Lucas Banzoli Sez the Archangel Michael is Jesus

Lucas Banzoli is a very active Brazilian anti-Catholic polemicist, who holds to basically a Seventh-day Adventist theology, whereby there is no such thing as a soul that consciously exists outside of a body, and no hell (soul sleep and annihilationism). He has a Master’s degree in theology, a degree and postgraduate work in history, a license in letters, and is a history teacher, author of 27 self-published books, as well as blogmaster for six blogs. He has many videos on YouTube.

This is my 69th refutation of Banzoli’s writings (or videos, as in this case). From 25 May until 12 November 2022 he wrote not one single word in reply, claiming that my articles were “without exception poor, superficial and weak” and that “only a severely cognitively impaired person” would take them “seriously.” Nevertheless, he found them so “entertaining” that after almost six months of inaction he resolved to “make a point of rebutting” them “one by one”; this effort being his “new favorite sport.” But apparently he changed his mind again, since he has replied to me only 16 times (the last one dated 2-20-23).

This is a reply to his YouTube video, “Why I Believe Michael is Jesus” (4-23-25).

Lucas’ original Brazilian Portugese was translated into English by Google Translate. His words will be in blue.

*****

I won’t go through all of Lucas’ discombobulated reasoning, since this is a fringe view in the first place; rejected by virtually all trinitarian Bible scholars. Seventh-Day Adventists are, I believe the only trinitarian denomination of note that holds this position. Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) also do, because many of their views (e.g., soul sleep and annihilationism: a denial of eternal hellfire: heresies also held by Lucas) — and a penchant for making false predictions about the date of the end of the age — were historically derived from Adventism. But JWs aren’t Christians; they’re Arian heretics, who believe that Jesus was a created being; not the eternal God.

Lucas spends much time arguing that the angel of the Lord is presented as God Himself in Scripture. Yes, He is (as I’ve noted for over 40 years now), and most Bible scholars believe the same, so that is neither here nor there, and won’t — much as he tries to special plead — get him to the position that Michael is Jesus.

Looking through his transcript, I found what I believe is the fundamental false premise that is leading him astray. He thinks that the word “archangel” (= archaggelos / ἀρχάγγελος; Strong’s Greek word #743; only in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9 [“the archangel Michael”] ) signifies not the “chief angel” (who is still an angel; the highest one) but something other than an angel altogether (i.e., Jesus / God). Hence he states:

15:40-16:38 [An] archangel is not a class of angels. Archangel is literally the junction of the prefix arche, which in Greek means chief or leader, with angelos, which 1means angel, that is, it literally means the chief of the angels. He is not  saying that the archangel is an angel, but rather that the archangel leads over the angels. He is the chief of the angels. . . . Now obviously the architect is not a builder he is the chief of the builders which is literally what the word means, that is, he is the one who designs what the builders [construct]. So just as the architect is not one of the builders, but rather the one who is above the builders, in the same way the archangel is not an angel, but rather the one who is above the angels, that is, the one who is the chief of the angels.

Now, the way we determine what a word means in Holy Scripture is to consult Greek lexicons. But Lucas never does that. He expects readers to take his word for it. If indeed he were correct, then it would be an easy thing to back himself up with Greek scholars. So why doesn’t he do that and nail down his case? Instead, he ignores the Greek scholars and simply cites individuals — exegetes / theologians / preachers — whom he claims agree with his view (e.g., Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, John Calvin, and Charles Spurgeon). But I can easily show that he is full of hot air in his claim above, by citing Greek New Testament scholars (none of them, Catholic).

Gerhard Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (one-volume edition edited by Geoffrey W. Bromily, Eerdmans, 1985, p. 14) states:

The idea of archangels is connected with the singling out of individual angels. Josh. 5:14 mentions a captain or commander of the Lord’s army. Michael is a chief prince or angel in Dan. 1o:13; 12:1. Later we read of four, six, or seven special angels. . . . Jude 9 identifies Michael as an archangel. [my italics]

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon likewise affirms:

Chief of the angels (Hebrew שַׂר chief, prince, Daniel 10:20; Daniel 12:1), or one of the princes and leaders of the angels (הָרִאשֹׁנִים הַשָּׂרִים, Daniel 10:13): 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 1:9. For the Jews after the exile distinguished several orders of angels, and some (as the author of the Book of Enoch, 9:1ff; . . .) reckoned four angels (answering to the four sides of the throne of God) of the highest rank; but others, and apparently the majority (Tobit 12:15, . . . Revelation 8:2), reckoned seven.

. . . an angel of the highest rank (see Dan 10:13, 12:1; see also Lk 1:19; Rev 8:2, 12:7); “a ruler of angels, a superior angel, an archangel” (Souter).

McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia, “Archangel” opines:

(ἀρχάγγελος, chief angel, 1Th 4:16; Jude 1:9). Those angels are so styled who occupy the highest rank in the celestial order or hierarchy, which consists, according to the apostles, of “thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers” (Eph 1:21; Col 1:16; 1Pe 3:22). Of these there are said to be seven, who stand immediately before the throne of God (Lu 1:19; Re 8:2), who have authority over other angels, and are the patrons of particular nations (Re 12:7; Da 10:18). In Mt 26:53; 2Th 1:7, hosts of angels are spoken of in the same manner as human armies. These the Almighty is said to employ in executing his commands, or in displaying his dignity and majesty, in the manner of human princes. These armies of angels are also represented as divided into orders and classes, having each its leader, and all these are subject to one chief, or: archangel. The names of two only are found in the Scripture — Michael, the patron of the Jewish nation (Da 10:13,21; Da 12:1; Jude 1:9; Re 12:7); and Gabriel (Da 8:16; Da 9:21; Lu 1:19,26). The apocryphal book of Tobit (3:17; 5:4) mentions one, Raphael; and 2 Esdras (4:34) another, Uriel; while the book of Enoch names the whole seven (20:1-7). [my italics starting in the second sentence]

. . . appearing only in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 to describe an otherwise unnamed executive angel, and also in Jude 9, which refers to “Michael the archangel.” [my italics]