One of the most notorious teachings of the Jehovah's witnesses is that Jesus Christ may also be identified as Michael the Archangel, as they have so eloquently put it:
"[Michael] having his life-force transferred to Mary’s egg cell by Almighty God’s power that overshadowed Mary meant that he, Michael, disappeared from heaven."[1]
However, in 1877, less than two years before the birth of “Zion’s Watch Tower,” Jehovah's witness' claimed founder Charles Russell had written that there is not the slightest Scriptural ground to oppose the fact that Christ was currently present “and that Michael, his assistant, has also again returned to the earth.”[2] He later taught that Christ and Michael have been present on the earth since 1879, the second (yet not final) year offered by the Society and their predecessors for the Parousia, or “invisible presence” of Christ. The earliest Watch Tower publications emphasized Christ’s distinction from Michael, stating that Jesus is “the very chief of God’s creation, higher than angels and archangels.”[3] In fact, until June of 1883, the Society maintained that Christ was the subject of Michael the Archangels’ worship. Pastor Russell and his assistant J. H. Paton held great reverence for Christ. In a July of 1879 publication, Hebrews 1:6 was referenced with the assertion that Michael is included among Christ's worshipers:
“He of whom it was said, ‘Let all the angels of God worship him,’ [that must include Michael,]”[4] (brackets original)
Shortly later in a published article entitled “The Name of Jesus,” among other citations presented as proof that Christ is also God, they wrote:
“Hence it is said, ‘Let all the angels of God worship him’; [that must include Michael, the chief angel, hence Michael is not the Son of God] and the reason is, because he has ‘by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they.’ Michael or Gabriel are perhaps grander names than Jesus, though Jesus is grand in its very simplicity, but the official character of the Son of God as Saviour and King is the inheritance from his Father, which is far superior to theirs, for it pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell.”[5] (brackets original)
But who were they writing to? For what reason would they choose to make this point? His rebuttal would seem an odd demand unless he were confronted with the contention that the Archangel Michael is Jesus Christ. Many have assumed that the current belief regarding Michael the Archangel within the Society must be one of the adoptions which the early Society had taken from the writings of William Miller, founder of the Seventh Day Adventists, as Miller admittedly did have a great influence upon Pastor Russell and his associates. This teaching, however, is considerably older; the origin of this doctrine is ascribable to two of the most influential Protestant reformers: Martin Luther (1483-1546) and John Calvin (1509-1564). Soon afterward came the Geneva Study Bible (1560) which was rooted in the theology of the reformers, including the doctrine which claims that Michael was the pre-incarnate Son of God.[6] The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, citing Lutheran theologian Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg, writes:
"The earlier Protestant scholars usually identified Michael with the preincarnate Christ, finding support for their view, not only in the juxtaposition of the 'child' and the archangel in Rev 12, but also in the attributes ascribed to him in Dnl."
While the reformers and those thereafter identified Michael the Archangel as the pre-incarnate Christ, this teaching was inconceivable before the Deuterocanonicals, which describe other archangels, were removed from the Protestant canon and sent to the back of their Bible under the heading “Apocrypha”; a term which is often misinterpreted to mean “false teachings.” Consequently, there have been many to follow in the footsteps of the reformers concerning Michael the Archangel's identity. For example, Francis Turretin (1623-1687) was an adamant defender of Calvinistic Orthodoxy and was referred to by John Gerstner as "the most precise theologian in the Calvinistic tradition." While holding Calvin's view of Michael the Archangel, his writings were used as the standard textbook in Princeton’s Theological Seminary until replaced by Charles Hodge’s, Systematic Theology in the late nineteenth century.
