Difference between revisions of "Raphael"

<p> ''''' raf´ā́ ''''' - ''''' el ''''' , ''''' rā´fā́ ''''' - ''''' el ''''' ( רפאל , <i> ''''' rephā'ēl ''''' </i> , from <i> ''''' rāphā' ''''' </i> <i> ''''' 'ēl ''''' </i> , "God has healed"; Ῥαφαήλ , <i> ''''' Rhaphaḗl ''''' </i> ): The name of the angel who, as Azarias, guides Tobias to [[Ecbatana]] and [[Rages]] (which see). The purpose of his mission is, in accordance with his name, to cure Tobit of blindness, and to deliver Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, from the power of the evil spirit [[Asmodaeus]] (&nbsp;Tobit 3:8; &nbsp;12:14 ). Later, in addition, when he reveals himself (&nbsp;Tobit 12:15 ), he declares that he is "one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and go in before the glory of the [[Holy]] One." These seven angels are derived, according to Dr. Kohut, from the seven Am-shaspands ( <i> ''''' Amesha ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' spentas ''''' </i> ) of <i> ''''' Zôr ''''' </i> oastrianism (compare &nbsp; Revelation 4:5 ). At the head of the elaborate angelology of the Enoch books there are "four presences," and Raphael is one of them (En 40:9; 54:6). In the first of these passages Raphael is the healer; in the second, he with Michael, [[Gabriel]] and [[Phanuel]] lead the wicked away to punishment. These four presences seem related to the four "living creatures" of Ezekiel (&nbsp;Ezekiel 1:5 ) and of the [[Apocalypse]] (&nbsp;Revelation 4:6 ). While this is the general representation of Raphael's position in Enoch, in &nbsp;Ezekiel 20:3 he is named among the angels who "watch," whose number according to the Greek text is seven. Raphael shared in the function assigned to the archangels, in the <i> Oracula </i> <i> Sibyllina </i> , of leading souls to the judgment seat of God (II, 215, Alexandre's text). He occupies a prominent place in Jewish medieval writings; he with [[Michael]] and Gabriel cured [[Abraham]] ( <i> ''''' Yōmā' ''''' </i> 37a); according to the book <i> ''''' Zōhar ''''' </i> , Raphael conveyed to Adam a book containing 72 kinds of wisdom in 670 writings. The painters of the [[Renaissance]] frequently depicted Raphael. </p>

<p> ( '''''῾Ραφαήλ''''' ''= '''''רְפָאֵל''''' ,'' "the divine healer"), "one of the seven holy angels which... go in and out before the glory of the Holy One" (&nbsp;Tobit 12:15). According to another Jewish tradition, Raphael was one of ''The'' four angels that stood round the throne of God; '''''—''''' Michael, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael. His place is said to have been behind the throne, by the standard of [[Ephraim]] (comp. &nbsp;Numbers 2:18); and his name was interpreted as foreshadowing the healing of the schism of Jeroboam, who arose from that tribe (&nbsp;1 Kings 11:26, see Buxtorf, ''Lex. Rabb.'' p. 47). In Tobit he appears as the guide and counsellor of Tobias. By his help, [[Sara]] was delivered from her plague (&nbsp;Tobit 6:16-17), and Tobit from his blindness (11:7, 8). In the book of Enoch he appears as "the angel of the spirits of men" (20:3; comp. Dillmann, ''Ad Loc.'' ) ''.'' His symbolic character in the apocryphal narrative is clearly indicated when he describes himself as "Azarias the son of Ananias" (&nbsp;Tobit 5:12), the messenger of the Lord's help springing from the Lord's mercy. (See Tobit). The name, in its Heb. form, occurs in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 26:7 as that of a man. (See Rephael) '''.''' </p>