Angels
Icons and Sacred Paintings
from
Angelus Workshop
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Monday, July 26, 2004
EULOGY OF THE INCORPOREAL MIHAIL AND GABRIEL
COMPOSED BY CLIMENT THE BISHOP
Holiday lovers, the holy flash of incorporeal forces surpass reason and mind and warm the World with rays ever so bright. That is not corporeal nature, but unsensitive nature that shines with the rays of reason from the divinity itself. Around the throne of God they gather flickering their wings and hiding their faces singing holy songs to God: "The world, world, world, God Allmighty, is full with your glory!"
Happily deceased with divine light, ones are called to the thrones where the strength and power of the holy trinity lies, while others become cherubs and seraphs, six-winged and four-rayed, with many eyes, friends of strength and power, and friends of the lordship. Others are angels and archangels, numerous army, each in its row leading forward in their order. They always represent the glory of God, while others are sent to secular posts; some for punishment and revenge, others to trace the path of believers to salvation and joy, as He did long ago when He showed Moses in Mount Sinai the divine blackberry that flickered in flames but never burnt out. That same Moses saw a shadow in the Mount made by an angel cherub by throwing shodow on both sides of the altar and appeared before him while he was praying to God and uttering: "Lord, if I am in grace then show yourself to me clearly so that I can see you and know that I am in grace". God answered: "All right, I will fulfill your wish. You have found grace in me". And Moses said: "Show me, my Lord, your glory so that I can see that I have found grace in you". God answered: "You cannot see my image because humans cannot see my image and remain alive. But, stand next to this stone and I will cover it with my hand when passing by so that you can see my back, but you will not be able to see my face". And them when Moses saw the back of God's glory, his face became bright from the sunlight. He covered his face with a rag and that was how he talked to the people because they could not look at his face because of the light. Thus, prophet Isaiah, whose word was heard all over said: "I saw God on a throne high, and seraphs stood around Him, each with six wings, and they all sang holy songs saying: "World, world, world, God Allmighty, let all the Earth feel His glory". Then, the same Isaiah said: "When Ezekiel was sick, the Jewish czar, the Assyrian czar went against him. He wanted to takeover the city. The czar was sad because of the war that was threatening and he prayed to God saying: "Remember, Lord, I went in front of You with the truth and with a calm heart and I committed good deeds in Your name". God answered him: "Do not fear, he will not enter your city, neither will he throw one arrow or spear because I will protect and save the city for myself, for David, my servant". And so the angel of God came down and killed 185 000 men from the Assyrian army and in the morning when they woke up they found them dead.
Such is the power of those incorporeal divine servants. They have the
great archstratig Mihail for their commander who is in charge of the incorporeal
forces. One angel was in charge of creation and supervisor of order and he was
neither cunning nor evil, but gentle when created by God. And thus full with
gentleness, he changed from gentle into evil and thought that he could confront
his Creator and God. But, archstratig Mihail could not stand his violence and
severeness and threw him on Earth together with his incorporeal titles and the
leftsovers that he called angels. He became their commander and because he was
evil he was deprived from God's light. They became suseptible to curses and were
transformed into rageful angels of beauty tormented for times to come. Evil
cannot mix with divine gentleness, as evangelist John said in his prophecy: "War
began in heavan and archangel Mihail and all his troops fought the dragon and
stripped off his title". So said Judas, the holy apostle, Jacob's brother. He
said that the great archangel Mihail, when he was fighting the evil, was
forbidden to utter blasphemy judgement against him, but he said: "Let God forbid
that, you trash!"
All with a title belonging to a legion feasting with holiness and divine beauty and with desire and willingness to keep their legion with gentleness where each of them have been given a different gift should have such a zeal towards God and their Maker. God gave all wonders and welfare to human beings with the great archstratigs. For ones it means victory over the competitiors, for others gentle news about the joys of the Earth.
Appraisals
cannot be uttered by words, neither can reason express them with dignity. But,
inspite of all limitations, as much as we can achieve, sending them our hopes,
let us all reflect their unexpressed grace and their struggle against all harms.
With these archstratigs God filled the heavans with miracles and decorated the
Earth with wanders. They take care of the heavanly army, each in its order,
preserving the four ends of the Earth, the horisons of the seas, on God's
command, without spilling over the edges, human's nature remains untouched by
all the passions, the rage disappears from the banished destroying the illusion
of the idols from the roots and decorating the church splendidly when sending
holy harmoniuos songs to God. They got rid of all heretics and true faith
started to flourish by wedding true confessioners. They can get rid of all harms
and cure all sicknesses.
