home.social

#patriarchs — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #patriarchs, aggregated by home.social.

fetched live
  1. Spirituality & Religious Studies @spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com@spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com ·

    Kabbalah, Part 1

    Also spelled Qabalah or Qabbala. It literally means the act of receiving, acceptance.

    This is an esoteric method, discipline, & school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal (“receiver”).

    Jewish Kabbalists originally developed transmissions of the primary texts of Kabbalah within the realm of Jewish tradition. Often using classical Jewish scriptures to explain & demonstrate their mystical teachings.

    Kabbalah came out of earlier forms of Jewish mysticism in 12th-13th century Occitania, specifically in Languedoc, among Hakhmei Provence.

    Following the movement of Jews from Southern France & Spain, it was found in the Rhineland school of Judah the Pious, al-Andalus, L& was reinterpreted during the Jewish mystical Renaissance in the 16th-century Ottoman Palestine.

    The Zohar was authored in the late 13th century, likely by Moses de Leon. Isaac Luria (16th century) is considered the father of contemporary Kabbalah. Lurianic Kabbalah was popularized in the form of Hasidic Judaism from the 18th century onwards.

    The primary texts of the major lineage in medieval Jewish tradition are the Bahir, Zohar, Pardes Rimonim, & Et Chayim (‘Ein Sof’). The early Hekhalot literature is recognized as ancestral to the sensibilities of this later flowering of the Kabbalah, & more especially, the Sefer Yetzirah is acknowledged as the forerunner from which many of these books draw their formal inspiration.

    The Sefer Yetzirah is a brief document of only a few pages, written many centuries before the high & late medieval works (sometime between 200-600 CE), detailing an alphanumeric vision of cosmology & may be understood as a kind of prelude to the major phase of Kabbalah.

    The history of Jewish mysticism encompasses various forms of esoteric & spiritual practices aimed at understanding the divine & the hidden aspects of existence. This mystical tradition has evolved greatly over millennia, influencing & being influenced by different historical, cultural, & religious contexts.

    Among the most prominent forms of Jewish mysticism is Kabbalah, which developed in the 12th century & has since become a central component of Jewish mystical thought. Other notable early forms include prophetic & apocalyptic mysticism, which are evident in biblical & post-biblical texts.

    The roots of Jewish mysticism can be traced back to the biblical era, with prophetic figures such as Elijah & Ezekiel experiencing divine visions & encounters. This tradition continued into the apocalyptic period, where texts like 1 Enoch & the Book of Daniel introduced complex angelology & eschatological themes.

    The Hekhalot & Merkabah literature, dating from the 2nd century to the early medieval period, further developed these mystical themes. This focuses on visionary ascents to the heavenly palaces & the divine chariot. Hekhalot literature (from the Hebrew word for “Palaces”) relates to visions of entering Heaven alive.

    Merkabah (or Merkavah) mysticism is a school of Jewish mysticism, centered on visions such as those found in Ezekiel 1, or in the hekhalot literature, concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces & the Throne of God.

    According to the Zohar, Torah study can proceed along 4 levels of interpretation (exegesis). These 4 levels are called pardes from their initial letters (PRDs, “orchard”):

    • Peshat (“simple”): The direct interpretations of meaning.
    • Remez (“hints”): The allegoric meanings (through allusion).
    • Derash (from the Hebrew darash, “inquire” or “seek): Midrashic (rabbinic) meanings, often with imaginative comparisons with similar words or verses.
    • Sod (“secret” or “mystery”): The inner, esoteric (metaphysical) meanings, expressed in kabbalah.

    Kabbalah is considered by its followers as a necessary part of the study of the Torah. The study of the Torah (the Tanakh & rabbinic literature) is an inherent duty of observant Jews.

    There are 3 different types of Kabbalah: Lurianic Kabbalah, Meditative-Ecstatic Kabbalah, & Practical Kabbalah. These 3 types can be distinguished by their basic intent with respect to God:

    • The Theosohical/Theosophical-Theurgic tradition of Theoretical Kabbalah (the main focus of the Zohar & Luria) seeks to understand & describe the divine realm using the imaginative & mythic symbols of human psychological experience. Its theosophy also implies the innate, centrally important theurgic influence of human conduct on redeeming or damaging the spiritual realms, as man is a divine microcosm. The purpose of traditional theosophical kabbalah was to give the whole of normative Jewish religious practices this mystical metaphysical meaning.
    • The Meditative tradition of Ecstatic Kabbalah strives to achieve a mystical union with God, or nullification of the meditator in God’s Active intellect. Abraham Abulafia’s “Prophetic Kabbalah” was the supreme example of this. Though marginal in Kabbalistic development. His alternative to the program of theosophical Kabbalah. Abulafian meditation built upon the philosophy of Maimonides, whose followers remained a rationalist threat to theosophical Kabbalists.
    • The Magico-Talismanic tradition of Practical Kabbalah endeavours to alter both the Divine realms & the World using practical methods. While theosophical interpretations of worship see its redemptive role as harmonizing heavenly forces, Practical Kabbalah properly involved Practial Kabbalah properly involved white-magical acts, & was censored by Kabbalists for only those completely pure of intent, as it relates to lower realms where purity & impurity are mixed. Consequently, it formed a separate minor tradition shunned from Kabbalah. Practical Kabbalah was prohibited by the Arizal until the Temple is rebuilt & the required state of ritual purity is attainable.

    According to Kabbalistic belief, early kabbalistic knowledge was imparted orally by the Patriarchs, prophets, & sages. Eventually, to be “interwoven” into Jewish religious writings & culture. According to this view, early kabbalah was, around the 10th century BCE, an open knowledge practiced by over a million people in ancient Israel.

    Foreign conquests drove the Jewish spiritual leadership of the time (the Sanhedrin) to hide the knowledge & make it secret, fearing that it might be misused if it fell into the wrong hands.

    From the Renaissance onward, Jewish Kabbalah texts entered non-Jewish (Gentile) spaces. Where they studied & translated by Christian Hebraists & Hermetic occultists. Christian Hebraists are scholars of Hebrew texts who approach the works from a Christian perspective.

    The syncretic traditions of Christian & Hermetic Kabbalah developed independently of Jewish Kabbalah. They read Jewish texts as universalist ancient wisdom preserved from Gnostic traditions of “the olden days.” Both adapted the Jewish concepts freely from their Jewish understanding. This made it possible to merge with multiple other theologies, religious traditions, & magical associations. In the time of the Age of Reason, Christian Kabbalah declined. Hermetic Kabbalah took a much different route, a route that some secretive “societies” went: they went underground.

    The technical definition of Kabbalah varies according to sect & the aims of those following it. In its earliest & original usage in ancient Hebrew, it means “reception” or “tradition.” In this context, it tends to refer to any sacred writing written after (or otherwise outside of) the 5 books of the Torah. (This is the 1st 5 books of the Old Testament.)

    After the Talmud was written, it refers to the Oral Law. In the much later writings of Eleazar of Worms (circa 1350), it refers to theurgy or the conjuring of demons & angels by the invocation of their secret names.

    The nature of the divine prompted kabbalists to envision 2 aspects to God: 1.) God is essence, absolutely transcendent, unknowable, limitless divine simplicity beyond revelation, & 2.) God in manifestation, the revealed persona of God through which He creates, sustains, & relates to humankind.

    Kabbalists speak of the 1st as the Ein Sof (“the infinite/endless,” literally “there is no end”). Of the impersonal Ein Sof, nothing can be grasped.

    However, the 2nd aspect of divine emanations, accessible to human perception, dynamically interacting throughout spiritual & physical existence, reveals the divine immanently, & is bound up in the life of man. Kabbalists believe that these 2 aspects aren’t contradictory but complement 1 another, emanations mystically revealing the concealed mystery from within the Godhead.

    As a term describing the Infinite Godhead beyond Creation, Kabbalists viewed the Ein Sof itself as too sublime to be referred to directly in the Torah. It’s not a Holy Name in Judaism. No name could contain a revelation of the Ein Sof.

