An angel named in both the Old and New Testaments, the only other named angel in the Bible being the archangel Michael (although seven archangels are named in the Jewish apocalyptic work 1 Enoch). Gabriel is said to have helped Daniel interpret visions (Dan 8, 9). He is also recorded as foretelling the births of John the Baptist and of Jesus (Luke 1).
In Biblical tradition, he is sometimes regarded as the angel of death, the prince of fire and thunder, but more frequently as one of God's chief messengers. In Islam, Gabriel is one of God's chief messengers but other above mentioned titles are not given to him (for example the angel of death is Azrael). In Islam, he is called the chief of the four favoured angels and the spirit of truth, and in some views Gabriel is the same person as the Holy Spirit. Gabriel also finds mention in the writings of the Bahá'í Faith, most notably in Bahá'u'lláh's metaphysical work The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys.
Gabriel in Judaism
Gabriel in Jewish history and the Hebrew Bible
In the historical context of the destruction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, and the subsequent Babylonian captivity of the Jewish Kingdom of Judah that followed, the important Jewish leader Daniel ponders the meanings of several visions he has experienced in exile, when Gabriel appears to him (Daniel 8:16-25).
Gabriel is mentioned twice by name:
"...And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it;It is towards the end of the rule of Babylonia yet Gabriel is sent to elaborate and explain matters also relating to the "End of Days" (See Jewish eschatology) such as when the kingdoms of Persia, Greece and Rome will tumble from dominating the world.
Here is where Gabriel tells Daniel about the mysterious "Seventy weeks" (shavu-im shivim) that seem to indicate the end of the Babylonian captivity which lasted seventy years when Cyrus the Great allowed the return to Zion and the rebuilding of the Temple by the Jews in his empire.
Gabriel in the Talmud
In the Talmud, Gabriel appears as the destroyer of the hosts of Sennacherib in Sanhedrin 95b, armed "with a sharpened scythe which has been ready since Creation." In Talmud Yoma 79a, however, it is stated that Gabriel once fell into disgrace "for not obeying a command exactly as given, I remained for a while outside the heavenly Curtain." During this 21 day period, the guardian angel of Persia, Dobiel, acted as Gabriel's proxy.
Gabriel is also, according to Judiasm, the voice that told Noah to gather the animals before the great flood;
Gabriel in Christianity
Gabriel in the canonical New Testament
In the New Testament, Gabriel is the angel who comes with/in the Holy Spirit and reveals to Zacharias that John the Baptist will be born to Elizabeth and who visits Mary to reveal that she will give birth to Jesus.
Gabriel's visit to Mary in the Gospel of Luke is often called "The Annunciation," (Luke 1:26 et al.), an event that is celebrated on March 25.
Gabriel also visited Joseph. After learning about Mary's pregnancy, Joseph considered calling off the marriage, but Gabriel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that the conception was caused by the Holy Spirit.
Gabriel in other Christian denominations
In Latter-day Saint theology, Gabriel lived in this mortal life as the patriarch Noah. Gabriel and Noah are regarded as the same individual; Noah being his mortal name and Gabriel being his pre-mortal/post-mortal name. As such, all of Noah's descendents are considered to be the earthly children of Gabriel.
See also: Noah, Michael (archangel) ~ Adam, Raphael (archangel) ~ Joseph Smith, and Uriel (archangel) ~ Enoch (ancestor of Noah)
Gabriel in Islam
The Arabic name for Gabriel is Jibril, Jibrīl, Jibreel, Jabrilæ or Djibril (جبريل , جبرائيل, IPA: [dʒibræːʔiːl], [dʒibrɛ̈ʔiːl], or [dʒibriːl]) Muslims believe Gabriel to have been the angel who revealed the Qur'an to the prophet Muhammad.
Gabriel's physical appearance is described in the Hadith (4:54:455):
Narrated By Abu Ishaq-Ash-Shaibani: I asked Zir bin Hubaish regarding the Statement of God: "And was at a distance Of but two bow-lengths Or (even) nearer; So did (God) convey The Inspiration to His slave (Gabriel) and then he (Gabriel) Conveyed (that to Muhammad). (53:9-10) On that, Zir said, "Ibn Mas'ud informed us that the Prophet had seen Gabriel having 600 wings."
