Archangels
Archangels-The term archangel applies gengerically to all angels above the grade of ( the order of ) angels; it also serves so designate a specific rank of angels in the celectial hierarhy. In the pseudo-Dionysian scheme of 9 orders or choirs, the order of archangel is placed 8th-that is, next to the last in rank, immediately above the order of angels. This is a bit confusing, since the greatest angels are referred to as archangels, as in the Old Testament, where Daniel calls Michael "one of the chief princes, " which is taken to mean one of the archangels. In the New Testament the term archangels occurs only twice: in I Thessalonians and in Jude, IN the latter only, however, in Michael specifically designated an archangel. In Revelation 8:2, John refers to the "seven angels who stand before God" and this is commonly interpreted to mean the 7 archangels The Book of Enoch (Enoch I) names the 7: Uriel, Raguel, Michael, Seraqael, Gabriel, Haniel, Raphael. Later Judaism gives Phanuel as an alternate of Uriel. Other lists in apocrypha and pseudepigrapha give, as variants, such angels as Barachiel, Jehudiel, Sealtiel, Oriphiel, Zadkiel, and Anael ( Haniel). The archangels, according to the Testament of Levi, "minister and make propitiation to the Lord for the sins of ignorance and of the righteous' The ruling prince of the order is usually given as Ruphael or Michael. The Koran recognizes 4 archangels but names only 2: Gabriel (Jibril), who is the angel of revelation, and Michael, the warrior angel who figths the battle of the fairthful. The 2 unnamed angels are Azrael, angel of death; and Israfel, angel of music who will sound the trumpet (one of 3 or 4 trumpets) on the Day of Judgment. The earliest source for the names of the archangels is traced to Al-Barceloni, a writer of mystic works in the post-Talmudic period, who related them to the planets. In other writings "we meet with the conception of 12 archangels connected with the signs of the zodiac." [Rf. The Book of the Angel Raziel 52a, 61a; Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews V, 24.] The cabala cites 10 archangels ( actually 9) and places them in the world of Briah (2nd of the 4 created worlds), thus; Methratton, Ratziel, Tzaphqiel, Tzadqiel, Khamael, Mikhale, Haniel, Raphael, Gabriel, Methraton. It will be noted the Methrattin, i.e. Metatron, appears twice, heading and concluding the list of 10-or rather 9. [Rf. Mathers, The Kabbalah Unveiled.] "The archangels, " says Dionysius in his Mystical Theology and the Celestial Hierarchy, "are the messengers bearing divine decrees."
From a book: - A Dictionary of Angels including the fallen angels by Gustav Davidson