Gabriel

In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel (גַּבְרִיאֵל, Standard Hebrew Gavriʼel, Latin Gabrielus, Greek Template:Polytonic, Tiberian Hebrew Gaḇrîʼēl, Arabic جبريل Jibrīl or Jibrail, literally "Master, of God", i.e., a Master, who is "of God") is an archangel who is thought to serve as a messenger from God ("angel" literally translates to "messenger" from the Koine Greek; an "arch" angel is a "primary" or "chief" messenger). He first appears in the Book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible. He was also referred to as the "Left Hand of God".^{[citation needed]} Christians believe him to have foretold the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, and Muslims believe he was the medium through which God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad.

In Biblical tradition, he is sometimes regarded as the angel of death or one of God's messengers; also, as the angel of fire and snow who rides the sword^{[citation needed]}. The Talmud described him as the only angel that can speak Syriac and Chaldee. In Islam, Gabriel is one of God's chief messengers but other above mentioned titles are not given to him (for example the angel of death is Azrael).

In the Catholic Tradition, he is known as one of the archangels. In Islam, he is called the chief of the four favoured angels and the spirit of truth, and in some views Gabriel is the same person as the Holy Spirit. Gabriel also finds mention in the writings of the Bahá'í Faith, most notably in Bahá'u'lláh's metaphysical work The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys.

Judaic references

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 (Daniel 8:16-25).

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..." [1] (Daniel 8:15-17).

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 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 skillful 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" [2] (Daniel 9:20-24).

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 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.

Talmud

In the Talmud, Gabriel appears as the destroyer of the hosts of Sennacherib in Sanhedrin 95b, armed "with a sharpened scythe which has been ready since Creation." The archangel is also attributed as the one who showed 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, I remained for a while outside the heavenly Curtain." During this 21 day period, the guardian angel of Persia, Dobiel, acted as Gabriel's proxy.

Gabriel is also, according to Judaism, 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.

Christian references

Canonical New Testament

In the New Testament, Gabriel is the angel who reveals to Zechariah that John the Baptist will be born to Elizabeth, and who visits Mary to reveal that she will give birth to Jesus. Gabriel's visit to Mary in the Gospel of Luke is often called "The Annunciation" (Luke 1:26–38), an event that is celebrated on March 25 in the Roman Catholic church. It is also commemorated as the "First Joyful Mystery" each time the rosary is prayed.

Gabriel may also be the angel that visited Joseph. After learning about Mary's pregnancy, Joseph considered calling off the marriage, but "an angel of the Lord" appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that the conception was caused by the Holy Spirit. (Matt 1:18–25)

According to later legend, he is also the unidentified angel in the Book of Revelation (the Apocalypse of John) who blows the horn announcing the Judgment Day. To both Catholics and the Orthodox, he is St. Gabriel the Archangel, known to some as the patron saint of communications workers. With Michael and Raphael, his feast day is September 29.

Other denominations

In Latter-day Saint theology, Gabriel lived in this mortal life as the patriarch Noah. Gabriel and Noah are regarded as the same individual; Noah being his mortal name and Gabriel being his heavenly name. See also: Noah, Michael (archangel) ~ Adam

Islamic references

The Arabic name for Gabriel is Jibril, Jibrīl, Jibreel, Jabrilæ or Djibril (جبريل , جبرائيل, Template:IPA2, [dʒibrɛ̈ʔiːl], or [dʒibriːl]) Muslims believe Gabriel to have been the angel who revealed the Qur'an to the prophet Muhammad.

Gabriel's physical appearance is described in the Hadith (Template:Bukhari-usc):

Narrated By Abu Ishaq-Ash-Shaibani: I asked Zir bin Hubaish regarding the Statement of God: "And was at a distance Of but two bow-lengths Or (even) nearer; So did (God) convey The Inspiration to His slave (Gabriel) and then he (Gabriel) Conveyed (that to Muhammad). (^{[Quran 53:9]}) On that, Zir said, "Ibn Mas'ud informed us that the Prophet had seen Gabriel having 600 wings."

Gabriel is regarded with the same respect by Muslims as all the Prophets, and upon saying his name or referring to him a Muslim repeats: " upon him be peace". Gabriel's primary tasks are to bring messages from God to His messengers. As in Christianity, Gabriel is said to be the angel that informed Mary (Arabic Maryam) of how she would conceive Jesus (Isa):

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 (God) from you, if you do fear God." (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 (God): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (God), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by God).' "
(Quran, ^{[Quran 19:17]})

Muslims believe Gabriel to have accompanied Muhammad in his ascension to the heavens, where Muhammad is said to have met previous messengers of God, and was informed about the Islamic prayer (Bukhari Template:Bukhari-usc). Muslims also believe that Gabriel 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.

Angelology and the occult

Gabriel is sometimes associated with the color Blue, the direction West (or North), 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 "Seven Archangels who stand in the presence of God; he is also claimed variously to 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.

The Book of Enoch places the archangel Gabriel as The Left Hand of God, or seated on the left side of God's throne with Metatron. Gabriel in Enoch is the ruler of the Cherubim surrounding the throne of the Almighty.