We
bow to them unanimously and joyfully and appraise them in our songs singing:
"Rejoice, archstratig Mihail, you are the first commander by order of the
incorporeal forces, rejoice, archstratig Gabriel, the first informer of joyful
news, rejoice, archstratig Mihail, the first scipterbearer of the indivisible
Trinity, rejoice, archstratig Gabriel, the true servant of eternal trinity
light, rejoice, archstratig Mihail, illuminated with the rays of eternal
brightness that throws light over the whole world, rejoice, oh, Gabriel, for
making the universe joyful and for wedding Zaharie's old age with the gentle
news of John the Baptist and for making sterile nature fertile, rejoice,
archstratig Mihail, for winning the master of darkness for which you stand with
dignity next to the throne of God, rejoice, archstratig Gabriel, the bringer of
news about God's corpeal being, rejoice, arhstratig Mihail, for being under the
eternal light of the divinity of the sun, rejoice, archstratig Gabriel, for the
eternal word of the light of the Father, holy news-bringer, your voice was heard
all over the Earth, and your news brought joy to the pure and innocent Mother of
God who concieved without semen but just with God's ray.
Rejoice,
all you passionate fighters of all who found refuge under your roof because by
guiding the mortals with your faith you took them through hell and demolished
the tombstones informing the bringers of peace about the joy of resurection.
When you won the forces of hell in the graves you called out: "Open the door,
dukes, to let the Emperor of Glory in!", and they were frozen with fear and
falling down as dead they said: "Who is that Emperor of Glory?" Again the
incorporeal archtratigs with incorporeal forces answered: "God virtuous and
strong, God strong in combat - he is the Emperor of glory".
Everywhere
in the commission of God, enemies emerged with the speed of lightning. Those
were defeated, and the loyal were rejoicing. When you appeared on the grave, you
honoured the disciples of your God. One sat next to the heard, the other next to
the feet where the body of Jesus Christ laid and you said: "Why are looking for
the living among the dead, he's not here, he got up as it was written". And when
God ascended the sky, standing in front of the apostles you said: "Why are you
standing and staring in the sky? Jesus who ascended the sky will be back again
the way you saw him going in the sky!" That is how one should honour God, our
Maker.
The
whole universe is lit by them, the image of a prophet is filled with spiritual
grace and fulfills the prophecy. The patriarchs and all just people are wedded
with them, they enable the apostle images to send holy songs to God, with them
the many martyrs with beautiful wreaths are immensely happy.
With
them the inhabitants of the deserts, with nearly dead passion for life, ended
their lives, with them the graves will open at the last day and the dead bodies
will raise alive from the holy voice. The devil himself with all his rages will
be tied and thrown into eternal pain by them and the compassionate God will save
us. So, glory be to Him, to his eternal Father and to his Gentle Ghost, now and
forever more, amen.
Purpose of Angels
found at: www.scancoo.com/sqs_Angels2
text found at: www.wordiq.com
The Purpose of Angels
In the Bible, angels are the medium of God's power; they exist to execute God's will. Angels reveal themselves to individuals as well as to the whole nation, in order to announce events, either good or bad, affecting them. Angels foretold to Abraham the birth of Isaac, to Manoah the birth of Samson, and to Abraham the destruction of Sodom. Guardian angels were mentioned, but not, as was later the case, as guardian spirits of individuals and nations. God sent an angel to protect the Hebrew people after their exodus from Egypt, to lead them to the promised land, and to destroy the hostile tribes in their way (Ex. xxiii. 20, Num. xx. 16).
In Judges (ii. 1) an angel of the Lord—unless here and in the preceding instances (compare Isa. xlii. 19, Ḥag. i. 13, Mal. iii. 1) a human messenger of God is meant—addressed the whole people, swearing to bring them to the promised land. An angel brought Elijah meat and drink (I Kings, xix. 5); and as God watched over Jacob, so is every pious person protected by an angel who cares for him in all his ways (Ps. xxxiv. 7, xci. 11). There are angels militant, one of whom smites in one night the whole Assyrian army of 185,000 men (II Kings, xix. 35); messengers go forth from God "in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid" (Ezek. xxx. 9); the enemy is scattered before the angel like chaff (Ps. xxxv. 5, 6).