    The structure of emanations has been described in various ways: Sephirot (divine attributes) & Partzufim (divine “faces”), Ohr (spiritual light & flow), Names of God & supernal Torah, Olamot (spiritual worlds), a Divine Tree & Archetypal Man, Angelic Chariot & Palaces, male & female, enclothed layers of reality, inwardly channels (“limbs” of the King) & the divine Souls of Man.

    These symbols are used to describe various levels & aspects of Divine manifestation, from the Pnimi (inner) dimensions to the Hitzoni (outer). It’s solely in relation to the emanations, certainly not the Ein Sof Ground of all Being, that Kabbalah uses anthropomorphic symbolism to relate psychologically to divinity.

    The Sephirot/Sefirot/Sefirah are the 10 emanations & attributes of God with which He continually sustains the existence of the universe. These emanations are viewed as parts of God’s divine nature, which reveal themselves in different ways.

    The Zohar & other Kabbalistic texts elaborate on the emergence of the sephirot from a state of concealed potential in the Ein Sof until their manifestation in the mundane world. In particular, Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (known as “the Ramak”) describes how God emanated the myriad details of finite reality out of the absolute unity of Divine Light via the 10 sephirot, or vessels.

    According to Lurianic cosmology, the sephirot correspond to various levels of creation. 10 sephirot are in each of the 4 Worlds. 4 Worlds within each of the larger 4 Worlds, each containing 10 sephirot, which themselves contain 10 sephirot, which themselves contain 10 sephirot, to an infinite number of possibilities.

    They emanated from the Creator for the purpose of creating the universe. The sephirot are considered revelations of the Creator’s will (ratzon), & they shouldn’t be understood as 10 different “gods” but through the Emanations. It’s not God who changes but the ability to perceive God that changes.

    Divine creation through the 10 Sephirot is an ethical process. They represent the different aspects of Morality. Loving-Kindness is a possible moral justification found in Chessed, & Gevurah is the Moral Justification of justice, & both are mediated by Mercy, which is Rachamim.

    However, these pillars of morality become immoral when taken to extremes. When Loving-Kindness becomes extreme, it can lead to sexual depravity & a lack of Justice to the wicked. When Justice becomes extreme, it can lead to torture & the Cain-ing of innocents & unfair punishment.

    The tzadikim or “righteous” ascend these ethical qualities of the 10 sephirot through righteous action. If there were no tzadikim, the blessings of God would become completely hidden, & Creation would cease to exist.

    While real human actions are the “Foundation” (Yesod) of this universe (Malkuth), they must be accompanied by the conscious intention of compassion. Compassionate actions are often impossible without faith (Emunah), meaning trusting that God seems hidden.

    Make a one-time donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate

    Make a monthly donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate monthly

    Make a yearly donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate yearly

    Rate this:

    #10Sephirot #10thCenturyBC #12thCentury #12thCenturyAD #13thCentury #16thCentury #16thCenturyAD #18thCentury #200CE #2ndCentury #600CE #AbrahamAbulafia #AbulafianMeditation #AgeOfReason #alAndalus #AncientHebrew #AncientIsrael #Arizal #Bahir #BookOfDaniel #BookOfEnoch #Chessed #ChristianHebraists #Circa1350 #Creation #Darash #Derash #DivineMacrocosm #DivineMicrocosm #DivineTree #EinSof #EinSofGroundOfAllBeing #EleazarOfWorms #Elijah #EtzChayim #Exegesis #Ezekiel #Gentile #Gevurah #Gnosticism #God #Godhead #Hakhme #HasidicJudaism #Hebraists #Hebrew #Hekhalot #HermeticKabbalah #HermeticOccultists #Hitzoni #InfiniteGodhead #IsaacLuria #JewishKabbalah #JewishKabbalists #JewishMysticism #Jews #JudahThePious #Judaism #Kabbalah #Kabbalist #KalipotShells #Languedoc #LovingKindness #Luria #LurianicKabbalah #Macrocosm #MagicoTalismanicTraditiion #Maimonides #Malkuth #MedievalJudaism #MeditativeEcstaticKabbalah #Mekubbal #Mercy #Merkabah #MerkabahMysticism #Merkavah #Midrashic #MosesBenJacobCordovero #MosesDeLeon #Occitania #Ohr #Olamot #OralLaw #Ottoman #OttomanPalestine #Palestine #PardesRimonim #Partzufim #Patriarchs #Peshat #philosophy #Pnimi #PracticalKabbalah #Prophet #PropheticKabbalah #Prophets #Provence #RabbinicLiterature #Rachamim #Ratzon #Religion #Remez #Renaissance #Rhineland #RitualPurity #Sages #Sanhedrin #SeferYetzirah #Sefirah #Sefirot #Sephirot #Sod #SouthernFrance #Spain #Spirituality #Syncretism #Talmud #Temple #TheRamak #TheoreticalKabbalah #TheosophicalKabbalist #TheosophicalTheurgicTradition #Theurgy #ThroneOfGod #Torah #TraditionalTheosophicalKabbalah #Tzadikim #Yesod #Zohar
  2. Spirituality & Religious Studies @spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com@spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com ·

    Kabbalah, Part 1

    Also spelled Qabalah or Qabbala. It literally means the act of receiving, acceptance.

    This is an esoteric method, discipline, & school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal (“receiver”).

    Jewish Kabbalists originally developed transmissions of the primary texts of Kabbalah within the realm of Jewish tradition. Often using classical Jewish scriptures to explain & demonstrate their mystical teachings.

    Kabbalah came out of earlier forms of Jewish mysticism in 12th-13th century Occitania, specifically in Languedoc, among Hakhmei Provence.

    Following the movement of Jews from Southern France & Spain, it was found in the Rhineland school of Judah the Pious, al-Andalus, L& was reinterpreted during the Jewish mystical Renaissance in the 16th-century Ottoman Palestine.

    The Zohar was authored in the late 13th century, likely by Moses de Leon. Isaac Luria (16th century) is considered the father of contemporary Kabbalah. Lurianic Kabbalah was popularized in the form of Hasidic Judaism from the 18th century onwards.

    The primary texts of the major lineage in medieval Jewish tradition are the Bahir, Zohar, Pardes Rimonim, & Et Chayim (‘Ein Sof’). The early Hekhalot literature is recognized as ancestral to the sensibilities of this later flowering of the Kabbalah, & more especially, the Sefer Yetzirah is acknowledged as the forerunner from which many of these books draw their formal inspiration.

    The Sefer Yetzirah is a brief document of only a few pages, written many centuries before the high & late medieval works (sometime between 200-600 CE), detailing an alphanumeric vision of cosmology & may be understood as a kind of prelude to the major phase of Kabbalah.

    The history of Jewish mysticism encompasses various forms of esoteric & spiritual practices aimed at understanding the divine & the hidden aspects of existence. This mystical tradition has evolved greatly over millennia, influencing & being influenced by different historical, cultural, & religious contexts.

    Among the most prominent forms of Jewish mysticism is Kabbalah, which developed in the 12th century & has since become a central component of Jewish mystical thought. Other notable early forms include prophetic & apocalyptic mysticism, which are evident in biblical & post-biblical texts.

    The roots of Jewish mysticism can be traced back to the biblical era, with prophetic figures such as Elijah & Ezekiel experiencing divine visions & encounters. This tradition continued into the apocalyptic period, where texts like 1 Enoch & the Book of Daniel introduced complex angelology & eschatological themes.

    The Hekhalot & Merkabah literature, dating from the 2nd century to the early medieval period, further developed these mystical themes. This focuses on visionary ascents to the heavenly palaces & the divine chariot. Hekhalot literature (from the Hebrew word for “Palaces”) relates to visions of entering Heaven alive.

    Merkabah (or Merkavah) mysticism is a school of Jewish mysticism, centered on visions such as those found in Ezekiel 1, or in the hekhalot literature, concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces & the Throne of God.

    According to the Zohar, Torah study can proceed along 4 levels of interpretation (exegesis). These 4 levels are called pardes from their initial letters (PRDs, “orchard”):

    • Peshat (“simple”): The direct interpretations of meaning.
    • Remez (“hints”): The allegoric meanings (through allusion).
    • Derash (from the Hebrew darash, “inquire” or “seek): Midrashic (rabbinic) meanings, often with imaginative comparisons with similar words or verses.
    • Sod (“secret” or “mystery”): The inner, esoteric (metaphysical) meanings, expressed in kabbalah.

