"Being heavily interested in Angels I am always on the look out for any kind of information about them. Finding good informative books about Angels is difficult, however, I came across this small book on the Internet simply called "Who is Michael, the Archangel?". I have read this 20 page book and it blew my mind away about us humans, Angels in general, and about Jesus Christ. So, sit back and be prepared, if you have an open mind, to get one huge shock."
Mystery of Mysteries
Who Is Michael, the Archangel?
Only three angels are mentioned by name in the Bible, and only one of them is described as an “archangel”! One is Gabriel, one is Lucifer, who became Satan the Devil, and the third one is Michael. In Revelation 12, we read that “Michael, and his angels, fought with the devil, and his angels” (Rev.12:7). Michael is also called “the great prince, the protector of your people” (Daniel 12:1). Who is this mysterious figure? Is there more to “Michael” than the “Christian” world understands? Here is the evidence set forth, line by line, item by item, fact by fact, proof by proof.
William F. Dankenbring
The angel Michael is only mentioned by his name in four passages in the Bible, yet those passages are fraught with meaning. Before identifying who Michael is, let us examine the Scriptural descriptions of this mighty angelic being.
An old axiom I learned in algebra and geometry is that two things equal to the same thing are equal to each other! For example, if A = 7 and B = 7, then A = B. Simple, isn’t it! So let’s see what this means in the process of proving who Michael, the archangel, really is!
Michael the PRINCE
In Daniel the tenth chapter we read that the angel Gabriel came to Daniel, when he had completed a period of fasting and prayer. He came to give Daniel a message about the future, a prophecy. He went on to say:
“Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me twenty-one days. So Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia . . . .”
The Ferrar Fenton translation has this passage thus:
“But the Prince of the kingdom of Persia stood opposing me twenty-one days, but MIKAL ONE OF THE FIRST PRINCES, came and helped me.”
In Hebrew, the word translated “CHIEF” can also be translated “FIRST.” It is the word rishon and means “first, in time, place, or rank.” It is from the word rishah meaning “a beginning.”
The word “Prince” is from the Hebrew sar, meaning “a head person, captain,
chief, general, governor, keeper, lord, master, prince.” It is derived from the word sarar, meaning “to have dominion, bear rule.”
Gabriel concluded his message, saying:
“Now I must return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I get through with him, the prince of Greece will come. But I am to tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth. There is no one with me who contends against these princes except MICHAEL, YOUR PRINCE” (Dan.10:12-13, 20-21, NRSV).
Notice from these verses that Michael is identified as “ONE OF THE CHIEF
PRINCES,” as being greater than Gabriel, and as “YOUR PRINCE” – that is, the one who was over the children of Israel.
Daniel also records about Michael in chapter 12, where we read that “at the time of the END” of this age (Dan.11:40) something unique will happen:
“At that time MICHAEL, THE GREAT PRINCE, THE PROTECTOR OF YOUR PEOPLE, SHALL ARISE. There will be a time of anguish such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered” (Dan.12:1).
Ferrar Fenton has this verse, “Mikal, the Great Prince, who DEFENDS the
children of your people, will stand up, and a period of distress will come . . .”
Here is further crucial testimony to help identify Michael – he is called “THE GREAT PRINCE,” indicating he is greater than other princes; and he is “the PROTECTOR” of the people of Israel.
The New King James Version says he “STANDS WATCH” over the people of
Israel.
The Name “Michael”
Before we go further, take note of the name “Michael.” In the Hebrew, it is Miyka’el, and means “who [is] like God?” The name “Gabriel” means “man of God,”
but Michael has a much more imposing name – “[one] who [is] LIKE GOD.” Very interesting! Says Gesenius Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, he is one “who intercedes for Israel before God.” Thus he is an “intercessor” for the children of Israel, the people of God!
The New Testament
Michael is also mentioned in the New Testament. We read in the epistle of Jude, “Yet Michael THE ARCHANGEL, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” (Jude 9, NKJV).
The word “archangel” is used only twice in the Bible. It is the Greek word
archaggelos, meaning “chief angel.” It is a composite word, composed of archo, meaning “to be FIRST (in political rank or power).” The word aggelos means a “messenger” or “angel.” So an archangel would be a CHIEF ANGEL – FIRST in rank and power.
