Jesus is an archangel?
I'm sure most opinions won't be changed, but here are my views:
In a number of places in the OT there are appearances of one "like the son of the gods" as Nebuchadezzar said when he saw the fourth figure in the firey furnace. These appearances are called "theophanies". Another appearance is when the three "men" appeared to Abram at his dwelling. He prepared food and they did eat. But two of them, called angels in the Genesis account went to Sodom to destroy those cities there. Meanwhile, Abram pleaded with the Lord to not destroy the cities if there were 10 righteous men there. And when the Lord agreed to that he vanished.
While angels, or "messengers" made a number of appearances, it is my opinion that whoever they appeared to were so awesturck, they thought the angel was God.
Looking at the verse in 1 Thes. 4:16 where we read in the NIV "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in christ shall rise first,.."
First of all, most of us know that the literal meaning from the Greek for "angel" is "messenger". And "arch" from "arche" means "foremost" or "chief". So, in this account, Christ is God's "chief messenger" to call forth His church/body: (the dead being raised, and those alive being changed) and then meet them in the air, and together going into the heavenlies.
Let's look at Michael: He is called one of the chief princes in Dan.10:13, and IMO, Gabriel is another chief angel, he being the only other named angel.
Christ cannot be himself and Michael. Michael is definitely identified as the "prince" of Daniel, who represents Israel, in Dan. 10:21.
And in Dan.12:1 he is again identified as "Michael...the great prince which standeth for thy people..." Here "thy people" is Israel.
Let's think about Christ's involvement in creation and our salvation. John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
Col.1:15-17 "He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities--all things were created through him and for him."
As the Word, God's expression, Christ is involved in the deliverance of the universe from sin and death, for all is created in him, through him and for him.
Amen, all for now, Bick
