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Is JESUS "Michael The Archangel"? |
What do the Scriptures reveal about 'MICHAEL' ?
What is the WT's view about 'MICHAEL' ?
What is the BASIS for the WT's view ?
Does the WT's teaching on 'Michael' pass the TEST of AGREEMENT with the Scriptures ?
OK ! Let's do that; & this careful examination of beliefs
& teaching should work both ways.
You
have nothing to fear in examining your beliefs by the
standard of Gods Word,
for if you have the true religion you can only be
reassured.
And if what you believe is not in keeping with
the Bible, then you should welcome the truth. (w7/1/68)
What do the Scriptures reveal about 'MICHAEL' ? | ||
SCRIPTURE (in
5 verses) only reveals 12 Facts about Michael the Archangel. Anything & everything else is SPECULATION, SUPPOSITION & CONJECTURE !!! |
||
According to the HEBREW Scriptures, MICHAEL : | ||
1 | is "ONE OF (echad) the foremost (rishown) princes (sar)". | Dan. 10:13 |
2 | "came to help" another angel. | Dan. 10:13 |
3 | is "the prince (sar) of you people". | Dan. 10:21 |
4 | is "the great (gadowl) prince (sar)". | Dan. 12:1 |
5 | "during that time... will stand up (amad)".. | Dan. 12:1 |
6 | "is standing (amad) in behalf of the sons of your people". | Dan. 12:1 |
According to the GREEK Scriptures, MICHAEL : | ||
7 | is an "archangel". | Jude 9 |
8 | "had a difference with the Devil & was disputing about Moses' body". | Jude 9 |
9 | "did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms". | Jude 9 |
10 | "said: 'May Jehovah rebuke you.'" | Jude 9 |
11 | was there when "war broke out in heaven". | Rev. 12:7 |
12 | "& his angels battled with the dragon... & its angels" & won. | Rev. 12:7 |
There's not one Scripture fact to support the notion that Michael is Jesus. |
***
ECHAD (Strong's #259) -- found 950x -- for example: | |
Gen. 3:22 | Here the man has become like ONE OF US |
Gen. 22:2 | offer him up as a burnt offering on ONE OF the mountains |
Gen. 42:19 | let ONE OF your (11) brothers be kept bound in your house of custody, but let the rest of you go |
2Kings 17:27 | Have ONE OF the priests go there |
Psalm 82:7 | like any ONE OF the princes (sar) you will fall |
Dan. 10:13 | MICHAEL, ONE OF the foremost princes (sar) |
ECHAD
equals the numeral ONE. According to Scripture, "Michael" is - JUST - ONE OF the foremost princes. |
***
RISHOWN (Strong's #7223) -- found 180x -- for example: | |
Gen. 25:25 | Then the FIRST came out... so they called his name Esau |
Gen. 33:2 | he put the maidservants
& their children FOREMOST &
Leah & her children after them & Rachel & Joseph to the rear of them |
Dan. 10:4 | on the twenty-fourth day of the FIRST month |
Dan. 10:12 | Do not be afraid, O Daniel, for from the FIRST day |
Dan. 10:13 | MICHAEL, ONE OF the FOREMOST princes |
RISHOWN
primarily means FIRST in time. According to Scripture, "Michael" is - JUST - ONE OF the FOREMOST princes. |
***
GADOWL (Strong's #1419) -- found 529x -- for example: | |
Gen. 1:16 | God proceeded to make the two GREAT luminaries |
Gen. 21:8 | Abraham then prepared a BIG feast on the day |
Esther 8:15 | As for Mordecai, he went forth... with a GREAT crown of gold |
Dan. 10:1 | there was a GREAT military service |
Dan. 10:4 | I myself happened to be on the bank of the GREAT river |
Dan. 10:7 | there was GREAT trembling |
Dan. 12:1 | MICHAEL, will stand up, the GREAT prince |
GADOWL
means GREAT in size or power. According to Scripture, "Michael" is - JUST - ONE OF the first GREAT princes. |
***
SAR (Strong's #8269) -- found 414x -- for example: | |
Gen. 12:15 | the PRINCES of Pharaoh also got to see her |
Deut. 1:15 | So I took the
heads of your tribes, men wise & experienced, &
put them as heads over you, CHIEFS of thousands & CHIEFS of hundreds & CHIEFS of fifties & CHIEFS of tens |
Dan. 10:13 | the PRINCE of the royal realm of Persia |
Dan. 10:13 | MICHAEL, one of the foremost PRINCES |
Dan. 10:21 | MICHAEL, the PRINCE of you people |
Dan. 12:1 | MICHAEL will stand up, the great PRINCE |
SAR
