Onyedịkachukwu, Ikechukwu and …

You might be wondering what these people mentioned above did or what happened to them. You might actually ask what story is coming up. Nunquam, there’s no story; these are the Igbo equivalents of the Archangelic names of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Generally, we knew the angels of God from the Scriptures and many of us encounter them personally at various points in our lives knowingly or unknowing.

Nevertheless, they are called angels not because it’s their nature but because of the functions they do as God’s messengers. By their nature, they are divine heavenly spirits.

Some of the names of these angels are gotten from their ministries. Ohh, I don’t mean prayer ministries or government ministries which has almost lost their original motives and meaning today. Yes, “ministry” is derived from the Latin word “Minister, ministri” meaning “Servant, servants”. So, the proper names of the Archangels are gotten from the service they rendered. What service does the government ministries and prayer ministries render today? Are they just places where we glorify ourselves?

Archangel Michael

Whenever some act of wondrous power must be performed, Michael is sent, so that his action and his name may make it clear that no one can do what God does by his superior power. He fought battle with the eternal enemy Satan(Rev. 12:7). Thus, Michael means “who is like God.”–Onyedikachukwu.

Archangel Gabriel

He came to announce the One who appeared as a humble man to quell the cosmic and spiritual demonic powers. Thus, he came to announce the arrival of the one God of power and one strong in battle. So Gabriel who is called God’s strength, was sent to Mary(Luke 1: 26-38). Gabriel means “the Strength of God” –Ikechukwu.

Archangel Raphael

When Raphael touched Tobit’s eyes in order to cure him, he banished the darkness of his blindness(Tobit: 12: 15–22). Thus, since he is to heal, he is rightly called God’s remedy. Thus , the one who was sent to cure, was indeed worthy of the name Raphael, which means, “the Healing of God”–Ogwugwochukwu.

Similarly, from what we did, what we have done, what we want to do or from the manifestation of God in our lives as children of God in Christ, we too can choose our own names at confirmation or our children’s names at baptism. Baptismal names are not necessarily English names, they are names we take up as God’s children in Jesus Christ. Hence, they can be in any language(Igbo, Yoruba, English,Latin, Greek,etc).

May Archangels “Onyedịkachukwu, Ikechukwu and Ọgwụgwọchukwu” intercede for us before God and always. Amen.

Happy feast day to all the Michaels, Raphels and Gabriels, that’s the Onyedikachukwus, Ikechukwus…

© Fada Henry Charles Umelechi , 2023.

Truth Series.

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