The Archangel Michael the God of the Jews

The Archangel Michael the God of the Jews

The biblical Book of Deuteronomy stipulates that “the Most High, El, gave to the nations their inheritance” and that “Yahweh’s portion is his people, Jacob and his allotted heritage” (32:8-9). 

Daniel 10:13 But the prince of the royal realm of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days, and, look! Michael, one of the foremost princes, came to help me; and I, for my part, remained there beside the kings of Persia.

Daniel 10:21 However, I shall tell you the things noted down in the writing of truth, and there is no one holding strongly with me in these [things] but Michael, the prince of YOU people.

Michael, michåel (Heb.)--who is like unto God?; who is like God; who is assimilated of God; Godlike; who is like expanding power. Michael represents mercy and loving-kindness.

"The archangel" (Jude 9), or "one of the chief princes" who came to help Daniel (Dan. 10:13). He is mentioned in Revelation 12:7 as the leader of the heavenly army that wars against the dragon. There are several Israelites by this name mentioned in the Bible, too (Num. 13:13; I Chron. 5:13; 6:40; 7:3; 8:16; 12:20; 27:18).

The foremost angel, both in power and authority, is Michael, the archangel. (Da 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Re 12:7; Because of his preeminence and his being called “the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of [God’s] people,” he is presumed to be the angel that led Israel through the wilderness. (Ex 23:20-23)

Michael being "one of the chief" implies a hierarchy amongst Angels; hence Jude 9 speaks of "Michael the Archangel".

The LXX renders Dan. 12:1 as “the great Angel” (AV “great prince”). The closeness of association between the Angel Michael and His people Israel is shown by the fact that when He 'stands up' in the last days many of the people of Israel

Hebrews 1 labours the point that the Lord Jesus was not an Angel. This Angel was not the Lord Jesus, but just as Michael represented Israel (Dan. 12:1), so this Angel was the representative of the Messiah.

Michael is the Angel especially responsible for Israel, and therefore one of the most powerful Angels- "Michael one of the chief princes" (Dan. 8:13), "the great prince" (Dan. 12:1). The LXX renders Dan. 12:1 as “the great Angel” (AV “great prince”). Under Michael's control there are many other Angels similarly dedicated to the affairs of the people of Israel- Dt. 11:12 describes the land of Israel as "a land which Yahweh thy God careth for: the eyes of Yahweh thy God (i. e. the Angels) are always upon it from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year". In passing, does the phrase "Yahweh thy God" refer to the Angel which led them through the wilderness? The Angel Michael? Remember Moses was speaking to the people of Israel at this time, and as we saw earlier, they very much conceived of the "Yahweh thy God" in terms of the Angel of the presence going with them. Thus God was promising that His Angels would physically be present in the land and would be especially sensitive to the events there. The degree to which God wanted Israel to conceive of Him in terms of Angels is shown by carefully considering the command for Israel not to have chariots (Dt. 17:16 cp. Is. 2:7). As this form of transport became increasingly popular, it must have seemed as crazy as Christians being told not to possess motor cars. There must have therefore been a highly significant teaching behind it. Was the purpose of it to make Israel look to the Angel-cherubim chariots of God? The word for 'cherubim' carries the idea of a chariot; the notion of horsemen corresponds with the Angel horseriders of Zechariah and Revelation.

Zech. 1:11 describes the Angels as walking "to and fro through the earth (Heb. 'eretz'- the land, of Israel), and behold, all the earth (land) sitteth still and is at rest". "They are the eyes (Angels) of the LORD which run to and fro through the whole earth" (Zech. 4:10). It may even be that the satan Angel of Job was walking to and fro through the land of Israel (going up and down in the "earth"- land) rather than through the whole planet, inspecting the true worshippers (who would only have been located in the area around Israel in all probability). Perhaps it is to the physical presence of the Angel in the land that Ezek. 35:10 refers " Thou (the Arabs) hast said, These two nations and these two countries (Israel and Judah) shall be mine, and I will possess it; whereas the LORD (the Angel Michael) was there". Yet this same Angel ministered judgement on Israel- Ezek. 7:14 and 20:17 describe God's eye (the Angel Michael) not sparing or pitying, and in so doing goes back to the language of Is. 63 where we see that the Angel was capable of showing pity, but ceased to because of Israel's sin (v. 9,10). Ps. 83 also speaks of the Arab aggression towards Israel and therefore Michael in the last days: "They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people" (v. 3)- Israel are Michael's people. They say "let us take to ourselves the houses of God" (v. 12)- i. e. the Angel's dwelling place in the temple. They will be punished by a mighty theophany involving " a wheel. . . the wind. . the fire. . . Thy tempest. . . Thy storm" (v. 13-15)- all of which is the language of the Angel-cherubim and God manifestation in the Angels (e. g. Ps. 104:1-4).

