Not only holy ascetics, but also many other heavenly powers can come to help an Orthodox Christian. All of them serve the Lord and help people in their earthly life. The doctrine of the Heavenly powers is based on the Bible, as well as on the interpretation of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, who was a disciple of the Apostle Paul himself.
The holy apostle was, during his lifetime, ascended to Heaven, where he saw the structure of the Heavenly powers. His student wrote down and systematized this knowledge, and for many centuries the Orthodox Church has adhered to this hierarchy. We know the names of the archangels in Orthodoxy, to whom many prayers are composed.
Who are the archangels
According to the teachings of Dionysius the Areopagite, archangels are one of the heavenly creatures that belong to the third hierarchy. These are holy evangelists who always appeared at turning points and announced something great and significant. So, for example, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced that she would give birth to Christ. This was a turning point in history, and to this day the Orthodox Church remembers this event on the feast of the Annunciation.
Annunciation of St. Archangel Gabriel
For every believer, the help of the supreme angels can manifest itself in:
- strengthening faith;
- understanding of God's will for man;
- understanding of the Holy Gospel;
- instructions for a pious and God-fearing life.
Confusion often arises in matters of the Heavenly hierarchy, since it is impossible to thoroughly know exactly what forces are next to God. In addition, all heavenly entities are often called by one general word “angels,” meaning not the name of the rank, but service before God. By the way, the meaning of the word “angel” is a messenger, i.e. all God's beings proclaim God's will.
Interesting! Most celestial beings do not have their own special names, while the archangels are all named. This speaks of their special position on the Heavenly Steps.
Purpose in Orthodoxy
Any Christian can expect help from the archangels - this is manifested in:
- strengthening pure faith;
- understanding the Gospel and the will of God;
- instructions for a righteous life.
Their main job is to convey the will of God to people and report important events. Their cases also include:
- praising God;
- message from the Lord;
- caring for human souls after death;
- protection from misfortunes;
- response to various requests.
Each archangel has his own functions, because... The Lord entrusts them with different tasks.
Chief Archangel Michael
This is the most important archangel, the leader of the Heavenly Host. His name means “like God.” On icons he is often depicted slaying the devil. This image is associated with the legend of how Satan was cast out of Heaven. When many angels were seduced by pride and followed the Right Hand, Michael gathered all the remaining heavenly beings who were faithful to the Lord and began to sing praises to God. After this, the Hand was overthrown, and the world was forever divided into Divine and Devilish.
The name of the head of the heavenly army appears repeatedly in the book of the Apocalypse (Revelation of John the Theologian). From there we can know that the eternal struggle between good and evil at the end of time will end with the final victory of the Lord, and to help us in this war we have the great intercessor and assistant warrior Michael.
archangel Michael
On the icons we can also see the Heavenly Governor with weapons in his hands (sword and spear), as well as white banners. The latter symbolize crystal purity and loyalty to the Lord God of all heavenly powers that are in subordination. At the end of the spear you can see a cross, which means that the fight against the spirits of evil is in the name of Christ and for the salvation of every believer.
Attention! The Orthodox Church honors a special holiday of the year - the Remembrance of the miracle of Archangel Michael. This day is popularly known as the “Michael Michael’s Miracle.”
Not far from the city of Hierapolis there was a very revered Christian monastery. The pagans decided to flood it so that so many believers would not come there to pray. To do this, they connected the beds of two rivers, and directed the stormy stream towards the temple. At that moment, Archangel Michael appeared and with his rod he made a hole in the mountain, where all the water went, bypassing the monastery. I remember this miracle on September 19 according to the new style.
They pray to the head of the heavenly army for the strengthening of faith, at the entrance to a new house and for the consecration of a new home, for the strengthening of the state and the blessing of earthly authorities.
Read about Saint Archangel Michael:
- Akathist to Archangel Michael
- Icon of St. Archangel Michael
- Prayer to Archangel Michael for health
Names of the Seven Archangels
The canonically Orthodox Church adheres to the teaching according to which we know the following seven heavenly powers, each of which has its own special service before the Lord:
- Gabriel;
- Uriel;
- Raphael;
- Selaphiel;
- Yehudiel;
- Barachiel;
- Jeremiel.
Let's take a closer look at how each of them differs and how they serve God.
Archangel Gabriel
This angel was appointed by the Lord God to proclaim his great Mysteries. His name tells us about the strength and power of the Lord. We can find memories of him in the Old Testament, in the Book of the Prophet Daniel, when the Archangel Gabriel announced the future coming of Jesus Christ. It is also mentioned in the time of Moses, when Gabriel revealed to the prophet the history of the first births from the creation of the world.
Archangel Gabriel
In the New Testament, it was Gabriel who revealed the news of the imminent birth of all who influenced the course of Christian history. Many pious parents were honored by his appearance. These are Zechariah and Elizabeth, who learned from Gabriel about the imminent appearance of John the Baptist, who became a harbinger of the coming of Christ. These are the righteous Joachim and Anna, who were honored to be the parents of the Mother of God.
This is the Mother of God herself, who carried Christ in her womb. Gabriel also appeared to Mary’s betrothed, the righteous Joseph, who was thinking of letting the pregnant Virgin Mary go away from him. It was at the word of the archangel that Joseph understood and accepted the great service that the Lord had prepared for him. The second time Joseph was honored with a visit from Gabriel was when he warned him about Herod’s insidious plans.
The most joyful news in the entire history of Christianity was conveyed by Gabriel to the holy myrrh-bearing women. It was they who were honored to be the first to learn from the great Angel about the resurrection of Christ, which gave salvation to all humanity.
