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Who is Michael the great prince; or Michael the archangel? Most Sabbath keeping, prophecy understanding Christians know the answer to this question right off. But for those new to the faith, my "opinion" is not what they seek. A true child of God will search out the Scriptures to see what they have to say about this. And as many of us that understand this truth know, you just can't answer with one Bible verse. It's what's referred to as a "meaty topic" for the Christian to digest. It is not one that comes without intense study. The Word is plain about how we need to approach a truth such as this…

• Isaiah 28:10, "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:"

With that said... what does the Word say about Michael? Is He just an angel? Is He the highest of all angels? Is He one of those covering cherubs we see on the ark of the covenant? Or is He far superior to all angels or the "Ruler" of the angels? Let's find out shall we?

The Strong's Concordance says this about Michael...

Now of course there are many other references to the name Michael in Strong’s; but the point I wanted to make clear is the definition of the “name” Michael. Strong’s refers to the name as one “who is like God.” Is this an accurate definition? Can we back this up in Bible Scripture? Before going further, I would like to make it known that I am not just speaking of the simple name of Michael. I am referring to the name that is of this particular archangel.

The Strong’s Concordance says this about the word, “archangel.”

Right off I see a connection here with Michael. In Daniel 10:13 He is called “one of the chief princes.” (one = first) And in Jude He is referred to as an archangel that is defined as “chief of the angels.” By the way, the definition in Strong’s for angel is…

 What have we discovered so far?

• Michael = “who is like God”
• Arch = “chief”
• Angel = “messenger from God.”
• Michael the Archangel is a messenger of God who is like unto God Himself.

Now I am not trying to convince anyone of anything by merely using the Strong’s Concordance. I am one that uses only Bible Scripture to prove my point. But I felt it necessary to get the “terms” used regarding Michael defined and out of the way before going any further. You will appreciate this later as we get a bit deeper into this study.

There are numerous areas in the Word of God that refer to the “Angel of the Lord” that I would like to bring your attention to. I do believe that after you look upon these passages you will agree that Jesus did in fact “appear” as an archangel to man as well when the situation warranted it. Let’s start at the beginning and work our way all the way to the book of Revelation.

• Genesis 16:7, "And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur."

Do you recall the discord between Hagar and Sarah after Sarah saw Hagar was blessing Abraham with a child, (Ishmael) and she was barren? The Word tells us in Genesis 16 that the Angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar near water in the desert and told her to go back and yield to Sarah. The Angel of the Lord even told Hagar that her son would become a mighty nation. What did Hagar say of this meeting?

• Genesis 16:13, "And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me:…”

According to the Word of God, Hagar believed that the Angel she saw in the desert was in fact the Lord Himself! In fact, later on in Genesis we see that this same Angel makes a claim only a God can perform.

• Genesis 21:17-18, "And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation."

The “Angel of God” is speaking, and then says that “I will him a great nation.” Can a normal or "regular" angel do that? No not at all. Later on, Sarah’s womb is blessed. She is no longer barren. She conceives, and the Lord blesses her with a son named Isaac. Then the Lord tells Abraham to sacrifice his son on mount Moriah. We all know what happens next. Abraham does exactly as the Lord desires. He brings his son to the mountain, and just before he thrusts the knife into Isaac’s heart, the Angel of the Lord stops him in his tracks.

• Genesis 22:11-12, "And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."

Did you catch that? The “Angel of the Lord” said clear as day that He understood Abraham feared God seeing how he did not withhold sacrificing his son to ME. The Angel of the Lord openly states the sacrifice was for God Himself, and then referred to Himself as the one the sacrifice was not withheld from.  It is plain that Abraham was sacrificing his son to God. This is not something debated among Christians. Yet the Angel of the Lord here is declaring the sacrifice for Himself. PLUS, notice this…

• Genesis 22:15-18, "And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."

