Raphael

God Has Healed

Archangel

Raphael

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_(archangel)

Raphael "God has healed") is an archangel first mentioned in the Book of Tobit and in 1 Enoch (1st Book of Enoch), both estimated to date from between the 3rd and 2nd century BCE. In later Jewish tradition, he became identified as one of the three heavenly visitors entertained by Abraham at the Oak of Mamre.

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He is not named in either the New Testament or the Quran, but later Christian tradition identified him with healing and as the angel who stirred waters in the Pool of Bethesda in John 5:2–4, and in Islam, where his name is Israfil, he is understood to be the unnamed angel of Quran 6:73, standing eternally with a trumpet to his lips, ready to announce the Day of Judgment. In Gnostic tradition, Raphael is represented on the Ophite Diagram

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In the Hebrew Bible, the word 'מַלְאָךְ' (malʾāk̠) literally means messenger; either human or supernatural in nature. When used in the latter sense it is translated as "angel". The original mal'akh lacked both individuality and hierarchy, but after the Babylonian exile they were graded into a Babylonian-style hierarchy and the word archangelos, archangel, first appears in the Greek text of 1 Enoch.

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At the same time the angels and archangels began to be given names, as attested in the Talmudic statement that "the names of the angels were brought by the Jews from Babylonia", attributed to Shimon ben Lakish or Rabbi Hanina respectively.

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Raphael first appears in two works of this period, 1 Enoch, a collection of originally independent texts from the 3rd century BCE, and the Book of Tobit, from the early 2nd century BCE. In the oldest stratum of 1 Enoch (1 Enoch 9:1) he is one of the four named archangels, and in Tobit 12:11–15 he is one of seven.

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His name derives from the Hebrew root רפא (r-p-ʾ) meaning "to heal", and can be translated as "God has healed". In Tobit he goes by the name Azariah (Hebrew: עֲזַרְיָה/עֲזַרְיָהוּ ʿĂzaryāh/ʿĂzaryāhū, "Yah/Yahu has helped") while disguising himself as a human. In the text he acts as a physician and expels demons, using an extraordinary fish to bind the demon Asmodeus and to heal Tobit's eyes, while in 1 Enoch he is "set over all disease and every wound of the children of the people", and binds the armies of Azazel and throws them into the valley of fire.

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Judaism

According to the Babylonian Talmud, Raphael (Hebrew: רְפָאֵל Rəfāʾēl, Tiberian: Răp̄āʾēl) was one of the three angels who appeared to Abraham in the oak grove of Mamre in the region of Hebron (Genesis 18; Bava Metzia 86b); Michael, as the greatest, walked in the middle, with Gabriel to his right and Raphael to his left (Yoma 37a).

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Each was commanded to carry out a specific mission, Gabriel to destroy Sodom, Michael to inform Sarah that she would give birth to Isaac, Raphael to heal Abraham from his recent circumcision and save Lot. Rashi writes, "Although Raphael's mission included two tasks, they were considered a single mission since they were both acts that saved people." The Life of Adam and Eve lists him with the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Joel, and the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides included his name in his Jewish angelic hierarchy.

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In Midrash Konen it is revealed that Raphael was originally once named Libbiel (Hebrew: לִבִּיאֵל Lībbīʾēl; Meaning: "God is my heart"). In the Midrash, God takes council with His Angels before he creates Adam the first Man. The Angels were not all of one opinion however, with differing views and reasons. The Angel of Love and Angel of Justice both favoured Man's creation as he would be affectionate and loving, alongside practicing Justice.

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The Angel of Truth and the Angel of Peace opposed his creation however, as he would be full of lies and be quarrelsome. To invalidate his protest, God cast the Angel of Truth down from Heaven to Earth, and when the others cried out against the treatment of their companion, He said, "Truth will spring back out of the earth."

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Before their objections, God had only told the Angels of the good there would be among Humans, but not of the evil too. Despite not knowing the whole truth, the Angels were nevertheless prompted to cry out:

"What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?"

God replied:

"The fowl of the air and the fish of the sea, what were they created for? Of what avail a larder full of appetizing dainties, and no guest to enjoy them?"

And the Angels could not but exclaim:

"O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Do as is pleasing in Thy sight."

For not a few of the Angels their opposition bore fatal consequences. When God summoned the band under the Archangel Michael, and asked their opinion on the creation of man, they answered scornfully:

"What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?"

