The Almighty Archangels of the Bible
The limited knowledge gathered on angelic beings in scripture.
Angel. The word derives from the Greek angelos meaning: messenger. A direct contact to the divine. A spiritual intercessor between God and man. These supernatural beings have been commonized and slightly misunderstood in our modern world. Most may think of the basic cherub angels—human babies with wings. However, the Biblical angels are quite diverse and act beyond our comprehension.
Within the Catholic tradition, there are nine choirs of angels and each choir is placed on a hierarchy. There are three hierarchies in total, with three groups in each. The amount of angels within each choir (and in general) is unknown, but it is suspected that there are hundreds of thousands of angels within each choir.
This post will be focusing on the choir of the Archangels. If you are interested in learning about the eight other choirs, feel free to leave a comment and I will be happy to make a separate post diving into these fascinating beings. This book is also a great resource for an introduction to the Biblical angels in Catholicism. I have acquired some of my information from it and was extremely entertained while reading.
The Archangels appear to be the most popular choir of angels within the religious community. Astonishingly, they are seated on the lowest hierarchy, in the eighth choir. This placement however does not go without meaning. You may assume the lowest choir means less than, but this is not the case with these almighty beings.
Within the realm of spiritual existence, directly below the angels are humans. This is a very special placement because they are the closest divine beings to us, chosen to interact with humanity. God specifically designed the Archangels to be within our reach.
It is important to note that the reality of God’s angels are truly a mystery, as only two of the Archangels are mentioned by name in the Bible, and we are not given a lot of information about them. The word “Archangel”is only mentioned twice in the Bible. They are also mentioned in Islamic and Jewish traditions, but I have found upon my research that most of the information is composed by the Roman Catholic tradition, which elaborates on many aspects of the spiritual realm.
Before we dive in, I was curious about the word “arch”. What comes to my mind is “architecture” which is what the word is derived from. “Arch” is defined as: “a structure, consisting of a curved top on two supports, that holds the weight of something above it.” If we are thinking of the Archangels this way, that is quite literally what they are doing. Holding the hierarchies above, and acting as an arch for the choirs on each side of them. Thinking about an archway itself—something we walk through to get somewhere else—is another thing the Archangels represent. A celestial gateway to God himself and the spirit realm.
Archangel Michael: The Defender
You may have heard about Archangel Michael, arguably the most popular angel to exist. He is mentioned in the Bible five times by name. Each time he is depicted as a warrior, chief of angels, or called prince. Quite the amount of nicknames are given to him, but I will be calling him defender, since he defends God’s kingdom and people through spiritual battles. The name Michael in Hebrew translates to: “Who is like God?” A powerful rhetorical question since nobody can be or ever will be like God. Michael acts out his name accordingly as a defender and protector of God’s kingdom.
Daniel 12:1
“At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise.”
The nation Michael protects is Israel, God’s people. Michael is portrayed as defending them against other spiritual beings of different regions.
Jude 1:9
“But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body).”
There is not much information here, since it’s just a blip in the scripture, but it is said that Michael was commanded by God to guard Moses’ body. This is not the first or last time Michael and Satan will interact, for:
Revelation 12:7-9
“Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon-the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world-was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.”
Revelation, famously known as the book written in the form of prophecy, describes the great defender Michael defeating Satan, showcasing his extreme spiritual power and Satan’s lack thereof—as he could not even pass Michael to reach God. (Pictured above).
The Roman Catholic Church gives Michael specific roles based on canonical and non canonical texts:
To combat Satan
To carry the dead souls of God’s people to Heaven
To defend God’s people and the church
To call men to their judgements
As stated before, we are left to our own devices about the specific details of angels. These ideas are not directly from the Bible, but nonetheless are a beautiful perception of Michael.
Catholics are also urged to pray to the Archangels. Michael is called on specifically to pray for protection against evil. Pope Leo XIII wrote a prayer to Michael in 1884, still commonly used to this day:
“Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen”
It is important to recognize that a prayer towards Michael is ultimately a prayer towards God, as Michael directly gets his designation from the creator. God specifically fashioned Michael for the protection of His kingdom and the defending of our souls.
Archangel Gabriel: The Messenger
Previously stated, the word angel translates to messenger and it is said that every angel is a type of messenger. However, for Gabriel, that is his prime mission assigned by the Heavenly Father. Therefore he is often nicknamed messenger. God has chosen him specifically to relay important (mostly prophetic) messages or visions to His people.
Possibly the most famous story in the Bible is the annunciation. The angel who delivers the message of the Incarnation to Mary is Gabriel.
Luke 1:26-27
“…God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth…to a virgin named Mary…Gabriel appeared to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!…Do not be afraid, Mary,’ the angel told her, ‘for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High…’”
Considering the importance and intensity of this moment that will be remembered forever, Gabriel must be extremely honored by God to relay this message to Mary.
