2 Corinthians 11:14, Refuting Christian missionary claims, Paul’s analogy using Eve and his Copying of Jewish Pseudepigraphical Apocryphal work

By: Anonymous Muslim

Please read this following article in conjunction with the refutation of Christian missionary pathetic conjecture about their corrupted New Testament Bible’s book of Galatians 1:6-9, my article on that issue here: (Put Link here)

Christian missionaries attacking Allah SWT’s pure religion of Islam often like to quote the following verse from their corrupted New Testament, from one of the liar Paul’s letters (note see: http://answering-christianity.com/contra.htm for good information “Exposing Paul’s Lies” section)

The Christian missionaries quote Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:14- And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. (NIV Bible)

One can find many Christian (primarily Evangelical) Christian missionaries using this verse of their corrupted, contradiction filled New Testament to try to attack Islam (and also Mormonism, as although Mormons generally agree with most pagan Trinitarian Christian doctrines, they also follow what they believe to be a later 19^th century CE “prophet” named Joseph Smith who says “gold plates” written in a supposed language called “Reformed Egyptian” were given to him by a supposed angel named “Moroni” basic refutation of Mormons here http://www../kiosk/article367.html). But anyway to get back to the main point at hand, to start with it has been shown how silly it is for these Christian missionaries to even try to claim the Holy Qur’an could ever come from the accursed Satan as these Christian missionaries go against what they themselves have Jesus PBUH saying in their own gospels! See this wonderful link by brother Bassam Zawadi http://muslim-responses.com/Is_The_Quran_from_Satan/Is_The_Quran_from_Satan_ The New Testament gospels have Jesus PBUH saying the following (this is also in Luke 11:18, Mark 3:22-26) here I quote from Matthew 12:24-26 where it has Jesus PBUH responding to the charge of the Pharisees that he (Jesus PBUH) was expelling demons from demon possessed people not by the power of God Almighty but allegedly as a trick from the accursed Satan.

Matthew 12:24-26 ²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

²⁵ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? (NIV Bible)

So very clearly the Christians own gospels have Prophet Jesus PBUH clearly saying that the accursed Satan cannot fight himself and be divided against himself or his “kingdom” will fall (again even according to these Christians own corrupted, contradiction filled New Testament). The Holy Qur’an tells us over and over that the accursed Satan (called Shaytan in Arabic) is our WORST enemy

Let us quickly read some of the verses of the Holy Qur’an on this.

Allah SWT tells us to seek refuge with him (that is Allah the Almighty) against the evil of the accursed Satan (Satan is our worst enemy), before we begin reciting Allah SWT’s Holy Qur’an.

Qur’an al-Kareem Surah 16:98- So when you want to recite the Quran, seek refuge with Allah from Shaitan (Satan), the outcast (the cursed one). (Mushin Khan translation)

Surah 2:168- O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth, and follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). Verily, he is to you an open enemy. (Mushin Khan translation)

Qur’an Surah 26:210-212 (again from the Mushin Khan English translation of the Holy Qur’an)

26:210 And it is not the Shayatin (devils) who have brought it (this Quran) down,

26:211 Neither would it suit them, nor they can (produce it).

26:212 Verily, they have been removed far from hearing it.

Surah 7:200- And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaitan (Satan) then seek refuge with Allah. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower. (Mushan Khan translation of the Qur’an)

And many more verses of the Holy Qur’an could be posted, but the reader gets the point that the Holy Qur’an calls on us to worship Allah SWT our blessed, Holy Creator alone and to shun, fight, and hate the evil accursed Satan. Also how exactly could the accursed Satan tell people to give charity, pray 5 times a day, stay away from the evils of alcohol and fornication, etc. oh Christian missionaries answer that! So again Christians that are being honest and keeping with what they themselves believe from the Bible in Luke 11:18, Mark 3:22-26, and Matthew 12:24-26 (where again their own books have Prophet Jesus PBUH saying that “Satan cannot fight/stand against Satan” for if Satan did this logic shows “his kingdom will fall”). These Christian missionaries have to admit the Holy Qur’an can never allegedly be from Satan, and must either be a revelation of God (Allah) or simply something that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) or some other men allegedly made up on their own. And we know the Holy Qur’an was revealed by Allah SWT because of all the miracles in it, that an illiterate man from the Arabian desert could never have made up on his own in the 7^th Century CE http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/index.php

