The Holy Archangel Michael: the meaning in Orthodoxy, icons, photo

Anyone familiar with the Scriptures knowsthat, besides the visible and tangible world, there exists a different world of angelic forces — disembodied spirits — called upon God’s command to protect and protect people — the highest creations He intended for eternal Heavenly glory. According to the Bible, the holy Archangel Michael leads the angelic army of God to fight against the progenitor of evil, fulfilling this high purpose by the will of God. Who is he, our guardian and guardian? And of whom is his army?

Angelic world

First of all, we note that the word "angel" intranslated from ancient Greek means "messenger, messenger." The existence of this disembodied being is equally recognized by the three monotheistic religions — Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. His main task is to declare the will of God to people, hence the name. It is traditionally depicted in the form of an anthropomorphic (that is, uniting in itself the features of man and animal) creature endowed with wings.

According to theological ideas, the angelicThe world has a complex hierarchy, and in each religion it has its own. Without addressing this extensive topic, it is only necessary to mention that in Christian angelology, the theology section dealing with this topic, it is generally accepted that the archangels belong to the eighth of nine angelic ranks.

The prefix "arch" in translation from ancient Greekmeans "senior, chief." Thus, it is not difficult to guess that the archangel is none other than the eldest angel. In all three monotheistic, or, as they are usually called, “Abrahamic” (as they go back to the Patriarch Abraham) religions the most famous and respected is the holy archangel Michael. In Orthodoxy, he is often referred to as Michael the Archangel, which indicates his dominant position in the heavenly army.

Who is Archangel Michael

It is curious that if you disassemble the expression itself“Archangel Michael,” then it turns out that it includes five words: arkh, angel, mi, ka, ate. “Arch” and “angel”, as can be seen from the above, mean “senior envoy”, and “mi kael” both from Hebrew and Hebrew literally translated as “who is like God.” Summing up, we can conclude that in the presentation of the three largest world religions, Archangel Michael (or Archangel Michael) is a “senior envoy, similar to God.”

However, it should be noted that in theology neverthere was no equal sign between God's majesty and the value of His servant, even if he dominates the angels. Therefore, the following translation should be considered more correct: “senior envoy endowed with divine powers” ​​or “plenipotentiary envoy of God”.

Archangel Michael in the Bible

Archangel Michael is repeatedly mentioned as inThe book of Daniel the Prophet, part of the Old Testament, and in the New Testament texts. For example, on the pages of the Apocalypse there is a story of the battle of the angelic host, led by Archangel Michael, with a dragon who pursued “a woman clothed with the sun”, which, according to the theologians, meant the Christian church during the period of persecution.

Figures the holy Archangel of God Michael andthe message of the Apostle Judas, where his argument with the devil over the body of the prophet Moses is described. This episode, by the way, is the only one in canonical texts, where Michael is called the archangel. According to the researchers, it is borrowed from an earlier Christian apocrypha - a text not recognized as canonical, which, in turn, reproduces the plot from Hebrew literature.

Inexorable judge

The role of the Archangel Michael in the struggle between good and evil foundits reflection in many Christian eschatological works, dealing with issues related to the end of the world, redemption and the afterlife. According to the established religious tradition, he acquired the features of not only the victor of Satan, but also one of the main rulers of the Last Judgment. It is he who will have to invoke the soul with a “trumpet”.

He also plays the role of a judgeimplacable sentence to the souls of sinners and who opens the gates of eternal bliss to the righteous. This theme has been widely reflected in the iconography, and thanks to it, Archangel Michael is considered the patron saint of the dead. The prayer offered to him contains a request for protection in the fight against evil and for support at the Last Judgment.

It is characteristic that in the literature of the Copts -followers of the ethno-religious community of North Africa, spread mainly in Egypt - there is a story about how on the Last Judgment Archangel Michael, calling from the graves the souls of the dead, will cry bitterly about the fate of sinners, and Jesus Christ, descending to his prayers, will forgive them .

The image of the Archangel Michael in the Old Testament apocrypha

As mentioned above, religious literatureIt includes, in addition to texts recognized by the church and considered canonical, a large number of so-called apocrypha - texts that have not received official recognition, but are nonetheless of interest to researchers.

One of these is the Book of Enoch - the mostsignificant apocrypha of the Old Testament. It describes how, at the command of God, Archangel Michael, in the presence of an angelic host, dressed Enoch, the seventh Israeli patriarch, in the robe of the Lord’s glory. In this passage, the importance of the Archangel Michael and the exceptional role that was assigned to him in the representation of the ancient Jews is emphasized.