    Kabbalah is considered by its followers as a necessary part of the study of the Torah. The study of the Torah (the Tanakh & rabbinic literature) is an inherent duty of observant Jews.

    There are 3 different types of Kabbalah: Lurianic Kabbalah, Meditative-Ecstatic Kabbalah, & Practical Kabbalah. These 3 types can be distinguished by their basic intent with respect to God:

    • The Theosohical/Theosophical-Theurgic tradition of Theoretical Kabbalah (the main focus of the Zohar & Luria) seeks to understand & describe the divine realm using the imaginative & mythic symbols of human psychological experience. Its theosophy also implies the innate, centrally important theurgic influence of human conduct on redeeming or damaging the spiritual realms, as man is a divine microcosm. The purpose of traditional theosophical kabbalah was to give the whole of normative Jewish religious practices this mystical metaphysical meaning.
    • The Meditative tradition of Ecstatic Kabbalah strives to achieve a mystical union with God, or nullification of the meditator in God’s Active intellect. Abraham Abulafia’s “Prophetic Kabbalah” was the supreme example of this. Though marginal in Kabbalistic development. His alternative to the program of theosophical Kabbalah. Abulafian meditation built upon the philosophy of Maimonides, whose followers remained a rationalist threat to theosophical Kabbalists.
    • The Magico-Talismanic tradition of Practical Kabbalah endeavours to alter both the Divine realms & the World using practical methods. While theosophical interpretations of worship see its redemptive role as harmonizing heavenly forces, Practical Kabbalah properly involved Practial Kabbalah properly involved white-magical acts, & was censored by Kabbalists for only those completely pure of intent, as it relates to lower realms where purity & impurity are mixed. Consequently, it formed a separate minor tradition shunned from Kabbalah. Practical Kabbalah was prohibited by the Arizal until the Temple is rebuilt & the required state of ritual purity is attainable.

    According to Kabbalistic belief, early kabbalistic knowledge was imparted orally by the Patriarchs, prophets, & sages. Eventually, to be “interwoven” into Jewish religious writings & culture. According to this view, early kabbalah was, around the 10th century BCE, an open knowledge practiced by over a million people in ancient Israel.

    Foreign conquests drove the Jewish spiritual leadership of the time (the Sanhedrin) to hide the knowledge & make it secret, fearing that it might be misused if it fell into the wrong hands.

    From the Renaissance onward, Jewish Kabbalah texts entered non-Jewish (Gentile) spaces. Where they studied & translated by Christian Hebraists & Hermetic occultists. Christian Hebraists are scholars of Hebrew texts who approach the works from a Christian perspective.

    The syncretic traditions of Christian & Hermetic Kabbalah developed independently of Jewish Kabbalah. They read Jewish texts as universalist ancient wisdom preserved from Gnostic traditions of “the olden days.” Both adapted the Jewish concepts freely from their Jewish understanding. This made it possible to merge with multiple other theologies, religious traditions, & magical associations. In the time of the Age of Reason, Christian Kabbalah declined. Hermetic Kabbalah took a much different route, a route that some secretive “societies” went: they went underground.

    The technical definition of Kabbalah varies according to sect & the aims of those following it. In its earliest & original usage in ancient Hebrew, it means “reception” or “tradition.” In this context, it tends to refer to any sacred writing written after (or otherwise outside of) the 5 books of the Torah. (This is the 1st 5 books of the Old Testament.)

    After the Talmud was written, it refers to the Oral Law. In the much later writings of Eleazar of Worms (circa 1350), it refers to theurgy or the conjuring of demons & angels by the invocation of their secret names.

    The nature of the divine prompted kabbalists to envision 2 aspects to God: 1.) God is essence, absolutely transcendent, unknowable, limitless divine simplicity beyond revelation, & 2.) God in manifestation, the revealed persona of God through which He creates, sustains, & relates to humankind.

    Kabbalists speak of the 1st as the Ein Sof (“the infinite/endless,” literally “there is no end”). Of the impersonal Ein Sof, nothing can be grasped.

    However, the 2nd aspect of divine emanations, accessible to human perception, dynamically interacting throughout spiritual & physical existence, reveals the divine immanently, & is bound up in the life of man. Kabbalists believe that these 2 aspects aren’t contradictory but complement 1 another, emanations mystically revealing the concealed mystery from within the Godhead.

    As a term describing the Infinite Godhead beyond Creation, Kabbalists viewed the Ein Sof itself as too sublime to be referred to directly in the Torah. It’s not a Holy Name in Judaism. No name could contain a revelation of the Ein Sof.

    The structure of emanations has been described in various ways: Sephirot (divine attributes) & Partzufim (divine “faces”), Ohr (spiritual light & flow), Names of God & supernal Torah, Olamot (spiritual worlds), a Divine Tree & Archetypal Man, Angelic Chariot & Palaces, male & female, enclothed layers of reality, inwardly channels (“limbs” of the King) & the divine Souls of Man.

    These symbols are used to describe various levels & aspects of Divine manifestation, from the Pnimi (inner) dimensions to the Hitzoni (outer). It’s solely in relation to the emanations, certainly not the Ein Sof Ground of all Being, that Kabbalah uses anthropomorphic symbolism to relate psychologically to divinity.

    The Sephirot/Sefirot/Sefirah are the 10 emanations & attributes of God with which He continually sustains the existence of the universe. These emanations are viewed as parts of God’s divine nature, which reveal themselves in different ways.

    The Zohar & other Kabbalistic texts elaborate on the emergence of the sephirot from a state of concealed potential in the Ein Sof until their manifestation in the mundane world. In particular, Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (known as “the Ramak”) describes how God emanated the myriad details of finite reality out of the absolute unity of Divine Light via the 10 sephirot, or vessels.

    According to Lurianic cosmology, the sephirot correspond to various levels of creation. 10 sephirot are in each of the 4 Worlds. 4 Worlds within each of the larger 4 Worlds, each containing 10 sephirot, which themselves contain 10 sephirot, which themselves contain 10 sephirot, to an infinite number of possibilities.

    They emanated from the Creator for the purpose of creating the universe. The sephirot are considered revelations of the Creator’s will (ratzon), & they shouldn’t be understood as 10 different “gods” but through the Emanations. It’s not God who changes but the ability to perceive God that changes.

    Divine creation through the 10 Sephirot is an ethical process. They represent the different aspects of Morality. Loving-Kindness is a possible moral justification found in Chessed, & Gevurah is the Moral Justification of justice, & both are mediated by Mercy, which is Rachamim.

    However, these pillars of morality become immoral when taken to extremes. When Loving-Kindness becomes extreme, it can lead to sexual depravity & a lack of Justice to the wicked. When Justice becomes extreme, it can lead to torture & the Cain-ing of innocents & unfair punishment.

    The tzadikim or “righteous” ascend these ethical qualities of the 10 sephirot through righteous action. If there were no tzadikim, the blessings of God would become completely hidden, & Creation would cease to exist.

    While real human actions are the “Foundation” (Yesod) of this universe (Malkuth), they must be accompanied by the conscious intention of compassion. Compassionate actions are often impossible without faith (Emunah), meaning trusting that God seems hidden.

