Key Scripture: “For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father’? Or again, ‘I will be his Father, and he will be my Son’?” (Hebrews 1:5)

 The objective of The Jesus Isn’t Michael Approach is to help Jehovah’s Witnesses see that, contrary to Watchtower doctrine, Jesus is not Michael the archangel.

Why it matters

Because of the “Jesus is Michael” teaching, Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t have a personal relationship with Christ. They don’t think such a thing is desirable or even possible. Opening their minds to the possibility that Jesus is more than what the Watchtower portrays him to be can be a major step in leading them out of that organization to a saving knowledge of the Lord.

The unexpected approach

Jehovah’s Witnesses expect you to claim that Jesus is fully God and that God is a Trinity. They are prepared to put you on the defensive by making you try to prove these claims and then attacking what you present. However, with this limited approach you will turn the tables by telling them that you don’t see that Jesus is Michael and asking them to show you where the Bible says that he is. (p. 148)

There are three points you will want to get across by your questions:

  • Point #1: The Bible doesn’t identify Jesus as Michael.
  • Point #2: Watchtower teachings about Jesus contradict each other.
  • Point #3: The Book of Hebrews says that Jesus is superior to any angel.

We will cover Point #1 in this post and Points #2 and #3 next week.

Point #1: The Bible doesn’t identify Jesus as Michael (pp. 148-153)

Ask the Witnesses to show you from the Bible that Jesus is Michael. The principal proof text they use doesn’t mention Michael by name at all. Rather, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 states: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

Here is the Watchtower’s explanation: “At 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (RS), 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. (Interestingly, the expression ‘archangel’ is never found in the plural in the Scriptures, thus implying that there is only one.)”

Ask:

  • “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?”
  • “If being accompanied by an archangel’s voice makes the Lord an archangel, couldn’t someone by the same logic say that his having God’s trumpet means that Jesus is God?” (pp. 149-150)

Ask them to look with you at the five verses which do mention Michael by name.

Daniel 10:13 reads as follows: “But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.” Ask:

  • This passage calls Michael one of the chief princes. Wouldn’t that make him one of a group of such princes? But the Bible says that Jesus is unique, not one among many princes that are equal in rank. (p. 150)

Daniel 10:21 states, “…but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.” Ask:

  • This verse does not indicate that it is speaking about the Messiah. In fact, isn’t Jesus God’s chosen king, not a prince? (p. 150)

Daniel 12:1: 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,” or indicate that he will ever be a man. (p. 151).

Jude 9 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’” (Watchtower’s translation). (pp. 151-152)

  • Point out that in contrast to this 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 Satan 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?”

Revelation 12:7-9: The Watchtower argues as follows: “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)”

If they make this argument, have them actually read aloud Revelation 19:11-16 and say, “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?” (pp. 152-153)

Study Questions

  1. The Watchtower makes the following claim: “At 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (RS), 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. (Interestingly, the expression ‘archangel’ is never found in the plural in the Scriptures, thus implying that there is only one.)

 How would you reply to a Jehovah’s Witness who makes these points to you? (pp. 149-150)

  1. Please read the following scriptures. How might you use them to challenge the Watchtower’s “Jesus is Michael the archangel” teaching? (pp. 150-153)
  • Daniel 10:13
  • Daniel 10:21
  • Jude 9
  • Revelation 12:7-9
  • Revelation 19:11-16