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Bible Study Is Michael Another Name For Jesus?

WalterandDebbie

WalterandDebbie

CF Ambassador
Sabbath Overseer
Friday 1-20-23 6th. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Tevet 27 5783 31st. Winter Day

Written by Biblical Research Institute

What biblical evidence supports the teaching that Michael is another name for Jesus?

The name Michael is used five times in the Bible to designate a celestial being (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7). He is nowhere explicitly identified with Jesus, but some Christian writers have equated the two by carefully comparing the role played by Michael with that of Jesus. Any comparisons yield not only similarities but also dissimilarities, and both should be taken into account. We’ll start with the passages in which Michael is mentioned and then broaden the horizon to include several passages that are conceptually related to His person and experience.

1. He seems to be an angel: Michael is identified as “one of the chief princes” (Dan. 10:13), “your prince” (verse 21), “the great prince” (Dan. 12:1), and “the archangel” (Jude 9). “Archangel” implies that He is the prince of the angels, suggesting that Michael cannot be another name for Jesus because He is divine and angels are created beings.

Part of the problem is that the noun “angel” is taken to designate a creature, while in the Bible it designates a function. In other words, an “angel” is a being who functions as a “messenger” of God. In most cases they are created beings, but there is an exception.

In the Old Testament there are several references to the “angel [messenger] of the Lord” in which He is equated with God (e.g., Ex. 3:2, 4; Judges 6:12, 14). It is not that the Messenger is identified with the One who sent Him as His representative, but rather that the Sender functions at the same time as the Messenger. Many Christians have identified the Angel of the Lord as the preincarnate Christ. This Christological interpretation seems to be biblically valid.

2. He is leader of the angels: The phrase “one of the chief princes” (Dan. 10:13) could give the impression that He is one among many princes. But according to Revelation 12:7, Michael is the supreme leader of the heavenly angels, or “the great prince.” When necessary, He personally assists angels in their assigned tasks (Dan. 10:13), yet the angelic hosts are under His command (Rev. 12:7). He is indeed the “archangel” (Jude 9). This title is mentioned in one other place in the Bible: 1 Thesselonians 4:16, in the context of the second coming of Christ. He returns “with the voice of the archangel,” suggesting that Michael is most probably another name for Jesus.

3. He protects God’s people: Michael is described as the Prince of Israel (Dan. 10:21), the One who protects Israel (Dan. 12:1). This protection is described in military terms and portrays the Prince as a warrior. In practically all the passages in which He is mentioned there is a conflict between God’s people and their enemies, and Michael is present to defend them or fight for them. The protection can also take the form of judgment in which Michael stands up and defends and delivers God’s people (ibid.). Those are functions of Christ in the New Testament and confirm the suggestion that Michael and Christ are the same person, involved in leadership in the heavenly and earthly realms.

4. He is Prince of the heavenly hosts: In Daniel 8:10 there is a reference to a celestial being who performs the daily services in the heavenly sanctuary. There is only one other passage in the Old Testament in which this being is mentioned. Joshua had an encounter with a being who identified himself as the “captain [commander] of the host [army] of the Lord” (Joshua 5:14). He ordered Joshua to remove his shoes because the ground he was standing on was holy, similar to God’s apparition to Moses. The context makes clear that this being was the Lord Himself (Joshua 6:2). This Prince is the same person called in other passages Prince Michael, and therefore we can identify Him with the preincarnate Christ.

So even though the Bible does not clearly identify Michael with Christ, there is enough biblical information to warrant the view that They are the same person. The name Michael stresses the fact that Christ is the supreme leader of the heavenly angels and the defender of His people as warrior, judge, and priest.

Views:

Is Michael Another Name For Jesus?

Love, Walter and Debbie
 
Christ was a created being (altho clergy put their spin on the 2 references).
And what better Name could he have since it means "Who is like God"- because only HE is!
 
WalterandDebbie said:
Friday 1-20-23 6th. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Tevet 27 5783 31st. Winter Day

Written by Biblical Research Institute

What biblical evidence supports the teaching that Michael is another name for Jesus?

The name Michael is used five times in the Bible to designate a celestial being (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7). He is nowhere explicitly identified with Jesus, but some Christian writers have equated the two by carefully comparing the role played by Michael with that of Jesus. Any comparisons yield not only similarities but also dissimilarities, and both should be taken into account. We’ll start with the passages in which Michael is mentioned and then broaden the horizon to include several passages that are conceptually related to His person and experience.

1. He seems to be an angel: Michael is identified as “one of the chief princes” (Dan. 10:13), “your prince” (verse 21), “the great prince” (Dan. 12:1), and “the archangel” (Jude 9). “Archangel” implies that He is the prince of the angels, suggesting that Michael cannot be another name for Jesus because He is divine and angels are created beings.

Part of the problem is that the noun “angel” is taken to designate a creature, while in the Bible it designates a function. In other words, an “angel” is a being who functions as a “messenger” of God. In most cases they are created beings, but there is an exception.

