In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an archangel who serves as a messenger from God. He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretold the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus. Christians of the Catholic traditions refer to him as Gabriel the Archangel.
Islam believes that Gabriel was the medium through whom God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, and that he sent a message to most prophets, if not all, revealing their obligations. He is called the chief of the four favoured angels and the spirit of truth. He is called the created Holy Spirit (Islam) that spoke to Muhammad, which is not to be confused with the Holy Spirit of God in Christianity who is revered as God Himself. Gabriel is also mentioned in Baha'i Faith texts, specifically in Baha'u'llah's mystical work Seven Valleys.
According to the Biblical verses which specifically refer to him, Gabriel is often depicted as though a mortal male, but is occasionally portrayed as androgynous or female, as in some New Age beliefs or contemporary art imagery.
In Roman Catholic Tradition Saint Michael the Archangel is referred to in the Old Testament and has been part of Christian teachings since the earliest times. However, throughout the centuries specific Roman Catholic traditions and views on St. Michael have taken shape, as recently as the 19th and 20th centuries. For instance, a specific Prayer to Saint Michael was promoted by Pope Leo XIII in 1888 and as recently as 1994 was reinforced by Pope John Paul II who encouraged the Catholic faithful to continue to pray it, saying: "I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against forces of darkness.”
Saint Michael has specific roles within Roman Catholic teachings that range from acting as the chief opponent of Satan to the saving of souls at the hour of death. Roman Catholic literature and traditions continue to point to Saint Michael in contexts as varied as the protection of the Catholic Church to the Consecration of Russia by popes Pius XII and John Paul II regarding the messages reported at Our Lady of Fatima. This article reviews these Roman Catholic teachings and traditions.
In Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition Michael is an archangel. He is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God. He is mentioned by name in the Book of Daniel, the Book of Jude, and the Book of Revelation, in which he leads God's armies against Satan's forces during his uprising. In the book of Daniel, Michael appears as "one of the chief princes" who in Daniel's vision comes to Gabriel's aid in his contest with the angel of Persia (Dobiel). Michael is also described there as the advocate of the Children of Israel and as a "great prince who stands up for the children of your [Daniel's] people".
In Hebrew, the name Michael means "who is like God"(mi-who, ke-as or like, El-deity), which in Talmudic tradition is interpreted as a rhetorical question: "Who is like God?" (which expects an answer in the negative) to imply that no one is like God. In this way, Michael is reinterpreted as a symbol of humility before God.
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