Is Jesus the Archangel? (Editing)

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The name “Michael” is often presented as meaning “[He] who is like God.” If this is the true understanding, then this would indicate that the name would refer to the bearer as one who is like God, evidently in some special manner that would be greater, say, from the likeness that man was originally given. (Genesis 1:26) Some others believe that the name is interrogative, “Who is like God?” If this is the proper meaning, it would imply that no one, not even the bearer of the name, is completely like God, while at the same time it would indicate the bearer of the name was so much in the likeness of God that the question would need to be raised. Only one has the glory of being the Most High, for only one is the source of all (1 Corinthians 8:6); no one else possesses that glory, not even the firstborn Son of God. Nevertheless, both of these meanings that are often attributed to the name Michael would be true of the archangel.

In the title archangel, we first have the prefix “arch”, which is obtained from the Greek word often transliterated as "archo" (Strong's Greek #757). Thayer defines this as meaning: "to be chief, to lead, to rule." An “arch” is that which is above or over whatever is being referred to in relation to the arch. As in the term architect, “arch” in the word “archangel” designates the title as being over or above the class referred to, that is, “angel”. This being so, in the Bible, the word “angel” is never applied to Michael. The conclusion based on spiritual revelations given in the Bible is that Michael is not of the same glory as the angels; he possesses a glory above that of the angels. This agrees with Paul’s statement that there are different levels of glory in the celestial realm. -- 1 Corinthians 15:40,41.

Many who oppose the idea that Jesus is Michael the Archangel may not realize that many of the early Protestant reformers believed that Jesus is the Archangel. Most of these reformers still accepted the apostate doctrine of the trinity, the belief that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is three persons. Due to their trinitarian belief, their acceptance that the archangel is Jesus, then the Archangel, according to them, is the third person of God Almighty Himself, and thus, they believed that Michael the Archangel is uncreated.
See:
Trinitarians and the Archangel.

Spirit Beings

The Bible speaks directly of different kinds of spirit (celestial, heavenly) beings, each having its own bodily glory, likened to the glory of the sun, moon, and stars. -- 1 Corinthians 15:40,41.

The Highest bodily glory is that of the Most High Jehovah. The bodily glory of being the Most High only belongs to Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. -- Genesis 14:19; Exodus 3:14,15; Psalm 7:17; 47:2; 83:18; Isaiah 42:8.

The Son of God, before he became human, before he took the name Jesus, had a spiritual bodily glory with the only true God before he (Jesus) became flesh. (John 17:1,3,5) Since the scriptures differentiate the Son of God from the only true God (John 17:13, 1 Corinthians 8:6), and since Jesus is identified as the chief of the angels, then the glory of the Son before becoming flesh was that higher than the angels, but lower than that of the only true God. Thus, before becoming flesh, Jesus "was" THEOS (god, mighty) as the angels are ELOHIM (gods, mighty ones), although his glory was greater than that of the angels. -- Psalm 8:5; John 1:1,2; Hebrews 2:7.

However, Jesus gave up the glory of being the archangel when he became flesh, and, while in the days of his flesh, he had the sinless glory of a man, a little lower than the angels. -- Hebrews 2:9.

We know that, in the Bible, it is the Most High who is described as the “God and Father of Jesus.” (Luke 1:32; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3) Since this describes one individual (not three persons), we believe that we can properly refer to the "God" revealed in the New Testament, God and Father of Jesus, as the unipersonal God.

We know from the scriptures of the Bible that it was Jehovah (Ehyeh - I am), the Most High God of Exodus 3:14,15, who raised Jesus up as a prophet like Moses. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Acts 3:13-26.

It is this unipersonal God and Father of Jesus, who is described in the Bible as “the invisible God”. (Colossians 1:15) This unipersonal God of Jesus is the source of all things, all might, power, etc. (1 Corinthians 8:6) Likewise, it is this unipersonal God of whom John wrote: “No one has seen God at any time.” (John 1:18) And Jesus said of his unipersonal God: “God is spirit.” (John 4:24) In saying this, Jesus was saying that his God was a spirit being, a being unseen to physical eyes. Thus, to worship this God, one has to worship in like manner, in spirit and truth, not according to what is seen, felt and touched. Thus, the true worshipper doesn’t “look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” -- 1 Corinthians 4:18.

The word “God”, throughout the New Testament, when it refers to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, always refers to one individual, not three persons; that one individual is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus. -- Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3.

We believe that there is, therefore, only one individual who holds the exclusive glory of being Most High in the spiritual realm. No one else will ever possess the glory of being the only Most High.

However, we also know that in the spirit realm some are spoken of as angels, and these “angels”, unlike man, can see the face the God and Father of Jesus.  (Matthew 18:10) Because these “angels” spoken of are described in this manner, we can safely assume that they have a glory that is not of the terrestrial glory, but of the heavenly glory. (1 Corinthians 15:39,40,41) The glory of man is described as being “a little lower than the angels”. (Hebrews 2:7) The writer of the book of Hebrews was not directly quoting from Psalm 8:6, for he presents the matter as “one has somewhere testified, saying”. That one who so testified is David, and the “where” is Psalm 8. However, David did not directly refer to these as “angels”, but he speaks of them by use of a form of the Hebrew word often transliterated as ELOHIM. This word is often used to refer to Jehovah as the Most High of all Might. Does David’s use of this word regarding the angels mean that the angels are all persons of the Most High? Obviously not. Are these angels “false gods”? No, they are not. Psalm 8:6 is one of those places where ELOHIM is applied to others than Jehovah or false gods.
See:
The Hebraic Usage of the Words for “God”

Rightfully, however, we should reason that the angels are ELOHIM -- mighty ones -- mighty spirit beings in the spiritual realm. They, however, possess a bodily glory of being lower than that of being the Most High, and a bodily glory of being higher than that of the highest bodily glory of fleshly beings, that is, man. -- Psalm 8:5; 1 Corinthians 15:39,40,41; Hebrews 2:7.

Michael, however, being the chief over the angels, would have a bodily glory that is somewhere in between that of the Most High and that of the angels.

