Does Michael's Name mean He's God or Jesus?

The doctrine that Jesus is the Archangel is found among many Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah Witnesses, and was previously found among Baptists and Calvinists as I demonstrate in an older article. Part of the reasoning for this is the name itself. Here is an example of a commentary:

By whom is meant, not a created angel, but an eternal one, the Lord Jesus Christ; as appears from his name Michael, which signifies, "who is as God": and who is as God, or like unto him, but the Son of God, who is equal with God? --John Gill's Exposition of the Bible, Commentary on Jude 1:9 (Reformed Baptist, 1697-1771)

Generally, the name Michael has traditionally been understood as being a question "Who is like God?" and not a statement "who is like God." Ordinarily, the Hebrew word asher would be expected, though mi CAN be used (and rarely is).  Furthermore, why would Michael be Jesus if the name means "LIKE God", instead of "is God"? John Gill's reasoning sounds absurd by making "like" the same as "equal to," which he being a Trinitarian would mean in substance. The ka/cha in Michael is used through the Hebrew bible for similes--that is to compare something to something else, it would not be a comparison if the things being compared are the same! Daniel does call Christ one "like the son of man," however, it makes sense then since He was not yet man, so it would be most accurate to say He looked "LIKE a son of man", rather than "is a man." John Gill was full aware of the tradition among the Jews and Christians that Michael was a created angel (one among the 7 archangels), yet to fit his Reformed Baptist/Calvinistic theology it was necessary for him to abandon this and force a Michael=Jesus doctrine.

Regardless, even if the point was granted that "like" is the same as "is" or "equal to" and that the name is a statement and not a question, using the name as proof the angel is God would be presumptuous. We have names similar to Michael, in fact a book in the Hebrew bible is written by Micah, who's book bears his name--his name is an abbreviation which means "Who is like Yah?" (Abbreviated forms of names are often used in the Bible, even for prophets like Y'hoshua->Yeshua, Yeremyahu->Yeremiah) No one would assume the prophet Micah is God simply because of his name, and his name shows a name can be a question. [Also, there is another similar name Mishael.]Here are the 4 times the long form of Micah's name--Michaiah appears in the Hebrew Bible:

And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah [ מִיכָיָה] , and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying--2 Kings 22:12 KJV  

וַיְצַו הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת-חִלְקִיָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְאֶת-אֲחִיקָם בֶּן-שָׁפָן וְאֶת-עַכְבּוֹר בֶּן-מִיכָיָה וְאֵת שָׁפָן הַסֹּפֵר, וְאֵת עֲשָׂיָה עֶבֶד-הַמֶּלֶךְ--לֵאמֹר--II Kings 22:12 MT

And [certain] of the priests'sons with trumpets; [namely], Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah  [מִיכָיָה] , the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph:--Nehemiah 12:35 KJV 

 וּמִבְּנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים, בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת--זְכַרְיָה בֶן-יוֹנָתָן בֶּן-שְׁמַעְיָה, בֶּן-מַתַּנְיָה בֶּן-מִיכָיָה, בֶּן-זַכּוּר, בֶּן-אָסָף--Nehemiah 12:35 MT

And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, [and] Hananiah, with trumpets;--Nehemiah 12:41 KJV 

 וְהַכֹּהֲנִים אֶלְיָקִים מַעֲשֵׂיָה מִנְיָמִין מִיכָיָה אֶלְיוֹעֵינַי, זְכַרְיָה חֲנַנְיָה--בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת--Nehemia 12:41 MT

Micah [מִיכָיָה]the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed [like] a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.--Jeremiah 26:18  

מיכיה (מִיכָה), הַמּוֹרַשְׁתִּי, הָיָה נִבָּא, בִּימֵי חִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ-יְהוּדָה; וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-כָּל-עַם יְהוּדָה לֵאמֹר כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, צִיּוֹן שָׂדֶה תֵחָרֵשׁ וִירוּשָׁלַיִם עִיִּים תִּהְיֶה, וְהַר הַבַּיִת, לְבָמוֹת יָעַר--Jeremiah 26:18 MT