    Make a one-time donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate

    Make a monthly donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate monthly

    Make a yearly donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate yearly

    Rate this:

    #10Sephirot #10thCenturyBC #12thCentury #12thCenturyAD #13thCentury #16thCentury #16thCenturyAD #18thCentury #200CE #2ndCentury #600CE #AbrahamAbulafia #AbulafianMeditation #AgeOfReason #alAndalus #AncientHebrew #AncientIsrael #Arizal #Bahir #BookOfDaniel #BookOfEnoch #Chessed #ChristianHebraists #Circa1350 #Creation #Darash #Derash #DivineMacrocosm #DivineMicrocosm #DivineTree #EinSof #EinSofGroundOfAllBeing #EleazarOfWorms #Elijah #EtzChayim #Exegesis #Ezekiel #Gentile #Gevurah #Gnosticism #God #Godhead #Hakhme #HasidicJudaism #Hebraists #Hebrew #Hekhalot #HermeticKabbalah #HermeticOccultists #Hitzoni #InfiniteGodhead #IsaacLuria #JewishKabbalah #JewishKabbalists #JewishMysticism #Jews #JudahThePious #Judaism #Kabbalah #Kabbalist #KalipotShells #Languedoc #LovingKindness #Luria #LurianicKabbalah #Macrocosm #MagicoTalismanicTraditiion #Maimonides #Malkuth #MedievalJudaism #MeditativeEcstaticKabbalah #Mekubbal #Mercy #Merkabah #MerkabahMysticism #Merkavah #Midrashic #MosesBenJacobCordovero #MosesDeLeon #Occitania #Ohr #Olamot #OralLaw #Ottoman #OttomanPalestine #Palestine #PardesRimonim #Partzufim #Patriarchs #Peshat #philosophy #Pnimi #PracticalKabbalah #Prophet #PropheticKabbalah #Prophets #Provence #RabbinicLiterature #Rachamim #Ratzon #Religion #Remez #Renaissance #Rhineland #RitualPurity #Sages #Sanhedrin #SeferYetzirah #Sefirah #Sefirot #Sephirot #Sod #SouthernFrance #Spain #Spirituality #Syncretism #Talmud #Temple #TheRamak #TheoreticalKabbalah #TheosophicalKabbalist #TheosophicalTheurgicTradition #Theurgy #ThroneOfGod #Torah #TraditionalTheosophicalKabbalah #Tzadikim #Yesod #Zohar
  3. Spirituality & Religious Studies @spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com@spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com ·

    Archangel Michael

    Also called Michael the Taxiarch. A taxiarch is used in the Greek language to mean “brigadier,” or a commander of a company. In Greek Orthodoxy, it refers to the Archangels Michael or Gabriel as leaders of the heavenly hosts.

    Michael is an archangel & warrior of God in Christianity, Islam, & Judaism. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in the 2nd or 3rd centuries BC Jewish works, often but not always apocalyptic. In these works, he’s the chief of the angels & archangels. He’s the guardian prince of Israel & is responsible for the care of the people of Israel.

    Christianity conserved nearly all of Jewish traditions concerning him. He’s mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7-12, where he does battle with Satan, & in the Epistle of Jude, where the archangel & the devil have an argument over the body of Moses.

    The Book of Enoch lists Michael as 1 of 7 archangels. The remaining names are: Uriel, Raguel, Raphael, Sariel, Gabriel, & Remiel. He’s mentioned again in the last chapters of the Book of Daniel, a Jewish apocalypse composed in the 2nd century BC, in which a man clothed in linen tells Daniel that he & “Michael, your prince” are engaged in a battle with the “prince of Persia,” after which, at the end-time, “Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.”

    Enoch was instrumental in establishing the pre-eminent place of Michael among the angels & archangels. In later Jewish works, he’s said to be their chief, mediating the Torah, & standing at the right hand of the throne of God.

    In the traditions of the Qumran community, he defends, or leads, the people of God in the end-time battle. In other writings, he’s responsible for the care of Israel & acts as commander of the heavenly armies. He’s Israel’s advocate, contesting Satan’s claim to the body of Moses.

    He intercedes between God & humanity & serves as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. (So would this make him Aaron’s equal? We’re sincerely asking. Let us know your take in the comments.) He accompanies the souls of the righteous dead to Paradise.

    The 7 archangels (or 4, as traditions differ, but always include Michael) were associated with the branches of the menorah, the sacred 7-branched lamp stand in the Temple, as the 7 spirits before the throne of God. This is reflected in the Book of Revelation 4:5. Michael is mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7-12, where he does battle with Satan & casts him out of heaven so that he no longer has that exclusive access to God as accuser (his former role in the Old Testament).

    Satan’s fall at the coming of Jesus marks the separation of the New Testament from Judaism. In Luke 22:31, Jesus tells Peter that Satan has asked God for permission to “sift” the disciples, the goal being to accuse them. But the accusation by Jesus, who thus takes on the role played by angels, & especially by Michael, in Judaism.

    Michael is mentioned by anem for the 2nd time in the Epistle of Jude, which is an impassioned plea for the believers to engage in battle against the incursion of the error. In verses 9-10, the author denounces the heretics by contrasting them with the archangel Michael, who, in disputing with Satan over the body of Moses.

    According to rabbinic tradition, Michael acted as the advocate of Israel. Sometimes he had to fight with the princes of other nations (Daniel 10:13), & particularly with the angel Samael, Israel’s accuser. Their hostility dates from the time Samael was thrown from heaven & tried to drag Michael down with him, requiring God’s intervention.

    The rabbis declare that Michael came into his role as defender at the time of the biblical patriarchs. Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob said Michael rescued Abraham from the furnace into which he’d been thrown by Nimrod. Some say he was the “one that had escaped” (Genesis 14:13), who told Abraham that Lot had been taken captive & who protected Sarah from defilement by Abimelech.

    Michael prevented Isaac’s being sacrificed by his dad by substituting a ram in his place. He saved Jacob, while still in his mom’s womb, from death at the hands of Samuel. Michael later prevented Laban from hurting Jacob. The midrash Exodus Rabbah holds that Michael exercised his function as an advocate of Israel at the time of the Exodus & destroyed Sennacherib’s army.

    Epiphanius of Salamis (circa 310-circa 320-403), in his Coptic-Arabic Hexaemeron, referred to Michael as a replacement of Satan. Accordingly, after Satan fell, Michael was appointed to the function Satan served when he was still 1 of the noble angels.

    A painting of Michael slaying a serpent became a major art piece at the Michaelion after Constantine defeated Licinius near there in 324. This contributed to the standard iconography that developed of Michael as a warrior saint slaying a dragon. The Michaelion was a magnificent church & in time became a model for hundreds of other churches in Eastern Christianity.

    In the 4th century, St. Basil the Great’s homily, De Angelis, St. Michael over all the angels. He was called “Archangel” because he heralds other angels, the title archangelos applied to him in Jude 1:9. The angelology of Pseudo-Dionysius, which was widely read as of the 6th century, gave Michael a rank in the hierarchy of angels.

    Later, in the 13th century, others such as Bonventure believed him to be Prince of the Seraphim, the 1st of the 9 angelic orders. According to Thomas Aquinas, Michael is the Prince of the last & lowest choir, the Angels.

    Catholics often refer to Michael as “Holy Michael, the Archangel” or “St. Michael.” He’s generally referred to in Christian liturgies as “St. Michael,” as in the Litany of the Saints. In a shortened archangel, is mentioned by name, omitting Saints Gabriel & Raphael.

    In Roman Catholic teachings, St. Michael has 4 main roles or offices. His 1st role is the leader of the Army of God & the leader of celestial forces in triumphing over the powers of Hell. He’s viewed as the angelic model for the virtues of the “spiritual warrior,” his conflict with evil taken as “the battle within.”

    The 2nd & 3rd roles of Michael in Catholic teachings deal with death. In his 2nd role, he’s the angel of death, carrying the souls of Christians to Heaven. In his 3rd role, he weighs souls on his perfectly balanced scales. The scales are a common object he holds in art.

    In his 4th role, St. Michael, the special patron of the Chosen People in the Old Testament, is also Guardian of the Church. St. Michael was revered by the military orders of knights during the Middle Ages. The names of villages around the Bay of Biscay reflect this history.

    The Eastern Orthodox give Michael the title Archistrategos, or “Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts.” The Eastern Orthodox pray to their guardian angels & above all, to Michael & Gabriel. The Eastern Orthodox have always had a strong devotion to angels. In modern times, they’re referred to by the term “Bodiless Powers.” Several feasts dedicated to Archangel Michael are celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox throughout the year.

    In Russia, many monasteries, cathedrals, courts, & merchant churches are dedicated to the Chief Commander Michael. Most Russian cities have a church or chapel dedicated to the archangel Michael. In Ukraine, the archangel Michael is the patron saint of Kyiv. He became popular from the time of Prince Vsevolod of Kyivan Rus’.

