Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?

Research by Simon Brown

Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus existed before His birth as Michael the Archangel. They believe Michael is another name for Jesus before He came to earth and after He returned to heaven.

But does the Bible actually teach this?

I believe the answer is no. The Bible never says Jesus is Michael the Archangel. It never says Michael became flesh. It never says Michael was born of Mary. It never says Michael died for our sins. Instead, Scripture plainly identifies Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Last Adam, and the one Mediator between God and mankind.

10 Quick Bible Facts

1. Jesus died, but holy angels do not die

Jesus said:

“I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.”
Revelation 1:17–18

The gospel requires us to believe that Jesus truly died and was raised from the dead. If Jesus were Michael the Archangel, then an archangel would have died. But holy angels are spiritual beings and are not presented in Scripture as dying for sin. Jesus died because He was truly a man.

2. God alone created all things

Yahweh says:

“I am Yahweh, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens; who spreads out the earth by myself.”
Isaiah 44:24

God says He created alone and by Himself. The Bible never says God created the world through Michael the Archangel.

3. Jesus pointed to the one Creator

Jesus said:

“Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?”
Matthew 19:4

Jesus did not say that He, Michael, or another heavenly being created Adam and Eve. He pointed back to the one Creator: His Father and God.

4. Jesus is the Last Adam

Paul calls Jesus the “last Adam” and “second man”:

“The first man Adam became a living soul; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”
1 Corinthians 15:45

Adam did not pre-exist his human life. He was a man. Therefore, the Last Adam must also be a true man, not a pre-existing angel transformed into a man.

5. Jesus called Himself the Son of Man

Jesus repeatedly called Himself the Son of Man. This title points to His humanity and also connects with Daniel 7:13–14.

Jesus was identifying Himself as the promised human Messiah, not as Michael the Archangel.

6. Jesus is always called a man

Scripture says:

“Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God.”
Acts 2:22

Jesus Himself said:

“You seek to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.”
John 8:40

Paul wrote:

“There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
1 Timothy 2:5

The Bible calls Jesus a man, not an angel.

7. Jesus is given many titles, but never Michael

Jesus is called:

• Jesus
• Christ
• Messiah
• Son of God
• Only begotten Son
• Son of Man
• Lamb of God
• Lord
• Saviour
• Prophet
• Good Shepherd
• Bread of Life
• Light of the World
• The Way, the Truth, and the Life
• The Faithful and True Witness

But He is never called Michael the Archangel.

If Jesus were Michael, this would be one of the most important truths in the Bible. Yet no prophet, apostle, angel, or Jesus Himself ever says it.

8. Hebrews separates Jesus from the angels

Hebrews 1 says:

“Having become so much superior to the angels…”
Hebrews 1:4

Then it says:

“For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You’?”
Hebrews 1:5

This is one of the strongest verses against the idea that Jesus is an angel. God never said this to any angel. He said it to His Son.

9. Angels are not to be worshipped

When John tried to worship an angel, the angel said:

“See that you do not do that… Worship God!”
Revelation 22:8–9

But Hebrews 1:6 says:

“Let all God’s angels worship Him.”

If Jesus were Michael the Archangel, then angels would be worshipping another angel. Scripture does not teach this.

10. Jesus was foreknown, not pre-existing

Peter says Jesus was:

“foreknown before the foundation of the world, but revealed in the last times.”
1 Peter 1:20

Jesus existed in God’s plan, purpose, prophecy, and foreknowledge before the foundation of the world. But being foreknown is not the same as being personally alive as Michael the Archangel.

Who Is Michael the Archangel?

Michael is mentioned in Daniel, Jude, and Revelation.

He is called:

• “one of the chief princes” — Daniel 10:13
• “your prince” — Daniel 10:21
• “the great prince” — Daniel 12:1
• “Michael the archangel” — Jude 9
• leader of angels in battle — Revelation 12:7

Michael is a mighty angelic prince. But nowhere is he called:

• the Son of God
• the only begotten Son
• the Christ
• the Lamb of God
• the Son of Man
• the Mediator between God and man
• the Last Adam
• the descendant of David
• the man Christ Jesus

Michael is Michael. Jesus is Jesus.

Jesus Identified Himself Clearly

In Revelation 22:16 Jesus says:

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel… I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

Notice carefully: Jesus says, “I, Jesus.” He does not say, “I, Michael.” He says He sent His angel. He does not say He is that angel.

Jesus also identifies Himself as the descendant of David. That means He belongs to the human Messianic line. Michael the Archangel is never called the descendant of David.

Hebrews 1 Destroys the Angel Theory

Hebrews 1 repeatedly contrasts Jesus with the angels.

It says Jesus has become superior to the angels. It asks, “To which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are My Son’?” The answer is obvious: none of them.

