Saint Michael the Archangel
Saint Michael the Archangel, Heavenly Messenger and Soldier. The most influential Christian angelic hierarchy was that put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (4th or 5th century) in his book De Coelesti Hierarchia (On the Celestial Hierarchy). He created a schema of three hierarchies (spheres or triads of angels), with each hierarchy containing three orders or choirs. Angels of the third sphere function as heavenly messengers and soldiers. Michael is an archangel in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Michael is God's enforcer of law and judgement and is the only angel specifically called an archangel in the Bible. The name Michael means "who is like God?" In the New Testament Michael leads God's armies against Satan's forces in the Book of Revelation, where during the war in heaven he defeats Satan. Taken from "The Hierarchy of the Blessed Angels. Their names, orders and offices the fall of Lucifer with his angels" by Thomas Heywood. Copper-plate engravings by Adam Islip, 1635.
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Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
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