The Bible mentions only two angels by name, including Gabriel. Although we don’t learn much about his personality from reading the four stories in which he is mentioned, we do learn a great deal about how he serves God.
Gabriel in the Old Testament
The first time Gabriel is mentioned in the Bible, is in Daniel 8:16. There God asks him to explain the vision that Daniel gets about the future of Israel. This is a prophecy that has been fulfilled before the birth of Christ, but that also speaks about a future resistance of the Antichrist against Christ (Daniel 8:25). The second time Gabriel is mentioned is when Daniel one year later prays for Israel. Gabriel comes and tells him “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding” (Daniel 9:22). He then continues to give a prophecy about the coming of Christ. This is the famous prophecy of the seventy weeks, which tells exactly when Jesus would be crucified. Gabriel is probably also the angel mentioned in Daniel 10 (e.g. Daniel 10:16), as the description matches the earlier chapters. However, no name is given.
Gabriel in the New Testament
In Luke 1, Gabriel is referenced twice more. He first shows up to Zechariah to inform him that he will have a son. Zechariah does not reveal his name, Gabriel, until he expresses doubt (Luke 1:19). Zechariah would have understood that this was the name of the angel who had appeared to Daniel and that it would have been imprudent of him to doubt God’s messenger. Luke is the one who reports that Gabriel visits Mary a few verses later to herald the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26). This concludes our account of him in the Bible, though it is probable that Gabriel occasionally appears as an unidentified angel.
Gabriel’s appearance: a man
Daniel is startled and falls on his face when he first sees Gabriel (Daniel 8:17). Daniel refers to him as “the man Gabriel who came to me in swift flight” the second time. From this, we can infer a number of conclusions: Gabriel has an amazing and intimidating appearance; he has a manly appearance, but he also flies, therefore it is clear that he is not a man. But even if he can fly, [wings are not mentioned]. Conversely, it is improbable that Gabriel would have been referred to as merely “man” if he had been endowed with wings.
Sudden appearance causes fear
In Luke 1:11 we read that Gabriel ‘appeared’ to Zechariah when he served in the temple. This indicates that he suddenly materialized, also because it was not allowed for people to walk into the area where Zechariah was. In Luke 1:28, it says that Gabriel came to Mary. The word used indicates that he came to Mary in her home. Because it would have been very strange for a man to walk into a home to be alone with a Jewish girl unrelated to him, again the most likely explanation is a sudden appearance. This seems to be the most likely reason for the fear that grips Zechariah and Mary. There is no description of Gabriel in Luke, but based on what we read in Daniel he probably looks like a normal man, or something close to it. And based on Daniel 9 it is a possibility that Zechariah and Mary saw Gabriel fly.
Telling about Jesus
“I stand in the presence of God and I was sent to speak to you,” Gabriel says to Zechariah. This is an excellent synopsis of his role that we are aware of. He is with God, and on exceptional occasions, God sends him to deliver His word to humans. Gabriel’s main message is to get God’s people ready for the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah. Daniel 8 mostly conceals this. However, the most detailed prophecy of the Messiah’s coming and actions may be found in Daniel 9, the most detailed prophecy in the entire Old Testament. Then, in Luke 1, Gabriel informs Mary that Jesus, the Messiah, is about to be born after first announcing [the Messiah’s precursor]. Gabriel, then, is all about Jesus.
Gabriel’s role is our role
The tasks that God assigns to us and the tasks that he assigns to Gabriel are similar in certain ways. According to the Bible, those who are sent by God are known as apostles, while spiritual entities that are sent by God are known as angels. However, it still means “messenger.” Not only are angels and apostles sent by God to spread the word about Jesus, but so are all believers in Him. Gabriel’s job is to tell about Jesus, just as it is ours.