But now to move to the verse 2 Corinthians 11:14 itself, what is the meaning of this and more importantly what do scholars and historians tell us about the historical context and historical setting of this New Testament versus of the Pauline Epistles? This is very easily explained in this case, Alhamdulillah, in actuality 2 Corinthians 11:14 is part of an attempted analogy Paul builds starting back in verse 3 (that is 2 Corinthians 11:3) where Paul mentions Eve (Peace Be Upon Her). We read from Paul:

2 Corinthians 11:3- But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (NIV Bible)

Then in the next two verses Paul states;

2 Corinthians 11:4-5 ⁴ For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. ⁵ I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”^[^a] (NIV Bible)

Again back in 2 Corinthians 11:3 Paul states- “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3, NIV). Where is this coming from and how does this fit into the “angel of light” that Christian missionaries like to quote and talk about often in 2 Corinthians 11:14? Paul is actually copying an already existing Jewish extra-biblical work that he has in his hands while writing his letters! In this case this Jewish extra-biblical work that Paul is copying is a Jewish Pseudepigraphical work http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudepigraphy (meaning of pseudepigraphy “Pseudepigrapha are falsely attributed works, texts whose claimed authorship is unfounded”) whose title I will soon show you. In this case the evidence again shows that Paul was copying a specific Jewish Apocryphal/Pseudepigraphical work called the “Life of Adam and Eve” and also in it’s Greek version this same text is called the “Apocalypse of Moses” (again this work in whichever language is pseudepigraphical meaning that no serious scholars today believe the “Life of Adam and Eve” was somehow actually written by Adam PBUH or that the its Greek version called again the “Apocalypse of Moses” was not actually written by Moses PBUH; all the corrupted Bible is anonymous https://www.answering-christianity.com/authors_gospels.htm).

On the “Life of Adam and Eve”, again in it’s Greek version as the “Apocalypse of Moses”, you can simply read at Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_Adam_and_Eve

“The Life of Adam and Eve, also known, in its Greek version, as the Apocalypse of Moses, is a Jewish pseudepigraphical group of writings. It recounts the lives of Adam and Eve from after their expulsion from the Garden of Eden to their deaths. It provides more detail about the Fall of Man, including Eve's version of the story. Satan explains that he rebelled when God commanded him to bow down to Adam. After Adam dies, he and all his descendants are promised a resurrection.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_Adam_and_Eve#Greek_Apocalypse_of_Moses

“The Apocalypse of Moses (literally, the Revelation of Moses) is the usual name for the Greek version of the Life of Adam and Eve.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-canonical_books_referenced_in_the_Bible

So what is the exact attempted analogy or correlation Paul (copying from the “Life of Adam and Eve” and again aka in its’ Greek version the “Apocalypse of Moses”) is trying to do in 2 Corinthians 11:14? The analogy Paul is making later in 2 Corinthians 11:14 is that the teachers (“Judaizers”, i.e. Paul’s opponents) teaching to the Corinthian people (of Corinth, Greece http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinth) a different message then Paul’s own teachings are according to Paul allegedly trying to “deceive” the Corinthians just like Eve was allegedly deceived by Satan, when Satan appeared as a bright “angel of light” in the this extra-biblical Jewish work again called the “Life of Adam and Eve” also known in its Greek version as the “Apocalypse of Moses”.

