Archangel Raziel Profile

Low Angle View Of Angel Statue

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The Archangel Raziel is known as the angel of mysteries, and the name Raziel means secrets of God. Other spellings include Razeil, Razeel, Rezial, Reziel, Ratziel, and Galizur.

The Archangel Raziel reveals holy secrets when God gives him permission to do so. Those who practice Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), believe that Raziel reveals the divine wisdom that the Torah contains. People sometimes ask for Raziel's help to hear God's guidance more clearly, gain deeper spiritual insights, understand esoteric information, and pursue clairvoyance, alchemy, and divine magic.

Symbols of Archangel Raziel

In art, Raziel is often depicted bringing light into darkness, which symbolizes his work in bringing the light of understanding into the darkness of people's confusion when they ponder divine mysteries.

Angel Energy Colors

Raziel is associated with rainbow colors rather than a single color.

Raziel's Role in Religious Texts

The Zohar, the holy book of the mystical branch of Judaism called Kabbalah, says that Raziel is the angel in charge of Chokmah (wisdom). Raziel is credited with writing the "Sefer Raziel HaMalach" (the Book of Raziel the Angel), a book that claims to explain divine secrets about both celestial and earthly knowledge.

Jewish tradition says that Raziel stood so close to God's throne that he could hear everything God said; then Raziel wrote God's secret insights about the universe down in the "Sefer Raziel HaMalach." Raziel began the book by stating: "Blessed are the wise by the mysteries coming from the wisdom." Some of the insights that Raziel included in the book are that creative energy begins with thoughts in the spiritual realm and then leads to words and actions in the physical realm.

According to legend, Raziel gave Adam and Eve the "Sefer Raziel HaMalach" after they were expelled from the Garden of Eden as punishment for eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Other angels were upset that Raziel had given them the book, however, so they cast it into the ocean. Eventually, the book washed ashore, and the prophet Enoch found it and added some of his own knowledge before he was transformed into the archangel Metatron. The "Sefer Raziel HaMalach" then passed on to the archangel Raphael, Noah, and King Solomon, legend says.

The Targum Ecclesiastes, which is part of the rabbinical commentaries known as the Midrash, says in chapter 10 verse 20 that Raziel announced divine secrets orally in ancient times as well: "Each day the angel Raziel makes proclamations on Mount Horeb, from heaven, of the secrets of men to all that dwell upon the earth, and his voice resounds throughout the world."

Other Religious Roles

Jewish tradition says that Raziel helps protect the other angels and that he rules over the second level of heaven. Raziel is also the patron angel of lawyers, those who write laws (such as elected government representatives), and those who enforce laws (such as police officers and judges).

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Hopler, Whitney. "Archangel Raziel Profile." Learn Religions, Feb. 8, 2021, learnreligions.com/meet-archangel-raziel-124087. Hopler, Whitney. (2021, February 8). Archangel Raziel Profile. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/meet-archangel-raziel-124087 Hopler, Whitney. "Archangel Raziel Profile." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/meet-archangel-raziel-124087 (accessed March 19, 2024).