Take note: Michael is the ONLY ONE said to be the “archangel” of God – none other has this attribution or rank! Archangel means “chief angel” or “principal angel” – the highest ranking angel! The term only occurs in the singular. This implies that there is but ONE whom the Father has designated “chief” or “head” of the angelic host!
This word “archangel” is also connected with the second coming of Christ, the Messiah. We read in I Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the VOICE OF AN ARCHANGEL, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” That voice would be His very own voice! The voice that thunders and cracks like the voice of many waters!
“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is over many waters. The VOICE of the LORD is POWERFUL; the voice of the LORD is full of Majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon. . . The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness” (Psalm 29:3-8).
When Christ returns, He will utter His mighty voice, and “cry, yea, ROAR” from on high (Isaiah 42:13, KJV). Says the prophet Isaiah, when the Messiah comes, “Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with His anger, and His burden is heavy; His lips are full of indignation, and His tongue like a devouring fire. . . . The LORD will cause His glorious VOICE to be heard, and show the descent of His arm, with the indignation of His anger and the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering tempest and hailstones” (Isaiah 30:27-30).
Could the voice of the archangel be the voice of the LORD Himself – the
thundering voice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God? Why would a lesser voice be
mentioned since He will utter His own mighty voice when He comes in blazing wrath and furious anger?
War in Heaven
Finally, we read again of Michael in one more place – Revelation 12, a prophecy for the very near frightening future!
“And WAR broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Rev.12:7-9, NKJV).
Who is this great Warrior Archangel? This champion and leader of all the
righteous angels, will WAGE WAR against the Devil and DEFEAT him and his angelic hordes?
Has anyone qualified to defeat the Devil and overthrow Him? The only one who has qualified to conquer and defeat the Devil is Jesus Christ Himself, when He defeated him by resisting his temptations in the wilderness, after fasting forty days and forty nights! (See Matt.4:1-10). He defeated him, also, and all his plans and ploys, by His death on the cross!
As Paul wrote, “Inasmuch as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might DESTROY HIM who had the power of death, that is, the DEVIL” (Heb.2:14).
No one else has qualified to defeat the Devil! No one else has qualified to SAVE God’s people!
In Revelation, the apostle John records a strong angel asking the question, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” (Rev.5:1). John wept, because “no one was found worthy” (v.4). But one of the elders says to him, “Do not weep, Behold, the LION of the tribe of Judah, the Son of David, has PREVAILED to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals” (v.5). Only Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, is worthy – “For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood . . . and have made us kings and priests to our God” (v.9-10). He triumphed over Satan through His death on the cross – “having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them” (Col.2:15).
As Paul declared, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the VICTORY through
our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor.15:57).
“My Angel”
Now let’s approach this subject from a different angle. Notice! In Exodus 23, we read:
“Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for MY NAME IS IN HIM. But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars” (Exodus 23:20-24, NKJV).
Notice! The Lord God calls this angel “My Angel”! – this Angel has the power to punish for SINS; God commands His people that they must OBEY HIM, do not provoke Him to anger, and indeed says “MY NAME” – the name of God Himself – is “IN HIM”!
What Angel could this be? The translators put this word “Angel” with a capital first letter, indicating that they understood it to refer to the Pre-existent One who became Christ – the MESSIAH!
Ferrar Fenton has this passage:
“Then I will send My Messenger before your face to guard you in all your way, and to bring you to the place where I will fix you. Regard his presence and listen to his voice. Grieve him not that he may not rise to punish you, for my POWER is around him. But if you listen to his voice, and do all that I shall command, then I will love you, but I will distress your distressers. For my Messenger shall march before You . . . .”
Notice! God’s own POWER is in and around Him! Fenton put the word “power”
in all capital letters. This is certainly a most unusual angel! A very unique “Messenger”! God calls this angel “MY Angel!”
“The Angel of the Lord”
This Angel would be the same one, then, often referred to as “the angel of the Lord,” in the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament, and in the New, the expression is used, “The Angel of the Lord.” Who is this, and what are his characteristics?
He is first mentioned in Genesis 16:7. “Now the Angel of the LORD found her [Hagar, Sarai’s maid] by a spring of water in the wilderness . . . . The Angel of the LORD said to her, ‘Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.’ Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, ‘I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude. . . . Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?’” (Gen.16:7-13).