    While in the Serbian Orthodox Church, St. Sava has a special role as the establisher of its autocephaly & largest Belgrade church devoted to him, the capital Belgrade’s Orthodox cathedral, the see church of the patriarch, is devoted to Michael.

    The place of Michael in the Coptic Church of Alexandra is as a saintly intercessor. He’s the 1 who presents to God the prayers of the just, who accompanies the souls of the dead to Heaven, who defeats the devil. He’s celebrated liturgically on the 12th of each Coptic month.

    In Alexandria, a church was dedicated to him in the early 4th century on the 12th of the month of Paoni. The 12th month of Hathor is the celebration of Michael’s appointment in Heaven, where Michael became the chief of the angels.

    Seventh-Day Adventists believe that “Michael” is but 1 of many titles applied to the pre-existent Christ, or Son of God. According to Adventist theology, Michael was/is considered the “Eternal Word,” & the 1 by whom all things were created. The Word was then born, incarnated as Jesus.

    They believe that the name “Michael” signifies “One Who Is Like God” & that, as the “Archangel” or “chief or head of the angels,” he led the angels; thus, the statement in Revelation 12:7-9 refers to Jesus as Michael.

    Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Michael is another name for Jesus in Heaven, in His pre-human & post-resurrection existence. They say the definite article in Jude 9 identifies Michael as the only archangel. They consider Michael to be synonymous with Christ, described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, & with the sound of the trumpet.”

    They believe the prominent roles assigned to Michael in Daniel 12:1, Revelation 12:7, Revelation 16, & Revelation 19:14 are identical to Jesus’ roles, being the 1 chosen to lead God’s people & as the only 1 who “stands up,” identifying the 2 as the same spirit being.

    Because they identify Michael with Jesus, he’s considered the 1st & greatest of all God’s heavenly “sons,” God’s chief messenger, who takes the lead in vindicating God’s sovereignty, sanctifying his name, fighting the wicked forces of Satan & protecting God’s covenant people on earth. Jehovah’s Witnesses also identify Michael with the “Angel of the Lord” who led & protected the Israelites in the wilderness.

    Members of the Mormon Church believe that Michael is Adam (of Adam & Eve fame), the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7), a prince, & the patriarch of the human family. They also hold that Michael assisted Jehovah (the pre-mortal form of Jesus) in the creation of the world under the direction of God the Father (Elohim). Under the direction of the Father, Michael also cast Satan out of Heaven.

    In Islam, Mika’il (Michael) is 1 of 4 archangels along with Jibril (Gabriel, whom he’s often paired with), Israfil (trumpeter angel) & ‘Azra’il (angel of death). In other Islamic literature, Michael is associated with mercy. He asks God for forgiveness for humans & is 1 of the 1st angels who obeyed God’s orders to bow before Adam.

    From the tears of Michael, angels of mercy are created as his helpers. Like Gabriel, with whom he’s often mentioned together, Michael is also a messenger. While Gabriel delivers messages from Heaven to humans, Michael delivers messages to the angelic world.

    As the angel to execute God’s providence, he’s also associated with natural phenomena & causes rain upon the lands. Unlike Christian traditions, Michael is rarely shown as a warrior-angel, with a few references to the Battle of Badr by Suyuti as an exception.

    The Miraj literature on occasion mentions both Gabriel & Michael as 2 angels who showed Muhammad Paradise & Hell. He’s mentioned in Shia supplication (Dua), reportedly handed down by the 6th Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, in the prayers for blessings for the Bearers of the Throne.

    The figures of Michael & Gabriel/Jibril serve as dual pillars of angelology. While they show up in the same texts, their “personalities” & mythological roles are distinct. Michael is the celestial soldier & protector. While Gabriel is the bridge between the divine mind & the human ear.

    The name Michael (Mikha’el) translates from Hebrew as a rhetorical question: “Who is like God?” This name is actually a battle cry used during the primordial war in Heaven.

    In the Book of Daniel, Michael is described as the “Great Prince” who stands guard over the people of Israel. Jewish Midrash expands on this. It suggests that Michael is the high priest of the Heavenly Temple. When other nations’ guardian angels argue against Israel, Michael acts as the defense in the celestial courtroom. Because after all, God is the judge of all.

    Michael’s most iconic role comes from the Book of Revelation. Here, he leads an army of God against the Dragon (a.k.a. Satan). He’s almost always dressed in Roman/Medieval armor, standing over a defeated demon/dragon, holding a spear/sword.

    In Catholic traditions, Michael has a secondary role as the Psychopomp. A Psychopomp is a conductor or a guide of souls. The 1 who “weighs” souls at the moment of death. This is why he’s sometimes shown with scales.

    In Islamic tradition, Mikail (Michael) is 1 of 4 archangels. While Jibril feeds the soul (through revelation), Mikail is the Angel of Sustenance. He’s responsible for the forces of nature, specifically rain & lightning. Legends say he’s so moved by the majesty of God that he hasn’t smiled since the creation of Hell.

    In the United States, Michael is the patron saint of paratroopers, police officers, & the military.

    In the General Roman Calendar, the Anglican Calendar of Saints, & the Lutheran Calendar of Saints, Michael’s feast day is Michaelmas Day (September 29). The day is also the feast day of St. Gabriel & Raphael, in the General Roman Calendar & the Feast of St. Michael & All Angels in the Church of England.

    In the Eastern Orthodox Church, St. Michael’s principal feast day is November 8. November 21, if they’re using the Gregorian calendar. Honoring him along with the rest of the “Bodiless Powers of Heaven” (angels) as their Supreme Commander, & the Miracle at Chonae is celebrated on September 6.

    In the Coptic Orthodox Church, the main feast day is on 12 Hathor (between November 9 & December 9) & 12 Paoni (between June 8 & July 7). He is celebrated liturgically on the 12th of each Coptic month.

    On April 7, the Oriental Orthodox Church commemorates the deliverance of the prophet Jeremiah from prison by Michael.

    Make a one-time donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate

    Make a monthly donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate monthly

    Make a yearly donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate yearly

    Rate this:

    #AzraIl #1Thessalonians416 #12Hathor #12Paoni #13thCentury #2ndCenturyBC #324 #3rdCenturyBC #4thCentury #6thCentury #Abimelech #Abraham #Adam #AllAngels #AncientOfDays #AngelOfDeath #AngelOfSustenance #Angelology #AnglicanCalendarOfSaints #Apocalyptic #April7 #ArchangelGabriel #ArchangelMichael #ArchangelRaguel #ArchangelRaphael #ArchangelRemiel #ArchangelSariel #ArchangelUriel #Archangelos #Archistrategos #ArmyOfGod #BattleOfBadr #BayOfBiscay #BearersOfTheThrone #Belgrade #BodilessPowers #BodilessPowersOfHeaven #Bonventure #BookOfDaniel #BookOfEnoch #BookOfRevelation #Catholic #Catholics #ChiefCommanderMichael #Christ #Christianity #ChurchOfEngland #Circa310 #Circa320 #Circa403 #Constantine #CopticChurchOfAlexandria #Daniel #Daniel1013 #Daniel121 #Daniel7 #DeAngelis #December9 #Disciples #Dragon #Dua #EasternChristianity #EasternOrthodox #EasternOrthodoxChurch #Elohim #EpiphaniusOfSalamis #EpistleOfJude #EternalWord #ExodusRabbah #FeastDay #FeastOfStMichael #GeneralRomanCalendar #Genesis1413 #GreatPrince #GreekOrthodoxy #GregorianCalendar #Hathor #Heaven #HeavenlyTemple #Hebrew #Hell #Hexaemeron #HighPriest #Homily #Isaac #Islam #Israel #Jacob #Jehovah #JehovahSWitnesses #Jeremiah #Jesus #Jewish #Jibril #Judaism #Jude19 #Jude9 #July7 #June8 #KievanRus #KingSennacherib #Kyiv #Laban #Licinius #LitanyOfTheSaints #Lot #Luke2231 #LutheranCalendarOfSaints #Menorah #Mercy #MichaelTheTaxiarch #Michaelion #MichaelmasDay #Midrash #Mikail #MikhaEl #MiracleAtChonae #Miraj #MormonChurch #Moses #Muhammad #NewTestament #Nimrod #November21 #November8 #November9 #OldTestament #OrientalOrthodoxChurch #Paoni #Paradise #Patriarchs #PatronSaint #PatronSaints #Persia #PrinceOfTheSeraphim #PrinceVsevolod #Prophet #PseudoDionysius #Psychopomp #Qumran #Rabbis #Revelation127 #Revelation12712 #Revelation1279 #Revelation16 #Revelation1914 #Revelation45 #RomanCatholic #Russia #Samael #Samuel #Sarah #Satan #Scales #September29 #September6 #SerbianOrthodoxChurch #SeventhDayAdventists #Shia #SonOfGod #Spear #StBasilTheGreat #StGabriel #StMichael #StRaphael #StSava #Suyuti #Temple #ThomasAquinas #Torah #Trumpet #Ukraine #UnitedStatesOfAmerica
  4. Spirituality & Religious Studies @spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com@spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com ·

