Is Michael The Archangel Jesus?

Is Michael The Archangel Jesus? September 1, 2015

Some cults teach that Michael the Archangel is actually Jesus? Is there biblical proof that this is not true?

God is Uncreated

John1:1 says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word is clearly Jesus Christ (John 1:14) so the Word, Jesus Christ, was with God in the beginning and was God and for that matter, is God. Even before there was any mention of Michael, Jesus said “Very truly I tell you…before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58). In Jesus, “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col 2:9). Angels are forbidden to receive worship (Col 2:18) because when John saw an angel he “fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God” (Rev 19:10) and this happened again (Rev 22:9). The disciples once declared, “and those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God’” (Matt 14:33) and Thomas declared “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Not one place in the Bible allows angels or anything created to ever be worshiped.

Michael the Archangel

There are several Bible verses which mention Michael the Archangel and they prove that Jesus could not possibly be Michael. For instance, in Daniel 10:13 is says “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.” Michael is one of the chief princes of God but Jesus is declared to be the Son of God (Luke 1:35; 1st John 5:29). In the Book of Jude 1:9 it says that “Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you” so if Jesus was Michael or had been Michael as some cults teach and believe, then why would Michael declare “The Lord rebuke you” instead of “I (Jesus) rebuke you.” In the temptation in the wilderness, Jesus did in fact rebuke the Devil (Luke 4:1-13).

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Jesus and Michael

In the Book of Revelation, where Jesus is mentioned by name thirteen times, we read that “there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war” (Rev 12:7). Here we read in this chapter Jesus and Michael in the same time period as being different personas so Jesus couldn’t possibly be Michael at that time nor at any time for that matter because angels are created beings; Jesus has always existed. Since we know that Jesus is God, God by definition is eternal and is without beginning and without end. The author of Hebrews writes “He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever” (Heb 7:3). Michael, being an angel, did have a beginning, but the Son of God had no beginning and will have no ending.

Angels are Created

The author of the Book of Job clearly established that angels were created beings as we read in Job 38:4, 6-7, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” The morning stars in Scripture always refer to angels. There are many other Scriptures that indicate that angels were created beings. In Colossians 1:16 it says “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” All things include the heavens and the earth, all plant life, all sea creatures, all land animals, mammals, and insects, and “all things,” including angels. Since Jesus created “all things” then He couldn’t have possibly created Himself because if so, He would have had to exist before He created all things, including Himself, particularly if He is purported to be Michael. In fact, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3) so there wasn’t anything created that was not created by Him and since Michael is a thing (an angel) then Michael could not possibly be Jesus nor could Jesus have come from Michael because Jesus is “before all things” (Col 1:17). Before “all things” includes before the angels.

Conclusion

Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3). A created being, like Michael, would be insufficient to take away the sins of the world because Jesus fulfilled the law while on earth being both Man and God and “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18). Jesus never tried to correct the Jews by saying, “No, I’m not God.” The very reason the Jews wanted to kill Jesus was because He claimed to be God and equal with God and He is! Michael the Archangel is not God nor did he ever become God, therefore, Michael the Archangel is not Jesus.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.


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