Notice that this “Angel of the Lord” is also called THE LORD, and “the God who sees” (El roi, “the God who sees,” in Hebrew). This is fascinating! Here an Angel is called GOD! What kind of angel is this?
The Angel of the LORD also spoke to Abraham, the father of the faithful. God tested Abraham and told him to take Isaac to a mountain and there to sacrifice him (Gen.22:1-3). When Abraham reached the spot, and was about to slay his son in obedience, we read, “But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ So he said, ‘Here I am.’ And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God . . . . And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide . . .
“Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,
and said, ‘By Myself, I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son – blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven . . .’” (Gen.22:11-16).
Mystery of mysteries! This Angel was no less than the LORD! Yet, He was also the angel OF the “LORD”! How can this be?
The mystery thickens. Later on, Jacob wrestles with an angel all night. The account says, “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day” (Gen.32:24). Seeing Jacob’s dogged determination and perseverance, the “Man” blessed him, saying, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel [literally, “Prince with God”]; for you have struggled with God [in the wrestling match!] and with
men, and have prevailed” (verse 28). “So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [“Face of God’]: ‘For I have SEEN GOD FACE TO FACE, and my life is preserved” (verse 29).
Indeed, this was some “Man”! Jacob acknowledged that he really wrestled with none other than GOD Himself! How could this be?
Later, in his old age, Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, “The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads” (Gen.48:16).
Obviously, he was talking about God, equating the Angel of the Lord with God Himself!
Moses’ Encounter
In Exodus 3, Moses himself had a unique experience. He saw a burning bush that would not burn up, and turned aside to investigate the phenomenon. We read, “And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush” (verse 2). The Angel called to Moses out of the midst of the burning bush, and said to him, “I am the God of your father – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (verse 6). The passage goes on to say, “And the LORD said . . .” (v.7). When Moses inquired about His name, we read, “And GOD said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’
And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you’” (Exo.3:14).
Who was this? He was both the “Angel of the LORD,” and “God,” and the great “I AM,” and “The LORD” [Yahveh, in Hebrew].
The answer to this enigma is given by the evangelist Stephen, the first martyr of the New Testament Church of God. We read in Acts, chapter 7, that when he was being tried by the Sanhedrin for his testimony, Stephen said to the Council:
“And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai . . . . This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer BY THE HAND OF THE ANGEL WHO APPEARED TO HIM IN THE BUSH . . .
“This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness WITH THE ANGEL WHO SPOKE TO HIM ON MOUNT SINAI, AND WITH OUR FATHERS, THE ONE WHO RECEIVED THE LIVELY ORACLES [THE LAW OF GOD] TO GIVE TO US, WHOM OUR FATHERS WOULD NOT OBEY, BUT REJECTED” (Acts 7:30, 35, 38-39).
The one who brought Israel out of Egypt was the ANGEL of the Lord – He is the One who spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, appeared to him in the bush, and who spoke to the Fathers, and who transmitted the Ten Commandments – the “Lively oracles” – to give to the children of Israel! But they refused to obey the Angel of the Lord, who was also a manifestation of God Himself to them.
Who was this great Angel?
Another Name — “Commander”
This great Angel also appeared to Joshua. After Israel had crossed the Jordan River, and partaken of the Passover, he appeared to Joshua.
“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’ So He said, ‘No, but as COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF THE LORD I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to him, ‘What does my Lord say to His servant?’ Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, ‘Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so” (Josh.5:13-15).
Here he is called “COMMANDER of the Army of the LORD”! He stands before
Joshua, and Joshua worships Him. This is no regular angel, but THE “Angel” of the LORD, whose presence makes the place HOLY. The passage goes on, “And the LORD said to Joshua . . .” (chap.6:2). This was the LORD Himself!
“Wonderful”
He also appeared to Manoah, the father of Samson. First, the “Angel of the
LORD appeared” to Manoah’s wife (Judges 13:3). She then said to her husband, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome” (verse 6). Manoah prayed to God to let the Man of God appear to them again (v.8), and the “Angel of the LORD” instructed them in raising their promised son. He asked the Angel His name, but the Angel said, “Why do you ask My name, seeing IT
IS WONDERFUL?” (v.18). When the Angel ascended in the flame of the altar, “then Manoah knew that he was the Angel of the LORD. And Manoah said to his wife, ‘We shall surely die, because we have SEEN GOD’” (Judges 13:22).
