Gabriel the archangel

I have no religious upbringing and am not familiar with the stories of the Bible. Because of this, I think I missed some of the larger themes that David Durham writes about in Gabriel’s Story. Through talking to classmates in small groups, the only bit of illumination I have received is that Gabriel, in the Bible, was something called an “archangel.” Naturally, my curiosity was piqued, and I did some research to find out both what an archangel is, and what Gabriel’s role in the Old Testament was, as it seemed likely that this information would shed light on the story.

What I found is that an archangel is essentially a high-ranking angel, one who works closely with God. The only two ever named explicitly are Michael and Gabriel. Gabriel’s most significant act, from what I found, was delivering the news to Mary that she was pregnant with the baby Jesus, a event referred to in Christian tradition as “The Annunciation.” Well, that doesn’t really help me any.

The only useful thing I found came from the book itself. In the epilogue, a man we can assume is Hiram tells of the acts of violence that angels have done in the name of God. Raphael smote Asmodeus, Elijah smote the prophets of Baal, and Michael smote Satan’s army. Gabriel did the same. Marshall can be read as a devil figure, or a representation of evil. Gabriel and his family are angels of God, harbingers of justice and beacons of light. The act of killing Marshall is in effect a Biblical act, wherein an angel is justified in its destruction of an evil entity.

Durham’s thesis can then be summed up in a passage from the epilogue:

“… a battle won in the name of good, for protection of family against the devil’s agents, is a blessed thing. Remember that the angel Uriel, who guarded the gates of Eden, stood with a fiery sword in his hands. … There is no sin in this. Not even the angels live in peace. At least, not yet.”