Is It Possible That Jesus Is Michael the Archangel?

Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason offers an answer you might need if a Jehovah's Witness comes to your door.

#StandtoReason #Apologetics #Christianity

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[STRvideos]

In Hebrews 1–3, the author sets out to demonstrate that Jesus is superior to the prophets, angels, and Moses. We’re told Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God (1:1–2), the Creator of the world (1:2), and the exact imprint of God’s nature (1:3). After explicitly stating He is “much superior to angels, ” the author of Hebrews writes, “For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you‘?” The obvious answer to this hypothetical question is that God never said that to any angel. Rather, in Mark 1:11, God says to Jesus, “You are my beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.”

Read more from Tim Barnett at the below resources:

Is Jesus the Archangel Michael?

Ready for the Knock on Your Door

[agatemaster]

It is very important to realize that "angel" can simply mean messenger. Was Jesus a messenger? Yes he had a message from the Father for mankind. The Angel of The Lord in Exodus is Jesus. Jesus is the Chief Messenger of the Father...not created exisiting...THE I AM. So when we say "was Jesus and angel?", Yes, he is a messenger, but NOT a created one. It is in this light, that as I have examined the scripture, I believe it is possible that Michael is simply another title for Jesus. Compare zechariah 3:2 and Jude vs. 9.

[dontfeedthepirates]

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 KJV
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

[ThembaniPosholi]

He is a messenger he is sent to bring us back to the father

[JoseMartinez-iglx]

It could stand to reason that Michael gave up his divinity in a sense to assume a human form therefore being the sacrfice and atonement for Humanity, hence the lamb of God.

Just throwing stuff out there, not making claim but just pondering.

[djmaydraws]

It’s not exclusive to Jehovahs witnesses

Plenty of Christian commentators outside of JWs have came to the same conclusion

John Calvin thought Jesus was Michael
Matthew Poole thought Jesus was Michael
Matthew Henry thought Jesus was Michael
Joseph Benson thought Jesus was Michael
John Gill thought Jesus was Michael
EW Hengstenberg thought Jesus was Michael
JP Lange thought Jesus was Michael
Adam Clarke thought Jesus was Michael

Geneva study Bible commentary equates Jesus to Michael

Origen called Jesus in quotation of the Septuagint at Isaiah 9:6- “the Angel of Great counsel”
Justin Martyr called Jesus the highest angel
2nd Century writing “Shepherd of Hermas” called Jesus Michael at book III similitude 8 chapter 3
Bart Ehrman NT professor wrote that Paul viewed Jesus as the chief angel

Let’s not act like JWs are the only ones who equated Jesus to Michael. Universally across orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism we see respected scholarship outright calling Jesus Michael or equating him with the highest angel. Angel just means divine messenger. Jesus is clearly the highest of those. Read Daniel 12:1, 2 and tell me Michael isn’t the Messiah.

Arch/Angel/Micha/El literally means

“Chief/Principal Divine Messenger who is like God”

[aprilleak]

Y’all can debate this until Jesus returns. How can two different versions agree? NWT
I have a question in Daniel 10 who was the angelic being dressed in linen and a gold belt who Michael, the chief guardian angel came to rescue?

[johnrideout]

Would those who say that Michael the Archangel is NOT Jesus's Heavenly name, please tell us who they think it is.!

[johnmcook]

But it also says My father has given me authority.
Same authority seen given in daniel 7 even to be worshipped as god.
1 cor that authority does not last as it says he is subject to god and hand the kingdom back over to him.
This is all by the authority he has been given. Authority to create authority to be worshipped.
But time and again he says the father is greater than i.
And it says He hand over the kingdom ( his authority ) to the father.
So you are incorrect

[leedza]

My question is Joshua 5 refers to the commander of the Lord's Army i.e. Lord of the host. Michael seems to occupy a similar officer as chief angel in the Lord's Army eg. in the narrative where satan gets cast out of heaven.

Now I'm not making a case for the theory as there is other evidence pointing to Michael just being a chief prince and not divinity, however, I'm a strong believer of the pre-incarnate Jesus. That's the only way Christianity would make sense to me only if Christ was part of the trinity before the beginning. That's why I gravitate to the Angel of the Lord's presence and Commander of the Lord's Army as they speak with the authority of God and are worshipped unlike the other angels who refuse worship.

[tongakhan]

God sent one of his sons from heaven to become the human Messiah. Galatians 4:4
Whom did God send?
'To WHICH OF THE ANGELS did God say..' - Hebrews 1:5, 13.
Obviously God did not send just any angel. He sent his firstborn who has a role of the Archangel in heaven. 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Compare Daniel 12:1.

[indiegamesonly]

this is EXTREMELY faulty logic. Jesus WAS a created being, he was the first creation of god, Jesus created the angels and it is totally appropriate for him to assume the role of that OVER the angels, also the bible clearly says he will ressurect the dead with THE VOICE OF AN ARCHANGEL. 1st thess 4:16 - For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. If jesus wasnt the archangel, why would he be using a power weaker than his own? thats like saying he will ressurect the dead with the power of a cherub... he was the archangel Michael, came to earth, got named Jesus, then when he went back to heaven he assumed a position HIGHER than an angel or an archangel.. Angel just means messanger.

