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Gabriel
*** Shopping-Tip: Gabriel
:''This page is about the angel. For the leader of a
United States slave rebellion in
1800, see
Gabriel (rebel)
Image:Goldenlocks.jpg thumb|250px|12th-century [[icon of Archangel Gabriel from
Novgorod.]]
In various
religions, '''Gabriel''' (''גַּבְרִי×?ֵל'',
Standard Hebrew ''Gavriʼel'',
Latin ''Gabrielus'',
Tiberian Hebrew ''Gaḇrîʼēl'',
Arabic language Arabic جبريل ''Ǧabrīl'' ''Jibril'') is an
angel who serves as a messenger from
God. He appears first in the
Book of Daniel in the
Hebrew Bible. The name Gabriel can mean "man of God", "hero of God", or "God has shown himself mighty." He was also referred to as the "Left Hand of God".
According to the
Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an
archangel who serves as a messenger from God. He is sometimes regarded as the angel of death, the prince of fire and thunder, but more frequently as one of God's chief messengers, and traditionally said to be the only angel that can speak
Syriac language Syriac and
Aramaic language Chaldee. In the
Catholicism Catholic Sacred Tradition Tradition, he is known as one of the
archangels. Gabriel is most frequently confused with
Michael (archangel) Michael, the angel who holds a sword and guards the gates of
Garden of Eden Eden (later
Heaven) against
Adam and Eve Adam, Eve, and their descendants. In
Islam, he is called the chief of the four favoured angels, and the spirit of truth. Gabriel also finds mention in the writings of the
Bahá'à Faith, most notably in
Bahá'u'lláh's metaphysical work ''
Seven Valleys The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys''.
Gabriel in Judaism
Gabriel in Jewish history and the Hebrew Bible
In the historical context of the destruction of
Solomon's Temple in
Jerusalem, and the subsequent
Babylonian captivity of the
Jewish Kingdom of Judah that followed, the important Jewish leader
Daniel ponders the meanings of several visions he has experienced in exile, when Gabriel appears to him (
Book of Daniel Daniel Daniel 8:16 8:16-
Daniel 8:25 25).
Gabriel is mentioned twice by name:
*"...And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, who called, and said:' '''Gabriel''', make this man to understand the vision.' So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was terrified, and fell upon my face; but he said to me: 'Understand, son of man; for the vision belongs to the time of the end..." [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt3408.htm] (Daniel
Daniel 8:15 8:15-
Daniel 8:17 17).
It is towards the end of the rule of
Babylonia yet Gabriel is sent to elaborate and explain matters also relating to the "End of Days" (See
Jewish eschatology) such as when the kingdoms of
Persian Empire Persia,
Greece and
Rome will tumble from dominating the world.
*"...And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; and while I was speaking in prayer, the man '''Gabriel''', whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, approached close to me about the time of the evening offering. And he made me understand, and talked with me, and said: 'Daniel, I have now come to make you skilful of understanding...Seventy weeks are decreed upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to forgive iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal vision and prophet, and to anoint the most holy place" [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt3409.htm] (Daniel
Daniel 9:20 9:20-
Daniel 9:24 24).
Here is where Gabriel tells Daniel about the mysterious "Seventy weeks" (''shavu-im shivim'') that seem to indicate the end of the
Babylonian captivity which lasted seventy years when
Cyrus in the Judeo-Christian tradition Cyrus the Great allowed the return to
Zion and the rebuilding of the Temple by the Jews in his empire.
His name also occurs in the
apocryphal
Book of Enoch.
Gabriel in the Talmud
In the
Talmud, Gabriel appears as the destroyer of the hosts of
Sennacherib in Sanhedrin 95b "with a sharpened scythe which had been ready since Creation." The Archangel is also attributed as the one who showed
Joseph (dreamer) Joseph the way, the one who prevented Queen Vashti from appearing naked before King Ahasverus and his guests, and as one of the angels who buried
Moses. In Talmud ''Yoma'' 79a, however, it is stated that Gabriel once fell into disgrace "for not obeying a command exactly as given, and remained for a while outside the heavenly Curtain." During this 21 day period, the
guardian angel of
Persian Empire Persia,
Dobiel, acted as Gabriel's proxy.
Gabriel is also, according to Jewish mythology, the voice that told Noah to gather the animals before the great flood; the invisible force that prevented Abraham from slaying Isaac; the invisible force that wrestled with Jacob; and the voice of the burning bush.