God thereupon stretched forth His little finger, and all were consumed by fire except their Chief Michael. And the same fate befell the band under the leadership of the Archangel Gabriel; he alone of all was saved from destruction. The third band consulted was commanded by the Archangel Libbiel. Taught by the horrible fate of his predecessors, he warned his troop:

"You have seen what misfortune overtook the Angels who said 'What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?' Let us have a care not to do likewise, lest we suffer the same dire punishment. For God will not refrain from doing in the end what He has planned. Therefore it is advisable for us to yield to His wishes."

Thus warned, the Angels spoke:

"Lord of the world, it is well that Thou hast thought of creating man. Do Thou create him according to Thy will. And as for us, we will be his attendants and his ministers, and reveal unto him all our secrets."

Thereupon God changed the Archangel Libbiel's name to Raphael, the Rescuer, because his Host of Angels had been rescued by his sage advice. He was appointed the Angelic Prince of Healing, who has in his safe-keeping all the celestial remedies, the types of the medical remedies used on Earth.

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In the Midrash Tanhuma, Satan becomes envious of the righteous R. Matthew bar Heresh after seeing him sitting occupied in Torah study, without looking at anyone's wife or any other woman. Believing it to be impossible for a righteous man to exist in the world without sin, Satan asks God how He views Rabbi Matthew; He sees him as completely righteous. Satan then asks for permission to test R. Matthew, which is granted to him. Satan then takes the form of a beautiful woman upon finding the Rabbi studying Torah.

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After seeing that Satan would continue to try and tempt him from all sides; he used hot pins to blind himself lest his evil inclination prevail. Satan then trembled in dismay and reported back to God. Immediately upon hearing this, God called Raphael, Prince of the Healing Arts, commanding him to heal the eyes of R. Matthew bar Heresh.

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When Raphael goes to R. Matthew and reveals his identity and mission, the Rabbi states that he does not wish to be healed. Raphael then returns to God informing Him of this. Upon hearing this God commands Raphael to tell the Rabbi not to fear, for his evil inclination will not prevail. When he heard this from the mouth of the angel, he accepted his healing and was not afraid.

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In Rabbeinu Bahya, a commentary on the Torah written by Rabbi Bahya ben Asher (1255–1340), the Camp of Ephraim, situated to the west of the Tabernacle (Numbers 2:18), corresponded to the celestial camp headed by the archangel Raphael supported by the angels Zavdiel and Achziel. It is also said that this was the camp that Moses alluded to when he prayed that Miriam be healed from her tzaraath by saying "please God heal her" (Numbers 12:13). He appealed to the attribute represented by Raphael.

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In the Beginning of Wisdom, an introduction to kabbalistic thought composed by Rabbi Aharon Meir Altshuler (1835–1905) in Warsaw between 1887–1893; Raphael is said to correspond to the Sephirah of Tiphereth (Beauty). He is said to act as an intermediate conduct between Chesed (Kindness) corresponding to Michael, and Din (Judgement) corresponding to Gabriel. Uriel (alternatively named Nuriel) is also said to act as an intermediate conduct alongside Raphael.

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It is further explained that when he inclines toward Chesed he is called Uriel, but when he inclines toward Din he is called Nuriel. In the same context, the Sefer HaBahir calls Raphael the "Prince of Peace" (Hebrew: שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם Śar Šālōm). The text states that his reconciliation between Michael, the prince to God's right, and Gabriel, the prince to God's left is the meaning of the verse, "He imposes peace in His heights" (Job 25:2). With Raphael being the Archangel of Air that establishes peace between Fire and Water.

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In kabbalistic astrology, Raphael is most commonly associated with the Sun (alongside Michael) and the planet Mercury. The Zohar also associates him with the image of man in the tetramorph of the four holy living creatures of the Prophet Ezekiel's vision, alongside the zodiac sign of Aquarius, and in relation to the image of man; the Sephirah of Malkhuth (Kingdom) and the Earth.

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As well as Tiphereth and Malkhuth, the Zohar also has Raphael corresponding to the Sephirah of Hod (Majesty), the Euphrates river (Hebrew: פְרָת Pərāt, Tiberian: Părāṯ; the fourth river of Eden in Genesis) the left leg of the body, and the Israelite Tribe of Ephraim. The text states:

"The fourth (river) is Hod (Majesty), the "left leg" (referred to in what was said of Jacob, that "he halted on his left thigh"), and from it shall drink the camp of Raphael, whose mission is to heal the ills of the captivity, and with it the tribe of Ephraim and his two accompanying tribes (Manasseh and Benjamin)."

