The concept of Seven Archangels is found in some works of early
Jewish literature and in
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
. In those texts, they are referenced as the angels who serve God directly.
Bible
The term ''
archangel
Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...
'' itself is not found in the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;["Tanach"](_blank)
'' Old Testament
The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
, and in the Greek
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chris ...
the term ''archangel'' only occurs in and the , where it is used of
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
, who in is called 'one of the chief princes,' and 'the
great prince'. In the
Septuagint
The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond t ...
this is rendered "the great angel."
The idea of seven archangels is most explicitly stated in the
deuterocanonical
The deuterocanonical books (from the Greek meaning "belonging to the second canon") are books and passages considered by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the Assyrian Church of the East to be ...
Book of Tobit
The Book of Tobit () ''Tōbith'' or ''Tōbit'' ( and spellings are also attested) itself from he, טובי ''Tovi'' "my good"; Book of Tobias in the Vulgate from the Greek ''Tōbias'', itself from the Hebrew ''Tovyah'' "Yah is good", also k ...
when
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual ...
reveals himself, declaring: "I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him." () The other two angels mentioned by name in the Bible are archangel
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
and angel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ� ...
. The four names of other archangels come from tradition.
tells about "seven rejoices" that are "the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and from throughout the whole earth."
mentions seven angels (ἀγγέλους)
who "stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets." Similarly, indicates: "and I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels (ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλοις): Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth." Lastly, mentions "seven Spirits" (
Πνεύματα, ta hepta
Pneumata, with the capital letter) -whose identity is not well specified- who are the "seven lamps of fire
hatwere burning before the
throne
A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the mon ...
".
1 Enoch
One such tradition of archangels comes from the Old Testament
biblical apocrypha
The biblical apocrypha (from the grc, ἀπόκρυφος, translit=apókruphos, lit=hidden) denotes the collection of apocryphal ancient books thought to have been written some time between 200 BC and AD 400. The Roman Catholic, Eastern Ort ...
, the third century BCE
Book of the Watchers, known as
1 Enoch or the ''Book of Enoch,'' eventually merged into the Enochic Pentateuch.
[ See also the author's ''Enoch and the Growth of an Apocalyptic Tradition'' (1984), published by the ]Catholic Biblical Association of America
The Catholic Biblical Association of America (CBA) is an American learned society dedicated to the academic study of the Bible. The suggestion to form a permanent association of biblical scholars was made at the beginning of 1936 at a meeting in ...
: Washington, DC This narrative is affiliated with the ''
Book of Giants'', which also references the great archangels and was made part of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chris ...
's
scriptural canon. Although prevalent in Jewish and early Christian apostolic traditions and the early
Christian 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, a banned and unknown work. The various surviving oral traditions recounted many differing lists of archangels.
The names entered Jewish tradition during the
Babylonian captivity
The Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile is the period in Jewish history during which a large number of Judeans from the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylon, the capital city of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, following their defeat ...
(605 BCE).
Babylonian folklore and cosmology, and
early Mesopotamian beliefs under the dualistic influence of
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheisti ...
, centered around
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
and
zoomorphic representations of
stars, planets, and
constellations, including the four sons of the
Sky Father carrying the
Winged Sun, the throne of
Wisdom
Wisdom, sapience, or sagacity is the ability to contemplate and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight. Wisdom is associated with attributes such as unbiased judgment, compassion, experiential self-knowledg ...
. First the prophet
Daniel
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...
, 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
A cherub (; plural cherubim; he, כְּרוּב ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'', likely borrowed from a derived form of akk, 𒅗𒊏𒁍 ''karabu'' "to bless" such as ''karibu'', "one who blesses", a name for the lamassu) is one of the ...
. The 2 BC
Book of the Parables (Ch XL) names the four angels accompanying the
Ancient of Days
Ancient of Days ( Aramaic: , ''ʿatīq yōmīn''; Ancient Greek: , ''palaiòs hēmerôn''; Latin: ) is a name for God in the Book of Daniel.
The title "Ancient of Days" has been used as a source of inspiration in art and music, denoting the ...
, standing before the Lord of Spirits, "the voices of those upon the four sides magnifying the Lord of Glory": Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and
Phanuel
Phanuel ( ''Phanouēl'') or Penuel ( ''Pənū’êl'') was the father of Anna the prophetess. He is mentioned once only in the New Testament, in . He was a member of the Tribe of Asher and his name means "Face of God".
Theologian John Gill sup ...
.
