And There Was War in Heaven

The Revelation of St. John, the Divine is perhaps the most cryptic of all for the books in the Bible.  As such it is easily misinterpreted.  I'd like to spend at least part of this week writing about the description of the 12th chapter alongside the 3rd chapter of the Book of Abraham.

 

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, (Revelation 12:7)

Many who read this verse understand it to mean a war yet to come.  Except the Latter-day Saints.  We see it as describing a war which happened in heaven before the foundation of the world.  It wasn't a war of weapons, but rather a war of testimony; a war that was allowed by God the Father because of His commitment to the principle of agency; a way that demonstrates that man's agency is an eternal thing and was at play even then.

The Doctrine of Preexistence teaches that we have always existed as intelligences and became in spirit, literal sons and daughters of God.  Through the eons of pre-earth life, we had progressed as far as we could progress.  God called His Family together in a Grand Council to tell them of His plan for their further growth and ultimate Salvation and Exaltation.  Abraham describes that counsel in these words:

And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell

And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.

And the Lord said: 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. (Abraham 3:25-28)

As I ponder and search for pictures to illustrate each point, I begin to see a picture and an understanding in my mind.  I can spend hours and even days on just 2 or 3 verses.  These verses are pregnant with meaning.  Here is my understanding:

As God explained His plans to create a world to provide a home for His children, who will then be born into physical bodies.  I understand that having a physical body is the next step in Father's plan for our happiness (more on that later.)  Because we will have our agency to choose during this Earth life, we will inevitably make both right and wrong choices and, in so doing, become unclean.  Since no unclean thing can return to the Father, God knew he would have to provide a Savior who might take upon Himself the sins of the world and, thus, fulfill the demands of justice so that through mercy and grace, we can return home.

While I am confident that Heavenly Father already knew whom He would like to send, in keeping with the principle of agency, He had to present the plan to all and then ask "Whom shall I send?"  The choice to go had to be completely voluntary. 

Two of our brothers stepped forward.  The first was Jehovah.   The second was Lucifer.  God chose the first, the second rebelled, and there was war in heaven.

 © Gebara Education, 2016