Know Your Ally: Gabriel
With great power comes great responsibility...
Let’s mix things up a bit. The last three articles I’ve written covered the three Superior Demons: Lucifer, Ba’al, and Astaroth.
Now, let’s do some Angels.
The three most notable Angels are Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Now, make no mistake, their “triunity” is not what the Unholy Trinity is harping on. They just happen to be the Angels we’ve seen with a prominent role in the Bible. The Unholy Trinity is mimicking the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Ba’al Would be their bastardization of the Holy Spirit, Astaroth would be the bastardization of the Father, and Lucifer would be the bastardization of the Son. Meh, I’m not 100% on that though, so take it or leave it.
No, unlike Demons, Angels are not a counterfeit of anything. They simply ARE…
And what they are is what they DO.
Their very names are what Authority God has dispensed for them to act as Spiritual Arbiters. Michael means “One like unto God”, Raphael means “Healing of God”, and Gabriel means “Strength of God.”
Gabriel is who I want to focus on now. He is an Angel of Strength. No, not physical strength necessarily, because he lacks a physical form. All Angels and Demons lack a body, so how can Gabriel be “Strong”?
He’s Strong in Spirit. Or, rather, he is the Spirit of Strength.
“Gabri” means Man, as in “Masculine”, which therefore alludes to Strength more than just a human with a dingdong.
“El” means “Divine”
Gabri + El = Divine Strength, or “Strength of the Divine.”
“Elohim” means “Divine Winds.” Using that term encompasses all Spirits, as a Plurality.
Demons and Angels alike compose the Elohim, as the “Court of Heavenly Winds.” Greek, Roman, Kabbalah, Babylonian, etc. all worship their fair share of Elohim — the “Forces of Nature” and ascribe all sorts of personas to those Forces. Some pantheons are “better” than others, but what must be mentioned is that if they do not bow to the One Creator of All which made them, they are in Rebellion. Spirits are always at work, always moving things and nudging the events of our world. They do so to keep “balance in the force” in whatever Authority they were assigned.
They are “Forces Unseen” that act upon the World, like wind. It’s the “wind” that moves the planets and nations alike. They aren’t literally winds. They are like “the winds of change” or the “change in the winds.” Their presence demarks some form of alteration to the current state of things. Alchemists would call all Spirits “Mercurial” in that they are ever-changing beings. They are the very substance of Motion, some undefined point between A and B, well and truly. If they stop moving, they stop being. Modern interpretations of the electron apply.
For Gabriel, his Motion is as a “Force of Vitality” or, rather, “Force of Competence.”
Imagine you had a big rock what needed moving. You have two workers. One is a scrawny guy that’s good at organizing things. The other guy is a giant, muscle-bound behemoth. Who do you choose to move the rock?
The giant muscly dude, obviously. Sure, the scrawny guy might be able to figure out a contraption or use leverage to move the rock, but he’s not a mathematician, he’s just good at organization. That’s it. Even if he devises a way to move it and save effort, who wouldn’t want to teach the strong man the method to reduce the chance of failure? With all other things equal, who wouldn’t take a strong and healthy man over a scrawny weakling for any task? This is why we have instinctual bias to favor the strong, even if the task is unrelated to strength. It’s because Strength proves something about a person’s character.
Strength is more about being capable than it is just being physically yoked. You have put in the hard work to get to a point where hard things come easy. Discipline plays a huge part in that, but is something of its own. Sure, Strength is enabled by Training and Discipline, but on its own it is the very nature of “Being Prepared.” You are prepared because you put in your reps. You put in your reps because you are Disciplined. You are Disciplined because you Honor God.
You are not found wanting…
Because you went out and got it yourself.
Strength, in the Bible, would mean “One who is ready to confront that thief in the night…”
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your master will come. 43 Of this be sure, that if the good man of the house knew at what watch the thief would come, he would surely watch, and not suffer his house to be dug through. - Matthew 24:42-43
You have to be STRONG to persevere through the night. You must be STRONG to fight off lethargy and disinterest. You must be vigilant at all times. That is what True Strength is made of.