Notice! The Angel of the LORD is GOD! And His name is “Wonderful.” The
KJV has it “secret.” The Hebrew word is paliy, meaning “remarkable, secret, wonderful.” It is from the word pala, “to separate, distinguish, to be great, difficult, wonderful, marvelous.”
The same Hebrew word is found in a famous Scripture – notice!
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Saviour is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called, WONDERFUL [Hebrew, pele, from pala], Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, PRINCE of Peace” (Isa.9:6).
Thus the Angel of the LORD is revealed to be the MESSIAH – the pre-existent SAVIOR, the One who became the Christ, the Anointed Savior of the world!
He is the “Commander of the army of God.” He is a mighty Angel of war. He is the One who led Israel out of Egypt, performed mighty miracles of deliverance, and protected them on their journey to Mount Sinai and the Holy Land. He is a mighty “PRINCE” – the “Prince of peace.”
Who is He?
Notice that the archangel Michael has these very identical attributes! He is a “PRINCE” (Daniel 10:21), who stands up for Israel (same verse). He is “one of the CHIEF [first in rank] PRINCES” (Dan.10:13). He is “the GREAT PRINCE who stands watch over the sons of your people,” Israel (Dan.12:1).
The Angel of the LORD is “Wonderful”; one of Christ’s names is “Wonderful.” They are one and the same! The Messiah is also the
“Prince” of peace; Michael is also “the great Prince.” They are one and the same!
Michael is called an “archangel.” When Christ returns, He comes “with the voice of an archangel”! He is a great Prince; so is Michael; He is the head of the army of heaven; so is Michael; He is Commander of the army of God; so is Michael; He is the “Angel of the LORD”; so is Michael!
Michael, by definition, means “who is like GOD.” Christ is the One who is truly “LIKE GOD!” Notice! He is God’s very IMAGE!
For we read in the book of Hebrews that He is the very image of God! Notice!
“God, who in various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory and the EXPRESS IMAGE of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb.1:1-3).
Jesus Christ and Michael are the SAME individual – just two different names, stressing different aspects of His character!
Why People Misunderstand Who Christ Is
Christendom does not understand this great truth because it is grossly deceived, and believes in a Trinitarian Godhead. It believes Christ is the Second Member of the eternal Godhead. The world teaches that Christ and the Father are “co-equal and coeternal.” But read our articles on “Is God a Trinity?” and “The Trinity Doctrine.” They show the fallacy of this doctrine.
Christ Himself, however, puts the “lie” to this ancient belief. He plainly said that His Father is greater than He Himself! He declared, “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). He also spoke of the Father in plain terms, saying in prayer to Him, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, THE ONLY TRUE GOD, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).
Christ was the Angel of the LORD, the Angel of God the Father – the
“Messenger” of the Lord. He interacted with mankind, as the representative of the Father. The One who sends a Messenger is greater than the messenger. Christ declared,
“I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me” (John 7:28-29).
Christ said,, “My Father . . . is GREATER THAN ALL” (John 10:29), including therefore Christ Himself! He declared,”Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than His master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him” (John 13:16).
Christ declared, “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. . . Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak” (John 12:49-50). Again, the One who COMMANDS is greater than the one receiving the command!
Jesus said to the Jews, “I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things” (John 8:28). The Teacher is greater than the Student! He declared, “I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me” (John 8:42). Christ had His origin in God the Father, and came forth from Him – so the Father pre-existed the Logos – Christ! How clear!
The apostle Paul helps clear up the matter. He wrote, “Yet for us there is ONE GOD, THE FATHER, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST, through whom are all things, and through whom we live” (I Cor.8:6).
How, then, can the Angel of the Lord, or Christ the Messiah, also be called “God” and “LORD”? How, or when, did He also become “God”?
What is the answer to this great mystery?
