| [[Image:Archangels.JPG|200px|thumbnail|''"Synaxis of the Archangel Michael"'' ("Собор Архистратига Михаила"). An [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] [[icon]] of the "Seven [[Archangel]]s". From left to right: [[Jegudiel]], [[Gabriel]], [[Selaphiel]], [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]], [[Uriel]], [[Raphael (archangel)|Raphael]], [[Barachiel]]. Beneath the [[mandorla]] of Christ [[Emmanuel]] are representations of [[Cherubim]] (in blue) and [[Seraphim]] (in red).]]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 [[Tanakh|Jewish Canon]] but is prevalent in the Judaic tradition, where they are named as [[Gabriel]], [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]], [[Raphael (archangel)|Raphael]], [[Uriel]], [[Raguel (archangel)|Raguel]], [[Remiel]] and [[Saraqael]]. While this book today is [[Biblical apocrypha|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 [[Canon of Scripture|canonical]].In the late 5th to early 6th century, [[Pseudo-Dionysius]] gives them as [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]], [[Archangel Gabriel|Gabriel]], [[Raphael (archangel)|Raphael]], [[Uriel]], [[Camael|Chamuel]], [[Jophiel]], and [[Zadkiel]]. <ref>''A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels'' by Gustav Davidson, 1980, Free Press Publishing</ref>The earliest Christian mention is by Pope [[Pope Gregory I|Saint Gregory I]] who lists them as Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel (or [[Haniel|Anael]]), [[Samael|Simiel]], [[Phanuel (angel)|Oriphiel]] and [[Raguel (archangel)|Raguel]]. A later reference to seven archangels would appear in an 8th or 9th century talisman attributed to Auriolus, a "servant of God" in north-western Spain. He issues a prayer to "all you patriarchs Michael, Gabriel, Cecitiel, Oriel, Raphael, [[Ananiel]], Marmoniel ("who hold the clouds in your hands").<ref>Julia M.H. Smith, Europe After Rome: A New Cultural History 500-1000. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Page 77</ref>==Archangels in current church traditions==The [[Catholic Church]] recognizes three archangels, the three mentioned in its [[canon of Scripture]]: [[Gabriel (archangel)|Gabriel]] and [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]], mentioned in the [[New Testament]], and [[Raphael (archangel)|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",<ref>{{bibleverse||Tobit|12:15}}</ref> a phrase recalled in {{bibleverse||Revelation|8:2-6|ESV}}.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 (archangel)|Raguel]], Sariel, and Jerahmeel, while other apocryphal sources give instead the names Izidkiel, Hanael, and Kepharel.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12640b.htm James F. Driscoll, "St. Raphael" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' (New York 1911)]</ref>In the [[Coptic Orthodox]] tradition the seven archangels are named as Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, [[Suriel]], [[Zadakiel]], Raguel, and [[Aniel]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2014}}In [[Anglican]] and [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal]] tradition, there are three or four archangels in its [[Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church in the United States of America)|calendar]] for September 29 feast for St. Michael and All Angels (also called [[Michaelmas]]: namely Gabriel, Michael and Raphael),<ref>[http://www.excitingholiness.org/first-edition/index.cgi?m09/d29.html Oremus.org website]. Retrieved September 15, 2008.</ref> and often, Uriel.<ref>[http://www.urielsg.org/Sections-read-7.html Saint Uriel Church website patron Saint web page]. Retrieved September 15, 2008.</ref><ref>Lesser Feasts and Fasts, p. 380.</ref><ref>[http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/254.html Anglican.org website Michaelmas page]. Retrieved September 15, 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.stgeorgeslennoxville.com/WhatareAnglicansAnyway.dsp St. George's Lennoxville website, What Are Anglicans, Anyway? page]. Retrieved September 15, 2008.</ref><ref>[http://christchurcheureka.org/documents/ChronicleSeptember.pdf Christ Church Eureka website, September Feasts page]. Retrieved September 15, 2008.</ref>== Other ideas ==In the Book of Enoch, [[Remiel]] is described as one of the leaders of the 200 [[Watcher_(angel)#Grigori|Grigori]], the fallen angels. Other Names derived from [[pseudepigrapha]] but not recognized by Christian churches are [[Selaphiel]], [[Jegudiel]], and [[Raguel (archangel)|Raguel]].Seven angels or archangels are given as related to the seven days of the week: Michael (Sunday), Gabriel (Monday), Raphael (Tuesday), Uriel (Wednesday), Selaphiel (Thursday),Raguel or Jegudiel (Friday), and Barachiel (Saturday).{{Citation needed|date=July 2014}}Various occult systems associate each archangel with one of the traditional "seven luminaries" (the seven naked-eye moving objects in the heavens: the Seven [[Classical Planets]]): the [[Moon]], [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]], [[Venus]], the [[Sun]], [[Mars]], [[Jupiter]], and [[Saturn]];<ref>''Morals and Dogma (of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry)'' by Albert Pike (1871, 1948, L. H. Jenkins)</ref> but there is disagreement as to which archangel corresponds to which body.According to [[Rudolf Steiner]], four important archangels also display periodic spiritual activity over the seasons: [[Spring (season)|Spring]] is Raphael, [[Summer]] is Uriel, [[Autumn]] is Michael, and [[Winter]] is Gabriel.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=15XABtvHcEsC&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=raphael+michael+gabriel+uriel+spring+summer+winter&source=bl&ots=0DwhwoD680&sig=KNkFVmHllx5kTviGU7_JpXqUIYk&hl=en&ei=A-7MTqidGqLv0gHjgrE4&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=raphael%20michael%20gabriel%20uriel%20spring%20summer%20winter&f=false The encyclopedia of angels, p.45], by Rosemary Guiley, Infobase Publishing, 2004.</ref> Following this line of reasoning, Aries (astrologically ruled by Mars) represents 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.
| | 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 and by many of the early Church Fathers. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church to this day regards it to be canonical.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Archangels Seven Archangels]</ref> |