It’s more about character than physical stature, though one is usually a prerequisite for the other. One who is small can also be Strong, for they are that which simply does not quit no matter what. Neither when the going gets tough nor the task seems futile does a creature of Strength relent in their peerless aims. They keep moving. They keep working. They keep going because they are the bastion of fortitude, the pillar which holds up the Temple, and if they fall so too does the House of God. They keep it up because they know they are the “backup” and that no one is coming to save them. If they fail, so does everything they are fighting for.
This is what Gabriel represents. Strength. Determination. Reliability. Courage. He is the Patron of all those who rise up to challenge and don’t back down, no matter what.
Why?
Because there are those weaker than you who need you. Desperately, sometimes. You are the only one that stands between the weak of body from the horrors of the World. Therefore, the Strong are those who act, and act with Duty and Honor. Do not mistake Strength with those things, however. It is easy to confuse Strength with Courage, for example. Courage is being afraid of the task at hand, yet pushing through nonetheless. Cowards can be physically Strong, just as much as the Courageous. Strength is simply what backs up Courage and makes the impossible seem possible. The Will to act may be there, but is nothing if you don’t have the dedication to have “Your Will Be Made Manifest.”
It is a Fool who acts when they know they cannot possibly win — who throws himself on the sword for no purpose. The Strong acts not because he knows what he does is hard to the point of futility, but because he accepts the consequences to himself for the Greater Good of All. To stand against Tyranny, for example, guarantees punishment and chastisement. Even knowing you may lose, the Strong are intolerant of all those who abuse the Weak, and therefore act not to hasten their own demise but because NO ONE ELSE WILL; because for those who Act With God, nothing is impossible. How then might one who “Does as God Does” be called a “Fool”?
The Blood of Martyrs is not spilled in vain.
Think of Strength as the glimmer of hope that manifests in a moment of trial as a gift from your past self. When you struggle, and are in the Spiritual Bind, it is the Spirit of Strength that comes forth to grant you the fruits of your past labors. Every weight you’d lifted; every mile you’d ran; every night you spent watching over your invalid family member… those moments built you up into what you are today.
Something that can stand Firm in the face of Adversity.
Therefore, Gabriel acts as the voice which urges you to better yourself and become Strong. Gabriel is the voice that tells you to ready a second share of firewood in case the winter is especially harsh. In that preparation, in the ritual of readiness, as you are cleaving through log after log you are rewarded with Muscle — a Medal to be worn proudly in having done a job well. Why are muscles attractive? Because they show True Strength; they show you are a DO-ER. They show competence. They show stalwart dedication which is akin to loyalty.
Women love a Strong, muscular man because it shows he is capable. There’s practicality in that desire.
They want a “Man of God” because one such person will face down Hell, and anything worse than that, to Protect and Serve those who can do neither. One such man is the very presence of Masculinity that our culture finds so “Toxic.” One who acts, unshackled by pomp and circumstance or bureaucratic ball-and-chains to do WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE in any moment. Save lives, then worry about if you were “in the wrong” later. If a dog is coming to maul your sister, then what do you do?
You ACT! Worry about the consequences later, because there are lives which need saving.
Capable men are often prepared for anything that comes their way. They don’t back down when it matters. Why wouldn’t you want to be around such a figure? The Strong keep the weak safe. For what other greater Purpose is there than to lay down one’s life for your neighbor? Any who do as much is in alignment with God’s Will.
Strength is doing what must be done…
Everett
Everett is a middle aged man who works in the trades. He wakes up at 5:00am every morning. By 7:00pm he’s already in bed. “Sun up, sun down” as his pa used to say.
Everett has his friends and his enemies. Usually, though, his enemies are secretly holding a grudge for Everett having gotten the better of them. That’s usually how it pans out. Still, even his enemies know he’s reliable and still begrudgingly offer him work. He won’t scam them nor does he ever fall for scams. For that reason alone, he’s a time-saver in their eyes. You’re only hurting yourself refusing to do business with someone who always gets the job done.
While he won’t seek vengeance, he will slap you back. Hard. Best not to quarrel with someone who hits twice as hard as you on a good day.
