davidbu@loowit.wr.tek.com (David E. Buxton) (04/09/91)
There is reasonable evidence that when Charles T. Russell was founding his
church that he took several of his theological themes from the Seventh-Day-
Adventists. In each case his ultimate version can no longer be called SDA.
The state-of-the-dead is one example. Another regards Michael the
Archangel.
When JWs insist that Jesus is Michael, a mere angel, it is a popular
rebuttal to try and prove that Jesus cannot be Michael. But I propose that
the better answer, from the Bible is that Jesus, as Michael the Archangel,
cannot possibly be a mere angel.
Seventh-Day-Adventists, in their study of the Bible, find that Michael the
Archangel is Jesus the Commander in chief of the heavenly host and not
Himself an angel. If you can prove from the Bible that Michael is a mere
angel then you have proved that Michael is not Jesus. The divinity of
Christ is more important to me than proving that Michael the Archangel is
one of Jesus' pre-incarnate names.
"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"?" -- Heb 1:5 (NKJ)
Michael means "one who is like God". Ancient names give us real clues into
what the named was/is like. It was Lucifer, the 'morning star' of heaven,
who in his rebellion, desired to be like God.
""How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How
you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you
have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the
congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' " -- Isa
14:12-14 (NKJ)
"And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. "
-- Luke 10:18 (NKJ)
Lucifer's desire to be like God, was a key factor in his fall from heaven.
And yet it was not rebellion for Jesus to "be like God", to be Michael,
meaning "one who is like God", because He is our God and Savior Jesus
Christ. No one is like God, in this context, but God Himself. It should
also now be clear that Lucifer could not possibly have been Jesus' brother
in heaven, else Lucifer's desire to be like the Most High would have been as
legitimate as Jesus'. Considering that the OT sites God as the creator and
in the NT it makes clear that Jesus is the creator, it is reasonable to con-
clude that Jesus is the creator God who created all the angels of heaven,
including Lucifer. It is not possible for the creator to be the brother of
the created.
Consider the war in heaven:
"And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against 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 dra-
gon 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. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of
His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them
before our God day and night, has been cast down." -- Rev 12:7-10
(NKJ)
Who else but a divine power could have taken on Satan successfully and cast
him from heaven. The winner of this contest was Christ.
"Arch" comes from the Greek meaning "ruler", one who reigns over -- as in
the word "monarch". To be the ruler or monarch over the angels does not
make Michael a mere angel. In Genesis 1:28 we read that God gave man domin-
ion over the creatures of this earth. That does not make man a mere animal.
Just as saying that the president of the United States is the Commander in
Chief of the Armed Forces does not make the president a mere foot soldier or
even a mere general or admiral. Jesus is the Supreme Commander in Chief of
the hosts of heaven and our Commander in Chief as well.
Now consider the story of Joshua meeting his Commander in Chief:
"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 (NKJ)
The living Bible reads "Commander in Chief". Clearly the Commander in Chief
of the Lord's army was Jesus in His pre-incarnate form. Elsewhere in the
Bible we see angels refusing to be worshipped (Rev 19:10; 22:8,9). The Com-
mander that Joshua met that day accepted Joshua's worship, even commanded
it, declaring the ground to be holy ground, which reminds us of Moses'
experience at the burning bush -- pre-incarnate Jesus again. Clearly the
commander of the Lord's army is not a mere angel but rather the God of
heaven.
The following texts make it clear that Michael the Prince and Messiah the
Prince are the same Prince of heaven:
""Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the com-
mand to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there
shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built
again, and the wall, even in troublesome times." -- Dan 9:25 (NKJ)
""At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands
watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of
trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time.
and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found
written in the book." -- Dan 12:1 (NKJ)
""When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with
Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory." -- Mat 25:31
(NKJ)
""Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when
the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will
live. "For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son
to have life in Himself, "and has given Him authority to execute judg-
ment also, because He is the Son of Man. "Do not marvel at this; for
the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His
voice" "and come forth; those who have done good, to the resurrection
of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemna-
tion." -- John 5:25- 29 (NKJ)
"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." -- 1 Th 4:16 (NKJ)
Jesus = Messiah the Prince = Michael the Prince, the one who will return to
take us home with Him.