Let us quickly read from this Jewish Pseudepigraphical/Apocryphal work (i.e. not included in the official corrupted Bibles of Jews and Christians today, i.e. it is an “extra-biblical” work) the “Life of Adam and Eve” again also known as in its Greek version the “Apocalypse of Moses”.

http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/260adam.html

Quote- Penitence and Second Temptation

5.1 Eve said to Adam: "My lord, tell me what is penitence and how long should I perform it, lest perhaps we place on ourselves a labor which we cannot endure, and he not hear our prayers,
5.2 And the Lord turned his face from us because we did not fulfill what we promise.
5.3 My lord, how much penitence are you thinking of doing since I brought labor and tribulation upon you."
6.1 Adam said to Eve: "You cannot do as much as I, but do as much so that you might be saved. For I will do forty days of fasting. You, however, arise and go to the Tigris River and take a stone and stand upon it in the water up to your neck in the depth of the river. Let not a word go forth from your mouth since we are unworthy to ask of the Lord for our lips are unclean from the illicit and forbidden tree.
6.2 Stand in the water of the river for thirtyseven days. I however, will do forty days in the water of the Jordan. Perhaps the Lord will have mercy on us."
7.1 Eve walked to the Tigris River and did just as Adam told her.�
7.2 Likewise, Adam walked to the Jordan River and stood upon a rock up to his neck in the water.
8.1 Adam said: "I say to you, water of the Jordan, mourn with me and separate from me all swimming creatures which are in you. Let them surround me and mourn with me.
8.2 Let them not lament for themselves, but for me, for they have not sinned, but I."
8.3 Immediately, all living things came and surrounded him and the water of the Jordan stood from that hour not flowing in its course.
9.1 Eighteen days passed. Then Satan grew angry and transfigured himself into the brilliance of an angel and went off to the Tigris River to Eve. 9.2 He found her weeping, and then, the Devil himself, as if mourning with her began to weep and said to her: "Come out of the water and rest and weep no longer. Cease now from your sadness and lamenting. Why are you uneasy, you and your husband Adam?
9.3 The Lord God has heard your lamenting and accepted your penitence. All of us angels have pleaded for you, praying to the Lord,
9.4 and he sent me to lead you forth from the water and to give you the nourishment which you had in paradise and for which you have grieved.
9.5 Now, therefore, come out of the water and I will lead you to the place where your food is prepared."
10.1 Hearing this, Eve believed him and went out of the water of the river. Her flesh was like grass from the waters coldness.
10.2 When she had come out, she fell to the ground, but the Devil stood her up and led her to Adam.
10.3 When Adam saw her and the Devil with her, he cried out with tears, saying: "O Eve, O Eve, where is the work of your penitence? How have you again been seduced by our adversary, through whom we were alienated from the dwelling of paradise and spiritual happiness? 11.1 When Eve heard this, she knew that it was the Devil who had persuaded her to go out from the river and she fell on her face on the ground and her grief was double, as was her wailing and lamentation.
11.2 She cried out, saying: "Woe to you, Devil. For what reason do you fight against us? What concern do you have with us? What have we done to you that you should persecute us so grievously? Why does your malice extend to us?
11.3 Did we ever take your glory from you or cause you to be without honor? Why do you persecute us, O enemy, impiously and jealously unto death?"

end quote.

So we see in this work again called the “Life of Adam and Eve” (again called in its Greek version the “Apocalypse of Moses”) that this Jewish extra-biblical (apocryphal, pseudepigraphical) work states that after being thrown out of the Garden of Eden for their disobedience (disobedience which both us Muslims and the Jews agree Adam and Eve, Peace Be Upon Them, simply repented from and God Almighty forgave them both, i.e. original forgiveness not the absurd, illogical, evil fake doctrine of so-called “original sin” that is attributed by most historians to the 4^th century CE Christian “father” Augustine of Hippo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo) again after being thrown out of the Garden of Eden for their disobedience (which they were still forgiven for) Adam and Eve were doing more acts of repentance (like fasting, etc) and Satan became angry that they were repenting more (via their fasting, etc) so Satan decided to “transfigure” into an “angel of light” and go pretend to grieve with Eve AS at the Tigris River in Iraq. Again this comes from the Jewish extra-biblical work called the “Life of Adam and Eve” and again its Greek version is called the “Apocalypse of Moses”, that we will see Paul of Tarsus copied and used in his own analogy trying to say the Corinthian people were like Eve, whereas Paul’s rival Christian teachers (in this case most scholars again say they were the Jewish “Christians” aka the “Judaizers” that taught anyone following Prophet Jesus PBUH still had to observe the Mosaic law i.e. not eating pork, etc. again see even in the Christian’s corrupted New Testament today what is attributed to Jesus PBUH himself in Matthew 5:17-20 the Law of Moses PBUH is still in effect forever) Paul’s rival Christian teachers (according to Paul’s analogy he tells the Corinthians in his 2^nd letter to them) were allegedly just pretending to be good and pious but really they were like “Satan pretending to be a bright angel”. This is very well summarized in this following quote from this article: http://www.realdevil.info/5-21.htm

