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To: MHGinTN

“Daniel twelve states that Michael stands up and delivers the Jews.”

Michael is the prince who guards Israel. You are correct about this passage referring to protecting the Jews.

Michael is standing for them right now:

Daniel 12:1b
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people

Something happens at the beginning of this verse:

Daniel 12:1a
At that time Michael shall stand up

Question: How does someone stand up when he is already standing?

The phrase here can mean to stand up. It can also mean to stand aside or stand still. Contextually, that is what it means.

The Hebrew word there is “amad”. Here are some examples of it being used to mean to stand aside or stand still:

Job 32:16
they...stood still [amad], and answered no more

Nehemiah 8:5
Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up [arose and kept quiet or stood still].

2 Samuel 18:30
The king said, “Stand aside and wait here.” So he stepped aside and stood there.

Michael is restraining now. He will continue to restrain until he stands aside.

Daniel 10:21
But I will show you that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holds with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

What does the word “holds” (Hebrew, chazaq) mean? According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the word can mean “to bind” or “restrain.”

Question: When does Michael stand aside in Daniel 12:1?

The verse begins by referencing a specific time. Looking back into chapter 11 and also comparing what follows, we can see plainly that the time is exactly at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. It is the second three-and-a-half year half of Daniel’s seventieth week.

What else happens at this exact time? The abomination of desolation. What else? Satan is kicked out of Heaven. Who kicks him out? Michael.

Revelation 12:7-9
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Continuing in the same chapter we see this timing matches.

Second Thessalonians alludes to Daniel 9-12 when referring to the anti-Christ and how he is revealed. This revealing happens at the abomination of desolation at the exact middle of the seventieth week.

Currently the struggle over Israel is happening in Heavenly places. Satan is going to be kicked out and his attacks against Israel (the woman) will continue here, but Israel will continue to receive Divine protection.

The context of Paul’s writing of 2 Thessalonians 2 with reference to the “lawless one” is anti-Christ entering the Jewish temple in the middle of the seven-year treaty protecting Israel, and breaking the treaty, defiling the temple, setting up his throne in the temple, and proclaiming himself to be God. This will happen in Jerusalem. And he will attack the Jews living there.

So Michael being the prince who guards Israel is quite relevant to the context of 2 Thessalonians 2 and the safety and security of the Jews.

“2 Thess 2 refers to ... the Holy Spirit restrains sin in those who profess Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit during the Church Age indwells believers. That work will stop when the restraint on the lawless ends at the start of the Tribulation.”

The Holy Spirit will not be taken away during this time.

Acts 2:14-21
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’ ...”

The Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost and will continue His work during the last days up until the Day of the Lord according to the passage Peter cited. Particularly, he mentions this in connection with the signs in the sky which immediately precede the Day of the Lord.


126 posted on 09/14/2015 2:00:22 PM PDT by unlearner (RIP America, 7/4/1776 - 6/26/2015, "Only God can judge us now." - Claus Von Stauffenberg / Valkyrie)
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To: unlearner
Thank you for the excellent explanation regarding 'amad'.

I did not say the Holy Spirit would be taken away. A number so great no man can number it will come out of the Tribulation into Heaven, so the Holy Spirit seal will still be applied to the believing heart, even when the tribulum must be applied to harvest 'the fruit'. BUT, during the Church Age the Holy Spirit is indwelling believers. During the Tribulation the Bride is gone from the Earth. I read that to mean that the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit will be no more with men, but He will still be here sealing the spirit of believers who show up in Heaven as shown in the Revelation of John.

Again, thanks so much for your clear explanation.

127 posted on 09/14/2015 3:09:17 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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