The Bible only mentions one archangel, and Jude 9 gives his name as Michael.

The Watchtower asserts that Michael is also Jesus Christ.

I recommend that you say something like this: “In the past, Jehovah’s Witnesses have asked me, ‘Where in the Bible does Jesus ever say, ‘I am God’?’ I would ask you a parallel question: ‘Where in the Bible does Jesus ever say, ‘I am Michael the archangel’?”

He doesn’t.

Then ask them why they believe Michael is also Jesus Christ.

The meaning of Michael’s name

On page 218 of its book Reasoning from the Scriptures, the Watchtower says this: “‘Michael’ means ‘Who is like God?’ The name evidently designates Michael as the one who takes the lead in upholding Jehovah’s sovereignty and destroying God’s enemies.”

Recommended Response

You might reply, “That isn’t evident at all to me. Can you give me more information?”

1 Thessalonians 4:16

Actually, the Watchtower’s principal proof text doesn’t mention Michael by name at all. Rather, it speaks of “the voice of the archangel.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16: “…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.” (Watchtower translation)

Here is the Watchtower’s argument from page 218 of its book Reasoning from the Scriptures. “At 1 Thessalonians 4:16, the command of Jesus Christ for the resurrection to begin is described as ‘the archangel’s call,’ and Jude 9 says that the archangel is Michael. Would it be appropriate to liken Jesus’ commanding call to that of someone lesser in authority? Reasonably, then, the archangel Michael is Jesus Christ.”

Recommended Response

You can respond by asking, “Where does this passage say that Jesus is the one making the ‘commanding call’? Couldn’t it just as likely mean that an archangel accompanies him as a forerunner or herald for the king?”

Also ask, “If being accompanied by an archangel’s voice makes the Lord an archangel, couldn’t someone by the same logic say that his having the trumpet of God means that Jesus is God? (See David Reed, Jehovah’s Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986), p. 47)

Revelation 12:7-12 and Revelation 19:11-16

In the same entry in its book, the Watchtower posits:

Revelation 12:7-12 says that Michael and his angels would war against Satan and hurl him and his wicked angels out of heaven in connection with the conferring of kingly authority on Christ. Jesus is later depicted as leading the armies of heaven in war against the nations of the world. (Rev. 19:11-16) Is it not reasonable that Jesus should also be the one to take action against the one he described as “ruler of this world,” Satan the Devil? (John 12:31)

In its book What Does the Bible Really Teach? the Watchtower expands this argument a bit by stating, “Since God’s Word nowhere indicates that there are two armies of faithful angels in heaven—one headed by Michael and one headed by Jesus—it is logical to conclude that Michael is none other than Jesus Christ in his heavenly role.”

Let’s look at those two passages.

Revelation 12:7-12: And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. 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, who accuses them day and night before our God! And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death. On this account be glad, your heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time.”

Revelation 19:11-16: I saw heaven opened, and look! a white horse. And the one seated on it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness. His eyes are a fiery flame, and on his head are many diadems. He has a name written that no one knows but he himself,and he is clothed with an outer garment stained with blood, and he is called by the name The Word of God.Also, the armies in heaven were following him on white horses, and they were clothed in white, clean, fine linen.And out of his mouth protrudes a sharp, long sword with which to strike the nations, and he will shepherd them with a rod of iron. Moreover, he treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his outer garment, yes, on his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Recommended Response

If they make their expected argument, have them actually read aloud those two passages and say something like this:

“It seems to me that the book of Revelation clearly distinguishes between two different leaders (Michael in Revelation 12 and Jesus in Revelation 19) leading their armies into battle against two different enemies (the dragon and his angels and the nations of the world) at two different times. I don’t see anything in either of these Revelation passages which says that Michael and Jesus are the same person.”

You can also point out that when John refers to Christ in Revelation, he describes him in much more exalted terms than he uses to describe Michael.

In Revelation 12, Michael is not given any title, but in Revelation 19 Jesus wears a robe and is called “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Ask, “Doesn’t this show that they are two different persons and that Jesus is more highly exalted in heaven than Michael?”

Daniel 12:1

Daniel 12:1 says, “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.”

The Watchtower argues as follows:

Daniel 12:1 (RS)…associates the “standing up of Michael” to act with authority with “a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time.” That would certainly fit the experience of the nations when Christ as heavenly executioner takes action against them. So the evidence indicates that the Son of God was known as Michael before he came to earth and is known also by that name since his return to heaven where he resides as the glorified spirit Son of God.

Recommended Response

Point out that all Daniel 12:1 indicates is that Michael will rise up for God’s people during the tribulation in the end times. Nowhere in the passage does Daniel identify Michael as being the Messiah, the “Son of Man.”

Using Jude 9

My favorite response to the Watchtower’s assertion that Jesus is Michael comes from Jude 9.

That verse reads: “But when Michael 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, but said: ‘May Jehovah rebuke you.’”

Point out that in contrast to Michael’s deference and restraint, Jesus confronted Satan directly. On multiple occasions, he ordered demons to leave people. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, he did not hesitate to rebuke him to his face. Three times he countered Satan’s temptations with scripture. The final time he told him directly, “Away from me, Satan!” and Satan obeyed (Matthew 4:10).

When Peter tried to dissuade Jesus from going to his death, rather than address Peter, Jesus directly rebuked the devil, saying, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23).

Ask, “If Michael did not dare rebuke Satan directly but Jesus both rebuked Satan and issued commands to him, doesn’t that show that Jesus is greater than Michael?”