- [Narrator] Archangel Michael. Only Michael is designated
as an archangel by the Bible. Jude 9. The prefix "arch" refers to a chief, a principle, 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, he disputed about the body of Moses, darest not bringing against
him a railing accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke 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 principle, 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 named 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
that it is 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 of 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 leadeth 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 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. "The angels," wrote
Jude quite deliberately, "Kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation." 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, oh, Lucifer, son of the morning? How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations? For thou hast said in thine heart, "I will ascend into 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 to him, "Thus sayeth 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 beryl, 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 was 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 was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, til iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise, thy have filled the mist
of thee with violence. And thou has sinned. Therefore, I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God. And I will destroy thee,
oh covering cherub, from the mist of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted
up because of thy beauty. Thou hast corrupted of 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 tale 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 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." Along with proclaiming the marvelous and wonderful news that
Jesus Christ has returned, he also preaches the message of life to everyone who have died in Christ, and are awaiting the 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 has said to be the
prince of that nation, as we read ancient and modern history. Daniel 10:21. "But I will shew thee that which is noted in
the scripture of truth, and there is none that heldeth
with me in these things, but Michael, your prince. And that 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. Everyone 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
request 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'm 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. In 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 anymore in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called
the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the world. He was cast out into the Earth, and his angels were cast out with him." 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 your strength when it comes up against you. 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 you that matches their strength. They constitute the most efficient bodyguards of the saints.
