Anna Prophetess in Luke really Asherah’s HighPriestess in the Temple

Rembrandt. Prophetess Anna overseas Jesus' Presentation in the Temple

Is Anna the Prophetess described in the Gospel of Luke really Asherah’s High Priestess serving underground and incognito in the Temple? The Bible says she lived in the Jerusalem temple full time, is of the tribe of Asher, is a psychic / prophetess and recognized baby Jesus instantly. She gives him her blessing.  Perhaps she was more than just an old woman practicing the spiritual discipline of fasting and praying. Here’s how Luke tells it…

Luke 2:36-38  “There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, [37] and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. [38] Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Also intriguing (to me) is ancient Church tradition says Anna is the name of Jesus’ maternal grandmother. St. Anna is the mother of the Virgin Mary.
Even more intriguing is Anna Prophetess being the “daughter of Phanuel”.  Phanuel is a great archangel and is Hebrew for “the face of God.” Look what Wikipedia says about him (especially the last lines about taking on the antichrist).

Phanuel is the name given to a possible fourth Archangel in the Book of Enoch after Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. He is also considered to be the ruler of the Ophanim

His name means “the face of God”. His was one of the four voices Enoch heard praising God.

This first is Michael, the merciful and long-suffering: and the second, who is set over all the diseases and all the wounds of the children of men, is Raphael: and the third, who is set over all the powers, is Gabriel: and the fourth, who is set over the repentance unto hope of those who inherit eternal life, is named Phanuel. (1 Enoch 40:9)

As an angel, Phanuel is reputedly a member of the four Angels of Presence. In 1st Enoch, he is also listed as an angel of exorcism (he is heard “expelling Satans”). Phanuel has also been linked with the Angel of Penance mentioned in the Shepherd of Hermas.

Some associate Phanuel with Uriel, however, the Book of Enoch clearly distinguishes the two. Uriel means ‘the Light of God’ while Phanuel has a different meaning. Phanuel’s duties include bearing up God’s throne, acting as a guardian angel to all whom have inherited salvation in Jesus Christ, minister of Truth and is an angel of judgement. Furthermore, as The Book of Enoch attests, Phanuel is the angel of repentance unto hope of those who have inherited eternal life. Piecing together the writings of Enoch and the Revelation of John, Phanuel, along with Michael, Gabriel and Raphael will all drink from the ‘winepress of the Wrath of God’, strengthening them in that day, the Day of the Lord. Phanuel’s arch-rival in the demonic hoards is Beliar, the Antichrist, the demon of lies. During the Battle of Armageddon, Phanuel will relinquish this rivalry, to fulfill the prophecy that Christ will destroy Beliar with the word of His mouth. It is often thought that Phanuel (if not with others) is the angelic voice in Revelation 11:15b saying “The world has now become the Kingdom of our LORD and His Christ. He shall reign forever and ever. Amen

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The article doesn’t mention Phanuel is also known as “demon’s bane”. A google images search for Phanuel yields some nice angel images.

Published by

Katia

Katia is a consecrated independent sacramental bishop. She directs the online Esoteric Mystery School and Interfaith Theological Seminary. Check it out at NorthernWay.org.

5 thoughts on “Anna Prophetess in Luke really Asherah’s HighPriestess in the Temple”

  1. Amazing how much scripture is never discussed! I never heard of this Angel, or much about the others either. Thanks for this information.

  2. Very intriguing thought. And you think Anna and Anne might be the same?
    I had wondered that at times, myself.
    I certainly never considered Phanuel, didn’t realize this was the name of an angel, but where it ends in el, that would be a strong clue.
    Intriguing.

  3. so, this would possibly mean that yeshuas divine family has connections with the angel phanuel??????intriguing……

  4. Good match, this is exactly my opinion too, that Anna the prophetess was the grandmother of Jesus. I did some research about Anna, grandmother of Jesus.
    According to Strongs concordance and their lives there exist relations between Sarah (Abrahams wife), Hannah (Samuels mother) and Anna (the prophetess in the temple of Jerusalem), they are maybe always the same reinicarnation. And Sarah was a highpriestess of Ashera too and an Essene like Hanna and Sarah. Now, one then can ask why didn`t Luke just wrote „there was Anna, the grandmother of Jesus“. Luke has in his gospel a lot of hidden messages he makes use of the allegoric rules of Philo of Alexandria to tell a hidden story (http://www.thenazareneway.com/Allegory%20101.htm). Why did he hide informations, maybe because he was afraid that the gospel would have been changed from Paulus?
    Ok and what could be the hidden story? It is told from Anna that she was married 7 years and then being in the temple of Jerusalem, that she was a daughter of Phanuel, and from the tribe of Asher and that she had a great age, 84 years old. To be a daughter of Phanuel could that mean to be a descendant of the highpriest Hananeel who was highpriest in the order of Melchisedek from the aaronic priestline in the exile in Leontopolis (On?) (Ireland) (Priests House of Zadok). In the family tree of the line of the zadokian priests there is mentioned that Anna was a daughter of the Highpriest Yehoschua III and his uncle was Simon IV, the son of Boethus and Boethus father was Hananeel. Phanuel is only mentioned in the book of Enoch, there it is told that he is one of the 4 archangels and on another internetsite I found that the name of Phanuel or Phaniel is also Haniel. Herod the Great desired Mariamme I and she was a daughter of the Highpriest Simon IV Boethus and to get married with her, Herod allowed Simon to come to Jerusalem from the exile (Ireland?) and he set him as Highpriest of Jerusalem. It then could be that this Simon, mentioned in Luke 2,36, was Simon Boethus. Furthermore Luke wrote that Anna was in the age of 84. When my assumption is right and Anna of Luke 2,36 really was the grandmother of Jesus she couldn`t have been 84 years old when Jesus was a little baby. Perhaps Luke wanted to tell that according to the Essene teaching, they were in the 84. cycle. That would mean Luke wanted to tell that Anna was an Essene and I come then to the conclusion that the Highpriests from the Aaron priestline were Essenes and highpriests in the order of Melchisedek. It is furthermore told that Anna was only 7 years married. According to the family tree of the Hasmonean kings of Judea Anna was married with prince Alexander III, called the Heli (Luke 3,23) and he was murdered by Herod the Great. According to the time table it could then be that Anna and H(eli) were only married for 7 years. This would confirm my assumption too that Luke wanted to tell that Anna was the grandmother of Jesus. And as we know Herod the Great murdered a lot of people of the davidic line, he wanted to erase the davidic bloodline. Anna and Heli had a daughter, this was Mary (Miriam), the mother of Jesus. When Anna was the daughter of the highpriest it could be that she came too from the exile Ireland or Cornwall to Jerusalem. After the death of H(eli) Anna and Mary as the last heirs of the davidic line were taken in the temple to be protected from Herod. In Koran Sure 3 003.035 following this is confirmed that Mary was growing up in the temple, educated by Zacharias her uncle. Mary and Samuel both were dedicated from H(anna) for a special service.
    And Mary`s husband Joseph ben Jacob was called in Luke 3,23 „ben Eliam“, maybe Luke wanted to tell that he was the son in law of H(eli)

  5. I am a direct disendent of ANNA the PROPHETESS, I have researched my DNA back to her , this is amazing stuff.

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