Sovereign Spanish Magistral Order of the Knights Templar
Archangel Michael
The archangel Michael (Hebrew, מיכאל (Mija-El, Mikaiyah or Mikhaia), ‘Who as God?’; in Arabic, ميخائيل (Mījā'īl); in ancient Greek, Mikhail; in Latin, Michael or Michahel) is the head of the armies of God in the Jewish, Islamic and Christian religions (Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic and Anglican Churches).
- For Christians he is the protector of the Church and considered a lawyer for God’s chosen people. The Catholic Church considers him as patron and protector of the Universal Church. The Coptic Church considers him the first of the seven archangels, along with Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel.
He is in charge of frustrating Lucifer or Satan, Michael’s chief enemy for being the archangel of fallen angels or evil4 (Rev. 12:7). Therefore, in art he is depicted as an angel in Roman general armor, threatening a demon or dragon with a spear or sword. He is also usually represented weighing souls in the balance, for according to tradition, he would take part in the Last Judgment.
The archangel word comes from the Greek αρχάγγελος (archangels), a term that appears only twice in the Bible,5 both reflected in the New Testament written in this language, the ancient Greek αρχ prefix (arc-), or in another form of the prefix άρχω (arch, which means “which governs, which directs, commands, which leads”) + άγγελος (angels meaning “messeur”).
From these roots, the meaning given is of "Chief Angel."6 7 according to the syntax of the Greek language.8 It should be noted that the prefix αρχ indicates supremacy, one of the first in its class or leadership before a certain group, therefore the term could be translated as "Captain of the Angels" or "One of the first angels".9
- The term "archangel" like every adjective of ancient Greek is applied in plural, dual and singular.10 The name Michael in Hebrew מִיכָאֵל literally means "Who like God?" (mi-kha-el). 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Mi (מִי) = who? kha (כָ) = as El (אֵל) = God
- The Archangel Michael in Judaism The Star of David. Considering that the Archangel Michael was one of the three angels who announced the birth of Isaac (along with the archangels Gabriel and Raphael) and protected the people of Israel during their march in the desert, currently Judaism invokes Michael as a cover of their synagogues. In the liturgy of the Yom Kippur the sermon concludes with the words: “Mighal, prince of mercy, pray for Israel.”
In the Talmud, their relationship with the other angels is compared to that of the High Priest, with the people of Israel; just as the archangel Michael would have been the immediate interlocutor of Moses on Mount Sinai.25 In the book of the prophet Daniel Main article: Book of Daniel Representation devised of Daniel in the grave of the lions.
It came to pass that when Joshua was near Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and saw a man standing before him with a naked sword in his hand. Joshua went ahead of him and said, “Are you one of us or our enemies?” He said, "No, but I am the head of the LORD's army. I have come now.” Joshua fell to the ground, and worshiped him, and said, “What does my Lord say to his servant?” The chief of the army of the LORD said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are is holy.” So did Joshua.
Joshua 5:13-15 On the other hand, the book of Daniel only points out that Michael is the one who would defend the people of Israel during the tribulations: He said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day you endeavored to understand and to humble you before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of them. The Prince of the kingdom of Persia resisted me for twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the first Princes, has come to my aid.
I left him there, beside the Prince of the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what will happen to your people in the days to come, for this is also a vision for those days." Daniel 10:13-14 But I will tell you what is recorded in the Book of Truth. There is no one to strengthen me against them, outside of Michael, the Prince of you. Daniel 10:21
At that time, Michael, the great Prince, will rise, standing beside the children of your people. Daniel 12:1 According to Jewish rabbinic tradition, Michael is sometimes called the "Prince of the Nations", and is the one who acts as "Israel's lawyer" in front of his accuser Samael or Satan (called Lucifer or Luzbel), a role of defender of the Hebrews, from the time of the biblical patriarchs.
For this reason, according to Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob, it was Michael who rescued Abraham from the furnace where he had been thrown by Nimrod (Midrash Genesis Rabbah XLIV. 16). He was also one of three men who visited Abraham to announce the birth of Isaac, and who announced to Lot the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Some Midrash describe Michael as the master of Moses during the Exodus, in addition to being the one who protects the Israelites against Pharaoh’s army before crossing the Red Sea. In the Midrash Exodus Rabbah he says that Michael exercises his role as a lawyer of the Hebrews, when Satan (his adversary) accuses the Israelites of idolatry and declares that they constantly murmured wishing they had died along with the Egyptians in the sea (Ex. A. XVIII. 5). But according to the midrash Abkir, he says that when Uzza, the guardian angel of Egypt, he calls on Michael to fight before God, Michael is silent, for it would be God himself who would defend his people.
