1. The name Michael in Hebrew means “Who is like
God” (Mîkhā'ēl), i.e. there is no one like God.
2. He is titled an Archangel, which means that
he is an Angel (lit. “a messenger”), too, but he’s one of the chief Angels. The
prefix “arch-” translates from the Ancient Greek as “chief, main”.
3. Thus, his name and title unfold his mission:
Arch-Angel Mî-khā-'ēl is the chief messenger who represents God and acts on
God’s behalf.
4. Archangel Michael is one of the 7 holy Angels
who are charged with the duty to carry the saints’ prayers up to the Lord’s
Throne (See Tob. 12:15).
5. Archangel Michael led the Angelic troops in
the battle against the arrogant Lucifer (the Satan), which is why he is also
known as the Arch-Strategos, i.e., the General, Prince, Commander-in-Chief (Joshua 5:15).
6. Archangel Michael possesses incredible power
both in the spiritual and the physical realm. He cast Lucifer out into the
earth (Revelation 12:7-9). He is also credited with defeating 185,000 Assyrian
soldiers in one night (2 Kings 19:35).
7. Being the devil’s adversary, he is
traditionally venerated as the protector of the human race from evil spirits,
especially at the time of death.
8. Judging by the Archangel’s apparitions, we
see that he is able to command forces of nature and tame wild beasts.
9. The Archangel is portrayed with a fiery sword
or a spear in his hands, casting out the devil. He also sometimes holds scales
in his other hand to symbolize his participation in the coming Judgment or his
foresight — the field of work that God entrusted to him.
10. Saint
Michael is one of the most highly revered Angels not only in Christianity but
also in Judaism and Islam.
By
Vladislav Gurin,
a Master
of Theology,
a PG
student of the Minsk Theological Academy
The
Catalog of Good Deeds, 2018
CONVERSATION