The Captain of the Host

The One who appeared to Joshua near Jericho declared himself to be “the Captain of the Hosts of Yahweh” [Jos 5:14] and was called “Yahweh” [Jos 6:2], just as the Angel of Yahweh was called.

Keys and Basics

Yahweh’s Army: “Yahweh’s army” can also be translated “Yahweh’s host”—the host is Israel [cf., Exo 6:26; 7:4; 12:17,41].
Archangel: The word “archangel” is a compound word made up of “arch” and “angel”
1. An “Archē” (ἀρχή—G746) is basically one who is first in a series, a leader. For example we have
  1. Archipoimēn (ἀρχιποίμην—G750): chief shepherd
  2. Archisunagōgos (ἀρχισυνάγωγος—G752): ruler of the synagogue.
  3. Architektōn (ἀρχιτέκτων—G753): a master builder, an architect, the superintendent in the erection of building
  4. Architelōnēs (ἀρχιτελώνης—G754): a chief of tax collectors, chief publican
  5. Chiliarchos (χιλίαρχος—G5506): Commander of a thousand soldiers (colonel)
  6. Hekatontarchēs, hekatontarchos (ἑκατοντάρχης, ἑκατοντάρχος—G1543): Commander of a hundred soldiers (centurion)
2. An arch angel is, therefore, a chief or commanding angel.

Identity of the Captain of the Hosts

The word here translated “Captain” (KJV) and “Commander” (NIV) is “שׂר” (śar, H8269).
Since Israel is Yahweh’s Host [Exo 6:26; 7:4; 12:17,41], then the “Captain of the Host of Yahweh” is also the “Captain of Israel”—the “שׂר (śar) of the people of Israel”.
1. Therefore, whenever we meet a “שׂר (śar) of the people of Israel”, we know that he is the Yahweh who appeared Joshua by Jericho.
In Daniel, we are plainly told that the “שׂר” (śar, H8269) of Daniel’s people, i.e., the people of Israel, is MICHAEL [Dan 10:21; 12:1]
1. But for translators translating the same word—“שׂר” (śar, H8269)—into various words—“commander”, “captain”, “prince”, etc.,—the identity of this commander would have been quite obvious. This is the Archangel Michael [Jud 1:9].
Since Michael is the Captain of the Host of Israel [Dan 10:21; 12:1], he is the One who appeared to Joshua near Jericho [Jos 5:13-15; 6:2-3ff]

Michael Facts From Joshua

Just as the Angel of Yahweh is called “Yahweh”, Michael, the Commander of the Hosts, was called “Yahweh” [Jos 6:2 cf., Jos 5:14]
1. Joshua asked him what message he had for him [Jos 5:14]
2. Therefore, when he gave him his message, we would have expected to have been told “The Captain of the Host said to Joshua…”, but we are instead told that “Yahweh said to Joshua” [Jos 6:2]
3. Therefore, Michael, the Captain of the Host, who was giving his message to Joshua is called “Yahweh”
He was the Angel who appeared to Moses in the flames of the Burning Bush
1. Just as Moses was commanded at the Burning Bush to remove his sandals because the ground had been made holy by the presence of the Angel of Yahweh [Exo 3:4] so too, Michael commanded Joshua to remove his sandals for the ground was holy [Jos 5:15]
2. This is the only other time this happens in the Scriptures
He was worshiped by Joshua
1. “Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence” [Jos 5:14]
2. This is the only angel that is worshiped in the Scriptures [Exo 33:9-10; Jos 5:14]—but really, what is the point in calling him “Yahweh” and “Elohim” if he cannot be worshiped as Yahweh and Elohim?
  1. Just as Joshua does here, Balaam worshiped the Angel of Yahweh when he say him and addressed him as God [Num 22:31]
  2. When Abraham bowed to Yahweh who appeared to him in the company of two angels, it was really to Yahweh he was bowing and not to the other angels. This should be clear from the fact that it was only to Yahweh that he addressed his words, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by” [Gen 18:3]. The pronouns are singular in this verse.
3. Although Daniel fell before Gabriel, it was not out reverence but out of fear [Dan 8:16-17,18]
  1. Although Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was afraid when he saw Gabriel in the temple, he did not worship him [Luk 1:11-19]
  2. And neither did Mary the mother of Jesus [Luk 1:26-30ff]
4. Again, Daniel did not worship the angel that appeared to him in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, by the River Tigris [Dan 10:1,4].
  1. This angel was apparently mighty and his presence alone, even without seeing him, brought so much terror that Daniel’s companions fled [Dan 10:7].
  2. Now, although Daniel was overwhelmed, lost strength and fell into deep sleep twice [Dan 10:8-9,15-17], he did not worship this angel.
The angel through whom Christ sent revelation to John did not allow John to worship him [Rev 19:10; 22:8-9] and
1. His reason for prohibiting it was
  1. The angel was a fellow servant with the apostle John, the prophets and all saints who keep the word of God [Rev 19:10; 21:9]
  2. The angel was not God
2. The angel’s words tell us that even under the Old Covenant and before it, angels were not to be worshiped since they were fellow servants with prophets.
3. Therefore, the only Angel that was worshiped before the New Covenant must have truly been God.
He was Lord to Joshua [Jos 5:14]
1. Joshua called him my lord (אָדוֹן, a.don, H113)
2. And clearly, since Michael is his Captain, then Michael was Lord to him and all Israel
  1. Now, although it was customary for people to refer to their superiors as lord and to themselves as their servants [Gen 19:1-2; 23:6,11,15; 1Sa 1:15-16], Joshua calling Michael “lord” gains a more literal meaning because his captain would indeed be his lord.
  2. Also, ‘Adon’ instead of ‘Adonai’ does not automatically make him less than Yahweh God, for example,
    1. Moses calls Yahweh “the Adon of Adons” [Deut 10:17]
    2. Before meeting with Michael, Joshua had referred to Yahweh as the “Adon of All the Earth” [Jos 3:13; Psa 97:5]
    3. David called Yahweh the “Adon of Israel” [Psa 8:1,9]
  3. Please, let us note that Michael, the Captain or Prince of Israel, was not simply a messenger bringing a message to Joshua but came as their Captain, their Lord—he was sent to rule them.
  4. Again, let me state that, whether or not Joshua called him “lord”, he was his Lord by the fact that he was his Captain.
    1. Therefore, according to the Scriptures, if Israel ever rightly spoke of any “lord” apart from God, it would be this one, their Captain, Michael
    2. Thus, apart from Yahweh God Himself, this is the only other spirit being that was Lord to Israel in Scriptures.
    3. Psa 110:1?

