{"id":18266,"date":"2019-07-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-07T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sugar-land-bible-church.local\/sermon\/angelology-003\/"},"modified":"2019-07-07T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-07-07T05:00:00","slug":"angelology-003","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/slbc.org\/es\/sermon\/angelology-003\/","title":{"rendered":"Angelology 003"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","book":[110],"series_event":[499],"sermon_service_type":[473],"speaker":[6],"class_list":["post-18266","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","hentry","book-jude","series_event-angelology","sermon_service_type-sunday-school","speaker-dr-andy-woods","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":{"sermon_title":"Angelology 003","sermon_date":"20190707","sermon_month":"7","sermon_year":"2019","sermon_notes":6854,"sermon_slides":6855,"sermon_mp3":6863,"sermon_id":"771915504164","series_or_event":499,"service_type":[473],"speaker":6,"books_of_the_bible":110,"chapter_and_verse":"1:9","sermon_transcript":"Dr. Andy Woods\n\nAngelology Part 3\n\nJude 1:9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7-7-2019\n\nFather, we\u2019re grateful for another day, grateful for this morning, grateful for Your grace to us, grateful for Your people, grateful for Your church, and we are grateful for the Lord\u2019s Table that we\u2019re going to celebrate today, grateful for fellowship, and all of the things that you have for us in Your church.\u00a0 We just embrace all of it and we just ask that the Spirit would move here this morning as He seeks to move in an unrestrained way.\u00a0 And that Your people would be fortified and encouraged for the difficulties many of them find themselves in and we\u2019ll be careful to give You all the praise and the glory.\u00a0 We ask these things in Jesus\u2019 name, and God\u2019s people said\u2026 Amen!\n\nIt\u2019s good to be back with you guys.\u00a0 Thanks to Jim for filling in last week two times. \u00a0I\u2019m sure you guys enjoyed Jim\u2019s ministry.\u00a0 Of course, I came back and we\u2019ve got a new thing back here I noticed and we\u2019ve got a new microphone so I guess the way to get this church to progress is for me to be absent more frequently.\u00a0 [Laughter]\n\nLet\u2019s take our Bibles and open them to Matthew 28:2 as we continue our study, Part 3, to the doctrine of the angels.\u00a0 Angelology, as you know, is what does the Bible reveal about the angels?\u00a0 As we mentioned before there\u2019s a lot of angel talk in the culture and so we want to get our information from God\u2019s Word to get a divine perspective on angels.\n\nSo what does the entire Bible reveal about angels?\u00a0 Well, this has four parts to it and we\u2019re now towards the end of (I think) our study of the good angels and we\u2019ll be making very quickly, not today but maybe next week into Satanology.\u00a0\u00a0 But here\u2019s what we\u2019ve looked at so far in our study of the good angels.\u00a0 We\u2019ve seen that clearly angels exist.\u00a0 In terms of their origin, we talked about that they\u2019re creations of God.\u00a0 I took you into the debate about the time of their creation.\u00a0 And we talked about how they are created as angels, not people, or they\u2019re not deity.\u00a0 They\u2019re creatures and so they have creaturely limitations; they\u2019re not omniscient, omnipotent or omnipresent as we\u2019ve talked about.\n\nWe talked a little bit about their nature; they\u2019re not sort of invisible spirit forces but they are actual beings with personhood and personality, we talked a little bit about that.\u00a0 Compared to us they\u2019re very powerful but obviously they\u2019re not as powerful as God.\u00a0 Their primary material of a spiritual quality, you can\u2019t see them, but sometimes they can make appearances on the earth as people, they look just like people.\u00a0 The gender is sort of hard to figure out; I\u2019m sort of the view that they\u2019re neuter as we tried to explain a couple of weeks ago.\u00a0 As far as their appearance is concerned when they appear on the earth they appear as men but in heaven they\u2019re often described as creatures that look really strange to us because they have no parallel in our physical world.\n\nAnd we\u2019re moving here into the names and classifications of angels, which is sub letter E. on our outline.\u00a0 We have some general names and classes and then we\u2019ll get into some specific names and classifications.\u00a0 So in general what do we calls these things, I mean, what does the Bible refer to them as?\u00a0 Their most common designation is just \u201cangels.\u201d\u00a0 And you\u2019ll see that in Matthew 28:2, \u201cBehold, an earthquake had occurred for an angel of the Lord to descend from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat on it.\u201d\u00a0 So there an angel is just called an angel.\u00a0 Over in the Book of Hebrews, chapter 1 and verse 14 they\u2019re called ministering spirits.\u00a0 The author of Hebrews says, \u201cAre they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?\u201d\u00a0 So they\u2019re called \u201cministering spirits\u201d because they\u2019re ministers, they minister to us as inheritors of salvation.\u00a0 And over in Luke 2:13 they\u2019re called heavenly hosts.\u00a0 [Luke 2:13, \u201cAnd suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God \u2026\u201d]\u00a0\u00a0 That\u2019s why I think it\u2019s interesting that Genesis 2:1 says God created everything in six days \u201cand all their hosts.\u201d\u00a0 [Genesis 2:1, \u201cThus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.\u201d]\u00a0 I think there\u2019s an argument to be made that the \u201chosts\u201d there could be referring to angels but if you buy that or not they\u2019re clearly called heavenly hosts in many places, like Luke 2:13.\n\nNow here\u2019s an interesting name for them; over in Daniel 4:13-17 they\u2019re called \u201cwatchers.\u201d\u00a0 [Daniel 4:13-17, \u201cThis sentence is by the decree of the angelic<\/em> watchers\u2026.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [Daniel 4:13, \u201cI was looking in the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven.\u00a0 [14] 'He shouted out and spoke as follows: \"Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; Let the beasts flee from under it And the birds from its branches. \u00a0[15] \"Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, But with a band of iron and bronze around it In the new grass of the field; And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, And let him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth.\u00a0 [16] Let his mind be changed from that of a man And let a beast's mind be given to him, And let seven periods of time pass over him.