Today is The Feast of the Archangels, a day which honors Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. In theology, an archangel is a celestial being—created by God—who often serves as a herald, a messenger or an interlocutor with human beings. Archangels are not saints in the conventional sense, that is, a human being who has died and has been admitted into Heaven. Archangels, though they sometimes assume human likeness (especially while encountering people on Earth), have never lived earthly, mortal lives. They were created as (and have always been) Heavenly beings. Archangels are recognized in the three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). The three most famous archangels are Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. (Sometimes Uriel is added to this short list.)
Shown above, a late Victorian print of Gabriel. He is shown with one of his "attributes," a trumpet. This horn signifies his role as a herald of God. In fact, the print is lettered with the words Gloria in Excelsis—"Glory in the Highest." It is believed that Gabriel will blow his horn on The Last Day—announcing the resurrection of the dead.
In the Jewish tradition, Gabriel is described as being one of the four angels who stand at the four sides of the throne of God. He appears in the Jewish Scriptures in the Book of Daniel. We are told that the Prophet Daniel has had a strange dream about a goat attacking and defeating a powerful ram. Shortly after, Gabriel appears, in the form of a man, and explains Daniel's dream to him.
Gabriel, likewise, plays an important role in the New Testament Gospels. In Luke, Gabriel appears to Zechariah and tells him that his aging wife, Elizabeth, will finally bear a son (John the Baptist) after years of infertility. He also appears to the young (and engaged) Mary and tells her that she has been chosen to bear God's son.
In Islam, Gabriel (known as Jibril) is viewed as an angel of revelation—appearing to the prophets to transmit holy scriptures. Gabriel has also served as a celestial warrior, credited with helping Muhammad against his adversaries.
The Late-Nineteenth Century print, shown above, is matted with a thick golden matte (cut in the form of a Gothic arch) and finished with an incised, gold-painted frame. Interestingly, the back of the frame bears the framer's label which indicates it was framed in Manila. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome print.
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