Archangel Michael

Archangel Micheal belongs to the Heavenly Hosts, created before the visible world came into existence; they revere the Majesty of God and proclaim His Glory, and perform the function of messengers and heralds. In the 5th/6th c., the Christian writer Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, ordering the knowledge on incorporeal beings, separated them into triads grouped in three hierarchies. Closest to God, he placed Thrones, Seraphim, and Cherubim; in the second triad - Dominions, Virtues, and Powers; in the lowest one - Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. Among the nine choirs of angels, only the Archangels have the privilege of ascending and descending through all the ranks of the hierarchy, serving as Stewards of God and Guardians of His Throne. Their presence was attested to many times in the Bible, where they are mentioned by name. Archangel Michael, whose name's Hebrew meaning is 'who is like God', was appointed to be the commander - the Archistrategos of the Heavenly Hosts. Since the time of the formation of the cult in the first centuries of Christianity, his image has appeared in numerous depictions of Christ and the Mother of God which illustrated the Old Testament, on icons of the Last Judgement, and many others. Initially, Archangel Michael was portrayed in princely robes; over time, he was given the appearance of an armed commander. In the New Testament, he is the defender of the new chosen people - the followers of Christ. On the displayed icon, Archangel Michael clad in armour, with a face like the sun (red), galloping on a fiery-coloured horse, is the messenger of the end times in the name of God - he is announcing Parousia, i.e. the Second Coming of Christ for the Last Judgement, and thrusting Satan down to hell. His appearance and symbolic objects held in his hands, known as 'attributes', invoke the Book of Revelation but do not illustrate it literally. The iconography of this depiction formed in Rus in the second half of the 16th c., in the official sphere of the Moscow Orthodox Church, which was described under S.12810MŁ. Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967