Hebrews 1 presents a catena of various Old Testament texts, often those that are Messianic in context or were part of the coronation service of the Davidic King, of whom Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment. Often in this chapter, the author often asks the rhetorical question of which angel did God ever say or promise such things to, with the answer being “none,” as the purpose of this chapter is, in part, to portray Jesus as being greater than all the angels. An “archangel” is just an elevated angel, belonging to the same ontological category as a “regular” angel.
In Jehovah’s Witness Christology, Jesus and the archangel Michael are numerically identical to one another (similar to how Michael and the patriarch Adam are numerically identical to one another in Latter-day Saint theology [e.g., D&C 27:11]). This means that the Christology of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (official name of the JW organisation) is in clear conflict with the Christology of the author of Hebrews. Let us examine some of the pertinent texts from the JW translation of the Bible, the New World Translation (online here); Old Testament references are in square brackets:
So he has become better than the angels to the extent that he has inherited a name more excellent than theirs (v. 4)
For example, to which one of the angels did God ever say, "You are my son; today I have become your father"? [Psa 2:7] And "I will become his father, and he will become my son"? [2 Sam 7:14]. But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: "And let all of God's angels do obeisance to him." [Deut 32:43, LXX; Psa 97:7] (vv.5-6)
Also, he says about the angels: "He makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." [Psa 104:4, LXX] But about the Son, he says: "God is your throne forever and ever, and the sceptre of your Kingdom is the sceptre of uprightness. You loved righteousness, and you hated lawlessness. That is why God, your God, anointed you with the oil of exultation more than your companions." [Psa 45:6-7] (vv.7-9)
But about which of the angels has he ever said: "Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet?" [Psa 110:1; 109:1, LXX] (v.13)
For the author of Hebrews, Jesus is not in the ontological category of “angel,” which would exclude an identification with being an archangel, viz. Michael. Instead, he is exalted above all angels and given a name above all other names (Heb 1:4; cf. Phil 2:5-11). I do hope that any Jehovah’s Witness, or those investigating JW claims, will seriously rethink their denomination’s Christology, as it is clearly in conflict with the Christology of the New Testament on this and many other points.
