Seven Archangels

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Synaxis of the Archangel Michael (Sobor Arkhistratiga Mikhaila). An Eastern Orthodox Church icon of the "Seven Archangels." From left to right: Jegudiel, Gabriel (ga'b@riyAel), Selaphiel, Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Barachiel. Beneath the mandorla of Christ Emmanuel are representations of Cherubim (in blue) and Seraphim (in red). Archangels.JPG
Synaxis of the Archangel Michael (Собор Архистратига Михаила). An Eastern Orthodox Church icon of the "Seven Archangels." From left to right: Jegudiel, Gabriel (גַּבְרִיאֵל), Selaphiel, Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Barachiel. Beneath the mandorla of Christ Emmanuel are representations of Cherubim (in blue) and Seraphim (in red).

The concept of Seven Archangels is found in some works of early Jewish literature and in Christianity. [1] In those texts, they are referenced as the angels who serve God directly.

Contents

The Catholic Church venerates seven archangels: in Latin Christianity, three are invoked by name (Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael) while the Eastern Catholic Churches name seven. Lutheranism and Anglicanism's traditions generally recognize four known archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and sometimes Uriel. Non denominational Protestant churches often venerate only Gabriel and Michael.

In parts of Oriental Orthodox Christianity and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Eight Archangels may be honoured, including Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, as well as Salathiel, Jegudiel, Barachiel, and Jeremiel (in the Coptic tradition, the latter four are named as Surael, Sakakael, Sarathael, and Ananael). [1] The Eight Archangels are commemorated on the Feast of the Archangels. [2]

Bible

The term archangel itself is not found in the Hebrew Bible or the Christian Old Testament, and in the Greek New Testament the term archangel only occurs in 1 Thessalonians 4 (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and the Epistle of Jude (Jude 1:9), where it is used of Michael, who in Daniel 10 (Daniel 10:12) is called 'one of the chief princes,' and 'the great prince'. In the Septuagint, this is rendered "the great angel." [3]

The idea of seven archangels is most explicitly stated in the deuterocanonical/apocryphal Book of Tobit when Raphael reveals himself, declaring: "I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him." (Tobit 12,15) The other two angels mentioned by name in the Bibles used by Catholics and Protestants are the archangel Michael and the angel Gabriel; Uriel is named in 2 Esdras (4:1 and 5:20) and Jerahmeel is named in 2 Esdras 4:36, a book that is regarded as canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the Georgian and Russian Orthodox Churches, [4] and falls within the Apocrypha section of the Protestant Bible used by Lutherans and Anglicans. The names of other archangels come from tradition.

Zechariah 4,10 tells about "seven rejoices" that are "the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and from throughout the whole earth." [5] Revelation 8 (Revelation 8:2) mentions seven angels (Ancient Greek : ἀγγέλους [6] ) who "stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets." Similarly, Revelation 16 (Revelation 16:1) indicates: "and I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels (Ancient Greek : ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλοις [7] ): Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth." Lastly, Revelation 4 and Revelation 5 (Revelation 4:5) mention "seven Spirits" (Ancient Greek : τα ἑπτά Πνεύματα, transliterated into "ta hepta Pneumata" – whose identity is not well specified – who are the "seven lamps of fire [that] were burning before the throne". [5]

Biblical apocrypha

One such tradition of archangels comes from the Old Testament biblical apocrypha, the third century BCE Book of the Watchers, [8] known as 1 Enoch or the Book of Enoch, eventually merged into the Enochic Pentateuch. [9] [10] This narrative is affiliated with the Book of Giants , which also references the great archangels [11] [12] and was made part of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's scriptural canon. Although prevalent in Jewish and early Christian apostolic traditions and the early Church Fathers, the Book of Enoch gradually fell from academic and religious status, and by the seventh century was rejected from the canonical scriptures of all other Christian denominations.

