Archangel Raphael

3/6/24 

The next Archangel we will review is the first that is not in our Christian Bibles, but he is mentioned in all rabbinic and ancient Jewish texts.  The Archangel Raphael.  It is a Hebrew name meaning God heals, God's healer, or God has healed.

“The Archangel Raphael’s presence in the Bible is a matter of interpretation. In the Bible embraced by most Protestant denominations, there’s no explicit mention of the Archangel Raphael. However, within the Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions, Raphael does have a place, notably in the Book of Tobit. Additionally, the Book of Enoch, revered as sacred scripture by Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, includes references to Raphael.  Raphael proclaims his identity in Tobit 12:15, stating, “I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the LORD, ready to serve HIM.”  Archangel Raphael (alittlesparkofjoy.com).

As I prayed to write this article on Raphael, I was struck by his name.  I remembered one of the names of Jehovah, Jehovah Rapha.  I believe this is where Raphael’s name is derived from.  Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord Who Heals.

“The Lord is also Jehovah-Rapha, The Lord Who Heals. This title for God occurs in Exodus 15, which tells the story of the early days of the Israelites’ travels in the wilderness…The people of Israel began crying out to God and to Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” The Bible says, “So [Moses] cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, and said, ‘If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you’” (Exodus 15:25-26).  In the Hebrew text, the title “The Lord Who Heals You” is Jehovah-Rapha.”  Dr. David Jeremiah.

In addition, Raphael is generally associated with the angel mentioned in the Gospel of John as stirring the water at the healing pool of Bethesda.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.  John 5:4.

Raphael is named after one of the most important attributes of God, healing.  Healing us from our sin, healing our physical bodies, healing us mentally and emotionally while bringing us in line with the word of God.

Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. Psalms 103:2-3. 

I am intrigued by Raphael because I had an encounter with this angel via a dream in November 2016.  I had been diagnosed with ALS months before this dream.  In a nutshell, my husband and I were running with labels on our heads.  We made it to our destination, which felt like home where a table was setup for dinner.

A messenger/delivery man met us there, I didn’t see a package.  It was evening and he had to return the way he came.  I knew he came up the same road only behind us.  I offered him a meal and fixed him a snack before he left.  Upon waking I thought of Hebrews 13:2 “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.”

I sensed the messenger was an angel after thinking of the scripture in Hebrews.  To solidify this theory were the labels on our heads indicating we belong to God.  The deliveryman aka angel needs a label to make the delivery, us!   So, I figured I would ask the Lord the name of the angel, maybe He would tell me…You do not have because you do not ask.  James 4:2b.

As soon as I asked, I heard ‘Raphael.’  I didn't think any more about it because I could not find the name Raphael in my Christian Bible.  Then a month later, I read a book titled Dream Language by James and Michal Ann Goll (page 54) says that a Jewish prayer calls upon Raphael, the Angel of Healing. The prayer says "…on your right side is Michael…on your left side is Gabriel…before you is Uriel (the Angel of Light) and behind you is Raphael (the Angel of Healing)."   Me not knowing who Raphael was speaks to a mystery God resolved along with a message of hope for my healing. 

“Raphael - great Archangel whose name means the shining one who heals."  In addition, “Raphael is mentioned in the Book of Tobit, to heal Tobit and deliver Sarah from a demon. Raphael accomplished both acts, disguised as a human, guiding Tobias along the way and instructing him on what to do.”  From the Books of Enoch: The Angels (Lumpkin, Joseph). 

Raphael first appears disguised in human form as a travelling companion...Just like in my dream he was behind us as a traveling companion though we didn’t see him until we arrived at our destination.

“In The Book of Enoch, God gives Raphael a healing assignment: “Restore the earth, which the [fallen] angels have corrupted; and announce life to it, that I may revive it” (Enoch 10:10). Enoch’s guide also mentions Raphael, saying in Enoch 40:9 that Raphael “presides over every suffering and every affliction” of people on Earth.” Archangel Raphael (crosswalk.com).

As I have written this post, it has given me hope that God will do what He has promised through the Raphael dream, because I have read “To see an Archangel in your dream is symbolic of a matter of great importance being taken care of by God.”