It is also customary in Judaism to invoke Raphael as one of the Four Archangels after one recites the Shema before going to bed; with Michael by your right side, Gabriel by your left side, Uriel before you, and Raphael behind you. This practice is also referred to in Rebbe Nachman of Breslov's (1772–1810) Likutei Etzot. In this work, he refers to the invocation of the Four Archangels as “binding the chariot”.

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Christianity

The New Testament names only two archangels or angels, Michael and Gabriel (Luke 1:9–26; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7), but Raphael, because of his association with healing, became identified with the unnamed angel of John 5:1–4 who periodically stirred the pool of Bethesda "and he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under". The Catholic Church accordingly links Raphael with Michael and Gabriel as saints whose intercession can be sought through prayer.

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Due to his actions in the Book of Tobit and the Gospel of John, Saint Raphael is considered patron of travelers, the blind, happy meetings, nurses, physicians, medical workers, matchmakers, Christian marriage, and Catholic studies. As a particular enemy of the devil, he was revered in Catholic Europe as a special protector of sailors: on a corner of the famous Doge's Palace in Venice is a relief depicting Raphael holding a scroll on which is written: "Efficia fretum quietum" (“Keep the Gulf quiet”).

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On July 8, 1497, when Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon with his four-ship fleet to India, the flagship was named São Rafael at the insistence of King Manuel I of Portugal. When the flotilla reached the Cape of Good Hope on October 22, the sailors debarked and erected a column in the archangel's honor. The little statue of Raphael that accompanied Da Gama on the voyage is now in the Naval Museum in Lisbon.

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Feast day

The feast day of Raphael was included for the first time in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, for celebration on October 24. With the 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar, the feast was transferred to September 29 for celebration together with archangels Saints Michael and Gabriel. Pope Benedict XVI's Summorum Pontificum permitted, within certain limits for public use, the General Roman Calendar of 1960, which has October 24 as Raphael's feast day.
In the diocese of Diocese of Warszawa-Praga (Spanish) he is commemorated on 3 October (with Michael and Gabriel); the feast was transferred from 29 September (Dedication of St. Florian's Cathedral).
The archangel Raphael is commemorated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on 8 November in the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers.
In the Oriental Orthodox Churches dedication of church of Saint Raphael on the back of a whale is commemorated on 26 August (3 Pagumen).
The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates Raphael's feast on Kouji Nabot 3 and Koiak 13.[citation needed]
In the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate Saint Raphael the Archangel is commemorated on 24 October.

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Islam

Raphael (Arabic: إسرافيل, romanized: ʾIsrāfīl, alternate spellings: Israfel, Esrafil) is a venerated archangel according to Islamic tradition. In Islamic eschatology, Israfil will blow the trumpet from a holy rock in Jerusalem to announce the Day of Judgment (Yawm al-Qiyāmah). The trumpet is constantly poised at his lips, ready to be blown when God so orders. The name "Israfil" (or "Israfel", "Esrafil") is not specifically written in the Quran, although there is mention of an unnamed trumpet-angel assumed to identify this figure:

And the trumpet shall be blown, so all those that are in the heavens and all those that are in the earth shall swoon, except him whom Allah will; then it shall be blown again, then they shall stand up awaiting.
— Qur'an (39.68)

Certain Islamic sources indicate that, created at the beginning of time, Israfil possesses four wings, and is so tall as to be able to reach from the earth to the pillars of heaven. A beautiful angel who is a master of music, Israfil sings praises to God in a thousand different languages, the breath of which is used to inject life into hosts of angels who add to the songs themselves. Further he is probably the highest angel, since he also mediates between God and the other archangels, reading on the Preserved Tablet (al-lawh al-mahfooz) to transmit the commands of God.

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According to Sufi traditions reported by Imam Rafa'il, the Ghawth or Qutb ('perfect human being'), is someone who has a heart that resembles that of the archangel Israfil, signifying the loftiness of this angel. The next in rank are the saints who are known as the Umdah or Awtad, amongst whom the highest ones have their hearts resembling that of archangel Mikhail (archangel Michael), and the rest of the lower ranking saints having the heart of Jibrail (archangel Gabriel), and that of the previous prophets before the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The earth is believed to always have one of the Qutb.

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In another account, Rafāʾīl (Arabic: رفائيل) is mentioned by name in the Islamic tradition narrated by Ath-Tha'labi from Ali. He is said to have met Dhu al-Qarnayn who is mentioned in the last part of Surah 18 of the Quran, al-Kahf ("The Cave"). Dhu al-Qarnayn (The Two Horned One) is believed by some to be Alexander The Great.