Therefore, Jesus cannot be Michael the Archangel.

Hebrews 1:13 says:

“To which of the angels did He ever say, ‘Sit at My right hand’?”

Again, the answer is: no angel. God said this to Jesus, His Son.

Jesus Was Begotten

The Bible says:

“You are My Son; today I have begotten You.”
Psalm 2:7 / Hebrews 1:5 / Acts 13:33

To be begotten means to be brought forth as a Son. Jesus is not an eternal angel. He is the only begotten Son of God.

Luke 1:35 says:

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you… therefore the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

Jesus is the Son of God because of His miraculous begetting in Mary, not because He was Michael the Archangel.

Jesus Is the True Mediator

Job said:

“There is no mediator between us.”
Job 9:33

But Paul says:

“There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
1 Timothy 2:5

The mediator had to be a true man. Not God Himself. Not Michael the Archangel. Not a pre-existing spirit being. The mediator is the man Christ Jesus.

The Son of Man

Jesus often called Himself the Son of Man. This title shows His humanity and His Messianic identity.

God is not a man:

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man…”
Numbers 23:19

Michael is not a man either. But Jesus is the Son of Man, born of Mary, descended from David, and appointed by God.

Conclusion

There is no verse in the Bible that says Jesus is Michael the Archangel.

There is no verse that says Michael became flesh.

There is no verse that says Michael died for our sins.

There is no verse that says Michael is the only begotten Son of God.

The Bible teaches something much clearer:

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

He is the promised Messiah.

He is the Son of Man.

He is the Last Adam.

He is the one mediator between God and mankind.

He is not God Almighty.

He is not God the Father.

He is not Michael the Archangel.

He is the man Christ Jesus, the only begotten Son of the one true God.

As Jesus said:

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
John 17:3

Sons of God meaning: 

However, the Bible also uses ''sons of God'' in other ways.

Angels are called ''sons of God'' in other ways.

Believers are called sons or children of  God in other ways.

Adam is called the son of God in Luke 3:38 because God directly created him.

it's important not to assume that every occurence of ''son(s) of God refers to the same group or category. 

The Bible makes a distinction between the angels and Jesus Christ.

While angels can collectively be called ''sons of God,'' Jesus is uniquely described as the only begotten Son of God (e.g. John 3:16, John 20:31, 1 John 4:9).

The new testament presents Jesus as having a unique sonship that is not shared by the angels. Hebrews 1:13 / Psalm 2:7 / Hebrews 1:5 / Acts 13:33

The truth is simple: Jesus is not God, and Jesus is not Michael the Archangel. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

The Word of God tells us: 

For He is not the God of disorder, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:33

Why is Modalism a false faith?

What is Modalism?

The belief that God the Father is the Son (Jesus) rather than the Father and the Son being distinct persons is generally called Modalism, also known as Sabellianism.

Modalism teaches that:

God is one Person, not three.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are simply different modes or manifestations of the one God.

So, Jesus is understood to be the Father revealed in human form.

A modern movement that holds a similar view is United Pentecostal Church International and other Oneness Pentecostal churches. They reject the traditional doctrine of the Trinity.

By contrast:

Trinitarian Christianity teaches that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct Persons who share one divine nature.

Other groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, believe the Father and the Son are distinct but do not believe Jesus is God in the same sense as the Father.

Why is Modalism a false faith? 

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them."
— Ephesians 5:11

The Oneness Pentecostal faith correctly rejects the doctrine that God is three persons, commonly known as the Trinity.

The traditional Trinity doctrine teaches that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons who together are one God. This doctrine originated in post-apostolic church history and has become the foundational confession of faith for much of mainstream Christianity.

However, although the Oneness Pentecostal movement rejects the Trinity, it has, in my view, fallen into a different error by teaching that the Father Himself is the Son. In contrast, Trinitarians correctly deny that the Father is the Son, even though they teach that both are equally God.

This leaves two opposing doctrines, yet both, I believe, fail to present the simple biblical relationship between the Father and His Son.

The Scriptures consistently teach that the Father is not the Son. Jesus Himself declared that He is the Son of God, not the Father. He spoke of "My Father" throughout His ministry (John 10:36; John 20:17), and in prayer He addressed the Father as "the only true God" (John 17:3).

When Scripture is read in its context, without forcing later theological systems upon it, the message is remarkably simple. We do not need advanced education or theological degrees to understand it. The Bible nowhere teaches that Jesus is the Father, nor does it teach that the Father and the Son are the same individual.

Consider just one example.

John 14:11

Berean Literal Bible

"Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me; but if not, believe because of the works themselves."

Notice carefully what Jesus did say:

"I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me."

Now notice what Jesus did not say:

"I am the Father, and the Father is Me."

The distinction is obvious.

