The Watchtower teaches that Jesus was created as the Archangel Michael prior to being born on earth. Then somehow his “life breath” was transferred into the human body of Jesus. Converting out of the archangel Michael into the human Jesus, he lived on earth as a perfect human.
The Watchtower claims:
“So the evidence indicates that the Son of God was known as Michael before he came to earth and is known also by that name since his return to heaven where he resides as the glorified spirit Son of God.” (Reasoning, 1985, p. 218)
Upon death, the Watchtower claims Jesus’ human body was “disposed of by God’s power,” while Michael (the resurrected Jesus), manufactured a “spirit body” prove to people that he had been resurrected. the Watchtower states:
“War broke out in heaven: Michael [who is the resurrected Jesus Christ] and his angels battled with the dragon.” (You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 1982, p. 21)
“At death he laid aside the human organism in which he ministered as a new creature for three and a half years; and in his resurrection he was no more human.” (The Kingdom Is at Hand, 1944, p. 258)
“For the man Jesus is dead, forever dead.” (The At-one-ment Between God and Man, Studies vol. 5, p. 454)
“The human body of flesh, which Jesus Christ laid down forever as a ransom sacrifice, was disposed of by God’s power.” (“Things in Which It Is Impossible for God to Lie,” 1965, p. 354)
“Jesus simply materialized or took on a fleshly body … In order to convince Thomas of who He was, He used a body with wound holes.” (You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 1982, pp. 144-145)
So the question remains, where is Michael? If Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus exists as Michael in heaven now, what happens when he returns to earth? Will he change back into the human Jesus? How does this happen? If Jesus will return as Michael, why does the Bible assign him the name of Jesus upon his return?
Acts 1:11: And said: “Men of Galʹi·lee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who was taken up from you into the sky will come in the same manner as you have seen him going into the sky.” (New World Translation or NWT)
Acts 17:31: “Because he has set a day on which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has provided a guarantee to all men by resurrecting him from the dead.” (NWT)
John 2:19-22: Jesus replied to them: “Tear down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said: “This temple was built in 46 years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was talking about the temple of his body.22 When, though, he was raised up from the dead, his disciples recalled that he used to say this, and they believed the scripture and what Jesus had spoken.
Edgar Havaich kindly contributed these graphics to illustrate the absurdity of the Watchtower claims that Jesus is Michael:
- Where in the creation narrative is Michael created?
- When Jesus was born with a human body, what happened to the angelic body of the archangel Michael? What happened to the LIFE of Michael? If the spirit or life force of Michael was transferred to the embryonic Jesus, did Michael die and then resurrect as the embryonic Jesus?
- Jesus is crucified; three days later if his body was not resurrected, was it recreated? Was Jesus resurrected as Michael?
- Jesus ascends into heaven, 1900 years later is when the Watchtower says he gets Kingdom authority in 1914. Yet according to Matthew 28:18 Jesus had already been given ALL authority in heaven and earth. What more was there to acquire in 1914?
- If Michael is Jesus in his pre-human existence and Jesus resumes his service as Michael when he returns to heaven, why is he called Jesus and not Michael? When the Lord returns, who is coming, Jesus or Michael?
The Lord is coming with three things: A.) With a commanding call, B.) With an archangel’s voice, C.) With God’s Trumpet “and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first.” (1 Thess 4:16, NWT) Yet, “B” is the only one mentioned in the Watchtower’s argument on this verse used to prove Jesus is Michael.
It could be said, came here tonight WITH Frank, but just because I came with Frank does not make me Frank. In the same way, the Lord is coming “WITH” the archangel’s voice, not as the archangel.
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For more information about the problems in the Watchtower argument on Jesus being Jehovah see:
Is Jesus Christ the archangel Michael? (4Jehovah.org)