\u00a0 [17] \"This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men.\u201d]\n\nAnd it is true that the good angels are always watching the earth and specifically in the church age they\u2019re watching God pour out His grace upon the church.\u00a0 Why are they watching?\u00a0 Well, they\u2019re not omniscient, their knowledge is not full, and so a couple of weeks ago I tried to make the case that one of the reasons that they\u2019re always watching us and watching God\u2019s dealings with man is because they\u2019re learning things about God\u2019s attributes.\u00a0 They know about His justice because Lucifer was expelled from the inner ranks along with a third of the angels.\u00a0 They know about His holiness because the seraphim, Isaiah 6, what do they say in the Lord\u2019s presence day and night?\u00a0 \u201cHoly, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 [\u201cIsaiah 6:3] \u00a0\u00a0So clearly angels know about judgment.\n\nThey know about God\u2019s holiness, they know about God\u2019s creative power because Job 38:4-7, they were cheering or praising the Lord as He was at work in creation.\u00a0 [Job 38:4-7, \u201cWhere were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?\u00a0 Tell Me,<\/em> if you have understanding, [5] Who set its measurements? Since you know.\u00a0 Or who stretched the line on it?\u00a0 [6] \u201cOn what were its bases sunk?\u00a0 Or who laid its cornerstone, [7] When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?\u201d]\n\nAnd there\u2019s an attribute of God that the angels are just learning about, I think, and that\u2019s God\u2019s grace.\u00a0 So they know about judgment, they know about holiness, they know about His creative power having witnessed those things.\u00a0 But as they watch God deal with humans, particularly in the present age where we have not just grace but grace upon grace lavished upon us, it just blows the minds of the angels, they can\u2019t believe this is happening.\u00a0 So that\u2019s why they\u2019re called \u201cwatchers,\u201d they\u2019re always paying attention to this.\n\nI have a picture (which I was going to use in another context) but there they are inscribed on just above the mercy seat where the sacrifice was offered according to what God revealed to Moses.\u00a0 And the blood of the sacrifice was put on that mercy seat on one day of the year, Yom Kippur, day of covering, and that kicked the nation\u2019s note of indebtedness for sin down the road for one year.\u00a0 And\nso that was grace on God\u2019s part.\u00a0 And so the angels are sort of portrayed and they\u2019re inscribed there just above the mercy seat observing what\u2019s happening because that\u2019s their designation, they\u2019re designated as watchers, Daniel 4:13-17.\n\nThey are also called \u201csons of God\u201d three times in the Book of Job.\u00a0 Job 1:6, Job 2:1, Job 38:7. [Job 1:6, \u201cNow there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.\u201d\u00a0 Job 2:1, \u201cAgain there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.\u201d\u00a0 Job 38:7, \u201cWhen the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?\u201d]\n\nAnd we\u2019ll get into why they\u2019re clearly angels in each of those passages.\u00a0 And you say well what\u2019s the big deal about that?\u00a0 Well eventually we\u2019re going to get to Genesis 6 where the sons of God began to procreate with the daughters of men.\u00a0 And a lot of people will tell you that the sons of God are not angels.\u00a0 The problem is the only book that was in existence at the time Moses wrote those words was which book?\u00a0 The Book of Job.\u00a0 The Book of Job is the oldest book of the entire Bible.\u00a0 And according to both Christian tradition and Jewish tradition, going way back, Job himself wrote that book very close to the events in which they transpired.\u00a0 So Job went through that whole ordeal and around 2,000 B.C. roughly, maybe a little later, in the patriarchal time period he writes the Book of Job.\u00a0 And that\u2019s the only book that exists in the biblical canon until Moses sat down to write the Pentateuch or the Torah, beginning with the Book of Genesis, probably around the time of the Exodus or a little thereafter.\n\nSo when Moses uses the expression \u201cSons of God\u201d in Genesis 6 what in the world does \u201cSons of God\u201d mean, you have to define it by the only book that was in existence at the time Moses wrote.\u00a0 Amen.\u00a0 And that would be the Book of Job.\u00a0 So that\u2019s why Job referring to them as \u201cSons of God\u201d is a key way to help interpret the Sons of God reference in Genesis 6.\u00a0 So just kind of tuck that into your memory back and we\u2019ll get back to that eventually.\n\nThey\u2019re also called stars, Revelation 12:3-4 and verse 9, because it talks about the dragon in Revelation 12.\u00a0 [Revelation 12:3, \u201cThen another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.\u00a0 [4] And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.\u201d [9]\u00a0 \u201cAnd the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.\u201d]\n\nWho\u2019s the dragon in Revelation 12?\u00a0 Satan!\u00a0 It talks about his tail sweeping a third of the stars out of the heavens.\u00a0 And when you go down to verse 9 it talks about how Satan and his angels were at war with Michael and his angels.\u00a0 So clearly the stars being swept out of the heavens by the tail of the dragon, a third of them, are called stars and they\u2019re clearly called angels there, right there in the context.\u00a0 So that\u2019s sort of another designation for angels, they\u2019re also called \u201cstars.\u201d\n\nBy the way, that Revelation 12 passage is the only passage we have indicating that a third of the angels fell with Lucifer and two-thirds by mathematical probabilities or a process of elimination I should say, two-thirds are on our side.\u00a0 If we didn\u2019t have Revelation 12 in our Bible we really wouldn\u2019t understand that a third of the angels fell with Lucifer. But in that whole description the angels are called \u201cstars.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0So these are some things that angels are generally called in the Bible.\n\nNow let\u2019s talk a little bit about some specific names, some specific classifications.\u00a0 Here are the four specific ones.\u00a0 Angels first of all are called Cherubim, now when you see that \u201cim\u201d ending in Hebrew what does that indicate?\u00a0 It basically indicates plurality.\u00a0 It\u2019s like the letter \u201cs\u201d as it functions on a noun in English, it just indicates plurality.\u00a0 So, Cherubim would be more than one.\u00a0 And we\u2019ve got two references to Cherubim in the Bible.\u00a0 One of them is in Genesis 3:24.