At
the first stages of the existence of the world Jesus was the only leader of
angels (John17:5), and was known as Archangel Michael. In the fist
apostolic church the given statement was not disputed.
Thus,
for example, Justin
Martyr (100-165AD) , the early Christian
apologist, wrote: "The Jews, accordingly, being throughout of opinion that
it was the Father of the universe who spake to Moses, though He
who spake to him was indeed the Son of God, who is called both Angel
and Apostle, are justly charged, both by the Spirit of prophecy
and by Christ Himself, with knowing neither the Father nor the
Son. For they who affirm that the Son is the Father, are proved
neither to have become acquainted with the Father, nor to know
that the Father of the universe has a Son; who also, being the
first-begotten Word of God, is even God. And of old He appeared
in the shape of fire and in the likeness of an angel to
Moses and to the other prophets; but now in the times of your
reign,(8) having, as we before said, become Man by a virgin,
according to the counsel of the Father, for the salvation of
those who believe on Him, He endured both to be set at nought
and to suffer, that by dying and rising again He might conquer
death".
However
today many Christians reject that Michael and Christ are one person,
as true one by , therefore let's see all the facts
of the Bible about Michael.
1)
«Аrch-angel» means:
the head of the angels, the leader of angels - the title similar to "Prince
of the hosts" (Daniel 8:11). Word "angel" means:
"messenger"; "arch-angel" - "highest
messenger". The Bible speaks about only the one Archangel - Michael (Angel Gabriel - not the archangel: Dan.8:16; 9:21;
Luk.1:11,13,19).
2) Daniel (12 : 1,2), speaking about the Second coming of Jesus and the
resurrection of the dead, told, that at that time Michael, the great prince, who protects people of Israel
will rise. Who if not Jesus will rise for Israel of God in His coming (Zech.12:8-9)?
3) Angels do not accept worship (Rev.22:8,9), however the leader of angels, who
as it’s already known to us, is Michael, had accepted the human worship (Josh.
5:14). Besides God the Father only Jesus Who is the God Himself, can accept worship. For other angels acceptance of
human worship is sin.
4) Malachi named Jesus – The Angel of the covenant
(Mal.3:1,2);
5) Jesus (Yahshuah) is the Angel, in Whom the Name of God Yahweh is (Ex.23:21)
See chapter about the name of God;
6)
(Eх.13:21)
- the Lord went before Jewish people in a pillar of a cloud or in
a pillar of fire. (Eх.33:2,3)
- the Lord told, that He will not go before people for He will destroy them, but
He will send the Angel, (Eх.14:19)
- the Angel went before people in a pillar of a cloud;
7)
(Jud.13:21,22) - the Angel appeared to Manoah (father of Samson).
“the
angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of
the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground. … Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD. And Manoah
said unto
his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God”.
8) We know, that we are redeemed
by Jesus' blood from the beginning of the world (1Pet.1:19,20). Isa. (63:9)
said, the Angel of God had redeemed people;
9) Revelation 12:7 says, that Archangel Michael and His angels (i.e.
Michael is the leader of angels and no some another angelic kind like Seraphim
or Cherubim) were at
war against Satan and his angels. In Revelation 19:14 Jesus is coming as a
leader of angels and it is Him Who overcame Satan (Rev.5:5).
10) Rev.19:19 speaks, that it’s Jesus Who will lead troops of angels in the
final battle against Satan and his angels. So, The leader of the God’s angels
or Arch-angel is Jesus.
11) (1Thes.4:16) – the dead will be resurrected by the voice of the
Archangel (Michael), (John 5:25; Joel 3:16) – the dead will be resurrected
by the voice of Son of God. And we know Lazarus was resurrected by the voice of
Jesus (John 11:43).
12)
(Zech.3:1-3) – The Angel was called the Lord "And
the Lord (the Angel of the Lord) said
unto Satan: The Lord
(the God the Father)
rebuke thee, O Satan;...
". The Same words: "The Lord rebuke
thee" Michael the Archangel said to Satan (Jude 9). So the Angel, Lord
and Michael is the same person;
13)
Only Jesus can identify Himself with God The Father, and only He could be the
Angel who identified Himself with God The Father.
