Michael Encyclopedia

Related: Angels; Gabriel
 

Michael. Michael is one of the two great angels mentioned by name (the other is Gabriel, Daniel 8:15). He is the only angel called an "archangel" (Jude 9), and he is especially connected with the children of Israel, with their protection as a people, and their destiny as a nation (Daniel 10:21; Daniel 12:1). Michael is called "one of the chief princes", and "Michael your prince" in Daniel 10, showing that he has a special roll as Israel's benefactor an protector, while there are other principalities that work among the Gentile powers, such as the Prince of Persia, etc. In Daniel 12:1 he is called "the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people". Michael is mentioned in Jude as having a dispute about the body of Moses, in which he demonstrated respect for authority by nor railing against the Devil, but rather saying "the Lord rebuke thee". In Revelation 12 we find that Michael conducts a war against Satan and his angels, and gains the victory, after which Satan is cast down to the earth. When the Lord Jesus comes for His saints there will be a trumpet and a shout, but the shout is "with arch-angelic voice". Some have thought it will be Michael's own voice, but it would rather seem to be the voice of the Lord Himself, in a voice of power like that of Michael; the power to wake the sleeping saints!