Revelation 12:7
in Revelation 12Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;
KJV
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
⋯
This verse in Revelation 12
Commentary
18 notes on this verseMichael indeed means "Who is like God." And whenever something of wondrous power is accomplished, Michael is said to be sent, so that from the act itself and the name it may be understood that no one can do what God is able to do.
This site's exposition
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon
on Revelation 12:7-9
The dragon is hurled down under four names: the great dragon, that ancient serpent, the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. Michael, who leads the angels against him, is the prince who stands for Israel in the time of distress in Daniel 12:1.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
A commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
proposed
"There was a battle in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon warred, and his angels, and they prevailed not; nor was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast forth, that old serpent: he was cast forth into the earth." This is the beginning of Antichrist yet previously Elias must prophesy, and there must be times of peace. And afterwards, when the three years and six months are completed in the preaching of Elias, he also must be cast down from heaven, where up till that time he had had the power of ascending; and all the apostate angels, as well as Antichrist, must be roused up from hell. Paul the apostle says: "Except there come a falling away first, and the man of sin shall appear, the son of perdition; and the adversary who exalted himself above all which is called God, or which is worshipped."
A commentator
Primasius of HadrumetumCOMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12:7-8 · Written before 560.
proposed
We must not think that the devil and his angels dared to fight in heaven, since he could not even tempt Job without God's permission. Rather by "heaven" he quite manifestly indicates the church, where each one of the faithful constantly contends against spiritual evils. …
And the great and glorious angel Michael is he who has authority over this people, and governs them; for this is he who gave them the law into the hearts of believers.
Are you acquainted with the noble task of holy virginity? Do you know how, like a man, to enter "lawfully" upon this contest and "strive," [2 Timothy 2:5] that, in the might of the Holy Spirit, you choose this for yourself, that you may be …
Just as in a recapitulation of the aforementioned principle, it conceives an earlier principle, which was partly mentioned before, concerning the vision that is about to relate to us the events regarding the Antichrist; for the first principle among them is the fall of Satan …
11 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church5 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 17 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Now, Scripture also has trees for food. It enlightens by means of those things that are from the opposite side. For it shows us an endless army arrayed against us, either through the seven princes, through a single war, or through several wars. That war …
These words can refer to the first fall of the devil from his angelic rank because of his pride and envy, or it can refer to his destruction through the cross of the Lord, when, as the Lord says, "the ruler of this world is …
And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels. Let the faithful's hearts not believe that this battle happened when the old enemy fell from heaven with his followers because of …
And there was a great battle in heaven. Michael and his angels, etc. Heaven signifies the Church, in which he says Michael and his angels fight against the devil, because according to God's will, they struggle by praying for the pilgrim Church and providing help. …
And the dragon fought, and his angels. The angels of Satan are not only those who are like him in nature and will but also humans ensnared by their traps.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And there was war in heaven - Here Satan makes his grand opposition to the kingdom of God; but an end is now put to his accusing the saints before God.
And there was war in heaven,....
The seat of this war-- in heaven, in the church, which is the kingdom of heaven on earth, under the care of heaven and in the same interest. The parties-- Michael and his angels on one side, and the dragon and his angels on the other: Christ, the great Angel of the covenant, and his faithful followers; and Satan and all his instruments.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But at Christ's coming as our Redeemer, he fell from heaven, especially when Christ suffered, rose again, and ascended to heaven. When Christ appeared before God as our Advocate, Satan, the accusing adversary, could no longer appear before God against us, but was cast out judicially (Ro 8:33, 34).
Rev 12:7 per Adam Clarke There was war in heaven - In the same treatise, fol. 87, 2, on Exo 14:7, Pharaoh took six hundred chariots, we have these words: “There was war among those above and among those below, והמלחמה היתה חזקה בשמים vehammilchamaĥ hayethah chazakah bashshamayim, and there was great war in heaven.” Of Michael the rabbins are full. See much in Schoettgen, and see the note on Jud 1:9. The dragon - and his angels - The same as Rab. Sam. ben David, in Chasad Shimuel, calls סמאל וחיילותיו Samael vechayilothaiv, “Samael and his troops;” fol. 28, 2. Rev 12:7 per John Edward Clarke And there was war in heaven - As heaven means here the throne of the Roman empire, the war in heaven consequently alludes to the breaking out of civil commotions among the governors of this empire. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon - Michael was the man child which the woman brought forth, as is evident from the context, and therefore signifies, as has been shown already, the dynasty of Christian Roman emperors. This dynasty is represented by Michael, because he is “the great prince which standeth for the children of God’s people.” Dan 12:1. And the dragon fought and his angels - Or ministers.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And there was war in heaven - There was a state of things existing in regard to the woman and the child - the church in the condition in which it would then be - which would be well represented by a war in heaven; that is, by a conflict between the powers of good and evil, of light and darkness. Of course it is not necessary to understand this literally, anymore than the other symbolical representations in the book.
The words behind it
25 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐγένετο | egeneto | there was | G1096 → | 667 times |
| πόλεμος | polemos | war | G4171 → | 18 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανῷ· | ourano | heaven: | G3772 → | 272 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Μιχαὴλ | michael | Michael | G3413 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄγγελοι | angeloi | angels | G32 → | 175 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πολεμῆσαι | polemesai | to war | G4170 → | 7 times |
| μετὰ | meta | against | G3326 → | 461 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δράκοντος. | drakontos | dragon. | G1404 → | 13 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δράκων | drakon | dragon | G1404 → | 13 times |
| ἐπολέμησεν | epolemesen | warred [back] | G4170 → | 7 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄγγελοι | angeloi | angels | G32 → | 175 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐγένετοthere was
egenetoG1096 →667 times
πόλεμοςwar
polemosG4171 →18 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανῷ·heaven:
ouranoG3772 →272 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ΜιχαὴλMichael
michaelG3413 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἄγγελοιangels
angeloiG32 →175 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
πολεμῆσαιto war
polemesaiG4170 →7 times
μετὰagainst
metaG3326 →461 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
δράκοντος.dragon.
drakontosG1404 →13 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
δράκωνdragon
drakonG1404 →13 times
ἐπολέμησενwarred [back]
epolemesenG4170 →7 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἄγγελοιangels
angeloiG32 →175 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ephesians 6:12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
it leads to
- Colossians 1:13
He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
- 2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
- Ephesians 2:2
in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the…
- Colossians 2:15
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
- Acts 26:18
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified…
- Colossians 1:13
Through
2 Peter 2:4For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
it leads to
- Jude 1:6
And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 25:41
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
- Jude 1:6
Through
Jude 1:9But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
it leads to
- Zechariah 3:2
And the LORD said to Satan: “The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand snatched from the fire?”
- Zechariah 3:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies19
On this chapter
About Revelation
This page draws on 16 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12:7-8; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 17; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 34; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12:7-8; Pseudo-Clement, Two Epistles on Virginity; Shepherd of Hermas, Shepherd of Hermas, Similitude 8 and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.