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Bible Encyclopedias
Michael
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
(1) The father of Sethur the Asherite spy (Numbers 13:13 ).
(2) (3) Two Gadites (1 Chronicles 5:13 , 1 Chronicles 5:14 ).
(4) A name in the genealogy of Asaph (1 Chronicles 6:40 (Hebrew 25)).
(5) A son of Izrahiah of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:3 ).
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(8) The father of Omri of Issachar (1 Chronicles 27:18 ).
(9) A son of King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 21:2 ).
(10) The father of Zebediah, an exile who returned with Ezra (Ezra 8:8 parallel 1 Esdras 8:34).
(11) "The archangel" (Judges 1:9 ). Probably also the unnamed archangel of 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is Michael. In the Old Testament he is mentioned by name only in Daniel. He is "one of the chief princes" ( Daniel 10:13 ), the "prince" of Israel (Daniel 10:21 ), "the great prince" (Daniel 12:1 ); perhaps also "the prince of the host" (Daniel 8:11 ). In all these passages Michael appears as the heavenly patron and champion of Israel; as the watchful guardian of the people of God against all foes earthly or devilish. In the uncanonical apocalyptic writings, however, Jewish angelology is further developed. In them Michael frequently appears and excretes functions similar to those which are ascribed to him in Daniel. He is the first of the "four presences that stand before God"
The earlier Protestant scholars usually identified Michael with the preincarnate Christ, finding support for their view, not only in the juxtaposition of the "child" and the archangel in Revelation 12 , but also in the attributes ascribed to him in Daniel (for a full discussion see Hengstenberg, Offenbarung , I, 611-22, and an interesting survey in English by Dr. Douglas in Fairbairn's
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Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Michael'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​isb/​m/michael.html. 1915.