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Michael, Michael,
Who is
Michael?
SEE ALSO
The
Archangel Michael 2
This is a more
important question than it may first appear. Michael is
identified in the Bible as an Archangel.
The identity of
Michael becomes of prime importance when it is linked with
Jesus Christ. Various groups do teach that Jesus Christ is
Michael, primarily the Jehovah's Witnesses.
First they taught in
the Watchtower of November 1879 that "Michael is not the Son
of God", and continued this view into the Watchtower of
March 1883, correctly stating that Jesus has "a nature
superior to the angels". By 1926, in "The Finished
Mystery" Michael was identified as "the Pope" (of Rome).
However, over the years their doctrine has evolved into the
teaching that Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel. The
"Reasoning" book says on page 218, "...the Son of God was
known as Michael before he came to earth and is known also
by that name since his return to heaven...". What an
about-face!
The Seventh-day
Adventists teach that Jesus Christ is Michael, while at the
same time being God! The Mormons, (The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints), on the other hand, teach that
Michael came down to earth and became the first man, Adam,
in the Garden of Eden. He supposedly brought one of his
celestial wives with him and started the human
race!
With all this
confusion over the identity of Michael, we need to know for
sure just who Michael is, according to scripture. The name
"Michael" means "who is like to God", or "who is like
God?"
Some have suggested
that this meaning sounds like a description of Jesus Christ,
but does it? To adequately answer this question, we need to
look carefully at ALL scriptures dealing with Michael, and
see if they line up with other scriptures describing Jesus
Christ.
Could Jesus be
Michael, or could He not be Michael? Let's let the Bible
speak. On the other side of this tract you will find a chart
dealing with all the scriptures on Michael, and their
application. Who is Michael ?
SCRIPTURES
RELATING TO
MICHAEL
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DANIEL
10:13
."...Michael,
one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I
had been left there with the Kings of Persia".
[NAS]
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Michael is
only one of several other "chief princes". He is
not unique.
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Jesus is
never called "Chief Prince" in the Bible. It is not
one of His titles. He is called, however "King of
Kings" and Lord of Lords." [Rev.
19:16]
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DANIEL
10:21
"...Yet there
is no one who stands firmly with me against these
forces except Michael your prince."
[NAS]
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Michael is
portrayed as "your prince". That is, the "prince"
for the exiled nation of Israel, who fights for
them. This battle is between angelic
forces.
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Jesus does
have angelic forces with him when He fights
[see Mat. 25:31], but He is never referred
to as the "Prince" of these forces, rather He is
identified as "the King" [Matt.
25:34]
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DANIEL
12:1
"Now at that
time Michael, the great prince who stands guard
over the sons of your people will arise...".
[NAS]
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Michael is
here portrayed as a "great prince" who stands guard
over Israel. Possibly a guardian
angel.
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1. Jesus is
never called a "great prince" in the Bible, nor a
guardian.
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JUDE
9
"But 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". [NAS]
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1. Michael is
an Archangel. The New American Standard Concordance
p.1636 lists the meaning of "Archangel" as " a
chief angel". This agrees with Daniel
10:13.
2. Michael
did not dare to rebuke Satan.
3. Michael
spoke of "The Lord" ["Kurios" in Greek]
rebuking Satan.
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Jesus is not
a "Chief Angel", nor is He a "Chief OVER the
angels" as the SDA's have tried to twist the
scriptures to say.
2. Whereas
Michael did not have the power to rebuke Satan,
Jesus rebuked Satan many times. [see
Matt.17:18, Mark 9:25, etc.] Therefore Jesus is
not Michael.
3. Michael
referred to "the Lord" as separate from himself.
"The Lord" is a New Testament reference to Jesus,
and an Old Testament reference to
YHWH.
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REVELATION
12:7
"And there
was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging
war with the dragon, And the dragon and his angels
waged war."
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Michael is
fighting at the head of his angels, which is only
proper, since he is a chief angel.
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Revelation
12:5, 6 just previous to this scripture portrays
Christ as a "male", a "son". Verse 10 following
calls Him "Christ". Jesus is not called an angel in
the book of Revelation.
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1
THESSALONIANS 4:16
"For the Lord
Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of
God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first."
[NAS]
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1. The Lord
Himself descends.
2. "with"
shouting.
3. "with" the
voice of the archangel.
4. "with" the
trumpet of God.
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1. The Lord
Jesus Christ is identified.
2.-4. All
these things are WITH Christ, "a shout", "the voice
of the archangel", and the trumpet of God". If we
say this verse is saying that Jesus is an archangel
because the voice of the archangel is WITH HIM ,
then we must also say that Jesus is "a shout", "a
voice", and "a trumpet"! Ridiculous!
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SEE ALSO The
Archangel Michael 2
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