Does Jesus ever cease defending israel?
"Daniel was told that at the beginning of the Great Tribulation Michael would "stand up." But what is meant by "stand up"? Major prophetic portions of Scripture like 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation 12 and 13 are greatly impacted by the answer given. The overwhelming majority of commentators suggest that "stand up" means that Michael, in "standing up," will come to Israel's defense. It is usually understood that the one against whom this defense will be made is the Antichrist, who oppresses Israel during the Great Tribulation.
A highly respected prophetic scholar commenting on Daniel 12:1 states the view this way: "In their distress, the children of Israel are especially aided by Michael, the archangel (Jude 9). As the head of the holy angels, Michael is given the special responsibility of protecting the children of Israel" (See Daniel: The Key to Prophetic Revelation by John Walvoord, p. 283).
According to this widely held view then, to "stand up" means that Michael will come to Israel's defense while she is experiencing the Great Tribulation.
With respect for those who champion this position, I nonetheless strongly suggest that the text is teaching precisely the exact opposite. Michael does not "stand up" to help Daniel's people during the Great Tribulation. He "stands still" or "desists" from his normal role as defender of Israel, thus permitting the Great Tribulation to occur.
In other words, the Great Tribulation is not the cause for Michael to come to Israel's defense. Rather, it is because he desists from defending her that the Great Tribulation occurs.
The expression "stand up" is the translation of the Hebrew word amad. Amad simply means to "stand." It does not mean to "stand up," and it does not mean to "stand still." It simply means to "stand." If a man seated and inactive were said to amad, he would "stand up." However, if a man already standing and active were said to amad, he would "stand still," or desist, in his activity.
Daniel had just been told by the angel who was sharing this prophetic vision with him that Michael was actively involved in the defense of Daniel's people. The angel said to Daniel, "But the prince [a fallen angel] of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me" (Dan. 10:13). Michael was actively engaged in helping Israel. And once again the angel said to Daniel, "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" (Dan. 10:21).
What does the word "holdeth" (Hebrew, chazaq) mean? According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, holdeth can mean "to bind" or "restrain." That means, in context, that the archangel Michael already had a hindering or restraining ministry against the forces of Satan on Israel's behalf. So when it is said that Michael will "stand," it means he will "stand still," "desist," or "cease" from defending Israel.
This, of course, would be in dramatic contrast to Michael's normal activity described in the words "which standeth [a present, continuous action] for the children of thy people" (Dan. 12:1). In other words, just prior to the Great Tribulation the archangel Michael will cease or desist from what was his historically ongoing responsibility of defending Israel.
It would make little sense to tell Daniel that Michael was defending his people in Chapter 12 when he had already clearly told him that fact, not once but twice, in Daniel, Chapter 10.
Rashi, one of Israel's greatest teachers, and a man whose Hebrew scholarship is unexcelled, understood "stand up" (Hebrew, amad) to literally mean "stand still" in Daniel 12:1. He wrote: "The Holy One [a Jewish designation for God], Blessed be He, said to Michael, 'You are silent? You do not defend my children.'"
Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible says that amad means "to stand, stand still or fast." And Strong's Concordance cites one of the root meanings of amad as "cease," and one of its definitions as "stand still." A biblical illustration of amad meaning "to be still or desist is, "they...stood still [desisted], and answered no more" (Job 32:16).
Daniel wrote of Michael, the restrainer, this way: "And at that time shall Michael stand up [literally, stand still or desist from helping Israel], the great prince which standeth [whose normal and continued ministry had been to help Israel]" (Dan. 12:1); and Paul wrote of the restrainer this way: "He who now letteth [restrains] will let [continue his normal restraining ministry], until he be taken out of the way [ceases his normal ministry of restraining]" (2 Th. 2:7). The parallel between the two is conspicuous.
The apostle Paul clearly had Daniel 12:1 in mind when he wrote 2 Thessalonians 2:7. The clear and compelling allusion to Daniel 12 would indicate that the restrainer is the archangel Michael.1
Daniel was told, "And at that time [the midpoint of Daniel's seventieth week] shall Michael stand up [cease or desist from defending Israel], the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people [whose normal activity had been to defend them]: and [as a direct result of Michael's lack of restraint] there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time" (Dan. 12:1).
The "time of trouble" to which the angel refers is elsewhere called "the time of Jacob's [Israel's] troubles."
(When satan is "thrown to earth" and then identified...he is a man, which means his immediate sphere of influence is greatly diminished. Isaiah 14:12-21.
If satan can be man, michael can be man too. That's why michael is said to cease defending israel. His immediate sphere of influence is greatly diminished too.)
