Given his importance to the biblical story Gabriel is commonly believed to be an archangel. Gabriel is the angel who appeared to the Virgin Mary and told her that she would be the mother of the Son of God. For all his importance in the Old Testament Gabriel is most often remembered for his role in the conception and birth of Jesus. Gabriel had previously interpreted in one of Daniel’s visions. He appeared to Daniel and foretold of the coming of the Messiah and the destruction of Jerusalem. Gabriel is one of the only angels identified by name in the Bible. They hold that there may be others but that it is best not to presume and declare that other angels are archangels without confirmation in the Scriptures. Other traditions hold that Michael is the only confirmed archangel. Such traditions tend to reference how Jude 1:9 refers to Michael as “the archangel,” interpreting the verse as stating that Michael is the only archangel in existence. In some cases he is believed to be the only archangel. With Michael’s name canonically associated with the word “archangel,” most Christian denominations recognize him as an archangel. Instead, Michael is referred to as “one of the chief princes” in Daniel 10:13 and as “Michael, your prince.” The book of Daniel also references the archangel Michael but does not identify him as such. The book of Jude identifies Michael as “the archangel Michael” in verse 9. In many translations of the Bible Michael is the only archangel identified as such. Michael is the archangel whose status is least in dispute. Such books are often sited in discussions concerning archangels and can be used to construct a rough list of the names of heavenly archangels. The Apocrypha are the books of the Bible that were either included in some version of the canonical Bible or were never included in the official canon but nonetheless shed light on important biblical events or the Bible’s history. As such, the actual number of archangels is disputed and evidence is often pulled from tradition or the Apocrypha. Christ is often described as returning during the Second Coming “with the archangel’s call and with God’s trumpet.” However, for all the importance of and Christian fascination with archangels they are mentioned very rarely in the Scriptures.ĭepending on the translation used the word “archangel” will only appear in the Bible once, twice, three times or not at all. The word “archangel” is commonly found in Christian thought and literature.

7 archangels names and duties