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7 There was war in the sky [heaven]. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war.
There was war in the sky/heaven
This is where we enter the very core of this entire book where the most crucial information and revelations are laid out that unveils the back story needed to make sense of everything else. Here we find listed the two main protagonists along with their sympathizers, where the war began, who initiated it, and the immediate after-effects.
In most people's minds, heaven and war are not usually thought about together. In fact the idea of such negative activity in heaven seems like an oxymoron. Yet we find stated plainly that heaven is where the mother of all wars began, and much to many people's astonishment it was not Satan who initiated the war but rather God's representative Michael. Key to appreciating this is the fact that before this time there had never been any kind of conflict or anything similar. This kind of activity and animosity was foreign and strange and bewildering in a universe created in love and that had always and only thrived on selfless love and joyful, humble service to others by everyone.
To understand why and how this war began and what the contest is over is understood by assembling clues from all over Scripture and from the entire span of history from which we discern repeating patterns that hint at what likely transpired in heaven as things went sour. One thing is for certain though – the positive ID of the enemy whose subtle and seemingly innocuous activities required push-back by Michael is spelled out explicitly in this passage.
Keep in mind that the word translated here as war is different from how we are used to thinking of what happens in war. This word war comes from the Greek word polemos from which we get polemics – words used in politics, verbal abuse and debate. This war involves deception. It subverts truth and exploits trust. This cosmic war is not a contest over who is physically powerful, but rather who should be trusted to be our leader. Satan lusts for power rather than trusting in love, humility and joy in serving others. This is the root of this war and feeds into everything we are studying.
A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven. It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. (Revelation 13:5-7)
He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived. (Revelation 13:14)
I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs; which go forth to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God, the Almighty. (Revelation 16:13-14)
Contrast this with the way the Hero of heaven conducts war as spelled out explicitly later on.
I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. (Revelation 19:11)
Michael and his angels made war on the dragon
It is vital that we appreciate the true nature of this war. The choice of weapons are the key issue as they are very different on the two sides. This war that began in heaven is as much over the choice and use of weaponry as it is over who will gain our trust and allegiance. We must be settled in our thinking and in our heart that the methods, motives and means of winning relied on exclusively by those loyal to God are in fact able to achieve victory in this war. This involves our perception of what victory looks like as well, for victory means very different things to different people depending on what they believe they are fighting to accomplish. This is where a great deal of confusion comes in, for so long as we remain infected by the inferences and doubts about God's integrity that is at the very root of sin, we will fail to understand or appreciate the wisdom or value of the way the Son of God pursues a singular path toward God's intended outcome in this war. This is even more relevant right now.
This is why it is so important to appreciate the nature of life and social design before the war ever began. Without this perspective it is very easy to be confused about how God works toward victory, because we have been so conditioned to view victory as subjugating those who oppose us. This is never God's disposition, for His only purpose is the restoration of all creation to His original design while faithfully maintaining the core principles of love and freedom for each created being to choose whether or not they will live in joyful fellowship with their Creator or pull away from Him who is the only Source of all life. Freedom is actually one of the key issues in this war. Lucifer has actually waffled on this point by first insisting that there was no need for law because angels were created perfect, therefore they should be free to follow their own desires. Later he asserted that freedom is too risky and there needed to be artificial safeguards of fear to protect the common good.
The reason Michael initiated this war was because it was necessary to challenge openly Lucifer's subtle insinuations and deceptions that were infecting the disposition of myriads of angels, undermining their trust in God's integrity. It has always been the divine One who alone knows God's heart more intimately than any other being in the universe, and it is He who has been at the forefront of this war throughout all of its stages. This is why He is identified as Michael at this point in history when there were no human beings in existence. God's nature remains the same no matter where one looks in the flow of time at how He deals with challenges against His design of creation.
I am aware that with many there is serious question as to the identity of Michael, and I respect each person's need to be convinced for themselves of whatever they choose to believe. For me it is not an issue, for after years of contemplating the underlying principles of design that reflects God's heart in creation, it is plain that the Godhead has always provided one of Them as the faithful Witness to be directly involved in the lives of Their creatures in a form through which they can relate. After humanity was created to reveal God's hidden side more than any other race of beings, God had His Son later take on the form of a human for the purpose of reflecting to the universe the truth about God's character from that unique perspective. And while many believe that Jesus was God incarnate, what is far less appreciated is the pattern this reveals, for this was not the first time God 'incarnated' Himself into the form of created beings so they could appreciate His invisible attributes. That is why I am convinced that in the beginning of creation, before Lucifer invented sin by twisting truth and exploiting God's design intent of vulnerability, God incarnated Himself through the Son by taking on the form of the angel who was known as Michael which literally means, Who is Like God.