(Jud.2:1)
- the Angel led Jewish people from Egypt, (Deu.7:8) - the Lord led Jewish people
from Egypt;
(Act.7:35,
Eх.3:2) - the Angel spoke with Moses from a bush,
(Eх.3:4 and
further) - God spoke there;
(Gen.22:11)
- the Angel spoke with Abraham when he was going to sacrifice Isaac,
(Gen.22:12) - God spoke there;
(Hosea
12:3; Gen.32:30) – Jacob was fighting with God,
(Hos.12:4) – Jacob fought
with the Angel;
(Jud.6:12-21)
- the Angel appeared to Gideon,
however
Gideon called him Lord.
So, we
see, that the Bible quite clear speaks that before Jesus was born on the earth
His name was Michael * which means: " Who is like God? ". When He was
born as human He received His earthly name - Jesus.
*The name Michael - consists of three parts:
1)
(mi
1189), the common inquisitive particle that seeks after identity: who?
2)
(ke 937), common particle of comparison: like, as.
3) (El
93), the shorter version of• Elohim,
meaning God. The name Michael is commonly translated with Who Is Like God? But,
more accurately, the name denotes a question or rather an inquisition for the
identity of God: Who's God? What's God Like? - http://www.abarim-publications.com/Arie/Names/Michael.html
)
29. In the Beginning
The
Bible names Jesus the firstborn (Heb.1:6) and only-begotten (John.1:14; Gal.4:4)
Son of God. It means, that Jesus, unlike God the Father Who has no beginning,
Had the beginning. He was the first Son of God, and only Jesus is not His
creation, but a part of God the Father Himself. He "is
in the bosom of the Father "
(John 1:18). Together with Father Jesus created all multitude of heavenly
beings, the earth and everything on it: "by
him (by Jesus) were all things created, that
are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible… all things were created by him, and for him
" (Col.1:16; John.1:3,10; Heb.1:2; Eph.3:9).
God
knew, that creatures cannot be perfect as the Creator and Who born of Him. God
closely observed actions of angels: "He putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in His sight" (Job 15:15). He knew, that some angels will fall into a sin. For this purpose
the heavenly sanctuary (Heb.8:2) was established, where a high priest as the
advocate had submitted for a consideration before God and angels sins of some
angels, in order to teach and edify sinned angels in the truth.
God
loved Jesus before the world was created (John.17:24), and Jesus was the
intermediary between angels and the Father just as Moses was the intermediary
between people and God (“and thou (Moses)
shalt be to him (to Aaron) instead of God (Jesus)”
Eх.4:16; See Deu.18:15; Eх.7:1; Eх.18:19; Heb.3:1-2). However
God The Father did not wish to ennoble Jesus in the high priest only by His
order, He wanted all heavenly creatures come to the same conclusion by
themselves.
At
that time Lucifer got respect of many angels, he was "sealest
up the sum, full
of wisdom, and perfect in beauty"
(Ezek.28:12), "nor any tree in the garden
of God was like unto him in his beauty" (Ezek.31:8). Therefore many angels had preferred more Lucifer
rather than Jesus, others preferred Jesus, and the third couldn’t determine
who they prefer. Only God The
Father knows intimate secrets, and only He knew, who deserved what, however He
gave angels the freedom of choice.
The Bible says Lucifer had the
highest position in the Kingdom: "To whom
art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? "
(Ezek.31:18). "Tree" in the given context symbolizes beings of the
spiritual world. One of trees of Eden was the tree of life which always was
under Jesus' protection (Rev.2:7), and it symbolizes Jesus Himself. We see,
Lucifer held a higher position, than Jesus. Lucifer was the cherub anointed
by God (Ezek.28:14).
Through all Old Testament God’s anointed ones (who were anointed by the order
of God *) were only high priests, and then kings (Lev.8:12,13; 2Chron.6:42;
1Sam.10:1; 1Sam.16:13) who often were both: kings and high priests (Gen.14:18). Lucifer
was the high priest before God, as Aaron. He had presented sins of angels before
God.
