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The Book of Enoch · 40 of 109

Chapter XL. The Four Archangels

1.And after that I saw thousands of thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, I saw a multitude beyond number and reckoning, who stood before the Lord of Spirits.

2.And on the four sides of the Lord of Spirits I saw four presences, different from those that sleep not, and I learnt their names: for the angel that went with me made known to me their names, and showed me all the hidden things.

3.And I heard the voices of those four presences as they uttered praises before the Lord of glory.

4.The first voice blesses the Lord of Spirits for ever and ever.

5.And the second voice I heard blessing the Elect One and the elect ones who hang upon the Lord of Spirits.

6.And the third voice I heard pray and intercede for those who dwell on the earth and supplicate in the name of the Lord of Spirits.

7.And I heard the fourth voice fending off the Satans and forbidding them to come before the Lord of Spirits to accuse them who dwell on the earth.

8.After that I asked the angel of peace who went with me, who showed me everything that is hidden: ‘Who are these four presences which I have seen and whose words I have heard and written down?’

9.And he said to me: ‘This first is Michael, the merciful and long-suffering: and the second, who is set over all the diseases and all the wounds of the children of men, is Raphael: and the third, who is set over all the powers, is Gabriel: and the fourth, who is set over the repentance unto hope of those who inherit eternal life, is named Phanuel.’ And these are the four angels of the Lord of Spirits and the four voices I heard in those days.

Asked of Guide

Why does Enoch hear four different voices and learn four angel names here?

Enoch sees a vast heavenly assembly and the four presences standing on the four sides of the Lord of Spirits; each voice has a distinct role—praising God, blessing the Elect, interceding for earth, and fending off accusers. The guiding angel identifies them as Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Phanuel, so the scene explains why each archangel carries a specific function in divine governance.

This chapter frames those functions as integral to how heaven interacts with earth: mercy and patience (Michael), healing (Raphael), power over forces (Gabriel), and bringing repentance and hope (Phanuel). The arrangement echoes later angelology in Judeo-Christian texts and connects with Revelation’s vision of attendant multitudes and named angels administering judgment and care.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.