Some Christian sects in South America also consider him to be the patron of writers.

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 13th 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".

In 2006, British singer and songwriter Foy Vance recorded the song "Gabriel and the Vagabond", and the single was featured on the Grey's Anatomy episode "Superstition". The song tells the tale of the angel helping a beggar, who in turn helps others, inspiring a town of people and causing them to repent.

Gabriel is also the name of a song by Electrelane, included in their first album, Rock It To The Moon, as well as a song by Lamb, which appeared on the album What Sound and was featured on CSI: Miami in the episode "Death Grip".

Gabriel is also mentioned in the band Creed(band)'s first hit song titled "My Own Prison." The lyric states "I cry out to God seeking only his decision, Gabriel stands and confirms I've created my own prison."

Gabriel is also the subject of the Cole Porter song "Blow Gabriel, Blow". Gabriel was also the subject of French singer Najoua Belyzel's hit song "Gabriel", in which she falls in love with that archangel.

Fiction

Gabriel is referenced or plays an active role in many fictional works:

In his epic poem Paradise Lost, John Milton made Gabriel chief of the angelic guards placed over 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 appears in a dream to predict a good outcome.
In Salman Rushdie's controversial novel, The Satanic Verses, Gabriel assumes the form of a fictional Hollywood movie star, Gibreel Farishta. In this novel, the archangel Gabriel never receives any direct communication from God.
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 subsequent films, however, we see Gabriel return from Hell, become human, and then, understanding them completely, returning to God's service as a lover of humans.
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 androgynous nature of angels), appears in the 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 wreak 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.
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).
In the roleplaying game In Nomine Gabriel is one of thirteen major archangels, and holder of the Divine Word of Fire. Gabriel is portrayed mostly in female form, and deals with insanity due to her role as a divine prophet and "word friction" with the Demon of Fire, Belial. Her servitors are tasked with the duty of punishing the cruel.
In the Japanese version of the PlayStation RPG Star Ocean: The Second Story, the final boss is named Gabriel (Indalecio in the US release). In fact, all of the 'Ten Sages of God', the villains in the game, are named after major angels.
In the Role Playing Game Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, Gabriel makes an appearance with Uriel and Raphael as an optional boss as well as a usable character.
In the television show Star Trek One episode mentions Dr. McCoy's wish to beam down to a primitive planet and say, '"Behold, I am the archangel Gabriel!"'
In the manga GetBackers, Gabriel is one of the Archangels who serves under Lucifer in the Kami no Kijutsu arc. He is referred to as "10-yen-kun" by Ginji.

Art

In chronological order (to see each item, follow the link in the footnote):^[1]

Archangel Gabriel (Triptych), early 10th century, Benaki Museum
The Archangel Gabriel, Pisan, c. 1325/1350, National Gallery of Art
The Archangel Gabriel, Masolino da Panicale, c. 1420/30, National Gallery of Art
Justice between the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, Jacobello del Fiore, 1421
The Angel Gabriel, Agostino di Duccio, c. 1450
The Angel Gabriel, Neroccio d'Landi, c. 1490
The Angel Gabriel, late 15th-early 16th century, Flemish, National Gallery of Art
The Angel Gabriel, Ferrari Gaudenzio, 1511, National Gallery, London
Gabriel delivering the AnnunciationEl Greco, 1575 (pictured above)
Go Down Death, Aaron Douglas, 1934

Bibliography

Bamberger, Bernard Jacob, (March 15, 2006). Fallen Angels: Soldiers of Satan's Realm. Jewish Publication Society of America. ISBN 0-8276-0797-0
Briggs, Constance Victoria, 1997. The Encyclopedia of Angels : An A-to-Z Guide with Nearly 4,000 Entries. Plume. ISBN 0-452-27921-6.
Bunson, Matthew, (1996). Angels A to Z : A Who's Who of the Heavenly Host. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-88537-9.
Cruz, Joan C. 1999. Angels and Devils. Tan Books & Publishers. ISBN 0-89555-638-3.
Davidson, Gustav. A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels. Free Press. ISBN 0-02-907052-X
Graham, Billy, 1994. Angels: God's Secret Agents. W Pub Group; Minibook edition. ISBN 0-8499-5074-0
Guiley, Rosemary, 1996. Encyclopedia of Angels. ISBN 0-8160-2988-1
Kreeft, Peter J. 1995. Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know About Them? Ignatius Press. ISBN 0-89870-550-9
Lewis, James R. (1995). Angels A to Z. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 0-7876-0652-9
Melville, Francis, 2001. The Book of Angels: Turn to Your Angels for Guidance, Comfort, and Inspiration. Barron's Educational Series; 1st edition. ISBN 0-7641-5403-6
Ronner, John, 1993. Know Your Angels: The Angel Almanac With Biographies of 100 Prominent Angels in Legend & Folklore-And Much More! Mamre Press. ISBN 0-932945-40-6.

Notes

^ "Links to images of Gabriel". The Text This Week. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

External links

[1] "Links to images of Gabriel". The Text This Week. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

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