Avenging angels are mentioned, such as the one in II Sam. xxiv. 15, who annihilates thousands. It would seem that the pestilence was personified, and that the "evil angels" mentioned in Ps. lxxviii. 49 are to be regarded as personifications of this kind. "Evil" is here to be taken in the causative sense, as "producing evil"; for, as stated above, angels are generally considered to be by nature beneficent to man. They glorify God, whence the term "glorifying angels" (Ps. xxix. 1, ciii. 20, cxlviii. 2; compare Isa. vi. 2 et seq.).
They constitute God's court, sitting in council with him (I Kings, xxii. 19; Job, i. 6, ii. 1); hence they are called His "council of the holy ones" (Ps. lxxxix. 7, R. V.; A. V. "assembly of the saints"). They accompany God as His attendants when He appears to man (Deut. xxxiii. 2; Job, xxxviii. 7). This conception was developed after the Exile; and in Zechariah angels of various shapes are delegated "to walk to and fro through the earth" in order to find out and report what happens (Zech. vi. 7).
In the prophetic books angels appear as representatives of the prophetic spirit, and bring to the prophets God's word. Thus the prophet Haggai was called God's messenger (angel); and it is known that "Malachi" is not a real name, but means "messenger" or "angel." It is noteworthy that in I Kings, xiii. 18, an angel brought the divine word to the prophet.
In some places it is inferred that angels existed before the Creation (Gen. i. 26; Job, xxxviii. 7). The earlier Biblical writings did not speculate about them; simply regarding them, in their relations to man, as God's agents. Consequently, they did not individualize or denominate them; and in Judges, xiii. 18, and Gen. xxxii. 30, the angels, when questioned, refuse to give their names. In Daniel, however, there occur the names Michael and Gabriel. Michael is Israel's representative in heaven, where other nations—the Persians, for instance—were also represented by angelic princes. More than three hundred years before the Book of Daniel was written, Zechariah graded the angels according to their rank, but did not name them. The notion of the seven eyes (Zech. iii. 9, iv. 10) may have been affected by the representation of the seven archangels and also possibly by the seven amshaspands of Zoroastrianism (compare Ezek. ix. 2).
link: www.wordiq.com/definition/Angel#Appearance_of_Angels
text found at: www.wordiq.com
The Purpose of Angels
In the Bible, angels are the medium of God's power; they exist to execute God's will. Angels reveal themselves to individuals as well as to the whole nation, in order to announce events, either good or bad, affecting them. Angels foretold to Abraham the birth of Isaac, to Manoah the birth of Samson, and to Abraham the destruction of Sodom. Guardian angels were mentioned, but not, as was later the case, as guardian spirits of individuals and nations. God sent an angel to protect the Hebrew people after their exodus from Egypt, to lead them to the promised land, and to destroy the hostile tribes in their way (Ex. xxiii. 20, Num. xx. 16).
In Judges (ii. 1) an angel of the Lord—unless here and in the preceding instances (compare Isa. xlii. 19, Ḥag. i. 13, Mal. iii. 1) a human messenger of God is meant—addressed the whole people, swearing to bring them to the promised land. An angel brought Elijah meat and drink (I Kings, xix. 5); and as God watched over Jacob, so is every pious person protected by an angel who cares for him in all his ways (Ps. xxxiv. 7, xci. 11). There are angels militant, one of whom smites in one night the whole Assyrian army of 185,000 men (II Kings, xix. 35); messengers go forth from God "in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid" (Ezek. xxx. 9); the enemy is scattered before the angel like chaff (Ps. xxxv. 5, 6).
Avenging angels are mentioned, such as the one in II Sam. xxiv. 15, who annihilates thousands. It would seem that the pestilence was personified, and that the "evil angels" mentioned in Ps. lxxviii. 49 are to be regarded as personifications of this kind. "Evil" is here to be taken in the causative sense, as "producing evil"; for, as stated above, angels are generally considered to be by nature beneficent to man. They glorify God, whence the term "glorifying angels" (Ps. xxix. 1, ciii. 20, cxlviii. 2; compare Isa. vi. 2 et seq.).
They constitute God's court, sitting in council with him (I Kings, xxii. 19; Job, i. 6, ii. 1); hence they are called His "council of the holy ones" (Ps. lxxxix. 7, R. V.; A. V. "assembly of the saints"). They accompany God as His attendants when He appears to man (Deut. xxxiii. 2; Job, xxxviii. 7). This conception was developed after the Exile; and in Zechariah angels of various shapes are delegated "to walk to and fro through the earth" in order to find out and report what happens (Zech. vi. 7).
