Saint Michael Prayer: St. Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Overview: This article will serve as a didactic source, providing an in-depth comprehensive examination of none other than Saint Michael, one of the handful of God’s Archangels mentioned in various sacred texts throughout the world. Over the course of this article, the reader will be provided the textual references made pertaining to the Archangel varying from Judaism-Christian theology as well as the Islamic traditions. Once this has been done, this document will then glance over various traits, characteristics, duties, and responsibilities associated with Saint Michael. In addition to that, the audience will be informed of signs and indications that Archangel Michael’s presence is working with you in your daily life. This account will also look over some of the special interest topics surrounding the Archangel, and touch on some of the more controversial theologies that surround this divine being. The report will conclude with a brief summary of what has been discussed in the duration of this text.
Archangel Michael as he Appears in Theological and Religious Texts
So, who is Archangel Michael, and what exactly is his role in his relationship with God? The name itself is translated to mean, ‘he who is like God,’ and he can be considered to be the angel of God. It should also be noted that his name is associated with, ‘chief angel,’ and that Saint Michael, according to scripture, has command and authority over entire legions of angels. What we see in the religious theologies, especially in the case of Judah-Christian pieces, is that the angels seem to be largely modeled after the hierarchy of the Roman military during the time. We see this in the case of the different classes of angels varying from the Cherubim, Nephilim, and Watchers, amongst several others. But where does Michael appear in the sacred texts?
We find Michael appearing in the book of Jude. More specifically, we see him gracing audiences with his presence in Jude 1:9 in the verse, “But when the Archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, ‘the Lord rebuke here. In this exemplification, there is a clear-cut illustration of the chief of the heavenly host in direct conflict with the devil, which, we will come to find out, seems to be a common theme for him. It is a fairly interesting scenario to try and envisage, with the two celestial beings fighting over the prophet Moses’ body. This will not be the last that we see of God’s angel.
Divulging deeper into the Bible, what can be found is that Archangel Michael is ostensibly saturated all throughout the book of Daniel. Take for instance Daniel 10:13, which reads, “The Prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief Princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia.” What is interesting to observe in this verse is the way that the angels are referred to as Princes. Not only that, but Michael seems to be the chief Prince among them. We see this pattern repeated again in Daniel 10:21, as it reads,” But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.” In this instance, the thing that seems to stand out most is the fact that Michael is directly referred to in a very strong way, as your Prince. Again, we will see this intriguing theme continued in Daniel 12:1, which states, “At that time shall arise, Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.” Here, there seem to be two important points to take away from this verse and passage, which will lead to our next conversational piece. First of all, there is the fact that Michael is being referred to in a very prophetical sense, and that the book of life seems to be mentioned as well. This also seems to be a clear indication of the book of Revelation in which Michael plays an extremely prominent role.
Archangel Michael’s Role in The Book of Revelations
In the last book of the Bible as found in the Revelations of Saint John the Divine, we find that the Archangel Michael plays a substantial role in the end days. This is revealed in one of the most epic and glorious verses, as can be found in Revelation 12:7-9, which reads, “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Reading this, it is hard not to ponder why it is that it seems that God saves all of his dealings with Satan for Archangel Michael, and the implications behind that message. This is a topic that we will analyze more, further in the article.
Other References to Archangel Michael
In the last examples, the presence of Michael is ubiquitously implied. One of the most eyebrow-raising comes in the form of Thessalonians 4:16, which says, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” Again, one cannot help but look over what it insinuates that the Lord himself will come and that he will have the voice of an Archangel. Further still, we see another implied reference in the case of Matthew 13:41, which articulates to its reader, “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,” and with it a very interesting image of the archangel seems to begin to form. On a separate note, however, Saint Michael can also be found in the context of the Islamic Quran, which is a fascinating parallelism in and of itself. What we find in the case of the Islamic Quran, is that God’s angel is referred to as Mikaeel. Mikaeel is known for effectuating God’s providence. Even here, he is an entity that is extremely powerful and is in charge of natural phenomena such as rain. Mikaeel can be found in such passages of the Quran as, Sura 2:98 which says, “Whoever is an enemy to God, and His angels and His messengers, and Jibrail and Mikhail! Then, God is an enemy to the disbelievers.”