means a HEAD person of any rank or class. According to Scripture, "Michael" is - JUST - ONE OF the first, great HEAD angels. |
***
AMAD (Strong's #5975) -- found 189x (in the same form) -- for example: | |
Gen. 43:15 | they rose & went their way down to Egypt & got to STAND before Joseph |
Lev. 9:5 | the whole assembly came near & STOOD before Jehovah |
1Kings 1:28 | (Bathsheba) came in... & STOOD before the king |
Esther 8:4 | Esther rose & STOOD before the king |
Dan. 1:5 | at the end of these they might STAND before the king |
Dan. 1:19 | (Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah) continued to STAND before the king |
Dan. 2:2 | (priests, conjurers, sorcerers, Chaldeans) proceeded to come in & to STAND before the king |
Dan. 12:1 | Michael will STAND up, the great prince who is STANDING in behalf of the sons of you people |
AMAD
means to STAND in a formal manner & WAIT. According to (time-appropriate) Scripture, |
What is the WT's view about 'MICHAEL' ?
Aid to Bible Understanding (p.1152) & INSIGHT (p.393) state that JESUS is MICHAEL The ARCHANGEL. |
|
What is the BASIS for the WT's view ?
(Remember: This is a
TEST of a 'view' - not an attack on the WT.)
Trying to turn the LORD JESUS
CHRIST (before
whom EVERY knee shall bow - Phil. 2:10,11; Heb. 1:6) The WT's case is extremely weak & based on SUPPOSITION & CONJECTURE ! Is it lack of Scriptural evidence, or poor research / documentation, or deliberate twisting ? Review the 12 facts above & the following 26 Conjectures & decide for yourself. |
{CONJECTURE #1: "he is PRESUMED TO BE the angel that led Israel through the wilderness." - Aid p.77 -- Angel} |
{CONJECTURE #2: "The prefix arch, meaning 'chief' or 'principal,' WOULD SEEM TO IMPLY that there is only one archangel, the chief or head of the angelic host;" - Aid p.114 -- Archangel} |
{CONJECTURE #3: "The angel who guided Israel through the wilderness & who voice the Israelites were strictly to obey because 'Jehovah's name was within him,' MAY THEREFORE HAVE BEEN God's Son, the Word." - Aid p.918 -- Jesus Christ} |
{CONJECTURE #4 & 5: "It is REASONABLE TO THINK he used the Word as his angelic mouthpiece.... Since the angel that guided the Israelites through the wilderness had 'Jehovah's name within him,' he MAY HAVE BEEN God's Son, the Word." - Aid p.1669 -- Word, The} |
Why is the WT's view based on so much CONJECTURE ? |
SUPPOSITION & CONJECTURE are fine for THEORIES, but not THEOLOGY ! ! !
The WT article on "Michael"
contains 5 paragraphs (labeled by me as A, B, C, D &
E). All major points & many phrases are, in fact, CONJECTURES. |
||
Aid (p.1152) & INSIGHT (p.393) -- Michael (Mi'cha-el) [Who is like God?] | ||
A |
The only holy angel
other than Gabriel named in the Bible, & the only one
called "archangel." (Jude 9) The first
occurrence of the name is in the tenth chapter of Daniel,
where Michael is described as "one of the foremost
princes"
that came to the aid of a lesser angel who was opposed by
the "prince of the royal
realm of Persia." Michael was called "the
prince of [Daniel's] people," "the great prince
who is standing in behalf of the sons of [Daniel's]
people." (Dan. 10:13, 20, 21; 12:1) THIS
POINTS TO Michael as the angel who led
the Israelites through the wilderness. (Ex. 23:20, 21, 23; 32:34;
33:2) LENDING SUPPORT TO THIS
CONCLUSION is the fact that "Michael the archangel
had a difference with the Devil & was disputing about
Moses' body." -- Jude 9. {CONJECTURE #6: "This points to Michael" is the main point in this paragraph & is labeled "PRESUMPTION" by page 77 in the same book which reads: "he is PRESUMED TO BE the angel that led Israel through the wilderness." (Aid p.77 -- Angel)} {CONJECTURE #7: "Lending support" is a conjecture, to support a conjecture labeled "presumption" (see #6 above).} |
***
B |
Scriptural
evidence indicates that the name Michael applied to God's
Son before he left heaven to become Jesus Christ &
also after his return. Michael is the only one said
to be the "archangel," meaning
"chief angel" or "principal angel."