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The angel told Dhu al-Qarnayn about the Water of Life (Ayn al-Hayat). Hearing that there was such a spring, Dhu al-Qarnayn wanted to drink the Water of Life, but the only one who had succeeded in drinking it was his cousin, Khidr. In Islamic tradition, Khidr is the mystical guide popularly quoted especially in Sufi traditions who has attained a long life and appears to selected Islamic saints throughout the times.

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Pictures, Videos, Music and Additional Reading

RAPHAEL, ARCHANGEL OF HEALIN

Bark for the trees and skin for the beasts
Fingers and leaves
Roots and toes
Sticky red and white like bone

See them fold in greeting
doubled back and bulging
The blood marches forth in celebration
as feast of sin is left uneaten

Archangel Raphael Healing Meditation, Angelic Music, Heal Damage in the Body, 432 Hz, Emotional & Physical Healing, Whole Body Regeneration, Meditation Music

A beautiful Greek Orthodox icon of St. Raphael the Archangel, handmade & hand painted by an expert Greek hagiographer.

Source: https://www.hellenic-art.com/st.-raphael-the-archangel.html

The Holy Archangel Raphael is one of the seven Archangels who stand before the throne of the Lord, and one of the only three mentioned by name in the Bible. He appears, by name, only in the Book of Tobit. Raphael's name means "God heals." This identity came about because of the biblical story that claims he "healed" the earth when it was defiled by the sins of the fallen angels in the apocryphal book of Enoch.

Raphael is The Lord’s Healer

Source: https://occult-world.com/raphael/

Raphael, Regent of the Sun, is the archangel of healing. He is the star of the apocryphal Book of Tobit, in which he performs miraculous cures and explains how to vanquish powerful Demons. Raphael is the angel of joy, love, and compassion. He vies with Michael and Gabriel for title of Most Loved Angel.

• Raphael is among the seven angels who surround the Throne of Glory.

• Raphael is the Guardian of the Tree of Life.

• He may be the angel with the flaming sword who guards the gates of Eden.

• He may be the Guardian of the Holy Grail.

• Raphael is guardian of those born under astrological air signs—Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.

Although his ally Michael is the warrior angel who routs Lucifer, Raphael is an acclaimed Demon-banisher, too He commands, compels, and banishes even the most formidable spirits.

• Raphael terminates Ashmodai’s reign of terror in the Book of Tobit.

• Raphael is the angel delegated by the Creator to restrain and chain Azazel.

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Raphael possesses the power of the Ineffable Name. He is invoked to banish wicked spirits and to break malignant spells. Raphael allegedly protects anyone who calls upon him and invokes his name. As the archangel of healing, he can potentially heal any illness, ailment, or condition. His specialties include vision problems (literally or metaphorically). Raphael soothes and heals mental illness. He banishes nightmares.

Also Known as: Rafael; Israfel; Afarol; Afarof; Afriel

In this lithography with double varnish The Holy Archangel Raphael is an angel whose role is that of providing healing to the earth and to its inhabitants, hence his name whose etymology is Hebrew-Rafa’El, and meaning is "It is God who has healed ". He is celebrated, by the Church, primarily on November 8, the Synaxis of Michael and all the Bodiless Powers of Heaven.

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He cares for the convalescence of the ill, serves as the unseen guide for those who are travelling diligently with important chores and furthermore he is the protector of weddings and conjugal love.

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A beautiful lithography with the representation of Archangel Raphael. An artwork following the Athonian techniques to the letter created with love and patience. The creator applied the process of artificial ageing and added a handmade metal finish to give this icon unique aesthetic value.

Source: https://theholyart.org/products/archangel-raphael-icon-handmade-greek-orthodox-icon-of-st-raphael-byzantine-art-wall-hanging-on-wood-plaque-religious-icon-religious-gift-300173764

Midrash Tanchuma

Source: https://www.sefaria.org/Midrash_Tanchuma%2C_Foreword.1?lang=bi

The genre of Jewish literature known as Midrash has been poetically described as “the hammer that awakens the slumbering sparks on the anvil of the Bible.” The midrashic process utilizes a variety of methods, including expositions, explanations, gematria, plays on words, legends, and parables, to broaden our understanding of the full meaning of the biblical text.

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The conscientious application of this methodology has made the Midrash Tanhuma, and the other Midrashim, a vital source of influence on Jewish life and thought throughout the centuries. The “hammer” of the Midrash elicited new insights into the historic events depicted in Scripture and produced a fuller understanding and awareness of the spiritual, moral, and ethical truths and values stated laconically in the Pentateuch.