The highly respected Biblical Commentator and Presbyterian minister Matthew Henry (1662-1714) also embraced this doctrine, as did equally respected Biblical scholar and Baptist pastor John Gill (1697-1771). Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758), a convert from the Presbyterian Church and valedictorian of Yale University who had become known as the first “New Light Calvinist” (New England Baptist) held this belief as well. These are but a few of the God-fearing and highly intelligent men to believe that reference to “Michael the Archangel” was similarly reference to the Son of God, though Scripture does not offer support for such teaching, apart from a flawed understanding of the concept of theophanies (see, "The Eternal Word"). The key difference is that the patriarchs, Christ, and His disciples demanded identification of the Son of God with the God who was seen and heard in the Old Testament Scriptures. Positive identification is significant, and at times considerably important to the Society as well. In Should You Believe in the Trinity they firmly assert:
“The fact is that Jesus is not God and never claimed to be.”[7]
Who did Christ claim to be? His identity was a topic of discussion 2,000 years ago throughout Jerusalem and remains a controversial question today. You have seen some examples of the many Christians who have taught that Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel, but never before has this been used as a case against His deity, not excluding the writings of the earlier Society. For the Society today to attempt to use this as a rebuttal against Christ's Godhood, there are inconsistent and contradictory claims which have seen little or no attempt at reconciliation. For example, in a 1992 article they wrote:
“Search as you may, never will you read that Jesus claimed to be God… He was a very special person. This was because he had previously lived as a spirit person with God in heaven, yes, as an angel, identified in the Bible as the archangel. (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 9)"[8]
To summarize, they allege that Jesus never claimed to be God only to identify Him as “the archangel,” though they readily admit elsewhere that “on earth it was not even hinted at that [Jesus] had been Michael in heaven.”[9] While claiming that He is an archangel, although notably aware that it was never even hinted at in His lifetime, they inadvertently admit a likelihood that Christ does not have to say “I am God” to identify Him as God. Despite this fact, they have developed different standards to justify their unique system of beliefs.
The Watchtower Society hasn't exactly proven itself an authority in determining the identity of Michael the Archangel, let alone that of Jesus Christ. The December 1879 issue of Zion’s Watch Tower contains a detailed summary of Revelation chapter 12 in which they teach that the “Michael” mentioned in verse 7 is not the same Michael as we find in Daniel chapter 12 as this occurrence in the book of Daniel is said to be “literal.” In fact, we are taught that the Book of Revelation makes reference to a “symbolic” Michael, the reason given is that “the woman, dragon, tail, stars, horns, etc., are all symbols, and it would be out of order to have a real Michael fight a symbolic dragon.” Again, this is not the “real Michael” but “the Man of Sin” with the name meaning, “who as God.” Hence it is only natural that he is the Antichrist who cast the dragon out of heaven in 752 A.D. To be clear, it was said to be this Michael, the antichrist (although teachings of the Society today point this Scripture to Christ) who sits on the throne of the Roman Catholic Pope, in Revelation chapter 12:
"’Michael and his angels’--the papacy and its supporters--fought against the dragon--pagan rulers, etc.,-- and the great dragon was cast out of heaven.”[10]
Thirty-eight years later in Finished Mystery released by 'Judge' Rutherford, the author expounds further upon Russell's teaching in stating that Michael’s angels as described in Revelation are the Catholic bishops. The “loud voice in heaven” (Rev. 12:10) was metaphorically a voice which actually occurred “in the Roman Catholic Church,” and where we read in this same verse of “the Kingdom of God and of His Christ,” J.F. Rutherford was the first to admit that it is not his God whom John spoke of. However, he believed that John meant to refer to the papacy as “God” and the pope as “Christ.”[11] According to a 1981 Watchtower publication, this teaching was prevalent until “cleared up” in 1925 when “a striking flash of light shone on the book of Revelation with the publication of the article ‘Birth of the Nation’ in The Watch Tower.” In other words, it took God eight years to show them what Christendom had maintained all along: the “Michael” of Revelation chapter 12 is not the anti-christ.