The GOD Family
First, we have proven that the Father and Christ are NOT “equal.” The Father SENT Him, told Him what to SPEAK, and is GREATER than Christ. Yet, Christ is also “God.” The disciple Thomas, upon seeing proof of His resurrection, exclaimed to Him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
Paul gives us the answer! He wrote of Christ, “He is the IMAGE of the invisible GOD, the FIRSTBORN over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible . . . . All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell” (Col.1:15-19).
He was the FIRSTBORN – the FIRST of all CREATION – the first being that
Almighty God created! As John wrote in the book of Revelation, “These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD” (Rev.3:14).
The One who became Christ HAD A BEGINNING!
In the first chapter of John’s gospel we read, “In the beginning was the Word [Greek, Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3). The word Logos means, “something said,” “the divine expression,” “utterance, word, work.” It is from the word lego, meaning “to lay forth.” In other words, to have a “word,” someone must SPEAK the word, formulate the Word in His mind, and utter the Word. Thus Christ, the Word, originally came forth from God the Father, as His Word, Utterance, or Work. Therefore He has primacy in all
things, but always under the authority of the Father Himself.
At some time, before the Creation of the Universe, then, God the Father brought forth the individual, the Archangel, known as the LOGOS! He is the “Angel of the Lord,” “The Messenger of the Lord,” “the Angel,” “the Commander of the Army of God,” “Prince of Peace,” and has many other names – one of them being “Michael, the Great Prince”!
In other words, at some point in time BEFORE time itself was created, God the Father had a FIRSTBORN “SON”! As Paul wrote to the Hebrews, the Logos or One who became Christ “having become so much BETTER than the angels [all the other angelic beings], as He has by INHERITANCE obtained a more excellent NAME than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘You are MY SON, Today I have begotten You’? And again, ‘I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son’? But when He again brings the FIRSTBORN into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God WORSHIP Him’ . . . But to the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O GOD, is forever and
ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, YOUR GOD, has ANOINTED YOU with the oil of gladness MORE THAN YOUR COMPANIONS” (Heb.1:4-9, NKJV).
The Logos who became Christ, a human being, was first of all a SON OF GOD,
before Creation itself! Therefore He participated with the Father in the creation of all things, the entire Universe (John 1:1-3; Col.1:14-18; Heb.1:1-3). Therefore He is also called “God” and all the angels are commanded to worship Him (Heb.1:6).
Solomon wrote of this amazing truth. He declared, in Proverbs, “Who has
ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His NAME, and what is HIS SON’S NAME, if you know?” (Prov.30:4).
God the Father had a SON! Together they created the UNIVERSE!
Another name of His Son is “Wisdom.” We read of “Wisdom”:
“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, FROM THE BEGINNING, before there was ever an earth. When there were no depths, I WAS BROUGHT FORTH, when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was BROUGHT FORTH; while as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, or the primal dust of the world. When
he prepared the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep . . . . When He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I WAS BESIDE HIM AS A MASTER CRAFTSMAN; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of men” (Proverbs 8:22-31, NKJV).
This Great Being, the Logos, the first born or conceived and created of All God’s Creation, delighted in the Creation of mankind. He participated in all creation, “AS A MASTER CRAFTSMAN” or Master Builder.
That is why we read in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God [Hebrew, Elohim, a plural form, meaning “THE MIGHTY ONES”] created the heavens and the earth.” And we later read, in this same chapter, “Then God [Elohim] said, ‘Let US make man in OUR image, according to OUR likeness” (Gen.1:26). “So God created man in His own image; in the IMAGE OF GOD He created him; male and female He created them” (verse 27).
God first expanded His divine Family by having a Son – the Logos. Then they created mankind in THEIR OWN IMAGE – the image of GOD! Why? Because God is in the process of EXPANDING HIS OWN FAMILY!
He commanded mankind, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth, and subdue it; have DOMINION over . . . every living thing that moves on the earth” (verse 28).
But today, mankind is just in the physical image of God, with body and mind made of DUST. Yet is it God’s plan and desire to bring MORE SONS into the everlasting spiritual GOD FAMILY!
It all happens through Christ the Messiah. We read in Philippians:
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of GOD, did not consider it robbery to be equal [margin, “something to be held onto to be equal”] with God [in His very own spiritual image and likeness as His firstborn Son], but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And
being found in appearance as a man, He HUMBLED HIMSELF and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly EXALTED Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil.2:5-11).