Michael, Israel and the Division of Nations

Scriptures teach us that men, “the sons of Adam”, were divided into nations at Babel [Gen 11:7-8,1-9; Act 17:26; Deut 32:8-9]
1. And Moses states that this division was “according to the number of the sons of God” [Deut 32:8-9 ESV, GNT, ABP+ Septuagint]
2. The “sons of God”
  1. Are spirit beings, angelic beings [Job 1:6; 2:1; Psa 82:6-7]
  2. God calls them “gods” [Psa 82:6]
3. In other words, each nation was placed under a “son of God” [Deut 32:8-9; 29:26]
  1. This is confirmed in the Psalms where we read of Yahweh God judging the gods, the sons of the Most High [Psa 82:1-4], as being unfaithful in their assignment and thus passes the sentence of death on them [Psa 82:6-7]
  2. This is also confirmed in the fact that Daniel is plainly told of Angelic Captains (שׂר—śar, H8269) over nations and kingdoms such as Persia and Greece [Dan 10:13,20]
4. Please note that
  1. These “sons of God” over the nations are the ones Daniel refers to as “שׂר” (śar), i.e., “princes” or “captains”
  2. The word “שׂר” (śar) is translated as “ἄρχων” (archōn, G758) in the Greek Septuagint. In other words,
    1. These “sons of God” over the nations are all “ARCH-angels”.
    2. They are the spiritual “principalities and powers”, the “archē” and “exousia” of the darkness of this world [Eph 1:21; 6:12]
Now, just as every nation has its Angelic “Captain” (שׂר—śar, H8269), so too Israel had its own and he is Michael [Dan 10:21; 12:1] the One who appeared to Joshua near Jericho [Jos 5:13-15],
1. Yet, Moses states that while other nations were placed under “the sons of God”, “Yahweh’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.” [Deut 32:9 , Deut 32:9-11,12-14; Eze 16:3-9ff]
2. Therefore, Michael stands in the place of Yahweh over Israel.
Therefore, Yahweh gave Michael his Name and entrusted his own portion to him!
1. What relationship is between them?

