MICHAEL VERSUS THE DRAGON

THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF THE THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN

GOOD AND EVILGOOD AND EVIL

ISSUE: THE CLAIM OF EQUALITY WITH GOD

WHO IS LIKE UNTO GOD?

THE FIRST ELECTIONTHE TEST OF LOYALTY

• The Son of the King (crowned prince)

• versus• The General of the kingdom

The Backgro

und:

The Prince Campaign

• To retain the integrity of the law of the kingdom

• Freedom and a higher state of existence will be granted to those who will keep the law of the kingdom

• The greatest must be the servant of all• There will be no competition in all form• The father will be the only object of

worship and he as prince will be the channel

• He will represent the King in fullness• Love must rule

The General’s Campaign• To change the law of the kingdom is necessary

to achieve more liberty and a higher state of existence.

• Everybody will be considered wise enough to rule their own lives and impossible to err.

• The strongest must rule and by force they will rule.

• Everyone must be exalted and be worshipped• Everyone can represent the king in fullness.• Competition is the rule for progress and

enjoyment.

Election Result

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The princeThe general

The Prince 67%

The General 33%

War Broke Out After Election

• Revelation 12:7-9• And there was war in heaven: Michael and

his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;

• And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.

• And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.

Michael, the Prince

• The Chief Of The Angels• Jude 1:9 “..Michael the

archangel…” (arche—chief, king)

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16 “…the Lord…the archangel..”

The Executive-Creator

• John 1:1-4• 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; and

without him was not anything made that hath been made.

• In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The full-representation of God and the Sustainer-

security• Hebrews 1• 1. God, who at sundry times and in divers

manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

• 2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

• 3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

• Colossians 1• 15. Who is the image of the invisible

God, 16. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

• 17. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Before all things (pro pantôn). Pro with the ablative case. This phrase makes Paul's meaning plain. The precedence of Christ in time and the preeminence as Creator are both stated sharply. See the claim of Jesus to eternal timeless existence in Joh 8:58; 17:5. See also Re 22:13 where Christ calls himself the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning (archê) and the End (telos). Paul states it also in 2Co 8:9; Php 2:6. Consist (sunestêken). Perfect active indicative (intransitive) of sunistêmi, old verb, to place together and here to cohere, to hold together. The word repeats the statements in verse Col 1:16, especially that in the form ektistai. Christ is the controlling and unifying force in nature. The Gnostic philosophy that matter is evil and was created by a remote aeon is thus swept away. The Son of God's love is the Creator and the Sustainer of the universe which is not evil.—Bertson’s NT word pictures (Col. 1:17)

• consist--"subsist." Not only are called into being from nothing, but are maintained in their present state. The Son of God is the Conserver, as well as the Creator of all things [PEARSON]. BENGEL less probably explains, "All things in Him come together into one system: the universe found its completion in Him" (Isa 41:4; Re 22:13). Compare as to GOD, Ro 11:36: similar language; therefore Christ must be God.—Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary (Col. 1:17).

And by him all things consist. Or are sustained. See Barnes for Heb 1:3. The meaning is, that they are kept in the present state; their existence, order, and arrangement are continued by his power. If unsupported by him, they would fall into disorder, or sink back to nothing. If this be the proper interpretation, then it is the ascription to Christ of infinite power--for nothing less could be sufficient to uphold the universe; and of infinite wisdom--for this is needed to preserve the harmonious action of the suns and systems of which it is composed. None could do this but one who is Divine; and hence we see the reason why he is represented as the image of the invisible God. He is the great and glorious and ever-active Agent by whom the perfections of God are made known.—A. Barnes Commentary (Col. 1:17).

• ST, January 9, 1879 par. 2 "The Father then made known that it was ordained by himself that Christ should be equal with himself; so that wherever was the presence of his Son, it was as his own presence. His word was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father. His Son he had invested with authority to command the heavenly host. Especially was he to work in union with himself in the anticipated creation of the earth and every living thing that should exist upon it. His Son would carry out his will and his purposes, but would do nothing of himself alone. The Father's will would be fulfilled in him."

• DA281 "All things were created by the Son of God."

• MM 10 "All nature is alive. Through its varied forms of life it speaks to those who have ears to hear and hearts to understand of Him who is the source of all life. Nature reveals the wonderful working of the Master Artist.--Letter 164, 1900."

• MM 7 "In Jesus is our life derived. In Him is life, that is original, unborrowed, underived life. In us there is a streamlet from the fountain of life. In Him is the fountain of life. Our life is something that we receive, something that the Giver takes back again to Himself. If our life is hid with Christ in God, we shall, when Christ shall appear, also appear with Him in glory. And while in this world we will give to God, in sanctified service, all the capabilities He has given us.--Letter 309, 1905."

• PP36 "The Son of God had wrought the Father's will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due. Christ was still to exercise divine power, in the creation of the earth and its inhabitants. But in all this He would not seek power or exaltation for Himself contrary to God's plan, but would exalt the Father's glory and execute His purposes of beneficence and love."

Satan, The DragonThe Contender

• Revelation 12:9 • And the great dragon was cast

out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The Accuser and the persistent looser

• Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Was The Covering Angel

• Ezekiel 28:14. • Thou art the anointed cherub

that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Was Created Perfect but became the originator of

evil• Ezekiel 28:11-15• 11. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,• 12. Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of

Tyrus, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

• 13. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the Beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

• 14. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

• 15. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Covets the Prerogative of Michael—to be like the

most High

• Isaiah 14:14 • I will ascend above the heights

of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Defeated By Michael And Were Cast Out Of Heaven And Deceives The World

• Revelation 12• 7. And there was war in heaven: Michael

and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

• 8. And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

• 9. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The Father of Lies

• John 8:44 • Ye are of your father the devil, and

the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The one who suggested that man can claim equality with God and there is immortality

apart from God• Genesis 3• 4. And the serpent said unto the

woman, Ye shall not surely die:• 5. For God doth know that in the

day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Choose the one whom you think has the right to sit with God on the throne

• Joshua 24• 14. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve

him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

• 15. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.