Tag: Michael

Morning Prayer: 13 Oct – Revelation 12:10-12 ~ salvation, power and kingdom authority

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me: against snares of devils,
against temptations of vices, against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

__________

__________

Revelation 12:10-12 (ESV) – to be read aloud

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Reflection

THE SECOND VISION – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS (8:2-14:20)

Interlude (12:1-14:20)

Overview (12:10-12)

The great tribulation about to break upon the church was a direct result of the defeat of Satan in heavenly conflict. The salvation, power, and Kingdom of God are present realities. Although defeated, Satan is still a powerful foe…. The point of this passage is not to establish a chronology but to reveal the supernatural cause behind Satan’s opposition to the church whenever and wherever it occurs. It should be no surprise that as the end draws near, this hostility will increase in intensity. (Mounce, p.238)

The triumph of God’s Kingdom (12:10-11)

Somewhere in the World a Believer is Being Martyred Right Now……..Today
Somewhere in the World a Believer is Being Martyred
Right Now……..Today

The defeat of Satan leads to the establishment of the authority of the Messiah in the world. The result is Satan’s accusations against God’s people are frustrated…. The victory over Satan… actually was accomplished in history at the cross. The shed blood of Christ is the real means of victory over Satan. The secondary means of victory… is the martyrs’ witness to the saving power of the blood of Christ.

Their very martyrdom was their victory over Satan: it proved that his accusations against the brethren were empty. It is clear that victory over Satan is a spiritual victory which is often won even in the terrible experience of martyrdom. (Ladd, p.172-3)

Rejoice! (12:12)

While the rejoicing is called for from the inhabitants of heaven it is plain that people on earth can rejoice too. Their citizenship is in heaven. And, though they suffer grievous troubles on earth, they are assured that these are temporary and that already the triumph is being savoured in heaven. But for now there is woe for them on earth and sea. The devil has come down in great anger, knowing that he has only a little time, the time that remains before the second advent…. The troubles of the persecuted righteous arise not because Satan is too strong, but because he is beaten. He is doing all the harm he can while he can. But he will not be able to do this much longer. (Morris, 158)
__________

__________

Canticle

Christ, as a light – illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield – overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
_____________________________________

Peanut Gallery: In September, we will begin reading through the Book of Revelation (ESV). Our purpose will be devotional, i.e. to discover the word of blessing that God has for us in these troubled times… to find hope and help for our daily lives.

This will not be a Bible Study per se: we will not attempt to unravel the “mysteries” of Revelation… that is far beyond our abilities and is not our interest here. However, so as not to get too far afield, we will rely on three study resources: primary – A Commentary on the Revelation of John (George Elton Ladd); supplemental Revelation (Leon Morris) and  The Book of Revelation (Robert H. Mounce).

The general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) On Sundays, we’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world. Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.

Morning Prayer: 11 Oct – Revelation 12:7-12 ~ Holy War

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me: against snares of devils,
against temptations of vices, against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

Revelation 12:7-12 (ESV) – to be read aloud

The Fall of the Rebel Angels Frans Floris I , 1554 Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp
The Fall of the Rebel Angels
Frans Floris I , 1554
Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world — he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Reflection

THE SECOND VISION – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS (8:2-14:20)

Interlude (12:1-14:20)

Holy War (12:7-12)

Our struggles are not to be shrugged off as insignificant. They are part of the great conflict between good and evil. (Morris, p.156)

This conflict is… a warfare in heaven itself. It is an all-out attempt on the part of Satan to regain his position in the presence of God… the cosmic prelude to the consummation, an “end-time event.” At the same time it is the heavenly counterpart to the victory of Christ in his death and resurrection (John 12:31). The triumph of the Messiah (vs 5) is now expressed in terms of the Holy War.

It is the defeat of Satan (whether described in terms of Christ’s redemptive work or the battle in heaven) that explains the hostility to be poured out upon the church in the days of final tribulation. It is precisely because Satan has lost the battle that he now launches one last assault on the church. (Mounce, p.235-6)

In redemptive history the victory over Satan was won by Christ shedding his blood on the cross. John, however, is not concerned here with the way the victory is won but merely the fact that satan is defeated…. The overthrow and final defeat of evil is altogether the work of Christ. (Ladd, p.171)

Michael and his angels (12:7-8)

Michael appears in Scripture as… the guardian angel of Israel. In the present passage, he is represented as the defender of God’s people as a whole against the evil power of Satan. The single intent of the passage is to assure those who meet satanic evil on earth that it is really a defeated power, however contrary it might seem to human experience. (Ladd, p.171)

Satan the deceiver (12:9)

The dragon and his angels are hurled down to the earth. It is the beginning of the end.

Satan is known as… the Adversary, the prosecutor who accuses people before God in the heavenly court…. Satan is also known as the Slanderer, the deceiver of the whole world…. It is a momentous event when this prince of evil is defeated in battle and cast forever from the court of heaven. (Mounce, p.237)

The present passage describes a victory over Satan by virtue of which his accusations against God’s people lose their force (vs. 10)…. In symbolic language, john is asserting that the presence and power of the Kingdom of God on earth in the persons of Jesus and his disciples meant the toppling of Satan from his place of power. (Ladd, p.172)
__________

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..
__________

Canticle

Christ, as a light – illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield – overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me – on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
_____________________________________

Peanut Gallery: In September, we will begin reading through the Book of Revelation (ESV). Our purpose will be devotional, i.e. to discover the word of blessing that God has for us in these troubled times… to find hope and help for our daily lives.

This will not be a Bible Study per se: we will not attempt to unravel the “mysteries” of Revelation… that is far beyond our abilities and is not our interest here. However, so as not to get too far afield, we will rely on three study resources: primary – A Commentary on the Revelation of John (George Elton Ladd); supplemental Revelation (Leon Morris) and  The Book of Revelation (Robert H. Mounce).

The general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) On Sundays, we’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world. Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.