[jimjuri]

To WHICH of the ANGELS did God say..' - Hebrews 1:5, 13 does show that Jesus is an ANGEL.
Archangel is an angel who is above other angels. A Leader of the angels.

[CurlyLeticia]

Thank you 🙏 that was a great explanation ❤

[r.l.stolba]

How do we know that there was a distinction between Michael and the Angel of the Lord?

[paulinosobremisanajr.]

Wouldn't that make the Apostle Paul an angel as well, since he was charged by Jesus as an Apostle to the Gentiles? He was, practically, sent by "Michael".
Obviously, people would say "No, you see in chapter..."
To that I'd reply, but thats not logic.

[IMJW]

Did the Witnesses make up the idea that Jesus was also the Archangel?

Or, was this doctrine developed long before the Watchtower existed?

Below are Baptist, Methodist, Calvinistic and Judaic commentaries supporting the doctrine. Folks, this has been accepted by most Bible scholars since the reformation in the sixteenth century. The Jesus have believed the Son of man was an angel, perhaps Michael for two thousand years before Jesus was born.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

"Yet Michael the archangel, .... By whom is meant, not a created angel, but an eternal one, the Lord Jesus Christ; as appears from his name Michael, which signifies, "who is as God": and who is as God, or like unto him, but the Son of God, who is equal with God? and from his character as the archangel, or Prince of angels, for Christ is the head of all principality and power; and from what is elsewhere said of Michael, as that he is the great Prince, and on the side of the people of God, and to have angels under him, and at his command, Daniel 10:21. So Philo the Jew (o) calls the most ancient Word, firstborn of God, the archangel; Uriel is called the archangel in this passage from the Apocrypha:Jude 1:9"


Joshua 5:13 and, behold, there stood a man over against him;
not a mere man, nor a created angel in an human form, but a divine Person in such a form, even the Son of God, who frequently appeared in this manner to the patriarchs; as is clear from the worship paid unto him by Joshua, by his calling him Lord, and owning himself to be his servant; and by the ground on which he stood, being holy through his presence, as well as by his title, the Captain of the Lord's host. Jarchi says, this is Michael, which, if understood of Michael the uncreated angel, the head of all principality and power, is right, who is always meant by Michael, whenever he is spoken of in Scripture; and so this is interpreted by the ancient Jews F11 of the Angel the Redeemer:


Geneva Study Bible

Joshua 5:14 And he said, Nay; but [as] captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and g did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
(g) In that Joshua worships him, he acknowledges him to be God: and in that he calls himself the Lords captain he declares himself to be Christ.



Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

Joshua 5:13 He appeared to him as a man, but a considerable man, and one fit to be taken notice of. Now, 1. We have reason to think that this man was the Son of God, the eternal Word, who, before he assumed the human nature for a perpetuity, frequently appeared in a human shape.


Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Joshua 5:14 As captain - I am the chief captain of this people, and will conduct and assist thee and them in this great undertaking. Now this person is not a created angel, but the son of God, who went along with the Israelites in this expedition, as their chief and captain. And this appears,
By his acceptance of adoration here, which a created angel durst not admit of, Revelation 22:8, 9.
Because the place was made holy by his presence, Joshua 5:15, which was God's prerogative, Exodus 3:5 .
Because he is called the Lord, Heb. Jehovah, Joshua 6:2 . My Lord - I acknowledge thee for my Lord and captain, and therefore wait for thy commands, which I am ready to obey


Jewish Encyclopedia

"Similarly in Aramaic, "son of man" is the usual designation for "man, " and occurs in the inscriptions in Syriac, Mandaic, Talmudic, and other dialects (see Nathanael Schmidt in Cheyne and Black, "Encyc. Bibl." iv. 4707-4708). In Dan. vii. 13, the passage in which it occurs in Biblical Aramaic, it certainly connotes a "human being." Many see a Messianic significance in this verse, but in all probability the reference is to an angel with a human appearance, perhaps Michael."

[philknight]

If the word (God's son, the firstborn of all creation, and 'a God') was with Him in the beginning...who was He with? WHO WAS HE WITH??
Who was He with when GOD ALMIGHTY said "let US make man in OUR image" Clue is in the question.

[finnthinkin]

The word of God is God.

Jesus: "It is written, thou shall not tempt you lord your God."

Jesus was rebuking and talking to Lucifer like this in his human form, and no one talked to Satan like this but God. Even the Ark Angel Michael didn't wanna dispute the Devil over Moses's body but rather told him, the Lord rebuked you!"

And away he went. WHO DOY THINK MICHAEL WAS REFERRING TO?🤔

[AdamLopez]

Jesus is the angel who fought the dragon in Revelation 12:7