JW Notes: “Jesus and Michael the Archangel”

Jesus Christ further deserves honor because he is Jehovah’s chief angel, or archangel (The Watchtower, Feb. 1, 1991, p. 17).

[The Son of God is] Jesus Christ, whom we understand from the Scriptures to be Michael the archangel … (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1979, p. 31.)

Q. Does that understanding really come “from the Scriptures,” or is it, rather, a teaching that Watchtower leaders superimpose on Scripture?

God’s inspired Word mentions Michael five times as:

“one of the foremost princes” (Dan. 10:13 NWT)

“the prince of [Daniel’s] people” (Dan. 10:21 NWT)

“the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of [Daniel’s] people” (Dan. 12:1 NWT)

“the archangel” who “had a difference with the devil and was disputing about Moses’ body” but “did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms” (Jude 9 NWT)

And as a participant in heavenly conflict when “Michael and his angels battled with the dragon” (Rev. 12:7 NWT).

Q. Does any of these verses actually say that Michael the archangel is Jesus Christ?

No. So it is necessary to read Scripture plus a Watchtower argument to reach that conclusion.

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Why do we conclude that Jesus is the archangel Michael? God’s Word mentions only one archangel, and it speaks of that angel in reference to the resurrected Lord Jesus: “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet.” (I Thess. 4:16). At Jude 9 we find that this archangel’s name is Michael. (Watchtower, April 15, 1991)

Q.  Notice the Watchtower emphatically states that there is “only one” archangel. What makes the WT so sure about that?

Turn to Daniel 10:13.

But the prince of the royal realm of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days, and, look! Michael, one of the foremost princes, came to help me; and I, for my part, remained there beside the kings of Persia (Dan. 10:13 NWT).

Notice in the text that Michael is, though he is the only named archangel in the Bible, Daniel 10:13 refers to him as “one of the foremost princes” – and yet the Watchtower explicitly stated in 1991 that there is “only one” archangel.

Daniel 10:13 therefore leaves open the possibility that there are other unnamed archangels besides Michael.

Note: This doesn’t necessarily refute the idea that Jesus is an archangel, but this does say something about the Watchtower magazine itself: It makes false claims, claims that are easily refuted. And if it is wrong there, how do you know that it is not wrong anywhere else?

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Turn to I Thessalonians 4:16:

… because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who dead in union with Christ will rise first (I Thess. 4:16 NWT).

Q. Using a simple law of logic, if, as the Watchtower says, the words “with an archangel’s voice” mean that Jesus is an archangel, then logically the words “with God’s trumpet” makes Him God. Because if you are going to apply the law of logic to one part of the verse, then you also have to apply it to the other part as well.

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The Bible elsewhere teaches us that Jesus Christ is not a mere angel, but that He has a *superiority* compared with angels:

“For example, to which one of the angels did he ever say: ‘You are my son; I, today, I have become your father’?” (Heb. 1:5 NWT)

The Son is “the reflection” of the Father’s glory “and the exact representation of his very being, and he sustains all things by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3 NWT).

Also, angels consistently refuse to accept worship:

e.g. Revelation 22:8-9 NWT: “Be careful! Do not do that! … Worship God.”

And yet, the Father’s command concerning the Son in Hebrews 1:6 (NWT – 1950/1961 ed.) is “let all God’s angels worship him.”

Now, the Watchtower society has changed the translation from “worship” to “obeisance” in the 1984 “revision,” but the Greek word behind those words is the same in both Hebrews 1:6 and Revelation 22:8-9: proskuneo.

To put it another way, the proskuneo (worship/obeisance) that the angels refuse to accept (for they say only God must receive this) is the very same proskuneo (worship/obeisance) that the Father commands to be given to the Son in Hebrews 1:6.

This idea of worship is also implied elsewhere in, John 5:23:

… in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him (John 5:23 NWT).

Q. What sort of honor are we to give to the Father? How do we honor Him? (Answer: by worshipping Him, praising Him, praying to Him, and doing all things to His glory). And yet Jesus says in that verse that Son must be honoured in the very same way (“just as”).

Therefore, Jesus also must receive glory, praise, petitions and also worship – otherwise you are not honouring the Father, as Jesus clearly says in that verse.