By Ania

~ This is a continuation of a blog that I posted previously "The First Warrior-Defender and Commander-Michael the Archangel" http://raf1027.multiply.com/journal/item/158

WAR IN HEAVEN

According to Christian mythology, the War of Heaven was a defining moment in the universe, when the archangel Lucifer led a third of the Angels in an open revolution against God and his loyal angels.

Background to the War

The most common catalyst considered to have driven Lucifer towards his unsuccessful coup was the Creation of Man, whereupon God ordered all his angels to bow down to Mankind. Lucifer considered this an insult, and rallied discontent amongst other angels who felt the act was degrading since they were God's first creation themselves.

The War

In 1273, Pope John XXI, then Bishop of Tusculum, estimated that the total number of angels who sided with Lucifer's revolt numbered 133,306,668, which would suggest that they were fighting against a force of 266,613,336 angels who remained loyal to God. This number was later affirmed by 15^th-century scholar Alphonso de Spina. Filled with hubris, Lucifer issued a declaration of war stating that "I will ascend to Heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."

In the end, Lucifer and all the angels under his command were thrown out of Heaven as punishment for their insurrection. Several millennia afterwards, Jesus Christ reported that he had been present and saw Lucifer being thrown down like a flash of lightning.

Lucifer being thrown down from Heaven

Religious interpretations and variations

The Muslim tradition draws on Quran 7:12, which claims that Lucifer's pride was seen in his insistence that he was better than Mankind, being forged from fire, rather than clay. Some Sufi traditions assert that Lucifer espoused a great love of God – and that he had sworn to never bow to anyone except God. (See section on Persian and Sufi Traditions in article on Lucifer)

According to the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Lucifer fomented the revolution after God rejected his alternative plan of salvation, wherein he had volunteered to take Jesus' place as God's emissary to humanity. Lucifer believed that mortals should have their free will revoked to prevent them from committing sins, to ensure their entry into Heaven.

The War in Heaven - Did the Archangels/Angels regardless of their rank/ hierarchy and order ~ given the choice of Free Will?

Some excerpts from Catholic Theology - http://www.saintaquinas.com/angels.html

- It is important to realize that an angel is not a dead human; in other words we do not become angels when we die and pass on to heaven. Angels are as different from humans as animals are from us. Humans are endowed with sentience, conscience and a measure of intellect which divides us from the animals. In a similar manner, angels are endowed with a power and intellect not proper to man. In a sense, man is a composite creation which blends the nature of the animal (corporeality, instinct, passions) with the nature of the angels (free will, intellect, conscience, sentience and rationality). Thus the angels are not humans, and we can never become one. -

The Nature of Angels~

St. Thomas Aquinas speculated on the nature of the angels from the vantage point of Scholastic philosophy. Aquinas used a synthesis of philosophy and Scripture (called Scholasticism) to speculate on the nature, powers and ordering of the angels.

* He believed that angels had three primary roles given to them by God. Their first role was to worship God.

* The second major role of the angels is to implement the will of God

* Finally, angels serve as messengers from God.

Goodness of the Angels~

Moral goodness is not something that is dependent on the nature of a created being. The nature of a creature is the innate powers and potential given to a being by God. Because free will is a necessary part of the nature of man and angel, there exists the possibility of sin. Angels can, and have, sinned. Indeed, the original creation of God was perfect and moral in every possible way. Unfortunately, Satan (for reasons we can only speculate on) a good Cherubim, decided to selfishly seek and increase his own glory and power beyond the limits set by God.

When he refused to submit to the will of God he committed the first of all sins: the sin of pride. When Satan sinned in pride, he convinced many other angels to follow him into submission and evil. For this sin, he was expelled from heaven forever and was denied the immediate vision of God.

The good angels who resisted Satan’s temptations were admitted into the immediate vision of God and became firmly rooted in virtue. For this reason, the angels who resisted the first sin are no longer capable of sinning; they have made a permanent and indelible choice to submit to the love of God. The fallen angels, or devils as we now call them, are likewise permanently rooted in sin. It is not possible for a devil to repent of his sins.

This fact partially explains why belief in angels is a primary dogma of Catholic faith. Without belief in angels, there is no possible explanation for the existence of evil in the good creation of God

Christian angelic hierarchy
v • d • e
First Sphere (liberated)
Seraphim • Cherubim • Ophanim (Thrones/Wheels)

Second Sphere (active)
Thrones • Dominions • Principalities
Third Sphere (active)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archangel"

"How does God's sovereignty work together with Free will?"