In the prophetic books angels appear as representatives of the prophetic spirit, and bring to the prophets God's word. Thus the prophet Haggai was called God's messenger (angel); and it is known that "Malachi" is not a real name, but means "messenger" or "angel." It is noteworthy that in I Kings, xiii. 18, an angel brought the divine word to the prophet.
In some places it is inferred that angels existed before the Creation (Gen. i. 26; Job, xxxviii. 7). The earlier Biblical writings did not speculate about them; simply regarding them, in their relations to man, as God's agents. Consequently, they did not individualize or denominate them; and in Judges, xiii. 18, and Gen. xxxii. 30, the angels, when questioned, refuse to give their names. In Daniel, however, there occur the names Michael and Gabriel. Michael is Israel's representative in heaven, where other nations—the Persians, for instance—were also represented by angelic princes. More than three hundred years before the Book of Daniel was written, Zechariah graded the angels according to their rank, but did not name them. The notion of the seven eyes (Zech. iii. 9, iv. 10) may have been affected by the representation of the seven archangels and also possibly by the seven amshaspands of Zoroastrianism (compare Ezek. ix. 2).
link: www.wordiq.com/definition/Angel#Appearance_of_Angels
Icon Gallery - Ohrid
found at: www.soros.org.mk
11th century. Revetment between 1108 - 1120.
Together with the icon " Mother of God", make up the composition "Annunciation"111.5 x 67 cm. Tempera on board. Revetment of gilded silver. From the church of the Mother of God Peribleptos (St. Clement’s) Ohrid. Today - Icon Gallery, Ohrid.
Iconography: The basis of the synopsis has the text of Luke the Evangelist (Luke 1:26-38). The composition "Annunciation" is made of two distinctive panels-icons. On the first is portrayed Archangel Gabriel in full length and in movement, indicated through the slightly lifted right foot and lifted arm, with which the Archangel is blessing.
The Mother of God on the monumental composition is portrayed seated on a low throne without a back. She holds a purple knot in her left hand and a spindle in her right. With her head slightly bowed she reveals the relationship with Archangel Gabriel, who tells her the good news.
Origin: It is not known to which church or religious institution these icons belonged. Their dimensions indicate a large building where they may have been placed on the iconostasis. In the 11th century in Ohrid such buildings were the church St. Sophia or the archiepiscopal residence.
Monday, July 19, 2004
Angelic Orders - Gabriel
found at: daskalos.org
"Angels transcend every religion, every philosophy, every creed. In fact angels have no religion as we know it... their existence precedes every religious system that has ever existed on earth." St. Thomas Aquinas
Link: http://daskalos.org/Archangels_Angels.htm#GABRIEL
The Archangelic Orders
No one has ever spoken in detail of the kind of vibrations of the Archangels who belong to the higher echelons of the Orders. Few have come close enough to these Orders to attune to them. Human language, in any case, proves inadequate to describe their splendor.
When a human being descends into the worlds of separation, an Archangel of the Thrones accompanies him as his Guardian Archangel. Even if we are unaware of his presence, our Guardian Archangel, with whom we are egofied, is always caring for us.
Link: http://daskalos.org/Archangels_Angels.htm#GABRIEL
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
The Initial R with the Annunciation
found at: www.metmuseum.org
Probably made at the convent of Sankt Katharinenthal, Lake Constance
Tempera and gold leaf on parchment; 4 x 3 1/16 in. (10.2 x 7.8 cm)
www.godsnewreligion.com
The 7 Archangels
|
found at: http://www.the7archangels.com
Heavenly Father, through the salutation of the Archangel Gabriel, may we honor the Incarnation of Your Divine Son. Through his faithful intercessions may we strive always to imitate the holy virtues of the Mother of our Savior and respond to our Father, "Be it done unto me according to Thy Word". Archangel Gabriel, please praise our Father for the gift of His Son, praying, one day by His grace, through His Mother, we may all be one fold, one Church, one Shepherd. Amen - adapted from the chaplet of St. Gabriel Oh holy St. Gabriel come to our aid with your legion of angels! Help us to become good servants of Our Lord! Help us to regain and preserve our Baptismal purity that we may become His worthy servants. Through your intercessions help our souls become havens of peace where Our Lord and Our Lady love to come and rest. Amen. |
t.
Gabriel; name
means "God Conquers/ the might of God" Patron of the sacrament of
Baptism,
Archangel of the Annunciation and the Incarnation's triumph over sin
&
death, his lilies represent the new purity of the soul through
Baptism,
his banner, Our Lady's universal motherhood.
