Nebab #65 Monthly Feast of St Michael

  NEBAB #65

The Orthodox Tewahedo Magazine

ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

The Spiritual Education Unit

Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Archdiocese of the Caribbean and Latin America

In this issue:

    1. The Archangel Michael

    2. A Miracle of the Archangel Michael

    3. Faith and works

    4. “Ask Abba/Kes”

    5. Miracle of the Virgin Mary

    6. Children’s corner

    7. ይበል ግዕዝ 

    8. Orthodox Q&A

The Archangel St Michael

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, One God Amen

In this article we would look at our understanding of Angels in the Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Archangel St Michael , identify some who misunderstand his identity like Jehovah Witnesses and discuss in general the role that the Angels will play in the second coming

In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, we are taught that angels were created on the first day. They were among the first who were created on Sunday as recorded in the book of Jubilee 2:6-8. The Holy Bible says that angels are made from fire and wind (3 Macabees 2:10-11).

They do not reproduce but remain as they were originally created. They are by nature thinking, speaking, living and powerful and they are free from affliction of sickness and death.

Angels are divided into orders and chieftainship and their number is not limited. They are dividend in one hundred orders and into ten heavenly places.

The Archangel St Michael is the chief of the angels whose feast day is celebrated on the twelfth day of every month. His miracles are normally remembered on this day and faithful have daily devotions and do deeds of good works in honor of his celebration. The church asks for his intercession in every service, hymns, prayers and songs

We can see icons of the Archangel St Michael also our churches where he is dressedin a soldier’s dress as “commander of the army of the Lord”. He has a spear in his hand by which he pierces Satan who appears as a dragon, as it is written in the book of Revelation: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon.” St Michael triumphed in that war, and he cast the devil out of heaven.

Because of the love of people for the Archangel Michael many people are called by his name. Our Church believes that the Archangel Michael is the angel of the resurrection as it came in Matthew 28. It is said of him in the book of the prophet Daniel “ Michael… the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people” Daniel 12:1

Some people like the Jehovah Witness are falsely led to believe that St Michael is Jesus Christ by using this verse to suggest that St Michael will stand up during a time of unprecedented distress just like Jesus Christ who is the word of God will take action as the "king of kings" to strike down all of God's enemies and protect God's people during time of great tribulation but the teaching of Our Church is that Jesus Christ is Creator who created all things and must not be compared to a creature. In John 1:3; John 1:10, Hebrews 1:3-14 and Phillipians 2:10. We see clearly the angels worship Our Lord Jesus Christs and in these verses, Christ's divinity is made very clear

"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" John 1:3

In spite of the greatness of the Archangel Michael, we see his humility, as it was mentioned in the epistle of St Jude “Yet Michael the Archangel, in contending with the devil when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation but said: “The Lord rebuke you!” Jude 1:9

And we also note that the Archangel St Michael was also the one who came to help the Archangel St Gabriel, when the devil, “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” stood before him to oppose him (Daniel 10:11-13).

His name is mentioned in (Dan. 10:12) and in (Jude 1:9) 

The Angels also have their role in the second coming. In the second coming, the Angels of the Lord will accompany him and they will have work to do:

As it has been said: “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with HIs angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matt 16:27) and also “When the Son of Man comes in HIs glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then he will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another (Matt 25:31:32)

They will be present in the Judgement and the Lord will charge them with some work:

In the parable of the wheat and the tares, the Lord described them as “the reapers”.  He said: “Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire” (Matt 13:39-42)

The general resurrection will begin with trumpets and the angel’s voices.

The apostle says about that: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess. 4:16)

He said also: “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible” (1 Corinthians 15:52)

Even before the resurrection, during the last events which will precede the resurrection, the Apocalyspe has shown the role of the angels and of the trumpets