Can an angel swear by himself? And did you also notice the Angel of the Lord stated plainly that He was pleased that Abraham did in fact obey HIS voice. And did you also notice, the “Angel of the Lord” is now referring to Himself as “the LORD” in that passage? By the way, were you also aware that Peter defines this “Angel of the Lord” as God in the following passage later on in the New Testament?

• Acts 3:25, "Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed."

In Acts 3:25 Peter is saying that God Himself said those words to Abraham. The Angel of the Lord said, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” And Peter confirms that it was the Lord Himself making that statement many years later.

Back in Genesis we see more evidence unfolding. Do you recall the dream Jacob had after he fled from his brother Esau? In the dream the Lord confirmed the covenant He had made earlier with Abraham. It so blessed Jacob that he made a vow to tithe to him a tenth of all his increase. He actually set up a pillar of stone and anointed it with oil to let the Lord know he was serious about the vow. Then he named the place, Bethel, “the house of God” because he knew that the Lord had appeared to him. Now, keep that in mind for a moment.

Many years later Jacob is very wealthy. He is explaining how he was blessed with his wealth. He recounts yet another dream he had in how he was instructed to deal with how Laban was treating him. The Lord showed him how to be blessed with many herds in this dream. In the dream the Lord said this…

• Genesis 31:11-13, "And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred."

The angel of God confirms Himself to be the same God Jacob encountered back when he vowed to him at Bethel. (See Genesis 28:20-22) But, it doesn’t end there. Jacob has yet another encounter with the Angel of the Lord. However, here we find out which God of the Godhead has actually been doing all this. In Genesis 32:22-32 Jacob is given his new name of Israel. He actually states in verse thirty the following…

• Genesis 32:30, "And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."

According to the Word, no one has seen the face of the FATHER and lived, right? (See Exodus 33:20) Yet Jacob has seen God face to face. Who is the Deity among the Godhead that gives new names unto His followers? And who is the one Deity in that Godhead that man has seen face to face? Of course, it is our Saviour Himself, Jesus Christ! We all know He has been seen by men, and we also know He was the one who gave new names to each of the Apostles, including Paul. Plus He is the one that will give our new names as we enter into the City New Jerusalem.

One last thing concerning Jacob and the Angel of the Lord. And by the way, this is MY FAVORITE verse on this subject! On his death bed as he was giving blessings unto his sons he uses the terms “angel” and “God” interchangeably.

• Genesis 48:15-16, "And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

Can an Angel redeem? No, of course not. Can God? Yes, only God can do this. The interplay between the terms, “God” and “angel” make it completely clear that Jacob understood on his death bed, that the Angel he saw face to face was indeed the redeeming God Himself. Jesus Christ. Exciting isn't it!?

In Exodus chapter three we come across the well known appearance of the Angel of the Lord at the burning bush of Moses. It is plain in verse 2 that it is in fact the “Angel of the LORD” that is appearing as a flame of fire.

• Exodus 3:2, "And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed."
• Exodus 3:4, "And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I."
• Exodus 3:6, "Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God."

Notice if you will that not only does the “Angel of the Lord” identify Himself as, “the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”  But Moses confirms this to be the Lord God by hiding his face because “he was afraid to look upon God.”  This is also something we can confirm in the New Testament as well.

• Acts 7:30-31, "And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.  When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,"

Notice the following as well. As Moses and the Lord start to converse, this undeniable fact comes to light.

• Exodus 3:13-14, "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."

Here’s where a bit more light is shined on the connection between the “Angel of the Lord” and Jesus Christ Himself. For it is clearly written in the New Testament that Jesus Christ Himself claims the title, “I AM.”

• John 8:57-58, "Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."

Also keep in mind that Moses himself declared the “Angel of God” to be the LORD Himself in the following passages.