In the Old Testament there are several references to the “angel [messenger] of the Lord” in which He is equated with God (e.g., Ex. 3:2, 4; Judges 6:12, 14). It is not that the Messenger is identified with the One who sent Him as His representative, but rather that the Sender functions at the same time as the Messenger. Many Christians have identified the Angel of the Lord as the preincarnate Christ. This Christological interpretation seems to be biblically valid.

2. He is leader of the angels: The phrase “one of the chief princes” (Dan. 10:13) could give the impression that He is one among many princes. But according to Revelation 12:7, Michael is the supreme leader of the heavenly angels, or “the great prince.” When necessary, He personally assists angels in their assigned tasks (Dan. 10:13), yet the angelic hosts are under His command (Rev. 12:7). He is indeed the “archangel” (Jude 9). This title is mentioned in one other place in the Bible: 1 Thesselonians 4:16, in the context of the second coming of Christ. He returns “with the voice of the archangel,” suggesting that Michael is most probably another name for Jesus.

3. He protects God’s people: Michael is described as the Prince of Israel (Dan. 10:21), the One who protects Israel (Dan. 12:1). This protection is described in military terms and portrays the Prince as a warrior. In practically all the passages in which He is mentioned there is a conflict between God’s people and their enemies, and Michael is present to defend them or fight for them. The protection can also take the form of judgment in which Michael stands up and defends and delivers God’s people (ibid.). Those are functions of Christ in the New Testament and confirm the suggestion that Michael and Christ are the same person, involved in leadership in the heavenly and earthly realms.

4. He is Prince of the heavenly hosts: In Daniel 8:10 there is a reference to a celestial being who performs the daily services in the heavenly sanctuary. There is only one other passage in the Old Testament in which this being is mentioned. Joshua had an encounter with a being who identified himself as the “captain [commander] of the host [army] of the Lord” (Joshua 5:14). He ordered Joshua to remove his shoes because the ground he was standing on was holy, similar to God’s apparition to Moses. The context makes clear that this being was the Lord Himself (Joshua 6:2). This Prince is the same person called in other passages Prince Michael, and therefore we can identify Him with the preincarnate Christ.

So even though the Bible does not clearly identify Michael with Christ, there is enough biblical information to warrant the view that They are the same person. The name Michael stresses the fact that Christ is the supreme leader of the heavenly angels and the defender of His people as warrior, judge, and priest.

Views:

Is Michael Another Name For Jesus?

Love, Walter and Debbie
Click to expand...
I don't think so. Angels are created beings, so that precludes Jesus from being an angel. So, when we consider that Michael is "one of the chief princes," not only does him being an angel mean he isn't Jesus, he is one of more than one. Jesus, as God's Son, has no other, other than being one of the Godhead.

That Michael is "a leader of angels" in no way means that he is Jesus, since it seems there are hierarchies among the heavenly beings. Similarly, that he protects God's people and is "Prince of the heavenly hosts," would fit with him being one of the chief leaders among angels. This also fits with Rev 12:7.

In short, there is nothing linking Jesus to Michael. They are two very different beings--one is creator, the other is creature.
 
FactsPlease said:
Christ was a created being (altho clergy put their spin on the 2 references).
And what better Name could he have since it means "Who is like God"- because only HE is!
Click to expand...
Let's understand this! God, whom we call the "Father," created first His own original offspring, the Logos, or Word, who was later incarnated as Jesus Christ the Messiah (John 1:1-3, 14). Through the Logos or Word, He originally made all things (the Son or Logos Himself excepted) that exist in the universe (John 1:1-3, Col.1:13-18; Heb.1:1-2).
 
Free said:
I don't think so. Angels are created beings, so that precludes Jesus from being an angel. So, when we consider that Michael is "one of the chief princes," not only does him being an angel mean he isn't Jesus, he is one of more than one. Jesus, as God's Son, has no other, other than being one of the Godhead.

That Michael is "a leader of angels" in no way means that he is Jesus, since it seems there are hierarchies among the heavenly beings. Similarly, that he protects God's people and is "Prince of the heavenly hosts," would fit with him being one of the chief leaders among angels. This also fits with Rev 12:7.

In short, there is nothing linking Jesus to Michael. They are two very different beings--one is creator, the other is creature.
Click to expand...

There are at least a couple of times it says he WAS.
Of course, clergyman have their slants!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
FactsPlease said:
Christ was a created being (altho clergy put their spin on the 2 references).
And what better Name could he have since it means "Who is like God"- because only HE is!
Click to expand...
Please show us the scripture where Jesus was a created being? John 1:1-18 refutes your statement as well as many scriptures that speak of the deity of Christ.
 
Angels are essentially “ministering spirits,” (Hebrews 1:14) and do not have physical bodies like humans. Jesus declared that “a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:37-39).

