Why does it matter?
Introduction-The Bigger Story
As I studied the Bible for this article, I realized that it is not a salvation issue whether a person believes Michael the Archangel is another name for Jesus or not. However, what is essential, and is a salvation issue, is faith in Jesus regardless of the many names given Him. Because without trust or confidence in Him, we will not see the kingdom of God (Hebrews 11:6, John 3:3). The several actions of Michael give us reasons to have even more faith in the God we serve. That is the objective of this writing.
I propose that we don’t get hung up on the gnats and swallow a camel in this study. Having said that, I will go into some detail. But keep in mind it is to disclose the bigger story of Jesus.
What I discovered in the study of this powerful being called Michael, the archangel is a God that fought with Lucifer in heaven and was victorious against Satan’s accusations about God’s character.” I see a God who contends with Satan on our behalf particularly when we pray for God to intervene. I see a God who stands up and protects His people even during the “time of trouble…in the latter days.” I see a God that argues victoriously with Satan over the body of Moses. I see Jesus! I see Jesus when His voice wakes those who have died in Him. He raises them to life and gives them immortality free of the corruption of carnal bodies. Let us not fail to see Jesus in this search for the identity of Michael.
Michael the Archangel
Michael is described as the Archangel in the Bible. The primary argument against Michael being Jesus goes like this:
If Jesus were Michael, He would be an angel. That would mean He was created, undermining the many passages of scriptures that tell us of His divinity. Therefore, Michael must be a mighty lead angel, but not Christ.
Although this logic has a proper conclusion, it assumes Michael is a created being. Without a deeper look, we could miss something important about Michael and Jesus, not to mention the purpose of Christ and the message of God.
Michael the Archangel draws more attention than regular angels in the Bible (both Old and New Testament). The word angel is described 15 times in the entire Bible. “Michael” and “Archangel” appear only six times in Scripture. But each “Michael” passage tells a powerful story. Here is an overview of the six times Michael arrives:
- Michael appears in Daniel 10 (verses 13 and 21). He comes to help out Gabriel fight with the Prince of Persia. A fascinating story!
- In Daniel 12:1, Michael stands up to signify the start of the time of trouble.
- In Jude 1:9-Micahel argues over whether Moses should be resurrected or not. God wins the argument. Moses would later appear on the mount of transfiguration along with Elijah, who never saw death. These two represent those who never experience death when Jesus comes and those that are resurrected by the voice of Micahel, the archangel.
- Revelation 12:7 describes a war in heaven between the dragon (Satan) and Michael.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16: Michael is not used here, but instead, “the archangel’s voice,” which is understood as Michael’s. This voice raises those who sleep in Christ and rise to meet Him in the air with those who have not seen death (The Moses’s and Elijah’s of the end time)
Bear with me as I add another nuance to this study that adds some credibility to God having the name of an angel. It would not be complete without mentioning the “Angel of the Lord.”
Angel of the Lord
Another interesting, relevant study is on the “angel of the Lord.” This exact phrase appears 64 times in the Bible. It is a study within itself. I will use only a couple of references.
There are several passages like this one where God is referred to as the Angel of the Lord:
Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you.
Genesis 16:7
Only God led the people out of Egypt. Only God made a covenant with His people. Yet He is given the name Angel of the Lord. (See also Genesis 16: 6-13, Genesis 22: 15-19)
For a quick story that reveals the “angel of the Lord” as God, look at Exodus 3, verses 2-6. We are all familiar with the story of Moses at the burning bush. The angel of the Lord appears in the burning bush. Moses is told to take off his shoes because he is on holy ground. Why is the ground holy? Because it is God who is in the burning bush. The presence of an angel does not make the ground holy. There do not appear to be two entities in the burning bush. The writer tells us:
“Moreover, he (the angel of the Lord-verse 2) said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”
Exodus 3:6
This tells us clearly that the Angel of the Lord is God. I will go a step further. The Angel of the Lord is Jesus. Later in this story, Moses desires to know the name of the God who is sending him on a mission to free God’s people from Egypt. Jesus would later refer to this story as the “I AM.”
“And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?”
And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.
