In the Christian Religion, it is commonly believed that Angels were created as messengers and servants of God. There are actually nine orders of angels. Often you will also find reference to an Angel operating in more than one order.

These nine orders of the Angels include the Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Principalities, Powers, Virtues, Archangels, and Angels. This article will focus on the principal Archangels. A later article will discuss some of the lesser-known Archangels.

Out of this order come the familiar seven Archangels which include Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and the fallen Lucifer.

The Archangels were the divine messengers between the humans and God. They are commonly considered to be warriors of the Sons of Darkness.

Lucifer, whose ambitions were a distortion of God's plan, is considered to be the fallen angel, with the use of many names, among which are Satan, Belial, Beelzebub and the Devil.

The Highest of the Archangels

In the Christian Religion, there are some Archangels who have stood out above the rest. Most people, when they hear of the Angels, will normally think of two names of archangels off the top of their heads; most usually Michael or Gabriel.

However, there are according to most sources, at least seven of these divine beings who rule over the rest of the Host and act as the honored for God's most important missions.

Pseudo-Dionysis, who was responsible for the previously listed hierarchy lists the following angels at the highest: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Chamuel, Jophiel and Zadkiel.

There are other listings that discuss Raguel, Remiel, Sariel, and Raziel among others. Regardless of which, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel are almost always given the highest and most recognized positions and status.

Raphael, whose name in Hebrew means "the shining one who heals", is over the spirits of men. He is also called Saint Raphael. He is identified as the Shining One who Heals. Raphael protects travelers and heals the sick and injured. He is also the angel of Science and Knowledge. He is considered to be charming and fun loving.

Gabriel, whose name means "God Is My Strength", is over Paradise. He sits at the left hand of god and he is the angel of incarnation, conception, birth, and dreams. Gabriel instructs souls for the nine months before they enter the world.

Michael, whose name means "Who is Like God" is one of the principal Archangels. He is the leader of the celestial armies and he is the angel who fought Satan. He is over the best parts of humanity and over chaos. He is closest to God and is heaven's greatest defender and warrior against evil. Michael is credited with most of the major miraculous events in the Bible by some authorities, whereas others place many of the same events upon the shoulders of lesser known angelic beings.

Uriel, "Fire of God" is over the world. He is known as the Angel of Repentance. He is also the angel of Music, of Poetry and of Prophecy. He assists in communicating with nature and can be called on to assist with material and earthly matters.

One of the major factors why these angels are the principal Archangels lies in the fact that they are the ones most commonly spoke of in the Bible and recognized by the Catholic Church. The lesser archangels are often talked about in other religious accounts not included in the bible.

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