, to be one of the angels who strengthened and comforted Jesus on Gethsemane.
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Jophiel - ("Beauty of God"): One of the cherubim, Jophiel is accredited with being the angel to drive Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden after they eat the forbidden fruit. If this is the case, Jophiel receives also the honor of being the first angel to be mentioned in the Bible. In such a role, he is last left guarding the Tree of Life with a flaming sword to prevent the return of man.
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Raguel, Sariel and Jerahmeel [these three also known as Izidkiel, Hanael and Kepharel])
Izidkiel - (This prayer is used in a Thelema baptism: "may Izidkiel protect against all that would try to breach your inner boundaries. For all those who would aspire to do this do so in order to cling to your life's force and do so because they have none of their own."
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Metatron: Metatron is the tallest of the Archangels and the twin brother of Archangel Sandalphon. He appears as an enormous being of brilliant White Light, and is the greatest of all the Heavenly Hierarchy He is Master of the Highest Power of Abundance, Chancellor of Heaven, and King of the Angels. Metatron is said to have been the prophet Enoch, who was taken up to Heaven and transformed into an Angel of Fire with thirty-six pairs of wings. Metatron is usually shown holding a scroll in his hand. In some traditions, the Supreme Angel, Angel of the Covenant and Heavenly Scribe.
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Raguel ("Friend of God"): One of the principalities, Raguel is given the dubious honor of watching over the good behavior of his fellow angels. Besides this vigilance, Raguel is also mentioned as being an angel of ice and snow, calling forth other angels during the Final Judgment to deal with the unpure. This Archangel 'takes vengeance on the world of luminaries' As the "Friend of God" Raguel judges and watches over his fellow angels.
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Raziel ("Secret of God"): One of the cherubim, Raziel is the giver of divine mysteries as well as an angel of knowledge. The Angel of the Secret Regions and Supreme Mysteries It is he who lead to the writing of the book of Enoch and is also the author of the tome from which Noah learns to build the ark. This is not to be confused with Raphael, who is the angel to give Raziel's tome to Noah, but did not write it himself. The Archangel - Raziel, known as the "Angel of secret regions and of the Supreme Mysteries", author of the "Book of the Angel Raziel that was presented to Noah, was also the chief of the Thrones. He proclaimed to know all the secrets of mankind.
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Remiel (Ramiel or Jeremiel or Jeremeel) ("Mercy of God", "Lord of Souls awaiting resurrection"): This Archangel is 'over those who rise' and bring souls to judgment. Remiel means God Raises Up; accordingly this is the Angel in charge of souls on their way to heaven. He is the Angel of Hope. Remiel is accredited with two tasks. First, he is the angel responsible for true divine visions, and is said to be the angel to give such a vision to Baruch before destroying Baruch's enemies, the armies of Sennacherib. Beyond that, he is also the guide for the souls of the faithful, leading them into Heaven after Michael weighs them at the last trump. Although not mentioned specifically as such, such a role would lead to the assumption that Ramiel is a power. He is credited with the destruction of the armies of Sennacherib, being the carrier of the instructions of the "Seven Archangels", and the one who presides over "true vision". He was the leader of the Apostates and one of the fallen angels.
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Sachiel rules over the Planet Jupiter. Jupiter rules over the Tree of Life Sephirah 4 (Chesed- Mercy), The Greek Deity Zeus, The Alchemical Metal Tin, and Paternal Wisdom
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Samael is also known as Sammael and Samil. It is generally taught that Samael resides in the Seventh Heaven, although he is declared to be the Chief Angel of the Fifth Heaven. Samael rules over the Planet Mars. Mars rules over the Tree of Life Sephirah 5 (Geburah - Severity) , The Greek Deity Ares, the Alchemical Metal Iron, and Active Energy.
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Sandalphon appears as very tall and dressed in black. His robe is made of pure energy. His name means, "Brother", and he is the twin brother of Metatron. Sandalphon is the Master of Heavenly Song. His primary function is to act as a Guide.
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Sariel (Saraqael) ("Command of God"): Working along side of Raguel, this seraph is given the role of deciding the fate of angels which stray from God's path. Sariel was also the Angel of Death. It was claimed that Sariel was a healer like Raphael, a Seraphim and the Prince of Presence. He is also credited as being an angel of knowledge, and one of the leaders in Heaven's armies, his name being written upon the shields of one of the fighting forces. Though not recorded in fact, it was stated by some that Sariel was in fact one of the fallen rebel angels.
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Zadkiel (Zedkiel) also known as Tzadkiel, Satqiel, and Zachiel. ("Righteousness of God") Zadkiel is the Chief of Dominations. Belonging to the ranks of the dominations, and considered by some to be chief, Zadkiel is considered an angel of mercy. It is he who holds back the hand of Abraham to prevent the patriarch from sacrificing his son, and because of this is usually shown holding a dagger. Also, Zadkiel is one of two standard bearers (along with Zophiel) who follow directly behind Michael as the head archangel enters battle.
