Skip to main content

Is Jesus Michael?

Image
By

 


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

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Obama's mother posthumously baptized into LDS Church - Salt Lake Tribune

By
In the wake of his remarkable success it seemed that the world and his wife wanted to claim President Obama as their own with even an Irish connection being dug up. Now the Mormons have got in on the act by posthumously baptising his mother. They have in the past upset the Jewish community, the Catholic Church and now the American President with this wacky and unbiblical practice but there is no indication that they will review it. And, of course, it is always someone else’s fault and they promise a thorough inquiry to uncover the real culprits. Maybe they should try looking in the mirror. President Barack Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, who died in 1995, was baptized posthumously into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints last year during her son's campaign, according to Salt Lake City-based researcher Helen Radkey. The ritual, known as “baptism for the dead,” was done June 4 in the Provo temple, and another LDS temple rite, known as the “endowment,” was
Post a Comment
Read more

Mormon Christians? Whats in a Name?

By
The Mormon Church, disturbed by the continuing identifying of polygamus sects in the news with the name Mormon, recently issued a press statement aimed at "clarifying" issues. It is interesting to note that if you substitute the name "Christian" where they use the name "Mormon" it makes a very good argument for us against the claims of the Mormon Church. The full press release is reproduced below in italics with each paragraph rewritten in ordinary text to present it from a Christian perspective. SALT LAKE CITY 10 July 2008 On 26 June, Newsroom published a package of information featuring profiles of ordinary Latter-day Saints in Texas. With no other intention but to define themselves, these members provided a tangible depiction of what their faith is all about. They serve as the best distinction between the lifestyles and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a Texas-based polygamous group that has recently attracted media attent
70 comments
Read more

Who and Where are the 144,000?

By
  Last time we saw that only 144,000 have a heavenly hope. Where does that leave the rest of the millions of faithful Jehovah’s Witnesses, the great crowd? “ The key to the identification of the ‘great crowd’ is found within the description of them in Revelation chapter 7 .The vision there presented is concerning persons not in heaven, from where the 'New Jerusalem comes down,' but on earth, among mankind .If the ‘great crowd’ are persons who gain salvation and remain on earth, how could they be said to be 'standing before God's throne and before the Lamb?' (Re 7:9) The position of 'standing' is sometimes used in the Bible to indicate the holding of a favored or approved position in the eyes of the one in whose presence the individual or group stands .It thus appears that the "great crowd" is formed of those persons who have been preserved during that time of wrath and who have been able to "stand" as approved by God and the Lamb.” - I
Post a Comment
Read more