See our studies:
With What Kind of Body Will We Be Raised?
See also the study:
Spiritual and Human Natures Separate and Distinct
(We do not necessarily agree with all details of this latter study)

The Word Archangel

The word “archangel” only appears twice in the Bible, in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and in Jude 1:9.

Jude 1:9 - But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, "May the Lord rebuke you!"

1 Thessalonians 4:16 - For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first.

The word archangel is often given the meaning: “chief of the angels”. We believe that it is precise as "chief over the angels." Applying the various celestial bodily glories of 1 Corinthians 15:40,41, we reason that the glory of the Most High could be represented by the Sun, while the glory of an archangel could be represented by the moon, and that the glory of the angels would be included amongst the stars. At any rate, whether this application was intended by Paul or not, the logical conclusion is that the glory of an archangel must lie between the glory of the Most High and the glory of the angels.

The word “archangel” in both  1 Thessalonians 4:16 and in Jude 1:9 is in the singular; the Bible never uses the word “archangel’ in the plural. From this, we reason that there must be only one spirit creature who is the archangel.  Adam Clark agrees with this, as he states in his comments on Jude 1:9, “There can be properly only one archangel, one chief or head of all the angelic host.”*
=====
*Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on Jude 1". "The Adam Clarke Commentary".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=jude&chapter=001>. 1832.

Some claim that in Jude 1:9, Jude was referring to the book that is commonly called “The Book of Enoch”, or as some refer to it as “The First Book of Enoch" or “I Enoch”. It is pointed out that the Book of Enoch mentions seven archangels, and thus the claim is made by some that Jude was simply mentioning Michael as one of those archangels. We have discussed the Book of Enoch elsewhere, but we note here that James Coffman states concerning Jude 1:9:

If Jude had been thinking of the book of Enoch here, he would certainly have written, "Michael, one of the archangels," for that book names seven: "Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saragaej, Gabriel, and Remiel."
Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on Jude 1".
"Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".
”http://www.studylight.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=jude&chapter=001”.
Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.

At any rate, our point here is that the word “archangel” designates a spirit being that possesses a bodily glory above the classification of spirit beings often spoken of as “angels”. It does not designate the “archangel” as being a member of, on the same level of bodily glory, as the “angels”.

The Name, Michael

The word, Michael, appears in the Bible 13 times in the Old Testament: Numbers 13:13; 1 Chronicles 5:13-14; 1 Chronicles 6:40; 1 Chronicles 7:3; 1 Chronicles 8:16; 1 Chronicles 12:20; 1 Chronicles 27:18; 2 Chronicles 21:2; Ezra 8:8; Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:21; Daniel 12:1. However, only in Daniel is this word used as the name of the archangel. In the New Testament, the word appears once in Jude 1:9 and twice in Revelation 12:7.

The Hebrew word Michael is compounded from three different Hebrew words:
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4310.htm
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3588.htm
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/410.htm

By Protestant tradition, the word "Michael" is often given the meaning of "Who is like God" (As a statement, not an interrogative).
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4317.htm

Thus, some have referred to the name as meaning “He who is like God.”

Outside of that tradition, we have:
"Who resembles God?"
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Michael
"Who is like God?" (as a rhetorical question)
http://www.behindthename.com/php/find.php?name=michael

Catholics, however, have historically not taught that Jesus is Michael, and thus in accordance with Catholic belief that Jesus is God and that Michael is not God, the Catholic Encyclopedia does have the question mark, possibly to show that Michael is not God: "Who is like God?".
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10275b.htm

Nevertheless, since the word begins with an interrogative pronoun, it seems reasonable that there should be a question mark at the end in our English translation. In other words, it is asking the question: "Who is like God?" or "Who resembles God?", giving the implication that no one is like God, or that no one completely resembles God, since only HE is the Most High, the source of all power and might. -- Psalm 71:19; 1 Corinthians 8:6.

It is probable that those who prepared many of our bible dictionaries, lexicons, etc., were protestant trinitarians who believed that Jesus is Michael the archangel, as an uncreated being, and thus, in the renderings of the meaning of the name Michael, they did not present it as a question, but as a statement, since they would have desired it to mean that Jesus as Michael is Jehovah.  Even after most Protestant leadership rejected the idea that Michael is Jesus, the traditional meaning has remained.

Many of the Bible Students have picked up the traditional Protestant meaning (as a statement, not a question), but have given it the meaning of being in the likeness, or resemblance of God, not as fully and totally God, as some Protestant trinitarians seemed to have given its meaning. If one believes the name to be a statement, it would be similar to Jesus' being in the "likeness" of sinful flesh, but not actually being "sinful flesh". -- Romans 8:3.

We believe that Jesus, before he came to the earth, was like his God in that he was in complete harmony with his God. Being like his God does not mean that he is his God or that he is the Most High, or that he was uncreated as his God, or that he had an eternal past as his God, or that he would have absolutely all the attributes of his God, his Supreme Being, including being the Supreme Being of himself. The idea that Michael (Jesus) is the Most High has to be added to and read into the phrase "who is like God."

Regardless, today, most Protestant trinitarians do not believe that Jesus is Michael; as best as we can determine, much of this latter trinitarian thought has come about in reaction to various ones who claimed that Jesus as Michael is a created being.

Those trinitarians, however, who have provided the meaning of the word "Michael" as proof that Michael is a person of a triune God should note that in its usage as provided in Numbers 13:13;  Chronicles 5:13-14; 6:40; 7:3; 8:16; 12:20; 27:18; 2 Chronicles 21:2; and Ezra 8:8, certainly no one would claim that the name “Michael” has any reference to being the Most High. On the other hand, the fact that the name is used in the Bible of others than the archangel indicates that the name is a question, not a statement, for again, the application of one as being “like God” as applied to the bearer as recorded in the above scriptures would not be appropriate. In other words, if the name “Michael” signifies that the bearer of the name is “like God”, then, to be consistent, it would have meant such regarding all who bear that name in the Bible. We cannot see how anyone could claim that such a meaning would apply to all those who bear that name as recorded in the above scriptures; thus, this indicates that the meaning of the name is a question, “Who is like God?”, rather than a statement: “[He] who is like God”.

