Is Jesus the angel Michael?
Question 3054
Some groups, notably the Jehovah’s Witnesses, teach that Jesus is actually the archangel Michael. They argue that Jesus is a created being, the first and greatest of God’s creations, but not truly God in the fullest sense. This teaching strikes at the very heart of who Jesus is. If he is merely an angel, however exalted, then he is not the eternal Son of God, and the Gospel collapses. So we need to examine this claim carefully from Scripture.
The Jehovah’s Witness Position
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that before Jesus came to earth, he existed as Michael the archangel. They point to passages like Daniel 10:13, where Michael is called “one of the chief princes,” and Daniel 12:1, where Michael is described as the great prince who protects God’s people. They also appeal to Jude 9, which calls Michael “the archangel,” and to 1 Thessalonians 4:16, where the Lord descends “with the voice of an archangel.” They conclude that Jesus and Michael are the same person.
This teaching follows from their rejection of the Trinity. Because they deny that Jesus is fully God, they must explain his exalted status in some other way. Identifying him as the highest angel accomplishes this. But the reasoning is fundamentally flawed, and the Scriptures contradict it at every turn.
Jesus Is Not an Angel
The book of Hebrews addresses this question directly. The opening chapter is devoted to demonstrating that Jesus is superior to the angels. The argument would be pointless if Jesus were himself an angel. The writer asks, “For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’?” (Hebrews 1:5). The expected answer is none. God never said this to any angel. But he said it to Jesus.
Again, “And let all God’s angels worship him” (Hebrews 1:6). The angels are commanded to worship Jesus. But angels do not worship other angels. When John fell down to worship an angel in Revelation, he was firmly rebuked: “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God” (Revelation 19:10; 22:8–9). Angels refuse worship and direct it to God alone. Yet all the angels worship Jesus. This can only mean that Jesus is God.
Hebrews continues: “Of the angels he says, ‘He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.’ But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever'” (Hebrews 1:7–8). Notice the contrast. Angels are servants, created beings who do God’s bidding. But the Son is addressed as God and his throne is eternal. The distinction could not be clearer.
The Evidence from Daniel
In Daniel 10, Michael appears as a powerful angelic prince. But notice what the passage actually says. Michael is described as “one of the chief princes” (Daniel 10:13). The Hebrew phrase אַחַד הַשָּׂרִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים (echad hasarim harishonim) indicates that Michael is one among a group. He is not absolutely unique. He is one of the chief princes, implying there are others of similar rank. But Jesus is utterly unique. He is the “only begotten” Son, μονογενής (monogenēs), meaning the one and only of his kind (John 1:14, 18; 3:16).
In Daniel 10:21, Michael is referred to as “your prince,” the prince associated with Israel. This fits the role of a guardian angel assigned to God’s people. In Daniel 12:1, Michael will arise at the time of the great tribulation to protect Israel. This is consistent with angelic ministry but does not require Michael to be Jesus.
The “Voice of an Archangel”
The Jehovah’s Witnesses place great weight on 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.” They argue that since Jesus descends with the voice of an archangel, he must be the archangel.
But this does not follow. The verse lists three elements: a cry of command, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God. If having the voice of an archangel makes Jesus an archangel, then by the same logic, having the trumpet of God would make Jesus the trumpet. The verse is describing the manner of his coming, not his identity. When a king arrives with heralds and trumpeters, the heralds and trumpeters are not the king. Jesus arrives with angelic and divine accompaniment befitting his majesty.
Jesus Is the Creator of Angels
Colossians 1:16 states plainly: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him.” The terms “thrones,” “dominions,” “rulers,” and “authorities” refer to angelic beings in their various ranks. Jesus created them all. He cannot be one of them because he made them.
John’s Gospel agrees: “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). There is no exception. Everything that was made, was made through the Word. If Jesus were a created angel, he would have made himself, which is absurd. The only coherent position is that Jesus is the uncreated Creator.
Angels Are Servants; Jesus Is Lord
Hebrews makes a final contrast: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). Angels are servants. They minister to believers. But Jesus is the one who accomplished salvation. He is not a servant in the same sense; he is the Lord whom angels serve.
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, “angels came and were ministering to him” (Matthew 4:11). After his agony in Gethsemane, “there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43). Angels serve Jesus. They do not serve their equals; they serve their Lord.
Conclusion
The idea that Jesus is the archangel Michael contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture. Hebrews 1 demonstrates that Jesus is superior to all angels and is worshipped by them. He is called God; they are called servants. He created all things, including the angelic hosts. He is not one of the chief princes; he is the Lord of all. The Jehovah’s Witness teaching on this point is a serious error that diminishes the person of Christ and denies his full deity. Jesus is not an angel. He is the eternal Son of God, one with the Father, worthy of all worship and praise.
“But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of your kingdom.'” Hebrews 1:8