*There 6 kinds of the
anointing (or 6 kinds of the purpose of olive oil) were in Levites sacred
rituals:
1) olive oil was used for
the lamp (Eх.27:20, Lev.24:2);
2) under the commandment of God Aaron, Saul, David, Solomon
-
high priests and kings chosen by God were anointed with olive oil
(Eх.29:7;
1Sam.10:1; 1Sam.16:13; 1Chron.29:22). Before Aaron was anointed the same oil was
spread over the tabernacle and all that was therein, and the altar of burnt
offerings and laver (Lev.8:10-12);
3) by the blood of the ram of the
consecration with anointing oil Aaron, his sons and their clothes were
sanctified (Eх.29:21;
Lev.8:30);
4) with the oil of holy ointment, made by the special recipe from
fragrant substances and olive oil the tabernacle of the congregation, the ark of the testimony, the table, the candlestick, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering, the laver were anointed. Then Aaron and his sons (Eх.30:23-33);
5) with olive oil the bread
for burn offering (Lev.8:26) and the sacrifice of peace offerings (Lev.7:12) was
anointed, and priests
ate that anointed bread (Lev.7:12-14);
6) the consecrated olive oil priests used for anointing the sick
(Lev.14:26).
Gradually
because of height of his position Lucifer’s heart began to fill with the
pride. Obviously, he accepted as a humiliation the fact, that God has entrusted
Jesus, instead of him, the honorable mission of the protection of the tree of a
life, and, showing his independence, he selected one of the trees which he named
the tree of knowledge of good and evil. There under the tree the angels had
gathered to listen his speeches. Those who sided with Lucifer, took a fruit from
the tree and bit it, symbolically signing the contract with him. Now for Lucifer his position of high priest wasn’t enough, he wanted more. He wanted to become
the God (Isa.14:14), and began to prepare a plot against The Highest. God is not
a dictator, He did not forbid no angels, nor Lucifer to do that. Angels should
understand by themselves, that there is only One True Lord of earth and heaven.
God
did not want to let people in the heavenly conflict. He knew, that people will
fall into a sin even faster than angels, therefore He forbade angels to approach to people, and forbade people to approach to the tree of
Lucifer who by then already became Satan, i.e. the slanderer. God warned people:
" of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt
surely die" (Gen.2:17).
Lucifer
was created as a cherub, however was the especially beautiful cherub and as
cherubs could turn into horses (Ezek.1; 10; Zech.1:8-11; Rev.6:1-8), he, created
with amazing brilliant clothes, or scales (Ezek.28:13), could turn into a
serpent (a dragon - Rev.12:9; Job 41:26). Having broken the prohibition of God,
he took the shape of the serpent and approached Eve by himself.
When Eve, and then Adam had tasted a fruit of the forbidden tree, they didn’t
die that very day because the tree wasn’t poisonous. Having tried a fruit,
they have signed the contract with Lucifer, they got to believe to his promise,
that they can become like angels of Lucifer - gods, who knew good and evil (Gen.3:5. Remember: Eve didn't ask who were those gods, because angels of Lucifer already proclaimed
themselves gods ). And that very day they became mortal.
So,
angels of Lucifer got to know an evil even before the people were created.
"Before the foundation of the world "
(1Pet.1:19,20) the conflict between God and Lucifer-Satan had started. Before
creation of people angels in heavens already knew, that God planned people to
live together with angels, and to be one perfect family of the equals. Lucifer made many to doubt about the God’s plan, and spoke something like that:
"He wants us to serve some of His animals, which will live on the ground.
He wants to ennoble them above us, angels! It is absurdity! Unless you do not
understand, that all these primates, without distinction whether they have a
wool or not, whether they walk on four or on two legs - all of them are
primitive. With all their needs. Yuck…
Thousands of them will not have a price
of a one angel. The flesh should serve the spirit, not a vise versa. The
animals should serve us, instead us serve them! He has given us a brain, use it! Now
your time to decide, whether or not we have to execute those His instructions,
which are …deprived of a common sense. What if tomorrow He will ennoble above
us a one of artiodactyls, you will serve it too? Don’t you see, that He loses
His abilities with each creation? I will prove to everyone, that His last
creature will be a worse one".