GUARDIAN ANGELS
FROM: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07049c.htm
Guardian Angel (See also FEAST OF THE GUARDIAN ANGELS.)
That every individual soul has a guardian angel has never been defined by the Church, and is, consequently, not an article of faith; but it is the "mind of the Church", as St. Jerome expressed it: "how great the dignity
of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it." (Comm. in Matt., xviii, lib. II).
This belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity; pagans, like Menander and Plutarch (cf. Euseb., "Praep. Evang.", xii), and Neo-Platonists, like Plotinus, held it. It was also the belief of the Babylonians and Assyrians, as their monuments testify, for a figure of a guardian angel now in the British Museum once decorated an Assyrian palace, and might well serve for a modern representation; while Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, says: "He (Marduk) sent a tutelary deity (cherub) of grace to go at my side; in everything that I did, he made my work to succeed."
In the Bible this doctrine is clearly discernible and its development is well marked. In Genesis 28-29, angels not only act as the executors of God's wrath against the cities of the plain, but they deliver Lot from danger; in Exodus 12-13, an angel is the appointed leader of the host of Israel, and in 32:34, God says to Moses: "my angel shall go before thee." At a much later period we have the story of Tobias, which might serve for a commentary on the words of Psalm 90:11: "For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways." (Cf. Psalm 33:8 and 34:5.) Lastly, in Daniel 10 angels are entrusted with the care of particular districts; one is called "prince of the kingdom of the Persians", and Michael is termed "one of the chief princes"; cf. Deuteronomy 32:8 (Septuagint); and Ecclesiasticus 17:17 (Septuagint).
This sums up the Old Testament doctrine on the point; it is clear that the Old Testament conceived of God's angels as His ministers who carried out his behests, and who were at times given special commissions, regarding men and mundane affairs. There is no special teaching; the doctrine is rather taken for granted than expressly laid down; cf. II Machabees 3:25; 10:29; 11:6; 15:23.
But in the New Testament the doctrine is stated with greater precision. Angels are everywhere the intermediaries between God and man; and Christ set a seal upon the Old Testament teaching: "See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10). A twofold aspect of the doctrine is here put before us: even little children have guardian angels, and these same angels lose not the vision of God by the fact that they have a mission to fulfil on earth.
Without dwelling on the various passages in the New Testament where the doctrine of guardian angels is suggested, it may suffice to mention the angel who succoured Christ in the garden, and the angel who delivered St. Peter from prison. Hebrews 1:14 puts the doctrine in its clearest light: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation?" This is the function of the guardian angels; they are to lead us, if we wish it, to the Kingdom of Heaven.
St. Thomas teaches us (Summa Theologica I:113:4) that only the lowest orders of angels are sent to men, and consequently that they alone are our guardians, though Scotus and Durandus would rather say that any of the members of the angelic host may be sent to execute the Divine commands. Not only the baptized, but every soul that cometh into the world receives a guardian spirit; St. Basil, however (Homily on Psalm 43), and possibly St. Chrysostom (Homily 3 on Colossians) would hold that only Christians were so privileged. Our guardian angels can act upon our senses (I:111:4) and upon our imaginations (I:111:3) -- not, however, upon our wills, except "per modum suadentis", viz. by working on our intellect, and thus upon our will, through the senses and the imagination. (I:106:2; and I:111:2). Finally, they are not separated from us after death, but remain with us in heaven, not, however, to help us attain salvation, but "ad aliquam illustrationem" (I:108:7, ad 3am).
HUGH POPETranscribed by Herman HolbrookAd Dei gloriam honoremque angeli custodis mei
Demons and SpiritsThese are generally called up for a short time, enough to perform a specific task, and are then banished. This is not always the case, but it is a general rule. Mostly they do not have a material basis. An exception is when they are used in talismans or protective wards on a house. They can be called in solo, or in a group context with equal efficiency.Sometimes a Demon may actually be a God. This is a different type of demon, and perhaps they should be refered to as Demon-Princes. The difference between a Demon and a Demon-Prince is like the difference between a Guardian Angel and an Arch-Angel. Arch-Angels and Demon-Princes are more like Gods, in that they are usually well known and have their names publicised in books, as well as having relatively clearly
ElementalsThese are a special type of Spirit/Demon having a special association with one of the four elements. Earth elementals can be, among other things, Gnomes, Dwarves, Moles, Rocks, Stones or Trolls. Water elementals can be Undines, Mermaids, Fish, Serpents, Frogs, Rivers, Lakes, Oceans, Water Nymphs or Whirlpools. Air elementals can be Sylphs, Fairies, Owls, Eagles, the Wind, Smoke, Incense or Tornadoes. Fire elementals can be Salamanders, bonfires, lanterns, candles, torches, fireworks. They can be used both in group or solo work. The magician's magickal tools are also a special type of elemental. Wands are fire elementals, Swords/Knives are air elementals, Cups are water elementals and Pentacles are earth elementals. These magickal tools can be thought of as a sort of cross breed elemental-familiar-talisman type of servitor.