The names of the archangels entered Jewish tradition during the Babylonian captivity (605 BCE). Babylonian folklore and cosmology, [13] and early Mesopotamian beliefs under the dualistic influence of Zoroastrianism, centered around anthropomorphic and zoomorphic representations of stars, planets, and constellations, including the four sons of the Sky Father carrying the Winged Sun, the throne of Wisdom. First the prophet Daniel, then authors such as Ezekiel hebraized this mythology, equating the Babylonian constellations with abstract forms held to be "sons of the gods", angels of the Lord of Israel, and heavenly animal cherubim. The 2 BC Book of Parables (Ch XL) names the four angels accompanying the Ancient of Days, standing before the Lord of Spirits, "the voices of those upon the four sides magnifying the Lord of Glory": Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Phanuel.

The Book of the Watchers (Ch IX) lists the angels who in antediluvian times interceded on behalf of mankind against the rogue spirits termed "the Watchers": Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel.

Christian traditions

Seven Archangels depicted in the stained glass window at St Michael's Church, Brighton. From left: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Chamuel (Camael), Raphael, Jophiel, and Zadkiel. Seven Archangels (St Michael's, Brighton).jpg
Seven Archangels depicted in the stained glass window at St Michael's Church, Brighton. From left: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Chamuel (Camael), Raphael, Jophiel, and Zadkiel.

The earliest specific Christian references are in the late 5th to early 6th century: Pseudo-Dionysius gives them as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Camael, Jophiel, and Zadkiel. [14] In Western Christian traditions, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are referred to as archangels. [15] Through its Byzantine tradition, however, the Catholic Church recognizes seven archangels altogether, sometimes named, sometimes unnamed other than the three mentioned above.

Lists of characters referred to as "angels" also exist in smaller religious traditions usually regarded as occultist or superstitious. A reference to seven archangels appeared in an 8th- or 9th-century talisman attributed to Auriolus, a "servant of God" in north-western Spain. He issues a prayer to "all you patriarchs Michael, Gabriel, Cecitiel, Uriel, Raphael, Ananiel, Marmoniel. [16]

Archangels in current church traditions

The four archangels in Anglican tradition, from left to right: Gabriel, Michael, Uriel, and Raphael. Stained glass window at Hull Minster. The Four Archangels, Holy Trinity Church, Kingston upon Hull.jpg
The four archangels in Anglican tradition, from left to right: Gabriel, Michael, Uriel, and Raphael. Stained glass window at Hull Minster.
The Archangel Jeremiel holding a book, depicted in a stained-glass window at St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church, Hughenden Archangel Jeremiel, St Michael and All Angels, Hughenden.jpg
The Archangel Jeremiel holding a book, depicted in a stained-glass window at St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church, Hughenden

In the Catholic Church, three archangels are mentioned by name in its Biblical canon: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Raphael appears in the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit, where he is described as "one of the seven angels who stand ready and enter before the glory of the lord of spirits", [17] a phrase recalled in Revelation 8:2–6. Three Popes rejected to authorize veneration of the purported names of the Seven Archangels within the Roman Catholic Church: Pope Leo XII (1826–1828), [18] Pope Pius VIII (1830) and Pope Gregory XVI (1831–1832). [19] The Directory on popular piety and the Liturgy (2001) at n. 217 states that "the practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the case of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture." [20]

Some Eastern Orthodox Churches, exemplified in the Orthodox Slavonic Bible (Ostrog Bible, Elizabeth Bible, and later consequently Russian Synodal Bible), recognize as authoritative also 2 Esdras, which mentions Uriel and Jerahmeel.

The Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine tradition venerate seven to eight archangels. [1] Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel (Salathiel), Jegudiel (Jehudiel), Barachiel, and the eighth, Jerahmeel (Jeremiel) (The Synaxis of the Chief of the Heavenly Hosts, Archangel Michael and the Other Heavenly Bodiless Powers: Feast Day: November 8). [21]

As well as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel, the Book of Enoch, regarded as canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, mentions (in chapter 20) Raguel, Saraqâêl, and Remiel; [22] however, apocryphal sources give instead the names Izidkiel, Hanael, and Kepharel. [23] Within the Oriental Orthodox Christian denominations, the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition names seven Archangels as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Phanuel, and Remiel; [24] in the Coptic Orthodox tradition the seven to eight archangels are named as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Suriel, Zadkiel, Sarathiel, and Ananiel, [25] [26] [27] as well as often Sakakael. [1]

In the Lutheran and Anglican traditions there are three archangels celebrated in September 29, the feast of St Michael and All Angels (also called Michaelmas), namely Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. [15] [28] Uriel is not officially recognized or named in Anglican doctrine, though some still include him; one Episcopal church, St. Uriel’s Episcopal Church, bears his name. [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]

Other traditions

Other names derived from pseudepigrapha are Selaphiel, Jegudiel, and Raguel.