• Exodus 13:21, "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:"

• Exodus 14:19, "And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:"

In verse 21, Moses states it’s the LORD that went before them in a pillar of a cloud to lead them through the desert. Then in verse 19 of chapter 14 of Exodus, we see Moses confirming that it was the “Angel of God” that lead Israel in that pillar of the cloud. Isn’t it great to see how the Word confirms such truths? Line upon line, precept upon precept and here a little and there a little is absolutely the only true way to grasp a truth as meaty as this. By the way, the Father also confirms this Angel going before Jerusalem to be Jesus when He says the following...

• Exodus 23:20-21, "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him."

In the biblical story of Balaam and his talking donkey we see the “Angel of the Lord” speaking to Balaam…

• Numbers 22,35, "And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak... "

Here we see the “Angel of the Lord” telling Balaam that he will speak only what the “Angel of the Lord” will put in his mouth. But looking later in the next chapter we see this…

• Numbers 23:4-5, "And God met Balaam: … And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak."

In chapter 22 we see the Scriptures stating it’s the “Angel of the Lord” telling Balaam He will instruct him regarding what words to use. Then chapter 23 confirms that it is the Lord Himself that put the words in Balaam’s mouth. To further confirm this, the term “Angel of the Lord” is used numerous times in this bible story.

• Numbers 22:23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
• Numbers 22:24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
• Numbers 22:25 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
• Numbers 22:26 And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
• Numbers 22:27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
• Numbers 22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
• Numbers 22:32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
• Numbers 22:34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
• Numbers 22:35 And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

Then we see the interchanging from “the Angel of the Lord” to “The Lord” or “God” in a few more verses of this same event in history…

• Numbers 22:28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
• Numbers 22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
• Numbers 23:4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
• Numbers 23:5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
• Numbers 23:16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

Jumping forward to the book of Judges we see Gideon was also blessed with the presence of the “Angel of the Lord.”

• Judges 2:1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

Here we see an “Angel of the Lord” telling Gideon that it was Him that “made you go up out of Egypt.”  Is this not that which the Lord Himself did? Plus, notice chapter 6 of this book.

• Judges 6:14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

However, if you follow through and read on, you will see the terms, “Lord, the Angel of the Lord, and the Angel of God”  is used interchangeably throughout.

• Judges 6:16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
• Judges 6:20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
• Judges 6:21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
• Judges 6:22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
• Judges 6:23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

Now it goes on from there, but I believe you get my point. PLUS, did you notice the last passage I shared above? In verse 23, the Lord is assuring Gideon that “thou shalt not die.” Why would the Lord say that after Gideon said he was “face to face” with an “Angel of the Lord?” Because it is common knowledge among the elect that all who look upon the face of God will DIE. For no man has seen Him face to face and lived. (See Exodus 33:20) Yet, Gideon not only survived, the LORD Himself assured him he would. Why do you suppose this? Truth is, that LORD is in fact Jesus Christ Himself! This is the God men can see face to face, as we all found out when He walked among men 2000 years ago.

In Judges chapter 13 we come to Samson’s mother to be. The “Angel of the Lord" instructs her as to what not to do in the days ahead regarding herself and her son Samson who she is about to conceive. Notice that the “Angel of the Lord” term is used here repeatedly.

• Judges 13:3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
• Judges 13:9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with herJudges 13:13 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
• Judges 13:15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.

Now, notice what happens next. Notice how Samson’s father approaches the “Angel of the Lord” to ask a question of Him. Then notice the answer!

• Judges 13:17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
• Judges 13:18 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?

The word “secret” here is translated as “WONDERFUL” in the Strong’s Concordance. (#06381) Truth is, that is also a name for Jesus Christ Himself. For it is also written in...

• Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

But it doesn’t end there. It gets much better. Look at what happens next!