To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 3:8-9)
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him. (Colossians 1:15-16)
For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse. Because, knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. (Romans 1:20-21)
While this passage clearly refers to our world and our situation, it is paralleled by an earlier version when this war over who to believe about God and His character gripped the rest of the universe causing a massive rift and polarization among the angels in heaven as described in what we are studying right now. Yet the same principles and patterns are active in each stage of the war and the similar accusations are used or recycled in a new form with the intent to deceive and mislead as many as possible to embrace the lies of God's archenemy who denies the very existence of agape love. In that earlier battle, God's agent who stood as God's faithful Witness was Michael, while in the rerun of the war here on earth God's faithful Witness is the human, but same Son of God, Jesus. Yet in all cases the Son has always been the Godhead's representative to display Their disposition, character and hidden attributes, Their expression of the very essence of what God is really like.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4)
The very core of this war is over whose testimony will be trusted relating to the invisible, unapproachable (light and power too intense to get close enough to perceive or understand well) God who is the source of all life, all power and everything that exists. This is the issue in chapters 4 and 5.
"[Trust]Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!" (Revelation 4:11)
saying with a loud voice, "[Trust]Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!" I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!" (Revelation 5:12-13)
This war is primarily over God's reputation and what everyone comes to believe about His character. The controversy is about who we will believe is telling the truth about God, whether Michael or Lucifer, God's Christ or Satan's assertions. What we are seeing here is a peek into the origin of this war that started in heaven long before our world came into existence, caused by a betrayal of God's crowning specimen of creation Lucifer who was intended to convey the most light of truth about Him to the angels, but who turned traitor by asserting that his accusations are the standard of truth about God, not Michael's version.
You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north! I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!" (Isaiah 14:13-14)
Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, Have fellowship with You? (Psalms 94:20 NKJV)
This war came to involve two major fronts, the the first as being who should be viewed as the legitimate representative of God's will and character, and then after the creation of our world it expanded to who should represent God's reflector beings on earth in the assembly of the sons of God in heaven. The Son of God in His earlier form as Michael initiated the first battle in heaven to unmask the insidious inroads of doubt that was spreading like a fast replicating virus throughout the vulnerable created beings of the universe. This involved subtle insinuations, inferences and suggestions about God's character of perfect love as supposedly being balanced by a hidden darker side to God. Later after Satan successfully captured the dominion of this planet from Adam, he insisted on occupying the seat designed for Adam in the assembly of representatives for all the inhabited worlds that sits on the mountain of God, whatever that symbolizes. Thus the war expanded to include both aspects – representing God directly and then representing God's reflectors. Both fronts have been and continue to be contested by the Son of God over time though from two different forms.
The idea of throne needs to be understood in the light of the real truth about how God governs. The passage from Psalm 94 is highly significant for appreciating the contrast between how God governs and how Satan insists that God governs. This is why this is a powerful exposé on the truth about Satan's counterfeit, for despite his insistence that God relies on a system of imposed laws like how we do here on earth, this verse clarifies that this can never happen. There can be no fellowship, no compromise, no collusion or cooperation between the principles of agape love that defines God design and the system of law enforcement that operates by fear in Satan's system.
This phrase, I will be like, or I will make myself like, is only one word in the original Hebrew. Thus this is not saying that Lucifer was referring to what he intended to become, but rather that his views and disposition and character was the more accurate testimony about what God is like, contradicting Michael's version. Lucifer was in essence declaring, “I AM the most reliable source to inform you about the invisible God.” This explains the resistance aroused when Jesus came and used the I AM title first declared to Moses at the burning bush. This war is not merely over who is authorized to represent humans in the assembly of heaven, but even more so over which being we will believe when it comes to representing God. Both Michael [God's Christ] and Lucifer claim the I AM title, the authoritative witness of what God is like as well as the best way to govern societies.
We glimpse a reference to this war in the words of Jesus facing off against religious leaders who reflected Satan's views of God by stoutly resisting His clear testimony. This was the same war and similar to the showdown to what took place in heaven long before this world was ever created.
You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn't stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)
The beginning referred to by Jesus here is actually the second of three beginnings. And each one directly involved the divine representative of the Godhead. Let me explain further.
When we hear this phrase in the beginning, most likely our mind goes to Genesis 1 describing the terraforming of our planet.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep. God's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)
While this was a very important beginning, it was the third major beginning involving this war. In fact, the account of the creation of this world in Genesis is full of inferences and references indicating that the war was in full engagement already and what was happening here was a response from heaven to the onslaught of deceptions that may well have brought the universe to an apparent impasse in the war. That is why it is noted that darkness was on the surface of the deep. This was not just literal but even more importantly it was symbolic of the state brought about by the myriads of lies Satan was using to obscure the light of truth about God's nature and disposition and to discredit and twist the truth about the viability of God's way of governing.
