Seven Archangels

The concept of Seven Archangels is found

in some works of early Jewish literature.

"Synaxis of the Archangel Michael" ("Собор

Архистратига Михаила"). An Eastern Orthodox
Church icon of the "Seven Archangels". From left to
right: Jegudiel, Gabriel, Selaphiel, Michael, Uriel,
 g g p
Raphael, and Barachiel. Beneath the mandorla of
Christ Emmanuel are representations of Cherubim (in
blue) and Seraphim (in red).

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 4:16 and the Epistle of
Jude 1:9, where it is used of Michael, who
in Daniel 10:13 is called 'one of the chief
princes,' and 'the great prince'. In the
Septuagint this is rendered "the great
angel."[1]
Tobit
The idea of seven archangels is most
explicitly stated in the deuterocanonical
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 Bible are
archangel Michael and angel Gabriel. The
four names of other archangels come
from tradition.

1 Enoch
One such tradition of archangels comes
from the Old Testament biblical
apocrypha, the third century BCE Book of
the Watchers,[2] known as 1 Enoch or the
Book of Enoch, eventually merged into the
Enochic Pentateuch.[3][4] This narrative is
affiliated with the Book of Giants, which
also references the great archangels[5][6]
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 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 (605 BCE).
Babylonian folklore and cosmology,[7] a
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 the 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 as given by Pseudo-Dionysius

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.[8] In most Protestant Christian
oral traditions only Michael and Gabriel are
referred to as "archangels", which echoes
the most mainstream Muslim view,
whereas Roman Catholic Christian
traditions also include Raphael to
complete a group of three.

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, Oriel, Raphael,
Ananiel, Marmoniel.[9]

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.

In the Catholic Church, three archangels

are mentioned by name in its canon of
scripture: 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",[10] a phrase recalled in
Revelation 8:2–6 .

Some strands of the Eastern Orthodox

Church, 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. 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).[11]

As well as Uriel, the Book of Enoch, not

regarded as canonical by any of these
Christian churches, mentions (chapter 21)
Raguel, Sariel, and Jerahmeel, while other
apocryphal sources give instead the
names Izidkiel, Hanael, and Kepharel.[12]
In the Coptic Orthodox tradition the seven
archangels are named as Michael, Gabriel,
Raphael, Suriel, Zadkiel, Sarathiel, and
Ananiel.[13][14][15]

In Anglican and Episcopal tradition, there

are three or four archangels in the
calendar for September 29, the feast of St
Michael and All Angels (also called
Michaelmas), namely Michael, Gabriel, and
Raphael,[16] and often also
Uriel.[17][18][19][20][21]

Other ideas
Although in the Book of Enoch, Ramiel is
described as one of the leaders of the 200
Grigori, the fallen angels, the leader is
identified as Semjaza. Other names
derived from pseudepigrapha and
recognized by Eastern Orthodox and
Oriental Orthodox churches 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.[22]

In Yazidi religion, there are seven

archangels, named Jabra'il, Mika'il, Rafa'il
(Israfil), Dadra'il, Azrail and Shamkil
(Shemna'il) and Azazil, who are
emanations from God entrusted with care
of the creation.[23]

Seven angels or archangels correspond to

days of the week: Michael (Sunday),
Gabriel (Monday), Uriel (Tuesday), Raphael
(Wednesday), Selaphiel (Thursday), Raguel
or Jegudiel (Friday), and Barachiel
(Saturday).

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;[24] 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.[25]

Gallery
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.

Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel, Michael, Sealtiel,

Jehudiel, and Barachiel. Engraving by
Hieronymus Wierix, 16th–17th century.

Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Selaphiel, Uriel,

Barachiel, and Jehudiel. Russian icon,
early 1900s.
Michael, Raphael, Jophiel, Gabriel, Zadkiel,
Chamuel, and Uriel. Stained-glass window
at St Michael and All Angels Church,
Warden, Northumberland.
Jehudiel, Uriel, Gabriel, Michael, Barachiel,
Raphael, and Sealtiel. Stained-glass
windows at St. Michael's Episcopal
Church, Manhattan.
 Gabriel, Jophiel, Uriel, Michael, Chamuel,
Zadkiel, and Raphael. Stained-glass panels
at the chapel of Castell Coch, Cardiff.