Amos 7 speaks of God through His Angels 'standing up' for Israel as the result of the prayer of Amos and a faithful remnant. Amos sees visions of the impending judgements on Israel. After each he prays "O Lord God, forgive, I beseech Thee: who shall stand for Jacob? ('If you, his Angel-God, don't?') For he is small". The answer comes: "The Lord repented for this. It shall not be, saith the Lord". He repented for the sake of one intense prayer! Notice too Amos asking "Who shall stand for Jacob?". Michael the Angel stands for Israel in the court of Heaven, and thus it appears Amos is pointing out that if Israel is condemned and punished they will have no Angel with them- and so the Angel changes His mind.

All the Angels are righteous, but they act out the roles of the various situations on earth, and God gives His judgment upon them. Dt. 32:8 LXX suggests each nation has a representative Angel. We note that the prince of Persia "withstood". God of course could have forced him to do His will.

Michael the Angel stands for Israel in the court of Heaven (as the Angel 'God of Jacob'; Dan. 12:1), and it would appear that He is the same Angel that appeared to the patriarchs in making the promises and thus the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was understood by them in terms of an Angel.

This is made specific in Gen. 48:15,16, where Jacob says : "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, the Angel which redeemed me from all evil. . . ". This Angel earlier told Jacob that He was "the God of Bethel"" (Gen. 31:11,13), where "Jacob vowed a vow saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go. . . " (28:20). Thus to him 'God' was the Angel.

Other references lend support: "The Angel of the Lord appeared unto (Moses) in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. . . He said, I am the God of. . Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. . . I have surely seen the affliction of My people (the Angels are the eyes of the Lord). . . and I am come down to deliver them. . to bring them up out of that land unto a good land (this was all done by the Angel which led Israel through the wilderness). . . the cry of the children of Israel is come unto Me (language of limitation). . . ye shall say unto (Pharaoh), The Lord, God of the Hebrews, hath met with us (Ex. 3:2,6,7,8,9,18). The Angel stresses at least three times in the chapter that He is the God of the patriarchs. Notice too how He also calls Himself the "God of the Hebrews"- i. e. the God of Israel. If "the God of Jacob" has reference to Angels, should not also "the God of Israel"? Frequently the phrase "the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel" is found in the prophets; and we have seen that "the Lord of Hosts" is invariably an Angelic title.

"The mighty God of Jacob" dwelt in the ark (Ps. 132:2,5); this was an Angel ( cp. Acts 7:46.

"The God of Hosts (Angels) is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge, Ps. 46:7,11 emphasizes. Note too the reference in v. 4 to "the tabernacles of the most high"- another Angelic phrase.

“The God of Jacob” gave a law, and he also “went out over the land of Egypt” (Ps. 81:4,5 RV)- all references to the work of the Angel on Sinai and at the Exodus.

Jacob was renamed Israel. The elders saw “the God of Israel”, or Jacob- i.e. they saw an Angel (Ex. 24:10).

Ps. 76 describes the God of Jacob as dwelling in Zion (v. 2)- where the Angel lived "At Thy rebuke. . . both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep" (v. 6)- the language of Ex. 15:1 concerning the Angelic destruction of Pharaoh at the Red Sea (the "Lord" in the pillar of fire and cloud which caused their destruction was the Angel which travelled in the same pillar and talked to Moses- Ex. 14:24 cp. 33:9)

Ps. 81 has much Angelic language. "A law of the God of Jacob" (v. 4) refers to the Angels who gave the law. "I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt" (v. 10)- Angelic work. The same kind of links are found in Ps. 114 between the wilderness Angel and the "God of Jacob"-"When Israel went out of Egypt. . . the (Red) Sea. . . fled. . . at the presence of the God of Jacob; which turned the rock into a standing water" (the work of the Angel standing on the rock at Rephidim).

God and his Angel(s) are interchangeable there is an angel named Yahweh who is the Archangel Michael but not the Deity himself. the Archangel Michael functions as the Deity's personal manifestation on earth

Article taken and adapted from Angels by Duncan Heaster (Christadelphian) 10-2 The Angel Michael and Israel