The document explores the theological implications of a war in heaven, focusing on the role of the woman's son and the spiritual battle between Michael and the dragon, commonly identified with Satan. It discusses the nature of the weapons used in this battle, such as the blood of the Lamb and the power of testimony, and examines the accusations against the dragon, questioning traditional views of the narrative. Ultimately, it seeks to address the defeat of the devil through Jesus and the broader implications of these spiritual themes.

1. War in Heaven

2. 1. What was the role of the
woman’s son? How will he rule?
Suggested references: (Rev 12:5, Psa 2:6-9, Revelation 2:26-27, Rev 19:15)

3. 2. Who were fighting the war in
heaven? What were the weapons
employed in this war?
Reference: (Rev 12:7, Rev 12:11, Rev 12:10)

4. 3. What was the main charge against
the dragon? Where is satan present
with respect to the references
below?
Reference: (Rev 12:10, Job 1:9, Zechariah 3:1-2)

5. Accuser of our brothers
• "for the accuser of our brothers has been
thrown down, who accuses them before our
God day and night." (Revelation 12:10)
• Traditional view:
• Before Adam was created, a war took
place in heaven and ‘Lucifer’ was hurled
down from heaven. Sin originated in
heaven!
• But,
• How could the dragon then accuse
‘our brothers’ who were yet to be
created?
• How could he accuse them before
our God - day and night?
• This scene of war in heaven occurs
much later than Adam, after the
son of the woman, who was to
rule the world was taken to
heaven.

6. Weapons of war:
“Lamb’s blood,
and because of
the word of their
testimony”
• "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." (Revelation
12:11)
• Traditional view:
• “Before Adam was created a war took place and ‘Lucifer’ was hurled
down from heaven”
• But,
• Before Adam was created, Jesus’ blood was not shed.
• What ‘words of their testimony’?

7. Weapons of war: “The word of
their testimony”
• "Agrippa said to Paul,
“With a little persuasion
are you trying to make me
a Christian?” Paul said, “I
pray to God, that whether
with little or with much,
not only you, but also
all that hear me today,
might become such as
I am, except for these
bonds.”" (Acts 26:28-29)

8. How pagan Rome was defeated by Micheal
and his angels? – Jesus working through Paul
• But the Lord stood by me and
strengthened me, so that through
me the message might be fully
proclaimed and all the Gentiles
might hear it. So I was rescued
from the lion’s mouth. The Lord
will rescue me from every evil deed
and bring me safely into his
heavenly kingdom. To him be the
glory forever and ever. Amen. (2
Timothy 4:17-18 ESV)

9. How pagan Rome was defeated by Micheal
and his angels? – Jesus working through Paul
• You know that when you were
pagans you were led astray to
mute idols, however you were led.
(1 Corinthians 12:2 ESV)

10. How pagan Rome was defeated by Micheal
and his angels? – Jesus working through Paul
• But some men joined him
and believed, among whom
also
were Dionysius the Areopagite and
a woman named Damaris and
others with them. (Acts 17:34
ESV)

11. How pagan Rome was defeated by Micheal
and his angels? – Jesus working through Paul
• "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." (Revelation 12:11)

12. How pagan Rome
was defeated by
Micheal and his
angels? – Jesus
working through Paul
• Do you believe in angels?
• "He was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan.
He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving
him." (Mark 1:13)
• "Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the
sake of those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14)
• "Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear him, and
delivers them." (Psalms 34:7)

13. 4. If a literal war was fought, How
many of Michael’s angels would
have died fighting the dragon and
his army? Can one angel kill
another angel?
‘They didn’t love their life, even to
death’ (Rev 12:11)
References: Rev 13:10, Act 12:2, Act 18:2

14. It’s a spiritual battleand not a literal
one
• Dragon’s offence:
• Accuses them before our
God day and night
• “the deceiver of the whole world”
Rev 12:9
• Michael and his angels
• Lamb’s blood
• the word of their testimony
• They didn’t love their life,
even to death.

15. Did ‘Lucifer’ fall from the sky
before Adam was created?
Exploring Isaiah

16. The Lucifer myth (Isaiah
14:12)
• (KJV) How art thou fallen from heaven, O
Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut
down to the ground, which didst weaken the
nations!
• (ESV) "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day
Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to
the ground, you who laid the nations low!
• (WEB) How you have fallen from heaven,
shining one, son of the dawn! How you are cut
down to the ground, who laid the nations low!
• Morning star, most commonly used as a name for
the planet Venus when it appears in the east before
sunrise

17. 5. Is the morning star good or
bad?
References: (2Pe 1:19; Rev 2:28, Rev 22:16)

18. 6. Who is the day star referred to
in Isaiah 14? Is this person the
dragon with seven heads?
Suggested references: (Isa 14:4, Isa 14:16, Isa 14:20, Isa 14:22)

19. Albert Barnes–Biblecommentator
• How art thou fallen from heaven - A new image is presented
here. It is that of the bright morning star; and a comparison
of the once magnificent monarch with that beautiful star. He
is now exhibited as having fallen from his place in the east to
the earth. His glory is dimmed; his brightness quenched.
Nothing can be more poetic and beautiful than a comparison
of a magnificent monarch with the bright morning star!
Nothing more striking in representing his death, than the
idea of that star falling to the earth!
The dragon and the morning star of Isaiah are not related

