Symbolism of Archangel Gabriel

The archangel Gabriel is one of the most fascinating of historical

figures playing an important part in the traditions of three religions –

Judaism, Christianity and Islam. 

The bearer of God's secret messages to His chosen ones, he appears at special moments in history bringing new knowledge appropriate to the age.  In the modern age he is known as St Gabriel, Patron of telecommunications and stock markets.  He has even been proposed as the Patron Saint of the Internet.

The Jews venerated Gabriel as the angel of judgment, and in both Jewish and Christian tradition he is one of the seven archangels, one of three mentioned in scripture by name, the others being Michael and Raphael. 

As Gibril, he is well known to Moslems, who believe him to be the angel who served as the mouthpiece of God in dictating the Koran to Mohammed. 

He is the bringer of news and heralds the revealing of answers.  He is said to oversees Paradise and has been known to descend to Earth to inform and inspire the faithful.  He is the Angel of

communication and brave new ideas.

The name Gabriel is found first in the Bible when he appears to Daniel in the guise of a man who proceeds to interpret a vision Daniel had.  The dream was of a ram with two horns, which is

overcome by a he-goat.  Gabriel explains that the ram is the empire of the Medes and the Persians, which will be destroyed by the he-goat, the king of the Greeks (Alexander the Great).  This vision came to Daniel in the year 554

BC, while the Israelites were in captivity in Babylonia.   The prophecy was fulfilled nearly 200 years later.

The angel Gabriel again appears to Daniel to foretell the coming of the Messiah and the destruction of Jerusalem and its sanctuary.

The next appearance of Gabriel is recorded in Luke 1:11-20, where he predicts to the priest Zachariah as he is burning incense at the altar in the temple that his wife is to bear a named John.

The final mention of Gabriel is found a little later in the same chapter of St Luke's Gospel.  He appears to the Blessed Virgin Mary as the messenger Angel who announces that she would bear a Son who would be conceived of the Holy Spirit, Son of the Most High, and the Saviour of the world. 

Thus we see that Gabriel comes as the bearer of good tidings and as the comforter and helper of men.Christian tradition holds that Gabriel is the unnamed angel who spoke to St Joseph.  He is also believed to be the angel who comforted Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

It was Gabriel who dictated the Koran to Muhammad over a period of 22 years. 

There is a legend that Gabriel is the angel who selects special souls from heaven to be born into the material world watching over them for nine months as the child is being developed and informing

the new person of what he or she will need to know on Earth.  He is said to silence the child before birth by pressing his finger onto the child's lips.