Jesus isn’t Michael the Archangel

Think of a historical figure who’ve changed the world in last 2000 years. Caesar or Muhammad might come to mind, or perhaps Alexander the great will make the list. No matter, you’d have to mention Jesus of Nazareth. No other historical figure has impacted the human race like Jesus Christ. This is not without controversy, but like it or not, the overwhelming scholarly consensus is Jesus was an actual person who lived in the 1st century. Obviously there’s disagreements on whether he was supernatural, but to claim Jesus didn’t exist puts someone into the realm of conspiracy theories.

Because of his popularity many religions want in on that Jesus action, but many have their own concepts of who he was. Mormons say he’s a created God and brother of Satan, Muslim claim he was a prophet and didn’t actually die, and the list goes on. Christianity whether orthodox, catholic or protestant believe Jesus is the Son of God, the 2nd person in the trinity, the one almighty God incarnate. Now Jehovah’s Witnesses believe he’s the Son of God, and Michael the Arc angel.

And that friends is why we’re here today. Most faiths claiming to be Christian believe Jesus pre-existed in his time on earth. Christians hold to eternal sonship of Christ, the divine word, who existed with God as God from eternity. Witnesses disagree, claiming this character Michael and Jesus are the same being. Not only before, his time on earth, but after as well. Now since doctrine comes only via the Bible, the good book will should show us the real truth. 

First, Biblically, who is this angel Miguel I speak of? Well, he’s an arc angel, meaning a chief servant of God, having a position of authority over other angels. Simple enough, but Jehovah’s Witnesses take it further. Reason being, those who do believe Christ had a pre-existence, need to explain where he was before his birth. 

This isn’t an issue if one considers the entirety of Scripture. Firstly, from his own words he was alive before his virgin birth. Look at John 17:5 or John 16:28 but just in the Old Testament he was around often, as Malak of Yahweh. This is God who steps into creation to speak and act, and appearing as a man. Just look here at 1 Samuel 3, the word speaks and had a visual presence, and was called God. Another example of many, God walking in the Garden, In Genesis 3:8, the Aramaic version of the Bible known as the targums, says the Word was walking in the Garden. It’s fair to say, every theophany in the Old Testament, was the pre-incarnate Christ. What was his name? Jehovah, because he’s God. He’s only named Jesus when he takes on flesh.

Jehovah’s Witnesses will certainly take objection, since they deny the Trinity, but this Jesus Michael stuff on a whole other level. Their belief didn’t come out of nowhere, some Christian authors from the past like Matthew Henry alluded to holding this belief. This mainly comes from the Adventist’s influence on the Jehovah’s Witness founder Charles taze Russel. Being apart of the movement, he adopted many of their believes, such as no Hell, no immortal soul, and this Jesus being Michael business. But the Watchtower will never admit this, so they have their own “reasonable truths” to prove this doctrine.  What you find, is anything but reasonable.

The Watchtower’s Biblical “evidence”

From Is Jesus the Archangel Michael? 

Our Readers Ask…

Is Jesus the Archangel Michael?

Put simply, the answer is yes. The custom of being called by more than one name is common in many cultures. The same situation occurs with names in the Bible. For example, the patriarch Jacob is also named Israel. (Genesis 35:10) The apostle Peter is named in five different ways​—Symeon, Simon, Peter, Cephas, and Simon Peter. (Matthew 10:2; 16:16; John 1:42; Acts 15:7, 14)

– Watchtower April 2010 pg 19

Actually, the answer is no. They start by saying its custom to having multiple names. Biblically, this simply isn’t the case. In all the examples they provide, God was changing a name, due to signifying a new role and purpose. For instance Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter, there’s a significance and meaning. When this occurs, there’s a moment where the author tells us why this is happening. This is to ensure there is no confusion from the reader. However you don’t find this transition from Michael to Jesus anywhere in the Bible. The other exception regards the difference between Jewish names on those from other nations. We all know, a name in one language is different in another, but this has nothing to do with Jesus and Michael. Therefore, this doesn’t apply.

Now to focus mostly on their “Who Is the Archangel Michael?” They say…

Consider why it is reasonable to conclude that Jesus is the archangel Michael. – JW.org | Bible Teachings | Bible Questions Answered

Now to be concluding anything as reasonable, we must avoid logical fallacies and have certainty on the facts. They continue saying…

Michael is “the archangel.” The title “archangel,” meaning “chief of the angels,” appears in only two Bible verses. In both cases, the word is singular, suggesting that only one angel bears that title. – JW.org | Bible Teachings | Bible Questions Answered

This is wholly incorrect. The singular title does not negate the possibility of others having a similar title or role. Jesus is called the savior, does that imply there is only one? Isn’t Jehovah the savior too? What about Lord, or King of Kings? All of these are singular titles, just like arc angel. For the sake of argument, let’s say there is only one arc angel. That doesn’t automatically mean it’s Jesus, why would it? To assume that’s the case, is inserting your own doctrine into the text. On the topic of Michael being the only arc angel, scripture reveals the opposite. Daniel 10:13 that plainly says Michael is, one of these chief princes.

We reasonably surmise, Michael isn’t the only one. If that’s the case, he certainty can’t be Jesus, since Christ is monogenes, unique and one of a kind. But the Watchtower continues with the most popular of what they say is “proof”, which boils down to proof, cause they said so. 

One of those verses states that the resurrected Lord Jesus “will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice.” (1 Thessalonians 4:​16) Jesus has “an archangel’s voice” because he is the archangel, Michael. – JW.org | Bible Teachings | Bible Questions Answered

No! Read all of the verse of 1 Thessalonians 4:​16.

