The Book of Tobit 12:12 Comentariu

[Daniel 8:16-17] "And I heard the voice of a man in the midst of the Ulai, and he cried out and said: 'Gabriel, make this vision intelligible (Vulgate: make this man to understand the vision).' And he came and stood near to where I was standing." The Jews claim that this man who directed Gabriel to explain the vision to Daniel was Michael. Quite appropriately it was Gabriel, who has been put in charge of battles, to whom this duty was assigned, inasmuch as the vision had to do with battles and contests between kings and even between kingdoms themselves. For Gabriel is translated into our language as "the strength of, or the mighty one of, God." And so at that time also when the Lord was about to be born and to declare war against the demons and to triumph over the world, Gabriel came to Zacharias (Luke 1:11-20) and to Mary (Luke 1:26-27). And then we read in the Psalms concerning the Lord in His triumph: "Who is this king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle; He is the King of glory" (Psalm 24:8). But whenever it is medicine or healing that is needed, it is Raphael who is sent, for his name is rendered as "the healing of," or "the medicine of God" - that is, if one cares to accept the authority of the Book of Tobias (Tobit 12:11-15). And then, when favorable promises are made to the people, and hilasmos, which we might render as "propitiation" or "expiation," is the thing required, then it is Michael who is directed to go, for his name means, "Who is like God?" Of course the significance of the name indicates the fact that the only true remedy is to be found in God.

If some human being, but also if any angel, seemingly, should wish to tempt you, either through some kind of apparition or through a dream, and say, “Do this for me, celebrate this rite for me, because I am,” for example, “the angel Gabriel,” don’t believe him. As for you, stick safely to worshiping the one God who is Father and Son and Holy Spirit. If it is really an angel, he will rejoice at your worshiping like that; but if he gets angry because you haven’t given him something extra, then you must now understand him to be the one about whom the apostle says that he “transfigures himself into an angel of light.” He wants to block your way; he is intruding himself with evil intent; he is not the mediator who reconciles but rather the one who separates. I mean, that angel in the Apocalypse and others like him do not want themselves, but God, to be adored. They are messengers, announcing whatever message they have been given to announce; they are “attendants,” doing whatever they have been ordered to do, presenting our prayers to God, not demanding them for themselves in God’s stead. The angel says to the man, “I offered your petition in the presence of the glory of God,” and yet the man was not pleading with the angel but with God; the attendant offered his prayer.