Michael (archangel)
archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings
Michael, also called Archangel Michael or Michael the Taxiarch, is an archangel and the warrior of God in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam while additionally being venerated as a saint in some Christian traditions. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second-century BC Jewish works, often but not always apocalyptic, where he is the chief of the angels and archangels, and he is the guardian prince of ancient Israel and is responsible for the care of the Israelites. Christianity conserved nearly all the Jewish traditions concerning him, and he is mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7–12, where he battles with Satan, and in the Epistle of Jude, where the archangel and the devil dispute over the body of Moses.
Old Testament and Deuterocanon
The Book of Enoch lists Michael as one of seven archangels (the remaining names are Uriel, Raguel, Raphael, Sariel, Gabriel, and Remiel), who in the Book of Tobit "stand ready and enter before the glory of the Lord". The fact that Michael is introduced implies the knowledge of him and the other named angels. He is mentioned again in the last chapters of the Book of Daniel, a Jewish apocalypse composed in the second century BC, in which a man clothed in linen (never identified, but matching a description given to John in Revelation regarding the Alpha and Omega) tells Daniel that he and "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 and archangels, and in later Jewish works, he is said to be their chief, mediating the Torah (the Law of God), and 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 eschatological (i.e., end-time) battle. In other writings, he is responsible for the care of Israel and acts as commander of the heavenly armies; he is Israel's advocate contesting Satan's claim to the body of Moses; he intercedes between God and humanity and serves as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary; and he accompanies the souls of the righteous dead to Paradise.
New Testament
The seven archangels (or four, as traditions differ but always include Michael) were associated with the branches of the menorah, the sacred seven-branched lampstand in the Temple as the seven spirits before the throne of God, and this is reflected in the Book of Revelation 4:5 ("Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God," – NRSVue).
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