The Archangel Michael—Who Is He?

This article exposes the Watchtower's false doctrine that Yeshua HaMashiach is Michael the Archangel, contrasting it with the clear, primary-source attested divine nature of Yeshua.

Quick Answer

The Archangel Michael—Who Is He? Exposing Watchtower's False Doctrine Quick Answer Quick Answer: The Archangel Michael is a powerful angelic being, one of the chief princes, clearly distinct from Yeshua HaMashiach. Watchtower's doctrine equating Yeshua with Michael is a theological fabrication that contradicts explicit Scriptural distinctions between the Creator and created beings, undermining Yeshua's divine…

The Archangel Michael—Who Is He? Exposing Watchtower's False Doctrine

Quick Answer

Quick Answer: The Archangel Michael is a powerful angelic being, one of the chief princes, clearly distinct from Yeshua HaMashiach. Watchtower's doctrine equating Yeshua with Michael is a theological fabrication that contradicts explicit Scriptural distinctions between the Creator and created beings, undermining Yeshua's divine nature and pre-existence as Elohim.

The Scholarly Case

The identity of the Archangel Michael is a point of significant theological contention, particularly within groups that deviate from the historical Hebraic-Messianic understanding of Yeshua HaMashiach's divine nature. From a Torah-observant, Brit Chadashah perspective, Michael is consistently presented as a singular, powerful angelic being, a chief prince, but never as Elohim Himself or as Yeshua. The Tanakh introduces Michael as a prominent angelic figure. In Daniel 10:13, he is described as "Michael, one of the chief princes," indicating his high rank among angels, yet still one among others. Daniel 12:1 further emphasizes his role as "the great prince who stands watch over your people," referring to Israel. These passages establish Michael as a guardian and warrior angel, deeply involved in the spiritual warfare concerning Yisrael. Crucially, he is always presented as a created entity, albeit one of immense power and authority within the angelic hierarchy. The Brit Chadashah continues this portrayal. Jude 1:9 states, "But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”" Here, Michael is explicitly called "the archangel," a leading angel, but he defers judgment to YHWH, demonstrating his subordinate position to the Almighty. He does not act with inherent divine authority but as an agent of Elohim. Revelation 12:7-9 depicts Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon, Satan, and his angels, again portraying him as a powerful angelic leader in spiritual combat. "Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back." This reinforces his role as a celestial warrior, not as the Divine Son. The critical distinction between Michael and Yeshua is unequivocally established in the Brit Chadashah, particularly in the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 1:4-8 meticulously details Yeshua's superiority to all angels. "So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs. 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”? And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all God’s angels worship Him.” Now about the angels He says: “He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire.” But about the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom." This passage explicitly states that YHWH never addressed any angel as His Son in the same unique, divine sense as Yeshua. Furthermore, angels are commanded to worship Yeshua, which would be illogical if Yeshua were merely an angel himself. Yeshua is Elohim, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature (Hebrews 1:3). The Hebraic understanding of YHWH's plurality, often referred to as "Two Powers in Heaven" by early rabbinic sources (b. Sanhedrin 38b; b. Chagigah 14a), and the concept of the Memra (the Word of YHWH in the Targumim), further distinguish Yeshua from created beings. The Memra, as seen in Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 45:12, describes YHWH creating the world through His Word, an agent distinct yet intrinsically divine. This pre-existent, divine agent is Yeshua, not an angel. John 1:1 declares, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This establishes Yeshua's co-eternality and co-equality with Elohim. Colossians 1:16-17 further clarifies: "For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Yeshua is the Creator, not a created being. While some interpret figures like "the Commander of the LORD’s army" in Joshua 5:13-15 as a Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Yeshua), the text does not identify this figure as Michael. Joshua fell facedown in reverence, and the Commander instructed him, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." This echoes the divine encounter of Moses at the burning bush and strongly points to a direct manifestation of YHWH, or Yeshua as the Angel of YHWH who bears the Name (Exodus 23:21), not a mere archangel like Michael. Therefore, the Scriptural evidence consistently portrays Michael as a powerful, loyal, created archangel, while Yeshua HaMashiach is presented as the uncreated, pre-existent, divine Son of Elohim, the Creator of all things, whom all angels worship. To equate them is to diminish Yeshua's divinity and elevate a created being to the level of the Creator, a serious theological error.