Through the death and resurrection of the Messiah, Yeshua the Anointed One of God, we may have our sins forgiven, and receive the Holy Spirit of God, and be begotten of God, and grow in Christ and His spiritual image so that one day we, too, can become members of the very GOD FAMILY!
The Expanding Family Through Christ
Notice! Paul wrote:
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the SONS OF GOD. . . The Spirit Himself [or, itself] bears witness with our spirit
That we are CHILDREN OF GOD, and if children, then HEIRS – HEIRS OF GOD AND JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the GLORY which shall be revealed in us” (Rom.8:14-17).
God created mankind in His own image so that one day He can set him over all the works of His hands! As David wrote in the Psalms, “You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put ALL THINGS in subjection under his feet” (Heb.2:7-8, quoted from Psalm 8:4-6).
Paul goes on, “For in that he put ALL in subjection under him, He left out
NOTHING that is put under him. But NOW we DO NOT YET SEE ALL THINGS put
under him” (Heb.2:8).
As Ferrar Fenton puts it, “But if He subjected all, He could leave nothing
unsubjected to him. However, we do not yet now see all subject to him” And Moffatt has it, “Now by putting all things under him, the writer meant to leave NOTHING outside his control. But, as it is, we do not yet see all things controlled by man.”
“All things” means “ALL THINGS” – LITERALLY! It means THE UNIVERSE AND ALL CREATION!
Can your mind grasp, comprehend, and encompass the awesome PLAN God has
in store for those who love and serve Him faithfully, and who endure trials and tests to the very end?
WE WILL RULE THE UNIVERSE, as CO-HEIRS with CHRIST Himself!
All the planets, all the galaxies, all the splendors of Creation! Everything in space and time!
As Paul wrote,
“But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the END, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father . . . . For He has put all things under His feet. But when He says, ‘All things are put under Him,’ it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, Then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (I Cor..15:23-28).
What a glorious Plan! What an awesome Calling!
What a tremendous Eternity in store for the beloved and obedient!
Adam Clarke’s Commentary
The Adam Clarke Commentary has much to say about “Michael the archangel,”
mentioned in Jude 9, where Jude relates,
“Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The LORD rebuke you!’”
Notice what Clarke has to say:
“Verse 9. Yet Michael the archangel] Of this personage many things are spoken in the Jewish writings. ‘Rabbi Judah Hakkodesh says: “Whenever Michael is said to appear, the glory of the Divine Majesty is to be understood.”’ Shemoth Rabba, sec.ii, fol.104, 3. So that it seems as if they considered Michael in some sort as we do the Messiah manifested in the flesh.”
Clarke continues:
“Let it be observed that the word archangel is never found in the plural number in the sacred writings. There can be properly only one archangel, ONE CHIEF OR HEAD OF ALL THE ANGELIC HOST. Nor is the word devil, as applied to the great enemy of mankind, ever found in the plural; there can be but one monarch of all fallen spirits. Michael is this archangel, and head of all the angelic orders; the devil, great dragon, or Satan, is head of all the diabolic orders. When these two hosts are opposed to each other they are said to act under these two chiefs, as leaders; hence in Rev.12:7, it is said: ‘MICHAEL and his angels fought against the DRAGON and his angels. The word Michael seems to be composed of mi, who, ke, like, and El, God; he who is like God; hence by this personage, in the Apocalypse, many understand
` THE LORD JESUS” (vol.3, page 953).
Adam Clarke goes on, “It may be added, that the Jews consider Michael and
Samael, one as the friend, the other as the enemy, of Israel. Samael is their accuser,
Michael their advocate. ‘Michael and Samael stand before the Lord; Satan accuses, but Michael shows the merits of Israel. Satan endeavors to speak, but Michael silences him: Hold thy tongue, says he, and let us hear what the Judge determines; for it is written, He will speak to his people, and to his saints; Psalm 55:9.’ Shemoth Rabba, sec.xviii, fol.117, 3” (ibid.).
