Can Jesus Be The Archangel Michael

The meaning of the name Michael is, Who Is Like God? Michael and Gabriel are the only holy angels named in the Bible, and Michael is the only one termed archangel. The name Michael first appears in the tenth chapter of Daniel. In this occurrence, Michael is described by a lesser angel that he had come to the aid of as one of the foremost princes.

Daniel 10:13,20,21 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. So he went on to say: Do you really know why I have come to you? And now I shall go back to fight with the prince of Persia. When I am going forth, look! also the prince of Greece is coming. However, I shall tell you the things noted down in the writing of the truth, and there is no one holding strongly with me in these things but Michael, the prince of you people.

Daniel 12:1 And during that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of your people. And there will certainly occur a time of distress such as not been made to occur since there came to be a nation until that time. And during that time your people will escape, every one who is found written down in the book.

Additionally, Michael is given the title prince of you people. This is suggestive of Michael being the angel who led the Israelites through the wilderness.

Exodus 23:20-23 Here I am sending an angel ahead of you to keep you on the road and to bring you into the place that I have prepared. Watch yourself because of him and obey his voice. Do not behave rebelliously against him, for he will not pardon your transgression; because my name is within him. However, if you strictly obey his voice and really do all that I speak, then I shall certainly be hostile to your enemies and harass those that harass you. For my angel will go ahead of you and will indeed bring you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I shall certainly efface them.

Exodus 32:34 And now, come, lead the people to where I have spoken to you of. Look! My angel will go ahead of you, and on the day of my bringing punishment I shall certainly bring punishment upon them for their sin.

Exodus 33:2 And I will send an angel ahead of you and drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, and the Hittites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites…

The dispute between Satan and Michael over the body of Moses described in Jude 9 provides proof of Michael pro-actively showing he cares about the plight of the Ancient Israelites, his formidability due to the fact he kept the body of Moses and his obeisance to Jehovah because he refused to speak abusively.

Jude 9 But when Michael the archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses’ body, he did not dare to speak in abusive terms, but said: May Jehovah rebuke you.

The Bible indicates that the name Michael was the name of Jesus Christ subsequent to his coming to earth and after his return to heaven. Archangel means chief angel or principal angel, and Michael is the only one called archangel. The implication being there is only one that God has designated chief of the angelic host.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 because the Lord will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first.

Luke 2:11 because there was born to you today a savior who is Christ the Lord, in David's city.

The verse at 1 Thessalonians 4:16 directly states the Lord has an archangel’s voice. Luke 2:11, along with many other verses, declares Jesus is Lord, so we know that Jesus is the one being referenced in the verse. Additionally, who could have an archangel’s voice other than an archangel? As previously mentioned there is only one archangel. Therefore, if Jesus has an archangel’s voice, and Michael is the only archangel does logic not suggest the two are actually the same being?

Further evidence identifying Jesus Christ as also being the archangel Michael is provided via examination of Daniel 10:13, Daniel 11:40 and Daniel 12:1. The first mention of Michael is made at Daniel 10:13. Daniel wrote prophecy pertaining to the time of the end in verse at Daniel 11:40. Subsequently, at Daniel 12:1, he wrote, And during that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of your people And there will certainly be a time of distress such as not been made to occur since there came to be a nation until that time. The time in which Michael is to stand up is linked to distress as not been made to occur previously. In Daniel’s prophecy, standing up is often used to refer to the action of a king, either assuming his role as royal power or effectively exercising his authority as king. This provides additional substantiation that Jesus and Michael are actually the same being due to the fact that Jesus is Jehovah’s appointed king, whose role it is to destroy all the nations at Armageddon.

Through the book of Revelation Michael is candidly linked to the institution of God‘s kingdom and associates woe for the earth (due to Satan being hurled down to it) along with it.

Revelation 12:7-12 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven say: Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death. On this account be glad you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea because the Devil has come down to you, knowing he has a short period of time.

Later in the book of Revelation, at 19:11-16 Jesus Christ is portrayed as the leader of the heavenly armies warring against the nations of the earth.

Revelation 12:11-16 And I saw the heaven opened, and, look! A white horse. And the one seated upon it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness. His eyes are a fiery flame, and upon his head are many diadems. He has a name written that no one knows but himself, and he is arrayed with an outer garment sprinkled with blood, and he is called The Word of God. Also, the armies that were in heaven were following him on white horses, and they were clothed in white, clean, fine linen. And out of his mouth there protrudes a sharp long sword, that he may strike the nations with it, and he will shepherd them with a rod of iron. He treads too the winepress of the anger of the wrath of God the Almighty. And upon his outer garment, even upon his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

It is easy enough to connect woe for the earth and sea caused by the Devil after being cast from heaven to the time of distress linked to Michael’s standing up. Realizing that the Son of God is to battle the nations, it is a sensible assumption that he was the one, with his angels, who had previously battled with the dragon, Satan the Devil, and his angels.

John 1:1 In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.

Acts 9:5 He [Saul] said: Who are you lord? He [Jesus] said: I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

John 1:1 illustrates during the pre-human existence of Jesus, he was called the Word. The evidence presented previously in this article suggests that Michael was his personal name, prior to his human life. Retaining the name Jesus after his resurrection at Acts 9:5 the Word offers proof he is the Son of God on earth. When Jesus reassumes being called Michael and his title, The Word of God, (Revelation 19:13), he associates himself to his pre-human existence. The fact that the name Michael queries, Who Is Like God?, is indicative that Jehovah is unequaled and Michael the archangel is his great Vindicator. Which was the role of Jesus Christ in his 33 ½ years on earth.

The information available in this article viewed as a whole gives adequate evidence to believe that Michael the archangel is Jesus Christ. Jesus existed prior to his appearance on the earth. This requires a name for to him be distinguished by. It could have been any name, but evidence suggets God chose Michael. The fact that Jesus told Peter to change his name from Simon to Peter, and Saul became Paul is suggestive that Jesus himself may have had a name change.