War in Heaven
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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War in Heaven is a concept in Christian eschatology. The term occurs only once in the New Testament at Revelation 12:7. Though the term does not occur in the Hebrew Bible, parallels have been drawn from various passages regarding Fallen angels in the Book of Genesis, and the Book of Isaiah. Some also suggest apocalyptic parallels in the Book of Daniel as well. The Book of Enoch and a small number of Dead Sea Scrolls also allude to this concept. In the Book of Revelation, the War in Heaven is a battle between Michael the Archangel and his angels against the "dragon" (or, in the Good News Translation, the "serpent") and his angels. The latter did not prevail and were forced out of heaven, cast down to the earth as fallen angels.
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation, which opens with the words, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place", includes in those events a War in Heaven:
- "Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 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."