The
Book of the Watchers (Ch IX) lists the angels who in
antediluvian
The antediluvian (alternatively pre-diluvian or pre-flood) period is the time period chronicled in the Bible between the fall of man and the Genesis flood narrative in biblical cosmology. The term was coined by Thomas Browne. The narrative tak ...
times interceded on behalf of mankind against the rogue spirits termed "the
Watchers": Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and
Uriel
Uriel or Auriel ( he, אוּרִיאֵל ''ʾŪrīʾēl'', " El/God is my flame"; el, Οὐριήλ ''Oúriēl''; cop, ⲟⲩⲣⲓⲏⲗ ''Ouriēl''; it, Uriele; Geʽez and Amharic: or ) is the name of one of the archangels who is men ...
.
Christian traditions
The earliest specific Christian references are in the late 5th to early 6th century:
Pseudo-Dionysius gives them as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel,
Camael
Camael, ( he, חַמּוּאֵל ''Ḥammūʾēl, "''God has warmed") also spelled Chamuel, Khamuel, Camiel, Cameel and Camniel, is the archangel of strength, courage and war in Jewish and Christian angelology.
According to poet Gustav Davids ...
,
Jophiel, and
Zadkiel. In most
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
Christian
oral tradition
Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and Culture, cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Traditio ...
s only
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
and
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ� ...
are referred to as "archangels", which echoes the most mainstream
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
view, whereas Roman-Rite Catholic Christian traditions also include
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual ...
to complete a group of three. 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
occult
The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...
ist or
superstitious
A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...
. 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 Ananiel, Anânêl ( Aramaic: עננאל, Greek: Ανανιας) was the 14th Watcher of the 20 leaders of the 200 fallen angels who are mentioned in an ancient work titled the Book of Enoch. The name Ananiel is sometimes translated as "Rain of Go ...
, Marmoniel.
Archangels in current church traditions
In the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
, three archangels are mentioned by name in its
canon of scripture: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Raphael appears in the
deuterocanonical
The deuterocanonical books (from the Greek meaning "belonging to the second canon") are books and passages considered by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the Assyrian Church of the East to be ...
Book of Tobit
The Book of Tobit () ''Tōbith'' or ''Tōbit'' ( and spellings are also attested) itself from he, טובי ''Tovi'' "my good"; Book of Tobias in the Vulgate from the Greek ''Tōbias'', itself from the Hebrew ''Tovyah'' "Yah is good", also k ...
, where he is described as "one of the seven angels who stand ready and enter before the glory of the lord of spirits", a phrase recalled in . Three Popes rejected to authorize worship ''of the purpoted names'' of the Seven Archangels within the Roman Catholic Church:
Pope Leo XII
Pope Leo XII ( it, Leone XII; born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiorre Girolamo Nicola della Genga (; 2 August 1760 – 10 February 1829), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 28 September 1823 to his death ...
(1826–1828),
Pope Pius VIII (1830) and
Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1832). The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2002) 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 Scritture."
Some
Eastern Orthodox Churches
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
, exemplified in the Orthodox Slavonic Bible (
Ostrog Bible,
Elizabeth Bible
The Elizabeth Bible (russian: Елизаветинская Библия) is the authorized version of the Bible used by the Russian Orthodox Church. The Elizabeth Bible was the third complete printed edition of the Bible in Church Slavonic, publish ...
, and later consequently
Russian Synodal Bible
The Russian Synodal Bible (russian: Синодальный перевод, The Synodal Translation) is a Russian non-Church Slavonic translation of the Bible commonly used by the Russian Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic, as well as Russian Bapti ...
), recognize as authoritative also
2 Esdras, which mentions Uriel.
The Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine tradition venerate seven archangels and sometimes an eighth. 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). The
Melkite Catholic Church additionally venerates the Archangel
Raguel
Reuel or Raguel (; Edomite: 𐤓𐤏𐤀𐤋, ''RʿʾL''), meaning "God shall pasture" or more specifically " El shall pasture" (as a shepherd does with his flock) is a Hebrew name associated with several biblical and religious figures.
Biblical ...
.
As well as Uriel, the
Book of Enoch, not regarded as canonical by any of these Christian churches, mentions (chapter 20) Raguel, Saraqâêl, and
Remiel, while other apocryphal sources give instead the names Izidkiel, Hanael, and Kepharel.
In the
Ethiopian Orthodox tradition the seven Archangels are named as
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
,
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ� ...
,
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual ...
,
Uriel
Uriel or Auriel ( he, אוּרִיאֵל ''ʾŪrīʾēl'', " El/God is my flame"; el, Οὐριήλ ''Oúriēl''; cop, ⲟⲩⲣⲓⲏⲗ ''Ouriēl''; it, Uriele; Geʽez and Amharic: or ) is the name of one of the archangels who is men ...
,
Raguel
Reuel or Raguel (; Edomite: 𐤓𐤏𐤀𐤋, ''RʿʾL''), meaning "God shall pasture" or more specifically " El shall pasture" (as a shepherd does with his flock) is a Hebrew name associated with several biblical and religious figures.
