The Holy Tabernacle & Archangels

The Holy Tabernacle with Six Archangels COPYRIGHTED ART. Do not copy or deep-link to without prior permission from "Come and See" Icons, Books & Art

November 8th
Synaxis of the Holy Archangels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael & all the Bodiless Powers
Troparion (Tone 1)
Let us praise Cherubim, Seraphim, Thrones, Powers, Authorities and Principalities, Dominions, Archangels and Angels for they are the Bodiless ministers of the Unoriginate Trinity and revealers of incomprehensible mysteries. Glory to Him Who has given you being; glory to Him Who has given you light; glory to Him Who is praised by you in thrice-holy hymns.

This icon commemorates the dedication of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. It is on a high west arch opposite the icon of Christ Pantocrator. It is placed there as the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant is a type of the judgment seat of Christ; and the Tabernacle is a type of God dwelling among men. The inscriptions on the banners say: "I will worship towards thy holy temple in the fear of Thee." (Ps. 5:7) "O Lord, I have loved the beauty of thy house and the place where thy glory dwells." (Ps. 26:8) The ark contained the tablets of the Law, a bowl of manna and a piece of Aaron's rod that had budded. (Heb. 9:4) These correspond to three types of sins of the nation: the law because they transgressed; the manna because they grumbled against God's provision; Aaron's rod because they rebelled against God's chosen leaders. The Mercy Seat with the two cherubim was above this of a single piece of hammered gold. The High Priest would enter once a year to pour the blood of a lamb on the Mercy Seat to cover the sins of the people. Above the Ark is a representation of smoke and fire with a hand, because a pillar of fire would appear over the Ark by night and a pillar of smoke by day; thus the hand signifies God's blessing. Holy tradition holds that the staves to carry the Ark were more than 20 cubits long, yet the Holy of Holies was only 10 cubits x 10 cubits x 10 cubits. Yet they were able to place the Ark in the Holy of Holies without the staves appearing on the outside. This would require a miracle every time the ark was moved. This miracle is alluded to in the dedication of Solomon's Temple in 2 Chronicles 5. This is why the archangels are present to hold back the curtain walls of the Holy of Holies to reveal this impossibility. As marvelous as the Ark of the Covenant with its Mercy Seat was, it pales in comparison to its antitype: the living Christ, God incarnate dwelling among us and in us in the Eucharist! As Pantocrator, he sits on the throne of God as our Judge and Merciful Savior

St. Philip's used the occasion of the presence of angels in this icon to include the six remaining "core" archangels recognized in the Orthodox Church, not yet portrayed in the nave. The Orthodox Church believes there are thousands of archangels, however there are just eight whose interactions with the lives of men have revealed their descriptive titles. Their actual names are known only to them and to God, for they are too terrible for us to hear and live.
Hear is the list of the eight:
St. Raphael - "the healing of God" - 3 Esdras 5:16
St. Uriel - "the fire or light of God" -2 Esdras 4:1, 5:20, 10:28
St. Jeremiel - "God's exhaltation" or "God uplifts" - 3 Esdras 4:36
St. Barachiel - "the blessing of God"
St. Jehudiel - "the praise of God" or "one who glorifies God"
St. Selaphiel - "prayer of God" - 3 Esdras 5:16
not pictured here:
St. Gabriel - "the strength or power of God" - Daniel 8:16, Luke 1:26 - March 26th
St. Michael - "who is like unto God" - Daniel 10:13 & 21, 12:1, Jude 1:9, Rev. 12:7 - Sept. 6th

This Icon is by the hand of Nicholas Papas and is at St. Philip Antiochian Orthodox Church, Souderton, PA.

Order # phn-107