There are three important beginnings noted in this war, and the creation account was the third beginning, not the first as we might initially presume. The first beginning is found in the account of John who is also the author of the book we are studying right now and who had a better grasp of the backstory more than anyone else, especially after God gave him this revelation to share with us.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4)
This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John, who testified to God's word, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw. (Revelation 1:1-2)
Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider equality with God a thing to be grasped. (Philippians 2:5-6)
We are going to unpack this much more, but for now I simply want to tie this together with the three beginnings that outline the progression of the war. The first beginning was the reality that before anything ever existed and long before sin was ever an issue, the Son of God existed eternally in the Godhead whose very definition is love and will continue to exist with that divine identity for all eternity. This actually is the core issue that brought about the objections Lucifer had that were used to rebel against God's ways and government, for it was the issue of whether or not Christ in the form of Michael was actually part of God or not. That is when the second beginning happened, the beginning of sin and the spirit of rebellion that has led to all the mayhem, evil and distrust of God anywhere. God's response to this second beginning was the third beginning, a demonstration of the nature of His disposition and use of power that exposed Satan's allegations as invalid which in turn led the unfallen angels, referred to as stars in Job, to sing together with joy at this revelation.
It is well that we take time to explore this mysterious being identified as Michael using the clues given. Many question why God was not more clear about identifying Michael for us, but I believe this is partly because for humans, the incarnated Son of God in the form of Jesus is the main person for us to focus on given our fallen condition and confusion about God. Jesus was the human form of God, come to correct and restore God's original design for humanity as reflectors of God's image and to develop a character like God. He is the channel of communication to us while Michael is different.
Michael was God's primary representative to the angelic hosts before humans ever existed. Just as Jesus is the primary form of God designed to engage humans in coming to know God intimately, Michael was the same entity but in a different form, designed to interact and engage angels to know God accurately. But Michael is not central for our remediation, but for the angels it was important (with or without the fall of Lucifer) that God communicate and interact with them in a way they could grasp a true awareness about the invisible attributes of God for themselves.
The key here is that God's Christ has ever carried out the role of being the main communicator who reveals the true nature of the Godhead as Their great communicator, the go-between, the mediator and intercessor even long before there were doubts or sin or rebellion bringing about a need for reconciliation and correction.
Because part of the Godhead took on the form of an angel called Michael (Who is Like God) and retained that identity until much later when He took on the form of the human Jesus, we see how serious God is about making sure everyone has an Agent through which they may access the mind and heart of God as much as possible. For humans, that link is our Savior and High Priest Jesus Christ. For the angels it was Michael who was the divine representative of the Godhead who alone knew the Father's heart like no other and interacted with the angels for the purpose of revealing the Father just as He did as Jesus later.
We need to begin by reviewing the purpose and design of angels, then examine how Scripture confirms the incarnation of the Son into that form before He became a human being much later.
The entire first chapter of Hebrews focuses intently on the contrast between the authority and role of God's only Son and that of angels and why they were created. The reason this clarification was necessary in Hebrews was because the war that began in heaven was over this very issue – who was to be believed as telling the truth about the invisible God. When Lucifer began circulating sly suggestions and innuendoes about God's integrity and character, it was impossible for any of the created beings to know what was true since Lucifer's assigned role in heaven was to relay the realities of the invisible God to the visible universe in existence at that time. Because Lucifer was exploiting the trust of all the angels who relied on him to explain things that were beyond their access as God designed for Lucifer to do, the fact that Lucifer used this to his advantage was even more reprehensible. Thus in Hebrews 1 we catch a brief glimpse, a tiny synopsis of what transpired in the war over God's reputation that began in heaven before our world was brought into being.
The author of Hebrews indicates that there was intense questioning over who was to be believed as telling the truth about God. This is implied in the idea of Sonship that is the core issue all throughout the war, yet today has been subverted to be an issue of whether or not the Son of God Jesus lived eternally with God in the past or whether we was brought out and separated as unique being from the bosom of God at some point. This argument is a scheme of Satan to divert attention away from the far greater meaning of this phrase only begotten son. In Scripture, the primary meaning of being a son is about revealing the nature and disposition of the father and the family attributes, not about genealogy as Satan wants us to imagine. This is why who God identifies as being His legitimate Son is key to grasping what is discussed in this chapter, because it was central to the war that began in heaven over which being was relaying the truth about the invisible God.