While the above teaching may have been cleared up, they continue to offer statements about Michael with little or no foundation on fact. In a 2002 Awake! Magazine, the Society had claimed that:
“Aside from Michael, no archangel is mentioned in the Bible, nor do the Scriptures use the term ‘archangel’ in the plural. The Bible describes Michael as the archangel, implying that he alone bears that designation.”[12]
This statement is misleading. While the term “archangel” appears only twice within the Scriptures, only once does it positively identify Michael. It is from that one instance that they assume the archangel referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 must be this same being, although there we merely find reference to the Lord arriving with “the voice of an archangel”; there is no evidence that this archangel is also Michael. On the contrary, a reference to "an archangel" rather than "the archangel" tends to imply the existence of others. However, the Society places focus on the one instance where we do find the definite article "the" attached to the term “archangel” and, despite 1 Thessalonians 4:16, writes:
“Notice that Michael is called the archangel. This suggests that there is only one such angel.”[13]
The use of the definite article does not positively suggest only one archangel as the Society teaches. Consider for example a common phrase throughout the Watchtower publications: “Satan the devil.” If we were to apply the same terms towards this title as the Society has applied to the title “Michael the Archangel,” we must conclude that there exists no other. However, the Watchtower Society has also written that “Satan the Devil and his demon angels have been thrown out of the holy heavens” only to claim further that “these ousted devils are furious at this” [14] (emphasis mine). Similarly, the Society’s use of the term “Paul the apostle”[15] would never lead one to suggest that he is the sole apostle, and speaking of “Jeremiah the prophet” (Jeremiah 34:6) certainly does not imply that Jeremiah was the only prophet. Haggai is described as “the messenger of Jehovah” (Haggai 1:13) though we do not receive this as though she was the only messenger. If we were to replace “Michael” and “the archangel” in the above statement with “Moses” and “the servant of Jehovah” (i.e., Joshua 12:6), we could see how forced the claim truly is:
Notice that Moses is called the servant of Jehovah. This suggests that there is only one servant of Jehovah.
On the contrary, the title “Michael the archangel” may exist for multiple reasons. The first reason, as suggested by blogger Stephen E. Jones,[16] may be to distinguish him from other Michael's such as Michael the son of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 21:2), Michael the son of Jeshishai (1 Chronicles 5:14), Michael the son of Izrahiah (1 Chronicles 7:3), Michael the son of Beriah (1Chronicles 8:16), etc.; in fact the Society points out that “there are ten men in the nation of Israel who were listed with the name Michael.”[17] The Old Testament does not give an account of Michael’s dispute with the devil, if Jude had not differentiated when stating that the devil had a dispute with ‘Michael the Archangel,’ we would be left to wonder which Michael he meant.
Another reason that Jude may have specified Michael’s title along with his name is that the context of his letter demands it. Jude is reaching out to fellow believers, warning them of ungodly men who have turned the grace of God into a license for immorality (vs. 4). After giving evidence that the Lord will render punishment, he refers to these ungodly men as “dreamers” (vs. 8) who “speak abusively” of dignities (vs. 8; Cf. 2 Peter 2:10), however:
“when Mi′cha·el the archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms” (Jude 9).
It is not at all surprising that the only occurrence of the title “Michael the archangel” is found in this particular verse which follows Jude’s description of ungodly men who had taken it upon themselves to judge and slander those who were placed in power by God. Some believe that they had dared to slander the angels and the governments, although man is described previously as but “a maggot” and “a worm” (Job 25:6). Jude’s point seems relatively straightforward: what authority do these ungodly maggots have to speak abusively against God’s holy angels? To better illustrate, Michael, one of the highest principalities or “dignities,” did not even “dare to bring a slanderous accusation” (NIV) against the prince of all of the ungodly:
“Yet these [men] are speaking abusively of all the things they really do not know; but all the things that they do understand naturally like the unreasoning animals.” (Jude 10; brackets original)
Jude’s point was emphasized by including Michael’s position as an archangel, just as the Society’s point could not be misunderstood while including his role, or title, in the following situation:
“Thus we read of an angelic messenger’s being sent from Jehovah to Daniel, who, en route, was waylaid by a demon prince for twenty-one days, until Michael the prince rescued this messenger so that he was able to proceed to Daniel on earth.”[18] (emphasis mine)
Referencing Michael as “Michael the prince” stems from Daniel’s identification, though Daniel references him at one time as “one of the chief princes” (Daniel 10:13), again implying others who are of equal rank. It is clear that the Society merely pointed out his role as Michael, the prince because it was necessary to describe this action which he took when assisting the Archangel Gabriel in subduing the demon prince of Medo-Persia.