Michael and Lucifer
Michael and Lucifer contended or fought over the body of Moses. They will fight at the end time when war erupts in heaven one final time. They have been enemies – primordial foes – down through the ages. If Michael were over the devil in authority, at that time, then why did he call upon the LORD to rebuke him, instead of putting him down himself? The answer is God the Father has placed Lucifer, an anointed cherubim, the highest order of angels, over the earth as a king (Isaiah 14:13 – note that Lucifer has a
“throne” below heaven, on the earth). But Lucifer, perfect in all his ways from his creation, chose to REBEL against God and led one third of the angels in a plot to take over the Universe, or to at least make himself co-equal with God (Isaiah 14:12-14; Rev.12:4).
Lucifer was one of only TWO cherubims who were “anointed” by the Father,
receiving a special dispensation of His Spirit and power (Ezek.28:12-14). He was one of the TWO cherubim who covered – protected – God’s Throne (verse 14). The other One was the Logos – the One who became Jesus Christ – the One whose name was also “Michael”!
This ancient reality is depicted in the two mysterious cherubim who “covered” the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat in the ancient Tabernacle and later the Temple of God. Moses was told: “And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. . . you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it OF ONE PIECE with the mercy seat” (see Exo.25:17-21).
These two were unique in all the Universe! They were composed of pure gold at the end of the Mercy Seat, depicting the Throne of God, and yet they were “of one piece with the mercy seat” (Exo.25:19). They protected the throne of God. They faced each other. In the beginning they were “equal” – like siblings or brothers. They were the two “PRINCES” CLOSEST TO GOD of all beings in all Creation!
Their character was shaped by being “hammered” – that is, put through fiery trials – and one became the essence of humility and obedience, and the other one at some point became lifted up, proud, and became disobedient (Ezek.28:14-15, 17). Showing their original “equality” with each other, they were depicted alike, facing one another (Exo.25:20). They were both “princes.” The Logos or Messiah was the “Prince of Peace” (Isa.9:6), the coming “Prince” (Ezek.44:3), “Prince and Saviour”
(Acts 5:30-31) and the “Prince of life” (Acts 3:15). Lucifer, who became Satan, was “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph.2:2), the “prince of this world” (John 14:30, 16:11), and “prince of demons” (Matt.12:24, Mark 3:22).
Both of them are also characterized as “morning stars” (Isaiah 14:12; II Pet.1:19; Rev.22:16).
The point of this is, Lucifer and the Logos were created by God the Father, and at the time of Moses, the Logos had not yet become Christ our Saviour, and had not yet triumphed over the Devil; therefore, as Jude writes, when contesting with the devil, he called on God the Father to REBUKE him! When Lucifer was cast out of heaven ages ago (Isaiah 14), it was God the Father who threw him out, for Christ said to His disciples,
“I saw [as one watching the event] Satan fall as lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18).
“Chief Archangel”
The same Bible Commentary, on the book of Daniel, is also most interesting. The angel Gabriel relates to Daniel that when the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood opposing him, Michael came to help him (Dan.11:13).
Adam Clarke continues:
“But lo Michael] Gabriel, who speaks, did not leave Cyrus till Michael
came to take his place. Michael, he who is like God, sometimes appears
to signify the Messiah, at other times the highest or chief archangel.
Indeed, there is no archangel mentioned in the whole Scripture but this
one” (vol.2, page 606).
Even Adam Clarke, a believer in the Trinity, recognized that Michael seems to refer to the Messiah. If he had understood that Christ Himself was originally a created Archangel, then he would have understood fully the identity of this mysterious personage!
In II Enoch, the patriarch says, “And Michael, the LORD’s greatest archangel, lifted me up . . .” (II Enoch 22:6).
“Stand Up” – “Arise!”
Michael was considered the Guardian of the Jewish or Israelite people. As such, Daniel 12:1 says he will “STAND UP” when a time of great trouble comes upon the people of Israel, during the time of the End!
Question: Who is going to “STAND UP” when Israel is threatened to be
devoured by all her enemies? Who will Israel call upon?
Answer: “But the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon
you. The Gentiles will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:2-3).
“RISE UP, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You” (Numbers 10:35).
“Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; lift Yourself up because of the rage of my
enemies; RISE UP for me to the judgment You have commanded” (Psalm 7:6).
“Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble” (Psalm
10:12).
“Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? ARISE! Do not cast us off forever”
(Psalm 44:23).