A common text offered in rebuttal is Jude 1:9
"Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he
disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a revil-
ing accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"" -- Jude 1:9 (NKJ)
The Bible is clear that Satan is the accuser and reviler (Rev 12:10). God
would not stoop to the methods of Satan. Here is a text that presents the
same circumstances in the Old Testament:
"And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who
has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the
fire?"" -- Zec 3:2 (NKJ)
Also consider Jesus' language in rebuking Satan:
"Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD
your God.' " "-- Mat 4:7 (NKJ) "Then Jesus said to him, "Away with
you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God,
and Him only you shall serve.' " "-- Mat 4:10 (NKJ)
Clearly, in rebuking Satan, Jesus identifies Himself before Satan as the
"Lord your God". Matthew 4 is never used to prove that Jesus is not our
Lord. In Jude 1:9, Michael is not calling upon the Lord to rebuke Satan but
rather Michael is the Lord Himself rebuking Satan.
Michael our Supreme Commander in Chief will come with the hosts of heaven
and all power over the grave. He will come with the angels of heaven to
take us home to paradise that He has been preparing for us.
" "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself;
that where I am, there you may be also. "-- John 14:2,3 (NKJ)
Dave (David E. Buxton)
From the Silicon RainForest of the NorthwestBINDNER@auvm.auvm.edu (04/10/91)
The name Michael does not mean "one who is like to God," it mean "Who is like to God?" It is the phrase St. Michael used to defeat Satan, as the answer is no one is like to God. Referring to the verse in the book of Daniel, Michael the Prince is to arise in that time (the time of armagedon). Jesus will descend back onto the earth. The Michael in Daniel may be the Anglo-American prince the JW's believe is the anti-Christ (and may match Catholic speculations on the Great Monarch, who fights anti-christ. Michael
jhpb@garage.att.com (Joseph H Buehler) (04/14/91)
In article <Apr.10.05.05.35.1991.11485@athos.rutgers.edu> BINDNER@auvm.auvm.edu writes:
The name Michael does not mean "one who is like to God," it mean
"Who is like to God?" It is the phrase St. Michael used to
defeat Satan, as the answer is no one is like to God.
One sometimes sees him represented as a soldier with a flaming sword,
doing the devil in, with these words on his shield:
Quis ut Deus? (Who is like God?)
One of the primary seven altars in the Vatican basilica has the title of
St. Michael. The picture over it is a famous one by Guido Reni, I think.
St. Michael's primary church is on Mount Gargano, I believe. There's a
feast day in the liturgical calendar that commemmorates an apparition
there, if I recall right.stevep@uunet.uu.net (Steve Peterson) (04/14/91)
In article <Apr.10.05.05.35.1991.11485@athos.rutgers.edu> BINDNER@auvm.auvm.edu writes: >The name Michael does not mean "one who is like to God," it mean >"Who is like to God?" It is the phrase St. Michael used to >defeat Satan, as the answer is no one is like to God. > >Referring to the verse in the book of Daniel, Michael the Prince >is to arise in that time (the time of armagedon). Jesus will descend >back onto the earth. The Michael in Daniel may be the Anglo-American >prince the JW's believe is the anti-Christ (and may match Catholic >speculations on the Great Monarch, who fights anti-christ. > >Michael Hi Micheal! I think that you have the wrong impression about what Jehovah's Witness believe the Bible teaches about "Michael" and the "anti-Christ". In short, we believe that "Michael" is actually Jesus Christ. "The AntiChrist" isn't one person, but actually a group or class of individuals. First, let us consider the identity of "Michael": Michael [Who is like God?] -------------------------- The only holy angel other than Gabriel named in the Bible, and the only one called "archangel." (Jude 9) The first occurrence of the name is in the tenth chapter of Daniel, where Michael is described as "one of the foremost princes" that came to the aid of a lesser angel who was opposed by the "prince of the royal realm of Persia." Michael was called "the prince of [Daniel's] people," "the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of [Daniel's] people." (Dan. 10:13, 20, 21; 12:1) This points to Michael as the angel