It is worthy to note that only one chapter in the entire New Testament is authored by Jude, the only author to reveal Michael as "Michael the Archangel." In this chapter he references the non-canonical Book of Enoch in verse 14 (Cf. 1 Enoch 60:8) only to offer a word for word quote of Enoch 1:9-15; not necessarily implying that the Book of Enoch was inspired, but at least acknowledging that he was familiar with it and found it to contain reliable references. What is interesting is that nowhere in the Old Testament did Jude find a reference to any such “archangel.” There is the reference to Michael as one of the “chief” (Greek: arche) “princes” in Daniel 10:13, but again there are no references to an arch “angel.” We may, however, find a record of Michael identified as an archangel in the Book of Enoch; although, Enoch had referred to him as “the angel Michael [note: not the only angel, but], one of the archangels” (1 Enoch 71:3; emphasis mine).
The first 36 chapters of Enoch are known as “The Book of the Watchers.” The Watchers are the seven “holy angels” which in Enoch 20:1-8 are named: Raguel, Remiel, Saraqâêl, Gabriel, Michael, Uriel (Cf. 2 Esdras 4:36, “Uriel the Archangel”), and Raphael (Cf. “The Book of Tobit”). To this day, these are known as the seven archangels in Jewish tradition. The Byzantine tradition and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church acknowledge these seven as well, as these churches accept the Book of Enoch in their canon of Scripture. Numerous commentators view "the seven angels who stand before God" in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 8:2) as a reference to the seven archangels. Though many ancient and modern apologists from the Roman Catholic Church recognize seven archangels, only the three mentioned in the canon of Scripture are identified officially by name (Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael). The number seven, however, is likely determined from a combination of the seven angels of Revelation 8:2 and the testimony of the Archangel in the Book of Tobit who identifies himself as "one of the seven holy angels” (Tobit 12:15; KJV).
The exact number of archangels which J.F. Rutherford professed belief in is uncertain. After the adoption of the Michael/Jesus doctrine, he authorized Finished Mystery, a work by C.J. Woodworth and George Fisher, and published that the heavenly beings consist of "angels, archangels, and the Great Company"; in Creation (1927) he wrote that "Archangel is the name given to some of God’s spirit Creatures." While countless scholars and apologetic authors believe Christ to be Michael the Archangel, there are a few prominent Protestant authors who stand for reason: Jamiesson, Faussett, Brown, and Albert Barnes (1798-1870). Barnes was a Presbyterian minister and theologian, a graduate of Hamilton College and Princeton Theological Seminary, and he noted that:
"the word [archangel] is not found in the Septuagint, and the only archangel, therefore, which is named in the Scriptures, is Michael; Jde 1:9; compare Revelation 12:7. Seven angels, however, are referred to in the Scriptures as having an eminence above others, and these are commonly regarded as archangels. Revelation 8:2, 'and I saw the seven angels which stood before God.' One of these is supposed to be referred to in the Book of Tobit, 12:15, 'I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One.' The names of three only of the seven are mentioned in the Jewish writings: Michael, the patron of the Jewish nation, Daniel 10:13, Daniel 10:21; Daniel 12:1. Gabriel, Daniel 8:16; Daniel 9:21; compare Luke 1:19, Luke 1:26. Raphael, Tobit 3:17; 5:4; 8:2; 9:1, 5; 12:15."[19]
The early Christian writers often referred to the Book of Enoch as “Scripture” due to the obvious influence which the book held over the apostles; thus, partnered with the multiple references which the Scriptures did make towards seven holy angels (Tobit 12:15; Revelation 8:2, 6; 15:1, 6-8; 16:1; 17:1; 21:9), they recognized all seven angels named in Enoch as archangels. Today, however, the Churches which still maintain the Deuterocanonicals generally recognize only the last three explicitly as archangels as the Book of Enoch is not counted among sacred Scriptures. It is fascinating that the only verse in the entire Bible which specifically refers to Michael as an archangel is penned by the same man who quoted directly from this Book of Enoch.