Also, Micah has another longer form--Michaiahu .
Here are the verses Michael's מִיכָאֵל name appears (13 times in 13 verses in the Masoretic Text) I will give the MT :

Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael [מִיכָאֵל] .- Numbers 13:13 KJV

לְמַטֵּה אָשֵׁר, סְתוּר בֶּן-מִיכָאֵל—Numbers 13:13 MT

And their brethren of the house of their fathers [were], Michael [מִיכָאֵל], and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven.These [are] the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael [מִיכָאֵל], the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;---- 1 Chronicles 5:13-14 KJV 

The son of Michael [מִיכָאֵל], the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah,-- 1 Chronicles 6:40 (25 in some) KJV

בֶּן-מִיכָאֵל בֶּן-בַּעֲשֵׂיָה, בֶּן-מַלְכִּיָּה--I Chronicles 6:40 (25) MT

And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael [מִיכָאֵל], and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men.-- 1 Chronicles 7:3 KJV

And Michael [מִיכָאֵל], and Ispah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah--1 Chronicles 8:16 KJV

As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael [מִיכָאֵל], and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zilthai, captains of the thousands that [were] of Manasseh.-- 1 Chronicles 12:20 KJV

Of Judah, Elihu, [one] of the brethren of Did: of Issachar, Omri the son of Michael [מִיכָאֵל]:-- 1 Chronicles 27:18 KJV

And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael [מִיכָאֵל], and Shephatiah: all these [were] the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.-- 2 Chronicles 21:2 KJV

 

And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael [מִיכָאֵל], and with him fourscore males.-- Ezra 8:8 KJV 

 וּמִבְּנֵי שְׁפַטְיָה, זְבַדְיָה בֶּן-מִיכָאֵל; וְעִמּוֹ, שְׁמֹנִים הַזְּכָרִים.--Ezra 8:8 MT

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael [מִיכָאֵל], one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.—Daniel 10:13 KJV

But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and [there is] none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael [מִיכָאֵל] your prince.—Daniel 10:21 KJV

And at that time shall Michael [מִיכָאֵל] stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.-- Daniel 12:1 KJV

וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יַעֲמֹד מִיכָאֵל הַשַּׂר הַגָּדוֹל, הָעֹמֵד עַל-בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ, וְהָיְתָה עֵת צָרָה, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-נִהְיְתָה מִהְיוֹת גּוֹי עַד הָעֵת הַהִיא; וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יִמָּלֵט עַמְּךָ, כָּל-הַנִּמְצָא כָּתוּב בַּסֵּפֶר.--Daniel 12:1 MT 

Notice the name Michael is found in the Torah in Number 13:13 with the same spelling but for a human being, never is an angel called Michael in the Torah, would anyone ever suspect this man Michael was "equal to" or "like unto God" simply because of his name? NO! Also, notice Numbers was written about 1000 years before the book of Daniel, so Jews would have been familiar with the human Michael first, and not have any notion of a divine Michael who is equal to God.  Also, since the human Michael is named first what would his name be interpreted as a question or statement, ie "Who is like God?" or "Who is like God," the former would be blasphemous.  Also, there is the name in the Torah מִישָׁאֵל which means "Who (is) what God (is)?" (eg Leviticus 10:4) שָׁ being an abbreviated asher.  

Furthermore, the Bible states several times "who is like God":

“There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty..--Deuteronomy 33:26 ESV (the KJV is less coherent but makes the same point)

 אֵין כָּאֵל, יְשֻׁרוּן:  רֹכֵב שָׁמַיִם בְּעֶזְרֶךָ, וּבְגַאֲוָתוֹ שְׁחָקִים--Deuteronomy 33:26 MT

And he said, To morrow. And he said, [Be it] according to thy word: that thou mayest know that [there is] none like unto the LORD our God.--Exodus 8:10 KJV (6 in some versions)

 וַיֹּאמֶר, לְמָחָר; וַיֹּאמֶר, כִּדְבָרְךָ--לְמַעַן תֵּדַע, כִּי-אֵין כַּיה*ה אֱלֹהֵינוּ--Exodus 8:10 (6) MT

Who [is] like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high--Psalm 113:5 (notice this is a rhetorical question! not a statement)

 מִי, כַּיה*ה אֱלֹהֵינוּ--    הַמַּגְבִּיהִי לָשָׁבֶת--Psalm 113:5

There are more verses on this matter.

