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Wed, May 12, 21.

Jesus and the Archangel Michael

Requirements

It would be helpful to be familiar with the following,

  1. Jacob and the Angel of Yahweh
    1. His relationship to Jacob
    2. The particularness of the Angel of Yahweh
  2. The meaning of the Name “Yahweh”

Jesus is the Archangel Michael

That the Lord Jesus is the Archangel Michael can be deduced from their relationship to the Angel of Yahweh and also from passages that replace one with the other.

The Archangel Michael is the Angel of Yahweh

The following facts are equally true of the Angel of Yahweh (of Jacob and Moses) and the Archangel Michael, however, they ought to be peculiar to an individual. These facts therefore mean that the Archangel Michael was the Angel of Yahweh of the wilderness and of Jacob and the judges.

The One Who Appeared to Joshua

The Captain (שׂר/śar) of the Hosts of Yahweh, i.e., the people of Israel, who appeared to Joshua near Jericho is

  1. The Archangel Michael, according to Daniel [Dan 12:1; 10:21] but
  2. The Angel of Yahweh according to the Book of Judges [Jdg 2:2-5] (Judges strangely states that the Angel of Yahweh came from Gilgal to Bokim. This fact serves to indicate to us that this was the same person who had appeared to Joshua for then, they were camped at Gilgal in the plains of Jericho)

Of course, the Captain of Israel, the Host of Yahweh, was just one person and not two. Therefore, since he is identified as the Archangel Michael and as the Angel of Yahweh, it means that the Angel of Yahweh is the Archangel Michael.

The Captain of Israel

Who among angels is the Captain of Israel?

  1. The Archangel Michael is the Captain of Israel [Dan 12:1 cf., Josh 5:14ff]. This is more or less
  2. The Angel of Yahweh is the Captain of Israel [Exo 23:20-23]

The position of the Captain of Israel, the Captain of the Host of Yahweh, is not such that can be held by two persons at the same time. Therefore, the Angel of Yahweh who was to lead Israel was the Archangel Michael. Again, the Book of Judges recording that the Angel of Yahweh came from Gilgal to Bokim—Gilgal being near Jericho—shows that the Captain of the Host was the Angel of Yahweh who met Joshua near Jericho [Jdg 2:2-5].

The Name of Yahweh

The Name Yahweh is Holy. It is a unique Name and cannot be borne by just anyone. As revealed to Moses, the Name Yahweh points to the bearer as having power over all of nature, therefore, this Name cannot be borne by just anyone for not many can boast of such breath of power.

Therefore, the fact that

  1. The Angel of Yahweh is “Yahweh” [Exo 2:2; Zec 3:1-2ff] and
  2. Michael, the Captain of Israel, is also “Yahweh” [Jos 6:2 , Jos 5:13-15]

Means that they are the same person. Since only One person apart from the Father, i.e., the Angel of Yahweh, is known to bear this Name, therefore, since Michael was called by that Name Yahweh, it means that he is in fact the Angel of Yahweh.

The only way, with regard to the Name of Yahweh, that Michael is not the Angel of Yahweh, is if he Name is a generic or semi-generic name.

The One Who Gave Israel Rest

God gave/promised to give Israel rest through

  1. The Angel of Yahweh [Exo 23:20-23; 33:14-17; Judges 2:1-4; Isa 62:9]
  2. The Captain of the Host who is the Archangel Michael [Jos 5:16-15 cf., Exo 23:20-23; 33:14-17; Judges 2:1-4]
    1. When it was time to take over the land of Canaan, it was the Captain of the Host, Michael, that appeared to Joshua and gave him instructions about the conquest of the land.
    2. Since he was their commander, there is no reason to think that he retired after his appearance to Joshua. In any case, the Book of Judges confirms it to us that he did not leave but remained at Gilgal till he came from there to Bokim where he spoke with Israel.
    3. That Michael is the One who stands for the people of Israel [Dan 12:1], that he is responsible for them, also tells us that he was responsible for giving Israel rest. If another angel was responsible for giving Israel rest, then Michael’s description as the one who stands for Israel is not very accurate.

The Law and the Temple

The relationship of Michael to the Law and the relationship of the Angel of Yahweh to the Law also show them to be the same.

  1. The Law was given through the Angel of Yahweh [Act 7:38; Mal 3:1] and
  2. The Temple was under the administration of the Captain of the Host who is the Archangel Michael [Dan 8:11]

Though he came to establish the New Covenant, Jesus was consumed with zeal for the temple of the Old Covenant.

Jesus is the Angel of Yahweh

There are quite a few facts from scriptures that show the Lord Jesus Christ is in fact the same person as the Angel of Yahweh. A few are shown below

Direct Apostolic Statements

While it is most certain that the one who accompanied Israel in the wilderness was

  1. The Angel of Yahweh [Exo 2:3,8,12; 14:19 , Exo 13:21-22; Neh 9:12; Exo 23:20-23; Num 20:15-16; Isa 63:9,10-14 cf., Exo 33:14-17; Deut 4:37-38]. Paul identifies Israel’s wilderness guide and guard as
  2. Christ [1Cor 10:3].

