“The name Jesus means one who saves – a savior. But God’s plan for saving the world from sin and death is so comprehensive that in order to help us understand all its implications God, through his Word, has given Jesus many and varied TITLES, each giving some particular viewpoint regarding the work he will perform in regards to the kingdom and the salvation of the world.

Previous to this time our Lord was given the title of the Logos, the “Word,” elsewhere called “Wisdom” (John 1:1; Proverbs 8:12-31)

Since then various titles such as Priest, King and Judge have been applied to him.

Isaiah 9:6, 7 is a wonderful prophecy of the birth of Jesus and the worldwide scope of the government which he will preside over. To help us grasp more fully what his ruler ship will mean for the people, this prophecy assigns him several meaningful titles.

“His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Another prophecy concerning Jesus foretold that his name would be “Immanuel,” which means, “God with us” (Isa 7:14) this does not mean that Jesus is the Almighty God, the Creator himself, but rather that he would be the representative of God.

The title “Only Begotten Son” John 1:18 is likewise his alone.

In Daniel 12:1 another title (more appropriately a name) is applied to Jesus, namely, “Michael” The term Michael literally means “who as God“, that is, one who acts as God’s representative.

Strange it is that many are able to accept all of the various “TITLES” applied to our Lord and yet are unable to accept this one.

In this prophecy we read that when “Michael stands up” the results will be a “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.”

In other words, this title describes Jesus in connection with his overthrow of the kingdoms of this world, preparatory to the establishment of his righteous order in the earth.

We are accustomed to think of Jesus as kindly and peaceful. But the manifestation of his authority and power against wickedness and the wicked institutions of earth will cause trouble –”a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation” Even now we are witnessing the beginning of this trouble, due to come upon the nations of earth at the end of the age. Even in the prophecy of Isaiah 11:2-9, where we read that Jesus will judge the poor with righteousness, it is also declared that “with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked”

It will be on account of his thoroughness in eradicating all wickedness and all evildoers from the earth that peace and tranquility will eventually come to the people. The universal state of happiness and good will which will follow the destruction of the enemies of God during the reign of Christ-even death itself (1 Cor. 15:26) – is symbolized in the prophecy by the various animals of earth living peaceably together. The “wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; … and a little child shall lead them.” – Isaiah 11:6

There are several stumbling blocks which prevent many from seeing that the Arch Angel Michael was none other than our Lord Jesus Christ in his pre-human existence notably among which is the doctrine of the Trinity.

Our Trinity friends blinded by their own prejudice and credulous faith in the Trinity are unable to accept the scriptural fact that our Lord himself was a created being, “The BEGINNING of the creation of God“–“the FIRST-BORN of every creature” (Rev 3:14; Col. 1:15), and that originally he was created an angel (a spirit being), howbeit the chief angel amongst all the other “fiery stones” (the angelic hosts), the very first of the “morning stars”.

So says Wisdom, the Logos, the only begotten Son

“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water…”

“When he prepared (established) the heavens I was there; when he set a compass upon the face of the depth … then I was by him as a sure workman (or “architect”; this is the meaning of the Hebrew) Prov. 8:22-24; 27-31.

This momentous passage depicts the speaker as the active agent of God in the work of creation as distinct from the creative force or power whom we call God the Creator and God the Father of all.

“The LORD [Jehovah] possessed me [the Logos] in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.”

Why would it be incongruous to say that Jehovah possessed wisdom in the beginning of His way?

Because God is “from everlasting to everlasting,” He never had a beginning—there was never a beginning of His way.

“Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen” (Psa 41:13).

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psa 90:2).

“Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD” (Psa 106:48).

Verse 22 refers to Jesus, and not to the attribute of wisdom. With this verse, the attribute is changed to a person—here wisdom is PERSONALIZED in Jesus.

“Christ Jesus … is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor 1:30).

It is important to see that Jesus, in his person, exemplifies most accurately his Father, who is the source of all wisdom. Thus in Proverbs 8 there is a change with Verse 22. Of late, however, many do not want to admit Jesus is personalized here because of the Trinity. Protestants over 150 years ago thought differently, but now many see that if Verse 22 refers to Jesus, there is a problem with the Trinity. Therefore, Evangelicals today are reluctant to admit Verse 22 refers to Jesus, whereas Evangelicals in the past did not have this problem.

Comment: Scofield, (an influential American minister author of the Scofield Reference Bible) who wrote over 100 years ago and who was a staunch Trinitarian, emphatically stated that Verse 22 is not just the personification of an attribute of God or the will of God expressed for man, but that it is a distinct reference to Christ. Today however Evangelicals are modifying their thinking on this verse because the Trinity is the one precious doctrine that they consider to be their touchstone—they regard the Trinity the way we (Bible Students) regard the doctrine of the Ransom. More and more they are rallying around that doctrine as a litmus test to distinguish between a cult and a recognized Christian. However in truth it only serves as another indication or evidence that they bare the mark of Beast and his image.

 The following translations more accurately translate the point.

“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old” (NIV).

“The LORD created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his works of old” (RSV).

“The LORD formed me from the beginning, before he created anything else” (NLT)

“The LORD created me first of all, the first of his works, long ago” (GNT)

“The LORD acquired me at the beginning of his creation, before his works of long ago” (CSB)

For those who would argue that these and other translations are corrupt we likewise present the Authorized King James Version, take special note of the statement in Verse 24 viz., “I was brought forth” the same thought as expressed in the NIV.

“The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.” (Prov 8:22-24)

The Hebrew the word “possessed” (Strong’s # 7069: qanah) means “brought forth,” to get, acquired; a primitive root; to erect, i.e. create.

How do we know for sure that Verse 22 is speaking about the Logos, about Christ and not simply about God’s attribute wisdom?

If God is from everlasting to everlasting, then obviously His personal attributes would also be from everlasting to everlasting and would not have a beginning or be created or come into being at a later date. God is love and since God was without beginning, so love was without beginning and if love was without beginning so to his other three attributes, justice, wisdom and power.

The thought of bringing the Logos forth would harmonize with the New Testament statement that he was the first or “only BEGOTTEN Son” of God. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18).

 Yes, he was “the beginning of the creation of God,” the first created intelligent sentient being.

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodicea write; these things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God” (Rev 3:14).

The Book of Proverbs, edited

We will continue with our look at the Arch Angel Michael and who he is in our next post.