Biblical ...
,
Phanuel
Phanuel ( ''Phanouēl'') or Penuel ( ''Pənū’êl'') was the father of Anna the prophetess. He is mentioned once only in the New Testament, in . He was a member of the Tribe of Asher and his name means "Face of God".
Theologian John Gill sup ...
, and
Sachiel.
In the
Coptic Orthodox tradition the seven archangels are named as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael,
Suriel
Sariel (Hebrew & Aramaic: שָׂרִיאֵל ''Śārīʾēl'', "God is my Ruler"; Greek: Σαριηλ ''Sariēl'', cop, ⲥⲟⲩⲣⲓⲏⲗ ''Souriēl''; Amharic: ሰራቁያል ''Säraquyael'', ሰረቃኤል ''Säräqael'') is an archan ...
,
Zadkiel,
Sarathiel
Sarathiel or Serathiel ( cop, ⲥⲁⲣⲁⲑⲓⲏⲗ) 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 concept of Seven Arch ...
, and
Ananiel Ananiel, Anânêl ( Aramaic: עננאל, Greek: Ανανιας) was the 14th Watcher of the 20 leaders of the 200 fallen angels who are mentioned in an ancient work titled the Book of Enoch. The name Ananiel is sometimes translated as "Rain of Go ...
.
In
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...
and
Episcopal tradition, there are three or four archangels in the
calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a phy ...
for September 29, the feast of St Michael and All Angels (also called
Michaelmas
Michaelmas ( ; also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels) is a Christian festival observed in some Western liturgical calendars on 29 September, a ...
), namely Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, and often also Uriel.
Other traditions
Other names derived from
pseudepigrapha
Pseudepigrapha (also anglicized as "pseudepigraph" or "pseudepigraphs") are falsely attributed works, texts whose claimed author is not the true author, or a work whose real author attributed it to a figure of the past.Bauckham, Richard; "Pse ...
and recognized by Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches are
Selaphiel
Saint Selaphiel the Archangel or Saint Sealtiel, Selatiel, or Selathiel ( Hebrew: שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל ''Šəʾaltīʾēl,'' Tiberian: ''Šăʾaltīʾēl'', ''"''I have asked God") is one of the archangels in Byzantine Catholic and Easte ...
,
Jegudiel
Saint Iehudiel ( he, יַחְדִּיאֵל ''Yaḥdīʾēl,'' "God is One") is one of the seven Archangels in Eastern Orthodox tradition and in the eastern rites of the Catholic Church.
Iconography
He is often depicted in iconography holding a ...
, and Raguel.
In
Ismailism
Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor ( imām) to Ja'far al ...
, there are seven cherubim, comparable to the Seven Archangels ordered to bow down before
Qadar, of whom
Iblis
Iblis ( ar, إِبْلِيس, translit=Iblīs), alternatively known as Eblīs, is the leader of the devils () in Islam. According to the Quran, Iblis was thrown out of heaven, after he refused to prostrate himself before Adam. Regarding the ori ...
refuses.
In
Yazidism
Yazidism , alternatively Sharfadin is a monotheistic ethnic religion that has roots in a western Iranic pre-Zoroastrian religion directly derived from the Indo-Iranian tradition. It is followed by the mainly Kurmanji-speaking Yazidis and i ...
, there are seven archangels, named
Jabra'il,
Mika'il,
Rafa'il (
Israfil
Israfil ( ar, إِسْـرَافِـيْـل}, ''ʾIsrāfīl''; or Israfel) Lewis, James R., Evelyn Dorothy Oliver, and S. Sisung Kelle, eds. 1996. ''Angels A to Z''. Visible Ink Press. . p. 224. is the angel who blows the trumpet to signal '' Qi ...
), Dadra'il,
Azrail and Shamkil (Shemna'il) and
Azazil
In many Islamic and Islam-related traditions, Azazil (Arabic: عزازيل ''ʿAzāzīl'', also known as Arabic: حارث ''Ḥārith'') is the legendary prototype of the devil in Islamic culture. Azazil was considered to be among the nearest t ...
, who are emanations from God entrusted with care of the creation.
Various occult systems associate each archangel with one of the traditional "seven luminaries" (
classical planets
In classical antiquity, the seven classical planets or seven luminaries are the seven moving astronomical objects in the sky visible to the naked eye: the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The word ''planet'' comes from ...
visible to the naked eye): the
Sun, the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
,
Mercury,
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...
,
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...
,
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousand ...
, and
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...
; but there is disagreement as to which archangel corresponds to which body.
