Hello everyone.
Today, we are beginning our study on Daniel 12.
“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 (KJV)
Before proceeding with our study, a very significant question stands to be addressed: who is Michael? To answer this question, we will find the answer in the scriptures.
Edit: I’ve come to the conclusion that a more thorough study on the identity of Michael would be more helpful than the shorter study that I had originally shared in this blog post. The study below is the entire study that I did on the identity of Michael back in 2020.
A Study on Michael the Archangel and Jesus Being the Same Person
“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. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:7-9 (KJV)
- The word “angel” simply means “messenger”.
“My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lion’s mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” Daniel 6:22 (KJV)
The Hebrew word for “angel” in this verse is “mal’âk”. According to the Strong’s Concordance, mal’âk means; “to dispatch as a deputy; a messenger; spec. of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher):-ambassador, angel, king, messenger”.
So, the word “angel” can simply refer to a messenger.
Here is a verse that makes this point more clear.
“And my temptation which was in my flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.” Galatians 4:14 (KJV)
The apostle Paul was a human being, just like we are human beings, but he says that the people in Galatia received him “as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus”. Christ Jesus is the Son of God, but in this verse I get the sense that Paul is recognizing that Jesus was and still is a Messenger to this world.
Here is a verse that shows that God is a Messenger.
“ Behold, I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 3:1 (KJV)
Here is a comparison between “the Lord himself” and “Michael”
“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 (KJV)
“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.
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:1-3 (KJV)
Both “the Lord” and “Michael” are able to resurrect the dead.
Here is a comparison between “an Angel” and “the LORD”.
“Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.
For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.” Exodus 23:20-23 (KJV)
This Angel is able to pardon or not pardon transgressions (sins). God is the one who can forgive sins. (1 John 1:9)
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.” Exodus 33:1-5 (KJV)
The same interaction that is happening between Moses and the LORD in Exodus 33 continues in Exodus 34.
“And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering*, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked* people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee…” Exodus 34:5-12 (KJV)
Both the LORD and the Angel are able to forgive sins. The Angel, then, must also be the same Person as the LORD.
Now I will share some striking comparisons between Jesus (who is the One talking in John 5) , The Lord, who is likened to an archangel is 1 Thessalonians 4, and Michael, who is talked about in Daniel 12.
“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.
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:1-3 (KJV)
” Verily, verily, I say unto you*, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
I can of mine own self do nothing*: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” John 5:25-30 (KJV)
Notice that it is “the voice of the Son of God” that resurrects the dead.
“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 (KJV)
Notice that it is the Lord’s voice which is called “the voice of the archangel” that resurrects the dead. Comparing John 5 and 1 Thessalonians 4, we can see that “Jesus” (the Son of God) and “the archangel” must be the same Person. Is it logical to believe that Michael , in Daniel 12, can also resurrect the dead.
Both Jesus, in Luke 10, and Michael, in Revelation 12, saw Satan fall from heaven.
“And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” Luke 10:18 (KJV)
“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.
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. Revelation 12:7-10 (KJV)
Jesus and Michael must be the same Person.
In Summary: Jesus, Michael, an Angel, and the archangel are all the same Person.
Today is the day of salvation: Jesus, the loving Jesus that we can read about in the gospels, is yearning after us with an unfathomable, deep, deep, strong love. He is gentle, approachable, and earnest.
He says to us:
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37 (KJV)
And He says:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)
Today is the day of salvation: the day of salvation won’t last forever, but Jesus is long-suffering and merciful, and He doesn’t want anyone to be lost. There is no reason for any of us to be lost. If we accept, surrender to, bask in, and cooperate with His strong, loyal love, we WILL most definitely be saved.
In closing for today, I am inviting you to listen to the song “You Thought of Us.” I want to invite you to soak in the precious, tender love of Jesus that is expressed so beautifully in this song.
I hope that this blog post has been a blessing to you. Next week, I will be sharing an incredible testimony of a miraculous experience that God gave a gentleman. The following week, we will resume our study on Daniel 12.
Blessings and courage to all.
The quoted Bible verse from Revelation 3:20 in this blog post is from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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