Someone
had to intercede for people, another way there would be no sense even to create
them. God could not impose to angels the friendship with people. And then Jesus
had interceded for us. He told, that He trusts His Father in everything, and if
Father wants people to be equal with angels, it will be so. And if it will be
necessary for someone to become a link between heaven and earth, between angels and people who would incur the responsibility for teaching the people, He is
ready to become The One, even if it will be difficult and it will require
sufferings. Thus thanks to Jesus people were created, and were redeemed by His
blood "as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, Who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world"
(1Pet.1:19,20; Rev.13:8).
While
the Lucifer-Satan was trying hard to become greater: "you
have imagined your mind as the mind of God "
(Ezek.28:6, AMP), and reached a greater successes in seduction of people, Jesus,
in His turn, though was the God (John 1:1), did not hurry up to be equal with The Father, and served God as the Angel (i.e. though wasn't an angel He served as angel-messenger).
Many
laws given by God to the Jews, are reflecting laws of the heavenly kingdom, and
as we shall see later, contain many keys for the understanding what had occurred
and what occurs in heaven.
Thus, God ordered Jews to build
cities where those who committed a crime by an accident had to hide until death
of a high priest. If someone
of them left city before the time and was killed,
the killer was not guilty of this
murder (Num.35:25-27; Josh.29:2-6).
The angels who have followed Satan when he still was the high priest of God,
during the Flood were chained in abyss (see ch..3). There they should be until
the Judgment day (Jude 1:6), till time when Satan will be condemned and dumped
in the lake of fire, i.e. until his death. Those fallen angels, who will leave
the abyss after the sounding of the 5-th trumpet (i.e. before Satan’s death)
to support Satan, will be killed. Those of the first sinned angels who had
sinned against the Lord by a mistake, and were deceived by a high position and
authority which Lucifer had at that time in heaven, after the death of Satan
will be justified. To those repented angels Jesus went down to preach after His
resurrection (1Pet.3:18,19), to them Satan will be dumped for the 1000 years in
Jesus’ Second coming (Ezek.31:16).
After
the Flood Satan was overthrown from mountain of God (as the mountain Zion on the
earth, the mountain of God in heaven was the God’s sanctuary
- Ezek.20:40)... For "who shall dwell in
thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly
" (Ps.15:1,2), " You reject all who
stray from your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain."
(Ps.119:118). And Jesus was anointed for high priesthood among the angels. " Christ
glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son" (Heb.5:5.) " Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God,
thy God, hath anointed thee
with the oil of gladness above thy fellows
(which are angels) "
(Ps.45:7) (i.e. at first Jesus begun to hate wickedness
which was created by Satan, and only after that He was anointed for high
priesthood among angels). So Jesus has been selected for the highest
position in the heavenly priesthood not by His birthright, but by a degree of
His sanctity. And as the angel’s priest after His crucifixion He went down to
preach to the repented angels.
God the Father told Jesus: "Thou art
a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek"
(Ps.110:4.) Melchizedek
(Gen.14:18.) was a high priest of people. It means, that Jesus became the high
priest of people after the time of Melchizedek. A ram which Abraham
brought for burning sacrifice instead of his son Isaac (Gen.22), was the ram of
Jesus’ dedication for high priest (Lev.8:22-28)
of the
mankind. Abraham had shown, that people can sacrifice for the sake of the Lord
the most dear to them. It would be easier for Abraham to die himself, than to
kill with his own hands the long-awaited and most beloved son. By demonstrating
the readiness to sacrifice his son to God, he proved, that people are worthy of
the salvation, they need the priest who would forgive their sins of flesh and
intercede for them before the Supreme against intrigues of Satan-the murderer.
And Jesus had assured one more time, that He will sacrifice Himself for people.
When Jesus became the high priest of people, people should not die for their sins by a some world accident any more because their sins were
accumulated on
our high priest - Jesus.