Michael Facts From Daniel

Michael is the “Captain” (שׂר—śar, H8269) of the People of Israel [Dan 10:21; 12:1]
Michael “stands” for the people of Israel [Dan 12:1]
As “Captain” (שׂר—śar, H8269) of the host”, the Temple belongs to Michael [Dan 8:11]
The daily sacrifices of the temple belong to Michael [Dan 8:11]
Michael is the highest of all arch-Angels, highest of the Chief Captains
1. He is the “Prince of Princes” or “Captain of Captains” [Dan 8:25]. This means that he is higher than all other angelic princes/captains. Please take note that the one referred to as “Prince of Princes” was earlier referred to as the Prince of the Hosts [Dan 8:11-12,25].
2. He is the “first” of the CHIEF Princes [Dan 10:13]—this is why he is called “THE Archangel” [1Th 4:16; Jud 1:9].
  1. The word אחד, ('echâd, H259) which is often translated as “one” in “one of the chief princes” can also be translated “first” depending on context [Gen 1:5; 2:11; 8:5,13; Exo 28:17; 39:10; 40:2; 40:17; Lev 23:24; Num 1:1; 1:18; 29:1; 33:38; Deut 1:3; 1Ki 16:23; 2Ch 36:22; Ezr 1:1; 3:6; 7:9; 10:16-17; Neh 8:2; Eze 10:14; 26:1; 29:17; 32:1; 45:18; Dan 1:21; 9:1-2; Hag 1:1].
3. He is the “GREAT Prince” [Dan 12:1]
The little horn, a.k.a., the antichrist, will oppose Michael, “the Prince of the Host” [Dan 8:11-12,25]
1. While in Daniel, the One the little horn opposes is “the Prince of the host”, in Revelation, the One the beast (aka., the antichrist) makes war against is “the Lamb”, i.e., the Lord Jesus [Rev 7:13-14]
Michael will “stand up” in the time of the end [Dan 12:1]
1. There will be a great tribulation [Dan 12:1],
2. There will be the resurrection of the dead [Dan 12:2]

Michael Facts from the New Testament

Revelation

Michael and his angels will make war against the dragon and his angels and drive them out of heaven [Rev 12:7-9]
1. The casting out of Satan will be followed by the great tribulation [Rev 12:12]

Jude

Michael contended with Satan over the body of Moses [Jud 1:9]
1. Certainly, Satan wasn’t standing against the burial of Moses
  1. The curse on creation is that man would decay, he would return to dust [Gen 3:19] and Satan holds the power of death [Heb 2:14].
  2. Therefore, Satan would have had no issues with Michael or anyone burying Moses’ body and having it decay.
  3. Therefore, the contention is evidently not about burial.
2. Satan was contending against the resurrection of Moses
  1. The fact that Moses appears with Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration in glorious splendor [Luk 9:30] means that he is alive and has been living in heaven.
  2. If he is alive, it means that, though he died and was buried [Deut 34:5-6], he was later on at some point raised back to life.
3. Therefore, Satan was contending against Michael raising Moses back to life. (If Elijah and Elisha could raise the dead, then Michael, being the Angel of Yahweh, could very easily raise Moses or anyone back to life [Deut 32:39])

1st Thessalonians

The voice of the Archangel Michael is what will raise the dead [1Th 4:16]
1. Yet, apart from God, Christ alone has the power to raise the dead [Joh 5:26,20-21,39-40; 6:33,40; 11:25-26; 14:6]
2. And Christ says that it is his voice that will raise the dead [Joh 5:25,28-29] just as he demonstrated with Lazarus [Joh 11:43-44]
3. The fact that Jesus can raise the dead makes him very great [Joh 5:20]

The Meaning of the Name “Michael”

The name Michael means “One who is like God”.
1. Many take it to be a question, “One who is like God?” or “Is there anyone like God?” but is this really so?
2. Is Michael a question or a statement?
The simple fact that when he appeared to Joshua he was called “Yahweh” means that he really is like God. Therefore, with or without his name “Michael”, he really is like God
The meaning of “Michael” tells us that he is the greatest of angels.
1. Even if his name is taken to be a question, it still suggests that Michael is the greatest of all the angels. He is so great that it has to be pointed out that he is not God.

Michael and the Angel of Yahweh

Apparently, Michael, being the Captain of the Hosts, is the Angel of Yahweh

Michael was the One who brought about the conquest of the land of Canaan
1. The instructions he gave to Joshua were about conquering Jericho [Jos 6:2-5]
2. Clearly, this angel is the one that was in charge of the conquest of the land of Canaan—he was the one Yahweh said would lead Israel and bring them into the land of Canaan [Exo 23:20-23; 33:2,12,14; Isa 63:9].
Michael is the Angel of Yahweh of the Exodus
1. First, he is the Angel of the Burning Bush
2. Since the Angel God said would go ahead of Israel was to bring them into the land, and since Michael is clearly the angel that brought them into the land, then Michael is in fact the Angel of the Exodus.
3. Since Michael was the Angel of Yahweh then he was the One in the Pillar of Cloud and Fire
Michael stands for the people of Israel [Dan 12:1]
1. This is what Isaiah says that the Angel of Yahweh’s presence does for Israel [Isa 63:9]
Michael’s is “One Like God”
1. The Angel of Yahweh is equal to God.
Michael was worshiped
1. Just as the Angel of Yahweh