\u00a0 Those were the angels (plural, cherubim) that were stationed outside of Eden to prevent Adam and Eve in their fallen state to re-enter Eden and eat from the tree of life and live forever in their fallen state.\u00a0 So they couldn\u2019t get back into Eden even if they wanted to because cherubim were stationed at the entrance of that garden.\n\nYou\u2019ll find a reference to that over in Genesis 3:24.\u00a0 Notice what it says there,\u00a0 \u201cSo He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0So the Garden of Eden now has been blocked off to fallen humanity.\n\nAnd it\u2019s kind of interesting to compare that to the eternal state, the New Jerusalem at the end of the Book of Revelation.\u00a0 Revelation 21 and 22 where it talks about how the gates will never be closed.\u00a0 [Revelation 21:25, \u201cIn the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed;\u201d] So the Garden of Eden is now off limits but the eternal state, once it\u2019s set up and comes to the earth and we have a new heavens and a new earth will be always opened.\u00a0 So that\u2019s sort of an interesting contrast.\n\nWho are these cherubim?\u00a0 By the way, there\u2019s another description of them in Exodus 25:17-22, those are the angelic entities that Moses was told to inscribe and enshrine just above the mercy seat.\u00a0 Those are called cherubim also.\u00a0 [Exodus 25:17-22, \u201c\u201cYou shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. [18] \u201cYou shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. [19] \u201cMake one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece<\/em> with the mercy seat at its two ends. [20] The cherubim shall have their<\/em> wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned<\/em> toward the mercy seat. [21] You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. [22] There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.\u201d]\n\nSo whom are cherubim?\u00a0 I would say cherubim have this function based on their two usages here, they guard the presence of God or they stand in the presence of God and if I had to make a guess as to what they do they have some kind of role in guarding God\u2019s holiness.\u00a0 And it\u2019s interesting that when Satan fell, Ezekiel 28:12-17 we learn that Satan was one of these.\u00a0 He was once a guardian cherub.\n\n[Ezekiel 28:12-17, \u201c\u201cSon of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, \u2018Thus says the Lord GOD, \u201cYou had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.\u00a0 [13] \u201cYou were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you.\u00a0 On the day that you were created they were prepared.\u00a0 [14] You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there.\u00a0 <\/em>You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.\u00a0 [15] \u201cYou were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you.\u00a0 [16] \u201cBy the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, and you sinned;\ntherefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God.\u00a0 And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.\u00a0 [17] \u201cYour heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.\u00a0I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you.\u201d\u2019]\n\nSo that\u2019s a specific designation of an angel, not just generally but specifically, we have the cherubim.\n\nAnd then we also have number two, the seraphim.\u00a0 Notice, if you will, Isaiah 6:4, \u201cSeraphim stood above him,\u201d this is the calling of Isaiah, the heavenly scene, \u201cSeraphim stood above him each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.\u201d\u00a0 And then down in verse 6 it says, \u201cAnd the foundations of the threshold trembled at the voice of Him who called out while the temple was filling with smoke.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 6 says, \u201cThen one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.\u201d\u00a0 And these are the ones that keep saying over and over again in the presence of the Lord, \u201cHoly, Holy, Holy is the LORD GOD Almighty.\u201d\n\nThe Hebrew word Seraph means to burn and so they seem to have some kind of role just like incense arises to the Lord, that\u2019s how the Lord looks at the praises of His people, praises coming up before His people to the Lord.\u00a0 So, if I had to hazard a guess as to who the seraphim are while the cherubim sort of guard or protect the holiness of God, the seraphim seem to have some sort of role in directing worship to God.\u00a0 In fact, their very name \u201cseraph\u201d means to burn as in incense that you would have sort of in a worship service.\n\nAnd then we have another angel called Michael; Michael is mentioned five times in the Bible.\u00a0\u00a0 You remember from the Book of Daniel, chapter 12 and verse 1 that Michael has a special role of protecting the nation of Israel.\u00a0 Daniel 12:1 says this of Israel during one of the most difficult times in her history, the tribulation period yet future.\u00a0 It says, \u201cNow at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 So, Michael seems to have some kind of role in terms of protecting the nation of Israel.\n\nSo it is an interesting thing that no matter how many times you try to wipe out the Jews they continue to survive.\u00a0 Here they\u2019ve been outside of their land for two thousand years and they go right back into the same land that they were evicted from two thousand years earlier.\u00a0 And we ask why does Israel continue to survive?\u00a0 I think it might have something to do with Michael who protects the nation of Israel; that\u2019s his role.\u00a0\u00a0 And also of course the covenant that God made with the nation of Israel called the Abrahamic Covenant, the terms of which would be impossible to fulfill if Israel went out of existence.\n\nMichael is called an arch angel in Jude verse 9 and Revelation 12:7. Jude verse 9 we\u2019ll look at in just a minute but you might want to just jump over to Revelation 12:7, we were talking about that chapter a few moments ago.\u00a0 It says, \u201cAnd there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels\u201d see that, \u201cwaging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war.\u201d\u00a0 The dragon\u2019s angels are those one-third of the stars that the dragon\u2019s tail swept out of the heavenlies.\u00a0 So the dragon, or Satan, has on his side a third of the angels. The rest seem to be under the headship of Michael because it says here \u201cMichael and his angels.\u201d\n\nJude 9 will call Michael an archangel.\u00a0 [Jude 9, \u201cBut Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, \u2018The Lord rebuke you!\u2019\u201d]\u00a0 So Michael seems to be sort of an elevated angel.\u00a0 Now the mistake that\u2019s being made today is people are confusing Michael with Jesus Christ.