Gabriel's primary tasks are to bring messages from God to His messengers and to accompany the angel Azrael ("Angel of Death") to take the soul of a person who dies with ablution. As in Christianity, Gabriel is said to be the angel that informed Mary (Arabic Maryam) of how she would conceive Jesus (Isa):
She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: 'That is easy for Me (God): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us
(God), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by God).' "
(Quran, 19:17-21)
Muslims believe Gabriel to have accompanied Muhammad in his ascension to the heavens, where Muhammad is said to have met previous messengers of God, and was informed about the Islamic prayer (Bukhari 1:8:345). Muslims also believe that Gabriel descends to Earth on the night of Lailat-ul-Qadr ("The Night of Power"), a night in the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar.
Gabriel in angelology and the occult
Gabriel is sometimes associated with the color Blue, the direction West (or North), or the element Water; Gabriel is also variously identified as the angel of annunciation, resurrection, mercy, vengeance, death, and revelation.
The Book of Enoch places the Archangel Gabriel as The Left Hand of God, or seated on the left side of God's throne with Metatron.
Gabriel in music
The eccentric English hagiographer, antiquarian and father of 15 children, Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924), wrote a Basque Christmas carol, Gabriel's Message, which was probably based on the 13th or 14th century Latin chant Angelus Ad Virginem which itself is based on the Biblical account of the Annunciation in the New Testament Gospel of Luke.
In 2006, British singer/songwriter Foy Vance recorded the song "Gabriel and the Vagabond", and the single was featured on the Grey's Anatomy episode "Superstition".
Gabriel is also the name of a song by Electrelane, included in their first album, Rock It To The Moon, as well as a song by Lamb, which appeared on the album What Sound and was featured on CSI: Miami in the episode "Death Grip".
Gabriel is also mentioned in the band Creed's first hit song titled "My Own Prison." The lyric states "I cry out to God seeking only his decision, Gabriel stands and confirms I've created my own prison."
Gabriel is also the subject of the Cole Porter song "Blow Gabriel, Blow".
Gabriel in fiction
Gabriel is referenced or plays an active role in many fictional works:
In his epic poem Paradise Lost, John Milton made Gabriel chief of the angelic guards placed over Paradise. In the epic poem The Song of Roland, Gabriel instructs Frankish King Charles Martel, to deliver the sword Durendal to Roland. In The Lay of the Cid, Gabriel appears in a dream to predict a good outcome. In this novel, the archangel Gabriel never receives any direct communication from God. Christopher Walken portrayed Gabriel in the film The Prophecy as the leader of a rebellion opposed to God's favor of humans over angels. In subsequent films, however, we see Gabriel return from Hell, become human, and then, understanding them completely, returning to God's service as a lover of humans. In the movie Van Helsing, it is suggested that the title character is in fact an amnesiac reincarnated Gabriel, primarily due to his first name and the fact that Dracula refers to him as the Left Hand of God. Gabriel, portrayed by Tilda Swinton (not as a female entity, but to signify the androgynous nature of angels), appears in the movie Constantine (2005) with the intentions of making the world worthy of God's love by attempting to bring Mammon forth into the world to wreak havoc. In the comic book Hellblazer upon which the movie is based, Gabriel is referred to unaffectionately as "The Snob," and his Fall is engineered by the title character, John Constantine, and a disgraced succubus named Chantinelle. Melville, Herman, "Moby Dick": The insane character of a fellow ship believes he is the angel Gabriel. The Trading Card Game Magic: The Gathering features a card named "Gabriel Angelfire". In Angel Sanctuary, Gabriel is depicted as a female and is called by the Arabic name, Jibril/D'jibril. In the roleplaying game In Nomine Gabriel is one of thirteen major Archangels, and holder of the Divine Word of Fire. Gabriel is portrayed mostly in female form, and deals with insanity due to her role as a divine prophet and "word friction" with the Demon of Fire, Belial. The angel Gabriel is also referred to in Led Zeppelins song "In my Time of Dying" In the Role Playing Game Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, Gabriel makes an appearance with Uriel and Raphael as an optional boss as well as a usable character.
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