I found it very interesting to research the Archangel, Gabriel.  Much of it I already knew, but there were many small details that really made this angelic being very interesting.

Unlike Michael, who is tasked traditionally considered to be the angel of God's Judgement, Gabriel is looked upon as the angel of God's Mercy.

Like Michael, Gabriel is mentioned by name in the Bible.  In fact, there are four recorded encounters between Man and Gabriel;

1) The first such appearance occurs in the book of Daniel, chapter 8 where Gabriel explains the vision of the horned ram as portending the destruction of the Persian Empire by the Macedonian Alexander the Great, after whose death the kingdom will be divided up among his generals, from one of whom will spring Antiochus Epiphanes.

2) In chapter 9, after Daniel had prayed for Israel, we read that "the man Gabriel . . . . flying swiftly touched me" and he communicated to him the mysterious prophecy of the "seventy weeks" of years which should elapse before the coming of Christ.

3) The third such encounter is recorded in Luke 1:11-20 when Gabriel appears to Zechariah the priest and makes the pronouncement that Zechariah and his wife will give birth to a son, "...who will go on before the Lord".  This son is later known as John the Baptist.

4) The fourth, and probably best known, encounter is that between himself and the Virgin Mary when he announces the upcoming birth of Jesus Christ.  You can find these passages in Luke 1:26-38.

In trying to come up with my interpretation of this widely known archangel, I tried to envision myself in his role.  In doing so I realized that the specific encounters listed in the bible would be considered to be successful encounters. I wonder how many times throughout history has Gabriel arrived at a situation where he has announced what God's Will is for a situation and those whom he has delivered the message to have decided to ignore what was said or convince themselves that the appearance of an angel is ludicrous and that they must have been having some type of wierd dream.

In this regard, I imagine that the role of Gabriel is often filled with disappointment and saddness.  A saddness that is for us because he knows of the times we have turned our backs on the Glory intended for us to follow our own will instead of the Lord's.

Just as Michael has been equipped by God with the tools he needs to do his job, so Gabriel has been equipped for his.  For his role, Gabriel has been given a trumpet.

It is with this trumpet that Gabriel makes his his announcements to those who are intended to hear...especially in the Book of Revelation chapters 8 through 11 when the seven archangels proceed to go through the blowing of the seven trumpets.  As a side note, it is my belief that Gabriel is the angel who is tasked with the blowing of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15. 

I've also included a prayer to Saint Gabriel for Intercession.  It appears inside the greeting cards and note cards we offer in our e-store.  Here it is:

I hope you enjoy this artwork and ask for you to keep your heart and mind open to the "angels" that God has sent your way to try and communicate to you the path that God desires for you.  Remember, angels do not always come in the form of an angelic being.  Quite often, they can be friends and/or family members God has decided to use as a conduit for His word.

If you are interested in viewing our selection of merchandise featuring the artwork of Saint Gabriel, just click on the picture below and you will be taken there.