Who is ARCHANGEL GABRIEL?

Written by Benoît Santos - Updated on Oct 26, 2024

Who is Archangel Gabriel? What was his mission? Why is he called the messenger of God?

We were interested in Saint Gabriel and decided to share this article with you. To give you a taste of what awaits you, here is a brief answer:

Archangel Gabriel is one of the 3 angels who refused to follow Lucifer in his rebellion against God. He was chosen by God to be his messenger to men. It was Gabriel who announced the birth of the savior to Mary.

Many mysteries surround the story of this angel. After reading this article, you will be able to:

Know who Archangel Gabriel really is according to the Bible;
Understand its importance in church history;
Know your role.

If you want to know all the archangels and their history, we invite you to read one of our articles available on our site:

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Archangel Gabriel: The Divine Messenger

Archangel Gabriel is one of the Archangels , pillars of the world. With the angels Michael and Raphael, the angel Gabriel refused to rebel against God. This bearer of the greatest prophecies of the Christian religion is the one who announced to Mary the birth of Jesus .

While she was still a virgin, he revealed to her that she would give birth to a child conceived by the Holy Spirit. The Archangel Gabriel also appeared to Zechariah to announce the birth of his son John the Baptist. Since his wife Elizabeth was sterile, the priest Zechariah did not believe the angel .

So he became mute until the child was circumcised. Gabriel, the benevolent angel, is also said to have appeared to the prophet Daniel in the Old Testament. It was this angel who explained to him the famous vision of the ram and the goat. The Archangel Gabriel also appears in the Muslim religion under the name Jibril. He is said to have quoted verses from the Koran to Muhammad.

Archangel Gabriel, who is he?

The angel that appears in ancient paintings, kneeling before the Virgin Mary offering her a lily, is the Archangel Gabriel. He is one of the archangels mentioned in the Bible. Along with the Archangels Michael and Raphael, he is one of the most important angels in Catholic Christianity , Orthodox Christianity and in modern New Age spirituality.

Etymologically, Gabriel means "God is my strength" or "the strength of God" or "the man of God". He is known to be the one that God sends when he wishes to transmit a message to one of his chosen ones. His four qualities are the Annunciation, death, resurrection and compassion.

The angel Gabriel is considered to be the messenger of God himself. His name and the biblical and Quranic stories where he is mentioned, have earned him this nickname of messenger. Gabriel is celebrated on March 24 .

Archangel Gabriel in the Bible

The angel Gabriel is a messenger who was tasked with delivering several important messages on behalf of God. Gabriel appears to at least three people in the Bible: the prophet Daniel (Daniel 8:16), the priest Zechariah to prophesy and announce the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19), and finally, to the Virgin Mary to tell her that she would conceive and bear a son (Luke 1:26-38).

Gabriel was greeted with fear at all three of these apparitions , and he must have begun his conversations with words of comfort and encouragement to Daniel, Zechariah, and Mary. It is possible that Gabriel was also the angel who appeared to Joseph in his dream in Matthew 1:20, but this is not certain, as the angel's name is not mentioned in Scripture.

We know that Gabriel is one of God’s good and holy angels. He has a favorable position as an angel who “stands before God” (Luke 1:19), and he has been chosen to deliver important messages of God’s love and special grace to those who have been chosen to be a part of God’s plan.

Apparition of Saint Gabriel to Daniel

Gabriel's first appearance in the Bible is when he appears to the prophet Daniel after Daniel has had a vision. Gabriel was commissioned to explain the vision to Daniel (Daniel 8:16). When he visited Daniel the second time, he came to him " flying swiftly, as at the time of the evening sacrifice" (Daniel 9:21). The fact that Gabriel came "flying" could indicate that he had wings, but wings are not mentioned. It is also clear that Gabriel's appearance was frightening, for Daniel fell on his face while standing before him (Daniel 8:17), and he was sick for a few days after his experience with the angel and the vision (Daniel 8:27).

In Daniel chapter 10, we see another interaction between the prophet and "one in the likeness of a son of man" (verse 16); however, no name is given to this messenger. The angel says that he has come to help Daniel understand his vision, so it is entirely possible that this passage is also referring to the angel Gabriel. It is also possible that there are actually two angels with Daniel, one who speaks to him and one who strengthens him so that he can respond. The angel also refers to a battle taking place in the heavenlies. This angel, who can logically be assumed to be the angel Michael, would have been involved in the battle with a number of demonic kings and princes.

Gabriel says he was sent from heaven as a concrete answer to Daniel’s prayer. Gabriel had gone out to deliver the answer as soon as Daniel began to pray (Daniel 10:12). But Gabriel was delayed along the way: “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days” (Daniel 10:13), and this really prevented him from reaching Daniel as quickly as he needed to. Here’s a glimpse into the spirit world and the battles that go on behind the scenes. Holy angels like Gabriel do God’s will , but other spirit beings who want only evil in the world oppose it.

Gabriel before Zacharias

According to the Bible story, the righteous Zechariah , who became the father of John the Baptist, was ministering to the Lord in the temple when the archangel Gabriel appeared to announce the birth of his son. He told Zechariah that his prayers had been answered (verse 13). Elizabeth, Zechariah's barren wife, was to conceive and bear a son. This is recorded in the Gospel of Luke.