Exodus 3: 13-14
Who is Jesus?
Before we can answer the question of the identity of Michael, we must be sure we know who Jesus is. Most Christians will have no issue with the essence of Jesus.
When Jesus walked this earth as a man, He was called Immanuel (God with Us). He is God! I once was visiting a Sunday School class as a guest. The topic was Jesus and divinity. The teacher said, “Jesus never claimed to be God.” I disagreed and used the following scriptures to support my response.
“First, He took the name given to Moses at the burning bush. This upset the religious leaders, and they took up stones to kill Jesus for the offense of blasphemy, i.e., a person who claims to be God Almighty, thereby blaspheming God’s name (Leviticus 24:16).” Jesus told them:
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
Then they took up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by…
John 8: 56-59
“At another time, Jesus claimed equality with God the Father.”
I and My Father are one.”
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”
The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”. John 10: 30-33
Jesus was God who came in the flesh of a Man!
The religious leaders wanted to rid themselves of Jesus and often looked for reasons to do so through the favored method of execution, i.e., rocks hurdled at the soft flesh of the offending human.
Finally, I told the Sunday school teacher
“Jesus claimed to be the Son of God under oath!”
I quoted from Luke:
Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?” So He said to them, “You rightly say that I am.” Luke 22:70
As a visitor, I loathed taking up so much of the teacher’s time, but the Spirit of God compelled me to speak. Later, I was thanked for the short Bible study.
Could it be that Michael is another name for Jesus? Jesus was given several names. No one denies His divinity by the use of those names.
The Many Names of Jesus
Each name comes with meaning and a succinct description of Him, His character, and His purpose. The word “Jesus” does not appear in the Old Testament, but several other names describe Him:
- Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 6:9),
- Lamb of God (John 1:29)
- Immanuel (God with us-Matthew 1:23)
- King of the Jews (Matthew 27:37)
- Son of Man (Matthew 8:20). This is the name Jesus gave to Himself.
- Alpha and Omega (Revelation 22:13)
- The Bread of Life – John 6:35
- The Redeemer – Isaiah 59:20
- The Living Stone – 1 Peter 2:4-8
- The Word (John 1: 1-14)
From scripture, it is clear that Jesus is divinity and not a created angel. He is part of the eternal three (God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit). All three were present at Creation:
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;
Genesis 1:26 (a)
You and I are descendants of the first man and woman and the creation that came from the hand of Jesus. Jesus is God. John, the beloved disciple, proclaims this with boldness when he describes Jesus as “the Word.”
In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it…
And the Word became 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.
John 1: 1-5
From this passage, the following is made clear:
- The Word was present with God at the beginning
- The Word was God at the beginning
- All that was made was made by Him (The personal pronoun Him is the same as the Word)
- In Him is life (Sustainer)
- He is light. The darkness (darkness must refer to the opposite of Jesus’ character, i.e., those who were in darkness. When He came to earth, the religious leaders didn’t recognize Him.
- He became flesh and lived among us.
A person could substitute “Word” for the name “Jesus” and be perfectly correct in identifying who Jesus is: Example: “In the beginning was (Jesus), and (Jesus) was with God, and (Jesus) was God.”
Paul also boldly proclaims this about the divinity of Jesus:
“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1: 16
Paul goes a step further in Hebrews Chapter 1 to compare Jesus with the angels. His point is this:, though Jesus came in the flesh, He is the Creator and, therefore God:
But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;… And: “You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands
Hebrews 1: 8,10
This is God the Father (verse 5) talking to God the Son. He calls Jesus “God.”
But it must be understood that Jesus was also fully human, tempted in all points as we were (Hebrews 4:15). He is not ashamed to call us brothers (Hebrews 2:11). This is part of the salvation story as much as His divinity. It is also a mystery that we as humans find difficult to understand.
So, we can put this stake in the ground; Jesus is God and not a created angel. But could Michael be another name for Christ? Could the purpose of Michael reveal the Son of Man who watches over His people? Perhaps, Michael is another name we can add to the list as names of Jesus that demonstrate his power. The next question to explore is how the Bible uses the word angel.
Who are Angels?