\u00a0 That, by the way, is what the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses teach.\u00a0 And I\u2019ve heard several people recently try to argue that Michael is Jesus.\u00a0 You\u2019ll notice the \u201cel\u201d ending there on Michael\u2019s name.\u00a0 What does the \u201cel\u201d ending mean?\u00a0 That would be God, and when you look at the actual breakdown or Hebrew meaning of the name Michael what it literally means is who is like God.\u00a0 So rather than seeing that as an attribute of God that an angel wants to highlight people are confusing Michael with God Himself.\n\nAnd when you actually go back into the commentaries you learn that this is a mistake that a lot of people have made.\u00a0 John Calvin believed that Michael equals Jesus Christ.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t argue it the way the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses argued it; the Jehovah\u2019s witnesses argue that Michael is a created being.\u00a0 John Calvin, of course, was not arguing that but he was confusing, I believe, Michael with Jesus.\u00a0 So John Calvin in one of his commentaries on the Book of Daniel, Daniel 10, commenting on Michael, John Calvin says this: \u201cSome think the word \u201cMichael\u201d represents Christ and I do not object to this opinion.\u00a0 Michael may mean an angel but I embrace the opinion of those who refer this to the person of Christ because it suits the subject best to represent Him as standing forward for the defense of His elected people.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 So there it is in plain English, black and white, Michael and Jesus are equal as far as John Calvin is concerned.\u00a0 And you know, an opinion like this carries a lot of weight because John Calvin is one of the early church reformers and made some tremendous contributions to Christianity.\n\nYou have another commentator named Matthew Henry; anybody have the old Matthew Henry Commentary set; it\u2019s a good set, a very godly man, but he makes the same error here.\u00a0 Notice what he says, he\u2019s commenting on Daniel 10 I believe.\n\n\u201cJesus Christ shall appear his church\u2019s patron and protector: At that time, when the persecution is at the hottest, Michael shall stand up, v. 1.\u201d\u00a0 I think he\u2019s commenting on Daniel 12:1. \u201cThe angel had told Daniel what a firm friend Michael was to the church, Daniel 10:21. He all along showed this friendship in the upper world; the angels knew it; but now Michael shall stand up in his providence, and work deliverance for the Jews, when he sees that their power is gone, Deuteronomy 32:3. 6. Christ is that great prince, for he is the prince of the kings of the earth, Rev. 1:5. And, if he stands up for his church, who can be against it...\u201d\u00a0 So, Daniel protecting Israel is being confused in Matthew Henry\u2019s mind to Jesus Christ protecting His church.\u00a0 \u201cBut this is not all: At that time (that is, soon after) Michael shall stand up for the working out of our eternal salvation; the Son of God shall be incarnate, shall be manifested to destroy the works of the devil. Christ stood for the children of our people when he was made sin and a curse for them, stood in their stead as a sacrifice, bore the cure for them, to bear it from them. He stands for them in the intercession he ever lives to make within the veil, stands up for them, and stands their friend. And after the destruction of antichrist, of whom Antiochus was a type, Christ shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, shall appear for the complete redemption of all his\u2026When Christ appears he will recompense tribulation to those that trouble his people.\u201d\n\nSo very clearly Matthew Henry is saying just as Michael is protecting Israel Jesus Christ is protecting His church. And Matthew Henry, to my mind very clearly is making Michael, the archangel, into Jesus Christ.\u00a0 So, we\u2019re kind of living in this internet world of social media when somebody will go back into these commentaries and stand up publicly and make the case that Michael equals Jesus Christ.\u00a0 And within a nanosecond it goes all the way around the world and everyone is accusing the poor guy that made the initial statement of heresy and all this emotion gets revved up on social media and no one ever sits down and thoughtfully explains to anybody in the heat of all this rhetoric why Michael is not Jesus Christ.\n\nSo let me just give you the reasons why Michael is not Jesus Christ in a calm way, because this just hit the internet, I don\u2019t know, maybe a month or two ago and everybody is screaming and yelling and throwing insults at each other and we\u2019ve got a big food fight in the body of Christ and this guy\u2019s a heretic and that guy\u2019s a heretic and you hear all this acerbic language and you don\u2019t really hear any calm cool deliberative reflection on why Michael does not equal Jesus Christ.\n\nSo I have seven reasons why Michael could not be Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Michael, we believe, is obviously an archangel, he\u2019s very high ranking, he has angels under him but that does not make him Jesus Christ.\u00a0 So seven reasons why Michael is not Jesus Christ.\n\nNumber 1, Michael is described as \u201cone among many\u201d princes and if you go back to Daniel 10:13 this seems to be a verse that escapes people\u2019s attention like Matthew Henry and John Calvin. It says this, \u201cBut the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael,\u201d look at what it says here, \u201cone of the chief princes,\u201d you see that?\u00a0 So, Michael is an arch\u00adangel but you shouldn\u2019t assume that just because he\u2019s an archangel he\u2019s the only archangel.\u00a0 If I\u2019m reading this correctly there could be more than one archangel.\u00a0 How many archangels are there? I don\u2019t know, four, seven, fifty, a hundred, I don\u2019t know but very clearly here in Daniel 10:13 he\u2019s not called the ultimate prince; he\u2019s called one of the princes.\u00a0 [Daniel 10:13, \u201cBut the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.\u201d]\n\nNow once you understand that you see very quickly he could not be Jesus Christ because who is Jesus Christ?\u00a0 John 3:16 says, \u201cFor God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,\u201d our English translations use that word \u201cbegotten.\u201d\u00a0 What does \u201cbegotten mean?\u00a0 \u201cBegotten\u201d is an English word. The New Testament was written in Greek. The Greek word translated in English \u201cbegotten\u201d is monogen\u0113s, mono<\/em> you recognize, right?\u00a0 Have you ever played the game Monopoly?\u00a0 \u201cMono<\/em>\u201d means one, gen\u0113s<\/em> means kind or species.\u00a0 Even biologists, when they\u2019re categorizing different forms of life, animal life, etc. they use that expression, gen\u0113s<\/em> meaning a type or a kind.