Michael Stands up Daniel 12:1 and Acts 7:55-56

I believe we have an interesting connection between Daniel 12 and Acts 7:55-56:

"At that time, Michael will arise, the great prince who will STAND UP on behalf of your people, and a time of trouble will come like there has never been since nations began until that time. Also at that time, your people will be delivered—everyone who will have been written in the book." - Daniel 12:1 (ISV)

"But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus STANDING at the right hand of God. He said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man STANDING at the right hand of God!” - Acts 7:55-56 (ISV)

I believe this remark of Stephen was not just directed to his persecutors, but was also for us to read, and a record of prophetical significance. Several commentators and some of the ECF (John Chrysostom for one) remarked that the standing of Jesus is when He rises in response to this significant widespread persecution that starts with Stephen and continues in full force starting with Acts 8. I believe all of this ties in to the verse in Daniel 12. Michael's (Christ's) standing was for the whole duration of that ongoing persecution up until the time of the taking up (rapture) of those 1st century saints in AD 66.

Matthew Poole, commenting on Daniel 12:1, makes similar observation, although with unwarranted futurist assumptions:

" Yet I think the truest meaning is to interpret these words, at that time, of all the time of Christ, from his first coming to the last. These all are the last times wherein God spake to us by his Son, Hebrews 1:1-3, to which Michael answers well, i.e. who is like God, which notes his equality with God, Philippians 2:6. It was necessary Christ should now appear as a Prince to comfort his people against the oppression of Herod and the Romans, by bringing in a glorious salvation, which should wholly free the elect Israel of God from the Roman yoke, both under the persecuting emperors and under antichrist."

Aside from the "antichrist" comment I think Poole is pretty much on the mark.

And even though this prophecy relates to the people of Daniel, and during those special times of 1st-century troubles I have no problem understanding that we have the same Helper, though our situation is not quite the same.