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whyangels?comWhattheBible
saysaboutAngels!
Archangels,Michael&Gabriel
OnlytwoofGod'sangelsaredirectlynamedintheBible,theArchangelMichaelandGabriel,
God'sspecialmessenger.Sothesetwoangelsmustbespecialangels!
AnotherimportantrankofangelsareArchangels.

Archangels
Thetermorprefix'arch'isGreekforrulingorChief.Archangelsareonlymentionedtwicein
theBibleandonlyoneangelisspecificallycalledanArchangel,Michael 1 .
TheonlyothertimethewordArchangelappearsintheBibleistodowiththeendoftime 2 .
Bothofthesecases,speakofasingularArchangelwhichcouldsuggestthatthereisonly
onearchorrulerangelandthatindeedisMichael.
ThereisastrongJewishtraditionthatsaystherearesevenArchangelsandmanythinkthat
thesevenangelsmentionedinthebookofRevelationcouldbesevenArchangels 3 .
IntheOldTestamentbookofDaniel,Michaeliscalled'oneofthechiefprinces',whichmight
suggestthatthere'smorethanonearchangel 4 !
Duringthethemiddleages,an'angelic'hierarchywaswrittenbyanauthoronlyknownas'
PseudoDionysius'.Inthislistofnineranks,archangelsarerankedsecondfrombottom,
whichseemsratherstrangefora'rulingangel'!
AccordingtoJewishtradition(butnottheBible!)thesevenarchangelsare:
Michael
Gabriel
Raphael
Uriel
Raguel
Saraqael
Remiel
Outoftheseven,onlyMichaelandGabrielarenamedintheBible(OnlyMichaeliscalledan
archangelintheBible.).AnangelcalledRaphaelhasamajorpartinthebookofTobit 5 .
ThebookofTobitispartofagroupofbooksknownasthetheProtestantApocrypha[these
booksareacollectionthatareconsideredimportant,butarenotintheBibleandnot
consideredsacredbyProtestants]andtheCatholicandOrthodoxDeuterocanon[most
CatholicsandOrthodoxChristiansconsiderthesebookstobesacred].Theotherfour
'archangels'arelistedinthebookofEnoch.ThisbookisintheOldTestament

Pseudepigrapha[agroupofbooksconsideredsacredbytheEthiopianOrthodoxChristians]
6.
IntheOccult/NewAgethereisadifferentlistthesevenangels,knownasthe'Angelsof
Revelation',eachofwhichislinkedtotheir'planet'.Theseare:
MichaeltheSun
RaphaelMercury
UrielVenus
MelchizedekEarth
GabrieltheEarth'sMoon
SamaelMars
ZacharielJupiter
OrifielSaturn
Personally,Idon'ttrustthislistatallithasnoconnectionwhatsoeverwiththesevenangels
mentionedinthebookofRevelationintheBible!ApersoncalledMelchizedekisnamedin
theBiblebutnotasanangel!
However,inhis'cosmictrilogy'(fiction),theChristianwriterCSLewisassociates'heavenly
beings'andplanets,whicheachplanetinoursolarsystemhavingitsownheavenlybeing.
Sowedon'treallyknowhowmanyarchangelsthereare,butthere'soneforcertainandthat's
Michael.

Michael
TheArchangelMichaelisoneofonlythreeangelsthatarenamedintheBible(theothers
beingGabrielandLucifer,theoriginalnameofSatan/TheDevil).Wearetoldthatheis'one
ofthechiefprinces','thegreatprince','amightywarrior'and'leaderofotherangels'.Heis
God'senforceroflawandjudgementandistheonlyangelspecificallycalledanarchangelin
theBible 7 .
ThenameMichaelmeans'WhoislikeGod?'(noticethequestionmark).Michaelappearsto
haveaspecialroleinguardingthenationofIsraelandtheJewishpeople.InJewishtradition,
MichaelistheauthorofPsalm85,whichisasadpoemaboutthesufferingofthenationof
Israel.Hehasalsobeenassociatedwiththe'man'whospoketoJoshuaatthebattleof
Jericho 8 .
Inhisroleaschiefwarriorangel,itcouldwellbeMichael'svoicethatannouncesthereturnof
Jesustoearth 9 .
ItisthoughtthatiswasMichaelwhofoughtwith,andthrewouttheDevil/Satan/Luciferfrom
Heaven(whentheSatanrevoltedagainstGodandtriedtotakeGod'splace)andthat
Michaelbecamethe'topangel'intheSatan'splace.
Heisoftendepictedwearingmedievalarmour,readyforbattleveryappropriateforhis
warriorrole!
InsomeChristiantraditions,MichaelissaidtohaveappearedtoMary(Jesus'mother)totell
herthatshewoulddiesoonandthathecarriedherdeceasedbodyintoheaven.(Some

CatholicsbelievethatMarydidn'tdiebutthatshewastakenstraighttoheaven,byMichael
orbyJesus.)
InIslam,MichaelisknownasMikailandtheKoransaysthatheshedstearsoverthesinsof
thefaithfulandthesetearsbecometheangelsknownastheCherubim.

Gabriel
ThenameGabrielmeans'God'sHero'andheisGod'sspecialmessengerangel.Onseveral
occasionsintheBibleheisgiventhejobofcomingtoearthtogiveimportant
announcementsandtellofspecialevents 10 .
SoitwasGabrielwhohadtheamazingjoboftellingMarythatshewouldbethemotherof
Jesus,thekingoftheuniverse!It'salsohighlylikelythatitwasGabrielwhospoketoJoesph
andtoldhimthatMarywouldhaveaspecialbabycalledJesus 11 .
NowhereintheBibleisGabrielcalledanarchangel,althoughinJewishfolkloreheisoneof
thesevenarchangels.InDaniel9:21itsaysthatGabrielarrivesin'swiftflight',butitdoesn't
mentionwings!Swiftflightcouldjustmeanquickly!

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