\n\nSo, when Jesus is called the only begotten it\u2019s a translation from monogen\u0113s <\/em>(\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03bf\u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u03ae\u03c2. What does monogen\u0113s <\/em>mean literally?\u00a0 It means one of a kind.\u00a0 Jesus is one of a kind.\u00a0 Jesus is in a category completely by Himself because He is the unique God-man.\u00a0 Right!\u00a0 Now if that\u2019s true how in the world could He be Michael the arch angel in the Old Testament when Michael is one of the princes.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Through the designation \u201cone of the princes,\u201d indicates that Michael is not one of a kind, he\u2019s in a category. But Jesus Himself is one of a kind.\u00a0 That\u2019s why He is called Jesus Christ in Revelation 19:16, \u201cKing of\u201d what? \u201ckings, Lord of\u201d what? \u201cLords.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 [Revelation 19:16, \u201cAnd on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, \u201cKING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.\u201d]\n\nWhat do we call those in language?\u00a0 We call those superlatives, meaning it\u2019s the highest you can attain.\u00a0 It\u2019s like when we call the place where God dwells \u201cthe Holy of Holies.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s not just a Holy place, it\u2019s the ultimate Holy place.\u00a0 That\u2019s a superlative.\u00a0 So, Jesus is called, Revelation 19:16, \u201cKING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.\u201d\u00a0 In other words, Jesus is not just a king, He\u2019s the ultimate KING.\u00a0 Jesus is not just Lord, He is the ultimate LORD.\u00a0 Now that description of Jesus Christ with those superlatives or the word \u201cbegotten\u201d or \u201cmonogen\u0113s<\/em>\u201d how could that be describing Michael when Michael, Daniel 10:13 is one of several, one of a group of princes.\n\nNumber two, Jesus created Michael.\u00a0 Michael is a created being.\u00a0 Why do we know that?\u00a0 Because he\u2019s called Michael the archangel.\u00a0 Who created the angels?\u00a0 (This should be review) Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Do we need to go back to Colossians 1:16. We covered that a couple of weeks ago didn\u2019t we.\u00a0 You never know when a pop quiz is going to come.\u00a0 Colossians 1:16, it says of Jesus, \u201cFor by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him.\u201d So Jesus brought into existence the dominions, the rulers, the thrones and the authorities.\u00a0 We explained that those are sort of common designations for the angelic ranking.\u00a0 So Jesus created the angels!\u00a0 Michael is an archangel so who created who here?\u00a0 Jesus created Michael the archangel.\u00a0 Michael the archangel is a created being.\u00a0 Jesus is the eternally existent Second Member of the Godhead.\n\nThe third reason why you shouldn\u2019t confuse Michael and Jesus Christ is Hebrews chapters 1 and 2.\u00a0 Go over to the Book of Hebrews for a minute, Hebrews chapters 1 and 2.\u00a0 You say well what\u2019s the Book of Hebrews about?\u00a0 I\u2019m glad you asked.\u00a0 First of all it\u2019s written to Jewish Christians.\u00a0 Is there something that gives that away here?\u00a0 How about the title, \u201cHebrews,\u201d that sounds kind of Jewish doesn\u2019t it?\u00a0 When you study the Book of Hebrews what you\u2019ll discover is these are Jewish Christians under persecution from non-believing Jews thinking about shrinking back into Judaism to avoid persecution.\u00a0 And the whole Book of Hebrews is basically a warning not to do that.\u00a0 Why wouldn\u2019t you do that?\u00a0 The author if the Book of Hebrews\u2026. we don\u2019t know who the author is.\n\nEverybody is trying to figure out who the author is and the author wants to remain anonymous because he doesn\u2019t give us his name so I respect the author\u2019s anonymity, I\u2019m more interested in what the author says than who the author is.\u00a0 We spend a lot of time trying to solve problems that the Bible really doesn\u2019t want us to solve; just let the author be anonymous.\u00a0 The apostles apparently thought whoever wrote this wrote under divine authority or it wouldn\u2019t have made it into the canon.\u00a0 And let\u2019s leave that debate behind and let\u2019s figure out what the book\u2019s about.\u00a0 Amen!\u00a0 You guys are kind of quiet out there, Amen!\u00a0 [crowd says Amen] All right.\n\nSo Hebrews 1 and 2 makes a simple point that Jesus is higher than the angels.\u00a0 Now why would the author of Hebrews get into that?\u00a0 Because the Jews revered angels.\u00a0 You go all the way through the Old Testament and who\u2019s delivering the messages of God?\u00a0 Angels.\u00a0 So if the author of Hebrews can prove that Jesus is higher than the angels he\u2019s accomplished a major argument here because this audience is thinking of chucking Christianity and going back into Judaism to avoid persecution.\u00a0 And the author of Hebrews is just making a point that why would you ever do that?\u00a0 What you have in Christ is far superior to anything you ever had in Judaism.\u00a0 Judaism was wonderful but what you have now in Christ is better and the author of Hebrews uses the word \u201cbetter\u201d over and over and over again.\n\nSo Hebrews 1 and 2, the whole point of it is Jesus is higher than the angels.\u00a0 Then you get to Hebrews 3 and 4, chapters 3 and 4 and there we learn that Jesus is higher than Moses.\u00a0 Did the Jews revere angels?\u00a0\u00a0 Yes, but they revered Moses even more because Moses was the lawgiver. So the author\u2019s point in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 is Jesus is better or higher than Moses.\u00a0 And then you get into Hebrews 5-10 and then he says Jesus is even higher than Aaron; Aaron was the high priest, the whole Levitical system that was in existence for 1,500 years came into existence through God\u2019s work with Aaron and his descendants.\u00a0 So if you can prove that Jesus is even higher than Aaron you can prove that Jesus is higher than the whole Levitical system.\n\nAnd then, it\u2019s been a little while since I\u2019ve studied Hebrews but I think it\u2019s around chapter 10:19, it says, \u201cTherefore, brethren,\u201d so when you see the word \u201cTherefore\u201d in the Bible you ask what is the word \u201cTherefore\u201d there for!\u00a0\u00a0 And it\u2019s typically to change the audience away from doctrine into what?\u00a0 Practice.\u00a0 Away from knowledge into what?\u00a0 Application.\u00a0 Away from orthodoxy into what?\u00a0 Orthopraxy because what good is doctrine if you never live it.\u00a0 Right.