The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary thus states:

"Who is like God?" Though an archangel, "one of the chief princes," Michael was not to be compared to God.
Jamieson, Robert, D.D. "Commentary on Daniel 10". "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible". . 1871.

Daniel 10:13

The first instance of the name that applies to the archangel is in Daniel 10:13:

Daniel 10:13 = And the head of the kingdom of Persia is standing over-against me twenty and one days, and lo, Michael, first of the chief heads, hath come in to help me, and I have remained there near the kings of Persia. -- Young’s Literal Translation.

Daniel 10:13 = But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me: and I remained there with the kings of Persia. -- World English Bible version.

Many commentators speak of Michael here as an “angel”. However, the word “angel” is never used in reference to Michael, not in Daniel 10:13, or anywhere else in the Bible.

The words quoted in Daniel 10:13 were spoken by an angel, probably Gabriel, who was mentioned in Daniel 8:16; 9:21.

Head of the Kingdom of Persia

Many claim that the “head” or “prince” (ruler) of the kingdom of Persia was Cyrus himself. We notice, however, that as recorded in Daniel 10:10, when this angel touched Daniel, this caused Daniel to be lowered to his hands and knees. In other words, the touch of this person caused Daniel to fall down to the ground. Surely, this angel had a magnificent power that could humble any human being, such as Cyrus. So one might wonder how the man Cyrus, who would have been puny in comparison to the angel, could have withstood this angel for 21 days. Some have assumed that Cyrus did this by being reluctant to do God’s will, but this is not what the scripture says.

David Guzik states concerning the prince of Persia:

Since this prince is able to oppose the angelic messenger to Daniel, we know this is more than a man. This prince is some kind of angelic being, and we know he is an evil angelic being because he opposed the word of God coming to Daniel and stood against the angelic messenger.

i. The word prince has the idea of a ruler or authority. This fits in well with the New Testament idea that angelic ranks - including demonic forces - are organized and have a hierarchy (Ephesians 1:21, Ephesians 6:12, Colossians 1:16, Colossians 2:15).

ii. Apparently, this was a demon of high rank that opposed the answer to prayer. On three occasions, Jesus referred to Satan as the prince of this world (John 12:31, 14:30, and 16:11).

Guzik, David. "Commentary on Daniel 10". "David Guzik's Commentaries
on the Bible".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/guz/view.cgi?book=da&chapter=010>. 1997-2003.

Some have suggested that this “head” or “prince” of the kingdom of Persia is Satan himself. This is based on the idea of there being two “chief princes”: Satan, who is the prince of the demons -- the angels that sinned, and Michael, who is the prince over the angels of God. This would accommodate the reading that is found in most translations, in which Michael is said to be “one of the chief princes.” By this explanation, there would be two chief princes: Satan, the archdemon, and Michael, the archangel.

The Scribes and the Pharisees acknowledged Satan by the name Beelzebub as the prince of the demons (Matthew 9:12; 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15). Jesus identified this prince as Satan. (Matthew 12:26) Thus, we have Satan identified as the chief, or prince, of the demons, the archdemon.

In Hebrews 2:10, we find that Jesus is referred to as the “Archegos” (Strong’s G747) of the believer’s salvation. The primary meaning of this word is “chief prince”, or “chief leader”; thus, this supports Jesus as being one of the chief princes, as spoken of in Daniel 10:13, and at the same time supports the conclusion that Jesus is Michael the archangel.

Another way of rendering Daniel 10:13 is as we find it in Young’s Literal Translation. Rather than saying “one of the head princes”, it reads “first of the head princes.” This would give the phrase “chief/head princes” a totally different perspective, and that there is one of these who is the first of such princes. From this perspective, then, by “chief princes”, Daniel would certainly be referring to spirit beings. If Daniel is, by the expression “chief princes”, referring to spirit beings, this would imply that there is a rank of spirit beings who are all “chief princes” and that Michael, the archangel, is the first of those spirit beings. The expression “chief princes”, however, would not necessarily classify all those spirit beings as being the same bodily glory. It would only designate that some have been given a superior authority, even though there could be various ranks within those designated as "chief princes".

The word “first” may also be used to designate “rank”; this is often done in the military structure as well as in corporate structures. For instance, in the United States, we speak of “First Lieutenant”, “First Lady”, “First Vice President of...”, etc. The word “first” in these instances does not designate that they are the “first” to ever be such, but rather it designates a “rank” within that group being spoken of. Likewise, we may speak of the “chief officers” of a corporation, without any thought of claiming that all those being referred to are of the same rank. Similarly, with the phrase “chief princes,” there is no need to assume that by this term that there is a rank of spirit beings all of equal bodily glory, or the same rank, etc., who are designated “chief princes.” Michael, being the archangel, would certainly be the first in rank among any spirit beings that would be included in the classification, “chief princes.”

John Gill wrote concerning the expression “one/first of the chief princes”:

...called in the New Testament an Archangel, the Prince of angels, the Head of all principality and power; and is no other than Christ the Son of God, an uncreated Angel; who is "one", or "the first of the chief Princes" {x}, superior to angels, in nature, name, and office; he came to "help" Gabriel, not as a fellow creature, but as the Lord of hosts; not as a fellow soldier, but as General of the armies in heaven and earth, as superior to him in wisdom and strength; and he helped him by giving him fresh counsels, orders, and instructions, which he following succeeded.
Gill, John. "Commentary on Daniel 10:13". "The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=da&chapter=010&verse=013>. 1999.

John Gill, being a trinitarian, expressed that Michael appeared to Daniel as “the Lord of hosts”, that is, as Jehovah of hosts, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Exodus 3:14,15) In this, he reflected his belief in the trinity, a doctrine which is actually nowhere to be found in the Bible. Nowhere in the Bible is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 3:14,15) ever once depicted as being more than one individual or person. He is ALWAYS depicted as being only one individual (or person). Daniel did not say that Michael appeared to him as “Jehovah of Hosts”; the idea that Michael appeared as Jehovah of Hosts has to be formed with human imagination and added to, and read into, what Daniel wrote.