A Miracle of the Archangel St Michael

There was a holy man Abba Nahrew who came from the district of the Fayyum in the country of Egypt, and he feared God exceedingly. And when he heard the stories about the martyrs, he went to the city of Alexandria, and wished to die for the sake of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And [our Lord] said unto him in a vision, “Needs must that thou go and die in the city of Antioch.” And he pondered in his heart and said, “How can I possibly get there?” And he sought out a ship in which he could embark. And God sent unto him the angel Michael who carried him on his wings from the city of Alexandria, and brought him to the city of Antioch, and set him down near Diocletian; and Nahrew confessed the Living God. And the emperor asked him his name, and the name of his city, and Nahrew told him that he was from the country of Egypt, and the emperor wondered about [the manner of] his coming. And the emperor tried to persuade him [to deny Christ], and he promised him that he would give him much money, and costly raiment, if he would submit to him and offer sacrifice to his idols, but he would not hearken to what he said unto him. And the emperor spoke a second time, saying, “I will torture thee with very severe tortures,” but Nahrew was neither afraid of him nor did he obey his command. And the emperor commanded his soldiers to torture him with many different kinds of tortures. On the first occasion he drove savage lions to attack him, on the second he burnt him in the fire, on the third he tortured him on the wheel, and on the fourth he boiled him in a large cauldron. When the emperor was tired to torturing him he commanded his soldiers to cut off his head, and they cut it off and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And it came to pass that instead of being martyred in the city of Antioch, all the martyrs who ought to have been martyred in the city of Antioch, were martyred in the land of Egypt; and similarly this holy man Abba Nahrew, who was from the country of Egypt, and should have been martyred in Egypt, received the crown of martyrdom in Antioch. At that time Saint Julian dwelt in Antioch, and he took the body of Nahrew the martyr and sent it away in charge of two of his servants to his country with great honor. 

Salutation to the man who was borne on the wings of Michael!

Faith and Works

“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
  — John 14:2 (KJV)

Interpretation: He tells us that there are many riches in His Father's house. These riches are 10 levels of righteousness which are sufficient for everyone, and through mastering them, the troubles which overcome the flesh will no longer overcome a person.

In this issue, we study the 2nd level - understanding.

"Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom, and in all your getting get understanding." - Proverbs 4:7

Man who is made in the image of God cannot afford to be without understanding- lest we degrade the image of God. After all, "Man that is in honor and does not understand it is like the beasts that perish" (Psalm 49:20). 

Understanding is not something we can invent or attain to ourselves. If we want to understand a parable, we have to go to the One Who told the parable (Matt 13:13). If we want to understand a prophecy, we have to go to the One Who spoke by the prophets (2 Peter 1:20-21). Understanding any word is the fruit of spending more time with its speaker, and so to practise understanding, let us:

1. Wear out the doorstep of a wise man (in the KJV- "a man of understanding") (Sirach 6:36)

2. Meditate on God's testimonies and keep His precepts- by which we will understand more than all our teachers and than the ancients (Psalm 119:99-100)

3. Read the lessons again, and let the Holy Spirit teach us more and more.

Next issue: #3 - Sweetness of Song

Ask Abba/Kes

"How should a Christian choose a confession father?"

A Christian has to be wise in choosing their confession father. He has to be someone you know is a good father, because he is taking responsibility for your soul. He should be like a grave- hiding ugliness (your confessed sins) under a nice outward appearance. But as always, the sacrament does not depend on the life of the priest.

BIBLE QUIZ!

Which of the apostles did St Paul meet face to face on his first trip to Jerusalem?

a) Peter and John

b) Peter, James and John the sons of Thunder

c) Peter and James, brother of the Lord

d) James and John, the sons of Thunder

A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Mary

NOW there was a certain city wherein a church had been built, and the church was built in the name of the Archangel Michael, and each year, on the twelfth day of the month Hadár, which is the day of the festival of the Archangel Michael, great numbers of the inhabitants of the city did not fail to visit his church. And behold, it came to pass one day when the people were journeying along the road to come to that church, that a mighty roaring rush of waters came from the sea, and it burst upon the people and alarmed and terrified them exceedingly, and drove them out of their senses; and the water surrounded that place and rose to a height of about two measures, and the people were wellnigh drowned. 

Then each and every one of them made supplication unto God, and every man sought out a means whereby he might save himself, and they took to flight and fled before the waves which rolled in from the sea, so that they might not be drowned by the waters, according to that which was wont to happen. And behold, there was a certain woman travelling with the company who was with child, and her time for bringing forth was nigh, and she was unable to run away with the other people. And she cried out after those who had forsaken her and fled, but no man turned back to have regard unto her, and she found none to help her, and despaired utterly of obtaining help from man. 