who led the Israelites through the wilderness. (Ex. 23:20, 21, 23; 32:34; 33:2) Lending support to this conclusion is the fact that "Michael the archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses' body." (Jude 9) Scriptural evidence indicates that the name Michael applied to God's Son before he left heaven to become Jesus Christ and also after his return. Michael is the only one said to be "the archangel," meaning "chief angel," or "principal angel." The term occurs in the Bible only in the singular. This seems to imply that there is but one whom God has designated chief, or head, of the angelic host. At 1 Thessalonians 4:16 the voice of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ is described as being that of an archangel, suggesting that he is, in fact, himself the archangel. The text depicts him as descending from heaven with "a commanding call." It is only logical, therefore, that the voice expressing this commanding call be described by a word that would not diminish or detract from the great authority that Christ Jesus now has as King of kings and Lord of lords. (Matt. 28:18; Rev 17:14) If the designation "archangel" applied, not to Jesus Christ, but to other angels, then the reference to "an archangel's voice" would not be appropriate. In that case it would be describing a voice of lesser authority than that of the Son of God. There are also other correspondencies establishing that Michael is actually the Son of God. Daniel, after making the first reference to Michael (Da 10:13), recorded a prophecy reaching down to "the time of the end" (Da 11:40) and then stated: "And during that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of [Daniel's] people." (Da 12:1) Michael's 'standing up' was to be associated with "a time of distress such as has not been made to occur since there came to be a nation until that time." (Da 12:1) In Daniel's prophecy, 'standing up' frequently refers to the action of a king, either taking up his royal power or acting effectively in his capacity as king. (Da 11:2-4, 7, 16b, 20, 21) This supports the conclusion that Michael is Jesus Christ, since Jesus is Jehovah's appointed King, commissioned to destroy all the nations at Har-Magedon. (Re 11:15; 16:14-16) The book of Revelation (12:7, 10, 12) specifically mentions Michael in connection with the establishment of God's Kingdom and links this event with trouble for the earth: "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled. And I heard a loud voice in heaven say: 'Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down... On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea.'" Jesus Christ is later depicted as leading the heavenly armies in war against the nations of the earth. (Re 19:11-16) The would mean a period of distress for them, which would logically be included in the "time of distress" that is associated with Michael's standing. (Dan 12:1) Since the Son of God is to fight the nations, it is only reasonable that he was the one who with his angels earlier battled against the superhuman dragon, Satan the Devil, and his angels. In his prehuman existence Jesus was called "the Word." (John 1:1) He also had the personal name Michael. By retaining the name Jesus after his resurrection (Ac 9:5), "the Word" shows that he is identical with the Son of God on earth. His resuming his heavenly name Michael and his title.... "The Word of God" (Re 19:13) ties him in with his prehuman existence. The very name Michael, asking as it does, "Who Is Like God?" points to the fact that Jehovah God is without like, or equal, and that Michael his archangel is his great Champion or Vindicator. Steve Peterson stevep@cadence.com Source: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
jclark@sdcc6.ucsd.edu (John Clark) (04/21/91)
In article <Apr.9.02.58.21.1991.5210@athos.rutgers.edu> davidbu@loowit.wr.tek.com (David E. Buxton) writes:
+ Michael == "one like God".
+Lucifer's desire to be like God, was a key factor in his fall from heaven.
You use a Hebrew word to prove that the "Michael" is one entity, and
you use a Latin word to prove that this entity is not related to the
'Michael' entity. As a matter of fact that the Lucifer persona
envied the Michael persona's position. You assume the conclusion
that Michael is Jesus and then prove he has power over the Lucifer
persona, which if Jesus is God then, unless your a Manichean, is by
definition true.
--
John Clark
jclark@ucsd.edu