No doubt, the typical angels we think of and see in pictures were created. They often show up as men or women without wings and white robes. The word “angel” in the original language discloses something interesting. We have already seen that the Angel of the Lord can be another name for God. Why is that? Why not just be direct?
The word “angel” appears 199 times in the Bible (NKJV). The phrase “angel of the Lord” appears 64 times in the Old Testament and New Testament. The Hebrew word for angel can mean one of the following:
Abîr: Strong Ones- chiefest
‘ĕlōhîm: God or Judge
mal’āḵ: Messenger, Ambassador
mal’aḵ: Angel (Notice the slight variance in the previous word)
šin’ān: Angel
The character of Jesus would fit the first three words easily. Is he not the chiefest, the strong one, God, Judge, Messenger, and Ambassador for the kingdom of God?
Who are the Cherubs?
These beings (angels called Cherub or Cherubim) appear 70 times in the Old Testament and only once in the New Testament (Hebrews 9:5). They first appear in the Garden of Eden after the fall of Adam and Eve. Their purpose was to protect the Tree of Life and the Garden…to keep everyone out, “lest they eat and live forever.” Cherubs are often connected to the Sanctuary as overseeing the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant (God’s law). It is the Cherubim’s purpose to protect. The Hebrew word for these Cherubs is kᵊrûḇ. It means an angelic being who protects.
The point is this: When we see the word “angel,” Cherub, or Cherubim, the interpretation of who is being described will be disclosed in its context! This is probably the most powerful tool in a good understanding of Scripture: The context of the surrounding verses and words; the context within the chapter or book; the context within the entire Bible; and finally, and most importantly, the context within the character and purpose of God.
So, with this in mind, let’s see why it is highly likely Jesus is described as Michael the Archangel. But more importantly, what Jesus means to His people.
Michael-Spiritual Battle in Daniel
Daniel 10:13, 10:21, 12:1
Daniel has been in intense prayer for three weeks. Why? He understands that the end of the 70 years of captivity of his people, the Jews, in Babylon is coming to an end. Here is that passage that gives us context to the work of Michael (Daniel 10:2, Daniel 9:2-3)
in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem… In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks.
Daniel 9: 2-3, 10:2
There was a long time (3 weeks of intense dedication) before Gabriel responded to Daniel’s prayer. Gabriel was an angel (messenger) that had been the primary communicator with Daniel (Daniel 8: 15-16, 9:21) regarding the prophecies recorded in the book of Daniel. There was a reason for the delay in Gabriel appearing before Danie! There was a spiritual battle between the Prince of Persia and Gabriel. Michael came to assist Gabriel in his mission.
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
Daniel 10:13
(A quick note: It is not good to be left alone with the enemy. When Jesus shows up, victory is won!)
Gabriel is alone to contend with the “prince of the kingdom of Persia.” Notice it does not say “king” of Persia, but rather “prince.” Daniel 10:1 refers to Cyrus as the “king” of Persia. The prince of the kingdom of Persia and the King of Persia are two different entities.
So, who is this “prince of the kingdom of Persia”? It is likely Satan who wrestles with “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12
Why is the king of Persia being tempted to disobey the influence of Gabriel and follow Satan’s (Prince of Persia) desire to keep the Jews in captivity? Cyrus was not “wrestling against flesh and blood.” Here is where we go into “the unseen world in relation to human affairs.”
Satan influences Cyrus to go against God’s will of allowing the Jews to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and sanctuary destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1). In that famous decree to “restore and build Jerusalem” (Daniel 9;25), the work had already begun with constructing the temple. But the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem had political and religious significance to the area. Hence the builders of the wall experienced severe opposition from rulers near Jerusalem. The prophecy of Daniel 9:25 said,
“The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.”
This is shown to come to pass in Nehemiah 4:1:
But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
Nehemiah 4:1
Those who built on the wall and carried burdens loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.