\u00a0 So chapter 10, verse 19 through the end of the book, including the hall of faith, everybody knows a lot about the hall of faith, Hebrews 11, but they don\u2019t really understand how it fits into the whole book.\u00a0 Chapter 10, verse 19 all the way to the end of the book is all exhortation, exhortation, exhortation, exhortation, and so that\u2019s sort of the Book of Hebrews in a nutshell, don\u2019t drift back into Judaism because what you have in Christ is far superior to anything Old Testament Judaism offered.\u00a0 Christ is higher than the angels, Hebrews 1 and 2; He\u2019s higher than Moses, Hebrews 3 and 4, He\u2019s even higher than Aaron, Hebrews 5-10.\u00a0 Then you have the \u201cTherefore,\u201d chapter 10:19 and the rest of it is all application.\n\nSo very clearly in Hebrews 1 and 2 Jesus is higher than the angels, right?\u00a0 That\u2019s the first point that the author of Hebrews makes.\u00a0 And look at Hebrews chapter 1, verse 5 if you could, look at what the author says:\u00a0 \u201cFor to which of the angels did He ever say, \u2018YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU\u2019? And again, \u2018I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME\u2019?\u201d\u00a0 Why couldn\u2019t Michael be Jesus?\u00a0 Because the angels are not sons, it says it right there, a son is a what?\u00a0 An inheritor.\u00a0 Angels are not sons.\n\nWell, who is Jesus Christ?\u00a0 Is he not the Son of God?\u00a0 Matthew 3:17. [Matthew 3:17, \u201c\u2018and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, \"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.\u201d\u2019]\u00a0 And if that\u2019s true there\u2019s no possible way that Michael or any other angel who\u2019s not a son should be confused with Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Go down to Hebrews 1:6, \u201cAnd when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says, \u2018AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 Who\u2019s worshipping who here?\u00a0 Is Jesus worshipping the angels or are the angels worshipping Jesus.\u00a0 Very clearly the angels\u2019 job is to worship Jesus.\u00a0 Angels are in no way shape or form interested in receiving worship unto themselves.\u00a0 An ordinary angel does not receive worship unto themselves.\u00a0 Remember we studied in the Book of Revelation a couple of weeks ago two times where John, who says at the end of his little epistle, \u201cMy little children, keep yourself from idols.\u201d\u00a0 Remember John says that at the end of 1 John 5:21. And then John violates his own rule because on Patmos an angel appeared and gave to John the apokalopsis, or what we call today the Book of Revelation, and John, at the end of the Book of Revelation is so overwhelmed in what he has received that he starts to worship the angel who was the messenger in the whole thing.\u00a0 And John doesn\u2019t do this just once, he does it twice. He breaks his own rule and becomes an idolater not once but twice and both times he is rebuked by the angel, in the Book of Revelation.\u00a0 Don\u2019t do that the angel says, I\u2019m a fellow servant.\n\nSo angels should never be confused with Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is the object of angelic worship, not the other way around.\u00a0\u00a0 Go over to Hebrews 2:5 just for a minute.\u00a0 What does it say here?\u00a0 \u201cFor He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 So, angels are not the sole rulers in the millennial kingdom.\u00a0 I mean, their destiny is not to rule and reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom; that\u2019s our destiny.\u00a0\u00a0 But the entire world is not going to be subjective to an angel one day.\u00a0 In fact, we\u2019re told that we are going to actually sit in judgment on the angels, 1 Corinthians 6:3. [1 Corinthians 6:3, \u201cDo you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?\u201d\n\nSo angels are not destined for millennial authority.\u00a0 Well, how could Michael, the archangel then be Jesus Christ, since Jesus Christ is clearly destined to rule this whole world from David\u2019s throne?\u00a0 Psalm 2:6, 2 Samuel 7:13 and following.\u00a0 [Psalm 2:6, \u201c\"But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a02 Samuel 7:13, \u201cHe shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.\u00a0 [14] \"I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, [15] but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.\u201d]\n\nSo if you just sort of track with the argument of the Book of Hebrews and Hebrews 1 and 2 is that Jesus is not an angel, you start to see proof very fast that Jesus should never be confused with any angel, including a high ranking one like Michael the archangel.\n\nLet\u2019s go over to Jude verse 9 for a moment, continuing to give reasons why Michael should not be confused with Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Jude 9, a very important verse, notice what it says here and I think Pastor Gabe has covered this, hasn\u2019t he, in his Jude study?\u00a0\u00a0 [Jude 9] \u201cBut Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, \u2018The Lord rebuke you!\u2019\u201d\u00a0 So apparently some sort of argument arose between the devil and Michael the archangel concerning the body of Moses.\n\nNow this is basically a text that is taken from what we would call a pseudo epigraphical book but that doesn\u2019t mean that what is said here isn\u2019t true; it\u2019s completely possible for a biblical writer to quote extra-Biblical literature without endorsing the whole book of extra-biblical literature.\u00a0 For example, there\u2019s a lot of things Thomas Jefferson said that I agree with.\u00a0 When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and says \u201cAll men are created equal\u201d I agree with that.\u00a0 Now does that mean that every little thing that Thomas Jefferson did in his whole life I agree with?\u00a0 I mean, Thomas\n\nJefferson did own slaves, I don\u2019t really believe in that; Thomas Jefferson according to some cut all the miracles out of his Bible because he didn\u2019t believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Now there\u2019s a lot of debate on the historicity of that and what that means, but if that rendition is accepted I don\u2019t believe that either.\u00a0 But I sure believe what he said is true in the Declaration of Independence.\n\nSo Jude, the Lord\u2019s brother, can look at it a pseudopygraphical book and quote part of it as true without endorsing the whole thing.\u00a0 And apparently in the pseudopygraphical book, I think it\u2019s the assumption of Moses (if I\u2019m not mistaken) a non-canonical book, it references this dispute between Michael and Satan concerning the body of Moses.\u00a0 Why would they fight about the body of Moses?\u00a0 What a weird thing to fight about.