Adversary Teardown: Watchtower (jw.org)

The Watchtower Society, the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses, propagates the demonstrably false doctrine that Yeshua HaMashiach is none other than Michael the Archangel. This teaching is a cornerstone of their anti-Trinitarian theology, which fundamentally denies the divinity of Yeshua. This doctrine can be traced back to the Adventist roots of their movement, particularly through Charles Taze Russell's early interpretations, influenced by Adventist figures like Nelson Barbour. The Watchtower's assertion that Yeshua is Michael is a severe distortion of primary Scripture. They argue, for example, that since 1 Thessalonians 4:16 mentions "the voice of an archangel" at the Lord's descent and John 5:25 speaks of "the voice of the Son of God" raising the dead, these must refer to the same individual. This argument, however, is a logical fallacy of false equivalence, ignoring the possibility of coordinated action or the Son's voice possessing the authority of an archangel without being an archangel himself. A key fault line in Watchtower theology is their systematic re-translation of crucial biblical texts in their *New World Translation* (NWT) to support their predetermined doctrines. For instance, John 1:1, which in standard translations reads, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," is rendered in the NWT as "the Word was a god." This deliberate mistranslation, as meticulously documented by scholars like Bruce Metzger in "The Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus Christ" (1953) and Robert Countess in "The Jehovah's Witness New Testament" (1982), is designed to deny Yeshua's full deity and make Him a created being—a "god" but not *the* God. This linguistic manipulation directly supports their claim that Yeshua could be Michael, a created archangel. Further, the NWT's insertion of "[other]" in Colossians 1:16-17 ("For by means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth") is another egregious example of textual tampering. The original Greek text contains no such word, yet the Watchtower adds it to imply that Yeshua was the first created being, and then through him all *other* things were created. This directly contradicts the plain reading of the text that states Yeshua created *all* things, making Him the Creator, not a creation. The Watchtower's lineage reveals a consistent pattern of theological deviation. Charles Taze Russell, who founded Zion's Watch Tower in 1879, inherited chronological errors from William Miller (famous for the 1844 "Great Disappointment") and Nelson Barbour, leading to their failed 1914 invisible presence doctrine. Subsequent leaders like J.F. Rutherford, who rebranded the movement as "Jehovah's witnesses" in 1931, continued to solidify these heterodox teachings. The modern Governing Body maintains these positions, including the Michael-as-Yeshua doctrine, despite overwhelming scriptural and scholarly refutation. This doctrine represents a radical break from the 1st-century Hebraic faith of Yeshua and the apostles, which affirmed Yeshua's divine nature and His distinct identity from all created beings, including angels. The Watchtower's position forces Yeshua, the Creator and object of angelic worship, into the role of a created angel, thereby stripping Him of His rightful divine glory.

Counter-Arguments Anticipated

Objection 1: The title "Archangel" implies there is only one, and Yeshua's actions match Michael's.

This objection attempts to conflate roles and titles. While "archangel" denotes a chief angel, it does not inherently mean there is only one, nor does it necessitate that the one who has "the voice of an archangel" (1 Thessalonians 4:16) must *be* an archangel. Yeshua, as the Creator and Commander of all heavenly hosts, certainly possesses authority over all angels, including archangels. His voice carries divine authority, which would naturally encompass and surpass the authority of any archangel. The Brit Chadashah explicitly distinguishes Yeshua from angels, stating that He is far superior to them (Hebrews 1:4-8) and that angels worship Him, not the other way around. Thus, Yeshua's divine authority allows Him to command with the voice of an archangel without being one Himself, just as a king commands his generals.

Objection 2: Michael is called "Prince" in Daniel, a title also applied to Yeshua.

The use of the title "prince" (Hebrew: sar) for Michael in Daniel (Daniel 10:13, 12:1) does not equate him with Yeshua. While Yeshua is indeed the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and the Prince of Life (Acts 3:15), the term "prince" is a broad descriptor for a leader or ruler. Daniel 10:13 explicitly calls Michael "one of the chief princes," clearly indicating he is part of a group, not the singular, supreme divine ruler. The context in Daniel shows Michael fighting on behalf of Israel, acting as an agent. Yeshua, by contrast, is the sovereign King and Commander of all hosts, as seen in Joshua 5:13-15 where the "Commander of the LORD’s army" accepts worship and declares the ground holy, prerogatives reserved for YHWH alone, not an angel.

Objection 3: Early Church Fathers sometimes used "angel" in reference to Yeshua.

This argument selectively misrepresents the nuanced discussions among post-apostolic Greek-speaking commentators. While some early writers used "angel" (messenger) metaphorically or in reference to pre-incarnate appearances of YHWH (the Angel of YHWH), they consistently affirmed Yeshua's distinct divine nature. The "Angel of YHWH" in the Tanakh (e.g., Exodus 3:2-6) often acts with divine authority and even receives worship, leading many to understand these as Christophanies, pre-incarnate appearances of Yeshua, who uniquely bears the Name of YHWH (Exodus 23:21). However, this "Angel of YHWH" is distinct from created angels like Michael, who never receives worship and always defers to YHWH's authority (Jude 1:9). The distinction between the uncreated "Angel of YHWH" and created angels was well-understood, and the Brit Chadashah, particularly Hebrews 1:5-8, definitively settles the matter of Yeshua's absolute superiority to all angels.

Position Lock

Position Lock: Yeshua HaMashiach is the pre-existent, uncreated Son of Elohim, fully divine and distinct from all created beings, including Michael the Archangel. Michael is a powerful, created archangel, one of the chief princes, who serves YHWH, while Yeshua is YHWH, the Creator of Michael and all things, whom all angels worship.