Again from the source: http://www.realdevil.info/5-21.htm

Quote- When Paul speaks of satan being transformed as a bright Angel, he's actually quoting from the first century AD Life Of Adam And Eve (12-16) which speculated that 'Satan' refused to worship the image of God in Adam and therefore he came to earth as a bright Angel and deceived Eve: "Satan was wroth and transformed himself into the brightness of angels, and went away to the river" (2). Paul's quoting from that document; although in the preceding verse (2 Cor. 11:3) he has stressed that "the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtilty". He's reaffirming the Genesis account, which doesn't speak of a personal satan, but rather simply of a serpent, created as one of the "beasts of the field". So we could paraphrase Paul here: 'I know that the Jewish writings say that the serpent wasn't really a serpent, it was 'Satan', and was actually in the form of a bright Angel. Now that's not the case- let's stick with Genesis, which speaks of a literal serpent. But OK, in the same way as in the Jewish myth Satan became a bright, persuasive Angel, well, these false teachers from the Jews appear as wonderful, spiritual people- but following them will lead you to the same catastrophe as fell upon Eve as a result of being deceived'.

end quote.

Again let us read that last part where the author of the article http://www.realdevil.info/5-21.htm paraphrases what Paul is saying in 2 Corinthians Chapter 11 (specifically noting 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 11:14)

“So we could paraphrase Paul here: 'I know that the Jewish writings say that the serpent wasn't really a serpent, it was 'Satan', and was actually in the form of a bright Angel. Now that's not the case- let's stick with Genesis, which speaks of a literal serpent. But OK, in the same way as in the Jewish myth Satan became a bright, persuasive Angel, well, these false teachers from the Jews appear as wonderful, spiritual people- but following them will lead you to the same catastrophe as fell upon Eve as a result of being deceived'.”

end quote.

So w can clearly see that Paul of Tarsus was trying to use an analogy http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/analogy or comparison between the situation presented in the Jewish apocryphal work again known as the “Life of Adam and Eve” (again the Greek language version of this same work is known as the “Apocalypse of Moses”) and Paul’s own struggles against his rival Jewish Christian preachers that history has come to know as the “Judaizers”. This analogy was again as http://www.realdevil.info/5-21.htm tells us, Paul trying to declare that although he (that is Paul) did believe it was a literal talking serpent that had misguided Eve in the Garden of Eden at the start of humanity; that utilizing this Jewish apocryphal work the “Life of Adam and Eve” aka the Greek version again called the “Apocalypse of Moses” (which Paul obviously was reading and had on hand in his own time http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_Adam_and_Eve) Paul was saying that just as this Jewish apocryphal work the “Life of Adam and Eve” says Eve was allegedly deceived by satan who had transfigured himself into a bright angel to come meet Eve (Peace Be Upon Her) at the bank of the Tigris River in Iraq; well in this same way Paul was saying that the Jewish “Christian” teachers (aka the Judaizers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaizers) that were proselytizing to the Corinthians (thus in competition with Paul for their allegiance) were in analogy like satan transfiguring into a bright angel to “deceive” Eve that is according to Paul of Tarsus the Judaizers were deceptive people only pretending to be pious and good (like satan transfigured as a bright angel) and the Corinthians were again in this analogy like Eve herself (again see 2 Corinthians 11:3 for the start of the analogy in this chapter of Paul’s 2^nd letter to the Corinthian people of Corinth, Greece).