    Archangel Michael

    Also called Michael the Taxiarch. A taxiarch is used in the Greek language to mean “brigadier,” or a commander of a company. In Greek Orthodoxy, it refers to the Archangels Michael or Gabriel as leaders of the heavenly hosts.

    Michael is an archangel & warrior of God in Christianity, Islam, & Judaism. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in the 2nd or 3rd centuries BC Jewish works, often but not always apocalyptic. In these works, he’s the chief of the angels & archangels. He’s the guardian prince of Israel & is responsible for the care of the people of Israel.

    Christianity conserved nearly all of Jewish traditions concerning him. He’s mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7-12, where he does battle with Satan, & in the Epistle of Jude, where the archangel & the devil have an argument over the body of Moses.

    The Book of Enoch lists Michael as 1 of 7 archangels. The remaining names are: Uriel, Raguel, Raphael, Sariel, Gabriel, & Remiel. He’s mentioned again in the last chapters of the Book of Daniel, a Jewish apocalypse composed in the 2nd century BC, in which a man clothed in linen tells Daniel that he & “Michael, your prince” are engaged in a battle with the “prince of Persia,” after which, at the end-time, “Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.”

    Enoch was instrumental in establishing the pre-eminent place of Michael among the angels & archangels. In later Jewish works, he’s said to be their chief, mediating the Torah, & standing at the right hand of the throne of God.

    In the traditions of the Qumran community, he defends, or leads, the people of God in the end-time battle. In other writings, he’s responsible for the care of Israel & acts as commander of the heavenly armies. He’s Israel’s advocate, contesting Satan’s claim to the body of Moses.

    He intercedes between God & humanity & serves as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. (So would this make him Aaron’s equal? We’re sincerely asking. Let us know your take in the comments.) He accompanies the souls of the righteous dead to Paradise.

    The 7 archangels (or 4, as traditions differ, but always include Michael) were associated with the branches of the menorah, the sacred 7-branched lamp stand in the Temple, as the 7 spirits before the throne of God. This is reflected in the Book of Revelation 4:5. Michael is mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7-12, where he does battle with Satan & casts him out of heaven so that he no longer has that exclusive access to God as accuser (his former role in the Old Testament).

    Satan’s fall at the coming of Jesus marks the separation of the New Testament from Judaism. In Luke 22:31, Jesus tells Peter that Satan has asked God for permission to “sift” the disciples, the goal being to accuse them. But the accusation by Jesus, who thus takes on the role played by angels, & especially by Michael, in Judaism.

    Michael is mentioned by anem for the 2nd time in the Epistle of Jude, which is an impassioned plea for the believers to engage in battle against the incursion of the error. In verses 9-10, the author denounces the heretics by contrasting them with the archangel Michael, who, in disputing with Satan over the body of Moses.

    According to rabbinic tradition, Michael acted as the advocate of Israel. Sometimes he had to fight with the princes of other nations (Daniel 10:13), & particularly with the angel Samael, Israel’s accuser. Their hostility dates from the time Samael was thrown from heaven & tried to drag Michael down with him, requiring God’s intervention.

    The rabbis declare that Michael came into his role as defender at the time of the biblical patriarchs. Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob said Michael rescued Abraham from the furnace into which he’d been thrown by Nimrod. Some say he was the “one that had escaped” (Genesis 14:13), who told Abraham that Lot had been taken captive & who protected Sarah from defilement by Abimelech.

    Michael prevented Isaac’s being sacrificed by his dad by substituting a ram in his place. He saved Jacob, while still in his mom’s womb, from death at the hands of Samuel. Michael later prevented Laban from hurting Jacob. The midrash Exodus Rabbah holds that Michael exercised his function as an advocate of Israel at the time of the Exodus & destroyed Sennacherib’s army.

    Epiphanius of Salamis (circa 310-circa 320-403), in his Coptic-Arabic Hexaemeron, referred to Michael as a replacement of Satan. Accordingly, after Satan fell, Michael was appointed to the function Satan served when he was still 1 of the noble angels.

    A painting of Michael slaying a serpent became a major art piece at the Michaelion after Constantine defeated Licinius near there in 324. This contributed to the standard iconography that developed of Michael as a warrior saint slaying a dragon. The Michaelion was a magnificent church & in time became a model for hundreds of other churches in Eastern Christianity.

    In the 4th century, St. Basil the Great’s homily, De Angelis, St. Michael over all the angels. He was called “Archangel” because he heralds other angels, the title archangelos applied to him in Jude 1:9. The angelology of Pseudo-Dionysius, which was widely read as of the 6th century, gave Michael a rank in the hierarchy of angels.

    Later, in the 13th century, others such as Bonventure believed him to be Prince of the Seraphim, the 1st of the 9 angelic orders. According to Thomas Aquinas, Michael is the Prince of the last & lowest choir, the Angels.

    Catholics often refer to Michael as “Holy Michael, the Archangel” or “St. Michael.” He’s generally referred to in Christian liturgies as “St. Michael,” as in the Litany of the Saints. In a shortened archangel, is mentioned by name, omitting Saints Gabriel & Raphael.

    In Roman Catholic teachings, St. Michael has 4 main roles or offices. His 1st role is the leader of the Army of God & the leader of celestial forces in triumphing over the powers of Hell. He’s viewed as the angelic model for the virtues of the “spiritual warrior,” his conflict with evil taken as “the battle within.”

    The 2nd & 3rd roles of Michael in Catholic teachings deal with death. In his 2nd role, he’s the angel of death, carrying the souls of Christians to Heaven. In his 3rd role, he weighs souls on his perfectly balanced scales. The scales are a common object he holds in art.

    In his 4th role, St. Michael, the special patron of the Chosen People in the Old Testament, is also Guardian of the Church. St. Michael was revered by the military orders of knights during the Middle Ages. The names of villages around the Bay of Biscay reflect this history.

    The Eastern Orthodox give Michael the title Archistrategos, or “Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts.” The Eastern Orthodox pray to their guardian angels & above all, to Michael & Gabriel. The Eastern Orthodox have always had a strong devotion to angels. In modern times, they’re referred to by the term “Bodiless Powers.” Several feasts dedicated to Archangel Michael are celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox throughout the year.

    In Russia, many monasteries, cathedrals, courts, & merchant churches are dedicated to the Chief Commander Michael. Most Russian cities have a church or chapel dedicated to the archangel Michael. In Ukraine, the archangel Michael is the patron saint of Kyiv. He became popular from the time of Prince Vsevolod of Kyivan Rus’.

    While in the Serbian Orthodox Church, St. Sava has a special role as the establisher of its autocephaly & largest Belgrade church devoted to him, the capital Belgrade’s Orthodox cathedral, the see church of the patriarch, is devoted to Michael.

    The place of Michael in the Coptic Church of Alexandra is as a saintly intercessor. He’s the 1 who presents to God the prayers of the just, who accompanies the souls of the dead to Heaven, who defeats the devil. He’s celebrated liturgically on the 12th of each Coptic month.