Gabriel in Christianity
Gabriel in the canonical New Testament
Image:Annunciation.jpg right|250px|thumbnail|Gabriel delivering the [[Annunciation. Painting by
El Greco (1575)]]
In the New Testament, Gabriel is the angel who cometh with/in the
Holy Spirit and reveals to
Zacharias that
John the Baptist will be born to Elizabeth and who visits
Mary, the mother of Jesus Mary to reveal that she will give birth to
Jesus. According to later legend, he is the unidentified angel in the
Book of Revelation (formerly known as the Apocalypse of John) who blows the horn announcing the
Last Judgment Judgment Day. To
Catholicism Catholics, he is ''St. Gabriel the Archangel'', the
patron saint of communications workers. With
Michael_(archangel) Michael and
Raphael (archangel) Raphael, his feast day is
September 29.
Gabriel's visit to Mary in the
Gospel of Luke is often called "The
Annunciation," (
Gospel of Luke Luke Luke 1:26 1:26 et al.), an event that is celebrated on
March 25. It is also commemorated as the "First Joyful Mystery" each time the
rosary is prayed.
Gabriel in other Christian denominations
In
Latter-day Saint theology, Gabriel lived a mortal life as the patriarch
Noah. Gabriel and Noah are regarded as the same person, but Gabriel alone is regarded as the immortal resurrected being (angel). As such, all of Noah's children are considered to be Gabriel's earthly children.
Gabriel in Islam
{{main|Jibril}}
'''Jibril''', '''Jibrīl''', '''Jibreel''', '''Jabril''' or '''Djibril''' (
Arabic language Arabic جبرئيل,جبر�ئيل,or جبريل,
IPA [dÊ’ibræË?Ê”iË?l], [dÊ’ibrɛ̈ʔiË?l], or [dÊ’ibriË?l]) is Arabic for
Gabriel, an
archangel in
Jewish and
Christianity Christian angelology. In
Islam, Gabriel is the
angel who revealed the
Qur'an to
Muhammad,
sura by sura, and thus Gabriel is considered the most prominent angel, as well as the spirit of truth.
According to Muslim beliefs, the angel's primary task was to bring messages from God to the messengers, and the other tasks include accompanying the angel
Azrael ("Angel of Death") to take the soul of a person who dies with
ablution. Gabriel is also said to be the angel that informed
Mariam (Mary) of how she would conceive
Isa (Jesus):
::''She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our
Ruh [angel Jibrael (Gabriel)], and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects. She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allâh) from you, if you do fear Allâh." (The angel) said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son." She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?" He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: 'That is easy for Me (Allâh): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allâh), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allâh).' "'' (
Quran, [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/019.qmt.html#019.017 19:17-21])
In Islam, Gabriel accompanied
Muhammad in his ascension to the heavens [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/008.sbt.html#001.008.345], where he (Muhammad) met with previous messengers of God, and was informed about the
Islamic prayer. This ascension is termed as
Mai'raj.
Muslims also believe that this angel descends to Earth on the night of
''Lailat-ul-Qadr'' ("The Night of Power"), a night in the last ten days of the holy month of
Ramadan in the
Islamic calendar.
Gabriel in Angelology and the Occult
Gabriel is sometimes associated with the color
Blue, the direction
West, or the element
Water; his horse is named ''
Haizum''. Gabriel is also variously identified as the angel of
annunciation,
resurrection, mercy, vengeance, death, and revelation. Furthermore, the Archangel has also been identified in various sources to be one of the 7 Archangels who stand in the presence of God; he is also claimed variously be a tafsarim (chief angelic prince) of the Cherub, Virtue, Power, Archangel, and Angel celestial orders. The governor of the Moon and Monday also are ascribed to Gabriel; finally, the Archangel is also the ruler of Shamayim, the First Heaven.
Gabriel in Music
The eccentric English hagiographer, antiquarian and father of 15 children,
Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924), wrote a
Basque Christmas carol, ''Gabriel's Message'', which was probably based on the 13rd or 14th century Latin
chant ''Angelus Ad Virginem'' which itself is based on the Biblical account of the
Annunciation in the
New Testament Gospel of Luke.
The modern rock musician
Sting performed ''Gabriel's Message'' on the
Christmas compilation CD, "A Very Special Christmas".
Gabriel in Fiction
Gabriel is referenced or plays an active role in many
fictional works:
*In his
epic poetry epic poem ''
Paradise Lost'',
John Milton made Gabriel chief of the angelic guards placed over
Garden of Eden Paradise.
*In the epic poem ''
The Song of Roland'', Gabriel instructs Frankish King
Charles Martel, to deliver the sword
Durendal to
Roland. Gabriel also bears Roland's soul to heaven.
*In
The Lay of the Cid, Gabriel [http://www.laits.utexas.edu/cid/main/folio.php?f=09r&v=eng appears in a dream] to predict a good outcome.
*In ''
Gundam SEED Destiny Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed Destiny'', Jibril is the name of the leader for Blue Cosmos, an extremist group dedicated to eradicating genetically enhanced humans (the coordinators).
