Bible Story: War in Heaven

Commentary

Satan’s efforts to slander and accuse the saints before God will end, and he will no longer have an audience in heaven (Job 1:6, Rev. 12:10). Many theologians suggest that this war represents the beginning of the seven-year tribulation. After this war, Satan is now in the endgame, and he’s not happy about it. We are even told how Satan feels in Revelation 12:12b: “He is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short.”

Another theory on this war is that the war in heaven is a parallel reflection of Satan being cast out of heaven at the beginning of time. Some suggest that the first five verses of chapter 12 reference Satan’s original fall, which helps us identify the Dragon as Satan and set the stage for the next verses. While Satan’s fall is not specifically detailed in scripture, it is alluded to in Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:13-19. Even Jesus says in Luke 10:18, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

It is not clear in scripture when this event occurred. However, since God called everything good at the end of creation in Genesis 1:31, and Job 38:4-7 communicates that angels were made before the earth, we must conclude that Satan was cast out of heaven between the sixth day of creation and the temptation of Adam and Eve. This interpretation of events in Revelation 12 was the basis for 17th-century poet John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost. Milton’s book has been quoted and referenced in music, film, and literature throughout the ages (C.S. Lewis quotes Paradise Lost in his book The Great Divorce).

Revelation 12:7-17

7 There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war.

8 They didn’t prevail, neither was a place found for them any more in heaven.

9 The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

11 They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.

12 Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

13 When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.

14 Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15 The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.

16 The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.

17 The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.