One of the accepted choirs of angels, Archangels are ranked eight: above angels and below principalities. In the division of the angelic hierarchy into three triads of three choirs each, the archangels belong to the third and lowest triad. The archangels are perhaps the most confusing of the angelic orders, for aside from being a distinct part of the heavenly host, their name is used frequently for virtually every angelic being superior to the ordinary angels. 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. |
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