Episode 2554 - Lesson 4 - Monday October 20 - War in Heaven

War in HeavenJoshua understood that the battle was part of a larger conflict. What do we know about the conflict in which God Himself was involved? Read Rev. 12:7-9, Isa. 14:12-14, Ezek. 28:11-19, and Dan. 10:12-14.God populated the universe with responsible creatures to whom He gave free will, a prerequisite for them being able to love. They can choose to act in accordance with, or against, God’s will. The most powerful of angels, Lucifer, rebelled against God, and took a lot of angels with him.Isaiah and Ezekiel refer to the conflict, although some commentators try to restrict the meaning of Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 to the king of Babylon and to a ruler in Tyre. However, there are clear indicators in the biblical text that point to a transcendent reality. The king of Babylon is presented to have been in heaven at the throne of God (Isa. 14:12-13), and the king of Tyre is said to have resided in Eden as a protective cherub on God’s holy mountain (Ezek. 28:12-15). None of this is true about the kings of Babylon and Tyre.Neither can it be said about the earthly kings that they were blameless and the “signet ring of perfection.” Consequently, these characters point beyond the literal kingdoms of Babylon and Tyre.Isaiah presents a “parable” (Heb. mashal), which conveys a meaning beyond the immediate historical context. In this case, the king of Babylon becomes a paradigm of rebellion, self-sufficiency, and pride. Similarly, Ezekiel makes a distinction between the prince of Tyre (Ezek. 28:2) and the king of Tyre (Ezek. 28:11-12), where the prince, being active in the earthly realm, becomes the symbol of a king who acts in the heavenly one.According to Daniel 10:12-14, these rebellious heavenly beings obstruct the fulfillment of God’s purposes on earth. It is in light of this connection between heaven and earth that we have to understand the divinely sanctioned wars of Israel. We need to recognize them as earthly manifestations of the great conflict between God and Satan, and between good and evil—all ultimately with the purpose of restoring God’s justice and love in a fallen world.What are ways we see, in the world around us and in our own lives, the reality of this cosmic battle between good and evil?