Another widely known apocrypha isQumran scrolls - a collection of manuscripts, discovered in 1947 in the caves of Qumran on the coast of the Dead Sea. This, the earliest of the biblical texts that have reached us, contains the story of how Archangel Michael, being the leader of the world, leads God's army to fight against the forces of darkness led by Belial. The Qumran community that owned the scrolls that existed existed in the 2nd century BC, so it becomes clear how ancient the veneration of Archangel Michael in the Middle East is.

Archangel Michael in Christian apocryphal texts

But especially often this image is found inChristian apocrypha. In the IV century, a text was written, called the Gospel of Nicodemus. It says, in particular, that after the descent into hell Jesus Christ laid it on Archangel Michael to take the souls he saved to paradise. In the same period, the apocryphal "Revelation of Paul" appeared. In it, the chief apostle talks about how the Archangel Michael performs the ablution of the souls of the departed, before the gates of Heavenly Jerusalem are opened to them.

In a widely known, but not recognized by the churchThe 10th century, The Walking of the Virgin in Chanting, is described as the Archangel Michael serving as the conductor of the Heavenly Queen who has descended into hell. Following her, he tells who and for what sins it takes torment. The “Apocryphal Revelation of John the Divine” (not to be confused with his canonical text) also testifies that Michael was destined to sound the Archangel Michael on the last day and to cry out the souls of the dead from the graves.

Archangel Michael at the ancient Jews and Muslims

As already mentioned, the image of Archangel Michaelfound in the Jewish tradition, and in Islam. Among the ancient Jews, he is known as Michael, along with other archangels - Gabriel, Oriel and Raphael - guarding the four directions of the world. In the Quran, he is called Michael, and is located on the edge of the sea, crowded with angels and located in seventh heaven. In the view of the Muslims, he is endowed with wings of emerald color.

The image of the Archangel Michael in Orthodoxy

In Orthodoxy, the Archangel (Archangel) Michael -the leader of the heavenly host, traditionally acts as a guardian of God's law and a fighter against the forces of hell. In this regard, the word “archangel” is more often used in the name of his rank, rather than focusing on his role as a warrior and protector. It is no coincidence that he is considered the patron saint of the “militant Church”, which unites all the opponents of evil, who remained faithful to God.

Along with this, the Orthodox Church traditionallyHe represents him as a protector of the souls of the departed, to whom the souls of Abraham and the Most Holy Theotokos were entrusted by God for their transfer to Heaven. But even for the living, the Archangel Michael can become an assistant — a prayer offered to him about health has extraordinary power. This is explained by the fact that, according to religious beliefs, any illness is sent by evil spirits, and it is with them that Archangel Michael leads a tireless struggle. Having overcome them, he thereby relieves the suffering from their diseases.

There is another tradition in Orthodoxy, relatedwith his name. It is believed that the angel who stood at the gates of heaven with a fire-sword in his hands was precisely Archangel Michael. The icon, located in the Archangel Michael Monastery of Great Ustyug and dating from the 17th century, represents an image of this scene on one of its hallmarks.

The Miracles of Archangel Michael

The sacred tradition keeps many legends about miracles,revealed by the Archangel Michael. One of them tells how in ancient Phrygia there was a temple dedicated to him, in which the pious sexton Arkhip Kerotop served for many years. The pagans, who lived in the district, hatred for him and once, wanting to destroy the righteous, and at the same time destroy the temple, they joined together the beds of two mountain rivers and directed the stream that flowed to it. And it would be a misfortune, but through the prayer of Arkhip, Archangel Michael, who appeared in a miraculous manner, cut the rock with a blow of the rod, and all the water went into the crevice formed. The Orthodox Church annually commemorates this event on September 19.

In another legend it is said that duringthe terrible epidemic of plague that raged in Rome at the end of the 6th century, the inhabitants of the city were saved from death only after the figure of Archangel Michael appeared in the sheath of the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian. In memory of this, on the place where the savior of the city appeared, his statue was installed, and the mausoleum itself was renamed the Castle of St. Angel.

To continue the list of such legends can be verylong. Some of them became a reflection of real events, and some were the fruit of the fantasy of early Christian and medieval authors, who wanted in this way to elevate their beloved saint.