\u00a0 Well, you might have a possible explanation in Revelation 11 where we have two witnesses, one of them looks an awful lot like Moses to me and maybe that\u2019s why Satan is fighting with Michael concerning the body of Moses, because Satan knows that Moses is going to need his body again to fulfill Revelation 11.\u00a0 Do I know that for sure?\u00a0 Would I start a new church over it?\u00a0 Not necessarily but at least I have a working theory on it.\n\nSo, you\u2019ll see very clearly that Michael doesn\u2019t even like to rebuke Satan.\u00a0 See that in Jude 9. Again, it says in Jude 9, \u201c\u201cBut Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, \u2018The Lord rebuke you!\u2019\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m not going to rebuke you, let the Lord do it Michael says.\u00a0 Now does that sound like Jesus?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t Jesus rebuke Satan over and over again in the Gospels?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t He look at Peter and see the angelic force motivating one of Peter\u2019s comments one day and he said \u201cGet behind Me\u201d what? \u201cSatan!\u201d\u00a0 Doesn\u2019t Jesus, in Matthew 4:10 rebuke Satan.\u00a0 He says in verse 10, this is at the three temptations at the hands of Satan, \u201cThen Jesus said to him, \u2018Go, Satan! For it is written, \u2018YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.\u2019\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 It sounds like He\u2019s rebuking Satan there.\u00a0 So if Jesus rebukes Satan and Michael doesn\u2019t like to rebuke Satan then how in the world could you ever confuse Jesus and Michael the archangel?\u00a0 One rebukes Satan and the other doesn\u2019t.\n\nSticking here a little bit with Jude verse 9, taking you to number five on why Michael the archangel is not Jesus Christ, notice again Jude 9.\u00a0 \u201cBut Michael, the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment but said\u201d what? \u201cthe\u201d what? \u201cLord rebuke you.\u201d\u00a0 So when Michael says the Lord rebuke you isn\u2019t Michael here saying that he\u2019s not the Lord!\u00a0 Now that\u2019s the Greek noun Kurios<\/em>, which is used of Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:11. [Philippians 2:11, \u201cand that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.\u201d]\u00a0 So when Michael says I\u2019m not going to rebuke you, the Lord rebuke you, he\u2019s distinguishing himself from the noun Kurios<\/em> which is used of Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:11; that\u2019s yet another reason why Michael could not be Jesus Christ.\n\nNumber six, Michael could not be Jesus Christ because the two of them are portrayed as different characters in the Book of Revelation, chapter 12.\u00a0 You all remember Revelation chapter 12, right?\u00a0 There\u2019s four major characters in Revelation chapter 12.\u00a0 Who are they?\u00a0 The woman clothed with the son and the moon and the twelve stars.\u00a0\u00a0 [Revelation 12:1, \u201cA great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.\u201d]\u00a0 She represents who?\u00a0 Israel!\u00a0 Number two, the dragon, who\u2019s the dragon?\u00a0 Satan, and this is all defined either in the passage or in the pages of the Old Testament.\u00a0\u00a0 The third character or player is Michael himself, you\u2019ll see him in Revelation 12:7. [Revelation 12:7, \u201cAnd there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,\u201d]\n\nAnd the fourth character is the Son, S-o-n, verse 5, \u201cShe\u201d that\u2019s Israel, \u201cgave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all of the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.\u201d\u00a0 [Revelation 12:5] What does that sound like?\u00a0 It\u2019s got to be Jesus because it fits Jesus one day ruling this world with a rod of iron, Psalm 2:9, and the fact that He\u2019s caught up is a reference to His what?\u00a0 Ascension, Acts 1:9.\u00a0 [Revelation 12:5, \u201cAnd she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.\u201d\n\nPsalm 2:9, \u201c'You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.\u2019\u201d\n\nActs 1:9, \u201cAnd after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.\u201d]\n\nSo you\u2019ll notice that Jesus is clearly in view in verse 5.\u00a0 And then when you look at verse 7 it introduces a totally different character and it says, \u201cAnd there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,\u201d You see how Michael is distinguished from the dragon in verse 7?\u00a0 So Michael can\u2019t be Satan and Michael, verse 7 is also distinguished from Jesus, verse 5.\u00a0 So Michael can\u2019t be Jesus Christ either.\u00a0\u00a0 Why? Because there\u2019s four different characters here.\u00a0 They\u2019re separate entities and merging them together is like taking Israel and merging it with Satan, which would be ridiculous.\n\nNumber 7, and this is the argument everybody uses, the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses, not if but when they show up at your door, are going to use this on you as you get into a conversation with them.\u00a0 They like to quote the rapture passage but not for the right reasons.\u00a0 Look at 1 Thessalonians 4:16. It says, \u00a0\u00a0\u201cFor the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,\u201d notice also what it says, \u201cwith the voice of\u201d what? \u201cthe archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.\u201d That\u2019s the rapture, right?\n\nSo when the rapture happens the Lord Himself is going to \u201cdescend from heaven with a shout\u201d and then it says \u201cwith the voice of an archangel.\u201d\u00a0 And what the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses will tell you is well, who is the archangel?\u00a0 The archangel is Michael.\u00a0 So, if the Lord Himself is going to descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, then Jesus Christ must be Michael.\u00a0 Do you see the argument that they\u2019re making here?\n\nWell how would we answer that?\u00a0 First of all, according to Daniel 10:13 is Michael the only archangel?\u00a0 No, there\u2019s more than one because he\u2019s one of several princes.\u00a0 [Daniel 10:13, \u201cBut the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.\u201d]\u00a0 There\u2019s more than one archangel; I don\u2019t know how many there are.\u00a0 So just connecting Jesus with the voice of an archangel doesn\u2019t immediately connect Him with Michael necessarily.\n\nBut something else that\u2019s very interesting to notice here is if you look at this carefully it really doesn\u2019t say that Jesus speaks with the voice of an archangel.\u00a0 I mean, it mentions a shout, and then it goes on and it says \u201cwith the voice of an archangel.\u201d\u00a0 So, to my mind I\u2019m not really convinced that Jesus is the one speaking here \u201cwith the voice of an archangel.