“At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of YOUR people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.” (Dan 12:1)

Recall in our previous post we quoted Gabriel as saying:

“Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one stands with me against these, except Michael YOUR prince.”

As each of the Gentile or “beastly” empires has had a spiritual prince or ruler working behind the scenes (Satan, accompanied by his cohorts) so too the nation of Israel (the only nation so recognized by God), has had its “spiritual prince”, Michael the Arch angel accompanied by Gabriel and a great many other holy angels whom we know not.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” (Psa 33:12)

“YOUR prince” Compare with John 1:11, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”

“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:30, 31)

Returning once again to Dan 12:1

“At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of YOUR people (the children of Daniel’s people, i.e. natural Israel); and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.”

The expression “stand up” is used six times in the prophecy to refer to a king coming to power (Daniel 11:2-4, 7, 20-21). Here too it means stand in regal authority, which would apply to Christ. The description in Dan 12:1-3 matches well the description of events following the regal authority of Christ at his return, described in the vision of the seventh trumpet (Rev 11:15-18).

“AT THAT TIME” is in reference to the Time of the End, which began in A.D. 1799, but more specifically it refers to the time of Jacob’s Trouble, which will take place at the end of that period of time.

At that time Michael YOUR (Israel’s) prince will “stand up” (exercise his power) to stop Jacob’s Trouble and to deliver the Holy Remnant, “everyone who is found written in the book”.

Chapter 12 is actually a continuation of the prophecy that began in Chapter 10.

In Chapter 8 Verse 23 he is called “the Prince of princes,” in the last verse of Chapter 10, He is called “YOUR Prince,” and in the first of Chapter 12, “the great Prince which stands for the children of THY people,” expressions which can appropriately be applied to Christ.

“Prince,” here, is the same word that is translated “Captain of the Lord’s host” in Joshua 5:14, 15. The Hebrew word, sar, often refers to military commanders or the commander of the heavenly host. Rev 19:14 identifies Jesus as holding that position, for “the armies which were in heaven followed him…”

“At that time thy people [the Holy Remnant] shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”

Isa 4:2–4 not only speaks of this same time and event, but confirms the thought of the names of the survivors being recorded in advance.

“In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped (who survive Jacobs Trouble, Armageddon). And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.” Thus one of the purposes of the standing up of Michael is to deliver Jacob.

How do we know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one here designated Michael?

Well primarily because of the stupendous works to be accomplished by this personage as mentioned in the context and secondly as previously shown the very name Michael signifies: “He who is like God” —the God- like One, and we know of only one individual who is like God, who is “the express image of the Father”.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the “…the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation… by whom all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth…who is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Col 1:15-17) the one who speaks for or represents God, the Logos, “the Word of God”.

Only one such as he God’s chosen instrumentality in all the work of all creation could be capable of accomplishing the works here mentioned viz.

1) The deliverance of the holy remnant of Israel during Jacobs’s trouble.

2) The judgement of Gog and all the nations in the great time of trouble.

3) The awakening of the dead.

4) The judgement of the dead, some to everlasting life others to shame and age-lasting contempt.

Resurrecting the dead is not something which a mere angel is capable, no it requires one who has the ability to give life, one possessing life in himself, “inherent life”. Angels like men are mortal beings and as such derive their substance, their life or existence from an outside source, the fountain or giver of all life. Presently there are only two beings capable of providing life, the Heavenly Father, and his son whom he has highly exalted and given to have life in himself, life inherent.

In our next post we would like to take a look at several other texts found in the scriptures, which we believe confirm the identity of the Arch angel Michael.