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By answering questions the Torah left unanswered, the Midrashim made the terse style of the biblical message more meaningful and relevant in the lives of those who heard them when they were first spoken on the Sabbath and festival days. Their impact was equally strong upon those who studied them and reflected upon them in the years that followed.

Source: https://www.kabbalahsociety.org/wp/articles/on-training-yesod/

Raphael RPAL

Source: http://www.webofqabalah.com/id109.html

Raphael is known as the Deliverance of God, and is the archangel of Tipareth. He is also known as the healer.

The first letter, Resh, meaning head, is known as the solar letter. it shows the centre and seat of consciousness in the individual. The second letter, Peh, represents a mouth, showing the free and unmediated expression of the self.

Archangel Raphael thus reveals an existence where the true self is able to express itself in the world without far, judgement or connivance. One is minded of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, unconcerned by their nakendness. This is the nature of deliverance.

Here is some incredible Jewish Wisdom from one of the greatest sages to ever live, Rebbe Nachman

Pool of Bethesda

Dirck van Delen (1604/1605–1671). Wadham College, University of Oxford

Source: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/pool-of-bethesda-223991#

Pool of Bethesda

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pool_of_Bethesda

The Pool of Bethesda is from the Christian Bible's New Testament, John 5:2 account of Jesus healing a paralyzed man at a pool in Jerusalem, described as being near the Sheep Gate and surrounded by five covered colonnades or porticoes. It is now associated with the site of a pool in the current Muslim Quarter of the city, near the gate now called the Lions' Gate or St. Stephen's Gate and the Church of St. Anne, that was excavated in the late 19th century.

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The name of the pool is said to be derived from the Hebrew and/or Aramaic language. Beth hesda (בית חסד/חסדא), means either "house of mercy" or "house of grace". This meaning may have been thought appropriate, since the location was seen as a place of disgrace due to the presence of invalids, and as a place of grace due to the granting of healing.

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Alternative renderings to the name Βηθεσδά (Bethesda), appearing in manuscripts of the Gospel of John, include Βηθζαθά (Beth-zatha = בית חדתא), a derivative of Bezetha, and Bethsaida (not to be confused with Bethsaida, a town in Galilee), although the latter is considered to be a metathetical corruption by Biblical scholars.

Franz Delitzsch ("Talmudische Studien, X. Bethesda", Zeitschrift für die gesamte lutherische Theologie und Kirche, 1856) suggested that the name comes from a mishnaic Hebrew loanword from Greek, estiv/estava, that appropriately referred to stoa (στοά).

The Archangel Israfil, made in Egypt or Syria, late 14th–early 15th century

Israfil- Islamic myth: one of the Islamic archangels. He always has a trumpet at his lips, ready to blow it at the day of judgement when God gives the order.

Soulfly - Archangel

Lyrics

war in heaven, angels fell

lash out against the dragon's spell

rise above the abyss

consecrate yeshua's dream

archangel, archangel

kingdom, power, and glory

maljuth ge bu rah

ge du lah

israfil (the burning one)

azrael (the Septuagint)

archangel, archangel

kingdom, power, and glory

maljuth ge bu rah

ge du lah

My Dying Bride - And My Father Left Forever

Lyrics

I would have given more. I tied my children to a dying horse.

Stacked up against me, the bodies heaved and stank upon their gore.

On the earth lying still, my father found me there, ashamed and dying bare.

I had spent many years destroying all around, took everything I found.

With a dying fall his voice left him.

It shouldn’t be this way.

Do not hope for any other. And he picked up my hand.

I would have given more. They brought me misery and they would not falter.

We put down our ratchets upon them day and night with brutal force and might.

To dead men and absent, there are no friends left to scribe the things we do.

When I wake up I want to see you.

Bring me the life that is within you.

I charge myself off your body,

But in my arms, the darkness deepens.

I’ll raise my hand to break you.

If I don’t another will.

I’ll raise my hand to break you.

If I don’t another will.

And my father left forever. It shouldn’t be this way.

I sang long psalms of bitter verse, but God had turned away.

Men are free at the blood of Christ. I wish it was this way.

Breathing is faster and breathing is deeper,

And falling no longer bothers me.

Sinking is deeper, thinking is cleaner.

Your love it flows away from me.

The pool of Bethesda beckons me closer.

Put off that closing evil hour.

The Devil, he is very old indeed.

We sit with a few stories to tell.

And My Father Left Forever

R A P H A E L by Carlos Quevedo

Source: https://www.deviantart.com/carlos-quevedo/art/R-A-P-H-A-E-L-463142926