The term occurs in the Bible only in the singular. THIS
SEEMS TO IMPLY that there is but one
whom God has designated chief or head of the angelic host. At 1
Thessalonians 4:16 the voice of the resurrected Lord
Jesus Christ is described as being that of an archangel, SUGGESTING
that he is, IN FACT,
himself the archangel. This text depicts him as
descending from heaven with a "commanding call." IT
IS ONLY LOGICAL, therefore, that the voice expressing
this commanding call be described by a word that would
not diminish or detract from the great authority that
Christ Jesus now has as King of kings & Lord of
lords. (Matt. 28:18; Rev. 17:14) IF the designation "archangel" applied,
not to Jesus Christ, but to other angels, then
the reference to an "archangel's
voice" would not be appropriate.
IN THAT CASE it
would be describing a voice of lesser authority than that
of the Son of God. {CONJECTURE #8: "the name Michael applied to God's Son BEFORE he left heaven to become Jesus Christ". Where is the chapter & verse evidence?} {CONJECTURE #9: "the name Michael applied to God's Son... also AFTER his return". Where is the chapter & verse evidence?} {CONJECTURE #10: "This seems to imply there is BUT ONE" is contradicted by Scripture. Daniel 10:13 clearly states that Michael is just "ONE OF the foremost princes".} {CONJECTURE #11: "SUGGESTING that he is, IN FACT, himself the archangel." Regardless of who says it, the words "suggesting... in fact" are incompatible. A police uniform may suggest that the person wearing it is a police officer, but in fact, the person may be a FRAUD!} {CONJECTURE #12: "IT IS ONLY LOGICAL, therefore, is more conjecture.} {CONJECTURE #13: "IF the designation "archangel" applied, not to Jesus Christ, but to other angels, then the reference to an "archangel's voice" would not be appropriate. The Kingdom Interlinear at 1Thess. 4:16 literally reads: "Because very (one) THE LORD in command, IN VOICE of ARCHANGEL & IN TRUMPET of GOD, HE will come down...."
{CONJECTURE #14: "IN THAT CASE it would be describing a voice of lesser authority than that of the Son of God. See #13 above.} |
***
C |
There are also OTHER
CORRESPONDENCIES establishing that
Michael is actually the Son of God. Daniel, after making the first reference to
Michael (10:13), recorded a long-range prophecy reaching
down to "the
time of the end" (11:40),
& then stated: "And during that time Michael will stand
up" (12:1), THAT IS,
will take up power or begin to reign as king. (Compare Daniel 8:22, 23; 11:2, 3, 7, 20,
21.) THIS
IMPLIES that a
period of being seated preceded his standing up as king. IN
AGREEMENT THEREWITH
Hebrews 10:12, 13 says regarding Christ Jesus: "This man offered one
sacrifice for sins perpetually & sat down at the
right hand of God, from then on awaiting until his
enemies should be placed as a stool for his feet." Michael's standing up was to lead to a "time of distress such
as has not been made to occur since there came to be a
nation until that time."
