Archangels

Archangels are among the few angelic beings mentioned specifically by name in the Old Testament. Even more specific are references in the New Testament, such as the Letter of Jude (1:9): "But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you.'"

As is clear from their appearances in Scripture, the primary duty of the archangels is to carry out the will of God as it relates directly to humanity. They bring to the world the prayerful blessings of the Lord. It is for that reason that the archangels-like their close counterparts the angels-are said to intervene so regularly in the affairs of men and women.

The number of archangels has long been a source of great discussion among angelologists. Traditionally there are seven archangels although who they are and what they do has been given variously in different sources. Islam recognizes only four archangels, and other customs say twelve. I have compiled the list of Dionysus and the Areopagite, which is the best-known list.