- In the Kabbalistic tradition In the tradition and writings of the cabal, the archangel Michael is seen as "Advocate of the Jews". The Archangel Michael in Christianity Statue of the Archangel Michael of August Vogel in the church of St. Michael in Hamburg. The veneration of the archangel Michael in Christianity is based for the most part on New Testament readings and adopting those that refer to him in the Old. Precisely in the Apocalypse it reads: "There was a great battle in the heavens. Michael and his angels fought the Dragon.
- The Dragon and his angels also fought, but they did not prevail and there was no longer room in Heaven for them. And the Dragon, the ancient Serpent, the so-called Devil and Satan, the seducer of the whole world, was cast out to the earth and his angels with him. (Revelation 12, 7-9) And in the Epistle of St. Jude (see. 9), it is linked from the worship of Michael with Jewish traditions: "When the archangel Michael disputed with the devil, the possession of the body of Moses, he did not dare to say curse but said, "The Lord rebuke you."
- Perhaps quoting the apocryphal writing known as the Assumption of Moses, it mentions that Satan claimed the body for himself, arguing that Moses caused the death of many Egyptians. Reason why the archangel was enraged and fought against him, defeating him. Former government and church authorities recognized early the virtues of this winged creature. For example, Emperor Constantine attributed to Michael the defeat of his adversaries. For this reason he ordered to build near Constantinople a splendid church in his homage (Michaelion, in Sosthenion). It should also be noted that different visions of the Virgin Mary include some manifestation of the presence of the archangel.
Some of the attested apparitions are: that of Fatima, in the year 1916, who testified to having seen the angel kneel lamenting the skepticism of the unbelievers and praying prayer for him and for the Lord. In a later apparition he again asked for the practice of prayer, sacrifices and prayers. In the Catholic Church Mergefrom.svg It has been suggested that St. Michael (Catholic Church) be merged into this article or section (see discussion). Once you have made the merge of articles, ask for the merging of histories here. This notice was posted on October 14, 2016. Main article: St. Michael (Catholic Church) The archangel Michael, immortalized in pink quarry (San Miguel el Alto, Mexico). St. Michael the Archangel by Angelo Bronzino.
Although it would have been natural for Michael, defender of the Jewish people, to be also the defender of the Christian Church, giving him victory against his enemies, the early Christians recognized some martyrs as their military protectors: St. George, St. Theodore, St. Demetrius, the saints Sergius and Bacchus, St. Artemius and other saints, instead assigning to Michael the care of the sick.
In Phrygia, where he was first revered, his prestige as an angelic healer obscured his interposition in military affairs. It was from the earliest times the center of the true worship of the holy angels. (See the miracle of Phrygia in the section of the Orthodox Church.)
Catholicism is believed to have manifested itself on several occasions. His most documented and influential appearance during the Middle Ages (and, indeed, the germ of the Micaline cult in the Western Church) was that of Mount Gargano (held on May 8). In Rome there is a bronze statue that depicts it on top of the Castel Sant’Angelo, remembering when he appeared there to Pope Gregory the Great (fact celebrated on April 25). He appeared to Saint Joan of Arc (in his capacity as a warrior) and to Saint Margaret (in his capacity as a master of dragons), as well as in France, where in the Middle Ages he was dedicated to the Mont Saint-Michel, and in the 17th century in San Miguel del Milagro, Tlaxcala, Mexico, an apparition that reproduces the main elements (water outbreak) of those that were given in Gargano and in Chonæ.
It is believed that he appeared in Fatima (Portugal) in 1916, before the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, where, prostrating, he took the message of praying to three shepherd children (Lucía, Jacinta and Francisco) inviting to pray as follows: "My God, I believe, I love, I hope and I love you. I ask forgiveness for those who do not believe, do not worship, do not wait and do not love you." His feast day is September 29, and since 1970 he has been celebrated together with San Gabriel and San Rafael.
