Chapter 19 — Is Jesus Christ an Angel?
The Incarnate Christ and His Critics (Komoszewski & Bowman, 2024)
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Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ is, or was, the archangel Michael. Before his human birth, Michael was the first and greatest spirit creature God made. At the incarnation, his life force was transferred into a human body. After his resurrection, he went back to being Michael, a mighty spirit being, but not God.
This isn't a fringe idea held by a tiny sect. Jehovah's Witnesses number in the millions worldwide, and their magazines, books, and door-to-door conversations have spread this teaching to untold numbers of people. Plenty of sincere Christians have been confused or shaken by their confident citation of Bible verses in support of it.
So is Jesus Michael the archangel? The short answer is no. The longer answer reveals something important about how the New Testament understands Jesus, and angels.
The Case for Jesus as Michael (And Its Problems)
The identification of Jesus with Michael is largely built on inference. Michael is described in Daniel 12:1 as "the great prince who stands guard over your people," an exalted, powerful heavenly being. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16, the return of the Lord is accompanied by "the voice of the archangel." Jude 9 describes Michael as "the archangel." Revelation 12:7 describes Michael leading heavenly forces in battle.
From these fragments, the argument goes: Jesus is the leader of heaven's armies, so Jesus must be Michael.
But that's inference stacked on inference. Nothing in the Bible explicitly says Jesus is Michael. Not once does any New Testament writer say "Jesus is Michael" or even hint at the identification.
What the New Testament Actually Says About Jesus and Angels
In fact, the New Testament goes to considerable lengths to distinguish Jesus from the angels, not to identify him with them.
The opening chapter of Hebrews makes the clearest statement. After declaring that God "appointed [his Son] heir of all things, through whom also he created the world," the author asks: "For to which of the angels did God ever say, 'You are my Son, today I have begotten you'? Or again, 'I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son'?" (Heb. 1:5). The expected answer is none of them. No angel was ever addressed as God's Son in this unique sense.
Then, remarkably, the author quotes Psalm 97:7 as if addressed to the Son: "Let all God's angels worship him." The angels are commanded to worship Jesus, and worshipers don't worship their equals. The angels worship the Son because he's above them, not one of them.
Hebrews 1:13-14 drives the point home: "And to which of the angels has he ever said, 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool'? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?" The angels serve. Jesus sits at God's right hand. Different categories entirely.
The Word "Archangel"
One subtle but important point: the word "archangel" (Greek: archaggellos) appears only twice in the New Testament, in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 9. In 1 Thessalonians, it's a voice accompanying the Lord's return, not identified as the Lord himself. In Jude, Michael is "the archangel," a specific title for one of the leading angels, not a title for God's Son.
Most contemporary scholars, including many conservative evangelicals, don't believe "archangel" means there's only one archangel. There appear to be several. Daniel 10:13 refers to Michael as "one of the chief princes," suggesting he's among a group of leading angelic beings, not unique the way Jesus is unique.
The Deeper Issue
The appeal to Jesus-as-Michael often rests on a misunderstanding of Christ's preexistence. Once you accept, as Jehovah's Witnesses do, that Jesus existed before his birth as a spirit creature, it seems natural to ask what kind of spirit creature he was. "The highest angel" seems like a reasonable answer.
But the New Testament doesn't just teach preexistence. It teaches that the preexistent Christ was the Creator of all things (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2). Angels are created beings. If Christ created all things, he can't be an angel. He stands on the Creator's side of the Creator/creature divide.
Jesus isn't the greatest angel. He's the one the greatest angels worship. The difference is infinite.
Closing Thought
If you've ever had a conversation at your door with a Jehovah's Witness about this, I hope it helps to clarify the issues. Whether Jesus is an angel might seem like an obscure question, but it cuts to the heart of who we're trusting for our salvation.
An angel, however powerful and exalted, is still a creature, and creatures can't bear the weight of our sin. Only the Creator can do that. Only the eternal, divine Son, not Michael, not any angel, had the power to enter death and destroy it from the inside.
That's the Jesus the New Testament presents. And that's the Jesus worth building your life on.