On icons, Gabriel is most often depicted with a green twig in his hand, as a symbol of good news. Sometimes you can also see a mirror and a lantern with candles in his hands. The mirror means that Gabriel shows the destinies of people and their calling before God, and the candle symbolizes the Divine light that shines on all believers. The memory of the Archangel Gabriel is celebrated on July 26 according to the new style, as well as on April 8 (the day after the Annunciation) and November 21 at the Council of All Heavenly Powers (all dates are indicated according to the new style).
Archangel Raphael
Translated from Hebrew, “Raphael” means healing from illnesses, God’s help, God’s deliverance. Archangel Raphael is the healer of human diseases, the Lord's doctor, healer. The help of this Angel is found in the Old Testament, in the Book of Tobit. It describes how Raphael helped righteous Tobias in every possible way in difficult life circumstances.
Icon Archangel Raphael
Notable are Raphael’s farewell words in the same book, where he says that a person needs to pray and fast. We need to pay great attention to works of mercy, to deal with everyone in truth and justice, and not to fall into the sin of love of money.
When asking for help from Raphael, you must try to follow his commandments yourself. Raphael helps in healing diseases of the soul and body, which is why on icons he is often depicted with a vessel in his hand where healing potions are stored. His memory is celebrated on November 21 according to the new style.
Raphael is considered the patron saint of all people who engage in science. Following the example of this holy Angel, we need not only to spread the light of reason around, but also to glow with pure and sincere love for God and neighbor. On the icons we see Raphael with a sword in one hand and a tongue of flame in the other, which symbolically testifies to the particularly bright and ardent devotion of this servant to God.
Archangel Uriel
The translation of the name tells us that this archangel is the Lord's fire and light, the enlightener of lost souls. In the Bible we find mention of him in the Third Book of Ezra, where he points out to the prophet the imminent coming of the Savior.
Uriel is God’s enlightener, a mentor in prayer, an assistant in cleansing the mind from everything unnecessary and sinful, a mentor on the true path of all those who are lost. Being an Angel of light, he illuminates human minds with God's light and truth. Like the Angel of Fire, his task is to ignite sincere and ardent faith in human hearts, to drive out all evil and unclean thoughts.
Archangel Uriel is remembered on November 21 according to the new style.
Archangel Selaphiel
His name means prayer to God. Selafiel is our most important heavenly prayer intercessor, who fervently prays for every person, asks for health and salvation for every Christian believer.
The Bible tells us about him back in the Book of Genesis, when Selaphiel appeared in the desert to the suffering Hagar and consoled her. Through the prayers of this Angel, the Lord saved Hagar in the desert and did not allow her and her youth to perish.
Selafiel is the mentor of a large number of angels who beg all humanity before the Lord. Turning to Selafiel, people ask for strengthening in faith, the gift of pure, sincere prayer, deliverance from dispersion and worldly vanity.
Archangel Selaphiel
On the icons we see Selafiel in a prayerful pose, with lowered eyes and hands gathered at his chest. His whole image testifies to the fact that he is constantly in deep and sincere prayer. The Holy Archangel calls every Orthodox person to do the same. The day of his veneration is November 21 according to the new style.
Archangel Yehudiel
Jehudiel means “one who glorifies God,” therefore this holy angel is the main patron of all monks and those who have chosen serving the Lord as the main goal of their lives. Jehudiel helps everyone who works to glorify God, prays for reward for such labors and exploits, helps strangers, protects all the needy and weak.
You should not think that working for the Lord is the lot of monks only. Any honest work that is aimed at supporting the family can and should be done for the glory of God. And if a person works with the name of the Lord on his lips and tries to do his work as if he were doing it specifically for God, he will then receive great spiritual consolation and joy from what he has accomplished. It is in such works that Jehudiel helps people.
According to the teachings of our Church, it was Jehudiel who helped the people of Israel overcome the 40-year journey through the desert. It was this archangel who held back the pursuers when the Jews left Egypt, which is described in detail in the Old Testament Book of Exodus.
Since Jehudiel’s task is to help everyone who works for Christ’s sake, he is often depicted on icons with a golden crown in his hands and a three-pointed whip. The scourge means God's punishment for sinners, and the crown is a reward for pious Christians. He is remembered among other archangels on November 21.
On prayer to the heavenly powers:
- Prayer to the Guardian Angel for every day of the week
- Prayer to Archangel Raphael for marriage
- Akathist to Archangel Gabriel
Archangel Barachiel
From the translation we learn that Barachiel means "God's blessing." This Angel was placed by the Lord near Him so that He would give people the Lord’s blessing for every good deed. Barachiel guards pious families, helps those who strive to live in spiritual health, who strive for salvation and purity of soul.
Barachiel is a harbinger of heavenly bliss for those who strive to live with God. That is why we see it on icons with white roses, as symbols of God's grace. Since Barachiel is a messenger of God's blessings, his actions can be very different. Just remember that the Lord never sends what is asked if it will harm a person or someone close to him.
Archangel Barachiel
Therefore, when starting to pray to Archangel Barachiel, you first need to strictly test your advice - are we asking for something displeasing to God?
Gabriel
This archangel is mentioned most often in the Bible. He always brings joyful news about the conception and future birth of saints. It was he who told the Virgin Mary that the Messiah would be born from her. He came to her with a lily of paradise in his hands. But it is usually depicted with a lantern on the right and a stone mirror on the left. According to legend, this stone reflects the good and bad deeds of peoples and proclaims Divine secrets to people. His name translates to “Power of God.”
They pray for the gift of an heir and for the gift of knowledge of the mysteries of God.