\u201d\u00a0 So I\u2019ve got to figure out a way to harmonize this verse with all the other verses we\u2019ve talked about which clearly indicates that Jesus is not Michael the archangel.\n\nSo what\u2019s my solution?\u00a0 My solution is that when Jesus comes for us in the rapture, and I\u2019m hoping this is in our lifetime, I can\u2019t guarantee that, who\u2019s going to be coming with Him?\u00a0 Angels!\u00a0 Now since Michael is an archangel I think Michael is going to be coming with Jesus.\u00a0 And so, it very well could be Michael speaking independently of Jesus.\u00a0 You say well you really believe that angels are going to accompany the Lord at the rapture?\u00a0 Why not?\u00a0 Aren\u2019t angels going to accompany the Lord at His Second Advent at the end of the tribulation period?\n\nI mean, the Scripture is crystal clear on that one.\u00a0 2 Thessalonians 1:7 teaches that.\u00a0 [2 Thessalonians 1:7, \u201cand to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,\u201d] Matthew 25:31 teaches that.\u00a0 [Matthew 15:31, \u201c\"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.\u201d]\u00a0 So what I\u2019m thinking is when the rapture happens and Jesus comes to get us in the rapture the angels will be with Him.\u00a0 One of them (I think) will be Michael and he is the one, not Jesus, speaking with the voice of the archangel.\u00a0 So a lot of people want the person speaking to be Jesus Christ but the passage doesn\u2019t necessarily say that.\u00a0 And I\u2019m sort of obligated to look for another answer because we\u2019ve gone through multiple proofs as to why Jesus is not Michael, the archangel.\n\nSo is Jesus Christ Michael the archangel?\u00a0 Seven reasons why he is not Michael the archangel.\u00a0 Number one, Michael is \u201cone among many,\u201d that cannot be a description of Jesus who is only begotten.\u00a0 [Daniel 10:13, [Daniel 10:13, \u201cBut the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.\u201d]\n\nNumber two, Michael, as an angel was created by Christ, Colossians 1:16, and you should never confuse the creation with the Creator.\u00a0 [Colossians 1:16, \u201cFor by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him.\u201d]\n\nNumber three, the whole point of Hebrews 1 and 2 is that Jesus is different than the angels; Jesus is higher than the angels.\u00a0 And I\u2019ve given you several pieces of proof from that section of Hebrews so therefore Michael the archangel and Jesus should never be confused with each other.\n\nNumber four, we know from Jude 9 that Michael does not like to rebuke Satan and\u00a0 yet Jesus does that quite frequently in the Gospels.\n\nNumber five, when Michael says to Satan in this conversation concerning the body of Moses, \u201cthe LORD rebuke you\u201d and uses the noun Kurios<\/em>, he\u2019s saying I\u2019m not the Lord, the Lord is Jesus, let Him rebuke you.\n\nNumber six, in the whole vision of Revelation chapter 12 you have four different characters completely and so that vision will distinguish Michael and Jesus Christ.\n\nAnd then finally number seven, Jesus does not actually speak with the voice of the archangel (in my humble opinion) in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, but is merely accompanied by Michael.\n\nSo who is Michael?\u00a0 Michael is an archangel, he is someone that we obviously respect but he is not an object of worship.\u00a0 And he is not something to be worshipped because he is completely distinct from God; he is completely distinct from Jesus Christ Himself.\u00a0 And so Michael and Jesus should never be confused.\n\nLet me give you one more here and we\u2019ll stop.\u00a0 The fourth specific angel is our youth pastor\u2026. [laughter] Gabriel.\u00a0 Gabriel is mentioned four times in the Scripture. I believe Gabriel\u2019s basic function is to disclose new revelation.\u00a0 So, he typically shows up to give new revelation when God allows it.\u00a0 For example, in the ram and goat vision in Daniel 8 that Daniel was shown, who delivered that vision from God to Daniel?\u00a0 It was Gabriel, Daniel 8:16.\u00a0 [Daniel 8:16, \u201cAnd I heard<\/a> the voice<\/a> of a man<\/a> between<\/a> the banks of Ulai<\/a>, and he called<\/a> out and said<\/a>, \"1<\/sup>Gabriel<\/a>, give<\/a> this<\/a> man an understanding<\/a> of the vision<\/a>.\u201d]\n\nHow about the seventy weeks prophecy?\u00a0 There\u2019s no more prophecy to really get your arms around to understand God\u2019s program for the end times than the seventy weeks prophecy.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t under the seventy weeks prophecy you\u2019re lost as to what the end times are and what they\u2019re all about.\u00a0 The Book of Revelation, as we\u2019ve tried to explain is simply the amplification of the seventieth week.\n\nSo the seventy weeks prophecy is an absolutely indispensable piece of the prophetic jigsaw puzzle and yet who was it that came from God to give Daniel that prophecy?\u00a0 It was Gabriel.\u00a0 And who is it, according to Luke 1:18-19 and Luke 1:26-30 who was giving information to the mothers of Jesus and John the Baptist concerning exactly who it was that each of them was carrying in their respective wombs?\u00a0 It was Gabriel involved in that. \u00a0So, I would say this, Gabriel seems to have some kind of function or some sort of role in terms of delivering fresh or new revelation from God.\u00a0 He\u2019s a messenger.\n\nSo, you notice that angels have different functions in the angelic world.\u00a0 I mean, it kind of works that way in a church, doesn\u2019t it?\u00a0 You guys don\u2019t see me up here singing a lot of solos.\u00a0 I mean, someone else can do that that\u2019s actually good at it because in a local church people have different functions. Some are deacons, some are elders, some are Sunday School teachers, some preach and teach, etc. etc. etc.\u00a0 And so just as tasks are divided amongst different gifted people within a church you\u2019ve got the same thing happening in the angelic world. Gabriel doesn\u2019t do what Michael does and Michael doesn\u2019t do what Gabriel does.\u00a0 So, you have the cherubim who guard God\u2019s holiness; the seraphim who direct worship up to God.\u00a0 You have Michael the archangel who is not Jesus but who protects Israel.\u00a0 And you have Gabriel who delivers new messages.\u00a0 And beyond that, kind of tracking back in the notes, I won\u2019t go back through them, you have the general classification of angels as well.\n\nSo, the next time we\u2019re together we\u2019ll look at the abode of the angels, and then we\u2019ll be looking at the activities of angels.\u00a0 I mean, what do angels actually do.\u00a0 You\u2019re going to be shocked at the number of tasks God has given them. So we\u2019ll stop here.","series_sermon_number":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t