Other archangels mentioned as among the 7 include: Pravuil, Sheperd, Phanuel, (equated with Uriel).
In Persian mythology, "the holy immortal ones," all of whom had the nature of angels, were:1. Justice or Truth2. Right Order3. Obedience4. Prosperity5. Piety or Wisdom6. Health 7. Immortality
According to Muslim lore there are only 4 archangels: Gabriel, Michael, Azrael, Israfel. Usually 7, rather than 4, were favored because 7 is a more mystical number and because, as we read in Esther1:14, there were "Seven princes who saw the King's (God) Face."
The Babylonians regarded the 7 planets as dietes, and these (says W. O. E. Oesterly) were the prototype of the Judaeo-Christian archangels. The amesha spentas have also been regarded as a prototype.
The Throne Angels ref: The Book of the Angel Razziel
Governing Angel: Attarib (head of the sign of Winter) Serving angels: Amabael, Catarari (Ctararti)
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THE ZODIAC ANGELSGUARDIAN ANGELS FOR THOSE BORN UNDER THE SIGN
OF ARIESElement: Fire
March 21 to 25:
VEHUIAH - One of eight Seraphim invoked to fulfill prayers. He governs the first rays of the sun.
March 26 to 30:
JELIEL - A Seraph whose name is inscribed on the Tree of Life. He is the Heavenly Prince Ruler of Turkey. He controls the destiny of kings and other high dignitaries and gives the palm of victory for those who are unjustly attacked or invaded. In addition he inspires passion between the sexes and insures marital fidelity.
March 31 to April 4:
SITAEL - A Seraph invoked to overcome adversity. He rules the nobility and is one of the 72 angels of the Zodiac; also one of the 72 angels that bear the name of God Shemhamphorae.
April 5 to 9:
ELEMIAH - One of the 8 Seraphim of the Tree of Life in the Book of Yetsirah, and an angel (one of 72) bearing the mystical name of God Shemhamphorae. He rules over voyages and maritime expeditions. His corresponding angel is Senacher.
April 10 to 14:
MAHASIAH - One of 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
April 15 to 20:
LELAHEL - An angel of the zodiac exercising dominion over love, art, science and fortune. We appeal to this being of light for good luck and good fortune.
|Up|GUARDIAN ANGELS OF PEOPLE BORN UNDER THE
SIGN OF TAURUS:Element: Earth
April 21 to 25:
ACHAIAH - He is a Seraphim, the angel of patience and discoverer of the secrets of nature. In the New Testament Achaiah is a Roman Province. Paul visited the churches in that region. (Acts 18:12, 27
CAHETEL - One of 8 Seraphim; he rules over agricultural products and is one of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae. In the Cabala generally he is often invoked to increase or improve crops. His corresponding angel is Asicat.
May 1 to 5:
HAZIEL - A Cherub invoked to obtain the pity of God. He is one of 72 angels bearing the mystical name of God Shemhamphorae. When equated with Bernael, he is an angel of darkness. In 1st Chronicles 23:9 Haziel is mortal, an offspring of the Gershonites. The Cabalists very likely drew the name from this source.
May 6 to 10:
ALADIAH - One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
May 11 to 15:
LAUVIAH - In the Cabala, an angel of the order of Thrones; also of the order of Cherubim. More correctly, he formerly belonged to these orders. He influences savants and great personages.
May 16 to 20:
HAHAIAH - An angel of the order of Cherubim. He influences thoughts and reveals hidden mysteries to mortals.
|Up|GUARDIAN ANGELS OF PEOPLE BORN UNDER THE
SIGN OF GEMINI:Element: Air
May 21 to 25:
IEZALEL - One of the angels of the Zodiac.
May 26 to 31:
MEBAHEL - One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
June 1 to 5:
HARIEL - Angel with dominion over tame beasts. He is invoked against impieties. He rules science and the arts and is of the order of Cherubim.
June 6 to 10:
HAKAMIAH - One of the Cherubim (invoked against traitors) and Guardian Angel of France. His corresponding angel is Verasua.
June 11 to 15:
LAUVIAH - In the Cabala, an angel of the order of Thrones; also of the order of Cherubim. More correctly, he formerly belonged to these orders. He influences savants and great personages.