• Judges 13:20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.
• Judges 13:21 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.
• Judges 13:22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

There is no way around this one. The truth was proclaimed rather bluntly here. This is another of my favorite verses on this topic because it's so blunt! Manoah realizes it is indeed the “Angel of the Lord” and then he declares plainly that he felt he was about to die because they had seen God. He obviously understood the doctrine that no man can look upon the Father and live. So, why didn’t they die? Because it was in fact Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father they actually looked upon. It was our Saviour Jesus who was the “Angel of the Lord” that ascended before their eyes that day. For further confirmation that this was not the “Father” Himself, but His Son Jesus, see this…

• John 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

Since Jesus bluntly proclaimed that no man has EVER seen His Father, this means that ALL of the events in the Word of God where we see the “Angel of the Lord” could in no way be the Father. It had to be Jesus Christ. Truth be known, Jesus Christ is the Chief Messenger of the Lord is He not? And is not a messenger an angel? And is not Michael an ARCHangel? And is not the LORD God the Father?

The Angel of the Lord is easily understood to be God Himself. And we also understand that "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" -John 1:18. Plus we also understand that the only one who has seen the Father is the Son Jesus Christ. For it is also written…

• John 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

And seeing how men have seen the “Angel of the Lord,” we must also come to the realization that this Angel of the Lord is in fact Jesus Himself. It is also well known that many have actually seen Jesus Christ when He walked among us, and we are also aware that He was in fact the Son of God, and part of the Godhead. Plus, no man ever died that looked upon Him. Another obvious fact concerning Jesus Christ is that He is our redeemer is He not?

• Galatians 4:4,5 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son… To redeem them that were under the law

Now I know that all know Christ is our redeemer; so please don’t feel I am belittling those of you that read this. It’s just  that I wanted to further clarify the fact that Jesus Christ did in fact appear as an Angel in the Old Testament to man. For it is written plainly in Genesis…

Genesis 48:16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil…

How can a mere angel redeem man? Only one can do this. Jesus Christ! The Angel of the Lord! This “redeeming Angel” is also mentioned by the prophet Isaiah…

• Isaiah 63:7-9 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

Amazing isn't it? Even the prophet Isaiah preaches this Truth!

Now… is this redeeming Angel of the Lord called Michael? Well... we are getting close to that evidence. Lets look to Zechariah to continue in this study. In Zechariah chapter 3 we see the prophet is given a vision of Joshua standing before the “Angel of the Lord.”

• Zechariah 3:1,2 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

If you read on in verse 3 you will see that Joshua was in sin. This is represented by his “filthy garments” in the vision. Notice that immediately the name changes from “the Angel of the Lord” to “the Lord” making it obvious they are one in the same. Plus, this is further confirmed when you see the Angel of the Lord actually rebuking Satan. Where else in Scripture do we see this term used?

• Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

If you have a bible in your computer, I suggest you do a search for the phrase, “The Lord rebuke thee.” You will find it is in only TWO VERSES in the entire Bible. Namely, Zechariah 3:2 and Jude 1:9. This is our first connection between the “Angel of the Lord” and Michael the Archangel. Exciting isn’t it!? 

Notice the amazing parallels here in these two instances as well. In both cases, Christ and Satan are contending over a sinner. In the case of Joshua, we see a live sinner, and in the case of Moses, a dead one of course. And both times the problem is quickly ended when Christ Himself states, “The Lord rebuke thee!” By the way, Jesus was no stranger to rebuking Satan. He did it in the desert, and He did it when Peter allowed Satan to move him to fear. (See Luke 4:8 & Matthew 16:23)

Where you also aware of this connection as well? We are all aware that Satan was a created angel. We also know that Satan was Lucifer before he fell, and we are also aware that he is the most powerful created angel ever made. No one was above him in the angelic race. Gabriel took his place when he fell. Still, Satan was more powerful than Gabriel. Satan is fallen, yes, but still as powerful as ever. That is why Michael had to come and rebuke him. No angel could stand against Satan. But the Creator, Commander and Ruler of the Angels could. Think about the common sense of that reality. Only Jesus could defeat Satan. There were no other angels before him. So the Creator had to step in!

getting back... Do you recall the verse I shared earlier in Isaiah that spoke of the names this prophet used for the Lord? Did you also notice one of them was, “prince of peace?”

• Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Where else do we see this term used? Who else is called a “prince” in the Word of God?

• Daniel 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

• Daniel 10:21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

• Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

By the way, the term, “one of the chief princes” in Daniel 10:13 is translated badly. It makes it appear as if He is merely “one” of the princes, when in fact He is the Chief Prince. The word “one” in this passage comes from the Hebrew word “echad” which also means “first” as in “first day” in Genesis 1:5. When you translate the verse correctly it states that Michael is the first, or highest of the chief princes. And that is indeed a definition of Christ. Like in Daniel 8:25…

• Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

Prince of princes is no different than, Lord of lords, (Psalm 136:3), God of gods (Deuteronomy 10:17), or King of kings (Revelation 19:16). All titles attributed to Christ Jesus. To further confirm that Jesus Christ is our Chief, First and Highest Prince we look to the prophetic statements of Daniel 9…

• Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

I have far more information regarding this prophetic statement on my “70 Weeks of Daniel 9” page in the prophecy section of the site.

Before moving on, please make special note of the last statement made in Daniel 10:21 where it says, "Michael your prince." It is Daniel being spoken to here. He is a mere human like you and I. Michael is given special mention here as "our" Prince when He is declared "your" Prince to Daniel. This is a title never attributed to "regular" angels.

Let’s now take a look at the word “archangel” since I underlined it a few times. It is only used twice in the entire Bible.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

• Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

Make special note that it is the “voice of the archangel” raising the dead in 1 Thessalonians. Then notice there is only one other place in the entire Bible that the term “archangel” is used, and it is associated with the name Michael. Therefore, the archangel of 1 Thessalonians must be Michael. The Word of God never contradicts itself. Since the word "archangel" is only used TWICE in the entire bible, and one of those times is in accordance with the name Michael, common sense affords us the reality that the archangel of the Bible is named Michael. Plus, see this biblical fact…

• John 5:26, 28, 29 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. … Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth

Common knowledge among all of Christendom is that Jesus Christ is the ONLY ONE that can raise the dead. It is also biblical fact that John 5:28 is stating that it is the voice of the Son of God that will be heard when all those that are in the graves stand up. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 says the archangel does this. Jude says that this archangel has a name. And that name is Michael. Or look at it this way... Mere Angels cannot raise the dead, only Christ Jesus can do that. So the voice of the archangel in 1 Thessalonians MUST be the voice of Jesus Christ the redeemer! I truly believe the Word of God can't state that fact any clearer.

Notice what E.J. Waggoner says in his dissertation titled, "Christ our Righteousness." As he is correcting the error wherein some believe Jesus is a "created" being, he goes into detail regarding the word "archangel" in a way that will make the truth a bit clearer for some to see when it comes to the term "archangel.".

Also make special note: In Jude it is revealed that Michael is competing with the devil over the body of Moses. Does this sound familiar? For this has happened before. The “Angel of the Lord” had to deal with Satan before on this. Do you recall what we covered earlier regarding how the “Angel of the Lord” had to rebuke Satan regarding both Moses and Joshua? We know that Moses was in fact raised from the dead and brought to Heaven. And then we see the archangel raising all the dead Christians on the day Christ returns. In Daniel 12 we see Michael standing up at the second coming.

• Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:

And to further confirm that Christ Jesus is our Prince in Scripture, see additional passages with this fact illustrated.

• Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

• Acts 3:14,15 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

• Acts 5:30,31 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

• Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

For those that seek further confirmation, Matthew Henry also speaks of Daniel chapter 12, and Michael in this way…

No one else but Jesus Christ stands for us. Praise the Lord for His Truth is truth!

So, when did this all start? To find this out we need to go to the last book of the Bible. That’s right, Revelation lets us know what happened in Heaven when Lucifer rebelled against the Father.

• Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

The Word reveals that Michael is the leader of the good angels, or more fittingly, the “Captain of the host” of angels. It is also revealed that Satan is the leader of his angels. The dragon in prophecy is defined as Satan himself, you can verify this in verse nine of that same chapter. Did you notice however that Michael fights with "HIS" angels, and the dragon fights with his? Most Christians already understand that Satan leads all his demons, and his demons show him reverence and worship. They do as he commands. Would it not seem logical that the angels Michael leads would show Him reverence and give Him worship as well? After all, He is the “Angel of the Lord” is He not? So, one question comes to mind? Does the Word state it’s ok to worship the Angel of the Lord? First off lets look to Joshua and see what he did in his day.

• Joshua 5:13-15 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

Not only did Joshua worship this “Captain of the LORD’S host;” but this Captain RECEIVED his worship without a problem. In fact he even told Joshua to remove his shoes because the ground he was standing on was holy. And Joshua did just that! Where have we heard this before?

• Exodus 3:2-5 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

The Angel of the Lord is taking the shape of a flame of fire all over a bush. Then the passage states it is God that speaks to him out of the midst of that bush. In same manner as the Captain of the LORD’S host of Joshua, the Lord tells him to remove his shoes because the ground he is standing on is holy! The key here is this “Angel of the Lord” or “Captain of the host” is seeking and receiving worship. A regular "created" angel cannot do that without committing a sin! The Word of God would never proclaim that without exposing it as evil! Case in point is found in Revelation…

• Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

• Revelation 22:8,9 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

In both cases, the man of God falls down to worship the angel, but the angel rebukes John and tells him to worship God only! So the Angel of the Lord, or the Captain of the hosts, MUST be the Son of God! If it was not Him, the Word would have said something about it because we see here a created angel rebuked John for doing what was wrong to do! Fact is, all created beings, including angels must worship Jesus.

• Psalms 66:4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

• Hebrews 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

By the way... Where you aware that the term “Lord of hosts” appears 235 times in the KJV Bible? Where you also aware that it refers to “commander of God’s angelic army” as well? The Captain of the Lord’s host, that Joshua saw was actually Michael from Revelation 12, who is actually Jesus Christ Himself. This is why Joshua was told to bow before Him in worship, as was Moses told at the bush when the Angel of the Lord was present. I repeat the Strong's concordance definition to the name Michael...

What better description for such a name? Michael, who is like God! Truth is, the term, Michael the archangel is defined as "The greatest messenger who is as God." When you break it down. What a wonderful truth this is! For Jesus is in fact the greatest messenger of God to have ever graced our presence.

In Daniel chapter 3 we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into a furnace of fire because they refused to bow before king Nebuchadnezzar's golden idol. As bible students, most of us are aware that Jesus Himself appears in the midst of the fire to not only protect the three students of Daniel, He is also there as confirmation they were right not to bow before that idol. As Christians this is not something we question. All know that Jesus Himself did in fact appear in that fire. It is recorded thusly...

• Daniel 3:24-25, "Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

The king realizes something amazing has just happened. He acknowledges also that he does indeed see a fourth person in the furnace. And then he declares that fourth person to be the Son of God. Now notice this...

• Daniel 3:28, "Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God."

King Nebuchadneezar boldly proclaims the fact that the Father had sent His Angel, and His Angel is in fact the Son of God!

INTERESTING FACT:

If Jesus was never able to stand in the form as the ruler of all angels, why does He declare He has wings? Perhaps the way people define the term is where the problem rests. That being said, I have to ask, does He not own all His creation, including those wings?

• Ruth 2:12, "The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust."
• Psalms 17:8, "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,"
• Psalms 36:7, "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings."
• Psalms 61:4, "I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah."
• Psalms 63:7  Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
• Psalms 91:4, "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler."
• Malachi 4:2, "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall."

INTERESTING FACT: #2

Below is an e-mail I received on 10-26-10...