Like Michael, Gabriel is only mentioned in the Bible a few times. But each time he is delivering messages or prophecies from God, much like Michael in doing his duty of defending God’s people. However, Gabriel is not canonically called Archangel in the Bible like Michael is. The Catholic Church gave him this rank due to him having an unchanging duty and special standing granted by God. He is put alongside Michael in the choir of Archangels because both of them have specific missions for God’s people.
Gabriel is also known for appearing twice to the prophet Daniel. He does not necessarily give Daniel visions, however, he gives him knowledge about his visions.
Daniel 8:17
“‘…Son of man,’ he said, ‘you must understand that the events you have seen in your vision relate to the times of the end.’”
So Gabriel not only delivers messages, but he also provides clarity and understanding for those who receive prophetic visions. He appears to Daniel again:
Daniel 9:21-23
“As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me…He explained to me, ‘Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding…Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.’”
He appears once again to Zechariah, to reveal God’s plan for his wife’s pregnancy:
Luke: 1:19
“Then the angel said, ‘I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news!’”
So, we can clearly see that God has specifically appointed Gabriel to this profound responsibility as messenger.
There are many prayers to Archangel Gabriel, but it is most common to ask him for guidance and insights:
Saint Gabriel, angel of wisdom, whisper Gods will into my heart. Guard me from confusion and error. Lead me towards truth and grace. I humbly ask for Your assistance in every decision I face. May I always align my choices with Your holy will. Guide me, protect me, and strengthen me, O Lord, through the prayers of Saint Gabriel. Amen.
Gabriel’s importance and strength is similar to Michael’s, yet in a completely different way. His name directly translates to Hebrew meaning, “God’s man”, acting as a powerful gateway between our souls and God himself. God’s careful planning of these spiritual beings will never be understood, but is remarkably astonishing nonetheless.
(Bonus) Archangel Raphael: The Healer
Raphael has not been directly mentioned in the Bible, therefore not considered a canonical Archangel. However, the Catholic Church has appointed him to the same rank as Michael and Gabriel. There are many other Archangels (Uriel, Azrael, Remiel, etc.) mentioned in the Book of Enoch that remain relevant within Catholic tradition today.
While also mentioned in Enoch, Raphael is most popularly known for his role in the Book of Tobit, which is debated on whether or not it should be considered as a canonical text. It is not in the Bible, but Catholics and Orthodox Christians accept it as canonical. I suppose whether you accept it or not can be up to your own interpretation. I will do a brief introduction to Raphael, as there is little information on him, and he prefers to remain a mystery.
Raphael is named the angel of healing. His name in Hebrew translates to “God has healed.” This name—healer—is given to Raphael as well as doctor. I will be calling him healer due to that specific gift being his sole purpose.
In the Book of Tobit, Archangel Raphael’s mission is to befriend Tobias and to heal his blind father, Tobit. Throughout the story, Raphael remains under disguise as a handsome man named Azarias due to humans commonly feeling extreme fear in the presence of angelic beings. However, at the end of their mission, after he assists Tobias in healing his father, he reveals himself:
Tobit 12:14
“And now the Lord hath sent me to heal thee…For I am angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord.”
Many believe Raphael dropped a hint in this verse about there being seven Archangels in total. The angels “who stand before the Lord” are commonly known as the Archangels, being granted the presence of God and mission to humanity.
Because Raphael does not often expose his identity, there is great suspicion that he is the angel that appears in John chapter five. In this chapter, Jesus returns to Jerusalem to a large quantity of sick people lying around the pool of Bethesda, waiting for an angel to return and stir the waters for healing:
John 5:4
“For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.”
Although not specifically named, the fact that Raphael is in charge of healing prompts the suspicions that he is the angel in this verse, assisting in healing God’s people.
There are a multitude of prayers to Archangel Raphael for healing within the Catholic tradition. If you feel inclined, here is one you can recite:
Blessed Saint Raphael, Archangel, We beseech you to help us in all our needs and trials of this life, as you, through the power of God, didst restore sight and gave guidance to young Tobit. We humbly seek your aid and intercession, that our souls may be healed, our bodies protected from all ills, and that through divine grace we may become fit to dwell in the eternal Glory of God in heaven. Amen
Although we are not given much information on Raphael, his name as healer rings true amongst the minuscule pieces we are given. Much like Michael and Gabriel, Raphael is granted the name Archangel due to his specific role to humanity assigned by God.
The Importance of Archangels
God’s divine creation is something us humans will never be able to fully comprehend with our limited minds. The information we have on the archangels gives us the smallest glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes in the spiritual realm. The Archangel’s divine mission to protect and assist humans inclines those to be in even more awe of God and trust him like never before. If God’s nature is even more loving, powerful, and considerate than those of the archangels, how sincerely incredible is this divine creator many call Father?
Through the help of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, we are given a brief look into the goodness of God’s plan for humanity. Their actions and characters throughout the Bible remind us that the spiritual realm is not a far away place, but one we can look to in times of need. The Archangels directly reflect the beautiful heart of God.
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