June 16 to 21:
CALIEL - One of the Throne angels serving in the Second Heaven, invoked to bring prompt help during adversity. He is one of 72 angels bearing the mystical name of God Shemhamphorae. His corresponding angel is Tersatosoa (or Tepisatosa).
LEUUIAH - One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
June 27 to July 1:
PAHALIAH - An angel invoked to convert non-Christians to Christianity. He rules theology and morals and is one of the angels bearing the mystical name of the God Shemhamphorae. His corresponding angel is Sothis, who is an angel of an hour.
June 2 to July 6:
NELCHAEL - An angel belonging to the order of Thrones and one of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae. However, he appears to be not a Holy Angel but a Fallen one who, in Hell, teaches astronomy, mathematics, and geography, to his fellow demons. His corresponding spirit is known as Sith.
July 7 to 11:
YEIAYEL - One of the angels of the Zodiac.
July 12 to 16:
MELAHEL - One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
July 17 to 22:
HAHUIAH - One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
|Up|GUARDIAN ANGELS OF PEOPLE BORN UNDER THE SIGN
OF LEO:Element: Fire
July 23 to 27:
NITHAIAH - A poet-angel of the order of Dominations. He is invoked by pronouncing any of the divine names along with the 1st verse of Psalm 9. He is in charge of occult sciences, delivers prophecies in rhyme, and exercises influence over wise men who love peace and solitude.
July 28 toAugust 1:
HAAIAH - An angel of the order of Dominations. He rules over diplomacy and ambassadors, and it one of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
August 2 to 6:
YERATEL - An angel of the order of Dominations (Dominions). He "propagates light, civilization, and liberty." His corresponding angel is Hepe.
August 7 to 12:
SEHEIAH - An angel who provides protection against sickness and fire. He also governs longevity.
REIIEL - An angel of the order of Dominations and is also one of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
August 18 to 22:
OMAEL - An angel who multiplies species, perpetuates races and influences Chemists. There is some question as to whether Omael is a Fallen or Upright Angel. Data available suggests he seems to operate in both domains.
|Up|GUARDIAN ANGELS OF PEOPLE BORN UNDER THE
SIGN OF VIRGO:Element: Earth
August 23 to 28:
LECABEL - An angel in control of vegetation and agriculture, and one of the 72 angels bearing the mystical name of God Shemhamphorae.
August 29 to September 2:
VASAIRIAH - In the Cabala, an angel who rules over justice, nobility, magistrates, and lawyers.
September3 to 7:
YEHUDIAH - In the Zohar, one of the chief angelic envoys. He descends with myriads of attending angels for the purpose of bearing aloft the souls of the persons about to die, or who have just died. He is a beneficent Angel of Death.
September8 to 12:
LEHAHIAH - Once of the order of Powers (Potentates), he protects crowned heads and makes subjects obedient to their superiors. He is (or was, depending on his current status as a holy or evil angel) one of the 72 heirarchs bearing the mystical name of God Shemhamphorae.
September13 to 17:
CHAVAKIAH - One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
September18 to 23:
MENADEL - An angel of the order of Powers; also one of the 72 angels of the Zodiac. Menadel keeps exiles faithful or loyal to their native land. His corresponding angel, in the Cabala, is Aphut.
|Up|GUARDIAN ANGELS OF PEOPLE BORN UNDER THE SIGN
OF LIBRA:Element: Air
September24 to 28:
ANIEL - One of the numerous angelic guards of the gates of the West wind.
HAAMIAH - An angel of the order of Powers. He dominates religious cults and "protects all those who seek the truth." His corresponding angel (in the Cabala) is Serucuth.
October4 to 8:
REHAEL - An angel of the order of Powers. He rules over health and longevity, and inspires respect for one's parents. He is one of the 72 angels bearing the mystical name of God Shemhamphorae. His corresponding angel is Ptechout.
October9 to 13:
IHIAZEL - One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
October14 to 18:
HAHAHEL - Hahahel is also spelled Hahael and this angel in an angel of the order of Virtues. Hahael protects missionaries and all disciples. He is also one of the 72 angels bearing the mystical name of the God Shemhamphorae. His corresponding angel is Chantare`, who's description only states that he is the corresponding angel to Hahahel (Hahael).
October19 to 23:
MIKAEL - An angel who influences the decisions of monarchs, nobles, and governors; also useful in uncovering conspiracies against states. His corresponding angel is Arpien.
|Up|GUARDIAN ANGELS OF PEOPLE BORN UNDER THE SIGN
OF SCORPIO:Element: Water
October 24 to 28:
VEULIAH - An angel of the order of Principalities; also a Zodiac angel and he is also one of the 72 angels bearing the mystical name of the God Shemhamphorae.
October 29 to November 2:
YELAIAH - One of the angels of the Zodiac.