Nevertheless, many of John Gill’s statements support what we have said, that Michael is the first in rank, superior to the angels, in nature, name, and office. John Gill, although a trinitarian, does identify Michael in Daniel 10:13 as “no other than Christ the Son of God”, although he is influenced by his belief in the trinity to claim that Michael is “an uncreated angel.” Assuming that Michael is Jesus, since Jesus is the firstborn creature (Colossians 1:15), being classified as a creature, then Michael would indeed be created, not an “uncreated” being. As to classifying Michael as an “Angel”, although Jesus is called an angel in Malachi 3:1, the designation used there is not as being a spirit being, but as simply being the “messenger” of the covenant. However, Gill’s application of the word “Angel” as applied to Michael does indeed appear to be referring to Jesus/Michael as of the order of spirit beings called “Angel”. Yet he then appears to contradict that by saying that Michael is “superior to angels.” Actually, nowhere in the Bible is Michael the archangel ever said to be an “angel.”

Theodore Beza, although a trinitarian, also identifies “Michael” in Daniel 10:13 as Jesus:

Even though God could by one angel destroy all the world, yet to assure his children of his love he sends forth double power, even Michael, that is, Christ Jesus the head of angels.
Beza, Theodore. "Commentary on Daniel 10". "The 1599 Geneva Study Bible".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/gsb/view.cgi?book=da&chapter=010>. 1599-1645.

Some link Daniel 10:13 with Revelation 12:7; we will not discuss this at the present time, but we hope, God willing, to discuss this when we later discuss Revelation 12:7.

Michael, Your Prince - Daniel 10:21

But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth: and there is none who holds with me against these, but Michael your prince [Strong’s H8269, transliterated as SAR]. -- Daniel 10:21, World English

In the above words to Daniel, the angel of Jehovah described Michael as “your prince.” The Hebrew word for “your" in this verse is plural, thus designating Michael as the prince of more than one person; in other words, he is not just the prince of Daniel, he is the prince of a people, evidently, specifically in this case, Daniel’s people Israel, but also additionally, the church of the Gospel Age, since the kingdom was taken away from Israel and given to a new nation. -- Matthew 21:43.

Who is the one given by Jehovah to be the prince, the ruler, of the people of Israel?

John Wesley stated regarding “Michael” in Daniel 10:21: “Christ alone is the protector of his church, when all the princes of the earth desert or oppose it.”

Is there a scriptural reason for believing that “Michael” in Daniel 10:21 refers to Jesus?

Prince of Princes - Daniel 8:25

Through his policy he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and in [their] security shall he destroy many: he shall also stand up against the prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. -- Daniel 8:25, World English.

In Daniel 8:25, we find one who is spoken of as the “prince [SAR] of princes”. This expression is almost universally in Protestant circles claimed to refer to Jesus, the Messiah. The expression “prince of princes” is simply another way of saying “Lord of lords”; it describes Jesus as one who rules over other princes/lords. (Revelation 17:14) While we believe that Jesus, in his prehuman existence, was already “lord” or “prince” over the angels as the archangel, this is evidently not what is meant by the expression “prince of princes” in Daniel 8:25. The typical prophecy of Psalm 72:11 states that all kings will bow down before the Messiah. Additionally, in Psalm 45:7, it is prophesied that Messiah's God anoints him above his fellows. While “fellows” could refer to the angels, in view of Hebrews 1:9; 2:17-18, we believe that it refers to the seed of Abraham (Hebrews 2:16), who are such by faith in Jesus, who are made heirs in the Kingdom. (Galatians 3:29) Thus, we have evidence here that Prince Michael of Daniel 10:21 is Jesus, the Messiah.

Additionally, the angel had earlier spoken to Daniel using another word that carries practically the same meaning as found in Daniel 10:21.

Messiah the Prince - Daniel 9:25,26

Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince [Strong’s H5057, transliterated as Nagiyd], shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times. After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end of it shall be with a flood, and even to the end shall be war; desolations are determined. -- World English

Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. -- New King James Version.

Although there are differences of opinion among Protestant teachers as to how this prophecy is fulfilled, there is almost universal agreement among all Protestants that “Messiah the Prince” refers to Jesus. It may have been the expression “Messiah the prince” in Daniel 9:25 that the angel of Jehovah referred to in the expression used of Jesus in Luke 2:11, that is, “Christ the Lord”. Thus, we are given reason from within the book of Daniel itself that Israel’s prince of Daniel 10:21 is Jesus, the promised Messiah Prince of Daniel 9:25,26.

See:
The 70 Weeks of Daniel, by David Stein

Although the coming of the Messiah in Daniel 9:25,26 evidently refers not to when Jesus was born of Mary, but to when he presented himself for baptism when he reached the age of thirty, the actual anointing of Jesus evidently refers to a much earlier time. Genesis 3:15 tells us that “seed of woman” was to crush the serpent’s head. Of course, this is speaking symbolically, and most will agree that the “seed” here directly refers to Jesus. When Adam sinned, however, Jehovah was not taken off guard; he had already known beforehand (Acts 15:18) that Adam would sin, and thus had also already set apart his son to be the redeemer of mankind, for Jesus “was foreknown [known beforehand] indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of times for your sake.” (1 Peter 1:20) Thus, the actual anointing had taken place before the foundation of the world (the world into which sin entered through Adam - Romans 5:12-19).

Shiloh

In Genesis 49:10, we read this prophecy:

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [Strong’s #H7886] come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. -- World English

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. -- Revised Standard.

Strong's Number: 7886
Transliterated Word Shiyloh
Parts of Speech noun?

Definition

1.he whose it is, that which belongs to him, tranquillity
a. meaning uncertain
Brown, Driver, Briggs and Gesenius. "Hebrew Lexicon entry for Shiyloh". "The Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon".
<http://www.studylight.org/lex/heb/view.cgi?number=7886>.

Who is this Shiloh, or the one to whom the rulership belongs?

The following is a quote from the Jesus.org website:

That the Messiah is intended by Shiloh in Genesis 49:10 may be collected from the significance of the word. Although learned men, both among Jews and Christians, differ about the derivation and signification of it, in any and all of the senses which they give, it well agrees with the Messiah.

