Seven Archangels - Hymns and Chants

Seven Archangels
Marmoniel (“who hold the clouds in your hands”).[2]
1 Archangels in current church
traditions
The Catholic Church recognizes three archangels, the
three mentioned in its canon of Scripture: Gabriel and
Michael, mentioned in the New Testament, and Raphael,
mentioned in the book of Tobit, where he is described as
“one of the seven angels who stand ready and enter before
the glory of the Lord”,[3] 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. Yet the Eastern Orthodox Church accepts only Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel.
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.[4]
“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, Raphael, Barachiel. Beneath the mandorla of
Christ Emmanuel are representations of Cherubim (in blue) and
Seraphim (in red).
In the Coptic Orthodox tradition the seven archangels are
named as Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Suriel, Zadakiel,
Raguel, and Aniel.
The earliest reference to a system of seven archangels
as a group appears to be in Enoch I (the Book of Enoch)
which is not part of the Jewish Canon but is prevalent
in the Judaic tradition, where they are named as Gabriel,
Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Remiel and Saraqael.
While this book today is non-canonical in most Christian
Churches, it was explicitly quoted in the New Testament
(Letter of Jude 1:14-15) and by many of the early Church
Fathers. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church to this day regards it to be canonical.
In Anglican and Episcopal tradition, there are three or
four archangels in its calendar for September 29 feast
for St. Michael and All Angels (also called Michaelmas:
namely Gabriel, Michael and Raphael),[5] and often,
Uriel.[6][7][8][9][10]
2 Other ideas
In the late 5th to early 6th century, Pseudo-Dionysius In the Book of Enoch, Remiel is described as one of
gives them as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Chamuel, the leaders of the 200 Grigori, the fallen angels. Other
Names derived from pseudepigrapha but not recognized
Jophiel, and Zadkiel. [1]
by Christian churches are Selaphiel, Jegudiel, and Raguel.
The earliest Christian mention is by Pope Saint Gregory
I who lists them as Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel (or Seven angels or archangels are given as related to the
Anael), Simiel, Oriphiel and Raguel. A later reference seven days of the week: Michael (Sunday), Gabriel (Monto seven archangels would appear in an 8th or 9th cen- day), Raphael (Tuesday), Uriel (Wednesday), Selaphiel
tury talisman attributed to Auriolus, a “servant of God” in (Thursday),Raguel or Jegudiel (Friday), and Barachiel
north-western Spain. He issues a prayer to “all you patri- (Saturday).
archs Michael, Gabriel, Cecitiel, Oriel, Raphael, Ananiel, Various occult systems associate each archangel with one
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2
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NOTES AND REFERENCES
of the traditional “seven luminaries” (the seven naked- [12] The encyclopedia of angels, p.45, by Rosemary Guiley,
Infobase Publishing, 2004.
eye moving objects in the heavens: the Seven Classical
Planets): the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars,
Jupiter, and Saturn;[11] but there is disagreement as to
• Godwin, Malcolm.
Angels: An Endangered
which archangel corresponds to which body.
Species, New York: Simon & Schuster 1990/ London: Boxtree 1993.
According to Rudolf Steiner, four important archangels
also display periodic spiritual activity over the seasons:
• Benor, Daniel J. Healing Research, Volume III —
Spring is Raphael, Summer is Uriel, Autumn is Michael,
Personal Spirituality: Science, Spirit and the Eternal
and Winter is Gabriel.[12] Following this line of reaSoul, Bellmawr, NJ: Wholistic Healing Publications
soning, Aries (astrologically ruled by Mars) represents
2006
Spring, Cancer (ruled by Moon) represents Summer, Libra (ruled by Venus) represents Autumn, and Capricorn
(ruled by Saturn) represents Winter. Therefore by association, Raphael is Mars, Uriel is Moon, Michael is Venus,
and Gabriel is Saturn. Rudolf Steiner’s Northern Hemisphere indications regarding the seasons and their placement in the Zodiac will be the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, making Michael the Autumn archangel
- with Mars in Ares; Raphael the Spring Archangel - with
Venus in Libra; and in mid-winter Gabriel in Cancer;
Uriel presides in Capricorn during mid summer in the
south.
The seven archangels figure in some systems of ritual
magic, each archangel bearing a specific seal.
It could also be argued that each one of the seven
archangels represents one of the heavenly virtues, in the
same way that each of the seven princes of hell represents
one of the deadly sins.
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Notes and references
[1] A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels by
Gustav Davidson, 1980, Free Press Publishing
[2] Julia M.H. Smith, Europe After Rome: A New Cultural History 500-1000. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2005. Page 77
[3] Tobit 12:15
[4] James F. Driscoll, “St. Raphael” in The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1911)
[5] Oremus.org website. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
[6] Saint Uriel Church website patron Saint web page. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
[7] Lesser Feasts and Fasts, p. 380.
[8] Anglican.org website Michaelmas page.
September 15, 2008.
Retrieved
[9] St. George’s Lennoxville website, What Are Anglicans,
Anyway? page. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
[10] Christ Church Eureka website, September Feasts page.
Retrieved September 15, 2008.
[11] Morals and Dogma (of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish
Rite of Freemasonry) by Albert Pike (1871, 1948, L. H.
Jenkins)
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