As far back as 1899, the Watchtower pronounced that “the man Jesus is dead, forever dead.” (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 5, 1899, p. 454)

But the Watchtower believes Christ was resurrected, so what did they mean by that?

Let’s look at the Watchtower’s sequence of events; it teaches that:

  1. Originally, only Jehovah existed because only Jehovah is eternal.
  2. At some point in eons past, Jehovah created the Archangel Michael as his firstborn Son.
  3. When the time was right, Jehovah took Michael’s spirit (an impersonal life force) and placed it in the womb of Mary.
  4. At that time, Michael the Archangel, went out of existence and Jesus, the human, came into existence.
  5. Jehovah planted Michael’s memories of heaven into Jesus and enabled Jesus to access them at his baptism.
  6. At his baptism, Jesus was “born again,” meaning that Jehovah designated him for an eventual resurrection to heavenly life and rulership if he remained faithful.
  7. Jesus lived a perfect life and willingly provided his body as the ransom sacrifice to redeem fallen humans.
  8. When Jesus died, he went out of existence.
  9. Three days later, Jehovah placed Jesus’ spirit (an impersonal life force) into Michael’s spirit body, and Michael came back into existence.
  10. Jehovah implanted into Michael Jesus’ memories of his earthly life.
  11. Michael will remain an archangel forever.
  12. Jesus will never resume his life as a human.

In support of its views, the Watchtower claims, “Resurrection involves a reactivating of the life pattern of the individual, which life pattern God has retained in his memory. According to God’s will for the individual, the person is restored in either a human or a spirit body and yet retains his personal identity, having the same personality and memories as when he died. “

But wait.

According to the Watchtower, Jesus didn’t just get a spirit body when he was resurrected; he got his pre-existing spirit body and once again became Michael the archangel.

So is he Jesus or is he Michael?

Or is he somehow a combination of the two—a Michael-Jesus-Michael?

The Watchtower ignores the fact that even after Jesus’ resurrection, the Bible still refers to him as Jesus, not as Michael—even in the Watchtower’s own translation.

Acts 9:3-5: “Now as he was traveling and getting near Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him, and he fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ He asked: ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said: ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’” (emphasis added)

 “I am Jesus,” not, “I was Jesus.”

 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus…’ (emphasis added)

 The mediator is a man, Christ Jesus, not an archangel named Michael.

Acts 17:31: “Because he has set a day on which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has provided a guarantee to all men by resurrecting him from the dead.” (emphasis added).

The future judgment will be carried out by a man, not by an archangel.

And Jesus is mentioned by his own name in Revelation—and not just in the past tense.

For example, in Revelation 22:16, Jesus refers to himself by his human name—not as Michael—and he still refers to himself by his human lineage: “I, Jesus, sent my angel to bear witness to you about these things for the congregations. I am the root and the offspring of David and the bright morning star.’ (emphasis added)

In Revelation 22:20, John addresses him as Jesus, not as Michael: “The one who bears witness of these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’” “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.”

In the last verse of the Bible, Revelation 22:21, John again refers to him as Jesus, not as Michael: “May the undeserved kindness of the Lord Jesus be with the holy ones.”

Michael is also mentioned by his own name in Revelation 12:7-9: “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.”

The Watchtower argues that this passage shows that Jesus is Michael:

 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. (What Does the Bible Really Teach?, p. 219)

But I think it shows the exact opposite!

If John wanted his readers to believe that the two are the same person, wouldn’t he have chosen just one of the names to use—either Jesus (because that’s how we relate to him and what he calls himself in Revelation 22) or Michael (because he is an archangel who will never resume his humanity)?

I recommend that you show these passages to Jehovah’s Witnesses and ask, “Don’t these verses show that both the archangel Michael and the man Jesus are both very much alive and in heaven?”