Angel of Death Name, Folklore and Symbolism

The Angel of Death is a spiritual soul responsible to comfort people when they are dying and safely carry their souls into an afterlife.

People of Jewish and Islamic origin believe that Azrael or æzriəl is the Angel of Death that translates to the Angel of God or Helps from God in Hebrew. However, Christians believe that Archangel Michael is the true death angel.

The scroll concerning the fate of the mortals is carried by Azrael, which is also the spelling of the Chambers Dictionary.

Who is the Angel of Death?

Many people throughout history have reported near to death life experiences and they were later helped by angels that helped them overcome the situation.

Who is the Angel of Death
Who is the Death Angel?

People who have faced the death of some loved once also have seen some sacred soul bringing them peace and calm by its presence.

While people are dying their last words are often considered to be true visions of their experiences. One of the world’s well-renowned inventors and genius who died in 1931, said, “It is very beautiful over there.”

Who is the Jewish angel of death?

Who is the Jewish angel of death
Who is the Jewish angel of death?

The Jewish perspective of the Angel of Death originates from the Jewish Talmud’s metaphors of an Angel of Death (Mal’akh ha-Mavet) that signifies the demons related with the fall of humanism (one value of which was death).  

The death angel is often personified as an evil creature wearing a black hood and carrying a cutter or an ugly reaper of current ethos. However, the death angel is not permitted by God to bring evil to the sacred people. 

According to Targum, the Aramaic translation of the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, everyone is bound to tackle the Angel of Death at the time of death and it is unavoidable.

The Hebrew Bible translates Psalm 89:48 as, “There is no man who lives and, seeing the angel of death, can deliver his soul from his hand.”

Who is the Christian angel of death?

The Christian Angel of Death is Archangel Michael. It is the chief angel who has the responsibility to look after all the angels responsible to handle deaths.

Who is the Christian angel of death
Who is the Christian angel of death?

It is believed that each person gets a chance to see Michael at least once before dying.

It gives the person on death bed the final chance to ponder the divine state of his or her spiritual soul. Those who aren’t yet protected but change their minds at the last minute can be redeemed.

By expressing faith to Michael and saying “Yes” to God’s offer of redemption, people skip the hell and directly reach the doors of heaven after death.

Who is the angel of death in Islam?

Who is the angel of death in Islam
Who is the death angel in Islam?

The Quran mentions the Angel of Death As-Sajdah 32:11 as:

“The Angel of Death who is charged with taking your souls will take your souls; then you will be returned to your Lord.”

Angel Azrael is responsible to separate souls from the bodies after their death.

The Muslim Hadith conveys a story that demonstrates how adverse people can be to see the Angel of Death when he comes for them:

“The Angel of Death was sent to Moses and when he went to him, Moses slapped him severely, spoiling one of his eyes. The angel went back to his Lord, and said, ‘You sent me to a slave who does not want to die'” (Hadith 423, Sahih Bukhari chapter 23).

Who is the angel of death in the Bible?

As per the Bible, there is no specific mention about the death angel but the new demonstration of the Bible says that angels are “all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).

Who is the angel of death in the Bible
Who is the death angel in the Bible?

It is mentioned in the Bible that death is a holy event which is spiritual to God as per the Psalm 116:15.

Thus, people who follow the Bible tend to believe that there might be more than 1 angel of death.

Conventionally, Christians believe that Archangel Michael is the chief supervisor of all the angels who handle death and help people into the afterlife.

Do angels bring comfort to the dying?

Angel of Death is believed to comfort the people who are dying and this has been witnessed by many people around the globe.

Do angels bring comfort to the dying
Do angels bring comfort to the dying

It has been reported by many close relatives that they have seen an angel when someone is on his death bed.

Some have reported seen angel wings or hearing intense metal music or some robust and pleasant scents giving them the feeling of an angel’s presence around them.

People who are in touch with the dying like the hospital nurses have reported many times that people have shared with them their experience with the angels before dying.

It has also been reported by the loved ones of the patients, their relatives and friends that they tend to reach out to the death angel for helping the sufferer reach their ultimate destination in peace and harmony.