Some suppose that Jude intended to reference Zechariah 3:2 in quoting Michael's response to Satan regarding the body of Moses, “may Jehovah rebuke you” (Jude 9). On the contrary, the situation which Zechariah described does not contain an argument between Michael and Satan over the body of Moses, but Origen did refer to an apocryphal book called “The Assumption of Moses” [20] (Αναληψις του Μωσεως) which he stated did contain this very dispute. Unfortunately, this book did not survive.[21] Regardless, the New World Translation points toward Zechariah 3:2 as a cross reference, and with a very important purpose. Zechariah described a dispute over Satan’s accusations against Joshua, the high priest who stood beside Satan and before the Angel of Jehovah. With wording akin to the account in Jude, when Satan was about to accuse Joshua, Jehovah said, “Jehovah rebuke you.” That Jehovah appears to have spoken on behalf of Jehovah has provoked much discussion and even led St. Jerome to reason that “this they so explain, that the Father and the Son is Lord, as we read in Psalm 110:1-7, ‘The Lord said unto my Lord…’"[22] In the 1984 New World Translation however, we find an addition to this verse in Zechariah, an alteration which, when partnered with Jude 9 (as is often the case), paves the way for the most precise connection to identify Michael as the Son of God:
“Then [the angel of] Jehovah said to Satan: “Jehovah rebuke you.”
The 2013 revised New World Translation has not removed the addition which they made to this verse, though they did remove the brackets which were intended to reveal that the words "the angel of" are not found within their source text. Michael is also absent from the source text. Zechariah does not suggest that Michael is “[the angel of] Jehovah,” but that the Angel of Jehovah is Jehovah, Himself (see, “The Eternal Word”). Though it is certain that it was the Angel of Jehovah who had spoken, the source text simply refers to Him as "Jehovah," a fact which the New World Translation Committee refuses to reveal. Within this alteration, they hope to secure their position that the Angel of Jehovah, like Michael the Archangel, is incapable of rebuking the devil. As St. Jerome notes, Jehovah does not imply that He “cannot rebuke, but that, from the unity of nature, when the other rebuketh, He Himself who speaketh rebuketh.”[23] That this is an accurate portrayal of how God functions, “The Eternal Word” post references numerous instances in which Jehovah spoke to or of “Jehovah.” Whether Jehovah stood upon the earth and spoke in the third Person, or whether Jehovah the Son was calling upon His Father Jehovah to rebuke Satan in His stead, this passage does not correlate with Jude’s account of the dispute between Michael and Satan. The Society however writes:
"The full force of Jude’s condemnation of rebellious ones, incidentally, becomes apparent when we note that not even Jesus Christ, the highest of all God’s creatures, dared render abusive judgment upon the Devil but said: 'May Jehovah rebuke you.'—Jude 9; Zech. 3:2.”[24]
To suggest that Christ is somehow incapable or unwilling to rebuke the devil is not reflective of the Scriptures; "Jesus rebuked the devil" in Matthew 17:18 (Cf. KJV). He has described the devil as a murderer (John 8:44) and stated that in him there is no truth; He called him a liar, even "the father of lies" (John 8:44). As the Judge of the world and all that is in it, Christ will condemn all that is wicked. He will rebuke all that is unholy. According to The Biblical Illustrator, “the term rebuke implies far more than correction or admonition : it means to censure… we take it to indicate that God only has the power of final decision”[25]; compare to Revelation 2:23 in which Jesus declares that He will strike dead the children of Babylon so that all will know that it is He who searches the heart and the mind to repay each according to their deeds. Indeed, He would not refrain from rebuking Satan regarding the body of Moses; but this was an incident between Michael and Satan, not Jesus and Satan.
