Annunciation Approximating the northern vernal equinox, the date of the Annunciation also marked the New Year in many places, including England, where it is called Lady Day. Both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches hold that the Annunciation took place at Nazareth, but differ as to the precise location. The Basilica of the Annunciation marks the site preferred by the former, while the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation marks that preferred by the latter. The Annunciation has been a key topic in Christian art in general, as well as in Marian art in the Catholic Church, particularly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Biblical account[edit] In the Bible, the Annunciation is narrated in the book of Luke, Luke 1:26-38: A separate annunciation, which is more brief but in the same vein as the one in Luke, is given to Joseph in Matthew 1:18-21: Eastern traditions[edit] In Eastern Christianity Mary is referred to as Theotokos (Θεοτόκος="God-bearer"). St. Feast day[edit] 45Behold!
Raphael (archangel) Raphael (Standard Hebrew רָפָאֵל, Rāfāʾēl, "It is God who heals", "God Heals", "God, Please Heal") is an archangel of Judaism and Christianity, who in the Judeo-Christian tradition performs all manners of healing. In Islam, Raphael is the same as Israfil. Raphael is mentioned in the Book of Tobit, which is accepted as canonical by Catholics, Orthodox, and some Anglo-Catholics, and as useful for public teaching by Lutherans and Anglicans. Raphael is generally associated with the angel mentioned in the Gospel of John as stirring the water at the healing pool of Bethesda. The angels mentioned in the Torah, the older books of the Hebrew Bible, are without names. Raphael is named in several Jewish apocryphal books (see below). Raphael bound Azazel under a desert called Dudael according to Enoch 10:4–6: And again the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein. Tobias and the Angel
War in Heaven Revelation 12:7-13[edit] Modern Bible commentaries, in general, view the "war in heaven" in Revelation 12:7-13 as an eschatological vision of the end of time or as a reference to spiritual warfare within the church, seeing it as "not (as in Milton's Paradise Lost) the story of the origin of Satan/Lucifer as an angel who rebelled against God in primeval times."[3] Some Christian commentators have seen the war in heaven as "not literal" but symbolic of events on earth.[4][5] In John Milton's (1608–1674) Paradise Lost, a war in heaven follows the rebellion by Satan and other angels before the Fall of Man. A third of the angels are hurled from Heaven, including pagan gods such as Molech and Belial.[6] Frederick Holweck, in the Catholic Encyclopedia (1911), article St. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that Revelation 12 concerns the pre-mortal existence of man and take the scripture literally. Motif[edit] Hebrew Bible parallels[edit] Dead Sea Scrolls[edit] James R.
Lucifer Lucifer (/ˈluːsɪfər/ or /ˈljuːsɪfər/) is the King James Version rendering of the Hebrew word הֵילֵל in Isaiah 14:12.[1] This word, transliterated hêlêl[1] or heylel,[2] occurs only once in the Hebrew Bible[1] and according to the KJV-influenced Strong's Concordance means "shining one, morning star, Lucifer".[2] The word Lucifer is taken from the Latin Vulgate,[3] which translates הֵילֵל as lucifer,[Isa 14:12][4][5] meaning "the morning star, the planet Venus", or, as an adjective, "light-bringing".[6] The Septuagint renders הֵילֵל in Greek as ἑωσφόρος[7][8][9][10][11] (heōsphoros),[12][13][14] a name, literally "bringer of dawn", for the morning star.[15] In this passage Isaiah applies to a king of Babylon the image of the morning star fallen from the sky, an image he is generally believed to have borrowed from a legend in Canaanite mythology.[16] Etymology, Lucifer or morning star[edit] "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! J. Isaiah 14:12[edit] Judaism[edit]
Fallen angel Mention of angels who descended to Mount Hermon (not "fell"), to Earth is found in the Book of Enoch, which the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church accept as canonical, as well as in various pseudepigrapha. Primary sources in relation to fallen angels[edit] Sons of God[edit] In the period immediately preceding the composition of the New Testament, some sects of Judaism identified the "sons of God" (בני האלהים) of Genesis 6:1–4 with fallen angels.[4] Some scholars consider it most likely that this Jewish tradition of fallen angels predates, even in written form, the composition of Gen 6:1–4.[5][6] Lester L. Watchers, "Grigori"[edit] The reference to heavenly beings called "Watchers" originates in Daniel 4, in which there are three mentions, twice in the singular (v. 10, 20), once in the plural (v. 14), of "watchers, holy ones". First Enoch[edit] Slavonic Enoch[edit] Fall of Satan[edit] Christianity[edit] A dragon and his angels[edit] Fall of Lucifer[edit] Judaism[edit]