Jesus speaks of:

1. The Father.
2. Himself, the Son.

The Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father. This describes perfect unity, agreement, love, and purpose—not that they are the same person.

Throughout Scripture, God the Father never says that He is His Son.

Likewise, Jesus never says that He is the Father.

When the Bible is allowed to speak for itself, from Genesis to Revelation, there is no passage that plainly teaches that the Father is the Son.

Instead, the Bible repeatedly teaches that God sent His Son.

John 3:16 declares that God gave His only begotten Son.

John 20:31 explains that the Gospel was written so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

If the Father were literally the Son, then these statements lose their natural meaning. The repeated biblical language of the Father sending, giving, loving, and glorifying His Son would become difficult to understand.

The apostle John wrote:

1 John 2:22

"Who is the liar except the one denying that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one denying the Father and the Son."

The following verse continues:

1 John 2:23

"Everyone denying the Son does not have the Father. The one confessing the Son has the Father also."

These verses consistently distinguish between the Father and the Son.

Likewise, Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 8:6

"Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through Him."

Again, Scripture distinguishes between the one God, the Father, and the one Lord, Jesus Christ.

For these reasons, I believe neither the traditional doctrine of the Trinity nor the Oneness Pentecostal understanding accurately represents the consistent testimony of Scripture concerning the Father and the Son.

My encouragement is not that anyone should simply accept my conclusions, but that every Christian should carefully examine the Scriptures for themselves, testing every doctrine by the Word of God.

May we always seek the truth with humility, gentleness, love, and respect toward those with whom we disagree, giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ, our High Priest, Mediator, and Advocate.

I am Simon Brown, and I hope this article encourages you to do exactly what Jesus said:

"Seek, and you will find."

The Importance of Listening Before Judging!

My Story, Simon Brown.

The tragic news of young student Henry Nowak, who reportedly repeatedly told police officers, "I can't breathe," before losing his life, is deeply upsetting. Any case where a person dies after pleading for help deserves careful examination and reflection.

Reading about this case brought back painful memories of my own experience in October 2023. Although my circumstances were very different, I too found myself desperately trying to be heard and believed.

For many years I endured what I believe was coercive control, financial abuse, and eventually domestic abuse within my marriage. Because I loved my wife deeply, I ignored many warning signs and continued hoping things would improve.

One evening, at around 10 p.m., I went downstairs from my bedroom to investigate some unusual noise coming from my kitchen. What I discovered changed my life forever. I found my wife and one of my lodgers behaving intimately together.

I confronted them and accused them of having an affair. The lodger then grabbed me in a headlock and began squeezing my neck. At the same time, my wife pushed us to the floor and ended up on top of me. I felt trapped, unable to breathe properly, while the lodger continued to hold me around the neck.

I repeatedly shouted, "I can't breathe," and begged them to let me go. As I became weaker and feared I might lose consciousness, I used my free arm to strike the lodger in an effort to escape. Eventually he released his grip, and I managed to free myself.

The police were called. Unfortunately, they spoke first to my wife and the lodger, who alleged that I had attacked them without reason. When officers spoke to me, I explained that I had found them together and had acted only to defend myself from being restrained and unable to breathe.

To my great frustration, I felt that my account was not properly heard. I was arrested, taken into custody, and later faced a lengthy legal process. At the time, I felt devastated that my version of events had been dismissed so quickly.

However, while at the police station, another officer took the time to listen carefully to what had happened. After hearing my account and examining the evidence, including injuries and bloodstains on my clothing, he told me something I have never forgotten:

"I believe you, Simon."

Those words meant a great deal because, for the first time, I felt that somebody was prepared to listen rather than simply assume.

In the months that followed, I applied to the court for protection because I feared further harassment and abuse. The court listened to the evidence and granted a non-molestation order against my wife. This gave me reassurance and helped me begin moving forward with my life.

I am not comparing my experience directly with that of Henry Nowak. His case involved a tragic loss of life, and my heart goes out to his family and friends. I survived and have been able to tell my story.

However, both situations highlight an important principle: people deserve to be heard.

Police officers often face difficult and fast-moving situations. They have to make decisions under pressure and frequently deal with conflicting accounts. Nevertheless, every effort should be made to listen carefully to all parties, gather evidence thoroughly, and remain open-minded until the facts are established.

The lesson is not that officers should automatically believe every claim. Rather, it is that they should listen carefully, investigate fairly, and avoid reaching conclusions too quickly.

A few extra minutes spent listening may prevent a miscarriage of justice. In some situations, it may even save a life.

Every person deserves to have their voice heard. Whether they are a student in distress, a victim of domestic abuse, or someone accused of wrongdoing, justice begins with listening.

That is the lesson I took from my experience, and it is one I hope will never be forgotten.

--Mark 4:22 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.

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