See also
Chakra
Classical planet
List of Mesopotamian deities#Seven
planetary deities
Seven churches of Asia
 Seven Factors of Awakening

Notes and references

1. Barker, Margaret (2004). An
Extraordinary Gathering of Angels.
Publications Ltd.
2. Nickelsburg, George W. E. (2001). 1
Enoch 1 : A Commentary on the Book
of 1 Enoch, Chapters 1-36; 81-108
(PDF). Minneapolis: Fortress. p. 7.

3. VanderKam, James C. (2008) [1995].

Enoch: A Man for All Generations .
Columbia: 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
4. 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: SPCK; Sheffield
Phoenix Press.
5. Barker, Margaret. (2005) [1998]. The
Lost Prophet: The Book of Enoch and
Its Influence on Christianity. London:
 SPCK; Sheffield Phoenix Press. ISBN 1-
905048-18-1
6. Nibley, Hugh (1986). Enoch the
Prophet . Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret
Book. ISBN 978-0875790473.
7. Encyclopedia, Jewish. "ANGELOLOGY -
Angelology systematized" . Jewish
Encyclopedia.
8. A Dictionary of Angels, Including the
Fallen Angels by Gustav Davidson,
1980, Free Press Publishing
9. Julia M.H. Smith, Europe After Rome:
A New Cultural History 500-1000.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Page 77
10. Tobit 12:15
11. "Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and
the Other Bodiless Powers" . oca.org.
Retrieved 18 March 2018.
12. James F. Driscoll, "St. Raphael" in The
Catholic Encyclopedia (New York
1911)
13. "2. Intercessors :: The Heavenly Orders
Doxology :: ‫ "ذوﻛﺼﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﺴﻤﺎﺋﻴﻴﻦ‬.
tasbeha.org. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
14. Alex, Michael Ghaly -. "‫رؤﺳﺎء اﻟﻤﻼﺋﻜﺔ‬
‫ ﻛﺘﺎب اﻟﻤﻼﺋﻜﺔ‬- ‫ اﻵﺧﺮﻳﻦ‬- St-Takla.org" . st-
takla.org. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
15. Ghlay, Michael. "‫ وﻣﺎ ﻫﻮ‬،‫ ﻣﺎ ﻫﻢ‬..‫اﻟﻤﻼﺋﻜﺔ‬
‫ ﻋﺪد وأﺳﻤﺎء رؤﺳﺎء اﻟﻤﻼﺋﻜﻪ؟‬- St-Takla.org" .
 st-takla.org. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
16. Oremus.org website . Retrieved
September 15, 2008.
17. Saint Uriel Church website patron
Saint web page Archived 2015-09-30
at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved
September 15, 2008.
18. Lesser Feasts and Fasts, p. 380.
19. Anglican.org website Michaelmas
page . Retrieved September 15, 2008.
20. St. George's Lennoxville website, What
Are Anglicans, Anyway? page
Archived 2008-09-26 at the Wayback
Machine. Retrieved September 15,
2008.
21. Christ Church Eureka website,
September Feasts page Archived
2008-05-11 at the Wayback Machine.
Retrieved September 15, 2008.
22. Ian Richard Netton Allah
Transcendent: Studies in the Structure
and Semiotics of Islamic Philosophy,
Theology and Cosmology Psychology
Press, 1994 ISBN 9780700702879 p.
205
23. 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
24. Morals and Dogma (of the Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite of
Freemasonry) by Albert Pike (1871,
1948, L. H. Jenkins)
25. The encyclopedia of angels, p.45 , by
Rosemary Guiley, Infobase Publishing,
2004.

Further reading
Barker, Margaret (2004). An
Extraordinary Gathering of Angels. M Q
Publications. ISBN 9781840726800
Barker, Margaret (1992). The Great
Angel: A Study of Israel's Second God.
London: SPCK; Louisville, KY:
 Westminster/John Knox Press.
ISBN 978-0664253950
Barker, Margaret (2005) [1998]. The Lost
Prophet: The Book of Enoch and Its
Influence on Christianity . London: SPCK;
Sheffield Phoenix Press. ISBN 1-905048-
18-1
Nibley, Hugh (1986). Enoch the Prophet .
Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book.
ISBN 978-0875790473

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