According to
Rudolf Steiner, four archangels govern the seasons:
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season), a season of the year
* Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy
* Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water
* Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a h ...
is Raphael,
summer
Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...
is Uriel,
autumn
Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( ...
is Michael, and
winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...
is Gabriel.
According to occultist
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the Seven Archangels were a form of
syncretism
Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thu ...
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
Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "receiver"). The defin ...
.
In the early
Gnostic text ''
On the Origin of the World'', the
aeon named
Sophia sends seven archangels to rescue the
Archon
''Archon'' ( gr, ἄρχων, árchōn, plural: ἄρχοντες, ''árchontes'') is a Greek word that means "ruler", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem αρχ-, mean ...
Sabaoth and bring him to the eighth heaven.
Gallery
File:Pedro Fernández - Vision of the Blessed Amedeo Menez de Sylva - WGA07809.jpg, Seven Princes of Heaven: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Sealtiel, Jehudiel, and Barachiel. ''Vision of the Blessed Amedeo Menez de Sylva'' by Pedro Fernández de Murcia, circa 1514.
File:St. Michael and Archangels (The Seven Archangels) MET DP876554.jpg, Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel, Michael, Sealtiel, Jehudiel, and Barachiel. Engraving by Hieronymus Wierix
Hieronymus Wierix (1553–1619) was a Flemish engraver, draughtsman and publisher. He is known for his reproductive engravings after the work of well-known local and foreign artists including Albrecht Dürer. Together with other members of the W ...
, 16th–17th century.
File:7 archangels.jpg, Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Selaphiel, Uriel, Barachiel, and Jehudiel. Russian icon, early 1900s.
File:Seven Archangels, St Michael and All Angels', Warden.jpg, Michael, Raphael, Jophiel, Gabriel, Zadkiel, Chamuel, and Uriel. Stained-glass window at St Michael and All Angels Church
St Michael and All Angels Church may refer to:
Africa
* St Michael and All Angels Church, Blantyre Malawi
* St. Michael and All Angels' Anglican Church, Weltevreden Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
America
* Cathedral Church of Saint Michael a ...
, Warden, Northumberland.
File:St. Michael's Episcopal Church - Tiffany Windows Depicting St. Michael's Victory in Heaven (middle 3 panes out of 7 panes).jpg, Jehudiel, Uriel, Gabriel, Michael, Barachiel, Raphael, and Sealtiel. Stained-glass windows at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
.
File:Seven Archangels, Castell Coch.jpg, Gabriel, Jophiel, Uriel, Michael, Chamuel, Zadkiel, and Raphael. Stained-glass panels at the chapel of Castell Coch, Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...
.
See also
*
Angels of the Presence In some Judeo-Christian traditions, the Angel of the Presence / Face (lit. "faces", Hebrew: ''Mal'akh HaPanim'', ) or Angel of his presence / face (Hebrew: ''Mal'akh Panav'', ) refers to an entity variously considered angelic or else identified with ...
*
Chakra
Chakras (, ; sa , text=चक्र , translit=cakra , translit-std=IAST , lit=wheel, circle; pi, cakka) are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, or the esoteric or ...
*
Classical planet
In classical antiquity, the seven classical planets or seven luminaries are the seven moving astronomical objects in the sky visible to the naked eye: the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The word '' planet'' co ...
*
List of Mesopotamian deities#Seven planetary deities
*
Seven churches of Asia
*
Seven Factors of Awakening
In Buddhism, the Seven Factors of Awakening (Pali: ''satta bojjhagā'' or ''satta sambojjhagā''; Skt.: ''sapta bodhyanga'') are:
* Mindfulness ('' sati'', Sanskrit ''smrti''). To maintain awareness of reality, in particular the teachings (''d ...
Notes and references
Further reading
*
Barker, Margaret (2004). ''An Extraordinary Gathering of Angels''. M Q Publications.
*Barker, Margaret (1992). ''The Great Angel: A Study of Israel's Second God''. London: SPCK; Louisville, KY:
Westminster/John Knox Press.
*Barker, Margaret (2005)
998 The Lost Prophet: The Book of Enoch and Its Influence on Christianity'. London:
SPCK
The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) is a UK-based Christian charity. Founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray, it has worked for over 300 years to increase awareness of the Christian faith in the UK and across the world.
The SPCK is th ...
;
Sheffield Phoenix Press
Sheffield Phoenix Press Ltd. (SPP) is an independent academic publisher specializing in biblical studies. It was launched in January 2004, continuing the traditions of the former Sheffield Academic Press.
SPP's main series of titles are Hebrew ...
.
*
Nibley, Hugh (1986).
Enoch the Prophet'. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book.
{{Angels in Abrahamic religions
Archangels
Christian terminology
Groups of Roman Catholic saints
Yazidi mythology