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Top 10 Facts About Archangel Michael


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

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