The angel Gadreel is mentioned only briefly in the Bible, but he plays an important role in biblical history. Here is an overview of what the Bible reveals about this mysterious angelic figure:
Gadreel was one of the angels God placed in the Garden of Eden
In Genesis 3:24, after Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden, the Bible says “After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” Cherubim are a special class of angels, typically depicted with wings and guarding God’s throne. So Gadreel was likely one of these cherubim angels stationed to guard Eden after the fall.
Extrabiblical tradition identifies Gadreel as the serpent in Eden
There is a tradition from ancient Jewish sources (not found in the Bible itself) that the serpent who tempted Eve was not actually Satan, but Gadreel taking the form of a serpent. The idea is that Satan exploited Gadreel’s presence in Eden to tempt Eve. This tradition aimed to absolve Satan of causing the fall. But the Bible portrays the serpent as Satan himself, not an angel like Gadreel (Revelation 12:9).
Gadreel was blamed for letting evil into the world
Since Gadreel was stationed to guard Eden, extrabiblical tradition placed the blame on him for failing to prevent evil from entering the garden. Whether as the serpent or by neglecting his duty, Gadreel was accused of allowing Satan to tempt Eve and cause the fall of mankind. This cast Gadreel as a fallen angel responsible for sin and evil entering creation.
Gadreel may have repented and been restored
Unlike Satan and the demons, who are portrayed as irredeemably evil, Gadreel may have repented of his failure in Eden. 2 Enoch describes Gadreel being cast out of heaven but eventually repenting and being allowed to return. So in some traditions, Gadreel represents an angel who sinned but through repentance found redemption, unlike the devil.
Association with the apocryphal Book of Enoch
The most extensive mentions of Gadreel come in the Book of Enoch, an apocryphal work not included in the biblical canon. Enoch portrays Gadreel as the angel primarily responsible for introducing evil and sin into the world. But because this comes from outside inspired Scripture, the story should be considered with caution.
Gadreel sought forgiveness through righteous Enoch
In the Book of Enoch, Gadreel repents after being cast out of heaven and asks Enoch to intercede for him before God. The idea is that Gadreel sees the righteousness of Enoch and appeals to him for forgiveness and restoration. God then grants Gadreel mercy because of Enoch’s intercession. Again, this comes from an uninspired source and is not found in the Bible itself.
Gadreel possibly assisted at Jesus’ tomb
One tradition states that angels rolled away the stone from Jesus’ tomb at the resurrection. Gadreel is sometimes speculated to be one of these angels, fulfilling a positive role after his Eden failure. But the Bible does not specify which angels were involved in the resurrection events.
Takeaways about Gadreel
In summary, here are some key points about the angel Gadreel:
- He was one of God’s appointed cherubim angels guarding the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve’s banishment.
- Extrabiblical tradition made him the serpent who tempted Eve or the angel who failed to prevent it.
- Gadreel became a scapegoat for evil entering creation.
- He possibly repented and was restored to heaven.
- Most information about Gadreel comes from non-canonical sources like the Book of Enoch.
- The Bible has very little to say about him directly.
So in the canonical Scriptures, Gadreel is just one of the cherubim set to guard Eden after the fall into sin. But tradition developed elaborate stories about his role that go far beyond what the Bible explicitly teaches. As with any topic, it’s important to distinguish biblical truth from later speculation and legend.
Gadreel in the Bible
Let’s take a closer look at the one explicit biblical mention of Gadreel in Genesis 3:
Genesis 3:24 – After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Here we see Gadreel was one of the cherubim placed to guard Eden after Adam and Eve’s expulsion. Cherubim have a special role in God’s kingdom, often protecting or praising His holiness. The cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant symbolized God’s presence with Israel. So being one of these exalted angels assigned to guard Eden was a great honor and responsibility.
Gadreel’s name itself means “God is my helper” – signifying one who relies on God for strength and guidance. Sadly he was unable to thwart the serpent’s temptation, but there’s no indication Gadreel himself intended ill will. Despite his failure, God still showed mercy in allowing this angel to remain in His service.
Gadreel’s absence from other biblical passages
After this brief mention in Genesis 3, Gadreel is nowhere else referenced in Scripture. Important angels like Michael and Gabriel appear repeatedly, but not Gadreel. This suggests he did not play a notable role in other biblical events. His guard duty in Eden seemed to be the extent of Gadreel’s involvement with human history as recorded in the canonical books.
If Gadreel had continued on as a fallen angel or demonic figure, we would expect him to appear in accounts of angelic battles or demonic activity. But neither the Old nor New Testaments mention Gadreel again. His absence implies he was not a major supernatural player after Genesis 3.
Parallels to other fallen but redeemed figures
Though Scripture is mostly silent about Gadreel after Eden, we might speculate based on other biblical examples. The Bible contains multiple accounts of angels who sinned but were eventually restored, unlike Satan and demons who remained evil:
- Prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) – This parable mirrors an angel like Gadreel sinning but repenting and being welcomed back by the merciful father.
- Apostle Peter (Luke 22:31-34) – Peter denied knowing Christ but repented and was forgiven and commissioned again by Jesus.
- King David (2 Samuel 11-12) – Though grievously sinning, David repented and was still called “a man after God’s own heart.”
So the possibility of Gadreel repenting and being restored is not outside of biblical precedent. An angel failing his duty but seeking and earning redemption fits with the theme of a gracious God.