Then she cried out with tears unto God, the Most High, and unto our Lady MARY, the storehouse of compassion and mercy, who calleth every one unto the love of her beloved Son, the Redeemer of the world. And it came to pass that, when those who had taken to flight arrived at the seashore, she stretched out her hands, and raised her eyes to God in heaven, and made supplication unto our Lady MARY with great outcry and with much weeping and lamentation. And the waves of the sea stood there through the might of the billows thereof, and our Lady MARY brought tidings of hope and joy unto the woman, and covered her with her garments, and hid her from the sight of the sea. And the woman thought that she was in a well built and well furnished house. 

Then whilst she was in the midst of the sea, the pains of childbirth took hold upon her, and our Lady MARY took the child from her womb; and she gave birth to a fine boy. And his mother called her boy "Abrâskîrôspas" [a name that means] in Greek and Hebrew "The hand of MARY touched him and blessed him in the womb of his mother." Now neither pain nor a flow of blood came to his mother [when she brought him forth].

And it came to pass that, when the sea returned into its own place, and the waters thereof became quiet, and the waves went down, the woman went forth from it carrying her child in her arms. And when the people saw her many of them marvelled and became speech less by reason of this great and miraculous thing, and they all ran after her and followed her, and when they had come up with her they asked her questions [about it]. And the woman related unto them the great and wonderful miracle which MARY, the Mother of Life, the vessel of prophecy, had wrought. And she told them how the Virgin had hidden her beneath the dark masses of the water so that she might not suffer death. 

And those who heard this story, men and women, children and aged folk, young men and babes, Jew and Gentiles, the Woman about to Bring Forth tile, and all the people of the world, marvelled exceedingly, and they gave thanks unto the God of righteousness, and they multiplied the praises of our Lady MARY, who worketh miracles innumerable, whose beauty is immeasurable, and whose rule is beneficent and ineffable. 

As thou didst cover over with thy garments the woman who was with child, and who was in the midst of the terrible waves of the sea, at the hour of her bringing forth and bearing a son, Even so cover thou me over, and let not my need be too hard for me, O my Lady MARY, who didst receive me into thy care from the womb, and cover thou me with vestments of light and not of skin.

O Holy Virgin Mary, pray for us!

LIJOCH! The Children's Corner

Put the missing words in the right place in this verse from the book of Jude:

Yet [_] the [_] , in contending with the [_] , when he disputed about the [_] of [_] , [_] not bring against him a reviling [_] , but said, “The Lord [_] you!”

devil, archangel, accusation, body, rebuke, Michael, Moses, dared

ይበል:ግዕዝ (yibel Ge’ez)

Let's reclaim our forefathers’ language

Today we study the derivation of the word:

መልአክ

mel'ak

angel

The verb ለአከ le'ake means to send or commission. From this we get መልአክ mel'ak- literally, one who is sent, especially with a message, i.e. angel or messenger, but also by the same principle, governor or prince. As we know we can add -አዊ -awi to the end of a noun to make its corresponding adjective, and so we get መልአካዊ mel'akawi angelic. This word also gives us ምልእክት mil'ikt, a letter or message, but also a duty, function or business.

ORTHODOX Q&A

"How do I live a Christian in my work, leisure, social relationships, and other activities that 'aren't Christian'?"

You cannot separate yourself into 'The Christian' and 'The Worker', or 'The Christian' and 'The Friend'. You cannot be Christian in church or your prayer room and not be Christian while playing football or riding the bus on the way to work. There are no proper activities you can do that 'aren't Christian'. 

So do not split yourself into two, or three. Be a Christian in all things.

Colossians 3 (KJV)

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

²² Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

²³ And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

²⁴ Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Send us your questions at: seu.eotccarla@gmail.com

Short message on behalf the Spiritual Education Unit:

His Grace Abune Thaddaeus, Head Administrator Archimandrite Abba Gebreyesus, and all clergy and faithful- thank you for the opportunity to share this labour of love with you. Thanks also to the team of the Spiritual Education Unit for their hard work.

-Liqe Teghuan Tekle Mariam Greene

References

Miracle of Michael: The Ethiopian Synaxarium https://archive.org/details/bookofsaintsofet0001unse/mode/2up

Miracle of Mary: 110 Miracles of Our Lady Mary - EA Wallis Budge https://archive.org/details/onehundredtenmir0000budg

           Faith and Order of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

The     The Heresy of Jehovah's witness: Pope Shenouda III

     tH   The Angels: Pope Shenouda III

https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/archangel-michael/ 

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