Kimchi says it signifies "his son" and should be rendered "until his son comes," that is Judah’s son. Now, what son of his can be so reasonably supposed to be intended but Messiah, who was to spring from his tribe? This is exactly what the Messiah Jesus did. The word having a feminine form has led some to observe, and not without reason, that this son of Judah was to be the seed of a woman or to be born of a virgin.

Others, such as Onkelos and Jarchi suggest the meaning "until he comes whose is the kingdom" and understand it of the Messiah, as they should. Others have taken it to read "to whom gifts [belong or shall be brought." Now, of the Messiah it is prophesied that presents should be brought and gifts be given to him (Psalm 72:10, 15). This had its literal fulfillment in the Messiah Jesus to whom the wise men presented gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Many others derive the word Shiloh from the root, which signifies to be quiet, peaceable, and prosperous, which well agrees with the Messiah, who was to be of a quiet and peaceable disposition. His voice was not to be heard in the streets; he was to be the man, the peace, the author and donor of all peace, with whom all things were to succeed well, as we see in Jesus, who obtained a complete victory over all his enemies and procured eternal salvation for his people.

Adapted from The Prophecies Respecting the Messiah, Chapter III, by John Gill.

And thus, the angel spoke to Mary concerning Jesus:

Luke 1:32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. [Jehovah] God will give to him the throne of his father, David,
Luke 1:33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end of his kingdom. -- World English

The angel’s words of Luke 1:32,33 reflect the words of Isaiah 9:7:

Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Yahweh [Jehovah] of Hosts will perform this. -- World English.

When Jesus came to his people, he came, not to the Gentiles, but to the Jews. (John 1:11; Matthew 15:24) Micah records Jehovah as stating:

But you, O Bethlehem Eph'rathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. -- Micah 5:2, Revised Standard

Although Jesus came to his own in the first century, his own (Israel) did not receive him as their ruler/prince (Luke 19:14; 20:13-15; John 1:11; Acts 3:26; 5:30; 13:46), and thus the Kingdom was taken away from Israel and given to a new nation. -- Matthew 21:43; 23:38; 13:35; Romans 9:30-33.

The Prince of Host of Jehovah -- Joshua 5:14.

Many believe that Prince Michael of Daniel 10:21 is the one referred to as the “prince of the host of Jehovah” (Joshua 5:14) who met Joshua by Jericho to give directions for the overthrow of that stronghold. (Joshua 5:13 to 6:2) This seems logical, but we need to note that neither in Joshua 5 nor in Joshua 6 is this prince described as an “angel.” More than likely, this was indeed our Lord Jesus before he was given the name “Jesus”. -- Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31.

Prince of Peace - Isaiah 9:6

Some point to Isaiah 9:6, in which we find the expression “prince [SAR] of peace”, as it appears in many of our translations. Many apply the expression “prince of peace” to the Messiah; this could be, but we believe the correct translation of the singular name in Isaiah 9:6 should be something like: “Wonderful in counsel is God the Mighty, the everlasting Father, the Ruler of peace.” As a singular name, we believe that the name given to the Messiah describes the God and Father of the Messiah.

See the study:

Isaiah 9:6 - Not a Series of Names 

If, however, the term “Prince of Peace” in Isaiah 9:6 does apply to Jesus, it would provide further evidence that Jesus is Prince Michael.

In the New Testament, we have abundant evidence that God has appointed Jesus as Lord, as ruler, a “prince”, over His people.

Jesus is the shepherd who rules Jehovah’s people -- Matthew 2:6; John 10:11-14,27-29; Hebrews 13:10; 1 Peter 5:4 (see: Jeremiah 23:5; Ezekiel 34:23; 37:24; Micah 5:2).

Jesus is “the King of Israel,” “king of the Jews”, King/Ruler over other kings. -- Matthew 2:2; 21:5; John 1:49; 12:13; Revelation 1:5; 17:14; 19:16.

He is the Prince and Redeemer of Israel. -- Acts 5:31.

Jesus is the Head/Ruler of the church. -- Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; 5:23;1 Corinthians 11:3; Colossians 1:18; 2:10,19.

Daniel 12:1

The next instance of the word “Michael” is in Daniel 12:1...

"At that time shall Michael stand up (Strong’s H5979*), the great prince who stands (Strong’s H5979) for the children of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.-- Daniel 12:1, World English

Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard* over the sons of your people, will arise*. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time ; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. --.New American Standard.
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*Hebrew word is often transliterated as “Amad”
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/amad.html

Michael is again identified as the “great prince” as related to Daniel’s people. Michael here stands up, arises, takes a stand, and one of the things that results is the salvation, deliverance of Daniel’s people. Jesus referenced this prophecy as recorded in the following places in the New Testament: Matthew 24:21; Mark 13:19; Luke 21:23; Luke 21:25,26. Thus, the prophecy relates, not just to Israel after the flesh but also to the Gentile believers who become Abraham’s seed by faith, and possibly to all who become God’s children during the age to come. -- Romans 8:20,21.

The reference in Hebrews 2:10 supports that it is Jesus, the chief prince (Archegos, Strong’s G747*), who stands up as the savior of his people. This corresponds well with the description of Michael as the “great prince”.
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*http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/archegos.html

The expression, “at that time”, found at the beginning of the verse refers to “the time of the end” that is spoken of in Daniel 11:35. Since the heathen are said to be, during this time of the end, still in ignorance (Daniel 12:9,10), we know that this “time” when Michael stands up is sometime before Satan is abyssed. (Revelation 20:3) Before God’s people are delivered, however, there is a time of trouble, and then after that time of trouble, all whose names are written in the Book of Life will be delivered. If the “book of life” is the same as that spoken of in Revelation 20:12,15; 21:27, then the latter reference to “at that time” -- referring to this deliverance -- is a period of time that begins before Satan is abyssed and continues until after the thousand years  (spoken of in Revelation 20:2,3,5) have ended, with the final deliverance being that which is spoken of Revelation 20:8,9. All of the Lord’s sheep will then be fully one. -- John 10:16.