Nehemiah 4:17
But Daniel was praying for three weeks to counteract the influence of Satan (Prince of Cyrus) on King Cyrus. Gabriel calls upon Michael to finish the work initiated by Daniel’s prayer. Gabriel was contending against Satan for twenty-one (21) days when Michael showed up. The passage calls Michael “one of the chief princes.” But it is better translated literally as “the chief (number one) prince. Young’s Literal Translations calls Michael the first of the chief heads. Michael means (“He who is like God). No one can make this claim but Jesus. Further, the word archangel in Greek means “chief of the angels.” This does not mean Jesus is an angel, but it does mean He is in charge of the angels, as we will see in Revelation.
So here is the story in its context. Daniel knows that the captivity of the Jews (according to Jeremiah’s prophecy) is soon to end, and the children of Israel (Daniel’s people) will start to return to the desolate city of Jerusalem. Nevertheless, Daniel is troubled in his spirit over an undisclosed message he receives and understands (Daniel 10: 1-2).
Daniel begins to mourn and prays earnestly for three weeks. While he is praying, Gabriel is in a spiritual battle with Satan (Prince of Persia) over the influence of the King of Persia to follow through with God’s will to release the Jews.
“The king struggles between conflicting emotions. He hesitates; he delays. Day after day passes away, yet Daniel prays on. The king refuses to yield to the angel (Gabriel). Three weeks expire, and lo, a mightier than Gabriel joins him in the palace of the king and then they come to Daniel to acquaint him with the progress of events. From the first, said Gabriel, your prayer was heard; but during these three weeks which you have devoted to prayer and fasting, the king of Persia has resisted my influence and prevented by coming. Such was the effect of prayer.” Daniel and Revelation-Smith p. 228, 229)
Then Michael (the chief of the angels) and with more power than the angel Gabriel, influences the King of Persia to obey the will of God and let Daniel’s people go. The rest is history. The Jews returned and rebuilt the city of Jerusalem and the temple.
Who is Michael?
He has the power to resurrect.
This is demonstrated in Jude 1:9
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending (arguing) with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
Satan did not think it was fair for Moses to be resurrected. The Lord (Michael) simply said, “The Lord rebuke you.” Only Jesus can argue with the devil about the body of the dead. Jesus told Mary that He is the resurrection and that trust in Him would bring life back to a dead person:
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
John 11:25
From the Mount of Transfiguration experience, we know that Moses died but was resurrected. Because He appears with Elijah, who never saw death. Both are symbols of those alive and dead at the return of Christ (John 17: 1-8)
That brings us to the next appearance of Michael in the New Testament.”
For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
Jesus Himself, the resurrection and life, saves us from eternal death by coming again to receive those who are alive and remain” and those who are “dead in Christ.” This power can only be that of Jesus, whose voice is the Archangel that He is. This scene so clearly described by the Apostle Paul should bring us more comfort than any scenario we can think of.
But before He comes, He protects us during the time of trouble:
“At that time, Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time, your people shall be delivered, Everyone who is found written in the book.
Daniel 12:1
Like those during their time in Egypt, God’s people shine with light upon their faces as a testimony to the power and salvation of His people. The lost cry for the rocks and mountains to fall on them. Why? Because they cannot stand to look upon the His face and His wrath (Revelation 6:16). But the people of God say,
“Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
Isaiah 25:9
The second verse of Chapter 12 in Daniel expands on the events of Michael standing up.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine. Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
Daniel 12:2
When Michael stands up, it signifies a point where God has had enough. Whether alive or dead, every person will have decided to live or die (Revelation 22: 11-12). Their fate is sealed. Then Jesus returns. Only Jesus (aka Michael) has this kind of power. No angel can be assigned these responsibilities. Michael (aka Jesus) has power demonstrated in His ability to protect those who belong to Him when all hell is let loose and when the graves (hell) let loose those who awake to eternal life.
Only the Power of Jesus
Because of this power of Michael, I believe it is a synonym for Jesus. For no other angel has this power.
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
Revelation 12: 7-8
Only Jesus has the power to defeat Satan both at the start and at the end. Let us praise His many names!
That one name, Jesus, summarizes the many names given to Him. But they are all the same. Whether you call Him Lord, Prince of Peace, Savior, or Michael (One like God), Jesus’ name given Him at birth shows His power, uniqueness, and purpose of His mission of salvation.
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21