*
Christopher Walken portrayed Gabriel in the film ''
The Prophecy'' as the leader of a rebellion opposed to God's favor of humans over angels. He is shown to be exceptionally jealous of humans and delights in frightening and torturing them.
*In the movie ''
Van Helsing'', it is suggested that the title character is in fact an amnesiac reincarnated Gabriel, primarily due to his first name and the fact that
Dracula refers to him as the Left Hand of God.
*Gabriel, portrayed by
Tilda Swinton, not as a female entity but to signify the
sex of the angels androgynous nature of angels, appears in the movie ''
Constantine (movie) Constantine'' (2005) with the intentions of making the world worthy of God's love by attempting to bring
Mammon forth into the world to reign havoc. In the comic book
Hellblazer upon which the movie is based, Gabriel is referred to unaffectionately as "The Snob," and his Fall is engineered by the title character,
John Constantine, and a disgraced succubus named
Chantinelle.
*A
jazz trumpet player named "Gabe" talks
Jack Klugman's character into returning to the land of the living in the ''
The Twilight Zone (original series) Twilight Zone'' television episode, "
A Passage for Trumpet".
*The Trading Card Game
Magic: The Gathering features a card named "Gabriel Angelfire".
*In
Angel Sanctuary, Gabriel is depicted as a female and is called by the Arabic name, Jibril/D'jibril. She is the true form of the main character's sister. She is also Chief of the Order of Cherubim, and one of the four Archangels of the Elements (Water).
*A character in "
The Dead (short story) The Dead": a short story in the book "
Dubliners" by
James Joyce.
*A character in "
The Satanic Verses (novel) The Satanic Verses" (Gibreel): a controversial novel by the Anglo-Indian author
Salman Rushdie, infamous because of the
fatwa imposed on him by the
Ayatollah Khomeini.
*In the
Megami Tensei series of video games, Gabriel (in female form) appears frequently as a boss character the player can fight, and in some games, summon. She is usually seen partnered with fellow Seraphim Raphael and Uriel, and serve as a precursor to a fight against Michael.
Bibliography
* Bamberger, Bernard Jacob, (March 15,
2006). ''Fallen Angels: Soldiers of Satan's Realm.'' Jewish Publication Society of America. ISBN 0827607970
* Briggs, Constance Victoria,
1997. ''The Encyclopedia of Angels : An A-to-Z Guide with Nearly 4,000 Entries.'' Plume. ISBN 0452279216.
* Bunson, Matthew, (
1996). ''Angels A to Z : A Who's Who of the Heavenly Host.'' Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0517885379.
* Cruz, Joan C.
1999. ''Angels and Devils.'' Tan Books & Publishers. ISBN 0895556383.
* Davidson, Gustav. ''A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels''. Free Press. ISBN 002907052X
* Graham, Billy,
1994. ''Angels: God's Secret Agents.'' W Pub Group; Minibook edition. ISBN 0849950740
* Guiley, Rosemary, 1996. ''Encyclopedia of Angels.'' ISBN 0816029881
* Kreeft, Peter J.
1995. ''Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know About Them?'' Ignatius Press. ISBN 0898705509
* Lewis, James R. (
1995). ''Angels A to Z.'' Visible Ink Press. ISBN 0787606529
* Melville, Francis,
2001. ''The Book of Angels: Turn to Your Angels for Guidance, Comfort, and Inspiration.'' Barron's Educational Series; 1st edition. ISBN 0764154036
* Ronner, John,
1993. ''Know Your Angels: The Angel Almanac With Biographies of 100 Prominent Angels in Legend & Folklore-And Much More!'' Mamre Press. ISBN 0932945406.
* Melville, Herman, "Moby Dick": The insane character of a fellow ship believes he is the angel Gabriel.
External links
-
Entheomedia.org
-
Catholic Encyclopedia
-
Jewish Encyclopedia
-
Encyclopedia Mythica
-
Steliart, Angelic Dictionary: G
-
One of Many Ring
-
Sarah's Archangels
-
Trinity Angels: Archangels
-
Angel Focus
-
Great Dreams
-
Gabriel, the Angel of Monday
-
Icons of Archangel Gabriel
See also
*
Angels
*
Holy spirit
*
Fleur de lys
*
Annunciation
*
List of names referring to El
Category:Angels
Category:Jewish mysticism
Category:Tanakh
ar:جبريل
ca:Gabriel
cs:Gabriel
da:Gabriel
de:Gabriel
es:Arcángel Gabriel
fa:جبرئیل
fr:Gabriel
id:Malaikat Jibril
it:Arcangelo Gabriele
he:גברי×?ל
lt:Arkangelas Gabrielius
hu:Gábor arkangyal
nl:Aartsengel Gabriël
ja:ガブリエル
pl:Archanioł Gabriel
pt:Gabriel (arcanjo)
ro:Arhanghelul Gabriel
ru:Ð?рхангел Гавриил
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