November 3 to 7:
SAELIAH - In the Cabala, a Fallen angel once of the order of Virtues. He has (or had) dominion over vegetables. When invoking him, and for the best results, it is advisable to recite a verse from Psalm 93.
November 8 to 12:
ARIEL - Ranks as one of the 7 Princes who rule the waters and is "Earth's Great Lord." In occult writings, he is the "3rd archon of the winds." He is also the angel who assists Raphael in the cure of disease. He is in charge of punishment in the Lower World, controls demons, and is ruler of winds. In practical Cabala he is regarded as originally of the order of Virtues. He is known to be a conglomerate of Anael and Uriel, a Sprite, and a Rebel Angel, according to different sources.
ASALIAH - In the Cabala, an angel of the order of Virtues, under the ethnarchy of Raphael. He has dominion over justice. One of the 72 angels bearing the mystical name of God Shemhamphorae.
November 18 to 22:
MIHAEL - In the Cabala, an angel in control of conjugal fidelity and fertility. He belongs to the order of Virtues and is one of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
|Up|GUARDIAN ANGELS OF PEOPLE BORN UNDER THE
SIGN OF SAGITTARIUS:Element: Fire
November23 to 27:
VEHUEL - An angel of the order of Principalities; also a Zodiac angel and one of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
November 28 to December 2:
DANIEL - An angel of the order of Principalities. He exercises dominion over lawyers. He is a high Holy Angel who bears the name of Shemhamphorae.
December3 to 7:
HAHAZIAH - One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
December8 to 12:
IMAMIAH - In the Cabala, an angel of the order of Principalities, or rather and ex-angel of that order, since he is fallen. In Hell he supervises and controls voyages,and destroys and humiliates enemies, when he is invoked to do so, or is so disposed. He was once one of the 72 angels that bore the name of God Shemhamphorae.
December13 to 16:
NANAEL - In practical Cabala, one of the Principalities; also one of the 72 angels bearing the mystical name of God Shemhamphorae. Exercises dominion over the great sciences, influences philosophers and ecclesiastics. His corresponding angel is Chomme.
December17 to 21:
NITHAEL - In the Cabala, an angel formerly of the order of Principalities. One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae. The prevailing belief is that Nithael joined Satan during the rebellion in Heaven and that now, in Hell, he governs emperors and kings, also civil and ecclesiastical personages of the highest rank.
MEBAHIAH - An angel who exercises dominion over morality and religion. He also helps those desiring offspring.
December 27 to 31:
POIEL - An angel of the order of Principalities. He rules over fortune and philosophy. He also is one of the 72 angels of the Zodiac.
January 1 to 5:
NEMAMIAH - This sacred being is a guardian angel of all those who fight for just causes. He is especially protective towards people who defend the rights of those who cannot defend themselves, such as animals and children. When an injustice is done towards anyone, including ourselves, we can pray to Nemamiah to right the wrong.
January 6 to 10:
IEILAEL - One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
January 11 to 15:
HARAEL - This radiant one protects libraries, archives, schools and universities. Harahel opens our minds and hearts to new ideas while inspiring humankind to use this knowledge in life-affirming ways.
January 16 to 20:
MITZRAEL - One of the archangels in Cabalistic lore. Induces obedience on the part of inferiors toward superiors. One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae. His corresponding angel is Homoth.
|Up|GUARDIAN ANGELS OF PEOPLE BORN UNDER THE
SIGN OF AQUARIUS:Element: Air
January 21 to 25:
UMABEL - In the Cabala, Umabel is said to have dominion over physics and astronomy. He is also one of the 72 angels bearing the mystical name of God Shemhamphorae. His corresponding angel is Ptiau.
January 26 to 30:
IAHHEL - This shining one inspires meditation and illumination. Iahhel watches over philosophers and those who seek a retreat from worldly pursuits. For those who have difficulty meditating, pray to Iahhel for help just before you begin your meditative practice.
January 31 to February 4:
ANAUEL - An angel who protects commerce, bankers, commission brokers, etc. His corresponding angel is Aseij.
February 5 to 9:
MEHIEL - An angel who protects university professors, orators and authors.
February 10 DAMABIAH - An angel of the order of angels with dominion over naval construction.
EIAEL - An angel with dominion over occult sciences, longevity, etc. One of the 72 angels bearing the mystical name of God Shemhamphorae. His corresponding angel is Abiou. When Eiael is conjured up, the invocant must recite the 4th verse of Psalm 36.
February 25 to 28:
HABUIAH - An angel who exercises dominion over agriculture and fecundity. One of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
March 1 to 5:
ROCHEL - An angel who finds lost objects.
March 6 to 10:
GABAMIAH - In Solomonic Goetic rites, a great angel invoked by the use of incantatory power of the name of the angel Uriel.
