Archangel Michael—only Michael is designated as an archangel by the Bible (Jude 9). The prefix "arch" refers to a chief, a principal, or a powerful angel. As a result, Michael has risen to the position of angel above all angels and is now considered the first prince of heaven according to the hierarchy (Jude 1:9).
Yet, Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuked thee" (King James Version). Remember, there is just one angel who holds the angelic rank of archangel in the biblical account. Due to the fact that the word "arch" means principal, this angel is the most visible of all the holy angels.
The archangel's given name is Michael. That name asks a question: who is like God? Numerous parents, both Jewish and non-Jewish, who name their sons Michael are likely to be completely unaware of what the name signifies.
That's unfortunate; it would be wonderful if the thoughts and feelings of people were oriented toward God every time they heard the name. As we will see, men who received angelic visitations frequently expressed a desire to worship the creation rather than the Creator. As a result, how natural it is that the name Michael the archangel calls us to turn our gaze toward the Almighty God.
He must stand alone because the Bible never refers to archangels as a group—only the archangel himself. When it comes to the Old Testament, Michael appears to be associated largely with the nation of Israel. As a result, God refers to Michael as the prince of His chosen people.
He is, in a sense, the prime minister in God's administration of the universe, and he serves as God's angel administrator for the sake of delivering judgment. “At that time, Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then, but at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered” (Daniel 12:1).
He especially protects and defends God's people, whoever they are. Further, in Daniel, he is referred to as "Michael, your prince. " But first I tell you what is written in the book of truth: "No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince" (Daniel 10:21).
He is God's messenger of law and judgment; this is his role when he appears in Revelation 12:7-12, leading the army in their battle against Satan, the great dragon, and all of his demons during the final fight of the age. Michael and his angels will be enmeshed in the titanic war of the universe, which will herald the defeat of Satan and the forces of darkness. In preparation for the fight, the Bible teaches us that Michael will finally emerge triumphant; hell will tremble, heaven will rejoice, and celebrate this.
Satan, often known as the devil, was once called Lucifer, the son of the morning. He was expelled from heaven with his rebel army, and he is still fighting today. Satan may appear to be winning the war because he has won several significant battles, but the eventual outcome is unavoidable; he will be defeated one day, and his powers will be taken away from him for all time.
The powers of darkness shall be shattered by God. How could this conflict occur in God's perfect universe? Many people wonder.
It is referred to as the mystery of iniquity by the Apostle Paul: "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way" (2 Thessalonians 2:7). While we haven't been given as much information as we would like, we do know one thing: the angels that fell did so because they had rebelled against God. "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment" (2 Peter 2:4).
Perhaps the comparable passage in Jude 6 places the burden of blame more squarely on the angels' shoulders: "And the angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation" (Jude 6). Thus, Lucifer's defiance of God and the subsequent fall of possibly one third of the angels who joined him in his wickedness was the biggest disaster in the history of the whole creation. When did it take place?
Between the beginning of creation and Satan's entry into the Garden of Eden. The important question is not when were angels created, but when did they fall? It's hard to believe that their sin happened before God put Adam and Eve in the Garden.
By inference, up to this point, even the angelic creation was good. How long were Adam and Eve in the Garden before the angels fell and Satan tempted the first man and woman? We could wonder; this is a question that must be left unanswered.
It sounds like a present world crisis. Isaiah 14:12-14 records the conflict's origin: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!
For thou hast said in thine heart, 'I will ascend unto heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. '" Prior to his rebellion, Lucifer, an angel of light, is described in scintillating terms: "Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty; Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God. " Every precious stone was thy covering: the sardius, topaz, and the diamond; the barrel, the onyx, and the jasper; the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle; and gold.
The workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth, and I have set thee so. Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise, thou hast filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned. Therefore, I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God, and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness. I will cast thee to the ground; I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Ezekiel 28:12-17 Some believe that when the angel Lucifer rebelled against God and his works, as many as a third of the heavenly hosts of the universe joined him in his revolt.
As a result, the fight that began in heaven has continued on earth and will culminate at Armageddon, with Christ and his angelic army triumphant. Leslie Miller, in his excellent little book "All About Angels," points out that Scripture sometimes refers to angels as stars. This explains why Satan was dubbed the morning star before his fall; and John adds a qualifier to this description: “and his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth.
And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered for to devour her child as soon as it was born. ” Revelation 12:4 We know that the earth is the scene of the conflict; however, it is a struggle that affects the entire universe. It is mind-boggling that you and I, with such a short period of time on this planet, play a part in this battle of the ages.
It is incredible to us that supernatural beings from outer space are engaged in a struggle for this planet. It all started in the garden of Eden, a place located somewhere between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers in the Middle East. The head of Satan is being battered and bruised as the forces of God gain speed as we near the end of the age.