    In Alexandria, a church was dedicated to him in the early 4th century on the 12th of the month of Paoni. The 12th month of Hathor is the celebration of Michael’s appointment in Heaven, where Michael became the chief of the angels.

    Seventh-Day Adventists believe that “Michael” is but 1 of many titles applied to the pre-existent Christ, or Son of God. According to Adventist theology, Michael was/is considered the “Eternal Word,” & the 1 by whom all things were created. The Word was then born, incarnated as Jesus.

    They believe that the name “Michael” signifies “One Who Is Like God” & that, as the “Archangel” or “chief or head of the angels,” he led the angels; thus, the statement in Revelation 12:7-9 refers to Jesus as Michael.

    Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Michael is another name for Jesus in Heaven, in His pre-human & post-resurrection existence. They say the definite article in Jude 9 identifies Michael as the only archangel. They consider Michael to be synonymous with Christ, described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, & with the sound of the trumpet.”

    They believe the prominent roles assigned to Michael in Daniel 12:1, Revelation 12:7, Revelation 16, & Revelation 19:14 are identical to Jesus’ roles, being the 1 chosen to lead God’s people & as the only 1 who “stands up,” identifying the 2 as the same spirit being.

    Because they identify Michael with Jesus, he’s considered the 1st & greatest of all God’s heavenly “sons,” God’s chief messenger, who takes the lead in vindicating God’s sovereignty, sanctifying his name, fighting the wicked forces of Satan & protecting God’s covenant people on earth. Jehovah’s Witnesses also identify Michael with the “Angel of the Lord” who led & protected the Israelites in the wilderness.

    Members of the Mormon Church believe that Michael is Adam (of Adam & Eve fame), the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7), a prince, & the patriarch of the human family. They also hold that Michael assisted Jehovah (the pre-mortal form of Jesus) in the creation of the world under the direction of God the Father (Elohim). Under the direction of the Father, Michael also cast Satan out of Heaven.

    In Islam, Mika’il (Michael) is 1 of 4 archangels along with Jibril (Gabriel, whom he’s often paired with), Israfil (trumpeter angel) & ‘Azra’il (angel of death). In other Islamic literature, Michael is associated with mercy. He asks God for forgiveness for humans & is 1 of the 1st angels who obeyed God’s orders to bow before Adam.

    From the tears of Michael, angels of mercy are created as his helpers. Like Gabriel, with whom he’s often mentioned together, Michael is also a messenger. While Gabriel delivers messages from Heaven to humans, Michael delivers messages to the angelic world.

    As the angel to execute God’s providence, he’s also associated with natural phenomena & causes rain upon the lands. Unlike Christian traditions, Michael is rarely shown as a warrior-angel, with a few references to the Battle of Badr by Suyuti as an exception.

    The Miraj literature on occasion mentions both Gabriel & Michael as 2 angels who showed Muhammad Paradise & Hell. He’s mentioned in Shia supplication (Dua), reportedly handed down by the 6th Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, in the prayers for blessings for the Bearers of the Throne.

    The figures of Michael & Gabriel/Jibril serve as dual pillars of angelology. While they show up in the same texts, their “personalities” & mythological roles are distinct. Michael is the celestial soldier & protector. While Gabriel is the bridge between the divine mind & the human ear.

    The name Michael (Mikha’el) translates from Hebrew as a rhetorical question: “Who is like God?” This name is actually a battle cry used during the primordial war in Heaven.

    In the Book of Daniel, Michael is described as the “Great Prince” who stands guard over the people of Israel. Jewish Midrash expands on this. It suggests that Michael is the high priest of the Heavenly Temple. When other nations’ guardian angels argue against Israel, Michael acts as the defense in the celestial courtroom. Because after all, God is the judge of all.

    Michael’s most iconic role comes from the Book of Revelation. Here, he leads an army of God against the Dragon (a.k.a. Satan). He’s almost always dressed in Roman/Medieval armor, standing over a defeated demon/dragon, holding a spear/sword.

    In Catholic traditions, Michael has a secondary role as the Psychopomp. A Psychopomp is a conductor or a guide of souls. The 1 who “weighs” souls at the moment of death. This is why he’s sometimes shown with scales.

    In Islamic tradition, Mikail (Michael) is 1 of 4 archangels. While Jibril feeds the soul (through revelation), Mikail is the Angel of Sustenance. He’s responsible for the forces of nature, specifically rain & lightning. Legends say he’s so moved by the majesty of God that he hasn’t smiled since the creation of Hell.

    In the United States, Michael is the patron saint of paratroopers, police officers, & the military.

    In the General Roman Calendar, the Anglican Calendar of Saints, & the Lutheran Calendar of Saints, Michael’s feast day is Michaelmas Day (September 29). The day is also the feast day of St. Gabriel & Raphael, in the General Roman Calendar & the Feast of St. Michael & All Angels in the Church of England.

    In the Eastern Orthodox Church, St. Michael’s principal feast day is November 8. November 21, if they’re using the Gregorian calendar. Honoring him along with the rest of the “Bodiless Powers of Heaven” (angels) as their Supreme Commander, & the Miracle at Chonae is celebrated on September 6.

    In the Coptic Orthodox Church, the main feast day is on 12 Hathor (between November 9 & December 9) & 12 Paoni (between June 8 & July 7). He is celebrated liturgically on the 12th of each Coptic month.

    On April 7, the Oriental Orthodox Church commemorates the deliverance of the prophet Jeremiah from prison by Michael.

    Make a one-time donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate

    Make a monthly donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate monthly

    Make a yearly donation

    Your contribution is appreciated.

    Donate yearly

    Rate this:

    #AzraIl #1Thessalonians416 #12Hathor #12Paoni #13thCentury #2ndCenturyBC #324 #3rdCenturyBC #4thCentury #6thCentury #Abimelech #Abraham #Adam #AllAngels #AncientOfDays #AngelOfDeath #AngelOfSustenance #Angelology #AnglicanCalendarOfSaints #Apocalyptic #April7 #ArchangelGabriel #ArchangelMichael #ArchangelRaguel #ArchangelRaphael #ArchangelRemiel #ArchangelSariel #ArchangelUriel #Archangelos #Archistrategos #ArmyOfGod #BattleOfBadr #BayOfBiscay #BearersOfTheThrone #Belgrade #BodilessPowers #BodilessPowersOfHeaven #Bonventure #BookOfDaniel #BookOfEnoch #BookOfRevelation #Catholic #Catholics #ChiefCommanderMichael #Christ #Christianity #ChurchOfEngland #Circa310 #Circa320 #Circa403 #Constantine #CopticChurchOfAlexandria #Daniel #Daniel1013 #Daniel121 #Daniel7 #DeAngelis #December9 #Disciples #Dragon #Dua #EasternChristianity #EasternOrthodox #EasternOrthodoxChurch #Elohim #EpiphaniusOfSalamis #EpistleOfJude #EternalWord #ExodusRabbah #FeastDay #FeastOfStMichael #GeneralRomanCalendar #Genesis1413 #GreatPrince #GreekOrthodoxy #GregorianCalendar #Hathor #Heaven #HeavenlyTemple #Hebrew #Hell #Hexaemeron #HighPriest #Homily #Isaac #Islam #Israel #Jacob #Jehovah #JehovahSWitnesses #Jeremiah #Jesus #Jewish #Jibril #Judaism #Jude19 #Jude9 #July7 #June8 #KievanRus #KingSennacherib #Kyiv #Laban #Licinius #LitanyOfTheSaints #Lot #Luke2231 #LutheranCalendarOfSaints #Menorah #Mercy #MichaelTheTaxiarch #Michaelion #MichaelmasDay #Midrash #Mikail #MikhaEl #MiracleAtChonae #Miraj #MormonChurch #Moses #Muhammad #NewTestament #Nimrod #November21 #November8 #November9 #OldTestament #OrientalOrthodoxChurch #Paoni #Paradise #Patriarchs #PatronSaint #PatronSaints #Persia #PrinceOfTheSeraphim #PrinceVsevolod #Prophet #PseudoDionysius #Psychopomp #Qumran #Rabbis #Revelation127 #Revelation12712 #Revelation1279 #Revelation16 #Revelation1914 #Revelation45 #RomanCatholic #Russia #Samael #Samuel #Sarah #Satan #Scales #September29 #September6 #SerbianOrthodoxChurch #SeventhDayAdventists #Shia #SonOfGod #Spear #StBasilTheGreat #StGabriel #StMichael #StRaphael #StSava #Suyuti #Temple #ThomasAquinas #Torah #Trumpet #Ukraine #UnitedStatesOfAmerica
  5. Am System Epstein zeigt sich eine neue Form der politischen Ökonomie!