In Ismailism, there are seven cherubim, comparable to the Seven Archangels ordered to bow down before Qadar, of whom Iblis refuses. [34]

In Yazidism, there are seven archangels, named Jabra'il, Mika'il, Rafa'il (Israfil), Dadra'il, Azrail, Shamkil (Shemna'il), and Azazil, who are emanations from God entrusted with care of the creation. [35]

Various occult systems associate each archangel with one of the traditional "seven luminaries" (classical planets visible to the naked eye): the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn; [36] but there is disagreement as to which archangel corresponds to which body.

According to Rudolf Steiner, four archangels govern the seasons: spring is Raphael, summer is Uriel, autumn is Michael, and winter is Gabriel. [37]

According to occultist Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the Seven Archangels were a form of syncretism between different religions: they were the Chaldeans great gods, the Seven Sabian Gods, the seven Hinduist Manus and Seven Rashi, as well as the Seven Seats (Thrones) and Virtues of the Kabbalists. [38]

In the early Gnostic text On the Origin of the World , the aeon named Sophia sends seven archangels to rescue the Archon Sabaoth and bring him to the eighth heaven. [39]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriel</span> Angel in Abrahamic religions

In the Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an archangel with the power to communicate God's will to humanity. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Quran and the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Many Christian traditions – including Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism – revere Gabriel as a saint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archangel</span> Second lowest rank of angel

Archangels are described as the second-lowest rank of angel in De Coelesti Hierarchia written by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th or 6th century. The Bible itself uses the term only two times, with no mention in the Old Testament, and does not mention a hierarchy of angels in any detail. The word is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions; similar beings exist in several other religions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book of Tobit</span> Deuterocanonical (apocryphal) book of Christian scripture

The Book of Tobit is an apocryphal Jewish work from the 3rd or early 2nd century BCE which describes how God tests the faithful, responds to prayers, and protects the covenant community. It tells the story of two Israelite families, that of the blind Tobit in Nineveh and of the abandoned Sarah in Ecbatana. Tobit's son Tobias is sent to retrieve ten silver talents that Tobit once left in Rhages, a town in Media. Guided and aided by the angel Raphael he arrives in Ecbatana, where he meets Sarah. A demon named Asmodeus kills anyone she intends to marry, but with the aid of Raphael the demon is exorcised and Tobias and Sarah marry. Tobias and Sarah then return to Nineveh, where Tobit is cured of his blindness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enoch</span> Biblical figure prior to Noahs flood

Enoch is a biblical figure and patriarch prior to Noah's flood, and the son of Jared and father of Methuselah. He was of the Antediluvian period in the Hebrew Bible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raphael (archangel)</span> An Archangel responsible for healing in most Abrahamic religions

Raphael is an archangel first mentioned in the Book of Tobit and in 1 Enoch, both estimated to date from between the 3rd and 2nd century BCE. In later Jewish tradition, he became identified as one of the three heavenly visitors entertained by Abraham at the Oak of Mamre. He is not named in either the New Testament or the Quran, but later Christian tradition identified him with healing and as the angel who stirred waters in the Pool of Bethesda in John 5:2–4, and in Islam, where his name is Israfil, he is understood to be the unnamed angel of Quran 6:73, standing eternally with a trumpet to his lips, ready to announce the Day of Judgment. In Gnostic tradition, Raphael is represented on the Ophite Diagram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael (archangel)</span> Angel in Abrahamic religions

Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baháʼí Faith. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second-century-BC Jewish works, often but not always apocalyptic, where he is the chief of the angels and archangels, and he is the guardian prince of Israel and is responsible for the care of Israel. Christianity conserved nearly all the Jewish traditions concerning him, and he is mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7–12, where he does battle with Satan, and in the Epistle of Jude, where the author denounces heretics by contrasting them with Michael.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angels in Christianity</span>

In Christianity, angels are the messengers of God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uriel</span> Archangel in Judeo-Christian tradition

Uriel, Auriel or Oriel is the name of one of the archangels who is mentioned in the post-exilic rabbinic tradition and in certain Christian traditions. He is well known in the Russian Orthodox tradition and in folk Catholicism and recognised in the Anglican Church as the fourth archangel. He is also well known in European esoteric medieval literature. Uriel is also known as a master of knowledge and archangel of wisdom.