His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have. For to which of the angels did he say at any time, "You are my Son. Today have I become your father?" and again, "I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?" Again, when he brings in the firstborn into the world he says, "Let all the angels of God worship him." (Hebrews 1:3-6)
This passage summarizes an enormous amount of hidden history that took place in heaven related to the passage in Revelation we are looking at right now. Hebrews 1 is a synopsis of that first stage of the war before it moved to this planet, but the patterns of how the war carries on repeat themselves over and over. This is how we can discern from our perspective in this late stage of the war, what likely may have taken place in the earlier stages, for the arguments used to undermine trust in God's heart have been consistent from the very outset, and the challenge that unmasks their insidious nature has been always initiated by the Son who alone is affirmed as being the only reliable One to reveal the truth that alone is trustworthy about who God is and what He is like. This is why the name of this presumed angel meant Who is Like God, because only the Son was like God, both in the way He acted and the testimony He gives that contradicts that of the created angel Lucifer who transformed into Satan the great rebel who spread lies and accusations against God.
Hebrews makes it clear that only God has the definitive word as to who is to be trusted as revealing the truth about Himself. Chapter 1 strongly infers that there was another angel claiming to be telling the truth about God that was at variance with the One identified by God as His Son. This passage infers that originally the question in the minds of the universe involved which angel could be trusted. This is why it asks, to which of the angels did he say at any time... This was because at that point in history, the Son was in the form of an angel, and as thus He appeared to be no different than the other cherub Lucifer who was contesting the witness of Michael because it appeared there was no significant material difference between them.
This should not sound strange, for this same Son of God met the same resistance as a human while among us here on earth. He was constantly challenged over the issue of authority to represent God because He appeared so 'normal' like any other human being.
Who has believed our message? and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed? For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he has no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and acquainted with disease: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we didn't respect him. (Isaiah 53:1-3)
This was no new revelation about God that was not already present when the Son had the form of the angel Michael. God never changes, and neither does the testimony about God throughout the entire history of creation and the war that was caused by Lucifer's distortions some time after creation. God knew what was coming, so He provided a faithful witness called Who is Like God as His agent and revealer of truth for all who would believe in His testimony that God's power is made most clear in apparent weakness. When the Son took on the form of an angel, His character and the likeness of God revealed through His interactions with all other created beings was identical to what He reflected when He later took on the form of a human. This sequence is spelled in Philippians.
Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, (1) existing in the form of God, didn't consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the (2) form of a servant, being (3) made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:5-7)
This clarifies three stages of existence the Son of God experienced to bring reconciliation and synchronization to the entire universe, both fallen and unfallen. The Son originally existed in the form of God and was always equal with God. But in order to expose what is invisible to created beings about the nature of what God is really like, the Son (the one that alone reveals the full truth about the father which is what being son really means) exhibited the humble nature of God by emptying Himself or laying aside the privileges and power of living as the supreme being over all, and took on the form of a servant.
This servant phase is key for appreciating why the angel Michael can be understood to simultaneously be the Son of God. We must appreciate the meaning and purpose of what it means to be an angel. Again, Hebrews one spells that out plainly in the same chapter that outlines the original issues that began this war.
But which of the angels has he told at any time, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?" Aren't they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:13-14)
Angels were specifically designed as ministering spirits. That is their purpose and design, and their joy is found only as they fulfill that servant function, just as our joy is found only in fulfilling our design to reflect the glory of God as His image and thus develop characters that is just like His. This spirit of ministering to others is also a reflection of God's heart, for the truth about the invisible essence of what God is like requires all the different aspects of creation to even begin to display the magnitude of God's greatness.
That which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity.... (Romans 1:19-20)
This is a key principle of creation design that unlocks many things that presently seem mysterious to us. Paul explains that all creation is a magnification and revelation of the invisible attributes of God. Thus all creation plays a role in helping everyone come to appreciate and love the Creator, even if they have never known about Him intellectually or cognitively.
The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork. Day after day they pour forth speech, and night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world.... (Psalms 19:1-4)
Yet beyond the testimony about who God is as revealed in how all creation together is to reflect perfect harmony and beauty, God has always had an objective faithful Witness called His Son who also is the Creator and ongoing Sustainer of all creation. The Son may assume different forms of created intelligence, but He has always been present and active in one form or another in order to facilitate ready communication with the mind and heart of God.
In Daniel we find more clues that help identify this Michael as being the divine revelation of God rather than simply being another created angel. In Daniel's account of visions given to him long ago, Michael is said to play a pivotal role in the war raging as the enemy sought to interfere with God bringing about fulfillment of previous prophecies, even as God was revealing to Daniel important aspects of the backstory along with important prophecies of future events to overturn Satan's power.
