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Is Jesus Michael?

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The Watch Tower Society teaches that before his incarnation, and after his resurrection to glory, Jesus is Michael the archangel.

‘Michael, referred to by some religions as “Saint Michael,” is evidently a name given to Jesus before and after his life on earth. Michael disputed with Satan after the death of Moses and helped an angel deliver God’s message to the prophet Daniel. (Daniel 10:13, 21; Jude 9) Michael lives up to the meaning of his name,—“Who Is Like God?”—by defending God’s rulership and fighting God’s enemies.—Daniel 12:1; Revelation 12:7.’ - jw.org website

However, this was not always the teaching. Indeed they have believed and taught the complete opposite:

‘...it is said (of Jesus), ‘Let all the angels of God worship him;’ (that must include Michael, the chief angel, hence Michael is not the Son of God) and the reason is, because he has ‘by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they.’’ - The Watchtower, Nov.1879, p.4

Watch Tower v Bible Teaching

1 Thessalonians 4:16 – Since Jesus comes ‘with the voice of an archangel’ he must be an archangel. This verse doesn’t say Jesus is an angel. It also says he comes with the trumpet of God. Following Watch Tower logic, this must mean Jesus is God. The verse is explained in Matthew’s gospel:

‘For the Son of Man is coming with his angels in the glory of God his Father…’ Mt.16:27

‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.’ Mt.25:31

In Matthew 24:29-31 we have an account of ‘the sign of the Son of Man.’ Verse 31 reads:

‘And he (the Son of Man) will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call…’

It is Jesus who sends out his angels with a loud trumpet call. It is the trumpet call of angels sent out by Jesus when his sign appears in the heavens.

Jude 9 – Strangely, they present this as evidence of Jesus’ angelic nature although it doesn’t mention Jesus. Michael here rebukes the devil in the name of the Lord. Contrast this with the way Jesus rebuked Satan (Mk.8:33; Mt.16:23)

Revelation 12:7-10 – Michael here establishes the kingdom of God, but remember he acts under Christ’s authority (Mt.24:31). This text doesn’t say Jesus is Michael, but Michael and his angels conquer ‘by the authority of Christ...by the blood of the lamb.’ (Rev.12:10,11)

Daniel 12:1,2; John 5:25-29 – Michael, in Daniel12, is depicted as ‘the great prince who has charge of [God’s] people,’ who will arise and God’s people will be delivered in a time of trouble. In John 5 we read how the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God at the time of the resurrection. From Daniel 10:21 Michael is described to Daniel as ‘your prince,’ the archangel with special responsibility for the nation of Israel. There is no link here, but a description of the respective roles of the archangel and of the Son of God at that time.

Daniel 10:13 – This is a key text and works against Watch Tower teaching. Michael is here described as ‘one of the chief princes.’ Clearly, there were others of equal status – to Jesus? Michael is depicted as one of a cohort of equal status angels, and a ‘guardian angel’ of the Israelites.

Daniel 8:25 – This verse refers to God himself and speaks of the destruction of Antiochus Epiphanes, who declared himself the manifestation of God. Verse 11 depicts Epiphanes robbing God of glory. Some think the ‘Prince of princes’ here refers to Jesus, but even if it does ‘Prince of princes’ isn’t the same as ‘one of the chief princes’ in 10:23. Jesus cannot be Michael.

Hebrews

Hebrews 1:7,8 – these are key verses because they put Jesus in a completely different and separate category than angels.

In v.7 Jehovah speaks to the angels, which are all together in one group, which would include Michael, one of the chief angels, but still an angel

The ‘but’ at the beginning of verse 8 indicates that Jehovah goes on to speak to someone very different, ‘the Son.’ What does Jehovah say?

‘Of the angels he says, He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire. But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of your kingdom.’

The splendour of angels is magnificent, such that people fall down in fear in their presence, but that splendour is derived from the One who is all the more glorious, the Son, whom God commands even glorious angels to worship:

‘And again, when he brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’ v.6

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