Gabriel is not referred to as an archangel in the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament. However, a wealth of Jewish literature was written during the Second Temple period (516 BC–70 AD). Much of the literature produced during this intertestamental period was of the apocalyptic genre.
While the term "archangel" isn't directly applied to Gabriel in Scripture as it is to Michael, Gabriel's prominent role and the nature of his missions have led theologians to classify him among the highest-ranking angels. Gabriel is one of only two angels explicitly named in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. His name, derived from the Hebrew “גַּבְרִיאֵל” (Gavriʾel), is often understood to mean “God is my strength” or “mighty one of God.” The angel Gabriel appears several times in the New Testament. He was employed to announce to Zechariah that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son in their old age, John the Baptist.
gabriel nesmith, Gabriel also announced the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary (an event often referred to as the Annunciation). While many of us recognize the angel Gabriel by name, particularly as it relates to the Christmas story, how much do we really know about him? Here are seven biblical facts about the angel... St. Gabriel is an angel who serves as a messenger for God to certain people.
gabriel nesmith, He is one of the three archangels. Gabriel is mentioned in both the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible. First, in the Old Testament, Gabriel appears to the prophet Daniel to explain his visions. The Archangel Gabriel is associated with the Holy Spirit and is considered a messenger of God; Gabriel is the herald of visions and makes God's messages understandable to help people accept God's word. Gabriel (Hebrew: גַּבְרִיאֵל, or Jibril; Arabic: جبريل; "Hero of God") is a prominent angel in the Abrahamic religions, who serves God in various capacities, and is especially mentioned in scripture as God's messenger.