It
is interesting to note, that God didn’t order to anoint the leaders of the
people - Moses, Joshua, judges. Therefore, though Jesus was the leader of angels
from the very beginning of creation, He wasn’t anointed by God for high
priesthood at that time. To understand, what Jesus' duties were after His
anointing, it is necessary to address to ritual of consecration
into priests (Eх.29, Lev.8).
From
the ram of consecration
by which Aaron and his sons were devoted into priests, the breast of
the wave offering belonged to Moses (Eх.29:26,
Lev.8:29), the right shoulder of the heave offering
- to priests (Eх.29:27). At their first service and further the breast of
the wave offering and the right shoulder
of the heave offering belonged to Aaron and his sons (Lev.10:15). Thus, the ritual symbolized that at the consecration
to the high priest the most Jesus' work was work of Moses, i.e. a management of
angels and people. As the leader of heavenly army Jesus had appeared before
Joshua and assured him that the way for people is already prepared before them,
and Jericho is given to them (Josh.5:13-15). The other part of work, i.e. sacred rituals of the high priest, right after the consecration
Jesus hasn’t started yet. And as Aaron still did not enter the Most Holy, so
Jesus still did not come to the Father in His Most Holy place.
Bible
says: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime
were written for our learning” (Rom.15:4). All Bible stories have a
some deep meaning. Think for a moment: why Saul was anointed by God, if God knows the future and He knew from the beginning that Saul
will not stay faithful to Him? Saul
was selected by God into kings not by an accident,
but for example.
Saul
was elected due to his beauty, which people perceived as a certain blessing and
a promise of a greatness of other qualities (1Sam.9:2; 10:24), same as Satan was
elected into the high priest by angels due his beauty
(Ezek.31:8).
As Saul was the anointed by God (1Sam.10:1), but then
departed from God, and God anointed David on the kingdom while Saul was still in power (1Sam.16:13), so and Jesus was
anointed on high priesthood, or the kingdom, while Satan still was in power, but
when God turned away from him.
As Saul tried to kill David, so Satan tried to
discredit and kill Jesus in every possible way in opinion of Supreme and angels.
As Saul with his army interfered David to enter into his territory, so Satan did
the same (Dan.10:12.13).
If
Saul was associated with Satan (In Ps.89:22 he was called “the wicked” , AMP), Satan was
called « the head out of the house of the wicked» (Hab.3:13). Psalm
18 is putting Saul in the same class with Satan, with those who are totally
antagonistic toward God),
David always was associated with Jesus (Romans 1:3).
Thus, the Lord’s promise to David about the eternal throne and Kingdom
(2S.7:11,13,16) was fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Is.9:6-7, Luk.1:32-33, Heb.1:5-9). There are a lot of similarities between them:
they both were from the same town - Bethlehem (Luk.2:10-11).
They both were betrayed by a close friend: David by his counselor, Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15:12, 31), Jesus by his
disciple Judas (Mark 14:10).
After the betrayal they both went to pray on the Mount of Olives (2
Samuel 15:30; Mark 14:26).
As David’s life was often in danger (1 Samuel 24:11), Jesus’
life was often in danger also. Jesus is Son of God, David also was son of God (Ps.89:26,27).
After
the Flood Satan lost the high position in heaven, however, as the first people
have preferred him to God, Satan had all authority over the earth (Mat.4:8,9).
In the days of Job Satan appeared before God together with all angels (Job
1:6-2:7), not in private. Hence, he lost God’s full confidence, however, as
Saul continued to be at power after David was anointed by God on the kingdom, so
Satan continued to appear before God, having lost the former position of the
anointed sovereign.
In
days of Daniel the conflict between forces of Satan and forces of Jesus was
amplified (Dan.10:12,13). Angel Gabriel named Jesus "one of the chief princes"
(10:13). It means, that Jesus still wasn’t the first prince. There were two
first princes, two leaders equal by power: Jesus and Satan. In days of Zechariah
(3:1,2) Satan was staying at the right hand of
Jesus (of God - not of Joshua) to resist Him.
