Several years ago, two kind Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked on my door. I am always eager to take advantage of opportunities like this to ask people what they believe and why they believe it. When discussing spiritual convictions with Jehovah’s Witnesses, I have found it especially helpful to focus the conversation on a single, central question: Who is Jesus? Keeping that question at the forefront helps ensure that the most important issue remains at the center of the discussion. With that in mind, I asked them why they believe that Jesus is the archangel Michael.
Some Christians may be surprised to learn that Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus is actually the archangel Michael. One passage that often comes up in this discussion is Jude 9:
"But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you.'" (ESV)
If you have never heard this argument before, it can sound persuasive at first. But when Jude 9 is read carefully and in context, it actually points in the opposite direction.
Jude 9 describes a dispute between Michael the archangel and the devil over the body of Moses. What stands out in the passage is not simply that Michael confronts Satan, but how he does so. Jude tells us that Michael “did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment” against the devil. Instead, Michael says, “The Lord rebuke you.” This detail is easy to overlook, but it is central to the meaning of the passage.
Jehovah’s Witnesses often reason that since Michael is called “the archangel,” and since Jesus returns “with the voice of an archangel” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and leads God’s angels at His coming (Matt. 24:31), the two must be the same person. Jude 9 is then used to show Michael acting in a cosmic conflict, which seems to fit Jesus’ role in defeating Satan. However, this argument depends on assumptions that Jude himself never makes.
This stands in stark contrast to how Jesus behaves in the Gospels. There we see Jesus rebuke demons directly and command Satan personally. He never does so by saying, “The Lord rebuke you.” Instead, Jesus consistently speaks and acts on His own authority. If Jehovah’s Witnesses are correct and Jesus is indeed Michael, then Jude 9 would portray Jesus as refusing to exercise an authority that He clearly and consistently exercises throughout the New Testament. Surely, this does not make sense.
The context of Jude 9 here is critical. Jude’s purpose is not to teach readers about the identity of Jesus. His purpose is to warn against arrogance and false authority. He contrasts false teachers, who speak boldly and presumptuously about spiritual matters, with Michael, who shows humility and restraint. Jude’s point is simple: if even Michael the archangel does not act presumptuously, how much less should false teachers do so. That argument only works if Michael is not the Lord Himself.
When read this way, Jude 9 actually reinforces a distinction between the Lord and angels rather than blurring it. Michael is powerful, but he is limited. He acts under authority rather than possessing it inherently. Jesus, by contrast, is consistently presented in the New Testament as Lord—one who commands (Mark 1:27; Matt. 8:26–27), judges (John 5:22; Matt. 25:31–32), and speaks with divine authority (Matt. 5:21–22; Matt. 28:18).
This distinction becomes even clearer when Jude 9 is read alongside Hebrews 1. There, the writer goes out of his way to show that the Son is not part of the angelic order at all. Jesus is described as the one through whom God made the world (Hebrews 1:2), the exact imprint of God’s nature (Hebrews 1:3), and the one who sits at God’s right hand (Hebrews 1:3). Then the question is asked plainly: “To which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son’?” (Hebrews 1:5). The implied answer is obvious—none. Angels worship the Son, but the Son is never described as an angel.
For these reasons, Jude 9 does not support the idea that Jesus is the archangel Michael. Instead, it serves to highlight the difference between a created angel who defers judgment and the Son who exercises authority.
Far from lowering Jesus to the level of an angel, Jude 9 fits comfortably within the broader New Testament picture of Christ as supreme over all angels.
Courage and Godspeed,
Chad
Chad
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