Clearing Up the Confusion
Many images of Michael, such as those in Byzantine art, show him as a typical angel. Some also turn to the Book of Enoch, an ancient writing outside the Bible, which lists Michael as one of seven archangels alongside names like Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel.
That book deserves caution. Its sixth chapter describes heavenly beings who lusted after human women and had children with them. But Jesus taught in Matthew 22:30 that in the resurrection people "neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." If angels do not marry, the Enoch story clashes with the words of Christ. A book that conflicts with Jesus is a shaky foundation for understanding Michael.
Only One Archangel in the Bible
The Bible never speaks of archangels in the plural. It names only one: Michael, who appears in Daniel, Jude, and Revelation. As writer Isaac Watts observed, "perhaps there is but one archangel, and that is Christ."
What Do the Words Really Mean?
"Archangel" Means Chief Angel
The word archangel combines two Greek ideas. Angelos means messenger, and arch means chief or ruler. An archangel is a chief messenger, or ruler over the messengers. Who, then, is the ruler of the angels?
Think of the title "commander-in-chief." The president of the United States holds it, yet he is not a drafted soldier. He stands over the whole military. In the same way, "archangel" may describe someone who stands over the angels rather than one of them.
"Messenger" Can Mean More Than a Created Angel
Many assume "angel" always means a created being. It does not. The Hebrew word malak and the Greek word angelos both simply mean "messenger." In Malachi 3:1, God promises to send "the messenger of the covenant," who is also called "the Lord" who will suddenly come to His temple. In Matthew 11:10, Jesus applies a similar prophecy to John the Baptist, a human being, and the same root word is used.
So "angel" can describe a job, not always a kind of being.
Clues in the Bible
The Voice of the Archangel
First Thessalonians 4:16 says the Lord Himself will descend "with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." The Lord Himself descends, and He comes with the archangel's voice. The Bible also links a voice with a trumpet elsewhere. In Revelation 1:10 and 4:1, John hears a great voice "as of a trumpet" that is clearly the voice of Christ.
Jesus also said in John 5:25 that the dead will hear "the voice of the Son of God" and live. Both passages pair a voice with a resurrection, so the voice of the archangel appears to be the voice of the Son of God.
The Rebuke in Jude 9
Jude 9 says Michael the archangel, in a dispute with the devil over the body of Moses, did not dare bring a railing accusation but said, "The Lord rebuke thee." Some argue this proves Michael is only an angel. Yet Zechariah 3:2 uses nearly identical words when the Lord Himself rebukes Satan: "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan."
There is another clue. The dispute was over Moses' body, and Moses later appears in heaven. That suggests a resurrection. Yet the Bible gives no example of an angel raising anyone from the dead. Only the Lord, who called Himself "the resurrection and the life," does that.
Victory Whenever Michael Appears
Michael is tied to victory. In Revelation 12:7, "Michael and his angels fought against the dragon," and the dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven. In Daniel 10:13, Michael, called "one of the chief princes," comes to help when a messenger is held back by the ruler of Persia. Wherever this figure arrives, the enemy is defeated.
The Angel of the Lord Who Is Called God
Several Old Testament stories show an "angel" who is divine and receives worship:
- Joshua 5: A man with a drawn sword calls himself "captain of the host of the Lord." Joshua falls and worships him, and the captain tells him to remove his shoes because the ground is holy.
- Exodus 3: The same command is given to Moses. The "angel of the Lord" appears in the burning bush, yet the passage says "God called" to Moses. Stephen confirms in Acts 7:32-33 that this was the Lord speaking.
- Genesis 32 and Hosea 12:4: Jacob wrestles with an "angel," then says, "I have seen God face to face."
- Exodus 23: God sends an angel to guide Israel and warns that He "will not pardon your transgressions, for my name is in him." Only God can forgive sins, as Mark 2:7 reminds readers.
In Exodus 3:6, the speaker says, "I am the God of thy father." And in Exodus 3:12-14, Moses asks who he should say sent him, God answers that Moses tell them "I AM" sent him. In John 8:58, Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I am." These passages suggest the "angel of the Lord" is Christ before His birth in Bethlehem.