In a book written by the author and Christian evangelist Billy Graham, named “Angels: God’s Secret Agents,” that immediately before the death of his maternal grandmother, the room got filled with very bright light,

His grandmother immediately sat on the bed and almost laughingly said, ‘I see Jesus. He has his arms outstretched toward me. I see Ben [her husband who had died some years earlier] and I see the angels.'”

Which angel escorts souls to the afterlife?

The angel of death accompanies the souls of people to the afterlife also known as the other dimension, where they’ll live on.

Which angel escorts souls to the afterlife
Which angel escorts souls to the afterlife

However, it might be either one angel that escorts everyone or numerous angels working under the supervisor of one angel.

The Muslim culture believes that Azrael is the angel of death that accompanies souls to the afterlife, taking it from the body of the person right after death.

Judaism has numerous understandings of what happens to someone when they die including the concept of reincarnation.

As per the Jewish culture, it is believed that numerous different angels are involved to escort souls.

These include angels like Samael, Gabriel, Jeremiel and Sariel that help in the easy translation of the soul from the Earth to the other dimension.

Video: Is there an angel of death?

The Luke 16 story told by Jesus Christ about 2 men who died i.e. the poor man who trusted God and the rich men who didn’t.

As per Luke 16:22, the poor man went to heaven by the death angel giving him ultimate rejoice and pleasure.

While the rich man went to hell where his soul suffered pain and agony for his remaining time.

As per the teachings of the Roman Catholic Churches, it is the responsibility of Archangel Michael to escort the souls to the afterlife.

One Michael accompanies the souls after the death, it reaches the God where he judges their earthy lives and doings. 

Can angles kill humans?

Yes, angels have the power to kill the humans with their will but they will not do so as they are the messengers of God and take actions only with his permissions.

Can angles kill humans
Can angles kill humans

Read these lines said about Satan:

Satan has to go to God for permission to harm Job in any way. God permits him to wipe out Job’s family and possessions (Job 1) and eventually Job’s health (Job 2), but God tells Satan he cannot take away Job’s life. He does not have the authority to do so.

Thus, even the most powerful angel Satan has to take its actions only by God’s will and therefore no one can harm us before our time has come or before God’s will.

Also, the Bible has described angels as the servants or messenger of God and the servant can never take the command. It only obeys the instructions of God.

Death Angels in the Bible

When we look at the ancient texts and holy books, we can easily relate angels to death and destruction. For example, an angel of the Lord in 2 Kings 19:35 goes out at night and kills 185,000 Assyrians.

Death Angels in the Bible
Death Angels in the Bible

As the Assyrians made themselves out to be rivals of God’s people, God wished this angel to obligate such a mass demolition.

In revelation 6:8, God gives the 4 horsemen and one of its angels to cause death, the power to wipe out one-fourth of the earth’s population.

Although many people believe that the 4 horsemen were not the angels of God.

They are believed to symbolize the high authorities or rulers of the earth and not necessarily the angels sent by God for destruction and death.

Though, it looks like demons may also try to have a hand in death.

Jesus comes across a demon-possessed boy whose demon attempts to kill him. The demon often tosses him into fire and water to burn or drown him (Mark 9:22).

Conclusion

The Angel of Death is a poor description. Although angels, if given the acknowledgement of God, can take away a life, they will not do so unless they have received that command or if God wills it.

Many people thru history have stated near to death life know-hows and they were later aided by angels that assisted them to overcome the condition.

People Also Ask (FAQs)

Who is the angel of death?

People of Jewish and Islamic origin believe that Azrael or æzriəl is the Angel of Death that translates to the Angel of God or Helps from God in Hebrew. However, Christians believe that Archangel Michael is the true death angel.

What is the real name of the death angel?

The Muslims believes that Azrael is the real name of the death angel while in the Jewish culture it is believed that there are many death angels like Samael, Gabriel, Jeremiel and Sariel. The Roman Catholic Churches believe that Archangel Michael is the true angel of death.