-- Dan. 12:1. {CONJECTURE #15: "There are also OTHER correspondencies" is the extremely desperate conjecture that because Jesus SAT DOWN (Heb. 10:12), HE IS Michael who STOOD UP (Dan. 12:1).} {CONJECTURE #16: "THAT IS will take up power or begin to reign as king" is a giant leap of conjecture that because Michael STOOD UP, that means he stood up "as KING".} {CONJECTURE #17: "This implies that a period of being seated preceded his standing up" is obviously true. BUT it is DOUBLE-BARREL CONJECTURE to conclude that because Michael stood up:
{CONJECTURE #18: "In agreement therewith" is conjecture, offered to support conjecture.} |
***
D |
The book of Revelation (12:7, 10,
12) MENTIONS Michael in connection with the establishment
of God's kingdom & LINKS this event with trouble for the earth: "And war broke out in
heaven: Michael & his angels battled with the dragon,
& the dragon & its angels battled. And I heard a
loud voice in heaven say: 'Now have come to pass the
salvation & the power & the kingdom of our God
& the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of
our brothers has been hurled down, . . . On this account
be glad, you heaven's & you who reside in them! Woe
for the earth & for the sea.' " Jesus Christ is later depicted as leading
the heavenly armies in war against the nations of the
earth. (Rev. 19:11-16) THIS WOULD MEAN a period of distress for them, WHICH WOULD LOGICALLY
BE included in the "time of distress" to follow Michael's standing up. (Dan. 12:1)
Since the
Son of God is to fight the nations, IT
IS ONLY REASONABLE that he was the one
who with his angels earlier battled against the
superhuman dragon, Satan the Devil, & his angels. {CONJECTURE #19, 20, 21, 22: "mentions... & links... this would mean... which would logically be... it is only reasonable that" is conjecture, after conjecture, after conjecture, after conjecture.} |
***
E |
In his prehuman existence Jesus was
called "the
Word." (John 1:1) He also had the personal
name Michael. By
retaining the name Jesus after his resurrection (Acts
9:5), the "Word" shows that he is identical with the Son of
God on earth. His
resuming his heavenly name Michael & his title (or, name) "The Word of God" (Rev. 19:13) TIES HIM IN
with his prehuman existence.
The very name Michael, asking as it does, "Who is
like God?", POINTS TO the fact that Jehovah God is without like or
equal & that Michael his archangel is his great
Champion or Vindicator. {CONJECTURE #23, 24 & 25: "He also HAD the personal name Michael... his RESUMING his heavenly name Michael... TIES HIM IN with his prehuman existence" is conjecture & blatant circular reasoning.} {CONJECTURE #26: "POINTS TO" implies that the meaning of Michael's name links him to Jesus. This is just more conjecture.} |
***
CIRCULAR REASONING Q - How do you know this fossil is millions of years old? A - Because the rock strata is millions of years old. Q - How do you know the rock strata is millions of years old? A - Because the fossils found in it are millions of years old. |
Q - How do you know Jesus was CALLED 'Michael' in his prehuman existence? A - Because he RESUMED that name in his posthuman existence. Q - How do you know Jesus RESUMED the name 'Michael' in his posthuman existence? A - Because he was CALLED 'Michael' in his prehuman existence. |
SCRIPTURAL FACTS Q - Do the Scriptures ever say Jesus was CALLED 'Michael' in his prehuman existence? A - NO! Q - Do the Scriptures ever say Jesus RESUMED the name 'Michael' in his posthuman existence. A - NO! |
***
Q - Does the WT's teaching on 'Michael' pass the TEST of AGREEMENT with the Scriptures ? A - NO! 26 documented instances of SUPPOSITION & CONJECTURE = a failure to pass the test ! |
This is very troublesome in view of the following quotes from the FOREWORD of Aid To Bible Understanding. |
"The
principal authority on which ALL THE ARTICLES are based
is THE BIBLE ITSELF. It is in this respect
that this work differs from other publications of a
similar kind."
|
"With very few
exceptions, the SUBJECT contained are words
& expressions FOUND IN THE BIBLE."
|
"CARE was
EXERCISED to evaluate properly the VIEWS ADVANCED &
the CONCLUSIONS DRAWN by secular researchers & other
scholars, in this way DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN
mere THEORY & clear FACT."
|
"The editors
of this volume thus were not influenced solely by what is
simply the presently 'popular view' among lexicographers,
archaeologists, & religious commentators, especially
since such popular views OFTEN FAIL to
HARMONIZE with the BIBLE ACCOUNT."
|
"We believe
the reader will find the information presented to be both
FACTUAL &
thought-provoking."
|
"In our CONCERN
for RELIABILITY we have also been CAREFUL
to SIFT OUT what is often presented as
archaeological evidence supporting the Bible but which HAS
ONLY a SUPERFICIAL APPEARANCE of support &
in REALITY presents NO SOLID CLAIM to any
relationship WITH the BIBLE."
|
"By such a
balanced approach to matters we have endeavored to 'keep
holding the pattern of healthful words,' STAYING
TRUE to the BIBLE FACTS while taking into
account other sources of information. (2 Tim. 1:13)"
|
"The SUPERIOR
RELIABILITY of the BIBLE RECORD itself was
RECOGNIZED."
|
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