Michael, the archangel, is currently preparing his forces for the final battle, Armageddon, under God's authority. The Bible's final illustration is of heaven, while Satan is a defeated foe in principle. Obviously, God has not yet eliminated him from the world scene.
The Bible teaches, however, that God will use angels to judge and totally eliminate him from the universe when Jesus returns for the second time. Michael, the archangel, will shout as he accompanies Him, proclaiming the marvelous and wonderful news that Jesus Christ has returned. He also preaches the message of life to everyone who has died in Christ and are awaiting their resurrection.
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. " 1 Thessalonians 4:16 Daniel and the Angel The prophet Daniel introduces us to Michael. It seems that he had been praying, and God had dispatched an answer by the hand of a messenger, who was hindered on his journey.
Until he testified, “But lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. ” Daniel 10:13 So, Michael had to fight for the free passage of God's word. It might be appropriate to give Michael the title of general, for each time we see him, it is in connection with some type of spiritual struggle.
In his role as a fighter, Michael has a particular responsibility to Israel. In Daniel 10:21 and 12:1, he is said to be the prince of that nation. Daniel 10:21 "But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth, and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael your prince.
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. And at that time, thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. " Daniel 12:1 Few people appreciate how important angelic influences are in human affairs.
The ongoing and bitter fight between the holy angels dedicated to God and the angels of darkness aligned with Satan is most powerfully revealed in Daniel. Daniel vividly describes the fierce fight between God's angelic forces and the opposing demons of darkness. In the Old Testament, he had been in mourning for three weeks when the angel appeared to him.
Daniel 10:3 "I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips, and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. " He did not consume any bread, meat, or drink, and he did not anoint himself as he stood by the Tigris River. A man dressed in linen emerged in front of him; on his face, he appeared like lightning, and in his eyes, he looked like a pair of torches.
His voice sounded like the rumble of a large group of people. Daniel was the only one who witnessed the vision; the men who were with him, on the other hand, did not. A huge sense of.
. . Foreboding descended upon them, and they fled to safety.
Daniel's strength completely drained away when he was left alone with the celestial visitor. Such was the power of this individual's influence over him. But even though Daniel was imprisoned by a deep sleep, he was awakened by the voice of the angel Gabriel when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
The angel began to narrate an experience he himself had just had. The angel had begun to travel to Daniel from the moment he began to pray, but he was halted in his journey by a demon prince who engaged him in combat and caused him to be delayed. Then Michael appeared to assist the subordinate angel, allowing him to return on his duty to Daniel unhindered.
The angel had something to say; he was to show Daniel what God foresaw would befall the world, especially Israel in the latter days. Daniel then became weak and unable to talk, and the angel touched his lips, restoring his strength as well as his ability to communicate. After completing his duty, the angel informed Daniel that he would be returning to continue fighting the demon prince in the battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil.
Throughout this, Daniel was not experiencing any hallucinations or dreams. Daniel could have never been persuaded otherwise because it was a genuine encounter with a real person. He had prayed with God on behalf of the sons of Israel, and God had heard him.
His three-week prayer session, which was supported by fasting, had been a great success. At that moment, he received word from the angel visitor who had been sent from heaven to inform him that his requests had been answered. Because of this experience, it is apparent that delays are not denials and that God's permissive will is involved in every aspect of human existence.
He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you and stand up, for I have now been sent to you. " And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.
But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me 21 days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.
" (Daniel 10:11-14) In addition to the Old Testament references, we also find Michael mentioned in the New Testament. The little book of Jude, the ninth verse, specifically calls Michael an archangel and recounts his battle with Lucifer over the body of Moses. With the Lord's help, Michael won.
That wasn't the only conflict between Michael and Lucifer, for John tells us in the book of Revelation: "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. " (Revelation 12:7-9) Here we see Michael serving as commanding officer of a large group of angels.
Evidently, Michael is the chief warrior of God. There was war in heaven once upon a time; Michael and his angels fought against Satan and his fallen angels. God uses his serving men to confront Satan's retired and ill-equipped army.
Satan could not prevail, and there was no more place found for him in heaven. God's angels are unstoppable. This feature denotes the division between angels and devils; only the hosts of heaven excel in strength.
In any war, the angels always prevail in the end, fully eliminating the adversary. Angels are known for never failing; there is nothing that can match their strength when it comes up against them. They serve as the saints' most effective bodyguards.
God's angels are invincible. This feature denotes the division between angels and demons; only the hosts of heaven are more powerful. Psalm 103:20: "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
" In any war, the angels always prevail in the end, fully eliminating the adversary. Angels are legendary for never failing; there is nothing that can rise up against them that matches their strength. They constitute the most efficient bodyguards of the saints.