Again from: http://www.realdevil.info/5-21.htm

On this same topic a very interesting Wikipedia link that we need to see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-canonical_books_referenced_in_the_Bible that is Non-Canonical books reference in the Bible (non-canonical books means those not judged to be “authentic” by the different Christian church councils this is a very interesting history by itself I recommend historian Bart D Ehrman on these topics http://www.amazon.com/Forged-Writing-God-Why-Bibles-Authors/dp/B006QS02F8/ref=pd_sim_b_2 and “Lost Christianities” book again by academic Bart D Ehrman http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Christianities-Battles-Scripture-Faiths/dp/0195182499/ref=pd_sim_b_4, http://www.amazon.com/Misquoting-Jesus-Story-Behind-Changed/dp/0060859512/ref=pd_sim_b_1, http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Scriptures-Books-that-Testament/dp/0195182502/ref=pd_cp_b_3, etc)

On Non-Canonical books cited or referenced in the Bible again http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-canonical_books_referenced_in_the_Bible

“The non-canonical books in this article include Biblical apocrypha and Deuterocanonical books (which are accepted as part of the Biblical canon by most non-Protestant Christians), Pseudepigrapha, writings from Hellenistic and other non-Biblical cultures, and lost works of known or unknown status. For the purposes of this article, referenced can mean direct quotations, paraphrases, or allusions, which in some cases are known only because they have been identified as such by ancient writers, or the citation of a work or author.”

And on New Testament non-canonical references: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-canonical_books_referenced_in_the_Bible#New_Testament_references

Quote- Non canonical books quoted or alluded to:^[18]

Book of Enoch (Jude 4,6,13,14-15^[22], 2 Peter 2:4;3:13^[22][23])
Life of Adam and Eve (2 Corinthians 11:14 "Satan as an angel of light", 12:2 "Third Heaven")^[24]
a lost section of the Assumption of Moses (Jude 9 "Michael.. body of Moses")

24- Martin, Ralph P. 2 Corinthians Word Biblical Commentary 40,

end quote.

Another clear example of Paul copying from or being influenced by the Jewish apocryphal work the “Life of Adam and Eve” aka again in Greek the “Apocalypse of Moses”; is Paul mentioning the concept of “third heaven”. Paul says this in 2 Corinthians 12:2- I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. (NIV Bible)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Heaven

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Heaven#Location_and_geography

“In the Greek Pseudepigrapha Apocalypse of Moses the Third Heaven is the paradise where Michael buries Adam to await the resurrection of the dead. In the earlier section of the myth where Satan transforms himself to an angel of light, and works with the serpent to trick Eve, there is no identification of the Eden paradise as "Third Heaven", which may indicate that Adam and Eve's expulsion from paradise led to paradise being relocated in an area beyond human access.”

So clearly Paul’s writing in 2 Corinthians Chapter 11 (especially 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 2 Corinthians 11:14 the verse the Christian missionaries love to throw around) is simply Paul copying from a Jewish legend in the extra-biblical work the “Life of Adam and Eve” yet again known in its’ Greek version as the “Apocalypse of Moses”

A YouTube user (who I believe is a Christian) who deals with the apocryphal books, as a YouTube video on this topic here as well.

watch?v=3gZhai4x8As Title: “Life of Adam & Eve (Used by Paul in 2Cor 11:3; 11:14; 12:2)”

After seeing this let me mention just a few more things and that is the mention of angels of light in the corrupted Bible itself which further shuts up the conjecture and false claims of the anti-Muslim Christian missionaries.

Here is a good article by brother muslim1 on this topic: http://muslim-responses.com/Did_Paul_meet_Satan/Did_Paul_meet_Satan_

Brother mentions a passage from the “Acts of the Apostles” i.e. the book of Acts i.e. simply “Acts” from the New Testament of the Christians. This section is Acts 12:5-8

Acts 12:5-8 ⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

⁶ The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. ⁷ Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

⁸ Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. (NIV Bible)

And brother asks the Christian missionaries was this angel of light that broke the disciple of Jesus PBUH, Peter, out of jail allegedly the accursed Satan in disguise also?!