Like the kid in school who helps others with their homework, you don’t bully him otherwise when you’re in need you might end up in shit creek without a paddle. Everett is the Paddle of Salvation, willing to wade throughs swamp and rapids, always there for you when you need him. He offers a helping hand to those who do right by him; do right by him, and you’ve basically won the lottery.
Jack of all trades. He’s a handyman, capable of just about anything, but lately he’s doing a lot of electronic, HVAC, and automotive work. His business runs purely by word of mouth, which is fine by him because he’s too swamped with work to take on new jobs anyways. Some liken him back to the age of house-call doctors, except for anything that grinds and binds.
He does all this, despite his affliction. A couple decades ago he was side-swiped by a drunk driver and launched into a ditch. Cracked his skull wide open… By God’s Grace alone, he survived. Though recovered enough to work, he still has to take pain pills every day and has chronic migraines. Every time he gets one he’s reminded of how that pissant drunk managed to get away clean because his oldest cousin was the Sheriff…
Everett caught wind of that fact when his friend, at a family member’s fancy country-club wedding, overheard the little shit talk about how he “knew people” and managed to get out of jail time once. He was boasting about it… This led Everett to call up an insurance company and managed to cleverly piece together the personal phone number for the guy who cursed him with a lifetime of pain and suffering. He told him who he was over the phone, but the guy played dumb. Everett just wanted him to know what he did to him and left it there.
To no one’s surprise, Everett detests alcoholics and avoids them best he can. More for their sake than his, really. He’s not likely to pull his punches if he sees a drunk “showing their ass.” Nothing’s scarier than a sober man who knows anatomy as well as he knows the underside of a car’s hood. It’s not “marital arts”, it’s a bubba who knows an arm don’t work so well if blood cain’t get to it. “Motor don’t run if the gas and air don’t reach it.” One wrong move from a drunk and seeing stars would be a mercy. Drinking is fine by Everett, and he won’t straight-edge a party, but getting drunk around him may well turn into a death sentence if you play a bum hand and lay those hands where they ought not be laid.
“‘Specially on a woman…”
Back to the pissant that hit him. He died from colon cancer about five years after the phone call. Everyone who didn’t fall for his smile always knew he was full of shit, so it’s rather poetic how he died — unable to unpucker his petrified sphincter. Overflowing in fecal matter. The doctors said it was a genetic disease that ran in the family, but those who knew had other suspicions as to how his “ass got blown out.”
Everett didn’t celebrate the death very long, if at all. If he wanted him dead, he would have been dead long ago. No, he just wanted to make sure the creep knew that what comes next isn’t so easily lied to like drunks at a country club.
Not long after that, Everett’s father passed. Too much aluminum dust from body work and a hard life led to COPD and eventually lung cancer took him. Radiation therapy did more harm that good for his pepaw. It got him thinking maybe the medical industry has it out for people. From then on he’s taken care of his mother, going to church with her as much as possible. It always seems like Sundays are when his migraines kick in the most…
Everett never married and had no kids. Still a virgin, if you can believe it. Aiming at his 40’s, he’s not holding his breath for romance. Who wants a dirty wrench monkey, anyways? If he charged more, above book for the tough jobs, maybe he’d be a millionaire and could retire by now, but then who would fix everyone’s crap? If they didn’t have him, they’d have to get their stuff repaired by conmen and scam artists. Everett knows them all, as he’s had to clean up after they make a mess of things. He’s even gotten to the point where he can tell whose handiwork it was based on how screwed up things are. For example, if the “spare bolts” are left over, it came from Speedy Zone Auto repair.
One of their “mechanics” came in for electronic work, which no one in the state outside a dealership(and probably in) can manage, asking “what do you do with all your spare nuts and bolts after working on a car?” which Everett shockingly shouted back with “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SPARE NUTS AND BOLTS!?! I don’t have spare nuts and bolts… If I take it out, I put it back in!”
He didn’t have much good to say about them from that point on. Not just because of the “spare nuts and bolts” conundrum, but because after getting chewed out he kept on getting their mistakes from disgruntled customers on their last penny and wit alike. They didn’t learn their lesson.
