Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: jhpb@granjon.garage.att.com Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: info on the archangels sought Message-ID: Date: 6 Dec 90 08:24:56 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: AT&T Bell Labs (Liberty Corner) Lines: 79 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Joel wrote: I have recently become interested in the story about the war between the archangels and those led by Lucifer. I have been unable to find any reference to this common story in the bible. Can anyone shed a little light on this for me? What is the real story, what caused this war, where is it referenced, is it a Judaic story or Christian, who are the seven archangels(names), who where the angels led by Lucifer... There are three archangels mentioned by name in Scripture: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. The names are Hebrew, and mean the following: Michael: Who is like God? Gabriel: strength of God Raphael: God has healed Here are the places in Scripture where these angels are mentioned by name: Michael: Daniel 10:13, Daniel 12, Epistle of St. Jude, Apocalypse 12:7. Gabriel: Daniel 8, Daniel 9, the announcement to Zachary of the birth of St. John the Baptist, the Annunciation (of the birth of our Lord to our Lady.) Raphael: one of the main characters in the book of Tobias (AKA Tobit) You asked about Michael in particular, so let me post what I can about him. (All this information comes from the Catholic encyclopedia articles on Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Angel.) The passage in Jude is an allusion to an ancient Jewish tradition of a dispute over the body of Moses. Satan wanted to turn the Jews to idolatrous worship of Moses; Michael prevented this. This Jewish tradition is also found in the apocryphal work "The Assumption of Moses." I can't find anything about the battle in Heaven, as far as extra-Scriptural sources goes. Michael's name is appropriate, given the battle in Heaven. Satan wanted to be God; he was proud. (See Isaias 14:12-14, Jer. 2:20) The name of St. Michael follows; his name is his battle cry: WHO IS LIKE GOD! In Catholic art, St. Michael is depicted as an angel in armor, usually trampling on the Devil, and with the words "Quid Ut Deus" (Who is like God?) on his shield. The angels were subjected to a moral test by God. The ones who failed became demons, Satan being the chief among them. A common opinion among Catholic theolgians is that the angels were shown the Incarnation and commanded to worship the Son of God. Human nature being so inferior to the angelic one, some of the angels refused. They couldn't stand the idea that God would so lower Himself. Thus the motto of Lucifer: non serviam, "I shall not serve." The circumstances of the appearance of the angels led to their association with various things. St. Michael, for example, is viewed as champion against the Devil, and protector of the Catholic Church. In the Middle ages, he was the patron saint of knights, and his feast day (September 29) was a holy day of obligation. His help is invoked in exorcisms, and used to be invoked for the conversion of Russia after every Low Mass. The names of the other 4 angels (of the 7 who stand before God) are unknown. One apocryphal source, the book of Enoch, names them Uriel, Raguel, Sariel and Jerahmeel. Other apocryphal sources have other variants. From the Apocalypse, it is thought that about 1/3 of the angels fell (the dragon that swept 1/3 of the stars with his tail). Here's the prayer that used to be said after Low Mass: Saint Michael the archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the Divine power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. Joe Buehler