Preface
First it must be explained that this opinion (that Christ is the archangel Michael) exists in the totalitarian sect of “Jehovah’s Witnesses”. To support their teachings the Jehovah’s Witnesses created their own translation of Scripture with significant distortions (expert reviews of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ “New World Translation”, in Russian). The Adventists also believe that the one who appears in the Old Testament as the archangel Michael is supposedly the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Two Meanings of the Word “Angel”
In the Bible we find two senses of the word angel: a function and a nature.
The function of an angel is to be sent, because this ancient Greek word literally means exactly that: ἄγγελος [angelos] — messenger, herald; Hebrew מלאך — messenger.
The nature of an angel is a bodiless spirit. Angels are certain spiritual beings created by God who have no body (bodiless), or in other words, spirits. These spirits were created before man and endowed with freedom and reason. Some of them did not wish to live in obedience to God, fell away from Him, but are still called angels (Matt. 25:41). That is, we have a nature independent of the kind of activity. Sent or not, still an angel. Such is the nature. Thus, a quite specific man born of a man is called an angel — the prophet John the Baptist (Mal. 3:1; Matt. 11:10; Mark. 1:2; Luke. 7:27). In the same sense, in the same place, Christ Himself is called the Angel of the Covenant (Mal. 3:1). (English translations render the word as “messenger”: “I send My messenger”, “the Messenger of the covenant”; but the Greek text has ἄγγελος in both places: τὸν ἄγγελόν μου — “My angel”, ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς διαθήκης — “the Angel of the covenant”.) That settles it. Now to the quotes.
All Angels Are Ministering Spirits, but Christ Sits on the Throne
The Apostle Paul calls the Son of God a being far superior to the angels (Heb. 1:4), because God does not address the angels as He addresses His Son (Heb. 1:5); all the angels will worship the Son of God (Heb. 1:6); he points out the difference between God’s words about the angels and about the Son of God: the former are ministering beings, while the latter is the Ruler seated on the throne (Heb. 1:7-8 and Heb. 1:13); he points out that everything created is temporary, but the Son of God, who created everything, will never pass away (Heb. 1:10-12). Finally, it is said directly that all angels without exception are ministering spirits, but the Son sits on the throne with the Father:
“But to which of the angels has He ever said: ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool’? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:13-14)
The Son is served, and the Son reigns with the Father.
Mankind Will Bow Before God, but All Creation Will Bow Before Christ
God says that it is before Him that every knee shall bow (Rom. 14:11), and at the same time all creation will bow before Christ, not only people (Phil. 2:10), including the angels (Heb. 1:6).
The World Is Subjected to Christ, Not to Angels
“For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels” (Heb. 2:5)
And yet the world is subjected to Christ:
“He has put all things under His feet” (1 Cor. 15:27)
“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church” (Eph. 1:22)
“You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him” (Heb. 2:8)
The Almighty, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords
So we have established that all angels are ministering spirits, while the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is called by the same names by which God is repeatedly called: the Almighty, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. The prophets call God the Lord of Lords (Ps. 136:2-3). The apostles call God the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings (1 Tim. 6:15-16). The apostles call Jesus Christ the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings (Rev. 17:14; 19:16), and the Almighty (Rev. 1:8). Over the King of Kings there is no other king. Over the Lord of Lords there is no other lord. Over the Almighty there is no one who would hold the Almighty, because He Himself holds everything by Himself. The archangel Michael is the commander of the angelic host. Christ is the commander of absolutely everything in the world, including the angels and the archangel Michael himself.
God (Yahweh) Personally Sent the Prophets, and Christ Says That It Was He Who Sent Them
It is important to say that Christ points out that He is the one who sent many prophets to Israel (Matt. 23:34). And Scripture tells us that it was God personally (and not through angels) who spoke to the prophets and personally sent them to Israel (Ex. 3:12; Mal. 4:1,5; Judg. 6:8; 2 Chr. 25:15; 1 Sam. 15:1; 2 Sam. 12:1; 2 Sam. 12:24-25; 2 Esd. 1:32). That is, Christ is God, Yahweh. There were no intermediaries in God’s communication with the prophets.
The Son of God, Begotten of the Father, Created the Angels
Christ is the Creator of all things visible and invisible, including the angels (Col. 1:13-17). That is, to be an angel, He would have had to create Himself as well.
The Etymology of the Name “Michael”
Michael is a Hebrew name; it comes from the Hebrew words מי כמו אלוהים (mi kmo elohim, shortened to “mi-ka-el”), literally “Who is like God”. That is, no one is equal to God, no one can be compared with Him. But Christ does not consider it robbery to be equal with God (Phil. 2:6).
The Old Covenant Was Given Through Angels, the New Was Preached by the Lord
The Apostle Paul points out the difference between the Old and the New Covenant. The Old was given through angels (Heb. 2:2), and the New was preached personally by the Lord Himself (Heb. 2:3). That is, at the very least, not through angels.
God, Having Become Man, Showed Himself to the Angels
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels (Greek: ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις — “appeared to angels”), preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory” (1 Tim. 3:16)
No one has ever seen God (John. 1:18); He dwells in unapproachable light, and it is impossible for man to see God (1 Tim. 6:16); but by being born a true man (John. 1:14), God becomes visible to all in Christ. Man cannot see the inhabitants of the spiritual world (angels) with bodily eyes, yet Christ says that He saw Satan fall from heaven (Luke. 10:18). Also, angels appear at various times in various places to various people, and Scripture attaches no significance whatsoever to this event (the very appearance of an angel); that is, it does not say something like: “he showed himself to the angels”. He appeared, and that is all.
Angels Are Created, the Son of God Is Begotten. And Not Simply Begotten: No One Else Is Begotten of God the Father as the Only Begotten Son Is
It is pointed out that the Son of God is not created but begotten of God, while everything that is created was created afterwards by the Son (Col. 1:15-16). And the Son of God is the Only Begotten Son (John. 1:18), which means that no one else is a son to the Father in the way the Only Begotten Son is. We distinguish between the words “created” and “begotten”. One can create anything, but one can beget only one’s like, of the same nature: a fish begets a fish, a man begets a man, God begets God. Olive trees do not give birth to oranges.
Conclusion
Christ is not the archangel Michael, but God. And He is repeatedly called God directly. Scripture says so plainly: https://bibleox.com/en/en/w/8HYB_Christ_is_God
“Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God!” (Ps. 50:7)