heathen said: I don't have a problem with the Michael is jesus dogma tho , since you look in Daniel 12 it says Michael is the one that stands up on behalf of the chosen ones , we know that it is jesus that stands up and carries out the messianic fulfillment.
heathen, heathen, heathen......what am I to do with you?
Michael the Archangel is the only angel in the Bible who is designated “the Archangel” (Jude verse 9). Michael the Archangel, though, is only an angel. The clear distinction in the power and authority of Michael and Jesus can be seen when you compare Matthew 4:10 and Jude verse 9. In Matthew 4:10, (Satan has just offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth in return for one act of worship) Jesus rebukes Satan specifically by saying "Go away Satan!" And Satan immediately leaves. In Jude verse 9, however Michael the Archangel cannot do the same thing: "....But when Michael the Archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms, but said: "May the Lord rebuke you..."
Clearly, Michael the Archangel is a powerful angel, but still only an angel. The same thing is obviously not true about Jesus who is King of Kings, Lord of Lords and clearly has the power and authority to rebuke Satan.
And if that's not enough evidence, here's some more: Daniel 10:13 says: ".....But the prince of the royal realm of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days, and, look! Mi´cha·el, one of the foremost princes, came to help me...."
It does not say THE foremost prince, it says ONE of the foremost princes, which tells us that there is more than one archangel. Who that is we don't know. Possibly Gabriel.......Within Jewish rabbinic tradition, both the Kabbalah and the Book of Enoch indicates that there are at least seven archangels with the three main highest ones being: Michael, Raphael and Gabriel. The 'lesser' archangels are listed as: Raguel, Ramile, Uriel, Sariel, Haniel, Jophiel, Zadkiel and Chamuel.
it's also apparent that Lucifer had quite a high position before he uh, 'turned to the Dark Side'. He could have been another archangel. To read this scripture as though Jesus were only an Archangel, would mean that Jesus has equals. That's something that not even the Witnesses believe.
Finally, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 says: ".....because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet..." Just because it likens his voice to that of an Archangel, doesn't mean Jesus must be Michael the Archangel. With that sort of logic, we'd have to assume that He was also a literal trumpet of God's. Obviously this scripture is using collective nouns (the voice of an archangel, the trumpet of God) while describing Jesus' Return. It's not identifying him with Michael the Archangel.
I'm not sure who came up with this ridiculous doctrine in the first place.....whether it was Charles Russell or Rutherfraud. Sounds like Rutherfraud's work though.....a totally stupid doctrine that has absolutely no scriptural evidence to support it at all.