Also we find in the New Testament an angel of light announcing the birth of Jesus PBUH, we see this in Luke 2:9

Luke 2:9- An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (NIV)

Again was this angel of light announcing Jesus PBUH’s birth allegedly also the accursed Satan in disguise, oh Christian missionaries?!

And then also we see in Luke 24:4 and Matthew 28:3, angels of light at the empty tomb of Jesus PBUH communicating with disciples and followers of Jesus (PBUH).

Luke 24:4- While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. (NIV)

Matthew 28:3- His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. (NIV)

So again for the Christian missionaries, were these angels outside Jesus PBUH’s tomb that you believe were communicating with Jesus PBUH’s disciples and followers telling them Jesus PBUH had been resurrected also allegedly the accursed Satan in disguise?!

And also in the Old Testament we see the following verses

Exodus 3:2- There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. (NIV)

Daniel 10:5-6 ⁵ I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. ⁶ His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. (NIV)

And finally a quote from a Christian website itself on the topic of angels “Their appearance and clothing like a brilliant light (Daniel 10:5ff; Matthew 28:3; Luke 24:4).”

To close I strongly recommend the following links on this general topic and topics similar to it.

http://www.realdevil.info/5-21.htm

http://muslim-responses.com/Is_The_Quran_from_Satan/Is_The_Quran_from_Satan_

Note again Biblical verses Mark 3:22-26, Luke 11:18, Matthew 12:24-26 even Christians themselves say Jesus PBUH said “Satan cannot drive out Satan”, and in the Holy Qur’an (the last revelation of Allah SWT to mankind) Allah (God) is constantly telling us that the accursed Satan is our worst enemy and that we are to seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan.

On this same topic a video by brother muslim1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhR2d-R6QTU

http://muslim-responses.com/The_Bible_and_False_prophets/The_Bible_and_False_prophets_

http://muslim-responses.com/Did_Paul_meet_Satan/Did_Paul_meet_Satan_

http://muslim-responses.com/Paul_the_False_Prophet/Paul_the_False_Prophet_

http://answering-christianity.com/contra.htm (specifically the section “Exposing Paul’s Lies”)

http://www.call-to-monotheism.com/did_allah_spread_christianity_

In Islamic tradition:

http://islam-qa.com/en/ref/843/angels

http://www.sunna.info/Lessons/islam_331.html

From Islamic tradition we learn that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), actually saw the Angel Jibril (or Gabriel) AS in different forms. The Prophet PBUH was once with his companions when the Angel Jibril came to them in the form a regular human man that we are told in Hadith was a man with “exceedingly black hair and exceedingly white garments”

Read the following again from http://islamqa.info/en/ref/843;

Quote- Angels also came to Ibraaheem in human form, and he did not know that they were angels until they told him so. Similarly, angels came to Lut in the form of young men with beautiful faces. Jibreel used to come to the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) in different forms: sometimes he would appear in the form of Dihyah al-Kalbi, a Sahaabee who was very handsome, and sometimes in the form of a Bedouin. The Sahaabah saw him in his human form, as is reported from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab in the two Saheehs. (‘Umar) said:
"One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him), there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of travel were to be seen on him, and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him). Resting his knees against his and placing his hands on his thighs, he said: ‘O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.’. . ." (Saheeh Muslim, no. 8).

…

And then also the link http://islamqa.info/en/ref/843 informs us that the blessed Prophet Muhammad SAW, also was blessed to see the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) PBUH in his true form and that he (that is Angel Jibril PBUH) filled up the whole sky and had 600 wings and had rubies all over him, etc.

Quote- The greatest of all the angels is Jibreel (Gabriel), upon whom be peace, who was described in the following report:
"From ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood, who said: the Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) saw Jibreel in his true form. He had six hundred wings, each of which covered the horizon. There fell from his wings jewels, pearls and rubies, only Allah knows about them." It was reported by Ahmad in al-Musnad, and Ibn Katheer said in al-Bidaayah 1/47 that its isnaad is jayyid.

The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said, describing Jibreel:
"I saw Jibreel descending from heaven, and his great size filled the space between heaven and earth." (Reported by Muslim, no. 177)

Alhamdulillah, All Praise is Due to Allah SWT!