Michael Stands Up
Daniel 12:1 says that "at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince." In the Bible, standing often signals taking authority. Psalm 82:1 shows God standing to judge. Daniel 11 uses the phrase for kings who take power. Daniel 7:13-14 describes the Son of Man receiving "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom." Revelation 11:15 declares that the kingdoms of this world become "the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ." The picture matches: when Michael stands, Christ takes up His reign.
A Crucial Boundary: Christ Is Not Created
Jehovah's Witnesses also say Michael is Jesus, but they teach that Jesus is a created angel. That is a serious error. The Bible declares that Jesus is fully God. John 1:1 says, "The Word was God." Hebrews 1:8 says of the Son, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever."
The view described here is very different. It does not lower Christ to the level of a creature. It lifts the title "archangel" up to describe the One who commands the angels. The name Michael means "Who is like God?" and who is like God except His Son?
A Long Protestant History
This idea is not new or fringe. Many respected Protestant thinkers reached the same conclusion:
- John Calvin said he embraced the view of those who applied the name Michael to Christ, since it fits so well with Christ standing up to defend His chosen people.
- Philip Melanchthon, Martin Luther's close associate, wrote "Michael, that is to say, Christ."
- Martin Luther applied the battle with the dragon in Revelation 12 to Christ.
- Campegius Vitringa, Herman Witsius, and Andrew Willet made similar connections.
- Isaac Watts, who wrote the hymn "Joy to the World," asked whether Christ Himself might be "Michael, the archangel, the prince of Israel."
- Charles Spurgeon called Jesus "the true Michael whose foot is upon the dragon" and wrote, "Michael is the Lord Jesus, the only archangel."
- Samuel Horsley, John Gill, and William Durand also described Michael as Christ. Gill called him "not a created angel, but an eternal one."
These writers came from Lutheran, Reformed, and even Catholic backgrounds. Notice what they emphasized: victory, divinity, and equality with God. None treated Christ as a lesser, created being.
Most churches today have drifted away from this teaching. Seventh-day Adventists continue to hold the view, and a few modern Reformed and Presbyterian Christians do as well, though it is not the official position of those denominations.
Why This Matters
The Close of Probation
Daniel 12:1 says that when Michael stands up, a time of trouble follows. A judge sits to hear a case and stands to announce the verdict. This moment is called the close of probation, when the offer of mercy ends. Isaiah 59:16 says God "saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor," and Revelation 22:11 says the time comes when the righteous stay righteous and the filthy stay filthy.
For now, Jesus serves as a high priest for sinners, and people can still confess and seek mercy. After Michael stands, that opportunity ends.
A Change of Garments
Isaiah 59:17 says God puts on righteousness like a breastplate and "garments of vengeance." This is a change of role. On the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16, the priest changed his garments after leaving the sanctuary. Christ moves from ministering mercy to carrying out judgment.
Yet there is hope. A woman who had been sick touched the edge of Jesus' robe and was healed. Her faith, not the cloth, healed her. In the same way, people are saved by faith, and there is still time to reach out.
A Champion Who Comes to Help
Joel 2 describes God's people in the last days as a disciplined army led by the Lord's own voice. Daniel 10:13 shows Michael coming to help. Michael is not only a judge. He is a rescuer who "stands up" for His people.
Conclusion: The First and the Last
The evidence points to a consistent picture. Michael is the only archangel in the Bible. "Archangel" means chief of the angels. The archangel's voice matches the voice of the Son of God. Michael uses the Lord's own words against Satan, brings victory in every battle, and stands up to rule and to judge. Respected Protestant writers across several centuries reached the same conclusion.
Revelation 22:13 gives Christ the titles "the first and the last." He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and He is also the captain of heaven's host. For those who trust Him, this is a message of hope. The One who defeated the dragon in heaven can help them win their own battles, including the fight against sin.
This article draws on ideas presented in a video discussion on this topic. You can view the original presentation here.