The angels Gabriel and Michael are famous, but not the only angels we see in the Bible—or, for that matter, in Judeo-Christian tradition. The archangel Raphael appears in Bible translations that Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians read, and various extrabiblical legends also mention him.
So, what should Protestants know about the archangel Raphael? What is his role in God’s plans?
Is the Archangel Raphael Mentioned in the Bible?
As mentioned earlier, the answer to this question depends on what type of Christian you are. If you are of the Roman Catholic Church or the Eastern or Coptic Orthodox Church, you’ll probably read about Raphael in a selection of books that most Protestants don’t know about.
These books are known as the Apocrypha, and while many Protestants have respected them throughout history, the Protestant Reformers weren’t all convinced that these books were divinely inspired Scripture. Therefore, the Apocrypha is typically omitted from Protestant Bibles, focusing on the 66 books the church has always included in the Bible. Some classical Protestant denominations (such as Lutherans and Anglicans) also consider the Apocrypha inspired, or at least they consider the books good for spiritual advice.
What Does It Mean that Raphael Is an Archangel?
While most Protestants may not accept the Apocrypha and doubt whether there is an archangel named Raphael, the Bible doesn’t give us a clear reason there couldn’t be multiple archangels. The one named archangel in the canonical 66 books is Michael, mentioned in Jude 1, Daniel 10, 1 Thessalonians 4, and especially Revelation 12.
The Jude passage shows that Michael has a key role among the angels, but not necessarily that he’s the only archangel. Hope Bolinger points out in her article on archangels for Christianity.com that Daniel describes Michael as “one of the chief princes,” implying that other angels have similar roles.
Angels have various roles in the Bible—sometimes, they appear as regular people. Other times, they reveal their supernatural origins the moment they meet people, as in Daniel 10:5-6. Sandra Hamer Smith points out that people are usually terrified when the angels reveal their power. For example, in Daniel 8:17, Daniel falls on his face when the angel appears.
Bolinger further explains that Judeo-Christian tradition often considers Gabriel (the messenger angel in Luke 1, possibly also seen in Daniel 8-9) an archangel. Tradition also mentions archangels named:
- Jophiel
- Ariel
- Azrael
- Chamuel
- Raphael
Together, these archangels are “the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him,” as mentioned in Tobit 12:15.
As Bolinger says, their common role is to be “protecting, helping, and guiding servants of God.” In Michael’s case, this means being a warrior engaging in the spiritual war against the devil, with other angels serving as soldiers under him.
Now that we have a broad idea of archangels, we can ask the follow-up question: What do we know about Raphael?
What Does the Apocrypha Tell Us about the Archangel Raphael?
The archangel Raphael appears in one book included in the Apocrypha: the book of Tobit, a fascinating love story with its share of tragic moments and unexpected twists. While other archangels like Michael are associated with war and Gabriel is associated with bearing messages to people, Raphael is described as a healer who does the work of God.
The book begins with a devout Jewish father, Tobit, sending his son, Tobias, out into the world in hopes that he may find a wife and bring her back to him to celebrate with the family. In chapter 2, Tobit becomes blinded by a bird that defecates in his eyes (2:9-10). As his son goes out to find a wife, both Tobit and Sarah, Tobias’ eventual wife, pray for God’s deliverance (3:1-4:15).
After their prayers, the archangel Raphael is tasked with healing them and bringing Sarah and Tobias together (3:16-17). Towards the end of the story, the archangel Raphael succeeds, and Tobias and Sarah wed (7:13-17). To finish the love story on a happy note for everyone, the archangel Raphael heals Tobit of his blindness, which reveals his supernatural status (11-12). As usually happens, the angel then must keep them from panicking.
“Then Raphael secretly called the two of them, and said to them . . . ‘I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who report the prayers of the saints and who enter before the glory of the Holy One.’ They were troubled and fell upon their faces, for they were afraid. But he said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for peace shall be with you.” (Tobit 12:15-16)
In Orthodox and Catholic traditions, he is one of seven princely hosts of heaven, as seen in Tobit 12:15. He is not only recognized as an archangel in these traditions. He is also considered a canonized saint alongside the archangels Gabriel and Michael, which means a feast day is also dedicated to his memory. Because the Orthodox and Catholic Church have two different church calendars—the Gregorian calendar for Catholics and the Julian calendar for Orthodox Christians—the feast day varies. For Catholics, the feast day for Raphael is always October 24. For Orthodox Christians, the feast day is the first Tuesday after Easter Sunday, so it will vary each year depending on the day Easter Sunday occurs.
What Can All Christians Learn from the Story of the Archangel Raphael?
We can learn several important lessons from this discussion.
First, we must remember that Christianity and its traditions are more complicated and nuanced than we often assume. We are too easily tempted to treat anything outside our particular denomination or local church as weird when the fact is many devout Christians throughout history have practiced ideas that we might find weird.
Second, we should act on that knowledge and take the time to understand church traditions and texts outside our tradition. We may not agree that the Apocrypha is inspired or interested in liturgical holidays for saints. However, when we take the time to learn about things like the archangel Raphael, the book of Tobit, and why these matters have mattered to Christians across church history, we gain a larger picture of church history. Gaining a sense of what the church was like before our tradition was created fosters humility and helps us to talk with other Christians without looking foolish.
Third, whether we believe the archangel Raphael exists, we should remember that God can use anyone for his purposes—even angels. We may find it weird that God uses angels to do his will. We don’t know why God uses angels, but we see throughout the Bible that he does use them to accomplish his will. If God wants to use Gabriel to tell Zechariah that he will have a son (Luke 1:5-25), he can do it. If he wants to tell Mary through Gabriel that she will give birth to Christ (Luke 1:26-38), he can do it. If God wants to use an angel to rescue Peter from prison (Acts 12:6-11), he can do it. If God wants to have a divine council (1 Kings 22:19-23; Psalm 82, Psalm 92:11), he can do it. We should remember that angels serve God and avoid treating them like gods (Colossians 2:18). But God using them reminds us that God is mysterious and will work through beings we don’t expect.
God does not use angels for his purposes. He appoints us with purposes as well—different purposes since we don’t have angelic powers but important purposes nonetheless. He uses what we must bless others—from healing to hospitality to preaching to teaching. We are also part of the divine plan to accomplish good things for God.
Photo Credit: Public domain painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo via Wikimedia Commons.
Trey Soto holds an M.A. in Communication Management from the University of Denver and B.A. in Communication Studies from Biola University. He is a writer, communications expert, and social media managing wizard. You can see more of his work and contact info on his Wix portfolio.
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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