As
David became king of Judea after the death of Saul (2Sam.2:4), so Jesus
completely started to work as the high priest of angels when Satan was dumped
down from heavens. The Ritual of sacrifice of the ram of consecration
and an heave offering
of the right ram’s shoulder - for Jesus symbolized the promise of God, that
Jesus will sit at the right of Supreme, for priests - the Jesus' promise, that
they will sit at His right hand.
Jesus'
long-term position as not reigning anointed sovereign, more and more confident
speeches of Satan, his successes in seduction of people allowed many angels to
side with Satan again. And before Jesus' coming on the earth Satan managed to
carry away after himself the third part of angels of God (Rev.12:4). Satan
hoped, that little by little he will seduce all people, and then all angels
also, the God’s plan will fail and it will be possible to elect another
Highest - him.
The
third part of angels helped him with realization of his plans. When Jesus became
flesh, Satan hoped, that he can easily kill Him and then God’s plan carefully
prepared and uttered through prophets would not happened. Therefore, as soon as
Jesus was born, Satan through Herod
tried to kill Him. Later He used any chance to make little Jesus sick. Jesus was
called "a man of sorrows, and acquainted
with grief "(Isa.53:3)
because every sick person, passing by child Jesus, sneezed and coughed toward to
Him.
When
illnesses did not help, Satan tried
to seduce Jesus after the baptism, in desert (Mat.4; Luke 4); then many times
tried to kill Him by hands of Pharisees; then, having entered into Peter, tried
to dissuade Him from acceptance of death (Mat.16:23); then through the crowd
tried to convince Him to come down from the cross (Mat.27:39-42)... But nothing
helped, Jesus remained pure (John14:30). Jesus accepted death and by that He not
only kept His promise to people, but, the most important, Jesus remained
faithful to the Father, having proved to the earth and heaven, that the Word of
God is stable, His plans cannot be broken, because He is The Supreme above
everything, God of gods for ever and ever.
As
a sin was introduced to the human family through the virgin Eve, the salvation
from a sin was introduced through the virgin Mary. As the tree Satan used as method to kill people, the cross (a
tree –Acts 13:29) Jesus used to resurrect them. As through Adam a man became
mortal, through new Adam – Jesus (1Cor.15:45) , a man received his immortality
back. Thus, we see God had used the same weapon, Satan used to defeat God.
Jesus
descended on the earth at the will of the Father (John 6:38), "that
he might destroy the works of the devil"
(1John 3:8) and "purify unto himself a
peculiar people, zealous of good works " (Tit.2:14), i.e. to prove to all heavenly world, that Satan was
wrong: a man can be worthy of Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus
gave up Himself for the church (Eph.5:25), released from the slavery of the law
old testament people (Heb.2:15), gave the salvation to pagans, and gave every
person the hope for Kingdom of Heaven. Through church unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places
the wisdom of God became known (Eph.3:9,10).
“So
that by his death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the
devil" (Heb.2:14;
Luke 10:18), "was seen
of angels" (1Tim.3:16). All
heaven saw intrigues of Satan, saw Jesus' unusual acts. By His death He
destroyed death (2Tim.1:10), He gave all who believe in Him an eternal life,
i.e. had assimilated the mortals to angels. Satan understood, that he lost, that
now it will not be possible to seduce all people what he almost achieved before the Flood.
After
His resurrection Jesus has entered the Most Holy (Heb.6:20) of the heavenly
sanctuary, "to appear in the presence of God for
us" (Heb.9:24), and sat at the right hand of God (Mar.16:19;
Heb.8:1; 1:3; Mat.26:64; Rom.8:34; Act.7:55; Col.3:1; 1Pet.3:22) for ever
(Heb.10:12).
By Leviticus law the only anointed high priest , and only once a
year could enter the Most Holy - in
the Day of Atonement (Lev.16; Num.29:7-11). Thus, Day of Atonement of the
earthly sanctuary took place, when after His resurrection Jesus ascended to
heaven and began the religious rite as the high priest of people. Day of Atonement of the heavenly sanctuary, when Jesus began the religious rite as the
high priest of angels, took place in 1850 (2300 days prophecy) when after the heavenly war
Satan and all angels who have followed him, were dumped on the earth.