The Ecumenical council of Nicea in AD 325 condemned the idea Christ is of "similar" or "like substance" to the Father, which would be consistent with the Scriptures statements of no one being "like God."

Also, unrelated to the name of Michael, the angel is called "one of the chief princes" in Daniel:

lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me--Daniel 10:13

Why would Jesus, or Michael be one of the chief princes--which shows there are OTHERS at the same level as Michael--certainly not the one who has preeminence over creation of Colossians 1!

Summary:

1) Michael is a question, not a statement. It means "Who is like God?"

2) Michaiah is a Hebrew name that also appears in the Bible that means "Who is like Yah?" and is a name for humans like the Prophet Micah, yet no one believe his name indicates he is God. This also shows a name can be a question--like Michael.

3) Michael cannot be God since the name means 'who is LIKE God," why would God be called "like Himself." Several verses show no one is like God.

4) Michael was a name applied to humans in the Torah and else where, long before Daniel was written, yet no one suspects Number 13:13's Michael is like God!

SECOND UPDATE: A Seventh Day Adventist insisted the translation of Daniel 10:13 is a mistranslation and should properly read, "first of the chief princes" and not "one of the chief princes." This is not true:

 וְשַׂר מַלְכוּת פָּרַס, עֹמֵד לְנֶגְדִּי עֶשְׂרִים וְאֶחָד יוֹם, וְהִנֵּה מִיכָאֵל אַחַד הַשָּׂרִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים, בָּא לְעָזְרֵנִי; וַאֲנִי נוֹתַרְתִּי שָׁם, אֵצֶל מַלְכֵי פָרָס--Daniel 10:13

 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes[אַחַד הַשָּׂרִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים], came to help me; and I was left over there beside the kings of Persia.--Daniel 10:13

Gensenius explains the Hebrew ordinal numbers.  He states:

The ordinal first is expressed by רִאשׁוֹן (cf. § 27 w), from רֹאשׁ head, beginning, with the termination וֹן (§ 86 f). On the use of אֶחָד as an ordinal in numbering the days of the month, cf. § 134 p; in such cases as Gn 1⁵, 2¹¹, the meaning of first is derived solely from the context. --Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar §98. Numerals. (b) Ordinal Numbers.

So, reshit is the word for first. He explains ahad cab be used to mean 'first' but when you are numbers days of a month. The usage the Adventist is trying to appeal to does not apply here.  

אַחַד appears 24 times in the Masoretic text, more if you ignore the vowels, but this changes the word somewhat. When going with אַחַד we see the following with the translation of the phrase and the word following it in red:

AV Gn 21:15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

AV Gn 26:10 And Abimelech said, What [is] this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

AV Gn 32:22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

AV Gn 48:22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow. 

AV Lv 13:2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh [like] the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:

AV Num 16:15 And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.

AV Dt 1:2 ([There are] eleven days'[journey] from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)

AV Dt 25:5 . If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.

AV Jdg 17:5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

AV 1Sa 9:3 . And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.

AV 1Sa 26:15 And David said to Abner, [Art] not thou a [valiant] man? and who [is] like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

AV 2Sa 6:20 . Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!

AV 2Sa 7:7 In all [the places] wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?

AV 2Sa 17:22 . Then David arose, and all the people that [were] with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.

AV 1Ki 19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do [to me], and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

AV 1Ki 22:13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets [declare] good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak [that which is] good.

AV 2Ki 6:12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that [is] in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

AV 2Ki 18:24 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

AV 1Ch 17:6 Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?

AV Isa 36:9 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

AV Ezk 33:30 . Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.

AV Ezk 45:7 And a [portion shall be] for the prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy [portion], and of the possession of the city, before the oblation of the holy [portion], and before the possession of the city, from the west side westward, and from the east side eastward: and the length [shall be] over against one of the portions, from the west border unto the east border.