Regarding the above reference to our Creator Jesus Christ as a creature, even "the highest of all God's creatures," there are a few points to be made. To begin, the Society has inferred that Jesus is a creation numerous times in an effort to substantiate the way in which He could be a mere, yet powerful archangel. For instance, in 1958 they wrote:
"Further, note his title 'archangel'... The prefix 'arch' means 'chief, principal, great.' Certainly both before his coming to earth as a man and since his return to heaven he is the chief or principal one of all God’s spirit creatures or angels. Trinitarians may consider this a downgrading of the 'Second Person of the Trinity,' but if we accept the Scriptural testimony that Jesus was 'the beginning of the creation by God,' and 'the firstborn of all creation,' we will have no diffidence about applying to him the term archangel.—Rev. 3:19; Col. 1:15."[26]
Although they pinpoint Revelation 3:14 (rather than Revelation 3:19 as was cited) as a proof text to infer that Jesus is a created being, the Greek is far more revealing than the New World Translation text which reads, "the beginning of the creation by God." The word which is here translated as "beginning" is ἀρχή (archē) and it contains the very same root as "archangel"; it is also the word which was defined above by the Society as "chief, principal, great" suggesting that Jesus is not God’s first creation, but that He is the chief, or principal over creation; He is our Lord. This same word is translated numerous times in the New World Translation as "government" (1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 3:10, 6:12; Titus 3:1, etc.), and in some translations this same word has been translated as "principalities"[27] (Cf. Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 2:10), though Colossians 1:15-16 declares that all principalities (archē) are the creation of the Son. The Son must therefore be excluded from those over whom He is the principal, or head.
The Society also insists that the term “arch” refers to one alone. They have stated that “the prefix ‘arch,’ meaning ‘chief’ or ‘principal,’ implies that there is only one archangel, the chief angel,”[28] yet this is not necessarily the case. To illustrate, a 1960 Watchtower states:
“Jehovah is the chiefest Prince, and with Him his Son Michael is 'one of the chief princes.'”[29]
Evidently “chief” no longer suggests one and only; and apparently when the Society runs out of explanations, they just make up new words to enforce their doctrines. The fact is that “one of the chief princes” is (again) a biblical portrayal of Michael’s role described in Daniel 10:13. The fact that he is “one of” the chief (arch) princes suggests that the Society’s theory is inaccurate. Consider also reference to the “chief priests” (Cf. Matthew 26:3); clearly “arch” does not exclude the existence of others (i.e. archbishops).
Lastly, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 reveals that the Lord Jesus will descend from heaven with "the trumpet of God" and admittedly this does not necessarily imply that He is God. Likewise, this same prophecy reveals that this same Lord will also descend with "the voice of an archangel" which necessitates only that the voice of an archangel will accompany our Lord at His coming. On the contrary, this testimony prompts the Society to assert not that He would be accompanied by an archangel, but rather that He must be "identified as the archangel."[30] Nevertheless, there are several reasons to believe this prophecy of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 is a description of Jehovah's impending arrival, and though the witnesses do not recognize this, the 1984 New World Translation does.
To justify the “restoration” of the Divine Name into the New Testament, the New World Translation Committee claims to apply the Name “not only when coming upon quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures but also in other places where the texts called for such restoration.”[31] These instances are signified by what are referred to as “’J’ References.” The New World Translation ignored these references in three separate verses within this passage (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17); four references (J7,8,13,14) are found on verse 16’s “Lord” alone while the passage continues with a total of seven additional untranslated ‘J’ references. Complete with the 1984 New World Translation footnotes, what Paul relays is that:
15 we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord [“The Lord,” אAVg; B, “Jesus.”] shall in no way precede those who have fallen asleep [in death]; 16 because the Lord [“The Lord,” אABVg; J7,8,13,14, “Jehovah.”] himself 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. 17 Afterward we the living who are surviving will, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord [“The Lord,” אABVg; J7,8, “Jehovah.”] in the air; and thus we shall always be with [the] Lord [“Lord,” אABVg; J7,8,13,14,24, “Jehovah.”].