Non-canonical references to Gadreel
Most of what tradition says about Gadreel comes from sources outside the accepted canon of Scripture. But it’s still helpful to survey these references, while recognizing their limitations:
Book of Enoch
The most extensive non-canonical source on Gadreel is the Book of Enoch. Dating to around 300 BC, Enoch expands on Genesis 6 by describing the “sons of God” (angels) who sinned by marrying human women. Key details include:
- Gadreel is blamed as the angel who first led other angels to sin.
- For this he was cast out of heaven and cursed by God.
- Gadreel asks Enoch to intercede for him, which Enoch agrees to do.
- God then grants Gadreel mercy because of Enoch’s prayers.
Again, none of these details about Gadreel’s sins or redemption appear anywhere in the Bible itself. But they show how Jewish tradition attempted to explain the angelic influences on early human history in Genesis.
2 Enoch
This Slavonic apocryphal work from around 100 AD also briefly references Gadreel (spelled Gazzyel). It says when Gazzyel sinned, he was cast out of heaven but later allowed to return. This aligns with the theme from Enoch of Gadreel’s sin, punishment, and restoration.
Midrash
These Jewish commentaries on the Hebrew Scriptures contain various interpretive traditions about Gadreel. A common theme is identifying him as the serpent in the Garden of Eden who tempted Eve. The motivation was to exonerate Satan by making Gadreel the culprit instead.
Should Gadreel be considered a saint?
In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, Gadreel is sometimes listed among the saints and assigned a feast day. But this practice is controversial, since he is never called a saint in Scripture itself. Honoring Gadreel with sainthood appears based more on extrabiblical tradition than the authoritative text.
There is also debate over whether angels can be considered saints at all. The word “saints” usually refers to redeemed human believers. Unlike humans, angels were never created in God’s image and do not experience salvation from sin the same way. So sainthood may apply only to people, not angels.
Angelic categorization
Within the hierarchy of angels described in biblical and extrabiblical texts, Gadreel would likely rank somewhere among the lower orders of angels. His duty to guard Eden was still a great honor. But he was not among the highest angelic beings like the seraphim who surround God’s throne. Nor was he an archangel like Michael or Gabriel who lead God’s armies and deliver His messages.
Gadreel seems best categorized among the common angels and cherubim – spirits created to serve God and interact with the physical realm. Though he failed in Eden, Christian tradition suggests he may have later been restored to this basic angelic role.
Significance for Christians today
What importance does Gadreel hold for Christians today beyond being an obscure angel mentioned only once in Genesis? Here are some potential takeaways:
- All created beings – even angels – have moral freedom to choose obedience or rebellion against God.
- A single moral lapse does not necessarily irrevocably doom one to evil.
- God’s mercy and forgiveness extends even to fallen angels who sincerely repent.
- Righteous human intercession can move God’s heart to show grace.
- Cautious discernment is needed when evaluating extrabiblical traditions.
- Scripture itself gives very limited information about Gadreel.
The idea that an angel who failed terribly could still find redemption gives hope that God’s grace is open to any repentant sinner, human or angel. This conceivably fits Gadreel’s story, though the Bible itself provides few details about him.
Common questions about Gadreel
Did Gadreel ever return to heaven?
The Bible doesn’t conclusively say if Gadreel was ever allowed back into heaven after being stationed as a guard of Eden. Some extrabiblical sources suggest he did eventually repent and was restored to God’s presence. But Scripture itself neither confirms nor precludes this idea.
What kind of angel was Gadreel?
Genesis 3 specifies Gadreel as one of the cherubim angels. Cherubim seem to be a special class of angel associated with guarding God’s holiness and interacting with the physical world. Gadreel served honorably among their ranks before and possibly after Eden.
Why did God show Gadreel mercy?
Assuming the traditions are true, God likely showed Gadreel mercy and forgiveness because He is gracious and willing to pardon the sincerely repentant. Gadreel recognized his failure and appealed to righteous Enoch for intercession. Moved by this, God may have restored Gadreel as he did with other angels and humans.
How powerful is Gadreel compared to other angels?
As a cherubim, Gadreel seems to have been a mid-level angel in terms of power and authority. He did not wield the strength of archangels like Michael but was elevated above lower ranking angels. His position guarding Eden testifies to Gadreel still having an honored status in heaven’s hierarchy.
Why isn’t Gadreel mentioned more in the Bible?
The absence of Gadreel from Scripture after Genesis suggests he did not play major roles in other biblical narratives. God chose not to inspire further revelation about this angel’s activities. Yet in God’s sovereignty, He included just enough to illustrate Gadreel’s purpose and character.
Conclusion
The angel Gadreel appears only briefly in Scripture as one of the cherubim stationed to guard the Garden of Eden after humanity’s expulsion. Extrabiblical tradition developed an elaborate backstory for him – painting him as Eden’s serpent, claiming him as the first fallen angel, and ascribing his eventual redemption. But the Bible gives limited information about Gadreel, leaving much open to speculation.
What seems clear is Gadreel was given the privilege of guarding Eden’s gates, yet failed in preventing evil from seducing mankind. Despite this, the merciful God may have granted him forgiveness and restoration. As an angel, Gadreel illustrates God’s universal offer of grace to repentant souls who seek righteousness.