Greek Cypriot Archangel Gabriel
found at: kypros.org/Occupied_Cyprus
Archangel Gabriel at the
Antiphonitis Greek Orthodox Church before the destruction by Turkish
antiquities
smugglers.
Saint Gabriel's Episcopal Chuch
found at: www.saintgabriels.org
The Angel Gabriel According to the Bible, there are seven archangels who "stand in the presence of God". (Tobit 12:15). Four of these are named at various places in the Bible or Apocrypha- Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel. Gabriel first appears in the book of Daniel when he explains to Daniel the vision of the ram and the he-goat and the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks.
In the book of Revelation, the seven angels in turn blow their trumpets. When the last trumpet sounds, Voices from heaven proclaim;" The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ- And he shall reign for ever and ever." Although not directly stated in the Bible, according to legend it is Gabriel's trumpet that will announce the end of time.
Gabriel is best known as the angel of the ANNUNCIATION. It was Gabriel who announced to Elizabeth that she is to give birth to John the Baptist (Luke 1:19), and who tells the Virgin Mary that she is to be the mother of the Messiah (Luke 1:26).
The Annunciation is one of the most commonly depicted scenes in Western Christian Art. Gabriel is usually shown kneeling before the Virgin, holding a lily (signifying purity) in his hand. Often there is in the background a walled garden or other enclosure signifying virginity. The Holy Spirit may be seen in the form of a dove.
Friday, July 09, 2004
Archangels
found at: http://www.christthesaviour.org
Orthodox Christian Church Of Christ The Saviour
The Archangel Michael
The Holy Archangel Michael
|
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Islamic Angels - Jibrail
found at: www.geocities.com
Jibril 
Jibrail or Jibril descending from heaven to meet Muhammad
Muhammad himself could not at first identify the spirit that possessed him, and the Qur'an mentions him by name only three times. Jibril, however, became Muhammad's constant helper. He and the archangel Mikal purified Muhammad's heart in preparation for the Prophet's ascension to heaven (mi'raj), and then Jibril guided him through the various levels until they reached the throne of God. When Muhammad recited a supposed revelation acknowledging the pagan goddesses al-Lat, al-'Uzza, and Manat, Jibril chastised him (Muhammad) for presenting as divine a message inspired by the devil. Jibril also helped Muhammad in times of political crises, coming to his aid at the Battle of Badr (624) with thousands of angels, then telling him to attack the Jewish tribes of Banu Qaynuqa' and Banu Qurayzah.
On the night of Ishra Jibril and Mikhail cleansed Muhammad before the night trip to heaven. As angels watch, Jibril is cleansing the Prophet (on the right)
Link: http://www.geocities.com/khola_mon/myth/Angels.html
Muhammad himself could not at first identify the spirit that possessed him, and the Qur'an mentions him by name only three times. Jibril, however, became Muhammad's constant helper. He and the archangel Mikal purified Muhammad's heart in preparation for the Prophet's ascension to heaven (mi'raj), and then Jibril guided him through the various levels until they reached the throne of God. When Muhammad recited a supposed revelation acknowledging the pagan goddesses al-Lat, al-'Uzza, and Manat, Jibril chastised him (Muhammad) for presenting as divine a message inspired by the devil. Jibril also helped Muhammad in times of political crises, coming to his aid at the Battle of Badr (624) with thousands of angels, then telling him to attack the Jewish tribes of Banu Qaynuqa' and Banu Qurayzah.
Muhammad generally only heard the voice of his inspiration, but, according to 'A'ishah, his wife, he saw Jibriltwice “in the shape that he was created� and on other occasions as a man resembling Dihyah ibn Khalifah al-Kalbi, an extraordinarily handsome disciple of Muhammad. Others have described the archangel as having 600 wings, each pair so enormous that they crowd the space between East and West. Jibril has also been depicted as sitting on a chair suspended between heaven and earth. The popular image of Jibril is of an ordinary, turbaned man, dressed in two green garments, astride a horse or a mule.
Muslim traditions concerning Jibril largely concur with biblical accounts of Gabriel, but his special relationship with Muhammad has inspired a mass of mythical detail. Jibril is said to have appeared at Adam's side after his expulsion from paradise and shown him how to write and work iron and raise wheat. Jibril later appeared in Egypt to help Moses and to deceive the Egyptians into entering the Red Sea in pursuit of the Jews. The name of Jibril figures in the preparations of charms and appears with the names of the other archangels on the sides of magic squares.
(Ref: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. On-line 2002)
Link: http://www.geocities.com/khola_mon/myth/Angels.html