The four references in verse 16 suggest that it is to rightfully read (if we must alter the New Testament and insert the Divine Name):
“Jehovah himself 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.”
Since the New World Translation Committee chose to disregard all four J references, the Society asserts that:
“While there is no statement in the Bible that categorically identifies Michael the archangel as Jesus, there is one scripture that links Jesus with the office of archangel. In his letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul prophesied: ‘The Lord himself 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.’ (1 Thessalonians 4:16) In this scripture Jesus is described as having assumed his power as God’s Messianic King. Yet, he speaks with ‘an archangel’s voice.’”[32]
In other words, this “one scripture,” 1 Thessalonians 4:16, is the only to link Jesus with Michael; although their footnote states that this verse applies to “Jehovah.” Thus the Bible leaves us with no statement which “categorically identifies Michael the archangel as Jesus” and no scripture which “links Jesus with the office of archangel,” yet there are countless instances in which Jesus is identified as God.
[1] "God’s ‘Eternal Purpose’ Now Triumphing: for Man’s Good", Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1973, p. 137
[2] “Worlds”, Charles Taze Russell, 1877, p. 107
[3] Zion’s Watch Tower, December, 1880 pp. 1-2, Reprints, p. 164
[4] Zion’s Watch Tower, July 1879, p. 3, Reprints, p. 9
[5] Zion’s Watch Tower, November 1879, p. 4; Reprints, p. 48
[6] “Geneva Study Bible”, Thomas Nelson Inc; Seventh Printing, R.C. Sproul (originally published in 1560); Daniel 10:13; 12:1
[7] “Should You Believe in the Trinity”, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1989, p. 20
[8] The Watchtower, February 15, 1992, pp. 10-11
[9] The Watchtower, March 15, 1960, p. 187
[10] Zion’s Watch Tower, December, 1879, p. 55
[11] “The Finished Mystery”, J.F. Rutherford, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1917, p. 188
[12] “Awake!”, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, February 8, 2002, p. 17
[13] “What Does the Bible Really Teach”, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 2005, 2005, p. 218
[14] The Watchtower, October 15, 1973, p. 618
[15] “Insight on the Scriptures”, Volume I, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p. 9501
[16] “Is Jesus Christ Michael the archangel? #2”, Stephen E. Jones; http://jesusisyhwh.blogspot.com/2008/01/is-jesus-christ-michael-archangel-2.html
[17] The Watchtower, March 15, 1960, p. 187
[18] The Watchtower, May 15, 1957, p. 293
[19] Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, Kregel Classics; 8th edition, June 30, 1962; 1 Thessalonians 4:16
[20] Origen, “On First Principles” (III:2:1)
[21] Of “The Assumption of Moses”, some quotations have been preserved in Acts 7:36 (according to Charles, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha; Hastings D. B. III, 362 b and APOT, II, 412, 413); Jude 9, 16, 18; 2 Baruch, the writings of Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and other early Greek writers.
[22] Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, Kregel Classics; 8th edition, June 30, 1962; Zechariah 3:2
[23] Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, Kregel Classics; 8th edition, June 30, 1962; Zechariah 3:2
[24] The Watchtower, September 15, 1958, p. 559
[25] “The Biblical Illustrator”, Exell, Baker Publishing Group, June 1, 1978; Jude 9 (Vol. 23; p. 36)
[26] The Watchtower, September 15, 1958, p. 559
[27] i.e. The King James Version
[28] “Insight on the Scriptures”, Volume I, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 1988, p. 156
[29] The Watchtower, March 15, 1960, p. 187
[30] The Watchtower, February 15, 1992, p. 15
[31] New World Translation Reference Edition; 1D The Divine Name in the New Testament
[32] The Watchtower, February 28, 2002, p. 17
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