It is impossible for us to fully understand the dynamics of a holy God molding and shaping the will of man. Scripture is clear that God knows the future (Matthew 6:8; Psalm 139:1-4) and has total sovereign control over all things (Colossians 1:16-17; Daniel 4:35). The Bible also says that we must choose God or be eternally separated from Him. We are held responsible for our actions (Romans 3:19; 6:23; 9:19-21). How these facts work together is impossible for a finite mind to comprehend (Romans 11:33-36).

People can take one of two extremes in regard to this question. Some emphasize the sovereignty of God to the point that human beings are little more than robots simply doing what they have been sovereignly programmed to do. Others emphasize free will to the point of God not having complete control and/or knowledge of all things. Neither of these positions are biblical. The truth is that God does not violate our wills by choosing us and redeeming us. Rather, He changes our hearts so that our wills choose Him. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19) and “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16).

What are we to do then? First, we are to trust in the Lord, knowing that He is in control (Proverbs 3:5-6). God’s sovereignty is supposed to be a comfort to us, not an issue to be concerned about or debate over. Second, we are to live our lives making wise decisions in accordance with God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:5). There will be no excuses before God for why we chose to disobey Him. We will have no one to blame but ourselves for our sin. Last but not least, we are to worship the Lord, praising Him that He is so wonderful, infinite, powerful, full of grace and mercy—and sovereign.

http://www.gotquestions.org/free-will-sovereign.html

This is not meant to be a religious post but more of a study into different perspectives~ Ana

By Ania

Michael (Archangel)

Michael is the Archangel mentioned in the Book of Revelation 12:7. In the Old Testament Michael is mentioned by name in the Persian context of the Book of Daniel.

He is generally presented as the "Field commander of the Army of God." There Michael appears as "one of the chief princes" (Daniel 10:13) Michael who in Daniel's vision comes to the Lord's aid in his contest with the leader of Persia, and is also described there as the advocate of Israel and "great prince (or leader) who stands up for the children of your (Daniel's) people" (Daniel 10:21, 12:1).

The Talmudic tradition rendered his name as meaning "who is like El ("God"—but literally "El's Likeness")" (compare the late prophet Micah), but according to Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish (AD 230–270), all the specific names for the angels were brought back by the Jews from Babylon, and many modern commentators would agree. The name title "Archangel" translated into the English language means: 'highest messenger'.

Much of the late Midrashic detail about Michael was transmitted to Christian mythology through the Book of Enoch, whence it was taken up

Guido Reni's archangel Michael (in the Capuchin church of Santa Maria della Concezione, Rome) tramples Satan.

and further elaborated. In late medieval Christianity, Michael, together with St George, became the patron saint of chivalry, and of the first chivalric order of France, the Order of Saint Michael of 1469. In the British honours system, a chivalric order founded in 1818 is also named for these two saints, the Order of St Michael and St George.

St Michael is also considered in many Christian circles as the Patron Saint of the Warrior. Police officers and soldiers, particularly paratroopers, regard him as their patron saint.

Roman Catholics refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael ("Saint" is a title meaning "holy", and is not meant to indicate that Michael is a human soul in heaven). Orthodox Christians refer to him as the Taxiarch ("Commander") Archangel Michael or simply Archangel Michael.

Michael

St. Michael the Archangel
(Hebrew "Who is like God").

St. Michael is one of the principal angels; his name was the war-cry of the good angels in the battle fought in heaven against the enemy and his followers. Four times his name is recorded in Scripture:

(1) Daniel 10:13 sqq., Gabriel says to Daniel, when he asks God to permit the Jews to return to Jerusalem: "The Angel [D.V. prince] of the kingdom of the Persians resisted me . . . and, behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me . . . and none is my helper in all these things, but Michael your prince";

(2) Daniel 12, the Angel speaking of the end of the world and the Antichrist says: "At that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people."

(3) In the Catholic Epistle of St. Jude: "When Michael the Archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses", etc. St. Jude alludes to an ancient Jewish tradition of a dispute between Michael and Satan over the body of Moses, an account of which is also found in the apocryphal book on the assumption of Moses (Origen, "De principiis", III, 2, 2). St. Michael concealed the tomb of Moses; Satan, however, by disclosing it, tried to seduce the Jewish people to the sin of hero-worship. St. Michael also guards the body of Eve, according to the "Revelation of Moses" ("Apocryphal Gospels", etc., ed. A. Walker, Edinburgh, p. 647).