Jehovah’s Witness leaders are committing a logical error of false equivalence. It is just as reasonable to assume this is a metaphor, especially given the context. Look at what’s happening, Christ shows up, with a voice that makes the dead rise, a trumpeted a booming voice, in other words, he arrives with loud noises. This speaks to the quality of the announcement.

If that’s not an acceptable view, here’s another. Can we not assume this is simply a list of who’s present at this event? We know Christ arrives up with his angels, therefore it’s reasonable this is Jesus, Michael, and the heavenly orchestra are in accompaniment. The Watchtower society isn’t providing facts, but choosing their own interpretation, while ignoring the other. This isn’t proof, but bias. 

Jehovah’s Witnesses logical failures.

If you think their evidence gets better, it doesn’t. Continuing in the article, they spew a ludicrous argument that boils down to this. “Michael commands an angelic army, Jesus commands on an army, they’re the same.” You can quickly understand the complete absence of logic. This is again with with false equivocation. A president of a company has charge of their employees, and so does the VP. Yet they aren’t the same person. Biblically, it’s true both Michael and Jesus are said to command legions of God’s army. So how do we reconcile this without assuming they’re the same? A loose analogy, Jesus is the general, Michael is the colonel.

See how easy that was. While this harmonizes with reason and the Bible, it’s not good enough for the likes of the scholar-less Watchtower. Please know the following is directly from their website, and honestly wrote this.

It would not make sense for God to set up Jesus and Michael as rival commanders of the holy angels. Rather, it is more reasonable to conclude that both names, Jesus and Michael, refer to the same person. – JW.org | Bible Teachings | Bible Questions Answered

This isn’t a joke. Is the Watchtower completely ignorant on how a military operates? Forget the structure of the armed forces, how about their own organization? Doesn’t the Jehovah’s Witness religion they have their own hierarchies and structure? In another example, If both brother Mike and brother Joey serve in the branch committee, are we to assume they’re rival commanders? What about someone at the top of the organization and a circuit overseer, it is just not possible they’re united on one mission? I thought Jehovah’s was organized, but he can’t have two commanders of one army? This is a laughable absurd statement from the what they present as spiritual food. There next point is arguably even worse, but they keep going.

Michael “will stand up” during an unprecedented “time of distress.” (Daniel 12:1) In the book of Daniel, the expression “stand up” is often used to refer to a king who rises up to take special action. – JW.org | Bible Teachings | Bible Questions Answered

I suppose, since Jesus is a king so therefor the same?

The word for “stand up” in Hebrew is ya’amod, and it just means to stand up, arise, or remain, The Watchtower even admits the word is “often” used for kings. This is true, often, not at all times. Ya’amod is used for anyone, just standing up, remaining, arising, basically taking a stand against something. Normally such an act is fit for someone in a position where their standing can impact history, but just because Michael stands, doesn’t make him Jesus. This is again is fallacious reasoning.

It’s funny to me, the foundation argument of the Jehovah’s Witnesses seems to be, “if they are similar, therefore they must be the same person. However, I doubt they’ll employ that same logic to Jesus being Jehovah. The difference there, in comparison, the Bible says God alone fills certain roles, yet applies them to Jesus. Trying to make the same thing happen with Michael, doesn’t work. Michael the arch angel has his own role. He acts on behalf of God, stands against evil, and helps throw Satan out of heaven, but he didn’t die for the sins of the world.

All of their supposed reasonable evidence is only bias interpretation and absurd leaps.

Scripture confirms, Jesus isn’t an angel.

Let’s not forget, while no verse or section implies Jesus is Michael, Scripture explicitly teaches Jesus is NOT an angel.

This a rhetorical question saying he’s better than angels, because none of them were called Son.

That is all (not all others) of the angel worship Jesus. That means, he’s not an angel. Side note, this a a call back to Deuteronomy 32:43 in the Septuagint, yet it’s all the angels worship Yahweh. That should be enough for anyone to understand that Jesus is not an angel, but he’s the unique one of a kind Son of God. The very next chapter says he was made lower than the angel, not the other angels. This puts him in a different category. 

For an extra punch you need only read Jude 9.

If they are the same, why is Michael daring to pronounce judgment? He says the Lord rebuke you, and in context, that Lord is Jesus. To take this further, Jesus during a time lower than the angels, still rebukes the devil in Matthew 4:10. Need they forgot, Jesus created everything that was made[John 1:3,Colossians 1:16]. Of those things, would be angels, including the devil. So let me get this straight, he who created them, doesn’t have authority of his creation?

Now all this being said, I skipped over what the name Michael means, which JW’s say is who is like God. This is another rhetorical statement, mirroring verses like Psalms 86:8 and Psalm 89:6, which teach nothing in creation, including angels are like God. However, the Bible explains Jesus is exactly like God. Hebrews 1:2 says he has the very same character as God. Jesus out of his own mouth said when you see him, you see God, he’s share God’s unique prerogatives, attributes, glory, character and nature, which is why he was charged with the crime of blasphemy, not for claiming to be Michael, but Yahweh.

The point is, you need to get the right Jesus. The Jehovah’s Witness version Christ is just an angel no one should ever speak with. The real Christ, isn’t a spirit creature with two wings and two first names. Instead he’s the one and only God, who emptied himself, lived the life we couldn’t and died the death we deserved. The creator didn’t remain distant in our suffering, but chose to suffer himself, and show us what true love looks like. Yahweh didn’t send an angel to die, he sent his son who was, is, and always will be God.