Home > Michael (archangel)
framed Guido Reni's archangel Michael (in the Capuchin church of Sta. Maria della Concezione, Rome) tramples a Satan with the vividly recognizable features of Pope Innocent X.Michael ( Hebrew מיכאל Micha'el or Mīkhā’el) is an archangel, who is only mentioned by name in the Persian context of the post-Exilic Book of Daniel. Only there in Daniel does Michael appear as "one of the chief princes" who in Daniel's vision comes to the angel Gabriel's aid in his contest with the angel of Persia, and is also described there as the advocate of Israel (10:21, 12:1). The Talmud tradition rendered his name as meaning "who is like El (God)? (but literally "El's Likeness")" (compare the late prophet Micah), but according to the rabbi Simeon ben Lakish (230-270 CE), however, all the specific names for the angels were brought back by the Jews from Babylon, and many modern commentators would assent.
Much of the late Midrash detail about Michael was transmitted to Christian mythology through the Book of Enoch whence it was taken up and further elaborated.
Catholic and Orthodox Christians refer to him as St. Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael.
1 Michael in the Book of Daniel
The prophet Daniel experiences a vision after having undergone a period of fasting. In the vision, an angel identifies Michael as the protector of Israel (10:13, 21). Later in the vision (12:1), Daniel is informed that Michael will stand for Israel during the tribulationIn Christian eschatology, the Tribulation is a period of immense suffering, greater than anything before in history, which some claim will occur before the end of the world. Many Christians believe that it will last seven years in all, usually divided int to come. There is no further mention of Michael in the Hebrew Bible.
Michael is designated in the Book of Enoch, as "the prince of Israel." He is the angel of forbearance and mercy (Enoch, xl:3) who taught Enoch the mysteries of clemency and justice (lxxi:2). In the book of JubileesThe Book of Jubilees expands and reworks material found in Genesis to Exodus 15. 22 to recast the traditions of Judaism in the light of traditionalist concerns of the 2nd century BCE. It claims to present "the history of the division of the days of the La (i:27 and ii:1), the angel who is said to have instructed Moses on Mount Sinai and to have delivered to him the tables of the Law is most probably Michael.
(more references and analysis is needed here)
3 Michael in the canonical New TestamentThe New Testament sometimes called the Greek Scriptures is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus Christ. The term is a translation of the Latin Novum Testamentum which translates the Greek Η &Kappa
In the Epistle of JudeThe brief Epistle of Jude is a book in the Christian New Testament canon. Author and date The epistle claims to have been written by Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James ( NIV), although that authorship is doubted by many scholars. As op, Michael disputes with Satan over the body of MosesSee also Exodus Moses or Moshe "Drawn", Standard Hebrew Moše Tiberian Hebrew Mošeh , son of Amram and his wife, Jochebed, a Levite. Legendary Hebrew liberator, leader, lawgiver, prophet, and historian. If he is a historical figure, he may have. John's Book of RevelationThe Revelation of St. John the Divine popularly known as the Book of Revelation or The Apocalypse apocalypse is from the Greek for "revelation"), is the final and only prophetical book of the New Testament in the Bible. The book is addressed to seven chur also shows Michael fighting the seven-headed dragon, representative of SatanAlternate meaning: Satan is also the name of a genus of catfish. See: Satan eurystomus. Satan Standard Hebrew Satan Tiberian Hebrew Sn Aramaic Sin both words mean "Adversary; accuser") is an angel, demon, or minor god in many religions. Satan plays variou, in a battle in heaven.