March 11 to 15:
HAIAIEL - One of the 72 angels of the Zodiac and one of the 72 angels bearing the name of God Shemhamphorae.
March 16 to 20:
MUMIAH - This angel presides over the sciences of medicine and physics. Mumiah is traditionally believed to grant health and longevity, as well as being able to suspend physical laws to create miracles.
Each month of the year has its own special angel. These angels help us learn from nature the particular lessons and insights that every season
imparts.
The Angel of January - teaches us to look within, to take stock of ourselves and our lives. The January angel keeps us company as we ponder over those long, cold winter nights, helping us to be honest with ourselves and patient at the same time. Conveying the wisdom of an elder, the January angel takes our hand as we seek to glean understanding from our lessons of the past year. With this support, we can give ourselves both recognition and admonition and admonition in their turn. With this help, we can chart a new course or alter our present one. We seek and receive the companionship of the January angel to warm us through the winter of our introspection.
The Angel of February - is the angel of patience. During the dark, blustery nights of February, when nature is in a deep chill and we long for a sign of warmth and life, this angel can help us lern to await with grace the first signs of spring. February's angel teaches us that winter has its own special peace, that being snowbound or staying indoors can give us a welcome reprise from the busyness of life. In February, we can complete unfinished projects and prepare for new initiatives in the spring. The angel of February brings us the gift of patience, helping us to enjoy the solitude and quiet of the winter, guiding us to replenish our energy for the warm, busy days to come.
The Angel of March - brings us stamina and courage. As winter ends, we take heart from the crocuses that push their way up through the snow. The Angel of March cheers us on through life's frozen moments, boosting our morale and helping us achieve new landmarks. With the angel's help, we dare to break through whatever barrier, whether personal belief or lack of self-confidence, that holds us back. We gather the will to launch a lifelong dream or begin the project we have envisioned but never dared to tackle. As the sun begins to warm our spirits, the March angel rejoices with us at the first signs of spring and lends us courage to prepare for a new and daunting, but also fulfilling, task.
The Angel of April - is the spirit of rebirth. As the days grow longer and the sun begins to warm us, April is a time for new life and new beginnings. April's angel spurs us to test ourselves in new directions and to make ourselves vulnerable in the face of unfamiliar people and places. Encouraged by the April angel, we search for novel endeavors that will enrich our lives and bring new meaning to our career or family roles. The April angel teaches us to delight in each sign of awakening, in nature and in ourselves.
The Angel of May - brings the blush and promise of spring. May's angel rejoices with us as we take heart at the sight of trees ad shrubs in bloom and relish our anticipation of the fruits to come. This angel of spring reminds us that this is a time of awakening the seed within ourselves. Perhaps we have a deep longing, an artistic talent never explored or a friendship never quite attempted. This angel of May will help us discover this potential, nurturing our spirits as we can dare to fulfill this hidden promise and bring forth the fruit of a life fully lived.
The Angel of June - helps us flourish and grow strong. June's angel teaches us to sustain our enthusiasm for the new projects and directions we started in the spring. In this glorious time of sunshine and growth, we learn to seek out the warmth of friendships and family ties, to help nurture the seeds we planted and become all that we were meant to be. The angel of June urges us to be steadfast in our intentions, to renew our dedication, and to stay on course.
The Angel of July - brings a season of leisure, a time to play and replenish our energy. The projects we began in the spring should be well underway and growing stronger on their own. July's angel urges us to take the time, now, to step back and observe what we have planted. The July angel encourages us to tend the garden of our life, to care for what we have started, and to be objective enough to weed out the unhealthy or unproductive elements. This angel of summer reminds us to nurture the people and things that bring us happiness, so we can product for ourselves a crop of joy and fulfillment.
The Angel of August - is the angel of perseverance. The new directions we began in the spring may have become difficult to sustain. Like a garden that needs constant watering and weeding in the scorching August sun, our projects and dreams require stamina and determination to bring them to fruition. The angel of August helps us with unflagging energy to tend the garden we have planted. When the hot summer sun and the work of our lives demand too much of us, the August angel brings us the fortitude to cleave to our tasks through completion.
The Angel of September - helps us prepare for the harvest at hand. As the summer draws to a close, September's angel reminds us to pause and gather fresh strength because the culmination of a project often demands one last surge of energy. The September angel brings us this boost, seeing us through to the fulfillment of our task. This late-summer angel also helps us recognize the fruits of our labors and share with others the bounty of what we have created in our lives. In September, we take delight in our good fortune, whether in a garden, a relationship, or a career, and we share our joy with all those whose support has made our harvest possible.
The Angel of October - rejoices as we reap the harvest of what we have sown in life. October is a good time to step back from our projects and our dreams and to take a hard look at what we have actually accomplished. The October angel helps us to be honest and objective about what is good and what is not. With this help, we can face clearly the consequences of our choices over these past seasons. We will taste our harvest and reject what is bitter or unripe; we will make note of what worked and what did not, and we will change for the better. October's angel teaches us that the greatest fruit of our personal harvest is understanding ourselves.