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me: and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth: and there is none who holds with me against these, but Michael your prince. (Daniel 10:13,21)
Many translations I believe fail to correctly render verse 13. In the Hebrew it indicates that Michael is the one who is the chief of all the supernatural princes, not merely one among many. This mistranslation can bring confusion preventing us from seeing the significance of what is mentioned about the Prince who identifies specifically with all who are loyal to God.
The only translation I have found that identifies this is Young's Literal Translation.
And the head of the kingdom of Persia is standing over-against me twenty and one days, and lo, Michael, first of the chief heads, hath come in to help me, and I have remained there near the kings of Persia; (Daniel 10:13 YLT)
At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your 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 your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:1-2)
Here we find Michael as identified as the prince who stands for God's people as well as being linked to the resurrection of the righteous at the second coming of Christ at the beginning of the millennium.
Following these links allows us to see more clearly that in fact Michael was the same entity as the one who later became Christ as a human being and who will return to resurrect His children as well as the one who ever stands up for them no matter what difficulties they have to endure. Michael is the Prince above all princes just as He is Lord and lords and King of kings.
Keep in mind that up until the human incarnation of Christ, the Son of God retained the form of an archangel, meaning the highest authority above all created angels. The Son of God as we have already pointed out, took on the form of a servant angel, and it was in this form that He interacted by coordinating the activities of all the angels of God in heaven working to rescue fallen humanity and to counter the wily schemes of the enemy sabotaging heaven's activities for both our salvation as well as God's. Thus it is likely that it was in the form of Micael that Christ acted as the agent of heaven, communicating God's will and directions as the chief administrator of heaven's involvement in this war that started in heaven..
But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, "May the Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 1:9)
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
It is true that putting all these verses together does not conclusively prove that Michael was in fact the same entity as the Son of God. I understand that, and each one is free to evaluate all the evidence and come to their own conclusion. This does not preclude that Michael was a created angel of very high rank. But for me, it simply makes more sense and fits into the larger picture that, just as Satan is identified under many different labels, so too can the Son of God be seen acting within various capacities under different titles and functions. These last two verses for me provide compelling evidence that it was more likely Christ, the Creator with power to raise the dead to life, who was identified as Michael the archangel, as well as the fact that He most accurately portrays the disposition of the Father's heart by refusing to be drawn into contention with the accuser.
In these verses we see the tight connection between Michael as the archangel and the resurrection. Jesus declared that He is the resurrection and the life, and we know that Jesus is also the Son of God, the only one who is fully like God and the only one who has seen and knows God intimately. The pattern is quite clear when we view it from the much broader perspective of the entire scope of the war against God and His people. The Son while taking on various forms through the course of the existence of creation that He himself spoke into existence, has involved Himself inside that creation while not losing His original identity as being God even though He willingly laid aside all that power and honor. He did so because that is part of how He reveals the true nature of God, for He says unequivocally that if we have seen Him we have seen the Father. This has been true all along, whether He was representing God as Michael to the angelic hosts in heaven or revealing God to the watching universe and to us as a humble, weak and vulnerable human being fully trusting in and reflecting His Father's true glory as the greatest Servant of all.
Whoever of you wants to become first among you, shall be bondservant of all. For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:44-45)
This is the testimony of our Prince about the disposition of God we are designed to reflect. Just as Jesus did not come to be served but to serve, in the same way God is not looking to be served but to serve. Jesus is the express image of God in every way, and when we begin to grasp this as the reality that defines His testimony all throughout the history of creation, the amazing beauty and attractiveness of God and His design has the power to transforms us as we become willing to participate in reflecting this unique and unexpected aspect of His glory.
When Michael contended with the devil over resurrecting the body of Moses (keep in mind that no one had ever been resurrected from the dead up to this point in the history of the rebellion), the Son of God was revealing the nature of God's disposition towards His archenemy who is the great accuser and ultimate arguer. God and all who reflect Him, never argue with the accuser but simply defer the matter to another source of authority. This is the nature of agape love, for love never seeks to fight for its rights or even defend itself but always trusts that God will work things out for our best good and for the glory of His reputation in the long run.
He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest. (Revelation 1:16)
These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless. (Revelation 14:4-5)
This highlights the reality that this war is over control of the mind, capturing the imagination and heart, and about the nature of what is in the mouth. Jesus fights this war with a sword that is exclusively seen as coming from His mouth, never in His hand. This is highly significant and central to understanding how we are to follow His example if we are willing follow wherever He leads us.
