Gabriel

"11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw [him], he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings."
- Luke 1:11-19 (King James Version.)
Gabriel is the third of the Seraphim to be created, right after Michael and Lucifer. Gabriel's duty as part of Heaven's Council is ensure that communications between Heaven and warriors sent into battle is maintained. He commands a vast array of messengers, scouts, and couriers that work diligently to keep all those loyal to Heaven well informed and well supplied. During the War in Heaven, Gabriel shrunk away from the conflict, sitting most of it out, a decision that weighs heavily upon him to this day.
Gabriel is an extremely passionate and driven being, showing compassion to all living things, even Demons. While he understands that fighting is neccessary, he often cannot bring himself to strike down another being, stating that "All life is sacred, and should not be snuffed out". It is likely because of his dislike of killing that he is rarely seen on the field of battle, instead maintaining lines of communication and supply from his post in Heaven.
Ironically, as one of the older Seraphim, he is among the strongest Angels in all of Heaven, though he rarely uses that strength. At the beginning of Lucifer's Rebellion, Gabriel chose to stay loyal to Heaven. With that said, he could not bring himself to slay his brothers and sisters, despite their betrayal. Because of this, he instead remained on the sidelines, watching mournfully as the battle raged on. Afterwards, he constantly blamed himself for many of the deaths that Heaven suffered, cursing his inability to act but never able to correct it.
With the war between Angels and Demons raging on, both sides have been forced to neglect the mortal world. There are many in Heaven who feel guilt over this, Gabriel included. It is believed that he adamantly petitioned the Council to send Angels to aid with the oppression of the Fears.
Category:Angels
Category:Characters
Category:Beings