archangels 2
| A system of seven archangels
is an old tradition in Abrahamic
religions. The earliest reference to a system of seven archangels appears to
be in Enoch I
(the Ethiopian Enoch), where they are given as Michael,
Gabriel, Raphael,
Uriel, Raguel,
Zerachiel
and Remiel.
Centuries later, Pseudo-Dionysius
gives them as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Chamuel,
Jophiel, and Zadkiel.
Pope
Gregory I lists them as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Simiel,
Orifiel,
and Zachariel.
Eastern
Orthodoxy venerates Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel,
Jegudiel,
and Barachiel.
Within the rabbinic tradition and the Kabbalah, the usual number given is at least seven: Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel, Sariel, Raguel, and Remiel (possibly the Ramiel of the Apocalypse of Baruch, said to preside over true visions). Zadkiel, Jophiel, Haniel and Chamuel are also listed as archangels. In Islam, the archangels are Michael or Mikael (Archangel of the Weather), Gabriel or Jibril (who brought the Koran to Muhammad), Azrael (Angel of Death), Israfil or Isra'afeel (Archangel who is to blow the horn on Judgement Day), Malik (Keeper of Hell) and Munkar and Nakir (Angels of Interrogation that will question deceased souls on their life before their death). Neither Israfil nor Azrael are mentioned in the Qu'ran. Among the Tarish, the four archangels are Michael, Gabriel, Tariel (aka Raphael), and Lucifer. |
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According to medieval Christian theologians, the Angels are organized into several orders, or Angelic Choirs. The most influential of these classifications was that put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the Fourth or Fifth century, in his book The Celestial Hierarchy. In this work, the author drew on passages from the New Testament, specifically Ephesians 6:12 and Colossians 1:16, to construct a schema of three Hierarchies, Spheres or Triads of angels, with each Hierarchy containing three Orders or Choirs. In descending order of power, these were:
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During the Middle Ages, many other schema were proposed, some drawing on and expanding on Pseudo-Dionysius, others suggesting completely different classifications. Here is another example, which is expanded in the rest of this article:
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this page appears to be an offshoot of wikipedia
with the addition of this fabulously useful table of the various nomenclature
pertaining to archangels