The Bible classifies some angels as “elect” (1 Timothy 5:21) or “holy” (Matthew 25:31; Mark 8:38). All angels were created to be holy, enjoying the presence of God (Matthew 18:10) and the beauty of heaven (Mark 13:32).

Angels have no gender (Matthew 22:30) and are innumerable (Hebrews 12:22). They are incarnate in human form at times (Genesis 18:2-8) for the purpose of ministry. Angels also express emotions (Luke 15:10), are wise (2 Samuel 14:20) and powerful (Psalms 103:20).
 
FactsPlease said:
Christ was a created being (altho clergy put their spin on the 2 references).
And what better Name could he have since it means "Who is like God"- because only HE is!
Click to expand...
Hello FactsPlease, Christ was a created being/scripture, This is wrongly interpreted to mean that Christ is the first being that God created–that God’s work of creation began with Him. But this view antagonizes the scripture which declares that Christ Himself created all things. To say that God began His work of creation by creating Christ is to leave Christ entirely out of the work of creation.

Acts 2

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

  • Is Christ a Created Being? | Line of Truth​


  • People also ask

    Was Jesus created or did God create him?Jesus was not created. He existed from eternity along with God the Father. ... Since Jesus created all things, He could not have been one of the "created things.

    Was Jesus a Created Being? | United Church of God​

    www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/jesus-christ-the-r…
    What does the Bible say about creation?The Bible teaches that Jesus was not created but was rather the Creator. “In [Jesus Christ] all things were created: . . . all things have been created through him and for him” ( Colossians 1:16 ). The doctrine of the eternality of Christ is one of the distinguishing marks of biblical Christianity.

    Love, Walter​

 
WalterandDebbie said:
Hello FactsPlease, Christ was a created being/scripture, This is wrongly interpreted to mean that Christ is the first being that God created–that God’s work of creation began with Him. But this view antagonizes the scripture which declares that Christ Himself created all things. To say that God began His work of creation by creating Christ is to leave Christ entirely out of the work of creation.
Click to expand...
A few issues here. First, if Christ was a created being, then it necessarily follows that he is the first being that God created and that creation began with him. The moment something came into existence that didn't exist before, then that is the creation of time and space, the beginning of creation.

Second, the Greek of John 1:1a is such that "In the beginning was the Word," means that the Word was already in existence when the beginning began. That is, the Word has eternal preexistence. And that is consistent with John 1:1c, "the Word was God," which means that the Word was in nature God. Eternal preexistence belongs to the nature of God alone; it is one of things that makes God, God. That, too, means that there never was a moment in eternity past, prior to creation, that the Word didn't exist.

Third, all of that is consistent with John 1:3, "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made" (ESV). If Christ was created, then that claim is false. As stated though, it precludes Christ from being something that was made.
 
Free said:
A few issues here. First, if Christ was a created being, then it necessarily follows that he is the first being that God created and that creation began with him. The moment something came into existence that didn't exist before, then that is the creation of time and space, the beginning of creation.

Second, the Greek of John 1:1a is such that "In the beginning was the Word," means that the Word was already in existence when the beginning began. That is, the Word has eternal preexistence. And that is consistent with John 1:1c, "the Word was God," which means that the Word was in nature God. Eternal preexistence belongs to the nature of God alone; it is one of things that makes God, God. That, too, means that there never was a moment in eternity past, prior to creation, that the Word didn't exist.

Third, all of that is consistent with John 1:3, "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made" (ESV). If Christ was created, then that claim is false. As stated though, it precludes Christ from being something that was made.
Click to expand...
To me, Christ was not created.
 
for_his_glory said:
Please show us the scripture where Jesus was a created being? John 1:1-18 refutes your statement as well as many scriptures that speak of the deity of Christ.
Click to expand...
John 1 doesn't refer to him as literally BEING God, but says (twice) that his was WITH Him.

Col 1:15- He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.
Rev 3:14- “And to the angel of the church in La-odice′a write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
 
FactsPlease said:
John 1 doesn't refer to him as literally BEING God, but says (twice) that his was WITH Him.

Col 1:15- He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.
Rev 3:14- “And to the angel of the church in La-odice′a write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
Click to expand...
I see you follow a strict monotheism, in which: Jehovah is the Supreme Being. Jesus is the Son of God, a created being. Christ is believed to have originally existed in a pre-human state as the Archangel Michael.
 
FactsPlease said:
John 1 doesn't refer to him as literally BEING God, but says (twice) that his was WITH Him.

Col 1:15- He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.
Rev 3:14- “And to the angel of the church in La-odice′a write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
Click to expand...
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The "word", meaning Jesus come in the flesh of man is called the first born of all creation as as this was God's plan of His salvation before the foundation of the word. He was purposed before the foundation of the world.

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

JW does not teach the Trinity/Deity of Christ as they believe Jesus is only the Son of God and do not believe in a bodily resurrection of Jesus.
 
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