Forms of the word transliterated as “Amad” are used twice in the verse. This word carries various shades of meaning, depending on how it is being used. The first instance of its use in Daniel 12:1 (as found in the World English and most translations) is in the sense of “standing up” as a king, a ruler, a prince. In this sense, we find that this word is used in Daniel 8:22,23,25; 11:2,3,4,7,20,21. Thus, this is a reference to a time when Michael stands up, assumes his Kingly authority, which results in both trouble in the world and also in the deliverance of those who prove to be Daniel’s people. Who could this Michael be but the Lord Jesus Christ, who, when he returns, delivers those who are his sheep, both the sheep of this age, as well as those who become his sheep during the “last day” of judgment? The New Testament verifies that it is Jesus who comes in a time of trouble that results in the deliverance of both the consecrated of this age, as well as the consecrated of the age to come. -- Matthew 25:31-46; Mark 13:26,27; John 14:3; Romans 8:18-25; Acts 17:31; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:11; Hebrews 9:28; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 11:15-18; 20:1-15; 21:1-5.

Jude 1:9

The next instance in which the word Michael appears is in Jude 1:9 (or, as some prefer, Jude 9).

But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a reviling [Greek, Blasphemia, blasphemy] judgment [Greek, krisis] upon him, but said, "[Jehovah] rebuke you." — Revised Standard Version.

But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, “May [Jehovah] rebuke you!” — World English Bible translation

But Michael the archangel, when contending with the Devil, he argued about the body of Moses; he dared not bring a judgment of blasphemy, but said, “Let [Jehovah] rebuke you!” — Literal Translation of the Bible, Jay Green.

It is in this verse that Michael is shown to be the archangel.

There has been a tremendous amount of speculation resulting in varied opinions concerning this verse. Jude makes reference to an event that is not spoken of in the Old Testament. We do not know the source of Jude’s comments, so we can only speculate that there may have been records or books available to Jude that we no longer have, or that he spoke of something that he had learned from Jesus, or perhaps by means of God’s Holy Spirit.

We read in Deuteronomy 34:

Deuteronomy 34:4 Jehovah said to him, This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, I will give it to your seed: I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.
Deuteronomy 34:5 So Moses the servant of Jehovah died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of Jehovah.
Deuteronomy 34:6 He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-peor: but no man knows of his tomb to this day.

From this, we do not see anything that suggests that Moses' body was preserved or taken to heaven as some have suggested. The only thing different about Moses' body that is revealed in the Scriptures is that Jehovah buried him somewhere in the valley in the land of Moab; we can further assume that Jehovah kept the actual whereabouts of Moses' grave secret for some reason. One suggestion is that Jehovah kept the location secret so that the children of Israel would not make a shrine of Moses' body, which would give cause for the children of Israel to not follow Joshua into the promised land. Along with this, it has also been suggested that if the children of Israel had Moses' grave, it could have led them into idolatry. Whatever the reason, Jehovah did keep secret the location of where he had buried Moses.

We can speculate that Jude was making some reference to Moses’ body that was buried by Jehovah in a secret place. Jude's reference to an event related to Michael the Archangel and the Israelites at that time does indicate that Michael was already standing for Daniel's people long before Daniel was born. This would agree with the thought that Michael is the prince of the host of Jehovah, as spoken of Joshua 5:14.

Jude, however, says that in some way not revealed that there came to be a dispute regarding Moses’ body. We do not know what Satan wanted to do with Moses' body; we can speculate that Satan probably wanted to make the location of Moses' body known to the children of Israel in some kind of attempt to thwart God's purposes. Michael the archangel, being our Lord Jesus in his prehuman existence, disputed with Satan over the body.

The topic in the context of Jude 1:9 is related to some who were railing against authority. (Jude 1:8) Jude presents the incident of Michael, in that Michael did not rail against authority. Barclay writes of Jude 1:9:

If the greatest of good angels refused to speak evil of the greatest of evil angels, even in circumstances like that, then surely no human being may speak evil of any angel. -- William Barclay, The Letters of John and Jude (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 221.

Although we would not classify the archangel as the greatest of good angels (which would make him an angel rather than the archangel), we do agree with the thought behind what Barclay stated. It is not that Michael the archangel, being the chief of the angels, did not have the authority to rebuke Satan, for he certainly must have. It was a matter of not being a railer against authority. Does this mean that Satan has been given authority from God? Originally, we believe that God did give the angel who became Satan authority (Ezekiel 28:13), but that Satan misused that authority in his endeavor to make himself like the Most High, thereby usurping authority not given to him. (Isaiah 14:14) God is permitting Satan to rule at the present time only to allow mankind to know what it is to experience the rule of evil.

Regarding Jude 1:9, James Coffman states:

If Jude had been thinking of the book of Enoch here, he would certainly have written, "Michael, one of the archangels," for that book names seven: "Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saragaej, Gabriel, and Remiel." F34 The word "archangel" occurs only in this verse and in 1 Thess. 4:16 in the New Testament; and it is quite likely that there is only one archangel, namely, Michael. "There can be properly only one archangel, one chief, or head of all the angelic host." F35 Other glimpses we have of Michael in the Bible always show him as the head singular of the holy angels, as in Dan. 10:13,21, and Dan. 12:1, and also in Rev. 12:7. Jude's usage of the term "archangel" is fully in keeping with this view, being certainly opposed to the apocryphal notions of a whole order of archangels. All of the diligence of scholars to find the source of Jude's letter in the shameful book of Enoch (not even in the Apocryphal section of the Catholic Bible) border very closely upon a denial of his inspiration.

Footnotes:
34: Albert E. Barnett, op. cit. [The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII (New York and Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1956)], p. 329.
35: Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible, Vol. VI (London: Carlton and Porter, 1829), p. 952.

Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on Jude 1". "Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.

There are those who “see” something in Jude 1:9 that they allege disproves the idea that Jesus is Michael the Archangel. We have discussed this before, so we will not present a new discussion here.

1 Thessalonians 4:16

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first.

