MICHAEL

(Miʹcha·el) [Who is like God?].

1. The only holy angel other than Gabriel named in the Bible, and the only one called “archangel.” (Jude 9) The first occurrence of the name is in the tenth chapter of Daniel, where Michael is described as “one of the foremost princes” that came to the aid of a lesser angel who was opposed by the “prince of the royal realm of Persia.” Michael was called “the prince of [Daniel’s] people,” “the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of [Daniel’s] people.” (Dan. 10:13, 20, 21; 12:1) This points to Michael as the angel who led the Israelites through the wilderness. (Ex. 23:20, 21, 23; 32:34; 33:2) Lending support to this conclusion is the fact that “Michael the archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses’ body.”—Jude 9.

Scriptural evidence indicates that the name Michael applied to God’s Son before he left heaven to become Jesus Christ and also after his return. Michael is the only one said to be the “archangel,” meaning “chief angel” or “principal angel.” The term occurs in the Bible only in the singular. This seems to imply that there is but one whom God has designated chief or head of the angelic host. At 1 Thessalonians 4:16 the voice of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ is described as being that of an archangel, suggesting that he is, in fact, himself the archangel. This text depicts him as descending from heaven with a “commanding call.” It is only logical, therefore, that the voice expressing this commanding call be described by a word that would not diminish or detract from the great authority that Christ Jesus now has as King of kings and Lord of lords. (Matt. 28:18; Rev. 17:14) If the designation “archangel” applied, not to Jesus Christ, but to other angels, then the reference to an “archangel’s voice” would not be appropriate. In that case it would be describing a voice of lesser authority than that of the Son of God.

There are also other correspondencies establishing that Michael is actually the Son of God. Daniel, after making the first reference to Michael (10:13), recorded a long-range prophecy reaching down to “the time of the end” (11:40), and then stated: “And during that time Michael will stand up” (12:1), that is, will take up power or begin to reign as king. (Compare Daniel 8:22, 23; 11:2, 3, 7, 20, 21.) This implies that a period of being seated preceded his standing up as king. In agreement therewith Hebrews 10:12, 13 says regarding Christ Jesus: “This man offered one sacrifice for sins perpetually and sat down at the right hand of God, from then on awaiting until his enemies should be placed as a stool for his feet.” Michael’s standing up was to lead to a “time of distress such as has not been made to occur since there came to be a nation until that time.”—Dan. 12:1.

The book of Revelation (12:7, 10, 12) mentions Michael in connection with the establishment of God’s kingdom and links this event with trouble for the earth: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled. And I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, . . . On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea.’” Jesus Christ is later depicted as leading the heavenly armies in war against the nations of the earth. (Rev. 19:11-16) This would mean a period of distress for them, which would logically be included in the “time of distress” to follow Michael’s standing up. (Dan. 12:1) Since the Son of God is to fight the nations, it is only reasonable that he was the one who with his angels earlier battled against the superhuman dragon, Satan the Devil, and his angels.

In his prehuman existence Jesus was called “the Word.” (John 1:1) He also had the personal name Michael. By retaining the name Jesus after his resurrection (Acts 9:5), the “Word” shows that he is identical with the Son of God on earth. His resuming his heavenly name Michael and his title (or, name) “The Word of God” (Rev. 19:13) ties him in with his prehuman existence. The very name Michael, asking as it does, “Who is like God?”, points to the fact that Jehovah God is without like or equal and that Michael his archangel is his great Champion or Vindicator.

2. The father of chieftain Sethur of the tribe of Asher who was one of the twelve sent to spy out Canaan.—Num. 13:2, 13.

3. Forefather of Asaph; of the family of Gershom, the son of Levi.—1 Chron. 6:39, 40, 43.

4. One of the heads of the tribe of Issachar; of the family of Tola.—1 Chron. 7:1-3.

5. A chieftain of the tribe of Manasseh who deserted to David at Ziklag.—1 Chron. 12:20.

6. The father of Omri, the head of a paternal house of Issachar during David’s reign.—1 Chron. 27:18.

7. One of the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah who, together with his brothers, received costly gifts and fortified cities from their father. However, when his older brother Jehoram became king, Jehoram killed all his six younger brothers, including Michael.—2 Chron. 21:1-4.

8. A Gadite and descendant of Buz; an ancestor of No. 9 below, at least five generations removed.—1 Chron. 5:11, 13, 14.

9. A Gadite, and first of seven sons of Abihail, a descendant of No. 8 above and a head of a house of Gilead enrolled genealogically during the days of Israelite King Jeroboam (II) and of Judean King Jotham.—1 Chron. 5:11-17.

10. A Benjamite; descendant of Shaharaim by his wife Hushim through Elpaal and Beriah.—1 Chron. 8:1, 8, 11-13, 16.

11. Father of the Zebadiah who went up to Jerusalem from Babylon with Ezra in 468 B.C.E.—Ezra 8:1, 8.