Dr Paul Allen

1. Gabriel is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. He’s known for bearing good news of Jesus’ coming birth, but his first biblical appearance is in Daniel 8:16, when he is told to explain a vision to the prophet. 2. Gabriel stands in the presence of God. This is how he describes himself to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19). The Greek word for “stands” is  paristánō , which means “to wait before a superior.” The  Septuagint  uses this word to describe how Joshua served Moses and how David assisted King Saul. 3. Gabriel is one of only two angels explicitly named in the Protestant Bible. The other is Michael, a warrior archangel. 4. The Bible doesn’t call Gabriel the “archangel.” The Book of Tobit (of Catholic and Orthodox canon) identifies the angels who stand in the presence of God as archangels, and so Gabriel has been called an archangel by tradition. 5. Gabriel looks like a man (but see #6). The name Gabriel means “man of God” or “strength of God.” The second

The angel Gabriel is one of the prominent characters in the Nativity narrative. He’s remembered as the angel who told Mary she would give birth to the Son of God. But what else can we know about him from the Bible? 1. Gabriel is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. He’s known for bearing good news of Jesus’ coming birth, but his first biblical appearance is in Daniel 8:16, when he is told to explain a vision to the prophet. 2. Gabriel stands in the presence of God. This is how he describes himself to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19). The Greek word for “stands” is paristánō, which means to wait before a superior. The Septuagint uses this word to describe how Joshua served Moses and how David assisted King Saul. 3. Gabriel is one of only two angels explicitly named in the Protestant Bible . The other is Michael, a warrior archangel. 4. The Bible doesn’t call Gabriel the “archangel.” The Book of Tobit (of Catholic and Orthodox canon) identifies the angels who sta

Gabriel making the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. Painting by El Greco, 1575 (Museo del Prado, Madrid). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The angel Gabriel is one of the prominent characters in the Nativity narrative. He’s remembered as the angel who told Mary she would give birth to the Son of God . But what else can we know about him from the Bible ? Gabriel is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments . Only three angels are mentioned by name in the Bible: Gabriel, Michael and Lucifer (who became Satan). What does the Bible tell us about Gabriel? God used Gabriel to explain end-time prophecies to Daniel. He’s known for bearing good news of Jesus’ coming birth, but his first biblical appearance was in  Daniel 8:16 , when he is told to explain a vision to the prophet. The Jehovah Witnesses use this verse to somehow say that not only is Jesus not God but Jesus is the Gabriel.  "And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, 'Gabriel, ma