Description of Archangel Michael
The most obvious depiction of the angel that should most readily come to mind is that of a divine warrior angel, toting the sword of justice, in an epic battle in which he defeats that great dragon in Satan. It can seem beyond the depths of human fancying to try and fathom what a chief warrior angel to God might look like, but many artistic renderings have attempted just that. What we find in most depictions is a being that has human features. Despite this fact, they are much taller and seem to be much fairer and more beautiful. Some seem to have him as a being of light. There are, after all, references in the bible that there is a difference between human bodies and heavenly bodies. Others still have the Archangel adorned in magnificent armor, along with his sword of justice of course, ready for battle. It is also not uncommon to find illustrations of the Saint with his head bowed in prayer.
Controversial Theologies
In a relatively controversial debate, there are circles of believers that question and argue that Archangel Michael is the angel of Jesus Christ himself. This touches on some of the inquiries made earlier in this article. First and foremost, there is the fact that his name means he who is like God. That aside, this argument stems from his interactions with Satan. In multiple instances of the Bible, we find that there is none that can rebuke Satan but Jesus Christ. Despite this fact, we see on a couple of occasions examples of Saint Michael doing this, and this doesn’t account for the fact that it is Michael who is depicted doing battle with the great Dragon Satan and seemingly defeating him himself. Others still point to the fact that the Lord will come down with the voice of an Archangel. This thought also seems to stem from Jehovah’s Witnesses, who point to the fact that they believe that he was the first being created. Another conflicting argument is found in the way that both would have command and authority in heaven and that it wouldn’t make sense to have them both seemingly in competition with one another over command. While this may seem like a compelling argument, especially when considering that it is believed that Archangel Metatron was the angel of Enoch and that Archangel Sandalphon was previously Elijiah, the fact remains that Christ is our Savior, the Son of God, and not Saint Michael.
Interesting Facts About the Archangel Michael
It may be surprising to some that the Archangels are associated with the main chakras found in Eastern paradigms and orthodoxies. Of these, Archangel Michael is related to the throat chakra and third eye chakras, which isn’t surprising because they are related to issues of truth. Similarly, he is connected to the color blue, which is also the hue of these chakras. It is also believed that the Archangel Michael can be called upon whenever one is afraid about physical or spiritual well-being. Just as fascinating is the fact that there is a festival feast dedicated to the archangel in some traditions known as Michaelmas, which is observed on September 29th, or November 8th, depending on the culture, and is a festival that celebrates the Archangel. In a similar train of thought, it is thought-provoking to note the way that it is observed that we should not worship or praise the angels, for which of the archangels saved us of our sins, but that we can find prayers to the angels, and feasts such as this despite the fact.
How to Know you are in the Presence of Archangel Michael
There are multiple signs and indications that the Archangel is working with you in your life. One of the most noted signs has been observed in seeing flashing or flickering orbs of light. This is a prevalent thought amongst those that call upon those that call on the Archangel to assist in their lives. The belief here is because of the fact that he is divinely connected with the sun and electrical fire. Another indication that his presence is with you is that one continually runs into Michael in their daily lives, or that they keep seeing images of the Archangel, or images that could be associated with him such as the sword of justice. When thinking or calling upon the Archangel Michael, many feel a fuzzy tingling feeling in relationship to him, or a kind of feeling that they are being watched, but in a way as if they are protected. One might also feel an extreme sense of peace that surpasses all understanding. Seeing hues of royal blue and violet, along with receiving angelic guidance are also common signs that one is being visited by the Archangel. There are other clues that the Angel is close by, but it seems that this is especially the case in times when there is a crisis, or where one might need to be reassured. We might also expect to feel his presence in areas that have to deal with our lives' purpose, or even in our relationships.
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