Q. Who is Michael the archangel, mentioned in Jude 9? Some people believe this is another name for Jesus. Wouldn't that take away from His divinity ?

A. By comparing scripture with scripture, the mystery is solved. First, the Hebrew meaning for Michael is who is like God (see Strong's Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary).Daniel 10: 13, 8:11, 25 and 12: 1, refer to Michael as a prince, or chief prince. Acts 3:15, 5:31 and Revelation 1:5 show Christ to be the Prince. Michael denotes Christ's princely position in heaven.

Next, the term archangel indicates captain or chief angel. Michael, the chief angel, and His angels are portrayed in Revelation 12:7 as fighting against the Devil and his angels. When the Captain [marginal ref: prince] of the angelic host of the Lord appeared to Joshua, Joshua fell before Him in worship (Joshua 5:14,15). This Captain was God himself, for only God can be worshipped.

Finally, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 states that the voice of the archangel will raise the dead, and John 5:25 states, "The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God ... and live." So, it is safe to conclude that the voice of the archangel is the voice of the Son of God. And, it is plain from scripture that Michael, the Captain of the hosts of heaven, is the archangel, and is none other than Jesus Christ Himself.

Vol.6 No.4

Q. I know I need God to live a Christian life, but sometimes I feel like I shouldn't bother Him with the mistakes I make. How do I approach Him?

A. It is only as we feel our need that we can come before His cross in repentance of our sins. We must come with the whole heart, just as we are. What else can we do?

Our heavenly Father is tender and compassionate, drawing us with His love. Through His love He brings sorrow for sin into our hearts. We cannot do what we know is right until we first make things right with Him, until we make our peace by repentance and confession. See 1 John 1:9. Then Christ is able to cleanse us as we turn our whole sinful self to Him that we may be washed by His cleansing blood.

But He doesn't stop there. He clothes us with His perfect righteousness that we may have the power to keep His law, just as He kept it here on earth. Come to Him just as you are that you may be born anew into His family. He died that it would be possible for you and me to follow Him all throughout eternity.

Vol.12 No.4

Q. In the Old Testament, God seems so angry and violent. For instance, how could a God of love command His chosen people to destroy whole nations, including the women and children? On the other hand, Jesus, the Son of God, appears meek and mild and commands His followers to "turn the other cheek." How do you reconcile all of this?

A. You’ve asked a question that has plagued people for centuries. Here’s the dilemma: Christians believe that Jesus is equal with God. John 1:1, 2. They also believe that He came to reveal God’s character. Hebrews 1:1, 2. If that’s true, did God act one way during the Old Testament and another way during the New Testament? Is He inconsistent?

First, let us remember that over 4,000 years of sacred history are compressed into the Old Testament, whereas the time span of the New Testament covers less than one hundred years. If we are to be fair, we must look at God’s actions over time.

It would be grossly inaccurate to view God’s actions through all 4,000 years of Old Testament history as violent, vengeful, and lacking in mercy. For example, an objective reading through the Old Testament reveals that God expressly forbade Israel from invading or destroying certain heathen nations. Deuteronomy 2:4-23. At times, He even used heathen nations to punish disobedient Israel.

Second, the Old Testament reveals a God who bears long with sinners. Read again the story of Jonah and Nineveh. Here was a cruel and greedy city, bent on enriching itself through plunder.

Yet in mercy, God sent them a special warning of impending destruction. When they repented, He forgave and extended their probation. Sadly, the Ninevites forgot His mercy and returned to their evil ways. When there was no change in their choices, God destroyed their civilization. We also find great mercy from God even in His dealings with Apostate Israel. When His disobedient people repented, God lessened or delayed their punishment. See 2 Kings 20:12-19 and 2 Chronicles 34:14-28.

Third, let’s consider the nations that God instructed His people to destroy. Some of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were steeped in the most cruel and licentious forms of idolatry. Archaeological and biblical evidence of these peoples reveals that human sacrifices, cannibalism, and sexual perversion, even with animals, were not uncommon occurrences. God had once destroyed the world by flood because of widespread evil. To spare surrounding nations from total corruption, God had to destroy nations wholly bent on evil. Sometimes this included their women, children and livestock. Twenty-first century logic tells us that it is highly possible these licentious practices not only corrupted the minds of the women and children, but also their bodies. This might have been true of their livestock, as well.

And finally, God’s ultimate desire in the Old Testament was for Israel to witness to the surrounding nations of His love and righteousness. Now and then, Israel lived up to God’s plan for its existence. But more often than not, Israel adopted the heathen practices of its idolatrous neighbors who were not blessed with the same knowledge of Jehovah. Then, to stop Israel’s slide into irretrievable apostasy, God used other nations to chastise them.

Throughout the Old Testament, God sent prophets to tell nations of the consequences of disobedience. He bore long, and was slow to anger, until He could no longer allow evil to go unchecked.

In the New Testament, we find a picture of what God had been revealing all along. “The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” Exodus 34:6, 7.