AV Dn 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Even when the translation of ahad is less obvious, in none of these is it translated "first" even if we were to change to echad, it only means first in the sense of an order, not of rank of importance.

UPDATE: A Hebrew grammar was written explaining mi is an interrogative. (By the way, an interrogative is sentence is a sentence that asks a question.) In the section "The Interrogative Pronouns" in Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar we see the following which is relevant to the "mi" in Michael:

§137. The Interrogative Pronouns.

137a The interrogative pronoun מִי who may refer either to a masculine or feminine person (Ct 3⁶), or even to a plural, e.g. מִי אַתֶּם who are ye? Jos 9⁸; מִי־אֵ֫לֶּה Gn 33⁵, Nu 22⁹ (more minutely, מִי וָמִי Ex 10⁸, i.e. who exactly, who in particular?). It is used of the neuter only when the idea of a person is implied, e.g. מִֽי־שְׁכֶם who are the Shechemites? Ju 9²⁸, 13¹⁷, Gn 33⁸, Mi 1⁵; even more boldly, with the repetition of a מִי used personally, in 1 S 18¹⁸, 2 S 7¹⁸.—Another interrogative is אֵי־זֶה which, what?; of persons only in Est 7⁵.

137b Moreover, מִי may also be used in the sense of a genitive, e.g. בַּת־מִי אַתְּ whose daughter art thou? Gn 24²³, 1 S 17⁵⁵, 56, 58; דְּבַר מִי whose word? Jer 44²⁸, 1 S 12³; in the accusative, אֶת־מִי quemnam? 1 S 28¹¹, Is 6⁸; with prepositions, e.g. בְּמִי 1 K 20¹⁴ (in an abrupt question by whom?); לְמִי Gn 32¹⁸; אַֽחֲרֵי מִי 1 S 24¹⁵.—Similarly מָה, מַה־, מֶה what? is used for the nominative, or accusative, or genitive (Jer 8⁹), or with prepositions, e.g. עַל־מָה whereupon? Is 1⁵, Jb 38⁶; why? Nu 22³², &c.; עַד־מָה quousque? ψ 74⁹.^[1]

137c Rem. Both מִי and מָה are used also in indirect questions (on the merely relative distinction between direct and indirect questions in Hebrew, see the Interrogative Sentences), e.g. Gn 39⁸ (but read מְא֫וּמָה with Samar. and LXX), 43:22, Ex 32¹.—On the meaning of מִי and מָה as interrogatives is based also their use as indefinite pronouns (equivalent to quisquis, quodcunque or quicquam), e.g. Ex 32²⁶, Ju 7³, 1 S 20⁴, Is 50¹⁰ (read יִשְׁמַע in the apodosis), 54:15, Pr 9⁴, 16, 2 Ch 36²³; even שִׁמְרוּ־מִי have a care, whosoever ye be, 2 S 18¹² (unless לִי is to be read, with the LXX, for מִי); so also מָה (whatever it be) Jb 13¹³, 1 S 19³, 2 S 18²², 23; cf. Nu 23³ וּדְבַר מַה־יַּרְאֵ֫נִי and whatsoever he showeth me. Cf. also מִי אֲשֶׁר whosoever Ex 32³³, 2 S 20¹¹, and מִֽי־הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר any man who Dt 20⁵ ff., Ju 10¹⁸. A still further weakening of the indefinite use of מָה is the combination מַה־שֶּׁ· that which, Ec 1⁹, 3¹⁵ (just like the Syriac מָא דְ); cf. Est 8¹, and בַּל... מָה Pr 9¹³, לֹא... מָה Neh 2¹², nothing whatever.—On מְא֫וּמָה quicquam, anything at all (usually with a negative), and as an adverb in any way, 1 S 21³, see the Lexicon.

1. A quite different use of מָה was pointed out (privately) by P. Haupt in Ct 5⁸ will ye not tell him? i.e. I charge you that ye tell him, and 7:1 = look now at the Shulamite, corresponding to the late Arabic mâ tarâ, just see! mâ taqûlu, say now! It has long been recognized that מָה is used as a negative in Ct 8⁴.