Gabriel appears in the Bible four times, and one of those times is repeated every Christmas and cements his popularity. He appears to Mary and tells her that she has been selected to bear the Son of God; he also appears a couple of other times, acting as a messenger. He’s defined as an archangel as opposed to just a regular old angel, and it seems like that’s an important distinction.
Being an archangel does mean that you rank above an angel, but there are other angelic beings above you. In fact, there are many.
Angels are described as having a distinct, three-tiered hierarchy, and within each tier are three sub-groups. The first hierarchy, closest to God, includes the Seraphim (that are the closest of all to God), the Cherubim, and the Thrones, which are said to be inseparable from the word of God. In the second tier, we have the Dominions who governs the rest and help humans control their urges, the Virtues who are in charge of sending miracles, and the Powers who help protect good people from the temptations of the devil.
And in the last hierarchy, the lowest group and the farthest from God, the Principalities are at the top. They’re said to control the other angels below them. The different earthly kingdoms have their own Principalities, which are responsible for overseeing and managing groups, making sure that worthy people are raised to leadership, and helping ensure that power is wielded for the name of God. Directly beneath them are the archangels, who serve as God’s messengers, as we see in the appearances of Gabriel. Below the archangels are the angels, who appear among mankind more often, relay news of minor miracles, and are there to lend a helping hand if needed.
The farther down the hierarchy you are, the farther from God you are. That makes Gabriel, one of the only named angels in the Bible and the poster child for manger scenes everywhere, lower than middle management. --
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Topic: Gabriel Is One Of The Lowest-Ranking Angels (Read 1041 times)