Wootah wrote: ↑Thu Oct 05, 2023 7:18 pm
onewithhim wrote: ↑Thu Oct 05, 2023 11:41 am
MissKate13 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 20, 2023 6:41 am
One thing is certain. Jesus was not Michael, the archangel. To claim such is blatant false teaching. Jesus, the Word made flesh, created Michael.
John 1:3
Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.
If you believe that Michael is not Jesus, you are giving Michael a place equal to that of Jesus. Who else can "stand guard over the sons of your people and arise" around the time that the Great Tribulation breaks out? (See Daniel 12:1,2, NASB) That describes Jesus, doesn't it? Michael is not mentioned in Matthew 24, so where is he? He is supposed to be arising for the people when the GT hits.
You are denying the superiority of Jesus. He is greater than all the other heavenly Persons. If he is not the one who arises for the people, then you are giving Michael more power than Jesus has. You are denying Jesus his rightful place.
This article makes quite a rebuttal.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don ... art_24.cfm
Basically, Michael does not rebuke Satan and lets YHWH do it but Jesus in Matthew does rebuke Satan. This shows that Jesus is not Michael. It also shows that either Jesus is wrong to rebuke Satan because Jesus is not YHWH or Jesus is YHWH and so can rebuke Satan.
From the article
There is a further problem with the identification of Jesus with Michael. The Book of Jude says:
But when the archangel Michael contended with the Devil and disputed about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a condemnation of slander against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 9).
Michael is obviously not the Lord. He could not rebuke the Devil on his own, but rather called upon the Lord to rebuke him. Jesus has no such problem with the Devil - He personally rebuked him, since He is the Lord.
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.' " Then the Devil left Him, and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him (Matthew 4:10,11).
It is no such great rebuttal. It is an opinion of someone. We don't know why Jesus would not dare to rebuke Satan over Moses' body. There could have been reasons that are not written. It is certainly not enough to prove that Jesus is not Michael.
As I said, to say that Michael is the great prince that stands up for his people when the Great Tribulation begins is taking away the importance of Jesus in that whole scenario. You are giving a non-Jesus Michael the position and authority that only Jesus deserves. Someone is equal to Jesus in your opinion. I'll side with Jesus all day.
"At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people---everyone whose name is found written in the book---will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." (
Daniel 12:1-3, NIV)
This describes the very time that Jesus will come back to relieve his people of wickedness, what we call "the last days." The language of Daniel 12 closely parallels the language of Matthew 24, where Jesus himself says he is involved. (See verse 30,31.) The time of distress that Michael is involved with parallels the great tribulation that Jesus is involved with---"for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now." (Matt.24:21) Who will raise the dead after the Great Tribulation that Daniel speaks of concerning Michael? Jesus said that HE would raise the dead. (John 5:28)
So where is Michael in the events of Matthew chapter 24? Why is he not mentioned if he is not Jesus?