(4) Apocalypse 12:7, "And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon." St. John speaks of the great conflict at the end of time, which reflects also the battle in heaven at the beginning of time. According to the Fathers there is often question of St. Michael in Scripture where his name is not mentioned. They say he was the cherub who stood at the gate of paradise, "to keep the way of the tree of life" (Gen., iii, 24), the angel through whom God published the Decalogue to his chosen people, the angel who stood in the way against Balaam (Numbers 22:22 sqq.), the angel who routed the army of Sennacherib (IV Kings 19:35).

Following these Scriptural passages, Christian tradition gives to St. Michael four offices:

To fight against Satan.
To rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death.
To be the champion of God's people, the Jews in the Old Law, the Christians in the New Testament; therefore he was the patron of the Church, and of the orders of knights during the Middle Ages.
To call away from earth and bring men's souls to judgment ("signifer S. Michael repraesentet eas in lucam sanctam", Offert. Miss Defunct. "Constituit eum principem super animas suscipiendas", Antiph. off. Cf. "Hermas", Pastor, I, 3, Simil. VIII, 3).

Regarding his rank in the celestial hierarchy opinions vary; St. Basil (Hom. de angelis) and other Greek Fathers, also Salmeron, Bellarmine, etc., place St. Michael over all the angels; they say he is called "archangel" because he is the prince of the other angels; others (cf. P. Bonaventura, op. cit.) believe that he is the prince of the seraphim, the first of the nine angelic orders. But, according to St. Thomas (Summa, I:113:3) he is the prince of the last and lowest choir, the angels. The Roman Liturgy seems to follow the Greek Fathers; it calls him "Princeps militiae coelestis quem honorificant angelorum cives". The hymn of the Mozarabic Breviary places St. Michael even above the Twenty-four Elders. The Greek Liturgy styles him Archistrategos, "highest general" (cf. Menaea, 8 Nov. and 6 Sept.).

FREDERICK G. HOLWECK
Transcribed by Sean Hyland

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Michael ("Who is as God"): Regardless of which major faith's angelic beings is being followed, Michael ranks as the highest of the host. He is the leader of the celestial armies and is the angel who fought Satan during the War and enchained the rebel leader. He is considered to be of the class of seraphim, and yet is also head of other ranks within the hierarchy: the ruler of the archangels leader of the virtues, and head of the principalities in his role as protector of Israel.

Michael is considered to be the angel of the burning bush through which God spoke to Moses, and has also appeared in the book of Daniel, where God states him as being the highest within the angelic ranks. Although other angels have been attributed with the title of Angel of Death, it is Michael who weighs the souls on judgment day, after his battle once more with the forces of evil. He is mentioned
as both an angel of destruction and vengeance in the name of God, but also as a protector and the angel who kept Satan from claiming the body of Moses after the patriarch's death. By all rights, Michael can be considered foremost among the angels.

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This Archangel is 'over the best parts of humanity and over chaos' His name means Who is like to God. Also known as St. Michael, Archangel Michael is said to be the closest to God and is heaven's greatest defender and mightiest warrior against evil. His symbol is a fiery sword.

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Also known as: Lord Michael, Prince of the Archangels, Archangel of the First Ray, Defender of the Faith

Historical and Literary References: Michael's Name means "Who is like God." Angel of Deliverance. Considered by all three of the major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, to be the greatest of all the Angels. Also, Michael and Gabriel are the only two Angels mentioned in the Old Testament by name. According to Jewish writings, Michael was considered to be the "Viceroy of Heaven", which incidentally was a title applied to the great adversary Lucifer before his fall from grace. Michael has been credited as being the angel who stayed the hand of Abraham when he was on the point of sacrificing his son Isaac. According to Louis Ginzberg in The Legends of the Jews, Vol.2, p.303, "the Fire that Moses saw in the burning bush had the appearance of Michael, who had descended from Heaven as the forerunner of the Shekinah."

In the Book of Revelation 20:1, it is commonly thought that Michael is the "angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand." He is usually depicted wearing armor or chain mail and an unsheathed Sword, signifying his role as God's champion. He was described as young, strong and handsome; very huge and militant; eyes looking like pools of fire with firm, chiseled facial features. His skin was described as the "color of copper which radiates and glows from being in the Presence of God".

Divine Quality: Protection , Faith , Will of God , Power , Omnipotence of God , Perfection

Previously posted from my other site: http://raf1027.multiply.com/journal/item/158