Sariel is an angel mainly from Judaic tradition. Other possible versions of his name are Suriel, Suriyel, Seriel, Sauriel, Saraqael, Sarakiel, Suruel, Surufel, and Souriel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerahmeel (archangel)</span> Archangel appearing in the Hebrew Bible

The Hebrew name Jerahmeel, which appears several times in the Tanakh, also appears in various forms as the name of an archangel in books of the intertestamental and early Christian periods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watcher (angel)</span> Class of angelic beings in biblical texts

A Watcher is a type of biblical angel. The word occurs in both plural and singular forms in the Book of Daniel, where reference is made to the holiness of the beings. The apocryphal Books of Enoch refer to both good and bad Watchers, with a primary focus on the rebellious ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phanuel (angel)</span> Fourth angel who stands before God in the Book of Enoch

Phanuel is the name given to the fourth angel who stands before God in the Book of Enoch, after the angels Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. Other spellings of Phanuel include Panuel,Paniel, Peniel, Penuel, Fanuel, and Feniel. As Panuel, his name means "God has turned", but as Paniel, his name means "The face of God".

Ramiel is a fallen Watcher (angel). He is mentioned in Chapter 6 of the apocryphal Book of Enoch as one of the 20 Watchers that sinned and rebelled against God by mating with human women, and creating offspring called Nephilim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jegudiel</span> Archangel of praise to God

Jegudiel, also known as Saint Iehudiel, is one of the seven Archangels in Eastern Orthodox tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Spirits of God</span> Term in the Christian Bible

In the Bible, the term Seven Spirits of God appears four times in the Book of Revelation. The meaning of this term has been interpreted in multiple ways.

In some Judeo-Christian traditions, the Angel of the Presence / Face or Angel of his presence / face refers to an entity variously considered angelic or else identified with God himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Michael in the Catholic Church</span> Catholic saint

Saint Michael the Archangel is referenced in the Old Testament and has been part of Christian teachings since the earliest times. In Catholic writings and traditions he acts as the defender of the Church and acted as the opponent of Satan, He also assists people at the hour of death.