Westcott & Hort Interlinear

John Gill, who believed that Jesus is God and also that Jesus is the Archangel, states concerning this verse:

with a shout;

the word here used is observed by many to signify such a noise or shout as is made either by mariners, when they pull and row together; and shout to direct and encourage one another; or to an army with the general at the head of it, when about to undertake some considerable action, to enter on a battle, and make the onset; Christ will now appear as the King of kings, and Lord of lords, as the Judge of the whole earth, attended with the host, or armies of heaven, and the shout of a king will be among them: perhaps the same is intended, as by the voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters, and of mighty thunderings upon the coming of Christ, the destruction of antichrist, and the marriage of the Lamb, in (Revelation 19:1,6,7,14,15) . The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions render it, "in", or "with command"; and the Arabic version, "with his own government", or "authority"; that is, he shall descend, either by the command of his Father, as man and Mediator, having authority from him, as the son of man, to execute judgment; or with his commanding power and authority over the mighty angels, that shall descend with him: it follows,

with the voice of the archangel;

so Michael is called, in (Jude 1:9) with which compare (Revelation 12:7) and who perhaps is no other than Christ himself, who is the head of all principality and power; and the sense be, that Christ shall descend from heaven with a voice, or shall then utter such a voice, as will show him to be the archangel; or as the Syriac version renders it, "the head", or "prince of angels"; and which whether, it will be an articulate voice, such as was expressed at the grave of Lazarus; or a violent clap of thunder, which is the voice of God; or the exertion of the power of Christ, is not certain.

Gill, of course, believed that Michael is Jehovah, since he believed that Jesus is Jehovah. While we believe that Jesus is Michael, we do not believe that Jesus is Jehovah.

Many claim that since Jesus is the archangel here, then it would mean that Jesus is also God, since it is said to be the trumpet of God. This is actually a false alignment, as we shall see. We note that Paul used the Hebrew word “en” in all three instances. The word “en” is almost always used to denote instrumentality or location (either in place or time). The word "en" as used in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 appears to refer to location in time. The phraseology may also be used to set the mode or emphasis of the shout, the voice, or the trumpet. Regardless of who gives the shout, Jesus comes at the locative time related to that shout. The symbolic “shout” is evidently actually a shout from Jesus, although it could be from someone else. Nevertheless, in harmony with all the testimony that we have examined that shows that Jesus is the archangel, the symbolic voice of the archangel is evidently the voice of Jesus himself, not of someone else. The voice itself is NOT Jesus, any more than your voice IS you. The scripture does not actually state that Jesus has the trumpet, but if he does, it should be evident that the trumpet was given to Jesus from His God. If this is so, not only is it God’s trumpet, it is also the trumpet of Jesus, and thus it would be Jesus who symbolically blows this symbolic trumpet. This is similar to God’s “sheep” who are given to Jesus. (John 10:27,29) The last trumpet sounds, and the dead rise (1 Corinthians 15:52); he who calls the dead out of their graves is none else than Jesus. (John 5:28,29) However, if Jesus simply comes while the trumpet is sounding, the actual sounding of the trumpet could be from someone else. Many correspond the sounding of this trumpet with the last trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15:52 and the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15. If this is so, then it is the angel spoken of in Revelation 11:15 who actually blows the trumpet, and Jesus simply comes at the time of its being blown.

Revelation 12:7

We will now examine the verses in Revelation 12:7 wherein we find a reference to Michael. Without getting too sidetracked in trying to interpret all the details leading up to the mention of Michael, we wish to find the answer to the question: Is Jesus being represented as “Michael” in Revelation 12:7?

Revelation 12:7 There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war.

Adam Clark states:

Michael was the man child which the woman brought forth, as is evident from the context, and therefore signifies, as has been shown already, the dynasty of Christian Roman emperors. This dynasty is represented by Michael, because he is "the great prince which standeth for the children of God's people." Daniel 12:1.
Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on Revelation 12". "The Adam Clarke Commentary".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=re&chapter=012>. 1832.

While we agree that Michael was primarily the one represented by the male child that the woman brought forth, we have difficulty with the rest of Clarke’s explanation. Revelation 12:1,17 identifies the “woman” as being the “woman” of Genesis 3:15. The seed of the woman, although primarily Jesus, also includes all of the seed of Abraham. (Galatians 3:16,27-29) That the seed of the woman is more than Jesus can be seen in Revelation 12:17. Adam Clarke, like many Bible Students, assumes the woman to be the church.

According to Clarke, the seed -- the male child -- of the woman are the alleged “Christian” Roman Emperors; as far as we can see, he fails to connect this with seed of the woman of whom it is said: “who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.” (Revelation 12:17) In fact, although there were those who claimed to be “Christian Emperors”, overall, they fell short of keeping the commandments of God and upholding Jesus’ testimony.

We believe that the problem most have with Revelation 12 is that they try to read the statements as being sequential in fulfillment, whereas, in reality, the prophetic statements are not always sequential. The book, Revelation Notes, by the Southern Wisconsin Bible Students, pages 474,475, states concerning this:

We think that there is a good reason that the name Michael is used for Christ in Rev 12, as we will explain. The reason that we see the name Michael used is because the prophecy in that verse had backed up in time and is showing us the battle against Satan that has continued since the Garden of Eden, and which also included the entire Jewish age.

We agree that there has been an enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent ever since the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:15) If the war spoken of in Revelation 12 did begin in “heaven” long before Michael became flesh, then this war must have started either in the Garden of Eden, or sometime thereafter. Many of the angels followed Satan, especially in the days of Noah, when the angels who sinned (2 Peter 2:4) left their own habitation in order to take human form. (Jude 1:6) Satan was then evidently cast out of heaven to roam the earth. At that time, however, Satan was still allowed to come before God to accuse the servants of God. (Job 1:6-11) Thus, we believe that the war in Revelation 12:7 appears to refer to a much greater event, an event that would bar Satan from accusing the brothers of Christ. This took place when Michael, as the prehuman Logos of God, gave up the glory he had with his God and Father and became flesh -- possessing a glory a little lower than the angels -- as the seed of the woman. Although no longer the archangel -- having the celestial, spiritual bodily glory that is above the angels (1 Corinthians 15:39-41) -- Michael became Jesus, a human being a little lower than the angels, so that he could defeat Satan by means of his obedience and sacrifice as a man. -- John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Romans 8:3; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8.