“It’s not right they do that to people…”
Everett’s probably said those words more than anything else… Even counting his prayers, which is saying something.
You see, Everett’s a God-fearing man. He knows when someone’s his better, in a fight or otherwise. You don’t tumble with someone you know you can’t beat, either with words or a fist. What words can stand up to THE Word? What fists can punch the One what made them?
Every muscle, bone, and sinew — honed from years of hard labor would have been nothing if not for God having sent the work your way. Everett is a perfect example of that fact. He lifts with his legs and his head. Arms and back just need to be agreeable. He may seem skinny, but pound for pound he outpaces body-builders because they put on the muscle for show. Everett’s muscles are from hitting them at every angle one can imagine, well beyond the repetition of a gym. He’s “all natural.” Those machines target muscle groups, while Everett’s vocation targets his body, mind, and soul.
Meditating while doing yoga? Why not meditate while yanking a motor out of a 2-ton? There’s plenty of yoga to be done while hoisting chains and moving racks.
Brain exercises? What good is multiple choice when looking at a wiring diagram, trying to figure where a mouse might’ve nibbled him a little nest — or trying to figure out why honking the horn is lowering the window? There’s a head scratcher for you!
“It’s probably from Speedy Zone…”
With all this “seasoning” in his field, he knows the scammers from the real deal almost on sight now. His message to people? “Stay away from people who mean you harm.” The law isn’t always on your side, and that’s part of any good racket. If something seems too good to be true, you’re probably getting the run around. Whenever/wherever Everett spots deviants preying on others, he steps in and tells them to “hang up!” before they give the nice Indian fella their social security number and bank account. Mind as sharp as his biceps, since most fights aren’t in person anymore.
He steps in and steps up. He puts himself in harms way; throws his body in to the meat grinder, so people can get back to doing their own work. He picks people up, offers them a fair deal, and sets them on their way. He makes people Whole again by setting them straight. He jokes and pranks as easily as he breathes, all for the purposes of taking people off their high horse so they can see just how fuck’d up those horseshoes are gettin’.
Then he hammers out a new pair and warns them what will happen if they push a horse too hard on empty.
It’s not just a horse’s spirit that can break.
This is Everett — Disciple of God. He’s watched over by Gabriel, night and day, and always manages to pick himself up with others in tow. When things get bad, when people cannot pick themselves up by their bootstraps because they can’t afford boots anymore, Everett is there to hoist them on his back and get them over the finish line. Not with money, but with good service at an affordable price. No scams. No tricks. If he messes up, he makes it right. He keeps his Word.
He’s what the likes of Samson is made of. Piss him off and you’ll see those pillars quake and tremble. Do right by your fellow man, and Everett will give you the shirt off his back — so long as you can handle the sweat.
The more a community consists of Everetts, the better it fares. It’s the vitality; the lifeblood of Civilization. He’s the Strong Man who makes Good Times. Cross him at your own peril, as even if you win the battle using cheap tactics, the War you will surely lose. Without the Man who keeps the lights on, what good is an expensive mansion loaded up with all the amenities? When the hot and cold seasons come in, and you’re burning your last dollar for warmth, you’ll be wishing you hadn’t stabbed that “wrench monkey” in the back.
Every tool is useless if there isn’t a Source of Power to run it.
When the Weak turn on the Strong out of Jealousy, all will suffer. That’s the only real “Equality” that exists in Nature — when everyone’s dead for having put themselves first one too many times.
Equality? Meet the Equalizer.
Gabriel the Messenger
Why is Gabriel a Messenger?
All Angels are, mind you, even Demons. It’s all they can be, to a point. They have no body, so all they can do is use words and their Spiritual Presence to influence things. They can only act through others — through slight nudges, the implantation of ideas, and the whispering of words.
So, why is Gabriel most famous of the Messengers? He is the “Strength of God” after all, not “Courier of God.” This is because there was one who was supposed to deliver THE Message but that crybaby has become particularly selective with any messages that spread news he doesn’t like.
Lucifer was supposed to be that Messenger which shouts forth the Good News to the World and Beyond. He was supposed to harken in the Age of the Son of Man. He was to do all that which Gabriel is known for. Of course, the timeline would have been different since Adam would not have Fallen if not for Lucifer’s machinations. Regardless, what role Gabriel has taken on was supposed to be left for the “Praise of God.”