Sarathiel or Serathiel is an angel in Oriental Orthodox church angelology, especially in the Coptic Orthodox Church, and is often included in lists as being one of the Seven Archangels. The angel is described as having dominion over discipline and penance.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Parry, Ken; Melling, David J.; Brady, Dimitri; Griffith, Sidney H.; Healey, John F. (8 November 2000). The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity. John Wiley & Sons. p. 30. ISBN   978-0-631-18966-4.
  2. ↑ Macedonian Review. Vol. 24–25. Kulturen Zhivot. 1994. p. 194. It is worth mentioning that St Michael's Day (21/8 November) is the feast of the seven/eight Archangels and the hosts of Holy Angels, who, as have been mentioned, are numberless
  3. ↑ Barker, Margaret (2004). An Extraordinary Gathering of Demons. Publications Limited.
  4. ↑ "4 Ezra: A Biblical Book You've Probably Never Read". 26 September 2018.
  5. 1 2 Alvino, Carmine. "I Sette Angeli nel Panorama Cattolico (the Seven Angels in the Catholic Context)". I Sette Arcangeli nel Cattolicesimo [The Seven Archangels in the Catholicism](PDF) (in Italian). Archived from the original on September 29, 2022 – via Academia.edu.
  6. ↑ "Revelation 8 NKJV (Greek–English Interlinear Bible)". Biblehub.
  7. ↑ "Revelation 16 (Greek–English Interlinear Bible)". Biblehub.
  8. ↑ Nickelsburg, George W. E. (2001). "Chapters 1–36; 81–108". 1 Enoch 1: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch (PDF). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress. p. 7.
  9. ↑ VanderKam, James C. (2008) [1995]. Enoch: A Man for All Generations. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. ISBN   978-1570037962. See also the author's Enoch and the Growth of an Apocalyptic Tradition (1984), published by the Catholic Biblical Association of America: Washington, DC
  10. ↑ Barker, Margaret. (2005) [1987]. "Chapter 1: The Book of Enoch," in The Older Testament: The Survival of Themes from the Ancient Royal Cult in Sectarian Judaism and Early Christianity. London, England: SPCK; Sheffield Phoenix Press.
  11. ↑ Barker, Margaret. (2005) [1998]. The Lost Prophet: The Book of Enoch and Its Influence on Christianity. London, England: SPCK; Sheffield Phoenix Press. ISBN   1-905048-18-1.
  12. ↑ Nibley, Hugh (1986). Enoch the Prophet. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN   978-0875790473.
  13. ↑ Encyclopedia, Jewish. "ANGELOLOGY – Angelology systematized". Jewish Encyclopedia.
  14. ↑ A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels by Gustav Davidson, 1980, Free Press Publishing.
  15. 1 2 Blersch, Jeffrey (21 September 2019). "St. Michael and All Angels". Pacific Hills Lutheran Church. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  16. ↑ Julia M. H. Smith, Europe After Rome: A New Cultural History 500–1000. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2005. p. 77.
  17. ↑ Tobit 12:15.
  18. ↑ Alvino, Carmine. La prima causa del 1826 innanzi a Leone XII per l'approvazione del culto dei Sette Arcangeli (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2022-09-29.
  19. ↑ Alvino, Carmine. La quarta causa del 1831 innanzi a Gregorio XVI per l'approvazione del culto dei Sette Arcangeli (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2022-09-29.
  20. ↑ "The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy – Principles and Guidelines". Holy See. 2002.
  21. ↑ "Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers". oca.org. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  22. ↑ "First Enoch – Chapter XX / Chapter 20 – Book of 1 Enoch, Parallel 1912 Charles & 1883 Laurence, Pseudepigrapha Online Parallel Bible Study" . Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  23. ↑ Driscoll, James F. "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Raphael the Archangel". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  24. ↑ "The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church". www.ethiopianorthodox.org. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
  25. ↑ "2. Intercessors: The Heavenly Orders Doxology: ذوكصولوجية للسمائيين". tasbeha.org. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  26. ↑ Alex, Michael Ghaly. "رؤساء الملائكة الآخرين – كتاب الملائكة – St-Takla.org". st-takla.org. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  27. ↑ Ghlay, Michael. "الملائكة.. ما هم، وما هو عدد وأسماء رؤساء الملائكه؟ – St-Takla.org". st-takla.org. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  28. ↑ "Exciting Holiness: 29 September". www.excitingholiness.org. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  29. ↑ "Truss Carvings: Heroes of the Faith". Trinity Lutheran Church. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  30. ↑ Saint Uriel Church website patron Saint web page Archived 2015-09-30 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved September 15, 2008.
  31. ↑ Lesser Feasts and Fasts, p. 380.
  32. ↑ "Michael and All Angels". justus.anglican.org. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  33. ↑ St. George's Lennoxville website, What Are Anglicans, Anyway? page Archived 2008-09-26 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved September 15, 2008.
  34. ↑ Ian Richard Netton, Allah Transcendent: Studies in the Structure and Semiotics of Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Cosmology Psychology Press, 1994 ISBN   9780700702879, p. 205.
  35. ↑ Adam Valen Levinson, The Abu Dhabi Bar Mitzvah: Fear and Love in the Modern Middle East, W. W. Norton & Company, 2017, ISBN   978-0-393-60837-3.
  36. ↑ Pike, Albert. Morals and Dogma (of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry), (1871, 1948, L. H. Jenkins).
  37. ↑ Guiley, Rosemary (2004). The Encyclopedia of Angels. Infobase Publishing. p. 45. ISBN   978-1-4381-3002-6.
  38. ↑ Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (May 10, 2021). Worship of Planetary Spirits is idolatrous Astrolatry: Divine Astrology is for Initiates; superstitious Astrolatry for the masses. Philaletheians UK. p. 9.
  39. ↑ Marvin Meyer; Willis Barnstone (2009). "On the Origin of the World". The Gnostic Bible. Shambhala . Retrieved 2022-02-06.

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