Archangel

"Archangels. While they aren't as powerful or glorious as the true ones, they still aren't something to scoff at, especially when you are against the end of an archangel's sword. Unlike regular angels, who are messengers, the archangels are trained warriors who wouldn't hesitate to destroy an entire village "in the name of God", even when it goes against His order."

- Carl Black.

Archangels, also known by Beni Elohim, are the eighth order of Angels, making them second in the Third Sphere of Christian Angelology.

Overview
In the nine orders of angels in Christian teachings, the archangels are among the eighth, making them second in the third hierarchy. They are treated as stronger then low-class angels but weaker than any other order of angels.

Archangels are one of the few bodies of angels that contact those on the material plane directly and are the ministers and messengers between God and mankind. According to some texts, archangels are also the primary warrior race of angels and are known to be at constant war with the fallen angels. At the end of the world, they will be charged with the blowing the Seven Horns.

Description
Archangels have a spiritual awareness two levels higher than humans. Unlike angels, their role is to guide groups and nations rather than individuals. They are called the great heralds of good news, announcing the great and most glorious.

Their service consists in revealing prophecies, knowledge, and understanding of God's will which they receive from the higher orders of angels and announce to the lower order, i.e., the angels, and through them, to men. St. Gregory the Dialogist says that the archangels strengthen people in the holy faith, enlightening their minds with the light of knowledge of the holy Gospel and revealing the mysteries of devout faith.

Appearances
Like the other orders of Angels, Archangels don't possess an exact appearance but instead possess many different appearances depending on the angel. The only thing that all Archangels have are dove wings (mainly pure white) and either armor or robes.

Myths and Legends
"Eighth of the nine orders of angels. Their duty is to minister to humans and deliver messages. They are warriors of Heaven and lead Heaven's forces during battle with the armies of evil."

- The Demonic Compendium.

According to some texts, archangels are also the primary warrior race of angels and are known to be at constant war with the fallen angels. It is even suggested that Lucifer was an archangel before his fall from grace.

There is a dispute on whether famous archangels such as Michael and Gabriel are the same class as the "plain" archangels, who in the Kabbalah and in the Bible are called "Beni Elohim" (meaning "children of God"), or belong to a completely different order known as True Archangels who are also called "Rav-Malakhim" or "Malakhim-Panav," who are the angels that stand before the lord himself. Occultists sometimes associate archangels in Kabbalistic fashion with various seasons or elements, or even colors.

Zoroastrianism
An increasing number of experts in anthropology, theology and philosophy, believe that Zoroastrianism contains the earliest distillation of prehistoric belief in angels.

The Amesha Spentas (Avestan: Aməša Spəṇta, meaning "immortal holiness") of Zoroastrianism are likened to archangels. They individually inhabit immortal bodies that operate in the physical world to protect, guide, and inspire humanity and the spirit world. The Avesta explains the origin and nature of archangels or Amesha Spentas.

To maintain equilibrium, Ahura Mazda engaged in the first act of creation, distinguishing his Holy Spirit Spenta Mainyu, the Archangel of righteousness. Ahura Mazda also distinguished from himself six more Amesha Spentas, who, along with Spenta Mainyu, aided in the creation of the physical universe. Then he oversaw the development of sixteen lands, each imbued with a unique cultural catalyst calculated to encourage the formation of distinct human populations. The Amesha Spentas were charged with protecting these holy lands and through their emanation, also believed to align each respective population in service to God.

The Amesha Spentas as attributes of God are:
 * Spenta Mainyu (Phl. Spenamino) - lit. "Bountiful Spirit"
 * Asha Vahishta (Phl. Ardwahisht) - lit. "Highest Truth"
 * Vohu Mano (Phl. Vohuman) - lit. "Righteous Mind"
 * Khshathra Vairya (Phl. Shahrewar) - lit. "Desirable Dominion"
 * Spenta Armaiti (Phl. Spandarmad) - lit. "Holy Devotion"
 * Haurvatat (Phl. Hordad) - lit. "Perfection or Health"
 * Ameretat (Phl. Amurdad) - lit. "Immortality"

Notable Archangels

 * Mirakodus
 * Zaapiel
 * Senoy
 * Sansenoy
 * Semangelof
 * Rimmon (Fallen)
 * Xaphan (Fallen)

Trivia

 * The Jewish name for Archangel is rav-mal'ákh.
 * There is another class with the same name known as True Archangels.
 * An archangel wears an accurate example of a late 14th century suit of armor, sporting one of the most mortal armors from the mortal realm. He even wears a sword and dagger like actual knights of the period.
 * In Zoroastrianism, sacred texts allude to the six great Amesha Spenta (literally "Bounteous/Holy Immortals") of Ahura Mazda.

Image Sources

 * (Angel knight by jasontn d81fe9q-fullview.jpg) Angel Knight by JasonTN
 * (Archangel Sprite.png) Archangel from ???
 * (Hierarchy of angels archangel by enemicarium dblmq6w-fullview.jpg) hierarchy of angels: Archangel by Enemicarium
 * (The Archangel) The Archangel by rubendevela
 * (Archangel Human.jpg) Archangel by TomEdwardsConcepts
 * (Arch angel by jasontn d9vxj6i-fullview.jpg) Arch Angel by JasonTN
 * (Archangel Valkyrie Paladin 9x12.jpg) Archangel/Valkyrie/Paladin 9x12 Patreon reward by RichardCox
 * (Archangel by cinemamind dcd6jrr-fullview.jpg) Archangel by cinemamind
 * (Fra Angelico-Annunciatory Angel-detail.jpg) Annunciatory Angel by Fra Angelico
 * (ArchangelSMT.jpg) Archangel artwork from Shin Megami Tensei
 * (312 - Archangel.jpg) Archangel artwork from Shin Megami Tensei II
 * (SMTDSArchangel.pn) Archangel artwork from the Devil Summoner series and later games of Megami Tensei
 * (Archangel.jpg) Archangel artwork from the Devil Children series