20. Identifying the
Dragon as
serpent
Rev 12:9 ”The great dragon was thrown down, the old
serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the
deceiver of the whole world.
• Old servant: Opposed to God’s perspective –
“Cunningness”
• Serpent: God’s creature
• "Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field
which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God
really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the
garden’?”" (Genesis 3:1)

21. Did God give man cunningness?Is being
subtlea sin?
• (ASV) Now the serpent was more subtle
• (BBE) Now the snake was wiser than any
beast of the field
• (CEV) The snake was sneakier
• (Darby) And the serpent was more crafty
• (GNB) Now the snake was the most
cunning animal that the LORD God had
made.
• "Behold, I send you out as sheep among
wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents,
and harmless as doves." (Matthew
10:16)

22. Identifying the
Dragon as Satan
• Satan (Hebrew for Enemy)
• Job’s enemy: Has communion with God and interacts
with God
• "Now on the day when God’s sons came to present
themselves before Yahweh, Satan also came among
them." (Job 1:6)
• Job’s story was about converting Satan’s thinking to
be like Job’s

23. Identifying the
Dragon
•A Good Satan (Angel opposed to Balaam )
• "God’s anger burned because he went; and
Yahweh’s angel placed himself in the way for an
adversary (śâṭân) against him. Now he was riding
on his donkey, and his two servants were with
him." (Numbers 22:22)

24. Who movedDavid?Godor Satan?Why?
• "Satan stood up against
Israel, and moved David to
take a census of Israel." (1
Chronicles 21:1)
• "Again Yahweh’s anger burned
against Israel, and he moved
David against them, saying, “Go,
count Israel and Judah.”" (2
Samuel 24:1)
• God used “an enemy”, to provoke David to number Israel.
• Sometimes when confronted by a provoking circumstance, we try to access our
own strength.
• Result: “count the people, that I may know the sum of the people.”
• Did David get message of a possible attack by Philistines?

25. 7. Does God use ‘Satan’ for good
causes?
Suggested references: (1Co 5:5, 2Co 12:7, )

26. Different forms - Opposed to God’s
ideology
• Created Snake
• Satan: Job’s acquaintance - a
jealous friend – Hence his enemy
or Satan
• Devil: The tempter:
• Internal temptation?
• Rome – ‘Pagan’ tyrant – The
dragon.
• Kingdoms of the world opposed to
Christ and his people!

27. When was Satan defeated? Before or after the
fall?
“The deceiver of the whole world” (Rev 12:9)
• When was the devil defeated?
• Before creation and the fall
• Or
• After Jesus?
• "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the
beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that
he might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)

28. 8. How & when did Jesus destroy
the devil?
Suggested references: (Joh 12:31,32; Luk 22:53; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:13;
1 John 4:4, Joh 16:8-11; Ephesians 2:2, Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14; Rom 6:23)

29. I saw Satan
having fallen like
lightning from
heaven
• "The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us
in your name!” He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from
heaven. Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and
over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you." (Luke 10:17-
19)
• Heaven: Symbol of seat of power
• Fall: Defeat (“I saw” – prophetically the future, not an ancient
incident)
• The New covenant or a new system was ushering that would
result in the opening the gates of eternal life and hence the
defeat of death.

30. Identifying the different forms of the devil
– Ideologies opposed to God
• The power of darkness – Opposed to walking in the light
• "When I was with you in the temple daily, you didn’t stretch out your hands
against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Luke
22:53)
• "who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the
Kingdom of the Son of his love;" (Colossians 1:13)
• God of the world – The lure of the world
• "in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the
unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the
image of God, should not dawn on them." (2 Corinthians 4:4)
• "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater
is he who is in you than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)

31. Identifying the different forms of the devil
– Ideologies opposed to God
• The prince of the air - course of this world
• "You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins,
in which you once walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now
works in the children of disobedience;" (Ephesians 2:1-2)
• "who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the
Kingdom of the Son of his love;" (Colossians 1:13)
• Ideologies opposed to God – leads to death
• "Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the
same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing
him who had the power of death, that is, the devil," (Hebrews 2:14)

32. The spiritual
forces of
wickedness in the
heavenly places
• "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against
the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s
rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual
forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians
6:12)
• Heavenly places – The ruling realm
• Spiritual forces of wickedness – Evil thinking/ideology of
the rulers
• Example: Rome which was opposed to Lord Yahweh

33. 9. How can you defeat the
devil/serpent?
Suggested references: (Eph 6:11-18, 1Jn 3:10, Jas 4:7, 1Pe 5:8-9, Eph 4:26-27, Joh
6:70)

35. How did Jesus defeat the devil within
himself?
• "Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come
(in the scroll of the book it is
written of me) to do your will,
O God.’”" (Hebrews 10:7)
• "For I have come down from
heaven, not to do my own
will, but the will of him who sent
me." (John 6:38)
• "For even Christ didn’t please
himself. But, as it is written, “The
reproaches of those who
reproached you fell on
me.”" (Romans 15:3)

36. Thanks