Archangels rank second from the bottom of heaven's hierarchy
The title sounds supreme, since arch means chief. Yet in the angelic ranking drawn up by Pseudo-Dionysius in the 5th or 6th century, archangels are the second-lowest order. The New Testament mentions angels over a hundred times but uses the word archangel only twice, and names only one: Michael.
The Hebrew Bible never explicitly mentions archangels. Its word for angel, malakh, simply means messenger, and angels rarely appear by name until the Book of Daniel, where Michael is called a chief prince and the great prince. That late naming has led many to suspect Jewish interest in angels grew during the Babylonian exile, and a 3rd-century rabbi, Simeon ben Lakish, said the names themselves came back from Babylon. Some scholars see Zoroastrianism's seven Amesha Spentas, beneficent immortals embodying qualities such as truth and devotion, as the earliest version of the idea.
Which angels count depends on whom you ask. Michael and Gabriel are recognised in Judaism, Islam and most of Christianity. Raphael, known from the Book of Tobit, is accepted by Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Orthodox churches. Islam names four, including Israfil and the angel of death. Enoch lists seven, Kabbalah assigns twelve to the spheres of its tree, and Orthodoxy speaks of thousands while venerating seven by name. The Catholic Church officially recognises only three names and rejects apocryphal ones such as Raguel and Remiel.
Each name carries a meaning. Michael asks Who is like God?, Gabriel means God is my strength, Raphael means God heals, and Uriel means God is my light. Art reflects their roles: Michael in armour with sword or spear, standing on a dragon and sometimes holding scales for the Last Judgement; Gabriel with lilies for the Annunciation; Raphael with a walking staff, or guiding the young Tobias and his fish.
Catholics and Lutherans honour the three together on September 29, and Orthodox churches on November 8, which falls on November 21 for those using the Julian calendar. Much of today's popular picture of archangels owes as much to John Milton's Paradise Lost as to scripture.
Source: Archangel
