The Prince of Ramah
The heavenly realm of Deity colorfully praised and celebrated is by His heavenly soldier’s, celestial beings which are infinite, ruled and led by the Seven Archangels. Most highly venerated in the second heavens Ramah, the magnificent and extraordinary creations of Alpha and Omega, avowed as leader of the heavenly hosts, Archangel Saint Gabriel is in his glory.
Amongst the Archangels, he is considered the most holy and divine. Saint Gabriel is appointed in the second place and made as an announcer. He is associated with numerous occurrences in Holy Scripture, particularly his revelation to the Mother of God, our Lady Virgin Mary, to bear Christ. This made the angel of God’s primary role, announcing the salvation of mankind.
His annunciation mission though started long ago before the creation of the human race. He is the one who calmed those angels who were in favor of God during the battle between the fallen angel, Satan and the other angels, in the heavens. He steadied them as a chief warrior sooths his army saying, “let us steady still until we receive our Lord.” His name “Gabriel” derived from the Hebrew word to mean “Man of God,” interpreted as “God is mighty” or “the strength/power of God,” affirms the power and glory of the Divinity.
The Prince of Ramah Archangel Saint Gabriel “announced the incarnation of the Logos to those recorded in the Old Testament. By Tradition he inspired the Prophet Moses to write the book of Genesis. He foretold coming tribulations to the Prophet Daniel and the time of the Messiah’s appearance (Dan 8:16; 9:21-25) He explained to Daniel the vision of the horned ram, as portending the destruction of the Persian Empire by the Macedonian Alexander the Great, and whose kingdom will be divided up among generals, from one of will spring Antiochus Epiphanies (Dan 8). Then, after Daniel has prayed for Israel, Gabriel flying, swirly teacher Daniel and communicated to him the mysterious prophecy of the “seventy weeks” of years which would elapse before the coming of Christ.” (Daneil.9)
His annunciation mission continued in the New Testament, where he appeared to the Virgin Mary’s mother Anna and announced the conception of a daughter when Anna was praying in the garden. “He is the one who is believed to have visited the young Mary regularly when she lived in the temple at Jerusalem and continued to watch over her during her earthly life.”
He also appeared to Priest Zachariah, the father of Saint John the Baptist and said, “I am Gabriel. I stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this this good news” (Luke 1:19)1. He then strikes Zachariah mute until his son was born.
Saint Gabriel has as well as came to Joseph, the Betrothed in a dream and revealed the truth about the mystery of telling him Saint Mary’s pregnancy which indeed is miraculous. He further told him to protect and care for her. Soon after, he appeared to the shepherds near Bethlehem, telling them the Nativity; Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s holy birth.
It was after this, Archangel’s Saint Gabriel’s annunciation to Saint Virgin Mary telling her she was to bear the Son of God. (Matthew 1:20, 21) His guardianship in the holy family’s flight to Egypt and Ethiopia and their return is alike to mention in the angel’s service. (Matthew. 2:13, 19:20).
The Holy Book the Bible states another glorified act of the archangel’s annunciation of the Lord’s resurrection to the myrrh-bearers, after his rolling of the graves’ stone in revealing the empty tomb. (Mathew 28:2-7)
The remarkable and astonishing work of the Prince of Ramah, who stands before God, for the intercession and mediation of human race, is most venerated and celebrated through man’s history. He has performed many miracles in scripted in the discourse of him. Holy Church celebrates the monthly holidays of the Archangel Gabriel on every month on the 19th day, and on his annual feast day Tahesas 19, 22 and Hamele 19.
The Miracle in the fiery furnace
Three Holy Youth were persecuted because of their faith during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. Enemies had risen by then seeking for their slaughtering. The hatred and envy of them led to the informing of the King for a punishment.
Satan is always against of God’s peoples, rising rivalry and conflict midst good and bad people. His scam and poison subdues into those harmful opposing the righteous. Therefore, those against the three God fearing youths, Shedrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, thrived on persecuting them before the King that he ordered for them to be thrown in a fiery furnace after being ignited to 7 times more than normal, to the point that the fire burned the guards who threw them in.
The Lord God, who always watches over his children, summoned the Archangel Saint Gabriel sending to deliver them from the tribulation. The Bible states this event as, “these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.” (Daniel 3:20-23)
The King stood at this time, to witness this; “Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king “True, O king.” “Look” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the form of the forth is like the Son of God”(Daniel 3:24,25). The guards were dead just from getting close to the fire, while the three holy youth, who were in the middle of the fire, did not get even get affected by the fire flame. The angel of God Saint Gabriel has cooled the burning fire where even the pagan King Nebuchadnezzar witnessed himself uttering about a third body whom he called the Son of God.
Patristic Fathers interpret the scene uttering “the fire of the furnace that represents the devil; the Chaldeans worshipped fire. Throwing the three holy youth in the middle of the fire is like throwing the Christians in the middle of the world.” Idol worshiper Kings and pupil may rise through-out different ages. Yet, all in the name of Christians by Christ with the faith of Lord and benevolence, will survive any agony, torture or misery even from burning fire.
King Nebuchadnezzar had become a witness of the Saint Gabriel’s miracle and glorified God after that. He spoke and said “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore, I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shedrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this” (Daniel 3:28,29). The three holy youth led the king to worship their God. The king ordered all the nations to worship the true God because of the miraculous work done for them. This is the power of the Resurrection– overcoming the devil. Our Lord gave us the same authority (to tread on serpents and scorpions, and all the power of the enemy)
May God’s benevolence and intercession of the Archangel’s Saint Gabriel be with us; Amen!
Source: Coptic Orthodox Diocese