Since the Apostle Paul believes in Christ’s pre-human existence [Php 2:5-11], Paul literally means what he is saying.

The Glory of Yahweh

Jesus and the Angel of Yahweh share the same unique identity—the Glory of Yahweh who appeared to Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness, Ezekiel, [Exo 33:18-23; 34:5-9; Eze 1:25-28; 3:23; 10:20]—which means that they are actually the same person. In other words, it was the Glory of Yahweh who manifested as the Angel of Yahweh and, through conception in Mary, was born as the man Jesus.

  1. Jesus was/is the Glory of God. This is testified to by
    1. The Apostles declare Jesus to be uniquely the “Radiance of God’s Glory…” [Heb 1:3; 2Cor 3:18; 4:4,6; Joh 1:14; 17:5]
    2. Christ’s words reveal to us that the glory he now has he always had with the Father before the foundation of the world [Joh 17:5]
    3. Their testimony means that the Lord Jesus Christ was the Glory of Yahweh of the Old Testament
  2. The Angel of Yahweh was the Glory of God
    1. The One in the Pillar of Cloud and Fire was
      1. The Angel of Yahweh [Num 20:15-16; Exo 3:8; 14:19; 23:20-23; Jdg 2:1-5]
      2. The Glory of Yahweh [Exo 16:7,10-11; Lev 9:6,23-24; Num 14:10-11; 16:19-20; 16:42-44; 20:6-7; Eze 1:4,26-28]
      3. Therefore, the Angel of Yahweh was the One referred to as the Glory of Yahweh
    2. The One who gave the Law to Israel was
      1. The Angel of Yahweh [Act 7:38; Mal 3:1]
      2. The Glory of Yahweh [Exo 33:18-23 cf., Exo 34:1-28]

Gathering Israel

The gathering of Israel is a personal concern to

  1. The Angel of Yahweh [Zec 1:12; 3:1-2]
    1. It is officially his responsibility to care for Israel
    2. Considering that he is their Captain and Lord and considering his relationship with and the prayer of Jacob [Gen 48:15-16; Exo 23:20-23], this is natural and expected
  2. The Lord Jesus [Mat 23:37-39]

Jesus is the Arch-Angel Michael

Apart from facts that indirectly show Jesus to be the same person as Michael the Archangel, there are some facts of scripture that directly connect the Lord Jesus and the Archangel Michael.

The Prince of Princes and the Lord of Lords

The title, “Prince of Princes” (“שׂר/śar” of “שׂר/śar”) is really the same title as “Lord of lords”. Therefore, it is significant that

  1. Michael, “the Prince of the Host”, i.e., Israel, is referred to by Gabriel as the “Prince of Princes” [Dan 8:25 cf., Dan 8:11] and
  2. Jesus is referred to by the Apostle John as the “Lord of lords” [Rev 17:14]

Furthermore, this title is applied to the Archangel Michael and to the Lord Jesus Christ in the same prophetic context of the end when the antichrist will be destroyed.

The One the Antichrist Opposes

That Michael is Christ is further confirmed by the identity of the One the antichrist was opposed to.

  1. In Daniel, the One that the Antichrist described as a “little horn” was opposed to is the Prince of Princes [Dan 8:11,25]. While
  2. In Revelation, the One that the Antichrist described as the “beast” was opposed to is the Lamb who is Lord of lords [Rev 17:13-14]

In both books—Daniel and Revelation—the antichrist’s opposition is in connection to the Temple [Dan 8:11-13; Rev 11:1-3]

The Voice that Will Raise the Dead

The Resurrection of the Dead is a (at this time of writing, coming) major event will be brought on by the great power of God [Eph 1:19-20]. Christ and the apostles teach us that voice of

  1. The Lord Jesus Christ is what will bring about the resurrection of the dead.
    1. Jesus plainly stated that the dead will be raised with a command coming from his voice [Joh 5:25,28-29 cf., Joh 6:39-40; Php 3:21]
    2. Jesus literally demonstrated the resurrection of the dead at his command at the tomb of Lazarus, where he brought back Lazarus from the dead with a loud command [Joh 11:11,23-27,43-44]

We also read, however, of

  1. The Voice of the Archangel Michael in connection to the resurrection of the dead [1Th 4:14-17].

Since we know that the dead will be raised by Jesus’ voice, then identifying the voice of the one who will bring about the resurrection of the dead as the Archangel, means that Jesus is the Archangel.

Furthermore, we find the Archangel acting in connection to the resurrection of the dead.

  1. First, although Moses had died and had been buried in the plains of Moab [Deut 34:5-6], we find him alive on the Mount of Transfiguration [Mat 17:1-4]. This means that he had been raised back to life sometime after his death and burial.
    But who did God send to raise Moses back to life? Since the Archangel Michael is the One we find with his body [Jud 1:9].
  2. Also, Daniel connects the coming great tribulation and the resurrection of the dead to the rising up of Michael [Dan 12:1-3].

Conclusion

Since,

  1. The Archangel Michael was the One known as the Angel of Yahweh,
  2. And since the Angel of Yahweh was the One who came as the Lord Jesus Christ,
  3. Then Jesus is the Archangel Michael

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