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Michael
Who is 'Michael'? A question that we were asked several times again. 'Is he Jesus in another role or task? Or is he a special angel?'.
The Bible tells us who Michael is; please look and read with us:
Daniel 12:1
'And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time. And at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one who shall be found written in the book'.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 '
For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God';
Michael means 'who is like God'…
My first answer would be: no-one is like God! Nevertheless: many said and say, that this must mean, that Jesus is Michael for Jesus is like God... True or not: Jesus didnot come to us or speak to us on his own authority the Bible tells us; it was his God and Father on which behalf Jesus came to us and spoke to us! Also: Jesus received the Spirit of God after his baptism...
- John 8:28 - Jesus does nothing of himself!
‘Then said Jesus unto them, "When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father hath taught Me, I speak these things'.
John 8:42 - Jesus came because his God and Father sent him
‘Jesus said unto them, "If God were your Father, ye would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me'.
John 12:49 - God commanded Jesus what to speak
‘For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father who sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak'.
John 14:10 - Jesus is connected to God by the Spirit of God
‘Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself; but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works'.
Everyone in Jesus that received the Spiritual Gifts and in that way is connected to God is 'like God'. Receiving the Spiritual Gifts actually means becoming 'a partaker in the Spirit of God'. And in that way we become a 'Spiritual Part' of God using the means/the tools of God: the Spiritual Gifts. We become 'extensions of God'; personal priests.
Hebrews 6:1-4 - Receiving the Gifts means being made partaker of the Spirit!
'Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
What the Bible tells us about Michael…
In the Bible I found the following verses about who Michael is and what he is doing:
'And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels'.
Daniel 10:13 'But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I remained there with the kings of Persia.'
Daniel 10:21 'But I will show thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth; and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.'.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 'and the dead in Christ shall rise first;
then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord'.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 'For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God';
Jude 1:9 'Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil and disputing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke thee!"'.
From these Bible-passages we learn that Michael:
is one of the 'chief princes' -an archangel- of which there are few (Daniel 10; 'one of the chief princes'.)
has the task to lead the angels in battle against the devil and his angels; both in Heaven and on Earth.
will shout and will make the trumpet sound and only after that the Son of God will decend from Heaven to us in the sky and call the deaths from their graves (John 5:28-29)
leads the battle on Earth, but we will meet Jesus in the air; not on Earth (read 1 Tess. 4:17)
John 5:28-29 - 'Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice [=voice of Jesus] and shall come forth—they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Michael isnot Jesus
From the Bible-verses above we clearly learn, that Michael is an (arch-)angel and that he leads the angels of God. And we also know, that Michael will lead them into battle against the devil and his angels; just as he did before in Heaven.
Jesus -as we know from the Bible- is higher than all the angels; archangels included!
.
Hebrews 1:3-5
'He is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person, upholding all things by the word of His power. When He had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said God at any time, "Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee"? And again, "I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son"?'.
The death people willnot hear the voice of the archangel or the trumpet, because only after that 'shout' Jesus will descend from the Heaven to our sky and call the deaths from their graves.
Is it important to know the difference between Michael and Jesus?
Of course it is not Gods intention for us to be or to keep us in ignorance or uncertainty and that is why we have been given acces to the Bible, Gods Son and Gods Spirit. Still: 'knowledge about' is neither His purpose nor our goal!
From Matthew 25 we know what it is God's purpose is:
- to become a partaker of His Son by baptism
(you await the return of the Bridegroom)
- to become a partaker of His Spirit by the laying on of hands
(oil in your lamp)
- to grow in the Fruit of the Spirit in His Service for others
(spare oil in the vessel by increasing the given talents)
Without these developments in your life you willnot see Jesus return and there willnot be a Feast in Heaven for you Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:10 and Matthew 25:28.
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