In Biblical and post-Biblical lore, Michael ranks as the greates of all angels, whether in Jewish, Christian, or Islamic writings, secular or religious. He derives originally from the Chaldeans by whom he was worshipped as something of a god. He is chief of the order of virtues, chief of archangels, prince of the presence, angel of repentance, righteousness, mercy, and sanctification; also ruler of the fourth heaven, angelic prince of Israel, guardian of Jacob, conqueror of Satan...His mystery name is Sabbathiel...
...In Islamic writings he is called Mika'il. As the deliverer of the faithful he accords, in the Avesta, with Sayosyhant the Redeemer. Midrash Rabba (Exodus 18) credits Michael with being the author of the whole of Psalm 85. In addition he has been identified with the angel who destroyed the hosts of Sennacherib and as the angel who stayed the hand of Abraham when the latter was on the point of sacrificing his son Isaac...
...In Jewish lore "the fire that Moses saw in the burning bush had the appearance of Michael, who had descended from Heaven as the forerunner of Shekinah."...
In mystic and occult writings, Michael has often been equated with the Holy Ghost, the Logos, God, Metatron, etc. In Baruch III, Michael "holds the keys of the kingdom of Heaven"...
...In Hastings, Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics IV, 616, the article, "Demons and Spirits" speaks of the earliest traditions in Muslim lore as locating Michael in the 7th Heaven "on the borders of the Full Sea, crowded with an innumerable array of angels"; and after describing Michael's wings as "of the color of green emerald," goes on to say that he "is covered with saffron hairs, each of them containing a million faces and mouths and as many tongues, which in a million dialects, implore the pardon of Allah...
...In ancient Persian lore, Michael was called Beshter, "one who provides sustenance for mankind," which would equate him with Metatron. Here it is revealed that the cherubim were formed from the tears Michael shed over the sins of the faithful...
...Christians invoke Michael as St. Michael, the benevolent angel of death, in the sense of deliverance and immortality, and for leading the souls of the faithful "into the eternal light"...With Gabriel, Michael is the most commonly pictured angel in the work of the classic masters. He is depicted most often as winged, with unsheathed sword, the warrior of God and slayer of the Dragon. As the angel of the final reckoning and the weigher of souls he holds in his hand the scales of justice.
-Gustav Davidson. A Dictionary of Angels.
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