Raphael

RAPHAEL, one of the seven Arch-Angels which are continually before the Throne of God, and are always at Hand to Tob. xii. 15.perform his Commands. The Name of the Angel Raphael is not found in Scripture, but only in the History of Tobit. It is not mention’d in the New Testament; and, in general, the Names of the Angels do not appear to have been known before the Captivity of Babylon. Tobit the Father having lent, or, according to the Greek Text, having only deposited, the Sum of ten Talents with a Jew call’d Gabael, resolved, in his old Age, to send his young Son Tobias to fetch this Money¹. As Tobias, therefore, was seeking a Guide to conduct him from Nineveh to Rages a City of Media, he happily found an Angel, who having assum’d an human Form, offer’d himself, for a Drachma a Day, and his Food,² to conduct him safe to Rages, and to bring him back again to Nineveh. This holy Guide took the Name of Azarias, he eat and drank with Tobias during the whole Journey, and did nothing that could give him any Suspicion of his being an Angel.

They departed from Nineveh; and when they came to their Lodging upon the Banks of the River Tigris, Tobias went to wash his Feet in the River; when a great Fish made up to him, as if it intended to devour him. But Raphael bid him to seize it by the Fins, draw it to Land, cut it up, and take out the Heart, Gall, and Liver, which he was to reserve Tob. vi. 1, 2, 3.for an Use he would acquaint him with hereafter. When they came near to Ecbatana, Tob. vi. 10,11,12.Raphael said to Tobias; In this City dwells one call’d Raguel, who has an only Daughter whom you ought to marry, according to the Law; for you are her nearest Kinsman, and she is the only Heiress of the Goods of her Father. Tobias inform’d him, that he had heard this young Woman had already had seven Husbands, who had all been put to Death by an Evil Spirit. Raphael bid him take Courage; and told him, The Devil could have no Power over those, that enter’d into the State of Matrimony in the Fear of the Lord; That, besides, he had a sure Remedy against all Evil Spirits, in the Heart of the Fish he had about him; for he need but broil it on the Fire, and they would presently be put to flight.

Tob. vii. 7,2,3,&c.They went therefore to Raguel’s House; and Tobias marry’d Sara. And by observing the Direction of Raphael he was secured from all Misfortunes, the Devil that had (in a manner) besieged Sara, being banish’d into the higher Egypt. While the Days of the Marriage were celebrating, TobiasTob. ix. 1,2,3,&c. Tob. xi. desired Raphael to go to Gabael, and to take up the Money out of his Hands, which was the chief Occasion of their Journey. Raphael accordingly went to Rages, and brought the Money to Ecbatana. After the Ceremony of the Marriage was over, Tobias and his Spouse took their leaves, in order to return to his Father at Nineveh. But when they came to Haran, in the midst of their Journey, Raphael persuaded Tobias to go before, to deliver his Father and Mother from their Impatience, who were much grieved because of his long Absence. They went therefore together, and being arrived at Nineveh with old Tobit, who was blind; after the first Salutations were over, Tobias, by the Advice of Raphael, put upon his Father’s Eyes the Gall of the Fish he had taken, by which in half an Hour’s time the old Man recover’d his Sight again.

After this was over, they both apply’d themselves to Raphael, whom they took Tob. xii. 1,2,3,&c.still for a Man, and desir’d him, that he would accept of half of their Substance, as a Recompence for the great Services he had done them. Then Raphael told them in private, that they must give Thanks to God the Author of all their good Fortune. When you gave Alms, said he, and when you buried the Dead, I presented your Prayers to the Lord; and because you were acceptable in his Eyes, he brought you into Temptation in order to prove you. Now therefore the Lord has sent me to cure you, and to deliver Sara your Son’s Wife from the Power of the Devil; for I am the Angel Raphael, one of the seven that are always before the Lord. Bless him therefore, and sing his Praises. It seem’d to you that I eat and drank with you; but as for me, I am fed with an invisible Food. I must now return to him that sent me. Having said this, he vanish’d out of their Sight. The Story of Tobit and Tobias may be further seen under their Articles.

The Word Raphael signifies the Remedy of God, or the Physick of God; and nothing could agree better to the Part acted by the Angel on this Occasion, and to the Design of God in sending him to Tobias and Sara, than the Name of the Physician of God.

He calls himself Azarias Son of Ananias the Great; and Tobit, who knew this Family, said he was of an illustrious Birth. The Hebrew, Greek, and Syriack Texts of this Passage have it thus. My Brother, you are of a good and honest Family, for I know Ananias and Joathan, Sons of the illustrious Shemeias. We went together to worship the Lord at Jerusalem, to offer our First-fruits and Tenths of all our Fruits. They have not fallen into the Irregularities of their Brethren. You are of an illustrious Race, my Brother.

It has been Matter of Inquiry, whether in all this Raphael did not tell a Lye? It should Vide Gataker, l. 1. contr. Edmund. Campian. p. 77.seem, that it cannot be deny’d but that he must have told an Untruth, since certainly he was neither Azarias, nor the Son of Ananias, nor an Israelite, nor, in a Word, was he a Man as he appear’d to be. He speaks contrary to his own Thoughts, and against his own Knowledge; he made Tobias believe what was contrary to the Truth; he has in some sort deceived him, and all that took him for an human Guide. But the Commentators³ generally acquit him of Lying. He was sent of God, to conduct young Tobias, under the Shape of a young Man call’d Azarias; he was therefore to act and speak like him, and in his Name. The Angels that appear’d to the Patriarchs, and to Moses, have spoke and acted as if it were God himself, because God sent them to represent his own Person. An Actor in a Tragedy that represents Cyrus, says, without lying, that he is Cyrus. Besides, supernatural Actions, such as are here in question, are not subject to the common and ordinary Rules, but are of an higher Order and Character; they are figurative and mysterious, they have none of the Qualities essential to a Lye, consider’d as an Action purely human, moral, and contrary to Truth and Justice.

‘Tis inquired also how Raphael eat and drank? whether he did really eat and drink, or whether in Appearance only? The Opinions of Men are divided upon this Question. Some maintain that he did not drink, and Raphael seems express for this Opinion, when he says, It seemed to you that I eat and drank with you; but as for me, I am fed with invisible Food. Therefore he only seem’d to eat, and the Senses of Tobias and the rest were imposed upon, when they thought he took Nourishment, whereas really he took none. Others⁴ pretend, that such Angels as have appear’d to Men Dialog. cum Tryphon.have really eaten. Justin Martyr makes no Difficulty of it, since in Heaven the blessed Spirits are fed, as he says, with the Bread of Angels, as the Scripture speaks. Tertullian Tertul. cont. Marcion. l. 3. c. 9.also acknowledges, that Angels having appear’d cloath’d with natural Flesh, may also have eaten really and naturally.

St. Austin⁵ puts no other Difference between the eating of Men and Angels, excepting that we eat out of Necessity, to repair our Strength and to support ourselves; whereas Angels have no Occasion to eat. He thinks that when Raphael said to Tobias, It seemed to you that I eat and drank, he does not deny his eating and drinking; but he means, that it seem’d to them, as if he eat and drank out of Necessity, whereas he only did it because he had a Mind to do it. ‘Twas thus that our Saviour eat and drank after his Resurrection. But it may be ask’d, What became of that Nourishment that the Angels took in their several Appearances, and that Jesus Christ took after his Resurrection? why, it was dispers’d by Transpiration, by Rarefaction, and by other Ways unknown to us; but was not Grot. Menoch. Just. in Tob. xii.converted into the Substance of those that took it.

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