There’s No Room Left for the Accuser :: Revelation 12:7-12

[Prayer]

Almighty God, you have called your church to testify to the Gospel ... that ... because of the blood of Christ ... you have reconciled yourself to us and made us holy just as you are holy. Grant that by your Holy Spirit, we may join your angels in proclaiming this good news of your salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

1. Who Is Like God? Not even the angels, that’s who.

But I am sure, based on our readings today, that Saint Michael ... whose Hebrew name מִֽיכָאֵל literally could be translated as “Who is Like God?” ... is perfectly good with that confession. Michael and his Angels are not like God in the sense of being almighty, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful, all-present. But they are holy like God because he made them that way. Therefore, it is right to call them saints.

Today is one of the days we recognize this reality. Today is Saint Michael and All Angels Day ... also known as Michaelmas. Today is one of 35 special feasts and festivals listed in our [Lutheran Service Book] on page xi. As the Augsburg Confession says, our churches teach that the remembrance of the saints is to be commended in order that we may imitate their faith and good works according to our calling (AC XXI). That doesn’t mean we worship them. Nor does it mean we pray to them. Scripture sets before us Christ as our Mediator, our Atoning Sacrifice, our High Priest, our Intercessor (1 Tm 2:5-6), who stands in our place, giving us confidence that when we pray to God alone ... the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit hears our prayer. 

2. But you believe in saints and angels, too, don’t you? 

Of course, you do. From “in the beginning” to “amen” ... Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 ... Scripture bears witness to the existence of angels. The first angel mentioned in Scripture appears at the end of Genesis 3. There, we read that ... when [God] drove the Man out of the Garden, he set cherubim there in the east, with a flaming sword turning every way, to guard the way to the Tree of Life (v 24). The final record of an angel appears in Revelation 22. There, John writes, the Lord ... sent his angel to show his servants what is necessary to happen swiftly (v 6). 

We don’t know exactly when God created the angels, but based on God’s Word, it must have been after the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1) and before he rested from all his work Gen 2:2). We do however know why he created them: They serve him. Daniel 7 says there are a thousand thousands ministering to [God], and a myriad of myriads established before Him (v 10). 

Properly understood, the word Angel in English, ἄγγελος in Greek, and מַלְאָךְ (mal.ach) in Hebrew is a title. This word means “Messenger.” Angels are messengers. They serve God by proclaiming his message ... achieving his message. They remind us of God’s Word and promises. They call us to repent. And they teach us to sing. The Gloria in Excelsis came from the angels announcing the birth of Christ (Lk 2:14). The Sanctus was recorded by Isaiah (Isa 6:3), and “This is the Feast” was sung in the Revelation of Saint John (5:12-13, 19:5-9). 

The message of the Angels is not always a song or Word. Sometimes it is an action that achieves the will of God, [breaking and hindering] every evil purpose and plan of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God’s name or let his kingdom come (SC III 4). In 2 Kings 19, the Angel of the Lord did this by striking down 185,000 Assryians overnight (v 35), defending the city of Jerusalem for the sake of God’s name (v 34). The Angels also ministered to our Lord after his temptation in the wilderness by Satan (Mt 4:11) and in the Garden of Gethsemane, where they strengthened him in preparation for the crucifixion (Lk 22:43). They minister to us as well. They are interested in what happens in the church, rejoicing over every repentant sinner. We should rejoice and take comfort in this, too.

That brings us to today’s reading from Revelation 12[:7-12]. Saint John writes ... And a battle happened in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon had no strength, nor was there a place found [for the dragon and his angels] any longer. And the dragon, the great one, the serpent, the ancient one, the one being called devil and the satan, the one leading the whole [world] astray, he was thrown into the earth, and his angels were thrown with him (vv 7-9).

Do you hear the Good News delivered by the angels? 

IN JESUS’ VICTORY OVER SIN AND DEATH, THERE IS NO ROOM LEFT IN HEAVEN FOR THE ACCUSER

John continues, And I heard a great voice in heaven saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ has come to be because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown [out], the one accusing them before our God night and day. And they have conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives until death. Because of this, have glad celebration, O Heavens and Those Dwelling Among Them (vv 10-12a). 

Today’s reading from Revelation chapter 12 is one of the many highlights of this book. 

3. The angels of God are announcing to you that we bring you good news of great joy.

There is no one left in heaven to accuse you of your sin, iniquity, and transgression. Salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ has come. The Devil, the great dragon, the ancient serpent, has been cast out of heaven. Satan and his demons have been found to be liars. His lies are slander, his native tongue. His lies are the gossip that cannot be verified. so God no longer listens to him. His lies are designed to hurt, harm, deceive, and accuse you ... which is why we rank gossip next to idolatry as the most grave of all sins. His lies are why Jesus called him a man-killer from the beginning (Jn 8:44). 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I encourage you therefore ... to walk worthily of the calling to which you have been called (Eph 4:1) and immediately repent of your gossip. Stop listening to lies. Stop sharing lies. The devil’s gossip is always a distortion of truth. Therefore, silence it. 

Whereas Satan has been silenced in heaven, because of the blood of the Lamb, he has not been silenced on earth. That’s why we heard the cry at the end of our reading ... Woe to the earth and the sea. The Devil has descended toward you having great wrath because he sees that his time is short (v 12b). 

4. But now you have nothing to fear: In Jesus’ victory the devil has no strength to fight against you, the baptized saints of God. 

Holy Baptism has made you saints ... that is, holy ... like the angels. Baptism is a washing in which God cleanses us with the blood of Jesus, who was born without sin and lived without sin. Without the shedding of (his holy) blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Hb 9:22). But Jesus laid down his life for you so that He could sanctify you, having cleansed you by the washing of water with the word ... so that he might present you to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle ... holy and blameless (Eph 5:25-27). In Christ, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses, according to the riches of his grace (Eph 1:7). 

We are now citizens of heaven with Christ. We are living and reigning with Christ for a thousand years, which in revelation means a really, really, really long time, maybe even eternity, just as John writes in Revelation 20. So the celebration feast goes on and on (Rv 19:1-3ff). This is the reality enjoyed by all saints everywhere who come through the call to the Divine Service. Here, the word of Christ’s blood and righteousness is preached, taught, confessed, and believed. Here, Satan is silenced. Here, he is found to be powerless. He is thrown out, falling like lightning (Lk 10:18). This Gospel proclaims the Lamb’s victory over the demons, which is why Jesus’ disciples rejoiced (Lk 10:17). Now, even if we or an angel out of heaven should proclaim good news to you that is contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be anathema ... that is, damned with the devil (Gal 1:8)!

[Conclusion]

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let it be made known forever that God is superabundantly generous with his grace: First, through the spoken word; Second, through Baptism; Third, through the Holy Supper; and Fourth, through the power of the Keys. In this Gospel spoken by angels, we have been set free to celebrate ... that Jesus has fulfilled the law for us ... that Jesus has credited us with his obedience to the Law ... that Jesus has paid the wages of our sin by his death, even death on a cross ... and that because God is just, he raised Jesus from the dead. As all the angels proclaim ... He is now risen! ... He is risen, indeed! ... Hallelujah!

And we who treasure this Word in faith, who repent of our sins, and who receive the body and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion ... we will not be condemned. No accusation can be leveled at us because of the blood of Jesus. 

This is the testimony of the saints and angels even today, whenever we gather here around the Gospel and Sacraments. So come and join the angels and all the company of heaven, singing hymns of praise to our Great God ... glorifying him that your names are written in heaven (Lk 10:20) ... in Jesus’ name. Amen.