The Angel of November - is the angel of humility. This autumn angel brings a special gift that helps deepen the meaning of the Thanksgiving season for ourselves and our loved ones. November's angel urges us to acknowledge and appreciate the supporting roles others have played in our lives this year and even thank those who have taught us difficult lessons. The angel of November leads us to give thanks in a new way by forgiving old hurts and healing broken relationships. Thus we help one another to be truly grateful for our relationships and the richness they bring to our lives.
The Angel of December - is the angel of generosity. The December angel celebrates with us this time of giving gifts to all the wild creatures and to all of God's children. The angel of December leads us to join hands with people of all races and religions, recognizing that we are children of the same creator, and we all share the responsibility of bringing joy and health upon the earth. Inspired by December's angel, we can celebrate this season of brotherhood by doing one act of kindness every day of December ~ going out of our way to bring warmth and light into another's life.
A system of seven archangels is an old tradition in Abrahamic religions. The earliest reference to a system of seven archangels appears to be in Enoch I (the Ethiopian Enoch), where they are given as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Zerachiel and Remiel. Centuries later, Pseudo-Dionysius gives them as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Chamuel, Jophiel, and Zadkiel. Pope Gregory I lists them as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Simiel, Orifiel, and Zachariel. Eastern Orthodoxy venerates Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Jegudiel, and Barachiel. Another Catholic variation lists them as follows, with corresponding days of the week: Michael (Sunday), Gabriel (Monday), Raphael (Tuesday), Uriel (Wednesday), Sealtiel (Thursday), Jhudiel (Friday)and Barachiel (Saturday).
In Judaism there are no explicit references to archangels in the canonical texts of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). In Kabbalah, and the Book of Enoch chapter 20, and the Life of Adam and Eve, the usual number of archangels given is at least seven, who are the focal angels. Three higher archangels are also commonly referenced: Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. There is confusion about one of the following eight names, concerning which one listed is not truly an archangel. They are: Uriel, Sariel, Raguel, and Remiel (possibly the Ramiel of the Apocalypse of Baruch, said to preside over true visions), Zadkiel, Jophiel, Haniel and Chamuel.
In Christianity The New Testament rarely speaks of angels, and makes only two references to archangels: Michael in Jude 1.9 and I Thessalonians 4:16, where the "voice of an archangel" will be heard at the return of Christ. In later Church tradition, however, there are three archangels: Michael, Gabriel, and usually Raphael; sometimes Uriel is given as a fourth. Eastern Orthodox tradition mentions "thousands of archangels" but venerates only seven of them by name. Uriel is included, and the other three are most often named Selaphiel, Jegudiel, and Barachiel.
In Islam, the named archangels include Michael or Mikail (archangel of sustenance), Gabriel or Jibril (archangel of revelation; who brought the Qur'an to Muhammad), and the Angel of Death- a common name for the angel is Izra-eel.-; however, not mentioned in any scriptures. The names that are mentioned include the "Angel of Death" or Malak al-Maut, Israfil or Israfil (archangel who is to blow the horn on Judgment Day), Maalik (Keeper of Hell), Munkar and Nakir (Angels of Interrogation that will question deceased souls on their life before their death) and Radwan (Keeper of Heaven). Neither Israfil nor Izrail are mentioned in the Qur'an, however, and neither Nakir nor Munkar are mentioned as archangels in the Qur'an or any other Islamic Text.
Archangel Michael
Michael: "Who is like unto God?". The Holy Archangel Michael is one of the most celebrated of the Angels and bodiless powers; he is called the Archistrategos, or chief commander, of all the bodiless powers. more...
Archangel Gabriel
Gabriel: "The Power or Strength of God". In Islam, he is called the chief of the four favoured angels and the spirit of truth, and in some views Gabriel is the same person as the Holy Spirit. Christians and Muslims believe him to have foretold the births of John the Baptist and Jesus to Zacharias and the Virgin Mary respectively, and Muslims believe he was the medium through which God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad. more...
Raphael: "The Healing of God". Raphael (Standard Hebrew רפאל, "God has healed", "God Heals", "God, Please Heal", and many other combinations of the two words, Arabic: Israfil, اسرافيل) is the name of an archangel of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, who performs all manner of healing. more...
Archangel Uriel
Uriel: "The Light or Fire of God". Uriel (אוריאל "Flame of God", Auriel/Oriel (light of god) Standard Hebrew Uriʾel, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÛrîʾēl) is one of the archangels of post-Exilic Rabbinic tradition, and also of certain Christian traditions. His name may have analogies with Uriah.
more...