26And in the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin affianced to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the Angel went in unto her, and said, Hail thou that art freely beloved: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. - Luke 1:26-28
Why would a Spirit of Strength say blessings and be part of the “Annunciation” of Christ? All this sounds like “Praise” more-so than “Strength”, right?
So, why Gabriel?
Because, he DOES WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE!
Besides, Mary showed great STRENGTH at that moment. God calls and she says “Let’s Ball!”
Gabriel is currently the Acting ‘Chief’ Messenger because he is RELIABLE — the very Definition of it, in many respects. Reliable like a well-designed building is reliable. He is Strong. He doesn’t back down. He does Hard things, because no one else can. Goes where he is needed and doesn’t give up on people even after they’ve given up on themselves.
God chose him because he was the BEST option left. He’s a doer; always eager to serve and protect. Always there and ready to lend the helping hand for those who are at their wit’s end.
He always manages to dig deep and pull off impossible feats right at the last moment — or at least be around for such times.
As a Spirit, he dispenses God’s Will with full permission of God. He uses the Authority of Strength to intercede and empower those who are right on the edge of Glory and Defeat.
He’s what we would call in modern times a “Spotter.”
Everything above can easily be said for the role of a “Guardian Angel”, no?
Note the importance of Communication. You know, the thing Messengers do?
This is why Gabriel is the go-to guy after the first dude fell through on the job. Gabriel “picks up the pieces” left behind, because he’s big on lifting in the first place. His Authority is to act as a guide and “Spiritual Spotter” for us puny weaklings trying in Good Faith to get in shape and Carve that “Temple” to Perfection.
The “Message” he sends is of encouragement.
"You've got this!"
"Just a little more, you're almost there!"
"Push through, you're stronger than you think!"
"Let's crush this rep!"
"Keep on it, this is your time!"
"You're doing great!"
"Keep pushing, you're making progress!"
"Almost there, just focus!"
"You're looking strong today!"
Cheesy, sure, but that’s his job. Well, it is now since the guy who was supposed to offer praise abdicated that role. Strength knows Strength, so he’s a reasonable replacement. Gabriel is unabashedly positive when it comes to self-improvement. He’s always there cheering you on when the Hard Times come. At the zenith of a lift, of whatever burden threatens to crush you, he’s there by God’s Will, alongside your Guardian Angel, looking out for you making sure absolutely nothing can go wrong, wielding the Holy Spirit as is his charge. His Power comes from God alone, as he is “God’s Strength.”
Who better to teach you how to get Thicc and Swole if not the man who bears the name “Strength” himself?
“You wanna know my name? First name is “Strength,” Last name is “God’s”, and don’t you forget it, Brother!”
If times get tough, you get tougher, you hear me?
Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. What good is a knife if it doesn’t have a handle on things? You’re likely to get yourself cut if you don’t first put on the Armor of God.
When two things clash, when there is friction, you know who comes out on top? The one who is hardest. What cuts a diamond? Another diamond. How are diamonds made? With pressure. With heat. With a crap-ton of weight.
Even then, you can’t always be hard 100% of the time. You bend or you break. The quench gets you hard, but there is such a thing as being “too hard.”
Make no mistake, though a diamond may be tough, it can still shatter. The quench makes you brittle, which is why you follow it up with a tempering.
“TEM'PERATE, adjective [Latin temperatus.] Moderate; not excessive; as temperate heat; a temperate climate; temperate air.
1. Moderate in the indulgence of the appetites and passions; as temperate in eating and drinking; temperate in pleasures; temperate in speech.
Be sober and temperate and you will be healthy.
2. Cool; calm; not marked with passion; not violent; as a temperate discourse or address; temperate language.
3. Proceeding from temperance; as temperate sleep.
4. Free from ardent passion.
She is not hot, but temperate as the morn.“
In other words, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”
Strength is a Deterrence on its own. You don’t need to shout and offer a spectacle for people to fall in line. Fiends see a strong man and back off. They know what comes swinging toward their heads when the Big Man walks down the street and catches them illin’. This is why we need Strong Men — because them just being there is what keeps the Law and the Order. Behind them stands Gabriel, sending the Message to all:
There is the Spirit of Consequence in his station. When he tag-teams it with Archangel Michael, the combination of Respect and Strength forms Consequence and Accountability.