    In einem sehr lesenwerten Aufsatz zeigt Melinda Cooper, Professorin am College of Arts and Social Sciences der Australian National University auf, wie sich die milliardenschweren Patriarchen der extremen Rechten in den USA als die Gebieter einer neuen Herr-Knecht-Ökonomie sehen.

    zeitschrift-luxemburg.de/artik

    Original
    equator.org/articles/epstein-f

    #coopermelinda #australia #epstein #musk #thiel #usa #extreme #rechte #family #familyvalues #equator #missbrauch #ausbeutung #exploit #patriarchs #farright #economy #masters #servants #billionaire #SiliconValley #transhumanism #Freud #FreudSigmund #trump #GhislaineMaxwell #VirginaGiuffre #HarveyWeinstein #sunday #sonntag #deutschland #sexuellermissbrauch

  6. Am System Epstein zeigt sich eine neue Form der politischen Ökonomie!

    In einem sehr lesenwerten Aufsatz zeigt Melinda Cooper, Professorin am College of Arts and Social Sciences der Australian National University auf, wie sich die milliardenschweren Patriarchen der extremen Rechten in den USA als die Gebieter einer neuen Herr-Knecht-Ökonomie sehen.

    zeitschrift-luxemburg.de/artik

    Original
    equator.org/articles/epstein-f

    #coopermelinda #australia #epstein #musk #thiel #usa #extreme #rechte #family #familyvalues #equator #missbrauch #ausbeutung #exploit #patriarchs #farright #economy #masters #servants #billionaire #SiliconValley #transhumanism #Freud #FreudSigmund #trump #GhislaineMaxwell #VirginaGiuffre #HarveyWeinstein #sunday #sonntag #deutschland #sexuellermissbrauch

  7. Am System Epstein zeigt sich eine neue Form der politischen Ökonomie!

    In einem sehr lesenwerten Aufsatz zeigt Melinda Cooper, Professorin am College of Arts and Social Sciences der Australian National University auf, wie sich die milliardenschweren Patriarchen der extremen Rechten in den USA als die Gebieter einer neuen Herr-Knecht-Ökonomie sehen.

    zeitschrift-luxemburg.de/artik

    Original
    equator.org/articles/epstein-f

    #coopermelinda #australia #epstein #musk #thiel #usa #extreme #rechte #family #familyvalues #equator #missbrauch #ausbeutung #exploit #patriarchs #farright #economy #masters #servants #billionaire #SiliconValley #transhumanism #Freud #FreudSigmund #trump #GhislaineMaxwell #VirginaGiuffre #HarveyWeinstein #sunday #sonntag #deutschland #sexuellermissbrauch

  8. @SocraticEthics I’ll bet a million #rubles or $10 💵 on the #Russian #BlackMarket , whichever is of greater value at the moment, that #Patriarchs in the #EasternOrthodox Church laughed when #CharlieHebdo ridiculed the Prophet #Muhammad and #IslamicTerrorists. Did I get that right? 🤔

    #LGBTQ #LastSupper #ParisOlympics

  9. @SocraticEthics I’ll bet a million #rubles or $10 💵 on the #Russian #BlackMarket , whichever is of greater value at the moment, that #Patriarchs in the #EasternOrthodox Church laughed when #CharlieHebdo ridiculed the Prophet #Muhammad and #IslamicTerrorists. Did I get that right? 🤔

    #LGBTQ #LastSupper #ParisOlympics

  10. @SocraticEthics I’ll bet a million #rubles or $10 💵 on the #Russian #BlackMarket , whichever is of greater value at the moment, that #Patriarchs in the #EasternOrthodox Church laughed when #CharlieHebdo ridiculed the Prophet #Muhammad and #IslamicTerrorists. Did I get that right? 🤔

    #LGBTQ #LastSupper #ParisOlympics

  11. @SocraticEthics I’ll bet a million #rubles or $10 💵 on the #Russian #BlackMarket , whichever is of greater value at the moment, that #Patriarchs in the #EasternOrthodox Church laughed when #CharlieHebdo ridiculed the Prophet #Muhammad and #IslamicTerrorists. Did I get that right? 🤔

    #LGBTQ #LastSupper #ParisOlympics

  12. ⬆️ @lukevanin

    That's not the only contradiction.

    Preamble: "#Palestine is a land whose status has been elevated by #Islam, a faith that holds it in high esteem, that breathes through it its spirit and just values and that lays the foundation for the #doctrine of defending and protecting it."

    "Palestine is the spirit of the #Ummah…"

    So, Islam is foundation for their doctrine, but all #biblical references to #Jewish #Patriarchs, the land of #Judah, #KingdomOfDavid are null and void?

    @Oeneus

  13. ⬆️ @lukevanin

    That's not the only contradiction.

    Preamble: "#Palestine is a land whose status has been elevated by #Islam, a faith that holds it in high esteem, that breathes through it its spirit and just values and that lays the foundation for the #doctrine of defending and protecting it."

    "Palestine is the spirit of the #Ummah…"

    So, Islam is foundation for their doctrine, but all #biblical references to #Jewish #Patriarchs, the land of #Judah, #KingdomOfDavid are null and void?

    @Oeneus

  14. ⬆️ @lukevanin

    That's not the only contradiction.

    Preamble: "#Palestine is a land whose status has been elevated by #Islam, a faith that holds it in high esteem, that breathes through it its spirit and just values and that lays the foundation for the #doctrine of defending and protecting it."

    "Palestine is the spirit of the #Ummah…"

    So, Islam is foundation for their doctrine, but all #biblical references to #Jewish #Patriarchs, the land of #Judah, #KingdomOfDavid are null and void?

    @Oeneus

  15. Patriarchs of Grado and Venice

    The Patriarchate of Aquileia goes back to the earliest times, initially as an archbishopric.

    With the invasion of the Lombards in 568, the patriarch Paulinus fled to the island of Grado in the nearby lagoon, which he called New Aquileia.

    However, in 606, the Lombards appointed another patriarch in Aquileia, leading to a schism which wasn't resolved for centuries.

    There were consequently two patriarchs contesting the same territory and the same believers, which at times even led to war.

    In particular, a war in 1172 between the two patriarch caused the Patriarch of Grado to move to Venice. In 1451, the title was changed to Patriarch of Venice.

    #histodons #Patriarchs #Venezia #Venice

    Read more here: https://historywalksvenice.com/list/patriarchs-of-grado-and-venice/

  16. THE #PATRIARCHS
    The Origins of #Inequality
    Author: Angela Saini
    beacon.org/The-Patriarchs-P193
    For fans of Sapiens and The Dawn of Everything, a groundbreaking exploration of #gendered oppression—its origins, its histories, our attempts to understand it, and our efforts to combat it

  17. THE #PATRIARCHS
    The Origins of #Inequality
    Author: Angela Saini
    beacon.org/The-Patriarchs-P193
    For fans of Sapiens and The Dawn of Everything, a groundbreaking exploration of #gendered oppression—its origins, its histories, our attempts to understand it, and our efforts to combat it

  18. Lovely to be at the book launch tonight of Angela Saini’s latest book. I’m really looking forward to reading it. #books #Patriarchs

  19. Lovely to be at the book launch tonight of Angela Saini’s latest book. I’m really looking forward to reading it. #books #Patriarchs

  20. Lovely to be at the book launch tonight of Angela Saini’s latest book. I’m really looking forward to reading it. #books #Patriarchs

  21. Lovely to be at the book launch tonight of Angela Saini’s latest book. I’m really looking forward to reading it. #books #Patriarchs