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According to Abrahamic religion, Gabriel
(גבריאל, Tiberian
Hebrew Gabhrî’ēl, Standard Hebrew
Gavri’el) is an archangel who serves as a messenger from
God. The name Gabriel can mean "man of God", "God has shown himself mighty", or "Hero of God." In Roman Catholic belief he is St. Gabriel the Archangel and is sometimes referred to as just
Saint Gabriel.
He is sometimes associated with the color Blue, the direction East, or the element Water.
Gabriel in the Bible
He appears first in the prophesies of Daniel in the Old Testament. The angel announced to Daniel
the prophecy of the seventy weeks. His name also occurs in the apocryphal
book of Enoch. In the Gospel of Luke, Gabriel visits Zacharias and Mary, the mother of Jesus, to announce the imminent
birth of their children, one of which would be Jesus. Gabriel plays a prominent role in
the book of Revelation.
Gabriel is most frequently confused with Michael, the
angel who holds a sword and guards the gates of Eden (later heaven) against Adam, Eve, and
their descendants. Gabriel's horse is named Haizum.
Gabriel in Christianity
In the New Testament, Gabriel is often believed to be the angel who revealed that John the Baptist was to be born to Elizabeth and the angel who revealed that Jesus Christ was to be born to Mary. He is most noted in the Book of Revelation (formerly known as the Apocalypse of John) as the angel who will blow the horn
announcing Judgement Day. To Catholics, he is St. Gabriel the
Archangel, the patron saint of communications workers. His feast day
is September 29th.
In LDS
belief, Gabriel lived a mortal life as the patriarch Noah. Gabriel and Noah are regarded as
the same person, but Gabriel alone is regarded as the immortal resurrected being (angel).
Gabriel in Islam
Jibreel (sometimes written Jabril) is Arabic for Gabriel, who is also considered archangel in much Jewish and Christian angelology. According to Islam, Jabril is the angel who revealed the Qur'an to Mohammed.
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