Archangel Raphael
Who is Archangel Raphael?
Raphael is an archangel who appears in the books of Tobit and 1 Enoch, both of which date from the last few centuries before Christ. He was later designated as one of the three heavenly visitors hosted by Abraham at the Oak of Mamre in Jewish legend. He is not mentioned in the New Testament or the Quran, but later Christian tradition associated him with healing and as the angel who stirred the waters in the Pool of Bethesda in John 5:2-4, and in Islam, where his name is Israfil, he is recognised as the unnamed angel of Quran 6:73, standing eternally with a trumpet to his lips, ready to proclaim the Day of Resurrection. Raphael is seen on the Ophite Diagram in Gnostic mythology.
Origins in Post-Exilic Literature
The word " (‘mal’āk̠’) in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) refers to a messenger, either human or supernatural, and is translated as “angel” when used in the latter sense. The initial mal’akh lacked both individuality and hierarchy, but during the Babylonian exile, they were graded into a Babylonian-style hierarchy, and the term archangelos, archangel, emerges for the first time in the Greek text of 1 Enoch. At the same time, angels and archangels were given names, as evidenced by the Talmudic statement that “the names of the angels were brought by the Jews from Babylonia.”
In popular culture
Raphael, along with many other important angels, appears in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, when God assigns him to warn Adam of the sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. He also tells Adam about the War in Heaven, in which Lucifer and the demons were defeated, and the creation of the Earth.
Raphael, along with Gabriel and Uriel, is one of three angelic narrators in Joseph Haydn’s Creation.
He also appears as “Rafael” as one of the seven Beryls in the role-playing game Anima Beyond Fantasy. Humans associate her with the archangel of the same name, and she embodies life and nature.
Raphael is one of the four archangels seen in the television series Supernatural. The archangel Raphael is mentioned as one of Tobias Hankel’s personas in season 2 of the TV show Criminal Minds.
The primary antagonist and titular character in the Yogscast YouTube series, Shadow of Israphel, draws his name from St. Raphael.
About Arachangel Raphael
| name | Archangel raphael |
|---|---|
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
| Venerated | Judaism,Christianity(Roman Catholic Church,Eastern Catholic Churches,Eastern Orthodox Church,Oriental Orthodox Church,Anglican Communion), Islam |
| Feast | 29 September; 24 October (local calendars and by those observing the 1921-1969 General Roman Calendar),3 Kouji Nabot; 13 Koiak (Coptic Churches) |
| Attributes | Archangel holding a bottle or flask; Archangel walking with Tobias; Archangel sounding a trumpet; young man carrying a fish; young man carrying a staff |
| Patronage | Apothecaries; Ordained marriage; blind people; bodily ills; diocese of Madison, WI; druggists; archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa; eye problems; guardian angels; happy meetings; insanity; lovers; mental illness; nightmares; nurses; pharmacists; healing; physicians; shepherds; sick people; travelers; young people; archdiocese of Seattle, Washington; Abra de Ilog, Mindoro Occidental, Philippines; Aloguinsan, Cebu, Philippines |
Angel Number 7 4444 Angel Number Angel number 999 Angel Number 9 Angel Number 55 Angel Number 33 3333 Angel Number Angel number 1 Angel Number 77 Angel Number 666 7777 Angel Number Angel Number 4 Angel Number 555 222 twin flame Angel Number 5 Angel Number 444 8888 Angel Number Angel Number 44 Angel Number 888 Angel Number 11 6666 Angel Number Angel Number 2 Angel Number 88 22 Angel Number Angel Number 222 Angel Number 3 Angel Number 0 555 Spiritually Angel Number 2222 Angel Number 111 222 Angel number love Angel Number 6 Angel Number 66 5555 Angel Number Angel Number 777 Angel Number 333 Angel Number 99 Angel Number 8