As the Star Wars opening crawl reads, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” a war arose in heaven. This epic big-screen battle was the initial 9.5-million-dollar production of George Lucas and 20th Century Fox.
Unlike Star Wars, a long time ago another war broke out in heaven across the galaxies very, very near home; a spiritual war, designed and produced by the Creator of the universe in an epic battle for the souls of millions and millions of people who are led astray by the forces of evil.
The book of Revelation tells us,
“…war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back."
This war and its monumental consequences for humanity, the Bible tells us, broke out before the foundations of the world were laid in place (Revelation 13:8). This war is intriguing and raises many questions.
How did that war arise? Who are the combatants? Who is the victor and who is the foe that eventually faces the ultimate defeat?
Like scattered pieces to a jigsaw puzzle, these questions do connect with significantly cogent help from Revelation 12 and 13. These two chapters provide answers to these questions and many other details, that when pieced together, produce a clear definition of the term “gospel.”
Revelation 12:7 tells us that war broke out between,
“Michael and his angels, and the dragon and his angels.”
And Revelation 12:9, furthermore clearly identifies the dragon as Satan;
“the great dragon…, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan…”
Revelation 12:9 further tells us that the dragon at some point in time was thrown down to the earth. Revelation 12:10 refers to the one with authority over the dragon, the Messiah, who is eventually described in the next verse as the conqueror over the dragon. Indeed. Revelation 12:11 tells us that Satan was “conquered by the blood of the Lamb,” a clear reference from Johannine literature to the death of (Messiah) Jesus on the cross. This war that broke out in heaven arose from the beginning of time between God’s appointed Messiah and Satan.
What is interesting to note is that the outcome also had already been predetermined from the beginning of time. The Messiah’s victory over Satan was part of the original script.
We’ve already seen in previous blogs that God prophetically declared ultimate victory in this war on Satan in Genesis 3:15. We have also already seen that this prophecy of the Messiah and the crushing blow he would deliver to the head the serpent prophesies the ultimate authority the Messiah would have over Satan, and is the core concept in the definition of the term “gospel.” Here, in Revelation 13:10-11, we see the authority of the Messiah clearly established from the very beginning and The Victory Song clearly announced,
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!
An important question to ask is when did this war arise? Is the “gospel” a strategic concept in history as a result of waging this war, or is this war a strategic concept in the history of God’s administration of the “gospel?” Or to ask another way, Is the “gospel” God’s gigantic response to the war, or is the war a gigantic strategic concept in the definition of the term “gospel?” Did God, in the historical narrative of the world, and as a result of this war, insert the “gospel” into world history? OR did God, write this war into the script of the historical narrative of the world, and include this war as part of His unfolding revelation of what the “gospel” is meant to be? Did the idea of “gospel” originate after the war, or before the war? Is the “gospel” a result of the war, or is the war a result of the “gospel?” The answer to his question helps us understand more clearly what exactly is the "gospel."
Ephesians 3:2-6 indicates that Paul is attempting to explain this unfolding revelation,
“Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”
From Ephesians 3:2-6 above, it seems that God is administrating the unfolding revelation of the term mystery/“gospel” from generation to generation throughout the timelines of world history indicating that the war is embedded in the ultimate epic gospel story and not the other way around.
Revelation 12 and 13 are very helpful portions of scripture that describe the origin of evil and Satan’s origin on planet earth.
Revelation 12:9 informs us that at some point after the war, God threw Satan down to earth with all his demons.
"And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, 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."
So, it is clear the war takes place first and then the act of being thrown down to earth comes after the war. Whether the war takes place before or after the creation of the earth, we cannot know.
Revelation 13:7-8 indicates that God had allowed Satan authority over all who dwell on the earth.
"Also the dragon was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain."
So, it is clear that the world had been created and humans and had also been in existence before Satan had been thrown down to earth. Whether the defeat takes place before creation of the earth and humans we still cannot know.
However, “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,” Moses tells us that after examination of all that God had made, God declared that it was all “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Can we assume by this declaration that the evil angels or demons had not yet been introduced into the world at that time? We know, at times, Hebrew literature does not account for a linear historical timeline. However, chapter three does open with a conversation between Eve and Satan as Satan is seen as the one who introduces evil into God’s very good world.
Again we know, at times, Hebrew literature does not account for a linear historical timeline, but can we conclude then that sometime between the creation events of Genesis chapter one and the introduction of evil into the world in chapter three, Satan came to inhabit the earth. If so, that still does not tell us when the war erupted.
But if we look closely at the description of those who dwell on earth in Revelation 13:8, we might have a lead:
“everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.”
This comment throws the entire discussion of this war in heaven into pre-historic times. It is clear that a reference to the conquering Messiah-(Lamb) is made here even before the world was founded. God had plans in mind beforehand, before he created the world, on how He would be handling His Victory over Satan.
So, can we conclude at this point, that the war takes place before the creation of the world and before the creation of man? "What if"... The Victory over Satan is prehistoric and the administration of The Victory Song is the unrolling of human history through the ages?
If so, does this mean that the “gospel” was designed even before the creation of man? And if true, then what does this mean?
Perhaps this means that the “gospel” is not the result of the fall of man, but rather and more important, the result of the fall of Satan and that the Victory Song was predestined to be unfolded throughout the history of man to man as a self-revelatory act of God to specifically manifest His grace and goodness to His creation in order to elicit a response of gratitude and worship from them.
Could it be that this more importantly means that the “gospel” is not primarily God’s solution for man’s condition, although the solution is a by-product of the “gospel”. Could it be that it means that the “gospel” is primarily the announcement and revelation to man that Satan has been defeated and the ultimate reign of God,. as a good and gracious, merciful and kind, loving and forgiving God is at hand with all the benefits that His kingdom provides?
It is this Victory Song (Romans 16:20), “Paul’s gospel” to the Gentiles,” (Romans 1:5, Romans 16:26, Galatians 2:7) for which Paul has been “set apart,” (Romans 1:1) which is the focus of explanation in the book of Romans.
In my next blog, we will begin a reading of the book of Romans with this "gospel" in mind.