Michael, as Jesus, was given a body that was not tainted by the sinful flesh that all mankind has as a result of Adam’s sin. His body of flesh was specially prepared by his God. With that body, Jesus, by means of his continued obedience to his God and Father, had the means to stand up against Satan. Jesus remained obedient and thereby conquered Satan, but to fully accomplish this task, Jesus had to sacrifice his sinless flesh to pay the wages of sin for all mankind. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6) As a result, a new race of sons of God could be created (a new creation) who were not tainted by sinful flesh. Due to the intercession of Jesus, Satan is no longer allowed to accuse the brothers of Christ.

Jesus, throughout his ministry in the days of his flesh, was assisted by the angels of Jehovah. (Matthew 4:11; Mark 1:13) Thus, Jesus, as Michael the Prince of God’s people, was constantly assisted by the angels all through his battles with Satan while Jesus was in the days of his flesh, until finally, Jesus, because of his obedience, declared the victory over Satan and his world, and the war had been won. -- John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11,31.

This had been a struggle between God’s plans and Satan’s plans, with Satan trying to stop God’s plans from succeeding. Michael is always shown in the bible as championing and carrying out God’s plans, even when Satan has tried to stop them. The name Jesus or Christ was not applied to our Lord until the first advent, when he finally defeated Satan with the blood of the ransom. Since the battle between good and evil had begun while Christ was still Michael, that is the name that is used in Revelation 12. Michael was always the Jewish nation's champion and helper, but Satan was not fully overcome until the church could be covered by the ransom or robe of righteousness. Until that was done, he was Michael, but as soon as the battle was won and the ransom price was secured, Jesus could declare the victory. That is exactly what Rev 12 tells us had defeated Satan, in that “they overcame him with the blood of the Lamb”!

This view, in general, agrees with what we have already presented earlier in this study, that Michael, being the chief of the angels, the prince of Jehovah’s hosts, stands up on behalf of God’s people. The ultimate event of standing up for God’s people was that Jesus came to offer himself in sacrifice for the sins of the people; Jesus came to his own, but his own did not receive him. -- John 1:11.

We do not know, however, that Jesus is ever called an angel of Jehovah. The idea that Jesus is an angel of Jehovah is usually based on the false idea that there is only one “angel of Jehovah.” In both the Hebrew and Greek, however, “angel of Jehovah” is anarthrous. Evidently, at least in the Hebrew, translators add the definite article “the” before “angel of Jehovah” to make it appear that there is only one angel of Jehovah, while the Bible also speaks of many “angels of Jehovah”.

Nevertheless, we need to point out that the thought is not that all of our enemies were destroyed when Michael became Jesus in the flesh and when Jesus completed the sacrifice of his flesh. Satan persists to be our enemy, and he continues, as a lion, to seek out those servants of the Master whom he may figuratively “devour.”

Therefore, after the war in the symbolic “heavens” was seen in the life and sacrifice of Jesus, and Jesus claimed the victory, Satan was figuratively cast down to the earth; he was no longer permitted to go into heaven and accuse the brothers of Christ, who, with Christ, make up the “seed” of the woman. The reason is that Jesus’ righteous life, given on behalf of Adam and the world dying in Adam, now covers the “sinful flesh” of the believers in Christ.

Additionally, they could now be acknowledged as “new creatures”, no longer under the bondage of sin and corruption that is common to all mankind dying in Adam (Romans 3:9; 5:12-19; 6:6; 8:1,3,15), but being “begotten again” (or many prefer, “born again”) of an incorruptible seed (Jesus had proven himself incorruptible -- 2 Timothy 1:10), the new creature is sinless, under no bondage except to which he willfully accepts in Christ, and is free to develop as a child of God into the perfection of divine qualities.

Satan, however, is very angry with woman (the covenant) and its seed (that is, the remaining ones of the seed), and thus persecutes the woman and her seed; this he does by many methods, by direct persecution by means of the authorities of this world, as well as by the spread of false doctrine which beclouds, especially, the true basis of and meaning of Christ’s sacrifice, which sacrifice is performed by the primary member of seed of woman, that is, Jesus. Satan has continued to this day in his works, as pictured as a lion who seeks (among the believers) whom he may devour.

We plan to go into more detail regarding Revelation 12 in our studies of Revelation; here, we only wish to touch upon the statement regarding Michael in Revelation 12:7. Verse 7 depicts Jesus as Michael the prince of God’s people, who stands up for God’s people.

We have seen that Jesus bears the same titles as Michael and that Jesus performs the same work as Michael. We admit, and never have claimed, that Jesus ever came out and said that he was Michael, nor is there any scripture that directly states that Jesus is Michael. We do believe, along with many scholars -- both trinitarian and non-trinitarian -- that the scriptural evidence is overwhelming that Jesus is Michael the Archangel, although we believe that Jesus is also the firstborn creature (Colossians 1:15), which means that he was indeed created. Some Christians may conclude that Jesus is not Michael since no scripture directly states that Jesus is Michael; we, therefore, do not dogmatically affirm that Jesus is Michael, but we do believe that the Bible does give us a lot of evidence that confirms the conclusion that Jesus is Michael.

Comments/Questions Responded To

One who is evidently a Unitarian asked: "My question about Michael incarnating as Jesus: what was he doing the 9 months he was in Mary’s womb?"

Our answer:  Obviously, while in the womb of Mary, Jesus was developing as a fetus and an embryo into a baby. Of course, having the bodily substance of the earthly, fleshly, he was no longer with the bodily substance of the celestial, spiritual. In other words, while Jesus was in the days of his flesh, he could not have had the bodily glory of the archangel, above the angels, since he had the bodily glory that is a little lower than the angels. -- 1 Corinthians 15:39-41; Hebrews 2:9.

The word incarnate, however, is often used to mean that Jesus became flesh while at the same still holding onto his original glory. Trinitarians claim that God Almighty incarnated into flesh and thus came to be with two "natures" as one. We do not hold to any claim that Jesus ever had two natures at once, including having the celestial, spiritual nature, or bodily glory of the Archangel -- above the angels -- while at the same time having the fleshly earthly nature, or bodily glory of a man, a little lower than the angels.