Azrael Background[edit] Depending on the outlook and precepts of various religions in which he is a figure, Azrael may be portrayed as residing in the Third Heaven.[3] In one of his forms, he has four faces and four thousand wings, and his whole body consists of eyes and tongues, the number of which corresponds to the number of people inhabiting the Earth. He will be the last to die, recording and erasing constantly in a large book the names of men at birth and death, respectively.[4] He will receive the souls in the graves In Judaism[edit] In Jewish mysticism, he is commonly referred to as "Azriel," not "Azrael." In Christianity[edit] There is no reference to Azrael in the Catholic Bible, and he is not considered a canonical character within Christianity. While 2 Esdras is not considered canonical by most Christian views, several quotes from the book are used for the Requiem Anternam, showing that it still has some relevance to traditional Christian view points. In Islam[edit] In Sikhism[edit]
Sons of God Sons of God (Heb: bənê hāʼĕlōhîm,[1] בני האלהים) is a phrase used in the Hebrew Bible. Bene elohim are part of different Jewish angelic hierarchies. Hebrew Bible[edit] In the Hebrew Bible, the phrase "sons of the Elohim" occurs in: Gen 6:2 bənê hāʼĕlōhîm (בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים) the sons of Elohim.Job 1:6 bənê hāʼĕlōhîm (בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים) the sons of Elohim.Job 38:7 bənê ĕlōhîm (בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִֽים) without the definite article - sons of godly beings.Psalm 29:1 bənê ēlîm (בְּנֵי אֵלִים) without the definite article - sons of elim. Deuteronomy 32:8 also mentions "sons of Israel" bÿney yisra'el (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) which is translated as the "people of Israel" in the HCSB, "heavenly court" in the New Living Translation and "heavenly assembly" in the New English Translation. [2][3] In some copies of Deuteronomy the Dead Sea Scrolls refer to the sons of God rather than the sons of Israel, probably in reference to angels. Literary origins[edit] Ugaritic text[edit] Late text[edit] J. Translations[edit]
Gabriel In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel (Hebrew: גַּבְרִיאֵל, Modern Gavri'el Tiberian Gaḇrîʼēl, God is my strength; Arabic: جبريل, Jibrīl or جبرائيل Jibrāʾīl) is an angel who typically serves as a messenger sent from God to certain people. In Islam, Gabriel (Jibra'il) is considered one of the four archangels whom God sent with his divine message to various prophets, including Muhammad.[6] The 96th chapter of the Quran, sura Al-Alaq, is believed by Muslims to be the first surah revealed by Gabriel to Muhammad. Judaism[edit] Gabriel is interpreted by the Rabbanim to be the "man in linen" in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Ezekiel. In the Book of Daniel, he is responsible for interpreting Daniel's visions. Gabriel's main function in Daniel is that of revealer, a role he continues in later literature.[7] In the Book of Ezekiel, Gabriel is understood to be the angel that was sent to destroy Jerusalem. In Kabbalah, Gabriel is identified with the sephirot of Yesod. Intertestamental literature[edit]
Noah's Ark Noah's Ark (1846), a painting by the American folk painter Edward Hicks A ship modeled after the biblical description of Noah's Ark, Ark van Noach, in the Netherlands Noah's Ark (Hebrew: תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: Tevat Noaḥ) is the vessel in the Genesis flood narrative (Genesis chapters 6–9) by which Noah saves himself, his family, and a remnant of all the world's animals from the flood. God gives Noah detailed instructions for building the ark: it is to be of gopher wood, smeared inside and out with pitch, with three decks and internal compartments; it will be 300 cubits long (137.16 m, 450 ft), 50 wide (22.86 m, 75 ft), and 30 high (13.716 m, 45 ft); it will have a roof "finished to a cubit upward"; and an entrance on the side. The story goes on to describe the ark being afloat throughout the flood and subsequent receding of the waters before it came to rest on Mount Ararat. The Genesis flood narrative is similar to numerous other flood myths from a variety of cultures. Origins[edit]
Nephilim Etymology[edit] In the Hebrew Bible[edit] The term "Nephilim" occurs just twice in the Hebrew Bible, both in the Torah. The first is Genesis 6:1–4, immediately before the story of Noah's ark. The second is Numbers 13:32–33, where ten of the Twelve Spies report that they have seen fearsome giants in Canaan. The nature of the nephilim is complicated by the ambiguity of Genesis 6:4, which leaves it unclear whether they are the "sons of God" or their offspring who are the "mighty men of old, men of renown". Interpretations[edit] There are effectively two views[15] regarding the identity of the nephilim, which follow on from alternative views about the identity of the sons of God (Bənê hāʼĕlōhîm): Fallen angels[edit] Main article: Fallen angel Some Christian commentators have argued against this view,[21][22] citing Jesus's statement that angels do not marry.[23] Others believe that Jesus was only referring to angels in heaven.[24] Second Temple Judaism[edit] Descendants of Seth and Cain[edit]