Archangel

Archangel, meaning chief angel or prince of angels, designates the highest rank within the angelic hierarchy. The term appears only twice in the New Testament: in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, where “the voice of an archangel” accompanies the descent of the Lord at the second coming, and in Jude 9, where Michael is identified as “the archangel” who disputed with the devil over the body of Moses. The definite article in Jude suggests a unique office or a specific recognized title.

Michael is the only figure explicitly designated archangel in canonical Scripture. Daniel 10:13 calls him “one of the chief princes,” and Daniel 12:1 identifies him as “the great prince who has charge of your people.” The intertestamental literature, particularly 1 Enoch, develops the archangel concept more fully, naming seven archangels including Gabriel, Raphael, and others. Gabriel is described in Daniel 8:16 and 9:21 as sent to interpret visions and later announces the births of John the Baptist and Jesus in Luke's Gospel, though the canonical text does not explicitly designate him an archangel.