“Arise, O God, judge the earth; for You shall inherit all nations” (Psalm 82:8).
It is Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, who will rise up to SAVE His people, in the coming day of travail and trouble! He is the true Guardian of Israel – their Protector and Deliverer! “Behold, the day of the LORD is coming . . . For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women
ravished. . . . Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He FIGHTS in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives” (Zech.14:1-4).
“Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with You” (verse 5).
“I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously! . . . The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is His name” (Exo.15:1-3).
“The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies” (Isaiah 42:13).
Michael leads the angels of God IN BATTLE against the Devil (Rev.12:7). He
defeats him in a mighty heavenly conflict. But who else can defeat the Devil but the Christ of God?
Notice! It is the LORD Yeshua who is the HEAD or CAPTAIN of the armies of
the LORD! It is He who will lead His armies to battle in the End Time, as He returns from heaven to punish the wicked and ungodly, and to deliver His people from death, captivity, and the sword.
The apostle John declares:
“Now I saw heaven opened, and, behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And THE ARMIES IN HEAVEN, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Rev.19:11-15).
It is only reasonable to conclude that the mighty Warrior, Christ, who leads the angelic armies to fight the nations at His return, is also the same individual who fought the devil and his angels in the heavenly, cosmic conflict, and defeated them!
Therefore, Michael and Christ must be one and the same! There cannot be two captains of the hosts of the LORD! There cannot be TWO commanders of the heavenly hosts of God! Only Christ is also named Yahveh-Sabaoth – “the LORD of Armies” or “Hosts”! (I Sam.1:3, et al.).
Only ONE Qualified Intercessor
According to Jewish lore, Michael is the intercessor for the Jewish people, and Israel. Says the “Testament of Dan,” speaking of Michael:
“And now fear the Lord, my children, be on guard against Satan and his spirits. Draw near to God and to the angel who intercedes for you, because he is the MEDIATOR between God and men for the peace of Israel. He shall stand in OPPOSITION to the kingdom of the enemy.
“. . . This angel of PEACE will strengthen Israel so that it will not
succumb to an evil destiny” (Testament of the Patriarchs, Dan 6-1-5).
This angel says to the patriarch Levi,
“I am the angel who makes intercession for the nation Israel, that they might not be beaten” (Testament of Levi, 5:6).
This angel is linked to the archangel Michael. In I Enoch we read,
“Michael, one of the holy angels, for (he is) obedient in his benevolence
over the people and the nations” (I Enoch 20:5).
In the book of Jubilees, in the Old Testament Pseudopigrapha, volume 2, Michael is called “the angel of the presence” (Jub.1:27), “And the angel of the presence, who went before the camp of Israel” (1:29). But if Michael is the intercessor for Israel, the people of God, then what do we do with the testimony of Peter and Paul?
Peter declared of Jesus Christ, “Nor is there salvation [deliverance] in any other, for there is NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN given among men by which we must be saved [delivered]” (Acts 4:12).
As Paul wrote, “For there is one God and ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (I Timothy 2:5-6).
There can be only ONE intercessor! And Paul made it clear who that intercessor is, when he wrote: “But He [Christ], because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through HIM, since He always lives to make INTERCESSION for them. For such a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless [innocent], undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens” (Heb.7:24-26).
Christ is the true intercessor, and mediator, for man before God the Father, as it is He who died to pay the price for our sins and transgressions – who gave His life for us! And now He is our “High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Heb.8:1).
“He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. . . . For Christ has not entered the holy place made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Heb.9:24).
Therefore, Christ Jesus and Michael must be ONE AND THE SAME INDIVIDUAL, under two different names! Michael, the Guardian and Intercessor for God’s people, is another name of Jesus Christ, Yeshua, the only true Guardian,
Intercessor and Mediator for God’s people! As the Scriptures show, Christ has MANY names and wears many crowns and diadems (Rev.19:12, 13, 16).
God’s Wonderful Revelation
How exciting – how wonderful – how clear the truth of God really is, when He reveals it to us! The Plan and Purpose of God is way past man’s imaginings – way beyond his uttermost thoughts and ideas!
As Paul exclaimed, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it should be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Rom.11:33-36).
“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (I Cor.2:9-10).
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