Archangel
In the religions Jewish, Christian and in the Islam, the archangels is a category of angels. They constitute one of the nine choruses of the angels. The archangels are the last but one, right before the angels themselves (as the prefix arch indicates it which means higher).
The word archangel comes from the Greek αρχαγγελος archangelos composed of αρχ- arch- first and αγγελος angelos messenger .
three archangels
The archangels known by their names are:
- Michel , chief of the celestial Militia,
- Gabriel , celestial messenger, who appears in the Judaïsme, then in the Christianisme and the Islam (Djibril),
- protective Raphaël of the travellers.
There exist two expressions to designate an archangel:
- “the holy archangel Michel”, as in the sentence “the holy archangel Michel embanked the dragon. ”
- “holy Michel archangel”, as in the sentence “Saint Michel archangel, request for us. ”
Gregoire Large the (towards 540-604), pope and Doctors of the Church, specifies in its Homélies on the Gospel (34, 8-9) the role of the archangels compared to the angels:
That there are angels, much of pages of the Holy Scripture attest it… But it should be known that the word “angel” indicates their function: to be messengers. And one calls “archangels” those which announce more the great events. Thus the Gabriel archangel was sent to the Virgin Mary; for this ministry, to announce largest of all the events, it was essential to send an angel of the more high ranking…
Pareillement, when it is a question of deploying an extraordinary power, it is Michel who is sent. Indeed, its action like its name, which wants to say: “Which is like God? ”, make include/understand with the men that no one cannot do what it belongs to God alone to carry out. The antique enemy the Diable, which wished by pride to be done similar to God, said: “I will climb the skies; above stars I will set up my throne; I will be similar to Very High” (Is 14,13). But the Apocalypse says to us that at the end of times, when it is left with its own force, before being eliminated by the final torment, it must fight against the Michel archangel: “There was a combat in the sky: Michel and his angels fought against the Dragon. And the Dragon also fought to him with its angels; but it did not have the top; it was precipitated in bottom” (Ap 12,7).
With the Virgin Mary, it is thus Gabriel, whose name means “Force of God”, who was sent; didn't it come to announce that which wanted to appear under a humble condition, to triumph over pride from the demon? It is thus by the “Force of God” that was to be announced that which came like “God from the armies, the valiant one of the engagements” (PS 23,8). As for the Raphaël archangel, his name means “God cures”. Indeed, it is him which delivered darkness the eyes of Tobie, concerning like a doctor come from in top (Tb 11,17). That which was sent to look after the Juste in its infirmity deserves well to be called “God cures”.
other archangels
According to the religion and the tradition, it is sometimes mentioned other archangels. The Apocalypse (8,2) speaks about “seven angels which are held in front of God”. The orthodoxe tradition mentions also seven archangels. The names which return most usually are: Uriel, Selaphiel, Jegudiel and Barachiel. The Jewish tradition counts even more archangels and adds: Zadkiel, Jophiel, Haniel and Chamuel.
Only Michel, Gabriel and Raphaël revealed their names.
The Livre of Hénoch names the four others: Uriel, Raguel, Saraqiel and Ramiel (or Remiel. One also finds for them: Barachiel, Jéhudiel, Ouriel and Sealtiel.
Samaël (name of origin of Satan/Lucifer) is sometimes also regarded as an archangel.
Azraël, traditionally known as the Ange of dead the is regarded as an archangel in the Koranic tradition .
The distinction between angel and archangel is not always clearly specified.
The suffix ël relative to God is always used to indicate an angel or an archangel.
See too
| Random links: | Tatakoto | Segarra | Personalities of Senegal | Godačica | Xiphinema index | La_surface_du_garçon |