(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

THE WAR IN HEAVEN.

[Footnote A: As side reading, I suggest "Milton's Paradise Lost," and Elder Orson F. Whitney's "Elias," Canto III.]

SPECIAL TEXT: "And there was war in heaven: Michael and, his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was there place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Rev. xii.7-9.)

DISCUSSION.

1. Recapitulatory: The fact of the Eternity of Intelligences, their essential qualities, their capacity for progress, the necessity for union with earth-elements in order to attain a fulness of joy, the purpose of God with reference to man's earth-life—all these subjects having been treated in the preceding lessons; we are now prepared to consider the several steps taken with reference to bringing to pass the earth-life of the spirits of men.

Running throughout the Hebrew scriptures, but more or less vague, there are traces of the pre-earth existence of intelligences, and of strife and struggle in that existence; rebellion and war; failure of certain ones to keep first estates, their being cast out and reserved in chains of darkness to some future day of judgment; some reference also to eternal life that was promised of God before the world was made. Though these lack somewhat in clearness, let me, if they may not be set forth in anything like order, at least mass them, that they may be before us in one view.

2. The Hebrew Scriptures on the War in Heaven: In the very beginning of the Hebrew scripture God, in the creation, is represented as addressing others engaged with him in the creation work: "And God said let us make man in our image, after our likeness."^[A] Then after the Fall: "And the Lord God said: Behold the man has become as one of us to know good and evil."^[B] Perfectly blending with this idea of a plurality of divine Intelligences engaging in the work of creation is the Lord's question to Job: "Gird up now thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me: Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"^[C]

[Footnote A: Gen. i:26.]

[Footnote B: Gen. iii:22.]

[Footnote C: Job xxxviii:4-7.]

It seems, then, that there were sons of God before the foundations of the earth were laid, or even the measuring line was stretched upon it. And may it not have been these Sons of God, whom God addressed in the creation work, saying to them: "Let us make man in our image"—"The man has become as one of us?"

On the return of the Seventy whom Jesus sent out on a special mission into every city and place where he himself proposed to go, they said: "Lord, even the devils are subject to us in thy name." To which Jesus answered: "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" (Luke x:17, 18). As if he would say, "Your victory over evil spirits in my name, is not the first I have won over Satan. I saw him as lightning fall from heaven."^[A] One other reference to Lucifer in this same connection is made by the Christ; when addressing contentious Jews, he said: "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."^[B]

[Footnote A: There is much confusion among the commentators on this passage c. f. Jamieson—Fausset-Brown with the International Revision Commentary on the passage. Dummelow's Commentary, however, says: "Our Lord poetically compares Satan's discomfiture at the successful mission of the Seventy, to his original fall from heaven." He also regards John viii:44, as referring to the same event.]

[Footnote B: St. John viii:44.]

In the Book of Revelation, however, and also in Jude, this "war in heaven" is more minutely described. In the former it is said:

"And there was a war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 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. 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. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."^[A]

[Footnote A: Rev. xii:7-12.]

And this from Jude: "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day" (Jude 6). Peter also alludes to this event when he says: "God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment" (II Peter ii:4).^[A]

[Footnote A: It is upon these declarations of Scripture that Milton has based his gorgeous epic, "Paradise Lost."]

2. Modern Scriptures on the War in Heaven: These are the scripture passages which I said in a vague way represent both the pre-earth existence of Intelligences, and a state of strife, struggle, rebellion, war; attended with the loss of "first estate," and place in heaven, being thrust out into outer darkness. But what the point of controversy, the cause of difference upon which the "war" was based—all this we are left in ignorance of in these scriptures; and even in those other scriptures yet to be quoted, the brevity is painful, and yet they shed great light upon conditions that one feels must have existed in heaven, from the passages of Hebrew scripture massed above. In the Doctrine and Covenants occurs the following passage:

"Behold, the Devil was before Adam [speaking of Adam in the Garden of Eden, and of his temptation], for he rebelled against me, saying give me thine honor, which is my power; also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency; and they were thrust down and became the Devil and his angels. And behold there is a place prepared for them from the beginning, which place is hell."^[A]

[Footnote A: Doc. & Cov., Sec. 29:36-38.]

Again, in the revelation called the "Vision," or "Vision of the Three Glories," the Prophet says:

"And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son, whom the Father loved, and who was in the bosom of the Father—was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son. And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning. And we beheld and lo, he is fallen! is fallen! even a son of the morning. And while we were yet in the Spirit, the Lord commanded us that we should write the vision, for we beheld Satan, that old serpent—even the Devil—who rebelled against God, and sought to take the kingdom of our God, and his Christ."^[A]

[Footnote A: Doc. & Cov., Sec. 76:25-38.]

The Book of Abraham, after representing God's purpose to create an earth in order that the Intelligences in the midst of whom he dwelt might have earth-existence, and be put in the way of eternal progress (Ch. iii:24, 26), then asks: "Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him" (Book of Abraham, Ch. iii:27-28).

Again in the Book of Moses (Pearl of Great Price), after detailing an experience which Moses had with Satan, the Lord said to him:

"That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying: Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor. But, behold, my beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me, Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever. Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; and he became Satan, yea, even the Devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice."^[A]

[Footnote A: Book of Moses iv:1-4.]

This last passage from the Book of Abraham discloses the important truth that this war in heaven was connected with a controversy concerning the redemption of man from conditions in which, apparently, the contemplated earth-life would involve him. The controversy concerned also the choice of One to perform this work of redemption. Two offered themselves, but the terms of one involved at least the sacrifice of two mighty principles; one, the agency of man; the other, the honor and glory of God. "Here am I, Father, send me," said the Christ. Then Lucifer—the Light Bearer, and "one in authority in the presence of God"—said: "Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy Son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor." But the first spake again, saying,^[A] "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." Whereupon the election fell upon the Christ, and Lucifer rebelled.

[Footnote A: I am presenting the order of events here as they may be implied from the two accounts here presented, one from the Book of Abraham, the other from the Book of Moses. The former is a very brief statement, the latter, more elaborate.]