Honoring Archangel Michael in Asia Minor and Egypt

His worship as a healer is not only characteristicfor Russian Orthodoxy. For example, in Asia Minor, on the territory of modern Turkey, there have been several miraculous sources associated with his name since ancient times. They are known from the times of Byzantium, where the Archangel Michael was famous as a great healer. In honor of him, even a special temple was built, called Michalion.

But the special honor Archangel Michael usedEgyptian Copts. The Christians of this country dedicated to him the most precious thing they had - the Nile River. They also adopted a tradition from Byzantium to arrange annual festivals in honor of it, coinciding with June 12, the day when the Nile burst its banks. For the inhabitants of the country, constantly withered by the sun, spilling the river was a synonym for life, and it is not surprising that they associated it with such a dear name.

Holidays in honor of the Archangel Michael

Holy Archangel Michael - Archangel, deeplyrevered by the Russian Orthodox Church. The day of the celebration of his memory, called the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and the other celestial forces of the disembodied, is celebrated on November 21. Its establishment is connected with the decision of the Council of Laodicea in 360, at which heresy was declared a doctrine that angels are not servants of God, but rulers and creators of the world.

In the Catholic world this holiday is alsoIt is celebrated, but the date of the celebrations is September 29th. On this day, many devotees of the saint make pilgrimage trips to the monastery of St. Michael built during the Early Middle Ages, located on Mont Saint-Michel, off the coast of Normandy, and also visit the Monte Gargano cave church located in Italy. At the same time, it is customary for Catholics to read the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel at the end of the Mass.

A bit of history

On the question of the origin of this image, which becameso popular in the three great world religions, researchers have no definite answer. It is believed that Michael was already known to the ancient Chaldeans who inhabited the lower reaches of the Euphrates and Tigers in the 9th century BC. But since in Christianity it is presented as the holy militant church, it is obvious that its roots should be sought in the religion of ancient Persia, where the entire pantheon of gods was divided into representatives of light and darkness, and where they were in a state of constant confrontation.

It should be noted that the Archangel (Archangel)Michael enjoys great honor in Germany, where he is considered the patron saint of the state. His cult is closely associated with old folk beliefs. According to one of them, it appears mainly on the mountain tops, where the pagan god of the Germanic tribes Odin lived before it. The establishment of the day of his memory - September 29 - is also connected with the ancient beliefs. Once on this day, the celebration of the end of the harvest was celebrated.

He also assisted in military affairs. It is known that, starting from the 9th century, all German battle flags were decorated with the image of the Archangel Michael. According to legend, his help decided the outcome of the Battle of Lechfeld, where the Germans opposed the Hungarian nomads who invaded their lands. In the folk art of Germany, there is even a tendency to identify Archangel Michael with their national hero, the legendary winner of the dragon, Siegfried.

Archangel Michael of God also entered a numbermystical and occult teachings. His name is often referred to in texts as being associated with the Holy Spirit, Logos and Metatron. In one of these books, known as the Apocalypse of Baruch, Archangel Michael is presented as the keeper of the keys to heaven, which in the Christian tradition is associated with the name of the Apostle Peter.

Plots of icons of the Archangel Michael

In Orthodoxy among the most revered saintsalways mentioned and Archangel Michael. The icon of this protector of God's righteousness and a fighter against Satan, as a rule, is present in every temple. He is depicted holding a spear in his right hand, and in his left special sphere-mirror, which is a symbol of the foresight given to him by God. You can also see other plot constructions in which Michael the Archangel - the Archangel of God - is represented as a trampling snake. Often on the icons in his left hand he holds a date branch, symbolizing victory, and in his right banner with a scarlet cross.

Variants of plots of icons on which it is presentedArchangel Michael, the heavenly powers and the host of saints, are very diverse. Often there are images of the Last Judgment, where he is shown by a formidable judge, holding in his hands the scales. Sometimes he is the escort of the souls of the departed to the Last Judgment. On the whole, his iconography is as extensive as the plots of Holy Scripture and legends are diverse, in which Michael the Archangel appears. Photos taken from these icons are presented in this article.

Summing up, it should be noted thatArchangel Michael in Orthodoxy is primarily in his role as the leader of the angelic army in the fight against evil forces, as well as the master of the Last Judgment, opening the doors of heaven to the righteous and throwing sinners into hell. But he is also our intercessor before God, asking for forgiveness of our sins.