The future father did not believe the angel. The angel was received with disbelief, and for this Gabriel struck Zechariah with silence so that the unbelieving priest was mute until the day of the child's circumcision (Luke 1:20, 59-64).

According to the Bible, Zechariah was only able to speak after he had written the name that was to be given to the child on a piece of paper. As Gabriel had told him, he wrote John. Zechariah's wife Elizabeth was a relative of the Virgin Mary.

St. Gabriel's Message to Mary

According to the New Testament, Saint Gabriel is the famous angel who had the role of messenger to inform the Virgin Mary of the imminent birth of her child, Jesus of Nazareth. The Virgin Mary, mother of the son of God, represents purity, virginity and innocence.

The mother of the Messiah was assured of God's grace (Luke 1:30). He told her that her son would fulfill the Davidic covenant: "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end" (verses 32-33).

Mary, somewhat confused, asked how this would happen since she was a virgin. The angel Gabriel replied that the conception would be the result of the Holy Spirit working within her, and therefore "the holy thing to be born will be called the Son of God" (verse 35).

Archangel Gabriel is identified with the media through his role as a messenger in the scriptures . While man retains his free will in deciding what and how to communicate, Archangel Gabriel is responsible for guiding and encouraging him in ethical communication and in responsibility to his fellow men.

Because of his role as the messenger of the birth of the Son of God to the Virgin Mary, Archangel Gabriel is associated with newborns and children . His task is to instruct souls during gestation, so that they accept his body as the instrument that will help them fulfill their role on earth. He also teaches them not to forget that they are souls first and foremost, and that this is their true essence.

Archangel Gabriel's greatest lesson to souls coming into the world is to remind them that they will create their destiny through their thoughts. At the time of birth, he accompanies mothers into the delivery room to help the guardian angels receive the new souls and initiate them into their first moments in the world.

Archangel Gabriel in Islam

In Islam, there are four angels close to Allah, and one of them is Jibril. He acts as a mediator between Allah and the Prophet Muhammad, as well as other prophets. Jibril protects the prophet from the unbelievers. The Quran, the holy book of Islam, was revealed by Allah to Muhammad through Jibril.

Jibril's role in the life of the Prophet Muhammad is described in detail in the Sunnah, the Muslim sacred tradition. For twenty-three consecutive years, the angel transmitted the Qur'an to the Prophet in parts, and also instructed and protected him. When the Prophet made his night journey to Jerusalem, Jibril accompanied him. The angel sided with Muhammad in the war with the pagans of Mecca and in theological discussions. Jibril is also associated with the Prophet Isa and his mother Mariam.

Legends attribute the angel to enormous growth: Jibril's feet are on the ground, while his head rises into the clouds. An angel was sent by Allah to the earth from which he created Adam, and after the expulsion of man from paradise, Jibril began to take care of him. This angel is closely related to people. Jibril saves some characters in Muslim mythology and helps others.

Gabriel's Attributes

The Archangel Gabriel is always represented in his role as messenger for having been the bearer of the news of the Incarnation . His image represents purity and announces it through his white garment, one or more lilies in his hands, and his androgynous and delicate appearance. The flower he gives to Mary represents purity, virginity, innocence, love and harmony, the virtues that both the Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary embody.

The genuflection with which he delivers these virtues cited above and the news of the Incarnation of the Son of God add to these virtues humility. When his garments are white, he communicates transparency and cleanliness of mind, qualities important when communicating on the spiritual plane. Both represent impeccable communication through the spirit. Sometimes he is depicted with a trumpet .

It is said that Archangel Gabriel will play the trumpet on the Day of Judgment to awaken sleeping souls. Sometimes this role is also attributed to Archangel Michael; but in art and literature, the one in charge of playing the trumpet is almost always Archangel Gabriel. Archangel Gabriel is said to inspire artists, singers, dancers, poets, writers, and all kinds of creative people because they are people who cultivate purity. This is why he is often depicted with a scroll or quill in his hand. Archangel Gabriel gives them the ability to communicate.

Prayer to Saint Gabriel

" O glorious Archangel Saint Gabriel , called the strength of God, most excellent prince among the angelic spirits, ambassador of the Most High, who deserved to be chosen to announce to the Holy Virgin the incarnation of the Divine Word in her most pure womb: I beg you to pray to God for me, a miserable sinner, so that by knowing and adoring this ineffable mystery, I may come to enjoy the fruit of divine redemption in heavenly glory. Amen.

You can invoke Saint Gabriel in times of great discouragement, for spiritual elevation and purity. He is the Archangel who brings good news, compassion, death and resurrection. His day in the week is Wednesday and his color is the color white .

Called upon Saint Gabriel, the messenger of God

After reading this article, you will have discovered who Saint Gabriel is and what importance he has in the Christian religion.

Archangels have a connection with God. They are even considered an extension of God, since God uses archangels to carry out his work. Archangel Gabriel, a messenger angel , is one of them. He offers his help to solve problems related to communication, fertility, lack of self-confidence, etc.