What happens when you poke the bear?
You’ll find out…
So, show some Respect to those who wield great Strength.
That’s a message you’d best remember.
“The One Who Sent Me”
Jesus is every Virtue and all Harmonious Spirits put together… and more…
He can do everything all the Spirits can do, and do it well. In fact, he does it the best. There is NONE better. That’s the point. He’s Perfection found in an Imperfect World. The threaded needle, _
He’s the boss on site who can do everyone’s job.
So what point is there in having the other Spirits?
Because, there’s a matter of redundancy here. Can you truly call a system “Perfect” if there is no redundancy? If the Perfect Pilot were piloting the Perfect Plane charted on the Perfect Course to avoid all turbulence, why would there be need for parachutes? There’s no possible way something can go wrong, right? Because everything is “Perfect.”
Why have two engines on the plane, either? The engines after all, are Perfect Engines.
So, why have a spare of anything?
Simple — because it gives you options.
“For those who are given much, much will be required…”
“For those who are given ALL, EVERYTHING will be required…”
Redundancy, even in a Perfect system, is to the benefit of the Other.
YOU may be Perfect, but others are not. Therefore, when one falters, when another’s engines go out, or when one has found themselves in the pit of despair, you are there, laden with Redundancy, so that you can offer them Salvation.
Jesus is the one with everything to spare. He’s the Prepared One in camp who offers you his spare matches because yours got wet. He offers another a raincoat, because they forgot theirs at home. He shares a ration of dried fish and bread for those who could not afford it. He does this because he Cares, well and truly.
In so doing, however, his pack has become quite sizeable, as you might imagine.
It is a Yoke of the All. A second share of everything one might need, freely taken up and given out at his own expense. Jesus carries the Weight of the World for any who are found lacking. He picks up the slack for anyone who was ill-prepared, short on time, clumsy, or found themselves wanting. He does this out of Love and because who else could?
THAT is what makes him Perfect, by definition. The redundancy in being prepared for the failures of others is what makes him Perfect. This is why he is the only one who can take upon himself the sins of others. He already has. His burden is more than TWICE that of any other, because he always has resources to spare. He MUST. That is his Charge, given him by the Father, to always be there for any who stumble on this Journey to Paradise.
Carrying that load takes Strength. It takes Perseverance. It takes a Man seeing things through to the end.
Anything and everything Good in the world can be found in Jesus.
Gabriel, being the Strength of God, is exemplified in Jesus’ dedication to his Passion. The Medal to commemorate Strength was established FOR and BY Jesus. Gabriel’s role is to hand out the Medal of Strength to those who deserve it.
It took Strength to go against the Villain of the Ages — the Den of Vipers. Jesus knew he would die for it, but that’s not why he did it. It wasn’t just to send a message, either. He did it for no other reason that that it NEEDED TO BE DONE! That’s what makes a Man a Man. That’s what True Grit is made of. That’s what makes a Strong Man Strong.
Strong Men who bring Good Times.
Why did he wander the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights? He did it because it was his Training. It was to prepare Mind and Body and hone him to the necessary state for the Work to come. In the desert he was alone. In Calvary, he was surrounded by everyone, the entire population of Jerusalem and his most loyal Disciples — yet… he was still alone.
Had he not known the loneliness of the desert, would he have been able to endure the loneliness of the mob? Perhaps, but why leave it up to chance? Why be a Fool when you could endure hardship now in preparation for the hardship of tomorrow?
This is Strength. To do the hard things because they are hard — because no one else wants to do them. Sometimes, because NO ONE ELSE CAN!
Gabriel intercedes for all those God-fearing men who sit in despair, begging for just an ounce more of Strength to get over that next hill. Don’t give up hope. Apathy is for the weak.
Bravo! A brilliant and inspiring piece of work.