Archangel Jegudiel
Jehudiel: "The Glory, Laudation or Praise of God". Jegudiel is one of the seven Archangels in Eastern Orthodox tradition. He is often depicted in iconography holding a crown and a three-thonged whip. more...
Archangel Jeremiel
Jeremiel "Height of God"
more...
Archangel Selaphiel
Selaphiel: "The Command, Communicant or Prayer of God". Selaphiel or Sealtiel (Aramaic цмъйам Tzelathiel "Prayer of God", Heb. щамъйам Shealtiel), sometimes identified with Salathiel from the Second Book of Esdras. He is one of the seven archangels in Eastern Orthodox tradition.
Barachiel: "The Benediction or Blessings of God". Barachiel is one of the seven Archangels in Eastern Orthodox tradition. In iconography he is sometimes shown holding a white rose against his chest, or with rose petals scattered on his clothing. more...
Archangel Raguel
Raguel: "The Friend of God". Raguel (Raguil, Rasuil, Rufael, Suryan, Akrasiel) is one of the 7 archangels mainly of the Judaic and Islamic traditions. more...
Archangel Ramiel
Ramiel: "Thunder of God". Râmîêl (Aramaic: דעמאנל, Hebrew: רעמיאל Greek:‘Ραμιήλ) is the 6th leader mentioned in the Book of Enoch, he is a Grigori or Watcher. more...
Archangel Zerachiel
Zerachiel: "God's command" Zerachiel is one of the primary angels who leads souls to judgement.
more...
Archangel Chamuel
Chamuel: "Who sees God." Chamuel (also known as Kemuel, Shemuel, Chamuel, Camiel, Camniel, Zamael, or Cancel) is an angel in Judeo-Christian mythology and angelology, and is often
included in lists as being one of the seven archangels. Is claimed to be the leader of the forces that expel Adam from the Garden of Eden. more...
Archangel Jophiel
Jophiel: "The Beauty of God." The Archangel Jophiel is also known as Iophiel, Iofiel, Jofiel, Yofiel ("Divine Beauty"), Youfiel and Zophiel ("My Rock is God"). more...
Archangel Zadkiel
Zadkiel: "The Justice, Righteousness or Uprightness of God". Zadkiel (Heb. цгчйам Tzadqiel, "Righteousness of God") is the archangel of freedom, benevolence, mercy, and the Patron Angel of all who forgive. Also known as Sachiel, Zedekiel, Zadakiel, Tzadkiel, and Zedekul. more...
Archangel Azrael
Azrael: Archangel of Death Azrael is the Islamic Archangel of Death. He is also the Angel of Death in Judeo-Christian extrabiblical tradition and folklore. It is an English form of the Arabic name Azra'il (عزرائيل) or Azra'eil (عزرایل), the name traditionally attributed to the angel of death in Islam and some Hebrew lore. more...
Archangel Israfel
Israfel or Israfil (Arabic: ЕУСЗЭнбэ): "The Burning One" Israfel is the angel of the trumpet in Islam, though unnamed in the Qur'an. Along with Mikhail, Djibril and Izra'il, he is one of the four Islamic archangels. more...
Metatron: "Beyong throne." Metatron is the name of an angel in Judaism and some branches of Christianity. There are no references to him in the Jewish Tanakh (Old Testament), the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) or any Islamic source. There is no consensus as to his genesis or the role that he plays in the hierarchy of Heaven and Hell. more...
Lucifer
Lucifer: "light-bearer", "Morning Star". In modern and late Medieval Christian thought, Lucifer is usually a fallen angel identified as Satan, the embodiment of evil and enemy of God.
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By mr williams
Definition Of An ArchangelBefore I get started, I must give the definition of the word "Archangel". An Archangel is a high ranking Angel. They are considered to be the "leader" of the Angels. Seven Archangels appeared before God in The Book Of Revelations. Only four were named in the Bible. Some of the information below will not be only from Christian faith, it will come from others that believe in the almighty as well. They are the devine messengers between humans and God.
ArchAngel MichaelMichael is probably the most well known Archangel of all the others. He is said to be God's champion and is usually pictured with an unsheathed sword. It is foretold that when the world is in jeopardy again, Michael will return. In the bible, it is said that Michael was the Archangel that told the Virgin Mary of her approaching death. According to Jewish scriptures, Michael is the closest to the Lord, for his name
means "like unto God". As the eldest Archangel, he is given captaincy over all of God's natural phenomena, such as the rain, wind, fire, snow, thunder, lightning, and hail. He is said to be the battler and defender of heaven, and the Patron Saint of policemen. It says in The Book Of Revelations that Michael will lead the Angels against the dragon in the final battle. There are actually 8 main Archangels.Lucifer was also an Archangel, but he was cast out of Heaven, leaving seven main Archangels.
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